by E E Rawls
Chapter 23:
Legend of the Nymphs
“ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE was a nymph who loved to explore. She was a powerful creature among her kind, and very inquisitive. To feed her adventurous spirit, every day she journeyed through Wonderland’s many portals opened to other worlds, investigating what lay beyond each watery door.
One day, she came upon a portal in the shape and form of a pond. She dived through its waters and resurfaced into another world. Sunlight slanted through wide leaves and trees. Everything was green and lush, the sky painted blue. This new world’s atmosphere dazzled her.
“Help...me...”
The nymph heard a pitiful sound, a croak from a dying voice.
There, on the grassy bank before her, was a boy crawling desperately on his knees and flesh-eaten hands toward the water.
So horrid was his state that she gasped in shock and rushed forward to meet him at the water’s edge. A terrible plague had taken hold of him, the nymph surmised. She ignored her fear and the warnings in the back of her mind, and reached out to him as he moaned and sobbed, touching his left hand.
Power flowed from her into him—eradicating the disease and healing his body.
The boy leaned back on his knees, raised both palms and inspected them with a look of wonder and awe. His body was healthy again, and he looked across at the nymph.
She did not know what sort of creature he was, but she felt glad to have ended his pain. Before he could come any closer or ask questions, however, she dove back under the surface and returned to Wonderland.
The moment she touched the air and was reunited with her beloved home world, she felt something inside her unbalance. Days passed, and the feeling in her grew worse. Her dreams turned to nightmares, and her once lovely wings grew dark and her eyes venomous. The very air she breathed turned black, and it wasn’t long after that that the nymph died.
Those around her saw what had happened. As she died, a darkness seeped out of her body—a black fog that churned like a living thing and spread across the land. A darkness that Wonderlanders have since named Syn.
Touching the human boy had contracted in her a darkness common to Earth but unknown to Wonderland. By the nymph’s foolish actions, Syn contaminated the lands and peoples, and Wonderland was forever changed from being a place of peace and harmony to a place of strife and selfish greed, ever since that day.
The nymphs bore the punishment for this from then on. A foolish race, they were hated and hunted down for their crime of bringing this darkness into their world. For who knew what next the nymphs might bring with them into Wonderland? After many years of persecution, their kind was wiped out.
No longer do the ignorant nymphs roam the world. And as they were exterminated, much of Syn vanished with them—though not all of it. Wonderland would never be the same peaceful place again.
Beware, young children and those foolish of heart, for you never know what might be lurking nearby in the shadows. Syn preys upon the weak and ignorant. Beware. You never know when Syn will creep near and strike your unguarded mind...”
...
Cheshire set the old book down, finished reading the grim legend from its worn pages.
From his seat, Harrey gawked. “Wow. And I thought Earth had creepy legends.”
Cheshire sipped tea from his porcelain tulip cup. “I remember the Tale of Syn. My mother used to tell it to me, saying that Syn would come and take me away if I didn’t behave. That used to scare the wits out of me.” The cat chuckled through his whiskers.
“All humans have it?” asked Madnes, seated next to him.
“It’s been said that all Earthians do, yes—to some degree—if you believe such a tale. It’s the darkness that urges a person to do terrible things, a consuming and selfish evil. And it found its way into Wonderland long ago, according to this.”
‘Could something like that have happened to Oz?’ Madnes wondered. He rested his elbows on the table, folded hands propping up his chin. “Does it really affect Wonderlanders differently than Earthians?”
“I’d think it would depend on each person individually,” replied Cheshire. “But if Syn is real, and is here, then I suppose we’re all infected in some way already. No one much worries about it anymore, though. Wonderlanders love to visit Earth.”
“Hmm.” The drastic change in Oz, who once lived among humans for a time...could that dark illness be the culprit? He needed evidence. He needed to investigate the truth about this mysterious Syn.
“This resembles our story about the Sacred Pond,” Madnes recollected, turning the tale over in his mind, analyzing the pieces.
“Quite right. Though, my point is that this fairy person you describe to be in your head sounds similar to these nymphs who no longer exist. I’m not sure about the tale itself, but the part about hunting down nymphs to extinction is true. I came across much evidence for that during my research,” Cheshire confirmed.
“Nymphs, huh. That tale sounds like a big blame game to me—a reason to get rid of their kind,” said Madnes.
“I agree it’s a sad and wrong thing that happened. Powerful creatures are often feared or coveted.”
“So, you couldn’t find anything about the first Madness Solver, or what the power even is? There’s nothing but bits and scraps about Wonderland’s ancient history? Don’t you find that odd?” The wheels in Madnes’s mind turned, unable to resist working at the mystery puzzle before him. “An entire race wiped out...”
Something stirred deep inside his subconscious: thoughts from the fairy herself. Too subtle to read, but he could feel a jumble of emotions and something screaming of hate.
“Sounds like someone important in Wonderland is keeping a secret.”
“Who? You mean the king?” Cheshire went wide-eyed. Madnes leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “Madnes, that’s treacherous talk! You can’t just blame the king—not without concrete evidence!” Cheshire lowered his voice. “Why would he create such a lie? What reason would he have? You’d better get your facts straight before accusing someone powerful like him.”
“Hmph, I don’t know if it was him or a previous ruler, or some creepy old mage hiding under a rock. But somebody—somewhere—is keeping the past a secret. That’s what my Madness Solver gut is telling me, anyway.”
Cheshire’s nose twitched and he busied himself taking another sip of tea. Perhaps the thought of Wonderland’s great ruler being a liar was too much to consider. Madnes exhaled and let the gears spinning inside his brain cool down.
“So, if the power is one of these nymphs—a last survivor—then how does knowing that...” he leaned to the cat’s twitching ear, whispering so the others couldn’t hear, “...keep it from taking my life?”
“Ah, well, I don’t know that bit yet. But one thing at a time, Madnes. Step one to solving any problem is to first know what it is you’re dealing with.”
“Okay. And step two is stopping it from sipping me away as you are that cup of tea?”
“To find a different energy source for the creature to consume, yes,” Cheshire corrected with emphasis. “But the power cannot be taken out of you, if that’s what you’re hoping, Madnes. We need the Madness Solver. The power must always exist and be available for use—as I’ve explained to you before. A necessary, if painful, truth.” He eyed him thoughtfully. “Especially if what your gut is telling you is true.”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Madnes waved a hand.
Beyond the round window frames of the cottage, evening shifted to dusk with a blood moon slowly waltzing its way up the sky, the craters marring its surface forming a creepy smile down at the world below.
“My mom’s going to tear me to shreds when I don’t show up home tonight...”
Chapter 24:
Peeper
THE MADNESS SOLVER fairy...a possible last survivor of the race of nymphs, who had been made extinct long ago...
It was an intriguing mystery, and one Madnes had to solve if he wanted a lifes
pan longer than a chipmunk’s. He doubted the fairy would respond if he tried asking about it, though. She seemed quite content to keep things to herself and be of no help. She probably wouldn’t even tell him if the dark Syn was a real thing or not, and if it still lurked Wonderland as the legend told.
Madnes rose from the chair to stretch his legs. “I’m going out for some fresh air.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” called Cheshire. His paws padded to the kitchen sink and he began washing teacups.
Madnes paused, hand on the doorknob, almost tempted to open the door without listening. “Do I dare ask why not? What’s out there in Wonderland at night?”
“Many things.” Cheshire looked to the ceiling, as if there were too many to name. “But around this time of year, there will be vampire frogs about.”
Madnes face-palmed. “Vampire frogs? Why am I not surprised... I’ll swat them away, then, if that’s the case.”
“I wouldn’t go outside and tempt them, if I were you, Madnes,” the cat warned, though he made no move to stop him.
With a huff, Madnes chose to ignore caution and opened the door, stepping out into the night. Cool fresh air blew across him, and he soaked it in gratefully. A dull, pear-shaped porchlight cast a circle of light around him.
It was nice out here. Peaceful.
“Vampire frogs,” he muttered, disbelieving. He rubbed his aching arms, still soar even if healed after his ordeal with Oz. “What’s so scary about a frog with fangs? Heh, it’s humans with fangs that I’d be more afraid of...”
Hop.
Something plopped from beyond the shadows.
Madnes whirled around but couldn’t see anything.
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing.” He slapped his cheeks to make sure he was awake. The creepy moon was grinning down at him, unsettling his nerves.
“I’m just overreacting.”
Hop.
Something landed just beyond the porchlight’s reach.
He peered, trying to see through the darkness.
Twin large round eyes glowed from the shadows, reflecting the faint light. The eyeballs stared up at him, unblinking and red, and a brown frog slowly crawled into view.
Madnes swallowed, shook his head, then stared threateningly back at the small creature. “I refuse to feel threatened by a frog.”
Hop.
It stared...
Hop.
It inched closer...
Madnes’s legs trembled and his lips twitched.
Hop.
The frog’s mouth opened, dark and wide, and twin fangs slid out. A herd of hopping frogs joined in from the darkness. And then, as one, they leaped—high up at his face.
“YEEK!” Madnes’s fists shot out, punching the frogs away, and he bolted back inside the cottage.
“Back already?” Cheshire asked with the hint of a smirk.
Madnes turned his nose away, refusing to justify that smirk. “I’m off to bed,” he said tightly and marched over to a sofa. Vampire frogs would scar his dreams tonight.
‘I’ll never look at a frog the same way again.’
DAPPLED LIGHT TICKLED behind Madnes’s eyelids until he opened them and sat up from the makeshift sofa-bed. It was still early dawn.
Harrey was sound asleep, drooling over a sofa chair; Ugly had made a nest in his hair, his snore a wheezing hiss. Cheshire must be snug in his own kitty room. And Alice...where was Alice?
Madnes eased open the door quietly, peeking his head out first—not because he was afraid of vampire amphibians or anything, but just to be on the safe side.
A loud munch startled him out of his boots, and he had to clamp his mouth shut not to yelp.
Pelur was eating a massive head of lettuce, munching loudly on it, in his human form by the doorstep. He lazily looked sideways at Madnes. “Want one?”
“Ah, no. None whatsoever,” Madnes kindly dodged the offer. “Have you seen Alice?”
Pelur paused mid munch to tilt his head, looking up at the clouds and thinking. “Hm. Yes. Yes, I did.”
Madnes waited for more than that, but nothing came, and he realized with a groan that if he didn’t ask specifics, Pelur was too slow in the head to think to give any details. “And? Where is she?”
A gauntleted hand pointed to the back of the house, beyond a patch of woods there.
“Thanks.”
Madnes trotted off and, reaching the woods, made his way around trunks and hanging moss. “What does she think she’s doing, wandering all the way out here on her own in a strange world?” he mumbled. “No telling what kind of fanged creatures might lurk about...”
The trees parted up ahead, and the soft light of dawn reflected on a small pool of water—perfectly round and clean, with rising trails of steam.
He was about to venture near, when the light patter of footsteps made him duck behind the nearest tree.
It was Alice, and wearing a towel around her.
Puzzled, he peeked around the bark, careful not to let her see him. There was something odd about her lately—a wild look in her sea-green eyes, an unnatural glow to her hair and skin. Maybe if he watched, he could find out why.
Her back turned to him as she faced the steaming pool. With a sudden blush, he realized what she was there to do and quickly looked away—or would have, if not for a strange, unearthly glow that suddenly enveloped her.
As she stepped into the pool, light illumined her. No—it was coming from her; she was the light. Her skin glowed like liquid sunlight, blending into the dawn’s golden rays.
Peeking one eye around the tree, he half-watched, dumbstruck by the transformation. Her glowing form dove into the water and was gone.
Minutes passed...and she did not resurface.
“Alice?” Fearing the worst, he dashed over to the pool’s edge.
His eyes scanned but couldn’t find her amidst the dappled light playing across the pool’s surface.
Heart thumping wildly, he bent down to the water and prepared to dive in.
A fist suddenly shot out from the surface, just then, and grazed his right cheek.
“PEEPING TOM!”
“What?!”
Alice resurfaced with a loud splash, her face red with fury.
A yelp caught in his throat and he toppled backwards onto his backside. “Alice! Wait! I wasn’t—didn’t mean to—”
He realized how the situation must look. Her skin was no longer glowing; she looked nothing different from the Alice he knew.
“Oh crud.”
WHAM!
She had a fierce kick for a petite person. Towel wrapped around her, she punched and kicked and slapped the stars out of his head.
He fell like a log to the ground, bruised eyelids twitching.
“You’re here to peek?” a goose squawked shrilly.
He glimpsed Ugly and Knight Pelur appearing on the scene.
“Shame on you, Madness Solver! How indecent!!” Feathers slapped at him. “How can my feathers take their turn at the bath with you peeping around?”
“Peeping?” Pelur made an unmanly squeal, hands moving to shield his body from view as if Madnes could see through the layers of armor the guy wore.
“I w-wsn’t...” Madnes’s bruised lips gurgled.
They continued to squeal and slap, and he struggled to crawl away.
Forget the vampire frog nightmare—this was going to leave a bigger scar.
Chapter 25:
Returning Home
MADNES FOUND HIMSELF near the palace grounds once again as Cheshire led their group to the nearest portal connected to Oswick.
Alice had been silent the whole way. And for a while, Ugly and Pelur muttered about how indecent Madnes was. Harrey laughed his head off like it was the greatest joke ever, and Cheshire shook his furry head now and then.
Madnes pulled the brim of his hat down over his face, wishing that all of him could disappear inside it.
The image of Alice, her skin glowing like the molten sun, flashed through his mind
. ‘Who is Alice really?’
He’d known her for years—or thought he had—a normal girl moved to Oswick. But now, he wasn’t so sure if she was even from Earth.
‘All this time she acted like she couldn’t see Wonderlanders... Was it a lie?’
Had she known of Wonderland and the Madness Solver power all along?
‘But why would she keep it secret from me?’
So many questions...if only he could find the right time and place to ask them. Problem was, asking anything about her appearance at the pond would bring up the “peeping tom” incident—and he really didn’t want to bring that back up, nor give her more reason to bash his head in.
‘First Oz, then the mystery of nymphs, and now this!’ He clawed at his aching head, his brain feeling like an overloaded water balloon ready to burst. Too many mysteries—were they all connected or not? He needed a break. But none would come anytime soon; there were things to sort out today.
Cheshire halted and stepped aside before two metal trees, their thick trunks bowed and forming the frame of an archway between them. The surface swirled like moving water.
“The portal,” the cat introduced, indicating the arch.
“I guess this is goodbye,” Knight Pelur drawled to the group. “It’s been fun, a very nice and not-boring time. Do visit again.”
“Ah, sure. We’ll have to keep in touch,” said Madnes, shaking one gauntleted hand, Harrey shaking the other.
“You’re the coolest, bud. I’m gonna miss you! You gotta visit Oswick some time.” Harrey beamed.
“Um, not as a dragon, though,” Madnes added.
“Sir Madnes?” Ugly honked. “You won’t tell my mom about all this—the Sacred Pond and all—will you?”
Madnes wiped his brow; just thinking about that goose woman made him weary. “I won’t, if you won’t.”
The last thing he wanted was her shrieking down his ear about Ugly nearly becoming a fried goose.
“Hurry on, hurry on. Best not dawdle,” urged Cheshire.
