Chapter 6: The Nameless Forest

 

 

 

Chapter 6: The Nameless Forest

 

AFTER escaping the monster cave without a hitch, the four continued on their journey to the Demon Lord’s castle.

“This place is giving me the heebie-jeebies, Hatta…”

“What, did you expect this to be a fun romp through the countryside or something?”

“Well, no, but still…”

Hatta and Haigha’s concentration started to wane as the attacks became more and more unpredictable.

“Silly question,” Alice started, “but is there anywhere we could stop and rest, Seb?”

“There is, actually. It’s a little out of the way, but an old friend of mine happens to live nearby.”

“In a place like this? Sounds promising. Take us there.”

“As you wish, my lady.”

Seb drove the coach down an overgrown path leading to a hut perched atop a small hill while the presence of monsters all but vanished.

“You have interesting friends, Seb.”

“He’s technically your friend too, my lady.”

“He is?”

“Less blabbing, more mov—” Hatta tried to step off the coach, only to be stopped by a surprise arrow landing a mere inch away from his foot. “What the blazes?!”

“The White Queen isn’t taking visi—” said a man who came up to the carriage and abruptly stopped in front of them. “Seb, is that you?”

“Long time no see, White.”

“I assume you’re a friend of his? My sincerest apologies.” The silver-haired man bowed. “I’m White Knight, the White Queen’s royal bodyguard, but you can call me White.”

“Just watch it next time, all right? The name’s Hatta, and that back there’s my sister Haigha. Pleased to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s all mine. And who might you be, little…lady?”

“Long time no see, White.”

“Seb, ah-ha, I just remembered I have…places to be. Toodles!” White tried to make a break for it.

“Hold it!” Alice caught him. “What’s the matter with you?”

“What’s the matter with me? What’s the matter with you?! Did you forget the time I went three whole days without a proper meal because you nicked the Queen’s treats and pinned it on me? Or the time I got thrown in the dungeon because you broke the Queen’s prized vase and blamed me? Or the time you—”

He kept rattling off all his grievances with Alice for what seemed an eternity, with Hatta quietly sobbing in sympathy.

“It’s okay, White. It’s okay now.”

“You’re right… I could keep going, but I think that’ll do for now.” Seb’s emotional support appeared to have done the trick. “So…need something?”

“We’re on our way to the Demon Lord’s castle, and we’d like a place to rest our weary bones for a bit,” Seb said.

“The Demon Lord’s castle? I won’t ask why, but you’re not going to get far without the White Queen’s help.”

“How come?”

“You’ll have to pass through the Nameless Forest—a forest cursed by the Demon Lord himself. The moment you step inside, your memories are gone, just like that. Then you walk back out, totally oblivious, and just walk right back in over and over again.”

“Is it some sort of illusion?” Seb asked.

“Illusions can be countered; whatever that thing is can’t. Only monsters, animals, and the White Queen can pass through unaffected. Of course, you could always try downing the Demon Lord. But you’d have to get to him first and—”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, ask the White Queen for help; we get it!” Alice said, cutting him off. “Where do we find her?”

“She should be out back, posing as a sheep.”

“A sheep?”

“The White Queen has a spellbook allowing her to shapeshift at will. She’s been getting in touch with her inner sheep recently.”

“I see. Hatta, Haigha, come with me. Seb, have dinner ready by the time we get back.”

“As you wish.”

“I can’t wait to taste your delicious cooking again!” White exclaimed. “Actually, let me help out.”

Seb and White got straight to cooking while Alice, Hatta, and Haigha headed off to find the White Queen.

❤❤❤

THE moment they circled around the hill, they were greeted by a grass field so beautiful and serene, it almost made them forget they were a stone’s throw away from the Demon Lord’s castle.

“She’s there in the middle. Look!”

“Maybe you’re not so useless after all, Hatta.”

They approached the sheep.

“Hey there! So,” Hatta addressed it, “we need you for something.”

The sheep ignored him completely.

“Is that any way to address a queen, Hatta?” scoffed Alice.

“Yeah, Hatta, show a little respect,” chimed in Haigha.

“Alright, alright, jeez.” Hatta cleared his throat. “My queen, all I ask is but a moment of your time. The situation is dire.”

The sheep kept on ignoring him.

“Close but no cigar,” snorted Alice.

“C’mon, I totally nailed it.”

“You better get your head in the game before I nail it to a wall!”

“Why can’t things just go my way for once?” Hatta got down on his hands and knees. “I beg you, Your Highness. Help us…please!”

It turned out this was just a sheep, not the sheep.

“Well, isn’t that just great? Yippee!”

“You’re jumping to conclusions, Hatta. Did you hear it go ‘maa?’ Because I certainly didn’t.”

“Goats go ‘maa,’ not sheep. Sheep go ‘baa.’”

“Thank you for clearing that up, Haigha. Let’s head back.”

“Excuse me?”

Just as the conversation was getting weird, a gigantic flock of sheep appeared.

“Quick, Hatta, get down on your hands and knees!”

“Ha, you wish!”

They bickered as the flock of sheep took the opportunity to completely surround them.

“Long time no see, Alice,” said one of the sheep, which turned into a breathtakingly beautiful young lady before their eyes. “What brings you here?”

“I was just about to ask you that myself, actually.”

“The Red Queen can manage by herself, so I’m enjoying the quiet life for now. Want to try being a sheep? I promise you won’t regret it.”

Her carefree attitude sharply contrasted the Red Queen’s resentfulness.

“Uh…maybe next time. We need your help getting to the Demon Lord’s castle.”

“The Demon Lord’s castle? Oh, I see. You wish to pass through the Nameless Forest. Sure, go ahead; I don’t mind.”

“How are you going to get us through, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Ta-da!” The White Queen busted out two separate Poems of Jabberwocky.

“Awesome!” Haigha rushed over to the White Queen, a glimmer in her eye. “May I look at them, please?”

“Of course, feel free.”

“Thank you so much, Your Majesty!”

One of the books contained spells involving shapeshifting into various animals, while the other contained a spell that could dispel anything.

“This book could very well make magic obsolete, Alice,” Haigha said, slightly awed.

“So, I’m guessing we can just borrow it and cut out the middleman?” Alice asked.

“I don’t have enough energy to cast the spell, let alone maintain it for prolonged periods of time. I don’t mean to come off as rude, but can you use it, White Queen?” Haigha asked.

“Naturally,” replied the Queen, “although I can only maintain it for upwards of thirty minutes before going limp. I’ll cast it at the entrance and the rest is up to you.”

“Your help is greatly appreciated, White Queen,” Alice said.

And so, with the White Queen now on their side, the four headed back.

❤❤❤

THEIR nostrils were greeted by a delicious smell the moment they stepped inside the hut.

“Chow time!”

“You said it!”

The mouthwatering selection of foods on display caught Hatta and Haigha’s attention almost instantly.

“Well, fancy meeting you here, Seb.”

“Long time no see, White Queen. Come, join us.”

They dug in, the atmosphere made extra-cozy due to the White Queen’s relaxing presence.

“Why are you traveling to the Demon Lord’s castle again?” asked the White Queen.

“Jean got kidnapped,” Alice said brusquely.

“Oh, I see! So you seek to rescue him from the Demon Lord’s clutches?”

“Alice doing something out of the kindness of her heart?” White interjected. “Pfft, apparently she just wants to ‘knock some sense’ into the Demon Lord who ‘egregiously’ mistook Jean for the princess, despite her ‘unrivaled’ cuteness,” he said sarcastically.

“Never change, do you?” sniffed the Queen.

The two knew Alice so well, they were entirely unfazed, even after hearing her rather questionable motives.

“Never have, never will. But, now that I think about it, just smacking some sense into him won’t cut it. I’ll have him beg and grovel at my feet, kinda like Hatta.”

“Don’t drag me into this!”

“Hatta groveled at your feet?” Seb asked incredulously.

“Well, not mine and not really feet, but rather, a sheep’s hooves.”

“What did I just say?!”

I knew I should’ve come with. What a shame, Seb thought.

“I believe a short break is in order before we go,” Alice declared. “Oh, and I assume you’ll be tagging along for the ride, too?” she asked White.

“Naturally! It’s my duty to protect the White Queen.”

“Do you wish to discuss ancient magic with me, Haigha?” asked the Queen.

“Do I ever!”

Haigha and the White Queen had a friendly chat, while Seb and Hatta tended to their weapons.

“Come on; I’m bored,” Alice said to White.

“All right. Why not?”

Alice took White back to the grass field.

“Bring me a sheep.”

“…Okay?”

He did just that, slightly confused.

“Huh, didn’t even react,” Alice said as she hopped on its back.

“That’s because you weigh almost nothing.”

“It’s so soft and fluffy and nice.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Can I cuddle it?”

“Go ahead.”

Alice buried her face into the sheep’s shaggy fleece, rubbing against it with the most precious smile imaginable.

A smile like that could’ve prevented any of this from happening, White thought as he took it all in.

❤❤❤

AND so, the party set off for the Nameless Forest alongside the White Knight and Queen.

“As you can see, I’m a little rusty,” White said as he effortlessly downed waves of monsters with his expert sword skills.

“Welp, I guess I’ll just sit this one out then,” Hatta said.

“Save your energy for the Nameless Forest; I’ll manage.”

“Yeah, I noticed. Also, who do you think’s stronger, you or Seb?”

“Seb, definitely,” White answered instantly.

“Huh, really?” Hatta didn’t sound convinced. “You seem pretty evenly matched to me.”

“That’s because he’s only using less than fifty percent of his power at any given time. If he went all out, he could give the Demon Lord a good run for his money.”

Seb’s claim of being able to take on the Demon Lord one-on-one appeared true after all. Now, however, he was comparing spellbooks with the White Queen.

“Egg-differentiation magic? That’s just…mind-boggling,” the Queen said.

“Is it?”

“Of all the Poems of Jabberwocky I’ve seen over the years, this one is easily the most head-scratching. When would you ever use it?”

“Well, I did use it in a fight fairly recently.”

“Interesting. It seems even the most useless spell in existence has its moments.”

While the spell didn’t actually do anything in the “fight” with Humpty, for some reason, an observer wouldn’t get that impression from looking at Seb’s reassured expression.

“See for yourself. It uses almost no energy, and I’ve got an egg ready to be differentiated right here.”

“How kind of you, Seb. Don’t mind if I do.” The Queen cast the spell. “It’s…raw!”

“Indeed, it is.”

“Hurray, I got it on my first try!”

What a cute girl, Alice and Haigha thought as they observed from a distance.

“We’re here. Everybody off!” White instructed, hopping off the coach.

Before long, they’d reached the Nameless Forest, rested and ready to go.

“We meet at last, Nameless Forest.”

“Hold your horses, Alice. I’ll cast the spell first,” said the White Queen, “then you may proceed.”

“Fine. But before you do, there’s something I’ve been dying to test out.”

“Test out?”

Alice borrowed some rope from Hatta and tied it around Haigha’s waist.

“Wh-What’re you—”

“See you later!” she said, shoving Haigha into the forest.

“You think this is funny, Ali—” The light in Haigha’s eyes suddenly faded. “Who am I? Where am I?” Her memory had, in fact, been wiped clean within mere seconds.

“You’re Haigha.”

“Who? I’m not a Haigha, I’m a bunny!” she exclaimed, making bunny ears with her hands. “Look at me! Look at me! Bouncy, bouncy, bounce.”

She kept hopping around, making those silly noises after each and every single jump.

The cringe had already gotten too strong for Hatta, so he pulled her back to safety. Haigha, red as a beet, immediately ran inside the coach and locked herself in.

“Why would you do something like that to your very own sister, Hatta?” Alice cried. “Go apologize right now!”

“This was your idea!”

Haigha holed up inside the coach for a full half-hour, screaming “I wanna go home!” at the top of her lungs.

“Why is it always me? Now, no one’s going to marry me…” she sobbed.

Actually, I can think of quite a few people who’d be into that sort of thing, Hatta thought, but decided to keep mum.

“She does have a point,” Alice remarked. “Hatta, you’re up next.”

“Fat chance.”

“How about you then, Seb?”

“As you wish.”

“Anyone but him!” everyone present—aside from Alice—screamed in perfect chorus.

But who could blame them? Just thinking about someone as powerful as the Demon Lord losing themselves was enough to make anyone a bit jumpy.

“If you say so,” Alice said as she casually tied the rope around White’s waist.

“Hey, wait, don’t—”

Alice shoved him inside the forest before he could finish. Hatta and the White Queen’s curiosity got the better of them, so they joined in on the fun, too.

They all thought White’d do something silly like Haigha. But instead, he curled up in a ball and started mumbling to himself.

“I didn’t steal your treats! I didn’t break your prized vase! It wasn’t me, I promise. No, not the dungeon! Anything but the dungeon! It’s so dark and lonely in here! Is anyone out there? Please…help.”

White’s mental breakdown was hard to watch, even more so than Haigha’s cringy antics.

They reeled him back to safety, but he just sat there, motionless. Two of their party members had met their untimely demise, and it wasn’t even the fault of a monster.

“I think we’ve had enough fun for today, Alice. Let’s get going already.”

“The Demon Lord won’t smack some sense into himself, now, will he?”

Hatta and the White Queen went on the offensive, fearing for their lives.

“What’s gotten into you two?” asked Alice.

“What’re you talking about? We’re just really excited for the Nameless Forest, right, Your Highness?”

“O-Of course. Now, please stand a little closer together.” The White Queen cast an ancient spell, enveloping the four in a thin veil of pinkish light. “As I’ve mentioned earlier, I can only keep this spell up for thirty minutes. If you don’t leave the forest in time, you could get stuck in there forever, so be careful.”

“Duly noted. Seb, let us make haste.”

They said their goodbyes to the White Knight and Queen and ventured forth into the Nameless Forest.

❤❤❤

“THAT thirty-minute time limit had me a little worried at first, but it turned out to be a walk in the park,” Hatta said.

The few monsters that did crop up were completely harmless, letting them proceed at an unusually fast pace.

But just as the four thought they were home-free, a deer jumped out in front of the coach.

“What now, Ali—” Hatta looked over, and Alice was, naturally, getting some shuteye.

He and Haigha decided to take matters into their own hands and hopped out of the coach.

“Would you mind getting out of our way?”

“I’m the White Queen! Turn back immediately; it’s dangerous out here.”

You’re a deer, Hatta thought.

“Listen to the dragon’s footsteps.”

What footsteps? Haigha thought.

“What’s this guy’s deal, anyway?”

“I think we’re supposed to be fooled by its disguise, which isn’t really working.”

“So, you’re saying it’s a monster?”

“Animals aren’t exactly known for their speaking abilities, now, are they?”

They figured they’d just ignore it, but the deer kept on rambling.

“Don’t throw your lives away; turn back while you still can! I’ll keep the dragon busy. Don’t worry about me; there’s nothing I, the White Queen, can’t handle!” it finished, winking playfully.

At this point, Hatta and Haigha felt they had to say something before things got out of hand.

“I don’t know how to say this, but—”

“Yes? Go on.”

“You…know we know you’re a deer…right?”

“Deer? I’m no deer, I’m the White Que—” the deer trailed off as he realized the jig was up. “H-How long have you known?!”

“Since the start.”

“Why didn’t you say so before?!” he wailed, burying his face in his hooves. “Do I look like a clown to you? You think this is funny, you sickos?!”

“We’re sorry, really.”

“Sorry” didn’t seem to cut it as the deer started rolling back and forth in shame. Haigha, on the other hand, stood there smiling, happy to share the pain with someone else.

“Say, what kind of spell did the Demon Lord put on this forest?” Hatta asked. “I’ve heard it’s not your regular illusion magic, but I’d like to know a little more.”

“Why should I tell you?”

“We’ll forget everything that happened.”

“You’ve got a deal! So basically, the Demon Lord used his Poem of Jabberwocky to surround the forest with that thin layer of fog you probably noticed on the way in. Once inhaled, the fog produces illusions from inside the body. It’s a high-level spell, which regular dispels can’t touch.”

“He can deploy magic over an area this large? That’s just…wow.”

Hatta and Haigha exchanged glances, then shifted their gaze to Seb observing from a distance.

“Is something wrong?”

“White said you could give the Demon Lord a good run for his money. Not like I don’t trust the guy, but how do you plan on taking him down?”

“His magic might be powerful, but he doesn’t stand a chance in close-quarter combat. As long as I can avoid every spell he throws my way, and I can get in close, he’s as good as dead.”

When Hatta thought about it, it seemed no matter how fatigued he got, Seb hadn’t taken a sliver of damage, not to mention that he took down anything he touched in one shot.

Over the course of their journey, however, Hatta had acquired a much greater kill count than him. It seemed Seb excelled purely in single combat.

“So, basically, you’re a one-trick pony. Also, one other thing has been on my mind for the longest time now—why in Wonderland do you serve Alice?”

“To put it simply? Because it’s fun.”

“You find all this fun?” Hatta scoffed.

“Well, no. Even I couldn’t have predicted this. I just want to go home and rest.”

The arbitrary nature of Alice’s actions seemed to have finally thrown even Seb for a loop.

“Are you seriously planning to take on the Demon Lord? You should really quit while you’re still ahead. You could get seriously hurt!” the deer warned, its doe-y eyes filled with genuine concern for the party.

The deer was a kind monster at heart, as evidenced by the fact that it tried shooing them away without inflicting bodily harm.

“I appreciate the concern, but we can’t just turn back now. Sorry, buddy.” Hatta turned to Haigha. “We can’t stay here for much longer. Let’s get moving.”

Haigha caught on to Hatta’s concern almost immediately and got in the coach ASAP.

Was this due to running low on time? Not really—they just didn’t want Alice to serve their new furry friend for dinner.

“Off we go, then!”

What if Hatta, the White Rabbit, and the Deer fell into a love triangle? Wouldn’t that be something? Haigha thought, staring into the Deer’s longing eyes as they faded further into the distance.

“Something wrong?”

“It’s nothing, really.”

“You sure? You were making this really stupid face just now. We need you in tip-top shape, Haigha. The Demon Lord’s castle is right up ahead.”

“I know, but I think we have other things to worry about,” she said, pointing to some enormous creature.

“Is that a G-Griffin?”

A creature, part-eagle and part-lion, was sleeping peacefully right in the middle of the road.

“I sense powerful magical energy. What kind of a monster is it?” Haigha asked.

“That thing’s not a monster,” Hatta scoffed, “it’s a legendary creature. It has sharp talons and fangs and is known for bringing a swift death to any and all who dare anger it. Seb, can we squeeze through somehow? If not, let’s just go around.”

“The road is much too narrow to squeeze through,” the butler answered. “And as much as I’d love to go around, that simply isn’t an option as we’re running dangerously low on time.”

“What’re our other options? Picking a fight with the damn thing?”

“We could also try abandoning the coach and traversing the forest on foot, although we might not make it on time, no matter how fast we run, and then there’s always the possibility of us getting lost.”

They had five minutes left. The clock was ticking.

“You better get up right…now?” Hatta’s voice trailed off as he noticed Haigha staring into the distance, pale to the bone. “What’cha looking at—” He lost his voice the second he saw Alice on the Griffin’s back.

“What in Wonderland are you doing up there, my lady?” Seb cried.

“I’m feeling it out. It’s not quite as fluffy and soft as the sheep, but it’s definitely a top-tier contender. A griffin, right? I hereby dub thee Griffy!”

“I must say that’s a rather cute name indeed.”

It went without saying at this point, but the princess and her butler really were something else.

“Do I look cool?”

“Of course you do; what could possibly be cooler than the world’s first griffin knight? Dragon knights wish they could be this cool.”

“I know what could be cooler,” Alice said, banging Griffy on the head. “Wakey wakey, sleepyhead.”

The griffin looked around in confusion as Hatta and Haigha screamed on the inside.

To make matters worse, a lizard-faced humanoid monster appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It seemed to be an intermediate-level boss monster based on its aura alone, which certainly didn’t help quell that internal screaming.

“So, you’re the ones who managed to get past Humpty. I’m the guy who owns this place, and you ain’t going nowhere ’til you get past us first. Also, since when was that griffin there?”

Three minutes left on the clock with a legendary creature, and boss-class monster blocking the path. The odds couldn’t have possibly been more stacked against them.

“It doesn’t seem hostile. Try giving it some food, my lady.”

Seb, however, was not about to throw in the towel.

“All I’ve got on me is a monster sandwich,” Alice replied.

“That’ll do just fine.”

Were they planning to poison Griffy? Or were they banking on it succumbing to illusions? Nobody knew, but that didn’t stop Alice from tossing her sandwich inside its mouth anyway.

They all watched with nervous anticipation, waiting for something crazy to happen, only for Griffy to gobble it up like it was candy.

“Aww, he looks so happy.”

“I think it likes you, my lady. I hear Griffins can comprehend human language and have two special abilities: Wind Gust and Roar. You might just want to try it out on those monsters right there.”

“I guess we’ll see if it works. Griffy, use Roar.” Griffy graced the monsters with an ear-piercing roar, locking them in place. “Good boy! Now use Wind Gust.”

“W-Wait! I’m the great Demon Lord’s—”

Griffy flapped his wings, sending the monsters flying over the horizon as Hatta and Haigha just looked on in disbelief.

“You two get on Griffy’s back. Quickly now! We’ve only got a minute left.” Seb guided Hatta and Haigha onto the Griffin’s back. He then cut off the reins, sending the horses galloping toward the exit, and got on himself. “Can you see where I’m going with this, my lady?”

“Do I look blind to you? Griffy, grab the coach and get us out of here.”

Griffy seized the coach in his talons and lifted off with a majestic roar, ferrying the four outside the Nameless Forest in the blink of an eye.

“We made it, with a whopping five seconds to spare too.”

The thin veil of light around them faded the second Seb finished speaking. It had been close—worryingly close—but they’d managed to scrape by the skin of their teeth.

“Who’s a good boy? You are! Yes, you are,” Alice praised, petting Griffy. “You too, Haigha; show him some love.”

“Who, me? S-Sure, I guess.” Griffy screeched with joy as Haigha caressed his back. “What a good boy!”

“Told you.”

Haigha had quickly taken a shine to Griffy.

“Thanks, buddy. We couldn’t have done it without you.” Hatta lowered his guard, petting Griffy. “What’re we gonna do about the runaway horses, though?”

“That I do not know. I was expecting us to converge back at the exit, but that didn’t quite go according to plan, as you’ve so astutely noticed,” Seb said.

“Who needs horses when we’ve got the next best thing?” Alice ventured.

“You might just be onto something, my lady.” Seb bonded the broken reins back together and attached them to Griffy.

“Now, this is what I call cool,” Alice said, beaming at the world’s very first griffin-drawn coach—a mode of transportation worthy of the gods themselves.

“Let’s get a move on then, shall we?

And so, the four made their way to the Demon Lord’s castle, their unlikely companion scaring away all who dared approach.

❤❤❤

MEANWHILE…

“How long was I asleep…?! The Demon Lord’s blood pressure skyrocketed as he realized he had been dozing off on Jean’s lap this entire time.

How? How does this keep happening? The question eluded even the erudite Demon Lord himself.

“There must be something…”

I do recall reading somewhere that love is the most elusive creature of all.

“Seems like I’ve got a lot more studying to do.”

Little did he know someone was watching from the shadows.

“Was I asleep?” Jean mumbled, woken by the ominous presence.

“Out cold,” the Demon Lord replied, hastily lifting his head off Jean’s lap.

“Huh? Is it just me, or are we being watched?”

“So it would seem,” the Demon Lord replied, turning his attention away from Jean. “Show yourself, whoever you are,” he growled, his unusually grave tone giving Jean a light scare.

“My Liege! Why are you humoring this human filth?” a seductive humanoid monster lady shouted, jumping out of the shadows. “I’m a much better fit for you than that runt could ever dream of being.”

Jean felt the womanly pride he never thought he’d had crumble right then and there.

“She’s right, Demon Lord. I’m nothing compared to…compared to…” Jean hung his head, his voice trailing off into a barely audible mumble.

The Demon Lord couldn’t bear seeing Jean like this, so he slowly approached the monster lady.

That’s right. Go! Run! Scram! Jean thought sadly.

“I appreciate the enthusiasm,” the Demon Lord said sternly, “but I only have eyes for Jean.”

Hearing this, the monster fell to her knees, a stream of tears running down her cheeks.

“Come with me, Jean.”

“D-Demon Lord…”

The two were so perfect for each other, the monster lady hadn’t even noticed Jean was actually a boy.