ItCotTC - 4) The White Queen’s Wonderful Wonderland

4) The White Queen’s Wonderful Wonderland

 Maphridome - Outskirts -
The desert wasteland lays thick in a heavy coverage of steam that pours from the top of the mountain.  Despite the landscape, the air is bitter cold. The frost builds up against the sides of the rail tracks.  Each railway track endlessly snakes its way off into the horizon. Dozens of these tracks seem to almost pile over top of one another, all intersecting at one grand cross-way.

Uriel, dressed in a slightly heavier coat than before, but in the same wide-brimmed hat, rides along one of the sets of tracks, navigating through the thick steam as best he can, on something that resembles a horse. It is a much taller animal that appears to have gills and an indented, almost hollowed-out, face. Uriel gently pulls on the reigns of the animal to guide it through the thick air.

The two creatures of existence trot the railway for a little ways until they come across a large tree that shoots into the sky for what appears to be miles. Crow-like animals caw an awful sound as they swoop around the tree in a panicked manner. Stopping where he is, Uriel follows the birds with cautious eyes. Just then, through the thinning fog, on the other side of the tree he can make out the impression of a body, hanging upside down and with what appears to be blood pouring from its torso.

Uriel dismounts his horse and steps onto the ground for a closer look. His boot presses into the dried, cold mud. With a hand in his long coat, resting on the handle of his revolver, he continues until he is just a few feet from the body. Blood is still pouring out of what looks to be a female, one that can’t be much older than her mid-twenties, and in her first eternity of life, too. Uriel shifts his head to the side, more so out of disgust than anything else. Before he can look up again, a voice breaks out from the thickness that sends chills down his spine.

   "You rang, your highness?“ The voice is male—young, but riddled with age.

Uriel turns as quickly as he can to meet the source of this taunting voice. It is here that he is met with the haunting sight of a figure standing even taller than himself, leaning against the tree. His face is covered in a blood-soaked welder’s mask, with his apron also stained in various splatters of blood. The figure leaps off the tree, approaching Uriel.

  "The white queen, contacting me? This is truly a surprise. What is this dearest of occasions?” The figure tauntingly asks as he begins to circle the body, which is now struggling to break free from the rope. Uriel remains silent for as long as he can.

 "There’s no need to withhold yourself, Uriel—no one knows you’ve contacted me. Well, except for this one, and I don’t think you have to worry much for her speaking any ill words about your reputation.“ The figure lets out a muffled chuckle as he circles the body one last time before it finally quits moving.

Uriel growls under his breath and throws a punch into the tree, leaving the charred remains of ash broken into the now damaged bark.

 "When I asked to meet with you, I did not intend for you to have a victim with you. She wasn’t even out of her first fucking eternity of life yet, you worthless piece of—” Uriel is cut off by the figure now holding him by the throat, a couple inches off the ground.

 "You summoned me, Uriel. Don’t fucking forget that. You called me. I didn’t call you.“ The figure tightens his grip on Uriel’s throat. "I don’t criticize the heathens you associate with, nor do I criticize your work, so don’t. With. Mine. Not when you called me. ”

Uriel throws his arm up between the figure’s grasp and manages to break himself away. His hands are now engulfed in a cold arrangement of dancing light, a fire coated in a thick layer of blue frost.

 "Put your magic away, I am not here to fight. I was making a point. You fucking Arknza, always with the pissing matches. State your business and let me attend to the rest of my night’s work. It is the 31st, you know.“ The figure nonchalantly responds to Uriel’s threats.

 "I could kill you right now, you piece of shit. There’s only one thing keeping me from doing so—”

 "Then fucking get to that, so we can both move on with our night.  You don’t need to prove how powerful you are, Uriel. I already know. “

Uriel’s frost-fire dies away as he picks his hat off the ground and places it back on top of his head, clearing his throat.


  "I need to know how to get the attention of the Valkyrium. I need to get on their radar.” Uriel lets out a sigh as the figure simply lets out a roaring laugh in response.

“That’s what this meeting is about? You just need to get on the law’s bad side? I would think that’d be easy for you, considering how much of a defector you are.” The figure leans against the tree now, wiping some more blood on his apron.

“Yes,” Uriel begins, annoyed. “That would be easy, but I need to do something low-key to where I can capture one of them.  I have questions for a current mission I am on and they are among the only people I know of that can offer any kind of answers.” Uriel responds, returning to his more-or-less normal attitude.

“Hit something that they frequent, then.  Hit something that would get on their radar. You’re smart, Uriel, you didn’t really need this from me.” The figure responds.

 "No. But I did need to figure out if it was possible for one of them to give away information. Which I now know, they can. Even if you were only once one, you were still sworn into secrecy and you just broke that.“ Uriel grins.

The figure roars out a furious growl, pulling a bladed weapon from under his apron. He swings the blade directly into Uriel, stabbing into his chest. Uriel’s body falls hard against the tree, clutching the wound, moaning in pain as the figure begins to laugh. Suddenly, though, as if he were some apparition the entire time, Uriel’s body disappears. The figure grasps his blade even harder and stabs it into the lifeless body.

"Damn you! I should have known you’d pull some shit like this, Uriel. I’ll get you. I’ll fucking get you. If I can’t get you, I’ll get your fucking vessel. I’ve already caused enough shit for him, what’s a little more?” The figure yells out into the darkness, unaware of where Uriel might actually be. Uriel rides up out of the fog on his animal, revolver pointed directly at the figure.

 "If I hear anything about you causing Alex any more trouble, it’ll be you that’s hanging here the next time. Now get the fuck out of here, Wonderland.“ Uriel answers with a cold tone in his voice.

 "Just remember one thing, your highness. When the universe already has you pegged a bad guy, might as well play the roll they’ve chosen for you.” The figure says as he turns and struts his way into the darkness, disappearing finally. Uriel, after being certain the coast is clear, waves his hand into the air, signaling something.

SHK!

An arrow cuts through the rope on the body, sticking into the tree. The body falls to the ground with a loud thud. Another body rides out of the darkness on a similar looking animal to Uriel’s. Bow in hand, My'rex stops mere feet from Uriel.

“Did he talk?” My'rex asks, her voice muffled from her mask.

“Yeah, he did. So I know we can get answers from some of these guys. I just wish this meeting wasn’t at the expense of one of Ellis’s patients. Even outside of .reality, that seems to be this guy’s main target audience.” Uriel responds.

“Sometimes one must play outside the rules to get something done, Clarence. I’m proud of you for this. You’re taking a step in my direction.” My'rex laughs.

 I don’t want to be in your direction, My'rex. I just want Raph back.”

“Alright then, calm your piss, Uriel. We’ll get him. This brings us one step closer. Did he say what we have to do to get a hold of the Valkyrium?”

“Nothing I didn’t already assume.” Uriel says as he pulls his animal into the direction to leave.

“So, what do we have to do?” My'rex asks, almost excited.

“We’re going to rob a bank.”