Haruka ducked between two of the horizontal slats, and Alice did the same, then followed everyone toward what she now saw were very large creatures, much larger than she originally thought.
“Awww, my poor baby. I brought him some apples.” Romi slung her pack off of her shoulder and fished a paper bag from within.
“You’re gonna spoil him with all of these exotic goodies.” The words were chiding, but Willa’s tone was decidedly not.
“That’s the point. Chou!”
The blue Fury blinked its large eyes open, then popped its head up, glancing around.
“Chou-Chou!” Romi called in a high-pitched squeal.
The creature rumbled as it scrabbled to its feet. Its long, thick tail that ended in what looked like a large club thumped loudly against the ground, and it bounded toward them.
Alice froze, her eyes wide, everything in her screaming to run. “That’s Chou!?”
“Yup,” Haruka said as the big thing stumbled a bit, its lanky body trying to both run and slither along, its belly dragging just above the grass. It slid to a stop in front of Romi and dragged a large, purple forked tongue that was almost as long as the woman herself against her body.
Romi laughed as it nearly pushed her over, then she threw her arms around the Fury’s snout, cooing something in Japanese. Chou purred—at least it sounded like a purr—his tail still thumping. It pounded even faster when she dug into the paper bag and offered up an apple. The tip of that purple tongue curled around it and drew it between some of the biggest, pointiest teeth Alice had ever laid eyes on.
“That’s how we’re going to get to Findest?” Alice asked.
“Yup,” Haruka repeated.
“Come say hi,” Romi called back to them. “He won’t bite. He’s a big baby. Aren’t you? Aren’t you a big baby? Yes you are!” She offered up more apples for Chou to slurp up like grapes.
That was when Alice realized she hadn’t moved since she learned just who Chou was. Swallowing thickly, she stared after Haruka, who had no problem striding up to this creature that could likely swallow her in two bites. She, too, said something in Japanese and petted at the Fury’s snout.
Alice took a slow breath and forced her feet to move. With a potent mix of awe, excitement, and terror, she approached Romi and her freaking pet dragon thing.
Romi watched her with an amused look on her face that Alice did not appreciate one bit. “Come on. Offer your hand, just like with a dog. Let him get a good whiff of you.”
“No thanks!” Alice forced a smile. “I’m good.”
“Furies can be easily offended,” Haruka started. “If you don’t want to upset him, you need to let him get to know you.”
“You are on his field. S’only fair.” Willa lifted a finger. “And they don’t like it when people are rude.”
Alice hesitated, wiping her hands against her pants as she swallowed thickly. No, nonono. Oh god, I’m gonna die. “Just … uh … like this?” She held her hand out.
“Palm down,” Willa said, also looking way too comfortable. These things were huge, and the black one some distance away had sat up to eye them as well.
Alice flipped her hand over and inched forward. Chou watched her with large, glasslike eyes, the pupils at their centers shaped like diamonds. The thumping of his tail slowed and he leaned his head forward. Alice thought her heart might stop dead in her chest, or burst out of it.
Chou nudged at her fingers with his wet snoot and took two powerful sniffs. Then he opened his mouth, and right when Alice figured, This is it, this is the end, that purple tongue moved along her face, wet, sticky, and scratchy.
The thumping picked up again, and Alice blinked before she reached up to squeegee dragon spit from her face. She held her breath, her stomach gurgling, bile burning her throat. “N-nice … nice Chou…” She flicked the slime from her fingers and swallowed a groan.
Gross!
“He likes you.” Romi’s smile was megawatt bright. “Good.”
“Awesome,” Alice said tightly as she lifted the hem of her freshly laundered shirt—it still smelled like lavender—to wipe at her face. “Why’d I have to get slobbed up, now?”
“Oh, it’s always best to let Furies get used to you before you ride them.” Willa patted the side of Chou’s long neck like he was a horse.
Alice froze in the middle of cleaning her fingers, the tightening in her chest returning for a whole new reason. “Wait, what?” She had never ridden a dragon before, and after ten years of Harry Potter movies, she couldn’t say the thought that it might maybe sorta be cool hadn’t crossed her mind, but now that she was staring down an actual dragon thing, Fury, whatever, she was having second thoughts.
“We’re going to ride this thing?” Alice looked back and forth between Chou, who was still nuzzling Romi as she fed him apples, and Willa.
“Technically, I’m going to ride him,” Romi said. “You and Haruka will ride in his gondola.”
“His what?” Alice asked.
“It’s like a basket that he holds on to for transporting extra passengers,” Willa offered in a cheerful tone, as if that explanation helped quell any of Alice’s worries.
“So he’s going to carry a big basket with us in it,” Alice gestured between herself and Haruka. “While flying however many hundreds of feet in the air.”
“That’s right,” Willa said.
“And he won’t just … drop it?”
“He wears a harness that keeps hold of you, tucked nice and snug under his belly.”
“Great,” Alice murmured, looking to the Fury. “I mean, he’s pretty long. Couldn’t we all just ride tied to his back or something?” That sounded way safer.
“Furies sort of slither while they fly. The motion can easily throw a rider if they’re too far back from the safe zone just behind the head.” Willa patted Chou some more, earning another low purr. “Don’t worry, you’ll be safe with this one. Safer than you would be with any of the others, especially Ben there.” She gestured over her shoulder to the black Fury that had lain back down but continued to eye them. “Cantankerous old-timer that he is.”
“His name is Ben?” Alice asked.
“Mmhm.”
Alice wasn’t sure why that surprised her. Probably something to do with all of the weird names in Wonderland.
“Short for Bentalandion,” Willa finished.
There we are.
“Don’t worry, I ride with Romi all the time,” Haruka offered. “It’ll be okay.”
“If you say so.” Alice looked to Chou, who honestly reminded her of a big dog the way he acted with Romi. A big dog that could swallow her like a Swiss roll. If this was the fastest way to Findest, then so be it. “When do we leave?”
“I need to get everything set up, then get Chou strapped in,” Willa said. “I would’ve had everything ready if I knew you were coming.”
“Last-minute mess,” Romi said, shooting a brief look at Alice. “Would’ve warned you ahead of time, if we could.”
“It’s not a problem, you’ll just have to wait, is all. How long will you be gone, so I know how much feed to send with you?”
“Two days there, two days back, maybe a day handling our business, make it a week even. Just in case.” Romi fed another apple to Chou before holding up her hands as he sniffed along her body, searching. “Sorry, buddy, that’s all I got.”
“A week, huh? Awfully long time to spend on something that’s not a problem.” Willa arched an eyebrow but smiled at Romi. Her round face just lit up with it.
“You know me, I like to be thorough.” Romi patted Chou once more before stepping back. “You be good for Willa while she gets you strapped in.” The Fury huffed, and Romi wagged a finger in his long face. “Hey, no back talk. You behave. Oooh, you’re Momma’s Chou-Chou.” She hugged his snoot once more before backing away.
“Come on, Chou.” Willa tugged gently on a large whisker and Chou turned around to follow her toward the stables. “Go inside and make yourselves
comfortable. Neasig made tea.”
Alice watched the big beast lumber after Willa, who looked like a toy next to him, before following Romi and Haruka toward the house.
“I thought you said Chou was temperamental,” Alice said, recalling earlier statements from both of them.
“He is.” Romi glanced over her shoulder at Alice. “Unless you bring him treats. Then he’s a big softie.”
“And apples are his favorite?”
“Anything from the human world is his favorite, though he’s particularly fond of apples and cotton candy.”
Alice glanced after the blue beast once more, then her gaze trailed over to where Ben lay with his head on his claws, his eyes following them even at a distance. If Chou was temperamental, that one had to be downright nasty.
“Who does Ben belong to?” she asked.
A tension fell over Romi. Her shoulders hunched, and her fingers tightened on her pack straps. Alice didn’t miss the little glance Haruka threw at her, either.
“He used to belong to the Red Queen,” Romi murmured. “But then she up and disappeared. Now he’s just here, with his kin. He doesn’t belong to anyone and won’t let a single soul ride him.”
Alice frowned, looking at the creature in a new light. No wonder he was cantankerous, or whatever Willa had said. His person was missing, had abandoned him, for all he knew. Alice felt a twinge of sympathy for the beastie.
“Did anyone ever think to maybe use him to try and find her?” Alice asked. “Like how dogs can sometimes find their way home or to their owners if they move across town?”
“We tried,” Romi stressed. “But once she went missing, he didn’t have much interest in doing anything other than eating, sleeping, and playing with the fledglings. He’s seen five broods hatched and raised in his time here.”
“That’s a lot of broods.” At least it sounded like a lot; she had no idea.
They reached the house, a long, single-story structure. Romi knocked before turning the knob and sticking her head in. “Neasig? Willa said you made tea.” Without waiting for a response, Romi strolled right on in. Haruka followed.
“I did! Fresh pot!” a low voice called from somewhere deeper in the house.
Alice hesitated, hearing her mom’s voice in her head about how rude it was to enter someone’s house without being invited. Shoving the thought aside, she followed as well.
The place had looked like a simple house on the outside, but inside it resembled a cozy cottage. Wood beams towered overhead in a slant that definitely wasn’t there from the outside. Worn planks made up the floor, covered in colorful plush rugs here and there. A fire of white flame danced in the hearth, and everywhere, hanging from the walls and resting on every flat surface, were little wood carvings of different types of Furies. They were kinda cute.
Haruka and Romi shrugged out of their packs and left them and their shoes in the little slat just inside the door. Alice followed suit.
The three of them made their way into what looked like a modern-esque kitchen. Standing at the counter was a wisp of a man, tall and thin, with caramel curls around his pale face. His bright brown eyes moved to Alice and widened just slightly.
“Oh, hello! I don’t believe we’ve met.” He spoke with the same mixed accent as Willa.
“I’m Alice.” Alice lifted a hand in greeting. “I’m from the Western Gateway.”
“Why, you’re a long way from home, Alice.” The man poured four cups of tea from a little green pot that didn’t look large enough to hold half that much. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all the same. I’m Neasig. Sugar? Mea juice? Fay jam?” He held up a tray with three fancy dishes, one filled with sugar, the next with a purple liquid that smelled of smoke, and the last with a green gelatinous substance that stank like glue. Each dish held a spoon for dipping.
Haruka and Romi politely declined, but Alice doctored her tea a bit.
“The Western Gateway.” Neasig spooned a heap of sugar into the brown cinnamon-smelling liquid and stirred. “That would make you Addison Hatta’s charge?”
“Yeah.” Alice wrapped her hands around the warm cup, but didn’t take a drink just yet. “You know Hatta?”
“Of course.” Neasig smiled, but there wasn’t much joy behind it. “Everyone knows of the knight. Wherever Queen Portentia went, he was beside her.”
“So you were at court with Hatta and the Duchess?”
“Heavens no.” Neasig gave a little laugh. “I’ve always been here, with my family, looking after the Furies that might one day be chosen by one of the royalty as their own, or any soul who might be fortunate enough to form a bond with one. Like Chou and Romi, here.”
Romi snorted as she sipped at her tea. “He followed me home. And was cuddly.”
Alice smirked at that, then looked back to their host. “So you knew Hatta before…”
“Before the war.” Neasig nodded. “Yes.”
“Is it true that he helped the Black Queen try and destroy my world?” Her voice was soft, quieter than she liked. She sounded like a child afraid of being scolded.
Romi tensed and continued to sip at her tea.
“It’s true that he has been through quite a lot. More than he’s willing to admit to himself, I’d wager.” Neasig took a small sip of his tea. “But he has found new purpose in training talented individuals like yourself.”
“Is he the reason the Red and White Queens were able to defeat the Black Queen?” Alice wasn’t about to be steered away from her line of questioning. She realized it probably made a lot of people uncomfortable to talk about that time. Addison himself had said that sometimes you just wanted to leave the past in the past, but the past had come back to bite them all in the ass. The time for secrets and silence was over.
Neasig shifted, clearly not enjoying this line of questioning. “He was crucial to the efforts that led to victory. But, as you said, he was part of the reason war had to be waged in the first place.” He waved a hand and turned to busy himself with putting things away. “Enough of that dreadful business, now. Let’s move on to more pleasant conversation, mm? I have a question, which is just what are you all doing here again so soon? Well, not you, Alice, as this is your first time.” He smiled an uneasy smile.
“It has to do with that dreadful business,” Romi said, and then went into an explanation of the goings-on of the past few days. She told what she could, with Alice filling in details here and there. As they spoke, Neasig’s expression slowly fell, and his white skin grew even paler.
Alice was glad Romi did most of the talking. To be honest, she was tired of explaining this business with the Black Knight over and over again.
“Well.” Neasig swiped at his forehead with a napkin. “That is unfortunate.”
That was putting it lightly.
“You two haven’t noticed anything strange during your flyovers, have you?” Romi asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing worth noting, but I’ll be sure to take a closer look now.”
“Not too close.”
Whatever Romi was going to say in addition to that was interrupted when the front door slammed open behind them and Willa barreled into the house. “Nightmares!” she shouted. “In the village!”
Romi spat a curse and leaped from her seat. Haruka was right behind her. Alice jolted forward as well, her body buzzing. For some reason, the boy she’d waved to in passing popped into her mind. She hoped he and his family had gotten to safety.
“How many?” Romi barked as the three of them pulled on their shoes.
“I counted at least five!” Willa panted, her face flushed deep with the barest hints of red, her hair a bit wild from running.
Alice grabbed the sword from her back, the daggers still at her hips. She pushed down on the fear that tried to rise from her middle—five Nightmares?!—and was out the door first, Haruka behind her. Romi brought up the rear, the three of them racing for the village.
The pitch of screams and growls reached them before a flash of darkness
drew Alice’s attention. “There!” She pointed. A Nightmare big as a bull but with six legs and a crocodile snout barreled into a stall, sending fruit and wood flying.
“Another to the east,” Haruka called. “More farther in.”
“You two, take the big one on the right. I’ll get the one on the left. Make it quick, then on to the next.”
“Got it,” Haruka said.
Alice veered right, straight for the bull Nightmare currently chomping on what was left of the produce it hadn’t smashed under its claws. She brought the sword up and leaped. Her body cut through the air in an arch, and she threw her weight forward into the descent, aiming to drive the sword home. The Nightmare whirled, catching sight of her, then skittered backward faster than something so bulky should be able to move. Alice caught herself in a roll, coming out of it and bouncing to her feet just as Haruka drove into the beast from behind. She brought her sword across its flank in a series of quick strikes, landing three before the beast whirled and lashed out with its wide tail.
“Look out!” Alice shouted, but Haruka had already darted to the side, just barely avoiding being swatted. Its tail was big as a log, and the beast swung it like a jackhammer. Getting tagged probably felt like being hit by either one.
Gauging the reach on that thing, Alice moved in, thrusting her sword into the monster’s side. It howled and kicked at her with its thick legs. One caught her in the calf, and pain danced up the back of her leg. She dropped to one knee but didn’t let go. She twisted the sword and brought it up, throwing her weight into pushing the monster into the remains of the stall and pinning it in place. She wouldn’t be able to hold it for more than a few seconds.
“Haruka!”
The other Dreamwalker leaped into the air and came down onto the Nightmare’s back, her sword sinking in between its shoulders. There was a crack. It yowled, then went limp. As it began to dissolve, Alice pulled away, her injured leg nearly giving out. She glimpsed torn skin, three wide wounds, but not very deep. Already the tingle of their healing set in. That … that was new.
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