Riven Wight

My swimming instructors a dragon. [Mortim / Siaya Dragalorn]

Anora’s heart quickened and she held her breath as Ahllasta eyed her. Her hounds each tensed, their thick legs bending at the ready as they growled low, baring their fangs. The distant murmur of the man’s voice and her hounds’ crackling snarls were all that filled the room.
Anora exhaled when Ahllasta finally spoke. She ground her teeth when the woman kicked Darsby, enough strength in that simple action to cause him further injury. She tried to not shudder, and to resist the urge to place a barrier between him and Ahllasta.
Her teeth snapped together at the condition of the woman’s help. That wasn’t a promise she could make and keep. But she didn’t have time to fight it. The red-eyed man’s conversation sounded like it was nearing an end.
Her chin lowered as she dropped her gaze to Darsby. Reluctantly, she let two of her hounds melt back into formless mist at her feet. The relief of releasing the two semi-solid forms flooded over her, the draw of her powers lessening.
“The van out front,” she began in a near whisper, keeping her voice down to avoid being heard by Ahllasta’s companion. “Keep him,” she nodded in the general direction of the other intruder, “busy, and I can get Darsby there. And the both of us out of here.”
Some of the mist that had once been the hounds had already begun to creep around Darsby, almost protectively. The remaining hound stood at the ready in front of her, its bulk wider than her, acting like a living shield—so to speak—in case this whole thing was a trick.

My swimming instructors a dragon. [Mortim / Siaya Dragalorn]

Anora’s hounds hesitated when the woman—the monster, alien, demon, whatever she was—did not immediately try to defend or attack. Anora had had no idea what to expect from the… thing, but talking had not been among her considered possibilities.
She squared her jaw at the woman’s question about Darsby’s need for her.
“No,” she lied, a tinge of her surprise at chatting instead of fighting marring the harshness in her tone. “I was just convenient.” Her hounds pawed at the ground with Anora’s uncertainty at the situation.
She snorted at Ahllasta's hypothetical question of helping to get Darsby out of there. She glanced to Darsby’s bloodied, lifeless form. A chunk of plaster fell from the dent the woman had put in the wall from slamming him into it.
“I’d call you a liar,” she spat. The hounds snapped their teeth in unison at her last word. She dared a glance to where the first intruder had gone. He could be calling for backup, or cleanup. Or worse, depending on what ‘the Call’ was.
She didn’t have time for this. She could feel the draw on her energy from keeping the hounds solid, but she didn’t dare let them fade. Not yet. But if there was even a slight chance of making escaping alive easier, she had to take it.
“Why would you help me?” she asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. She suppressed a shudder as she met Ahllasta's gaze. She didn't trust those eyes.

My swimming instructors a dragon. [Mortim / Siaya Dragalorn]

Hi! Wanted to let you know that I edited the last paragraph in my last post to get rid of the dogs actually attacking since that was not addressed and fits better for a response with yours overall.

Also, I want to know if I have the right mental image at the moment. Ahllasta is in a partially human form, yes? With orange eyes and a horn? Also, how is her name pronounced? The voice in my head is reading it something like, "all-AS-tuh" at the moment, but I feel like that's probably far from the mark.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

This is intended more to help us players keep track of how many days our characters have spent where.
A lot has happened, despite it only being a few days of in-game play.
Click hiders for a quick synopsis and the page span of each day.
That said, SPOILER warning for the rare lurker who actually cares.

The Journey Begins: Wonderland and Earth Collide

Day One

Page/Post Location: From post one to page five.

A Quick Overview: In Wonderland, the true heir of Wonderland, Elayra Heart, and her half-Cursed White Knight guardian, Drust, discover that the portal to Earth has reopened for the first time in fourteen years. Having been camping nearby, they made their way quickly to Harrow Hollow Hill--the place designed to protect and hide the portals. They made their way relatively safely to the portals, and hopped through into a world they were ill-prapaired for, no matter how much about the world Drust knew. Thus began their search for the Madrail boy.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Ghent Madrail--the only heir of the great vinifcium, Hatter Madrail--had the misfortune of being fired from his job at a bookstore. Later, he leaft his apartment on a milk run as requested by his mom. After being stopped by his obnoxious gossip-obsessed neighbor, Mrs. Saxon, with the promise of payment for finding her precious cat, he changed course and hunted down the furry animal... despite being allergic. But in a turn of fate, he encountered the Wonderlanders who sought him.
Once Ghent got over the fact he wasn't crazy and the people from his dreams--and nightmares--were real, were spawned from true memory and not some hallucination, he returned the cat to Mrs. Saxon and led the Wonderlanders to a storage room of the bookstore he had once worked at. After all, he still had the key. What better place to get answers? And nothing could possibly go wrong...
Alas, their conversation was interrupted by unusual cat-like creatures called shadowmire. Beasts beneath the Red Queen's thumb, they had come through the portal before Drust and Elayra. The feline scouts attacked both inside and outside the storage room.
After dispatching all but one of the shadowmire, Ghent led them instead to a small, shack-of-a-shed in a park a decent distance from the scene of the attack, hoping it would be a good place to talk more and for the Wonderlanders to crash for the night without being discovered.
After chatting and being introduced to the greasy goodness of McDonalds, Ghent headed home, leaving Elayra and Drust on their own for the night.
Alas, something about Earth aggravated the Curse's effects in Drust, making him snap easier. Elayra just managed to fend him off, then talked him into returning to Wonderland to await her and Ghent's return.
In Ghent's apartment, the boy confided in his cousin, Henry, that he had found the Wonderlanders who had haunted him. Incapable of sleeping, he packed a backpack with enough junk food to give a cow diabetes, and braced himself for the journey awaiting him come sunup.

Day Two

Page/Post Location: Pages five through seven.

A Quick Overview: Only the early morning hours were still spent on Earth during day two of their adventures. With neither of our Wonderland Heirs capable of sleeping, Ghent made his way to the park, where Elayra was alone, practicing shooting at a tree. Together, they made their way toward the portal to Wonderland, stopping only once in the park to find out whether or not Ghent could, really, access magic. To both their shock (and delight), Ghent succeeded... well, sorta.
In town, the area getting a lazy start due to the morning's downpour, the duo ran into Miles, a drunk who enjoys hanging around Ghent's apartment building. Ghent did his best to explain Elayra's unusual appearance, but it did nothing to ease Miles' suspicion. Regardless, the man warned them that police are about, what with a break in in the Book Barn--where Ghent once worked.
With the portal located in the alley next door, that posed just a slight problem. A problem solved in the most unlikely ways.
Miles came back, this time in a car, and forced the duo at gunpoint to get into the car. There, they discovered that Miles was, in fact, a World Jumper who had gone more than a little insane from being cut off from other worlds. After coming to a rocky truce, Miles agreed to help them get to the portal so long as they brought him along.
Together, following his plan, Ghent--with Elayra's guidance in focus words--smashed a window of a store. The two ran when the alarm went off, but, alas, a car drove by, a car Ghent was positive belonged to none other than the blabber-mouth Mrs. Saxon.
Despite this, they and Miles made it to the alleyway, the cops distracted with the new break-in and Miles' own crime elsewhere. With the portal threatening to close any second from the dying of what little magic reserve it had, in the alleyway, the last shadowmire made an appearance. Though Ghent got shoved through the portal first, freeing him from having to face the feline creature, Elayra and Miles were not so lucky.
After noticing a difference in the shadowmire's eyes, Elayra, positive the Red Sorceress watched her through the beast, dove for the portal, making it through at the last possible second, leaving an enraged Miles and the shadowmire behind.

Return to Wonderland

Day Two (Cont.)

Page/Post Location: Pages eight to fourteen.

A Quick Overview: Begins in the early morning hours where the above leaves off. Ghent tumbled into the clearing of Harrow Hollow Hill to find Drust still trying to recover from the unusual Curse flair-up. After a couple tense moments and Elayra made it through to Wonderland without a moment to spare, the trio once more set off to unknown destinations.
When a harmless spirit targeted Ghent, he panicked and used the first focus word that popped into his head, ultimately knocking Drust unconscious. Fearful of the outcome if Drust woke up in Hollow Forest instead of one of the few Safe Zones pocketing the forest, Elayra and Ghent began to drag him with them as quickly as they could. As they went, they kept an eye out for a tichari, a creature that could lead them to a Safe Zone. But they met none.
As darkness descended, giving power to the trapped souls, Ghent used his untapped vinifcium abilities to contact the Spiritaium... or, more accurately, to call a tichari to them.
Instead, he traveled to the Betwixt where he encountered the Guardian of Hollow Forest, Smaya. Thankfully, she summoned a tichari named Margen who would lead them to a Safe Zone.
Meanwhile, Drust had woken up, the Curse in complete control. Elayra managed to fend him off until Ghent returned in the nick of time. But Ghent didn't stand a chance. Saved by the tichari and the spirit fox's sleeping mist, Elayra and Ghent followed the fox to a Safe Zone, Margen transporting Drust via a bed of mist.
In the safe zone, they got a fire going and tied up Drust, just in case. When he woke, his own mind in control rather than the Curse, after a debate, they untied him.
After spending a while in discussion, Ghent got a weapon from Drust, a weapon his father, Hatter, had intended for him, and book of Hatter's notes on magic.
Following the revelation that they were heading to see Caervolus (Carol's inspiration for the Blue Caterpillar), Ghent contacted Smaya once more, requesting help to convince the spirits to let the trio through the woods quickly come sunrise. She agreed, though with a request that revealed what effects the Curse had even on the Spiritayum, then sent Ghent on his way.
Back around the campfire, with Elayra asleep, Drust took the first watch of the night. He passed it off to Ghent after an insightful conversation, then left the boy to his rather uneventful watch to get what bit of sleep the Knight needed.

Day Three (Current)

Page/Post Location: Pages fourteen to current.

A Quick Overview: Updated to the most current major event. After waking up, safe and sound, out trio made it out of Hollow Forest. At a small river at the outskirts of Gardale, with Drust gone to collect supplies for Ghent, the two heirs were attacked by some unlikely monsters, forcing them into the water. After Ghent saved Elayra from drowning, Ghent nearly set the forest on fire trying to dry his clothes before Drust returned to bear witness to the chaos.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

At Ghent’s irritated mutterings, Drust shot the boy a glare that would have frozen the heart of even the bravest of warriors. A scowl pulled warningly at his lips, another twitch accentuating the action.
Elayra, ever tense, gave Ghent her own dark look, silently demanding him to keep his mouth shut. The threat to shut it for him lowered her chin as she tapped the hilt of her sword. Healing concussion or not, she was certain she could still run circles around Ghent. The idea of tying him up and shoving a gag in his mouth tempted her.
She raised an eyebrow at who Ghent compared the Cat to. “Who?” she asked, curiosity shining through despite herself.
“An Earth myth,” Drust snapped, an unnerving icy edge in his voice. What composure he had managed to maintained so far was threatening to slip away.
Drust’s scowl darkened and Elayra rolled her eyes when Ghent shouted at the fire’s noise.
The man’s lips tightened when Ghent voiced his preferences, but said nothing. Instead, he closed his eyes, taking slow, deliberate breaths. His fingers curled then uncurled when the boy spoke again.
“You’re the one who asked the questions, Featherhead,” Elayra gave the back of Ghent’s hood a snarky glower.
Drust’s neck twitched and he grit his teeth when Ghent finished talking.
A glance to Drust made Elayra bite back the taunt tickling the tip of her tongue. His struggle to keep control over the Curse strained his face. The last thing she needed was him snapping again while Ghent was in the Betwixt.
Drust snorted, making Elayra flinch.
“Send the Guardian our deepest gratitude for summoning a tichari,” he growled without opening his eyes. “Her kindness is not something to be taken lightly.”
When Ghent finally went quiet to focus on the undertaken task he had so humbly announced, Elayra breathed a sigh of relief. A bit of silence, a reprieve from Ghent’s voice was well overdo. And would hopefully help her guardian win his own personal battle.
For the time being, at least.

As Ghent focused, as it had before, the world shifted around him. The crackle of the fire faded into an eerie silence. The chill of being away from the warmth of the fire diminished, leaving him in a comfortable state somewhere between warm and cold. Gray tendrils ghosted around him, filtering in and swirling like fog as it consumed the physical world.
But unlike before, the tortured emotions of Hollow Forest remained at bay. The cries and moans of the tormented souls hissed in little more than distant whispers. Paralysis did not take hold, leaving him to move as he pleased.
Instead of remaining within that gray, churning world as with his first visit, the fog dissipated as quickly as it had come. As it lifted, the gentle rush of a waterfall filled his ears. Grass softer than the leaves of lamb’s ears sprouted up beneath and around him. The bright moonlight turned the layer of dew drenching the lush blades into glittering jewels.
A clearing thrice the size of the one Ghent left behind in the physical world stretched around him. Thick trees surrounded the area, their trunks brushing their brothers, leaving no gaps. Their branches entangled with one another, creating an impenetrable barrier that left the center of the clearing open to the sky.
Above him, the stars twinkled and danced. They swirled impossibly about their inky domain, forming different constellations on a whim. Unlike the jubilant specks, the silvery light of the unnaturally large and bright full moon felt sad. As if it, too, wished it could move as freely as its sisters, but could only sit and watch, stationary. Eternally incapable of scratching the itch to dance and play.
Nevertheless, the light glistened off an equally impossible waterfall. A stack of rocks sprouted straight up from the ground a handful of yards opposite Ghent. Water came from nowhere and went nowhere. It cascaded down the gray, moon-bleached stones. Specks of mica sparkled brilliantly within the rock, making them look as if they housed diamonds. The rushing stream fell into a large pool, creating ripples and spraying a fine layer of cool mist about the banks. Though it lacked a visible outlet, the water level never rose.
A moment passed. And then another. Save for the gurgle of the waterfall, the clearing remained silent. Deserted. Its soul inhabitant looked out of place. A living boy dressed in the drab apparel of a world far different from Wonderland. Even so, the unexpected peace of the area would not deny Ghent it’s sanctuary.
“Lovely, is it not?” a melancholy voice asked from behind him, breaking the relative quiet with her strong, yet soft voice.
Smaya stood mere inches from him. The aura of sorrow and regret that lurked around her seemed to sooth the moon’s glow. Unlike the rest of the Betwixt, the moonlight did not drench her of her color, as if even it took pity on the anguish she felt.
Completely solid, she stood in all her sorrowful, ethereal beauty. She clasped her hands daintily behind her back. Her emerald gaze with all their dark, harrowing secrets focused on the waterfall.
She closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh, damp scent of flowing water and wet earth. “Welcome back, young Madrail.”

My swimming instructors a dragon. [Mortim / Siaya Dragalorn]

Anora shouted and spun in surprise when the window at the end of the hall practically exploded, shards of glass trailing behind the invisible force that smashed it. She stumbled back as that something rushed past her and slammed into Darsby. She tumbled to the floor just inside the living room.
Whether she suddenly began to move in slow motion or everyone else was darting about at supernatural speed, Anora couldn’t say. But before she had hit the floor, before even the clatter of the scattered shards of glass could finish raining down, a gunshot rang out. Or perhaps multiple. She would never be sure.
She could only stare, horror-struck, at the blurred attack taking place before her. The sickening crack of breaking bones fought to be heard over the echo of gunfire still ringing through the farmhouse.
Heart hammering in her throat and eyes wide, her gaze settled on Darsby’s now sputtering, bloody form.
“No!” she breathed, scrambling to her knees. Her powers sparkled to life in the air in front of her, reacting to her terror and panic rather than conscious orders.
Before her powers could so much as solidify into something helpful, another gunshot rang out. She had not even realized the man in gray had stood, let alone drawn a gun. The bang of the gun momentarily deafened her. But she didn’t care. All her focus was on the target of the bullet.
Just like that. He was dead… again. In only a matter of seconds. Her hands fell limp to her sides. Her powers sputtered out. Dead and broken. Anora swallowed, hard.
The sound of the man’s voice reached her through the ringing in her ears. She shook herself from her stupor in time to catch only the last sentence. She glanced to him as he left the room, neither of the murderous monsters paying her any mind.
With fear-shortened breaths, her gaze flicked between where the man had walked off to, to Darsby, to the woman. Crimson dripped from the woman’s fingers, splattering the floor in blood. The same crimson soaked Darsby’s shirt and streaked his face.
She was beginning to loath that color.
Her hands clenched into fists. She let her fear fuel her anger. Anger at the intrusion when she was so close to getting answers, to learning more about a side of the world most humans never saw. Hatred at what they had done to Darsby. At herself for being capable of doing nothing to stop it.
She could be afraid later. Right now, she needed to act.
She glared up at the woman, her eyes glowing as mist cascaded from her hands. Indignant rage twisted Anora's face as she slowly stood, trying to mask the trembling of her legs and pounding of her heart. The mist quickly created a pool at her feet, golden lightning and specks of black flowing through its vivid violet.
She needed a distraction. Something to keep them preoccupied long enough for her to get Darsby to the van out front and escape. She knew it was risky, knew she could be overdoing it or even fail and end up just like Darsby—only without the regeneration part—but there was no way she was going to let that stop her.
Darsby had tried to protect her, watched out for her upstairs. Now it was her turn to return the favor.
I’ve got this.
“I don’t know who you crackpots think you are,” she growled, proud and shocked she managed to keep a tremor from her voice. She took a cautious step closer to Darsby and his attacker, her puddle of magic following her, “but you’ve overstayed your welcome.”
In the span of a thought, her mist rose into three swirling masses. They molded and solidified into the form of hellhounds about waist high to the intruder. Ebony and gold flashed over their matted fur and through their translucent purple bodies. Each one bore its fangs, their growls coming out in a crepitating hiss through their gnarled snouts. Their pupilless eyes glowed a swirling black and gold.
Though she had no clue whether or not the woman could see her powers, or was as blind to it as everyone else she knew, all that mattered was that she kept them solid enough to do damage and keep the duo busy. All the better if the murderers couldn’t see them.
As soon as they fully formed, the monstrous dogs readied to leapt at the woman, snarling and snapping their jagged fangs.

My swimming instructors a dragon. [Mortim / Siaya Dragalorn]

Aww! No need to apologize. I'm SO sorry you've been feeling ill lately! Your well-being matters much more than a reply. Take all the time you need. Rest well and I hope you feel better soon!

My swimming instructors a dragon. [Mortim / Siaya Dragalorn]

Whoa. Is that actually a post? From ME?



Quick! Take cover! It must be the end of the world! Seriously, though. Thanks so much for waiting. Took me longer than I thought to get back into the grove of writing. And stuff. Been an interesting week. But should settle down at least for a little while. *Knocks on wood.* If I spaced and contradicted any previous details, please, as always, let me know! It’s been a while... needless to say. I backread a couple posts, but knowing me, I probably missed at least one thing.

Hey, for the record, before my everything went out and I went hotel hopping, I had a post up within two days, thank you very much! And that was WITHOUT steady power! xD But I know what you mean. I always feel bad when you get a post up quickly and I take forever and a half to respond. Why can't life just let us write?

Ooh! That would be awesome. I’d consider it an honor to get to see your artwork! Even if you don’t think it’s “all that great.” Ooh, that’d be neat to see, a video of your three-dimensional drawings. Those sound like they’d take forever to do!

No, but she’s still trying to figure at least something about him out! No definitive opinion, of course, but trying to work on the start of forming one. :-) In real life, from the moment we meet people, are we not trying to get a read on them? Oh! Thanks! I appreciate that greatly.

Exactly. From what you’ve written so far, I can tell that there’s a heck of a lot of depth to it waiting to be explored. That’s part of what holds my interest about this! I’d say you’ve clearly put a lot of thought into this, and Darsby’s history. I mean, you’ve had Darsby comment on a couple things that hint at much deeper aspects, there’s the people he’s working for, the so-far mysterious Pan and why Darsby would need Anora to find him in the first place…

Every writer has plenty to learn, my friend! :-) That’s the thing about this craft. Writers are slaves to an art they can never master!

Oh! I really appreciate that. I know that that can annoy some people or even be a deal-breaker. So that means a lot to me. I’m thrilled that it’s helped you realize that!

As I believe I’ve said, violence likely won’t be a problem on my end. When I say I enjoy getting to write scenes where I can beat up my (or other’s, depending on situation) characters, I mean it! I'm probably more okay if my character(s) gets hurt than I should be. Especially if they do something stupid. PG-13 max on the presence of nakedness for me, though. Basically, important front bits covered. I’m more… squeamish, I guess, with that. Can’t say why for sure. Just am. I’ll be sure to do that if you do go too far for my tastes! And thanks for the reminder. Hope you don't mind me returning it with my own on the preference matter!

Nope, I don’t think you did. Just accounted for different options. And correctly figured Anora would follow. Also, I love that red-eye-guy’s companion used that loophole of walking on her hands. That’s just brilliant, that! xD Look out, Darsby and Anora! Might be time to really put your skills to the test!

My swimming instructors a dragon. [Mortim / Siaya Dragalorn]

Anora stepped a bit further from the window as Darsby swung himself inside. A tinge of jealousy at his show of acrobatics flashed over her amethyst gaze. Even the noise of his landing was softer than hers.
Careful to keep her eyes averted from his, she crossed her arms as he began to straighten.
“Took you long enough,” she jibed with a smirk. “So, there are a few food items in the pantry.” She stepped toward the floor’s opening. “I’ll shove some of those in my—”
“Stay still,” Darsby interrupted.
Her foot froze mid-step. The hairs on the back of her neck rose at his tone. Gently placing her foot gently back to the floor to keep from losing her balance, she turned to look to him, a mix of panic and curiosity on her face.
When he continued with his orders, she gawked; he hadn’t spoken at all, yet the words were audible, not echoing around in her head. She blinked, her eyes trailing after him as he moved past her.
“Can you get any weirder?” she couldn’t help whispering beneath her breath. With a faint smile, she shook her head, then followed after him down the stairs.
Despite the itch to ask how he knew something—something, not someone, she noted—was in the house, she kept quiet. She flinched at each creak of the old stairs. Suddenly, all the noises of the settling house became indicators of potential threats.
When they reached the bottom and entered the second-floor hall, she kept close and slightly to the side of Darsby to be capable of seeing in front of them. Noticing his trained protective movements, his hand ready to move her from harm’s way at the first sign of trouble, her brows rose.
What is he, some sort of Mars Secret Service? she wondered. Part of her felt grateful to have someone with his abilities and who knew what they were doing on her side. But the other, greater part was more annoyed than anything. She wasn’t helpless, after all.
Occasionally casting his hand an annoyed glance when he held it at the ready to act, she kept her eyes open for anything out of place as they crept down the hall. Even the shadows could be an enemy.
“Wait.”
Her attention snapped to Darsby as they reached the set of stairs leading to the main level. Trying to figure out what the cause of the holdup was, she looked around him, but saw only the wall, the dust and dirt on the wallpaper outlining where a picture frame had once hung. Even the stairs looked clear of enemies to her.
His movements caught her eye. She inhaled when she realized he had pointed his revolver behind him. Eyes widening, she staggered back.
“What—?!”
The earsplitting gunshot interrupted her, shattering the quiet they had maintained. In such small, close quarters as the hallway, it sounded even louder than it had at the hospital.
Darsby’s voice broke through the ringing in her ears. Heart pounding in her chest, she could have melted in relief when she realized he hadn’t been aiming at her in some fit of insanity. Though she didn’t believe he would hurt her, that possibility still nagged from a small, quiet corner in the back of her mind.
The tone he took made her shudder. Her brows furrowed as the response of an unfamiliar voice filtered up to them through the new, small hole in the floor, followed by the sound of something falling.
Did he… just kill someone? She glanced at Darsby, who seemed in no hurry to find out who he had just dropped, then to the bullet hole. Guessing the bullet would have hit somewhere in the general area of the living room, Anora hurried down the stairs.
Conscious of Darsby springing into action and following after her, she led the way to the nearly barren living room. Eyes glowing and licks of purple mist crawling up her arms just in case, she slid to a stop outside the living room's doorless frame.
Half expecting to see a murder scene—with how her day had gone, that really wouldn’t have surprised her—she quickly took in the man kneeling on the dusty floor.
Pale and even a bit shell-shocked, he looked like any well-off business man. Or would, if not for his unnerving eyes. Though he appeared very much like a ‘-one’ rather than a ‘-thing,’ if Anora had learned nothing else in the last few hours, it was that anything really was possible. For all she knew, he could be an evil spirit in disguise come to suck out their souls.
Anora inhaled, the mist and sparks at her fists pulsing readily.
This is who was after us? She eyed him warily, trying to not show how much his gaze unsettled her.
His smoldering shoe caught her attention, and Darsby’s comment clicked into place. She let out a low whistle and stepped slightly aside for Darsby.
“Nice shootin’, Tex,” she complimented with a quick glance to him. She looked back to the intruder, her gaze hard.
Whoever this was, he was bold enough to go after Darsby. Which could mean his surrender was a show, hiding who-knew-what kinds of powers. Keeping her guard up, she met the intruder’s eyes fiercely, ready to look away at the first indication it could prove unwise.
“Now. Who are you, and what do you want?” she asked, trying to make her voice sound as imposing as possible.
Though, even she had to admit, compared to Darsby’s threat, she sounded more like a house cat mewling after a lion’s roar.

A Land of Wonder and Nightmare

Despite Ghent trying to take back his questions about the Blue Caterpillar, Drust’s scowl at the concept turned into another snarl.
“Not. As you. Perceive him, boy,” he growled, his neck twitching.
Elayra tensed and looked to him, her mind forcing her tiredness to abate a fraction. Her gaze darted over him, watching his eyes as they glistened in the firelight. She waited tensely, ready to go for her own weapon if he so much as twitched to grab his katana.
“I’ll say it only once more.” He turned so his body better faced Ghent, the black veins in his eerie gaze pulsating. “Forget. What. You. Know.” He turned back to the fire as he took a breath.
“Drust,” Elayra said, her voice firm, but soft. She only just managed to resist the urge to reach for the comfort of her saber's hilt.
Drust closed his eyes and gave a jerky nod intended for Elayra. ”Thanks to your ignorant, idiotic author,” he continued, his voice strained with the effort of keeping so much as a slightly even tone, “your world has a warped view of Wonderland. A dangerous view.” He snorted. “He even used the Cat’s name. Many Earth dwellers have come here only to become the Cat’s Pet from his spread stupidity. Just saying the Cat’s name can summon the beast.”
“Drust.” Elayra shifted, jumping as the fire let off an extra loud pop.
“I’m fine, girl,” he offered dryly. All the same, his neck twitched unreassuringly at Ghent’s complaints and reservations. “Teaching you to fight is the best I can do to prepare you,” he growled as Elayra rolled her eyes at Ghent’s last question. “Everything else is up to you.”
“Anyone who’s survived his test is Tongue Tied.” She cast a knowing glance toward Drust. “Magically prevented from talking about his test, his weak points, the moment they leave his domain.” Irritation saturated her voice and twisted her face.