Once Upon a Time

by C J Preece

  Ahead of her she could see the forest, dead trees curling towards the sky. The sight was comforting. She knew the forest well. It made more sense to her than the city ever had. She could already feel herself slipping back into the mindset that kept her alive in there. It was primal. She could be herself, a hunter. The concrete ran out and the road turned into a dirt track.

  The sun was beginning to rise when something barrelled out of the shadows and crashed into her, knocking her off her bike. She skidded across the road, turning head over heels. Something pounced on her while she was still moving, pulling at her jacket. It clung on tight as they spun to a stop, digging strong fingers in around her neck. Red fought for breath, one hand trying to pry the fingers away while the other went to the gun on her side. Her vision settled and she saw a sharp hooked nose, pointed ears and cruel eyes. Goblin. She got the gun and swung it up, clubbing him across the head.

  The one holding her let go, but as she got to her knees she saw a dozen more of them swarming from beneath the ground. She emptied her revolver into the front line, dropping at least two of them, then drew her knife. She had to get back to her bike and get her weapons, before they got to them first. She dashed forwards, punching a goblin clean out of the air when it jumped at her. Half a dozen of them nipped at her heels, barely reaching up to her knees but enough to slow her down and threaten to trip her. She slashed and hacked with knife, kicking as well to clear them away. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a group of them clambering all over her bike.

  She threw the knife at one who was opening her gun bag, the blade embedding deeply into his shoulder. The others on the bike turned to look at her, sticking their tongues out and waggling their ears back and forth. She growled and sprang forwards, vaulting right over a pack of them in front of her. It seemed that they were everywhere, springing from the ground all around her. A swift kick sent one of them flying over the bike and into a dirty stream further down. Goblins couldn’t swim, she remembered, but that would do no good for the rest.

  When she reached the bike she swiftly knocked all the goblins off it, digging into her bag and drawing her shotgun. She felt one grab her leg and kicked hard, turning to see them rushing her. A blast from the shotgun tore a clump of them to pieces, making the others scatter and spread out. There were too many targets, and they moved so quickly she could hardly aim. She fired and missed, fired again and blew one of them in half in a cloud of gore. Three of them leapt onto her side, pulling her over. She crashed to the floor, her knee landing squarely on one goblin and crushing his skull. More of them leapt onto her back, pulling at her hair and clothes.

  Swearing and cursing she staggered to her feet, feeling her shoulder ache and pull as the magic in the crystal struggled against her movement. She emptied the shotgun, keeping the ones at her feet back another few paces, but she couldn’t shake the ones crawling all over her. In desperation she dropped back, feeling the crush of bodies beneath her when she hit the floor. She rolled off, but falling to the floor had made her an easier target, and a dozen goblins replaced the ones she had killed. She crawled back towards her bike, fighting them every agonising step.

  “Fear not fair maiden!” The shout came from close by, and was accompanied by a dozen little thuds.

  A rifle boomed and the weight on her back lessened fractionally. A blade cut the air right by her head and the weight lifted from her back entirely, though it was replaced with a horrible sticky liquid spraying her face. She got to her feet to see two men, one at the edge of the road with rifle, another in the midst of the goblins, sword in hand, leaping left and right and laughing with gay abandon. The goblins scattered, fell, then fled back into the ground until the three humans were alone on the road.

  “Are you hurt?” the rifleman said, walking over. “Wait, Red?”

  “Che?” She recognised the voice, and looked up into the dark brown eyes of an old friend.

  They embraced, both suddenly shouting with joy. “What are you doing here?” She asked.

  “Belle called, I found this one on the road here. What are you doing here?”

  “I was on my way back home.”

  “Seriously?”

  “What?”

  The other man had joined them now. He wore a broad smile, and had wild woolly hair, a neatly trimmed goatee and moustache giving him the appearance both of great refinement and untamed spirit. Next to him the dark-skinned Cheveyo looked like a negative image, in his smart uniform, his hair close cropped and his face clean shaven. The wild man she knew, though not as well.

  “Philip.”

  “Red.”

  “Are you here for Belle as well?”

  He shrugged. “She put out the call to any and all who wanted. And you know how much I love a good scrap.”

  “Why are you out here Red?” Che asked again.

  “I spoke to Belle. I wasn’t interested in what she was selling. I just want to go back to my home and live my life.”

  “I fear that may not be an option for any of us anymore.” He looked very grim. She went back over to her bike and wheeled it closer.

  “What’s happened?” She asked when they were clustered together, the lantern keeping the darkness at bay.

  Che sat cross legged on the grass, lighting his pipe from an old fashioned tinderbox. “It was only a few weeks ago. I was back home with my wife and daughter when they attacked us. A swarm of foul creatures crested Gadolphi mountain and came down the valley to my village. Every dark creature you can imagine, the orcs, goblins, ogres, even a couple of trolls. They laid waste to the village, slaughtered dozens. We fought bravely, but they seemed less interested in killing us than in destroying our home.”

  “Your family?” She had met his wife twice before. A beautiful woman who was once daughter to a rich mayor. She often referred to Che as having saved her from a life of tedium. His daughter she had seen only once, when she was only a newborn. She had inherited her mother’s ivory skin and her father’s jet black hair, along with his striking eyes. The thought of the little girl being hurt made her heart ache.

  “Survived, thank every spirit and god in the sky.” He took a deep breath and let it out, smoke filtering through his teeth and shrouding his head. “I brought them safe to the south, to Ping’s realm. They will be protected there. Then I came east to heed the call.”

  “How did you end up here then? Surely you’d have to pass through Ateer.”

  “We got a little diverted,” that said with a glare to his companion, who was lounging on the only soft spot of moss in the whole area. “I do not know the roads here, and Philip said he did.”

  Philip shrugged. He had found a piece of grass, and held it between his teeth, chewing a little and grinning. “I navigate by the stars and the thighs of beautiful maids, but there are no such things remaining.” His smile became a leer as he looked to Red. “Except here of course.”

  “Not if you bathed in bleach,” she said.

  “We saw Ateer to the left, and the forest to the right, and you in the middle. It seems our timing was fortuitous.”

  “You could say that again,” she flexed her arm again, wincing as the skin pulled. “If I hadn’t been injured…”

  “I do not mean to cast doubt upon your abilities,” Che said with a slight smile. “But even the greatest warriors need help sometimes.”

  The sun was now fully risen, and through the dark clouds faint beams reached them, carrying no warmth. “I suppose that brings us to your next point?” She asked.

  He nodded, at least having the grace to look sorrowful. “This coming battle is not for any one, and it is not for any to avoid. All of us will be drawn in. Our only choice remains in whether we will fight together, or fall separately.”

  The certainty in his voice made her shiver. She drew pulled a knee up to rest her chin on it, staring at the dim glow of his pipe. “Do you know something?”

  He nodded. “Our wise men have seen things in the flames. The spir
its tell of great unrest and disturbances. Enough to throw the entire world out of balance. They have been building for many years, ever since Charming became the king. But something has changed recently. Something has returned. Something old-”

  “And cruel,” she finished for him.

  “You have heard as well?”

  “Before I left for the Farm Belle told me the Fair Folk had seen something old and cruel returning. What could be so powerful that it would cause a disruption to both the spirits and the Fair Folk?” She had little experience with the spirits Che followed, but she believed in their power.

  He nodded. “That is what worries me. Something so dangerous cannot be good news for us.”

  “So we’re headed for Ateer,” Philip said. “One way or the other it promises to be a fair old scrap.”

  “Will you return with us?” Che asked her.

  She shook her head, but with little conviction. “I just want to be left alone.”

  ”There is no one I would rather have at my side than you,” he said.

  “And the same with you,” she replied. Her resolve was melting. Adam may have been her mentor, Belle her saviour and Goldilocks her… Well whatever they had been. But Cheveyo was her comrade in arms. They had shared things neither of them would ever speak about to another soul. In many ways she knew him better than his own wife, and he knew her better than anyone else. “I must be mad,” she muttered. “But I’m with you.”

  “Finally!” Philip sprang to his feet. “Now you two are done being serious warriors can we please get a move on? It must be nearly eight o’ clock and I haven’t had my first glass of wine. If I go much longer I’ll begin to shake.”

  “You drink too much,” Che told him, standing and extinguishing his pipe. The somber mood had been somewhat broken, but Red still had a heavy feeling in her chest, as though she had just accepted a greater responsibility than she could yet understand. She shook the mood off, pushing it away.

  “If you don’t mind getting close we can all take my bike,” she said. “Unless you brought transport?”

  “Only our own feet,” Che said. “For a royal and a layabout Philip marches well.”

  “Much experience of it in my youth,” he said with a charming smile. He swung himself onto the bike and patted the seat in front. “Well now. Who wants to get a little closer?”

  Red and Che exchanged a look, Red keeping one eyebrow raised until Che groaned. “Fine.”

  He sat in front of Philip, pushing him back a little so that Red could get onto the driver’s seat. They were packed on tightly, Philip shoved right into her bag of weapons, but he didn’t complain about the discomfort. Che had weathered much worse conditions she knew, and she was small enough to squeeze in easily. The bike protested for a moment at the extra weight, the wheels spinning a little and kicking up mud, but then they were away, right back to the city.

  *

  If Belle was surprised to see her returning she didn’t show it. She smiled as Philip walked through the door, standing and sweeping round the desk to embrace him, giving him a formal kiss on both cheeks. He grinned at her and bowed from the waist before throwing himself onto the chaise-longer. Belle curtsied to Cheveyo, who snapped a salute in return. Red she only smiled at, before returning to her desk.

  “Now everyone’s here,” she said, opening a drawer and bringing out a stack of papers. “We need to review our next move. We have a lot more information now. Our agents are returning daily.”

  “I suppose you’re finally going to let us in on this grand mystery?” Phil said.

  “I would if I could Philip. But unfortunately I don’t have much more information than the rest of you at this point. I’ll tell you what I can, but I need you to help with gathering information.”

  “We wouldn’t be here otherwise,” Che said. “Let us know what’s wrong.”

  “The Dreamscape is strengthening, to the point of being able to kill people. Adam and I have examined it, and have found that the traces of magic which power it have been increasing in strength. We spoke with our envoys in the Fair Folk, and they say that something is returning.”

  “I have heard similar prophecies from the elders of my tribe,” Che said.

  “Adam and I decided that we needed to find out what was wrong. To that end we have sent out several of our agents to places across the world. Red already knows that Goldilocks has been to the Farm, and she also examined the brick house of the three little pigs. Li-en has been searching the cloud palaces. Savitri made enquiries into the lands of the dead for me. Kay and Greta went to the Ice Kingdom and Simão has been searching the wastes in the south. We have most of the corners of the kingdom covered, but we still need more.”

  “What have you found so far?” Che asked. He was all business now, totally focused on the mission. He was sitting on a plain wooden chair at the back of the room. Red leaned against the wall next to him.

  “Not a great deal, but we have eliminated several possibilities.” Belle shifted through the papers. “It definitely isn’t the animals of the Farm, and even if it were, Red has taken care of them.” Che and Philip looked to her, but she shook her head. She still hadn’t quite forgiven Belle for what she had done. “Li-en reports that the few remaining giants have vacated their sky palaces, but she can’t find a reason why.”

  “The giants have never been organised enough to be a real trouble,” Philip said. “But if someone was to organise them, they could make a formidable army.”

  “But who would organise them?” Che asked. “More importantly who has the power to organise them?”

  “Clearly someone who has the same amount of power to be able to control the Dreamscape.” Belle rubbed her eyes and sighed. “That narrows the list down. It has to be a sorcerer of some sort.” She looked to Red. “That brings me to my next point. Kay and Greta went to the Ice Kingdom nearly two weeks ago. I wanted to know whether the Snow Queen might have something to do with this. Now that we know, or at least suspect, a powerful magic user is behind this I am more worried about them than ever.”

  “What do you want us to do?” Che asked.

  “Philip, I want you to go undercover. Investigate the Dreamscape and its users. Spend time in the dens, the Red Light District, you know the places.”

  Philip sat up and nodded, looking as close to serious as he ever got. “I’ll get you what you need. Anything to protect me from the Corruption?”

  Belle reached into her desk drawer and took out a wrist computer, tossing it over to him. He slipped it on and latched it, standing and nodding to them all. “I’ll see you soon I’m sure.” And he left.

  Belle was already moving on. “Che. I need you to investigate the place where you found your tinderbox.”

  “What?” Che stiffened, hand going to his pocket. “Why?”

  “I understand how difficult this must be. But nobody else knows the area. You are the only one who would spot if something was different, or wrong.”

  “How do you even know it will still be there?”

  “Honestly I don’t. But if it isn’t that might tell us something as well.”

  “Why do you want me to search there again. Surely any magic would be contained within the box?” Red was fascinated hearing him talk about the box. He never normally spoke about it. It was yet another sign of how serious the situation was that he was willing to talk about it.

  “You once told me that you were sent into the fortress by an old hag.”

  Red couldn’t contain herself. “You talked to Belle about that?”

  He jerked a little, as though he had forgotten she was there. “I needed to talk to someone. You were so young back then, I didn’t want to burden you further.”

  “We were comrades. You could have told me anything.”

  “Is there nothing in your past you want to forget?”

  That shut her up.

  “I now believe,” Belle said firmly, bringing them back on topic. “That the
old hag who sent you after the tinderbox was in fact a witch or sorceress of some sort.”

  “I did cut her head off,” he pointed out.

  “A truly powerful witch could have survived. I need to be sure. If I can cross her off the list then it will narrow the list further.”

  “Understood.” He got to his feet and saluted again. “It will take me several days to make the journey.”

  She threw him another computer, saying as she did so, “Adam has prepared a vehicle for you.”

  “Then I shall return within the day.”

  He now turned to Red, smiling and putting his hand on her shoulder. She smiled back and punched him lightly on the arm. “Stay safe,” she said.

  “The same to you,” he told her, much more seriously. “ These are dangerous times.”

  “We’ll see each other again, that’s for sure.”

  He nodded, shook her hand, and left as well.

  Belle and Red stood in silence for a moment, not meeting each other’s eyes.

  “I am sorry for deceiving you,” Belle said eventually.

  It would have been childish not to accept the apology, not with so much else going on. “What do you want me to do?”

  “I need you to go and retrieve Kay and Greta. Take my map, it should show you where they got to in the Ice Kingdom. Your bike can get you there and back before tomorrow morning if you hurry.”

  Red nodded, walking over and taking the map and a final computer. It was heavier than she expected, but once she had locked it into place on her wrist it felt comfortable enough.

  “Red.”

  Belle had stood and walked around the desk again, taking her into an embrace. Red breathed deeply, and old memories flooded her. She had been eleven when Belle first held her. She hadn’t cried since the death of her grandmother, but something in the gentleness of that touch had brought the tears out. Now it threatened to again. She swallowed hard and forced the emotions away, pulling back a little. Belle sensed her discomfort and let go, stepping back but leaving her hands on Red’s wrists. Her smile was soft and kind.