《Blonde, Red & Strange [short]》 Chapter I: A Wonderful Girl Chapter I: A Wonderful Girl "Upon a hill, there is an Oak. And between it''s twisting gnarled roots, there is a hole. And if you squeeze between the roots and the damp, dark earth, you will find... a strange place." The tavern was still as the old hunter spoke, and Hans, sitting on his fathers lap, strained to hear him over the sound of the rain drumming on the roof. The tavern was packed, as it usually was on such dark nights, when the elders of the village took turns telling stories and tales for the benefit of young and old. Tonight was a special treat, for the man speaking was a retired hunter and later merchant, and had traveled much in his youth. He even claimed to have been as far as Sturmhausen, the largest city in the Schattenwald. But that was almost two months of travel, and no one really believed the old man''s boasts. His cracked and fading voice was still clear as it sounded through the quiet tavern. "That place is not just different because of the trees, no... It is not different because of the people, peculiar though they are... It is different because it is not a real place. Past that hole, under the oak, on top of that hill, reality does not hold as firm a grip as it does in our forest. Here a tree is just a tree, a rock is just a rock. But there a tree may walk, a rock might be a... a sweetcake!" Hans laughed along with the other children and adults. This was shaping up to be a really tall tale, perfect for a cold night like this, with the fire roaring and the people packed close together. The old hunter laughed along for a moment, then his expression turned dark. "Yes, this does seem amusing. But a walking tree might strangle you in your sleep. A rock that is a cake might turn back into a rock after you have eaten it and kill you. Any flowers you see might be an illusion, any animal a horror." Hans turned to his father, eyes wide. He just gestured with his pipe for him to pay attention. "This place has a name.", continued the old man. "It is not often repeated, for it is best forgotten. But you should know what stalks our forest, and you should know whence it came from." The old hunter let his gaze sweep across the room, and Hans lowered his eyes as the pale gray eyes passed over him. He felt his father''s reassuring hand on his shoulder and steadied his nerves. The old Hunter made himself comfortable on his chair, and pulled out a tin of sniffing powder. After snorting up a pinch, and the subsequent hacking cough, he continued. "This happened, oh, over ten years ago... Alice - for that was her name - was the daughter of a rich miller. He and his wife pampered their little girl as much as a little girl could be pampered. She had dolls, she had pets, and ate sugared treats every day." The scowl on the old man''s face made clear his opinion on spoiling children. "And so she was used to getting what she wanted. And one day, she wandered off without telling her parents. And she wandered, and wandered... Until she came upon a hill. And upon that hill stood an oak. And under that oak, a dark hole. Now, the people of the village knew of the hole and the tree and the hill, but I''ll get to that in a moment. There was a fence. Alice climbed the fence. There were signs, warning her away. Alice ignored them. There were planes of wood blocking the hole, but they were old and brittle, and she pushed them aside. And then Alice climbed down the hole." The old man held the tension for a moment, every eye fixed on him. The children breathless, the adults mirroring his grim expression. "Now, as I said, the people knew of the hole, and where it lead. Alice was not the first to enter it. Lost shepherds had entered it, brave knights, avaricious thieves... Some even returned. Staying but an hour in that strange and devilish place may cost you your memories, or an arm or a leg. Those who returned only have memories like dreams, all nonsense and twisted up like a pretzel. Some returned with the minds of children, others convinced they had spend a hundred years down there." The old man raised a finger. "Spending one day in there will drive you mad. Those who did and returned were raving about all sorts of insanity. Some saw cats everywhere, others became obsessed with things like tea or went of to search of things that don''t exist, like pink birds with necks as long as walking sticks." The old man laughed at this foolishness, and the children dutifully chuckled along, but it was a forced laugh. "This place, as terrifying as it is, is full of magic, much more powerful than you will find in the Schattenwald. The meanest mushroom may turn you into a giant, cakes will grant wishes, and gold may grow on trees. Enchanted swords may be found, or flying horses... Just about anything is possible. Those who return spoke of such strange beauty and wonder that the place came to be known as... Wonderland." The rain seemed to quiet for a moment at the mention of the place, and every ear strained to head the old man speak. "There was, however, one thing they all spoke of. That other place, that land of wonders, has a ruler. A tyrannical queen. She is known as the Red Queen, and even the mention of her name is enough to bring fear into the hearts of any who have met her. She is also rumored to be greedy, which has led to many a foolhardy man to enter the hole with gifts and trinkets in hopes of appeasing her, and gaining her favor. None of them returned." he finished flatly. "Now remember I said that a single day in Wonderland might drive a grown man insane? Alice went in; a day passed. Her parents searched, another day passed. They found her tracks to the oak, another day passed. No one was willing to follow her inside, another day passed. Her parents gave up hope, another day passed. They had a funeral for her, and the priest put an empty casket into the ground. Another day passed. On the seventh day, Alice came back out of the hole." The old man saw the look of hope on the faces of the children, and shook his head. "It were better she hadn''t. Alice was changed. It was hoped that a child might better survive the madness of that place. But seven days... When Alice emerged, she was well and truly mad. And would that that was the only evil visited upon the child, but no." He shook his head. "Alice didn''t just return. She brought some of the madness of that place with her. Everywhere she went, the world changed to suit her whim. If she thought of cake, things turned into cakes. The trees, the rocks... the people." The harsh drumming of the rain on the windows was the only thing that could be heard in the silence. The old man sighed. "And so it is that since that day, she has her watchers, Hunters who follow her through the woods at a distance and lure her away from villages and towns; fairy bells set at every door of every village to warn of her approach. It is the reason that every village has a stash of fireworks: To distract and turn Alice away should the misfortune befall them that her endless wanderings bring her close."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Silence blanketed the tavern when the old man finished his tale. Hans looked from his father to the old man, then the rest of the adults. Quiet nods. A child at the front raised a hand. "Were you- were you one of the hunters that followed her?" Asked a girl in a squeaky voice. The old man smiled. "No, I was a hunter, not a Hunter. But I saw her once. Over in Br¨¹ckentall, that''s about four villages north of us, near the Goldstein kingdom. From a distance, she seems normal. There''s a-" he frowned, searching for the right word "- shimmer in the air around her; barely visible during daylight. Things change around her. It might be summer, and where she steps, there is snow. Trees grow or shrink, and animals are drawn to her. I heard she now travels with a lindworm, a gigantic lizard that guards her when she sleeps!" All the children''s eyes went wide at the mention of such a mythical beast. But the old man gave a sly smile, his eye finding the other elders, betraying that he was perhaps exaggerating. His smile faltered as his eyes went distant with an old memory. "I remember speaking to a Hunter who got trapped and couldn''t get away as Alice strode towards him. He said it was terror as he''d never felt. The trees melted before her steps and grew back behind her in wicked shapes. The ground under her feet was a carpet of mushrooms, each a different color. Then she passed him by without a glance. He was lucky that day." He raised a finger, frowning. "Another thing he said: she got younger the closer she got. Far away she seems her age, but once you enter her domain, she seems younger and younger, until you''re looking at the little girl who walked up that hill and down that hole all those years ago." The old man returned to present and leaned back in his chair, signaling the end of the tale. Hans released a breath he didn''t know he had been holding. He turned to his father, who was taking a sip of beer. "Papa, is it true? Is Alice out in the forest somewhere? Is she coming here?" His father gave him a conflicted look, weighing the truth against his childhood innocence. He took in a deep breath, raising his hand and ruffling Hans'' hair. "Son, there are many scary things in the Schattenwald, but very few ever bother to go near a village. And you heard what elder Noel said, Alice has Hunters tracking her all the time. She won''t get near us." "But what if-" "We are safe." said his father, looking him in the eyes and holding his gaze. "You have more to worry about from wolves and bears than Alice. Now go say thank you to elder Noel for his story. Here''s a groschen to buy him a beer." His father waved at the waiter and pointed to Hans and then to elder Noel, who was basking in the admiring looks of the children and approving nods of the other elders. A story had been well told. Hans dutifully brought elder Noel his beer, and stood there awkwardly as he was praised by the other elders. In avoiding everyone''s glances, he was the first to see one of the town watchmen enter in a hurry, leaving the door open for the whipping wind and rain to intrude upon the cozy atmosphere. He ran straight for the mayor, and urgently whispered something in his ear. They exchanged a few words and then the mayor stood up and banged his chair on the wooden floor a few times. The tavern quieted as everyone turned to look. "Attention please. Everyone go to their homes and prepare to evacuate." He raised a hand against the murmuring that arose. "There is a... danger of a... flood, and we must be ready to move should the river overflow." The mayor eyes found the most prominent people of the village. The butcher, the teacher, the captain of the watch, and the chief hunter. They gathered around him and left as a group, while assuring everyone that things would probably be fine. Hans searched for his father in the growing panic, not seeing him anywhere, but soon a hand reached out for him, and lifted him up in a carry hug. His father ran with his to their house, telling him to hurry and gather clothes and valuables. In less that ten minutes, they were standing amid a growing crowd in the village square. More and more people were arriving in the whipping rain. Those who hadn''t been at the tavern loudly demanding explanations that an increasingly harassed mayor was struggling to keep up with. "Flood? What nonsense! The river hasn''t flooded in my lifetime!" said the weaver. "And how do you know that the river is going to flood? It''s barely rained all week!" said a disgruntled older woman, holding a coat over her head to keep away the pouring rain. Tensions were rising, and the mayor''s inability to answer simple questions was making the crowd agitated. Voices he had only ever knows as calm, and sometimes admonishing, were becoming hard and angry. Hans thought he noticed something in the woods, but a blink later is was gone. There it was again! A light glimmered over the forest, playing over the trees. The village was built on a hill, another reason why floods weren''t probable, which gave him a nice view over a good stretch of forest. A glimmer, like a trick of the eye, was breaching the dense treetops a fair distance from the village. Suddenly, a small sound cut through the shouting of the crowd. A tiny crystal chime, innocently ringing a clear high note. It scythed across conversations, whispers and exclamations. For a moment, everything but that fragile sound was silenced. "The fairy bells!" someone called. "It''s Alice!" called another. These two words were as a match to oil. Panic flamed across the crowd and Hans felt a tightening on his heart. People he had known his whole life carried expression he had never seen before. Their faces turned to masks of fear as they looked around like trapped animals, clutching belongings and loved ones. "Quiet!" the mayors voice boomed across the square, silencing the crowd. "The Hunters from Goldstein are here and have gone out to divert her. We also have our own fireworks, and even if that doesn''t work, we will simply move out of the way and let her pass." He raised his hands to the protests. "There has not been a village lost to Alice in years. The Hunters know what they are doing." Hans turned back to where he had seen the glimmer over the forest. It seemed closer, and though it should be clearer, he still couldn''t make it out. At time it seemed like light flickering, other times like it were the shadows that were playing strange games. As it grew closer, the fairy bells on each front door rang more and more violently, a frantic ringing as if the bells themselves were trying to escape their hooks. He could now make out the lights. Purple-blue streaks with after-images of green. The trees seemed to stretch and move as the light reached them, the forest swelling like the sea. An explosion, far to the north; a light expanding over the forest. A firework! Hans had seen fireworks only once before. Huddling amid the panicked crowd, it was almost comically festive, but no one was smiling. Another firework went off to the north-east. This one was green, with red trails. Hans had been told that they weren''t actually magic, but the goblins who made them kept the secret of their making. The ringing of the bells lessened, everyone desperately listening to the sound, holding each other tight. The bells faded, relaxing into silence along with the villagers. The silence was punctured by a final firework, far to the north. A blue flower of light expanded over the forest, as the strange glimmer that announced Alice''s presence faded from view. No one dared speak, lest they draw her attention back to the village. Everyone just stood, holding on to their loved ones tightly, eyes trying to pierce the dark of the Schattenwald. Someone pointed to the forest, and a few cries went up as a figure stepped out of the dark treeline. It was a Hunter, dressed in black and carrying a strange bulky backpack, but no bow. He stepped up to the mayor and said something. The mayor visibly relaxed, and shook the man''s hand gratefully. With a wide smile, he turned to the assembled villagers and loudly declared. "The danger is past. You can all go home and sleep peacefully." A loud cheer answered his words and families hugged each other at the happy ending of this trying night, relieved and smiling faces everywhere. Hans looked at the forest, towards the spot where the hunter had stepped back into the dark, unafraid. What must it be like, to spend your life following a walking disaster, to direct it away from innocent people and to protect the entire Schattenwald? When he took his father''s hand and followed him home, his eyes were still on the forest edge. It seemed to Hans a worthy life. Chapter II - Pain without Blame
Chapter II - Pain Without Blame
The wolf-mother was exhausted from the birth. Her litter of only three pups had taken a long time to come into the world, and without the rest of the pack to protect her, it had been a precarious affair. She looked out at the melting snow, panting with exhaustion. The pups, still blind, shuffled near her. They would probably not make it. ~ The early winter had been good, with plenty of prey in their territory and the entire pack had put on weight to better face the cold nights in the white north of the Schattenwald. As the mating period neared, and frost tightened it''s grip on the world, circumstances quickly became more dire. Prey was scarce, and a strange creature roamed the woods, leaving deep furrows of disturbed snow and half-eaten carcasses. It''s lingering smell spoke of something unnatural, driving animals away. The pack moved, not wanting to face this monster. They headed south, into the lands where the creatures that stood on two legs and build caves out of wood lived. After a long journey with little to prey on, they had shed much of their winter fat, and the night''s cold bit at them as they huddled for warmth. They ranged far from their den, searching for any sign of food. But even the milder weather here was a snow-covered bareness. There was little to hunt, save for the occasional rabbit or injured bird. They burned the rest of their fat in ranging far across this new land. Desperation was setting in. The she-wolf lay amid the rest of the pack, their den silent. She could feel her pups growing inside her, demanding more and more nourishment. She was giving them all she had, but soon that would not be enough. Their luck changed a while later, when one of their number found a flock of sheep near the wooden caves. There were even thick wooden sticks surrounding the sheep to stop them from fleeing! The she-wolf was now in the middle of her pregnancy, and desperate for sustenance. Time had run out, and the easy prey was a blessing. At night, they attacked. Stalking through the unfamiliar forest on silent paws, they glided past the wooden cave. Light came from inside, meaning fire. The two-legs had a way with fire. They could create and control it somehow. The pack silently passed the wooden cave, sticking to the shadows. Above, the moon reflected a pale silver light to make the late winter snow sparkle. The sheep shifted uneasily, bleating softly while huddling in the large wooden cave made just for them. As one, the pack streaked across the field, under the fence, and jumped through the open window of the barn. Panic scattered the sheep in all directions, causing a cacophony of hoarse bleating. The she-wolf pounced on a lamb, sinking her teeth into it''s neck and feeling it snap. A panicking sheep bumped into her and she lunged at it, catching it''s leg even as it desperately tried to kick her. A moment later another wolf snapped down on it''s neck, ripping out a large chunk of flesh. Behind the noise of the sheep, voices could be heard. The two-legs were on their way! The she-wolf started ripping meat out of the lamb, swallowing as fast as she could. The doors to the barn were flung open and a group of two-legs barged in, carrying fire. The sheep streamed out, bumping one of the two-legs to the ground in their rush. The she-wolf growled even as she bit down on another sheep. One of the two-legs raised a long stick and pointed it at her mate. A soft click sounded, then a sound like thunder overwhelmed her senses. She and the rest of the pack cowered at the sudden sound. Danger! This was danger! As she turned to run she noticed the body of her mate on the ground, whimpering. Danger! She jumped out of the window and vanished into the night. Shouts faded behind her. Blood on her tongue. Cold air and white snow. Two wolves at her side, fleeing. Into the night, into the forest. Away. They fled for the next few days. The two-legs chased them into the forest, and barely gave them time to hunt or sleep driving them from den to den. The two-legs fell behind often, but never seemed to stop, always catching up to them. Eventually, after a week of flight, the two-legs seemed to give up. Exhausted, hungry and cold, the pack broke up. They had a better chance of finding prey alone, and the she-wolf was close to birth. Her pups would need much sustenance if they were to survive. Normally a whole pack would hunt to feed the young, but this was not to be. She tried to hunt, but there was not much to find. The two-legs had settled this region of the forest and there were more and more of them roaming around. Occasionally, she would find areas where the trees were missing, only stumps remaining, with no sight of the rest of the tree. She found small prey, snow rabbits and the occasional injured bird. Not nearly enough. She hunted until she could no longer move, her skin tight against her bones. Exhausted, she returned to her cave to give birth. She almost didn''t make it. When she came to, three little pups were suckling on her teats. She barely had any milk to give. When she could walk, she carried her pups to the back of the cave and left. It went against all her instincts, but if she couldn''t feed them, they would certainly die. Desperate, she stalked through the woods for anything to eat. She spotted a snow rabbit, nibbling on a berry bush, half-uncovered by the melting snow. Normally, a pack would surround the prey, but her trembling legs was all she had. She stalked closer. Desperation fighting against the urge to attack. One paw lifted, silently moved forward and gently parted the snow. Another step closer. Another. She was almost close enough to lunge, when the rabbit raised it''s ears. She froze as it stood upright, big blue eyes scanning he forest. They each started simultaneously. She lunged, the rabbit dashed. She gave chase and the rabbit fled, running zig zag through the snow, sending clumps of frozen dirt flying, dodging under roots and into bushes. She was not going to make it. Maybe if she had been well fed and rested... Not when her every breath came with effort, and her legs landed unsteadily with every step. The rabbit disappeared, and she stood alone, panting in the snow. When she returned to her cave, one of the pups had crawled out, blind as it was, and lay there at the entrance, dead. She let the remaining two pups suck as much milk as she could manage, and slept with them to give them heat. They were still blind and could barely walk, completely helpless and dependent on her. Her breath came heavy in the night and she shivered when the air, sharp with frost, gusted into the cave. The next day she left two pups behind, roaming in a different direction. The snow had almost completely melted, and bright patches of green stuck out of the muddy ground. Small rivers were forming, carrying the melting snow downhill. A scent of wet earth wafted through the forest, signaling the coming of warmer days. A few birds sang in the trees, but little moved closer to the ground. She happened across a carcass, uncovered by the melting snow. She sniffed it, cautiously examining it for edibility. Too rotten, even for her empty stomach. Moving on, she took a winding route, trying to catch a scent. It took her a few hours until the faint smell of something other than dirt and trees teased her nose. A potent smell, purple and brown, clung on a tree root. She followed it for a good while, making her way downhill. In the distance, she saw one of the wooden caves, solitary in the middle of the forest. Luckily, the trail veered off and led to the entrance of a narrow cave. She sniffed, making out multiple scents woven into the whole. Silently, she crept into the darkness of the cave. The smell of prey was strong; fresh. He fine nose drank in the scent as her muscles readied for sudden violence. A shrill sound pierced the enclosed space. A high-pitched squeal of rage as the two adult boars stomped towards her. Behind them, five piglets cowered in the corner, laying on a bed of twigs and grass. The two adults stomped and made charging feints towards her. She backed up slowly, keeping an eye on the much larger animals. Outside she might have caught a piglet, or in a pack they might have tracked the family of boars. In a small space, attacking would end up with her inured, which was the same as death.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Her hunger was an incessant demand, warring with her instincts for self-preservation. She retreated, snapping and growling, then made her way back towards her den. She found only a half-eaten badger carcass, which was fresh enough for her starving stomach. She returned to her cave and only fed the larger of her pups. The other she pushed away as it tried to suckle. The next morning it wasn''t dead yet, but lay unmoving. She nuzzled the larger pup, who was still mobile but lethargic, and left the cave. There was little prey to be found in this territory, and the last easy prey had been near a wooden cave with the two-legs. Her destination set, she headed towards the wooden cave downhill. She traveled quickly, urged on by an empty stomach and a desperate maternal instinct to save her last pup. Keeping her nose low she tried to spot any trails that crossed her path, but only old smells passed her by. Soon enough she could see the wooden cave in the distance. It was a strange construction, with a patch of land next to it filled with various colorful plants and herbs. As she neared, the plant life changed dramatically. The trees became more twisted, their branches arching above to create a crisscrossing dome of wood. The flowers grew in small patches and the weeds left clear paths of earth, even though there were very few footprints to justify the bare ground. As she approached the wooden cave, a feeling of unease raised her hackles. A gigantic tree grew leaning over the wooden cave, in full bloom, even in the late winter. And the flowers in the small patch of land next to the tree were also vibrant, as if untouched by the winter frost. As she stalked closer, the air began to warm up and by the time she had crossed the small fence rounding the place, the temperature had reached late spring. A white goat stood in the field next to the cottage. Tied to a post by a long string, it chewed on a ball of green grass. Careful steps brought her closer. The goat raised it''s head to fix her with it''s square pupils. Unconcerned, it went back to chewing. She took another step closer. By now she was close enough to the wooden cave that she could see inside through one of the holes in the side. Something was making noises inside. A clattering and murmuring drifted from the hole. An unconcerned sound, fitting with the unusually warm breeze. She glimpsed a look at an elderly two-legs, white hair and a black dress. Fear shot through her, quick as one of the two-leg''s weapons. The two-legs looked old and frail, but all her instincts screamed for her to run. This was the domain of a powerful being, in disguise as the two-legs! Frustrated at the missed meal, the she-wolf left the goat behind as she fled, keeping her head low and taking the road away from the lair of the witch. She continued for a few more minutes, making sure that nothing had followed her. The cold wind returned as she gained some distance from the strange place, but the road was clear of snow, winding it''s way further south. Leaving the road, she lay under a tree, her legs trembling half of starvation and half of exhaustion. She was getting weaker. Without a pack to hunt, she would soon not be able to catch anything, dooming both her and her last remaining pup to starvation. She breathed quickly and shallowly, trying to convince her body that it could still serve her. That her legs were merely tired instead of weak, that a light rest would make up for moving more by burning will than fat. Her eyes roamed the treeline for prey by instinct, the nature of a predator. A strange shape peeked through the trees, a flash of red that disappeared behind a tree in the distance. Her yellow eyes scanned the dense forest. Again, the red something flashed through a gap in the treeline. She crouched lower, eyes fixed on the shape that was clearly approaching. A few moments later a small two-legs walked down the bend in the road, a red fabric covering her head and upper body. The two-legs was also carrying a container of sorts, with delicious smells rising from it. The she-wolf slowly and silently moved forward, inching closer to intercept her prey on it''s path. It was alone, and she didn''t sense any of the same danger the older one had exuded. The little two-legs walked on, oblivious of the stalking wolf. It was making noises as it walked, in a crude imitation of bird song. The red-hooded two-legs reached the ambush spot. It startled as it spotted her, but a short scream was all it managed before she sank her teeth into it''s throat. It stopped struggling shortly after. Relief flooded the she-wolf. This was not a large kill, but it would last for a few days at least and her pup would have sustenance. She stood for a moment, panting in exertion, even this quick kill enough to tire her. The ground under her exploded, sending earth and stone flying. She struggled but could not move as thick roots wound themselves around her limbs and painfully constricted her throat. A storm seemed to be blasting through the woods, trees bending and leaves being stripped from branches. Snow whipped up into flurries, then parted as the old two-legs from before rode the gale, landing next to the red-hooded two-legs. The elder''s face contorted into a mask of rage as she shrieked. The grass around them seemed to wilt and bow down to the enraged witch. The she-wolf could only struggle feebly as the roots held her in place. The witch continued her cries, howling as she fell to the ground next to the little girl. Tears were falling from her face and strange lights glinted in her eyes. Then the eyes found the she-wolf. "You! You killed my little Red!" a hand contorted in rage pointed at the she-wolf and the roots began to tighten. Pain lanced through her as bones snapped, but she could do nothing but howl, echoing the cries of the witch. Leaves whirled in the air, forming figures as new voices sounded in the wind. "Release the wolf, Ertha. You cannot punish an animal for its nature." The elder two-legs snarled at the incorporeal figure. "It killed my little Red. My little girl is dead!" A blast of wind scattered the leaves making up the figure, but it soon reformed. As second voice spoke up, older and cracked. "You know your oaths Ertha. You cannot punish an unknowing beast." Eyes filled with madness looked down at the wolf-mother. "Then I shall give it Knowing. It shall **know** what is has done." The cries of protest from the figures surrounding them were snatched away in the gale that rose to whip at both the witch and the wolf. The roots rose higher, carrying the wolf with them, while also gently raising the body of the little girl from the ground. The old witch pointed her finger at the wolf and pronounced with bitter words: "I curse you! I curse you with **knowing**-" A sharp pain burrowed into the wolf''s head. "- that you might know what you have done." The pain was everywhere. "I curse you! I curse you with **life**." The broken bones of the wolf mended, only to break again under the tightening roots. "I curse you! I curse you to carry the form of my little girl..." The corpse of the girl floated towards the wolf, and where it met the wolf, both bodies melded, fading into each other. "So that every time your see your reflection, you will know **what your have taken from me**!" The two bodies, girl and wolf, merged. The wolf felt it`s body split into two, yet still remain one, a phantom body that occupied the same space as hers, sensations overlapping in a disorientating torrent. The witch slumped to the ground, the roots dying, cracking, turning to rot in seconds. The she-wolf lay in the dirt, unable to stand, her mind flooded with an overload of alien sensations. The voices around them raised in an angry chorus. "Ertha! You have broken your vow, and abused your power. You know your judgment." The still weeping witch shuddered, bending backwards as her skin turned hard, bark growing over her body. One last cackling laugh echoed before all that was left of her was a lone tree in the middle of the road. The strangely peaceful scene held for a moment. The wolf lay under the twisted old tree, as if having laid down in the shade to sleep away an afternoon. The tree burst into flames, startling the she-wolf who ran away into the forest. The greedy flames consumed the tree, leaving nothing but ash, and finally even that was carried away by the breeze. The figure made of wind looked down to the immolated tree, and the direction of the she-wolf. "We will not interfere with the wolf further. But we should see what we can salvage from this mess." The she-wolf fled, stumbling over roots and rocks, her limbs not working as she was used to. They were either too long or too short, too soft or too hard. It seemed to her that they kept changing shape. She would look down and see soft pink flesh, then fur and claws. Her height kept changing as well, making her stumble and fall. Her scrapes couldn''t have been so bad because every time she raised her hands to her face they were unblemished. Her hands? She stopped her wild flight. Soft pink flesh, ending in fine long fingers. What insanity was this? She found a puddle and looked down. The face of a two-legs looked back at her. She growled at it and it growled back. She was not safe, they were after her! She ran and ran through the forest. She ran on all fours, the on two legs, the weird motion coming naturally. Above, a sickle moon slowly rose to hang in the night sky. The pale light chased her. She fled the witch, she fled her strange new form and she fled her pounding head that kept coming up with words for things that didn''t need them. Like murder. Like killer. Eventually, after hours of flight, she found a hollow tree. Stumbling and barely conscious, she fell in and curled up in it''s trunk. There, exhausted, she fell asleep. Chapter III - Thrice Blessed Child
Chapter III: Thrice Blessed Child
The feast had been going full-swing for two days, with no sign of stopping. The queen hadn''t partaken much, still tired from the birth of the princess. But she still sat next to her beloved, a radiance of joy. The royal couple sat on the thrones of Goldstein Castle, smiles wide as their subjects and guests celebrated. Jesters, troubadours and poets roamed inside the hall and about town, singing the praises of the newborn princess, along with folk songs, traditional theater and all sorts of other jovialities and amusements. The jousting tournament planned for the afternoon promised to be exciting, as the prince of the neighboring kingdom was in attendance, and a keen lancer. The people were joyful, there was a plenty of ale, and the meat was well-roasted. A moment of quiet descended on the feasting hall around noon, when the doors opened to admit a strange figure. A small elderly creature flew in, and a hush spread from one staring face to another. She, for it was a she, looked like a combination of an exceedingly small grandmother, and a well cared-for potted plant. Mostly human-looking, excepting the size, she had branches for hair, and little flowers grew in random spots on her rough skin. She wore a green cloak and was levitating by unknown, but presumably magical, means. The king and queen stood in respect. As everyone else hurried to mirror them, the fairy flew towards the throne in a sedate pace. The kingdom of Goldstein had always had a good relationship with the fairy-folk. Never had they been persecuted or vilified, as had happened in other places. And as a gesture of goodwill, the fairy folk blessed the occasional child, and of course any royal offspring. "You are most welcome godmother." called the king, and the fairy smiled and nodded. Not quite a bow, it was still a gesture of respect. She had, after all, blessed the king as a child, and her blessing of healthy teeth had kept him in good stead. One might find a blessing of healthy teeth a tad mundane for a king, but experience had taught the fairies that anything too overt, like beauty or strength had a habit of going awry, hence the restriction to more practical blessings, with less chance of the magic going wrong. The babe was brought in by her wet-nurse, wrapped snugly in blankets, and presented to the fairy godmother. Smiling in approval, the elderly fairy stroked the baby''s head, feeling the fuzz of hair already growing. "Ahem." she cleared her throat and the entire hall went silent, waiting for her blessing. "I bless this child with good, strong, hair." Cheering erupted from the crowd, and a spontaneous chant of "Hair, hair, hair without compare." made it''s round of the hall. The king and queen thanked the fairy godmother who allowed herself to be convinced to stay and feast. The ongoing cheering lost some of it''s energy when the doors opened to admit a second fairy. The second of three, for a royal child was worth more than one blessing. Gradually the hall quietened as the fairy, this one wearing blue, and with predominantly yellow flowers growing on her, flew high above them, leaving a glittering trail in the air that hung like a constellation against the dark ceiling. "Show off..." murmured the first fairy. The second fairy alighted at the baby princess and squealed in delight when she saw her. Raising her hands high, she called in a loud voice. "I bless this child of royal blood, in the name of the forest and the trees, the rivers and stones..." The first fairy rolled her eyes, but the second fairy''s moment in the spotlight was not to be denied. "...In the name of the sky and the wind, the wild wolf and the wise owl." She laid her hands on the baby and finished. "With strong and beautiful hair." An awkward silence held it''s breath. "That''s what I gave her you ninkompoop." said the older fairy. "Well how was I supposed to know that, you old toad?" bit back the second fairy grandmother. They both caught the worried glance of the king and hurried to reassure him. A double blessing was rare, but wasn''t cause for concern. "It probably just means that her hair will be a bit harder to cut, and maybe grow faster." The king turned to the waiting crowd, and raised a cup. "My child is twice blessed!" Cheering erupted again, and another round of the "Hair beyond compare" chant was started. It went for a good while, and everyone was wondering where the third fairy had gotten to, when a small figure, looking very young indeed, flew into the hall at speed, bouncing off the floor like a stone skipping over water. She made a hard brake at the wet nurse, who held up the baby protectively. The new fairy panted, out of breath, rising and falling in the air in time with her breaths. She fanned her self with a leaf growing from her head. "Oh dandelions! I''m so sorry I''m late." she bowed to the king, the queen, and the wet nurse for good measure. Clocking the looks that the other two godmothers were throwing her she stood straight, tidying her yellow dress. "Right, I''ll get to it right way." The elderly fairy held up a hand. "Hold on. Both me and Violet here blessed the child with good hair, so please-" "Got it!" interrupted the youngest fairy. "I bless this child with amazing hair!" she proclaimed, nodding at a job well done. The two fairies, both her seniors, fixed her with angry glares. "What?" ~ As is time''s wont, it passed. And despite the worries of both the royal couple and fairies, the child grew well and healthy. Her hair stayed the same deep blonde of childhood and grew at a slow but steady rate. It was impossible to cut, causing some initial alarm, but it also always looked good no mater the length, so everyone eventually got used to it. Other than that, Rapunzel, for that was the child''s name, grew up happy, if a bit pampered. The kingdom was prosperous, and the king well liked. Rapunzel would spend much time among her subject and was always greeted with joy. Her, now waist-length hair, was instantly recognizable and that chant of "Hair beyond compare" had endured in drinking songs, ballads and even a few plays that included her rather unusual blessing ceremony. She was thoroughly sick of it by this point, but smiled and thanked as a princess should whenever someone thought themselves clever to include it in a play or performance. All in all, Rapunzel, along with the rest of the kingdom, led a blessed life. But, as all thing do, this too had to eventually come to a close. Wizards and alchemists had taken note of the story, eagerly spread by the proud citizens of Goldstein. At first, letters were sent asking for any cutting of her hair that might be provided. Given that nothing could be found that could cut her hair, and the few attempts made had caused Rapunzel distress, those were politely declined. What followed were offers of payment, in sums that even a prosperous king would not find insignificant. Again, as polite as possible, the offers were declined. The pause in letters led the royal couple to hope that that would be the end of it, but alas this was but the prelude to a more direct approach. An alchemist appeared one day at the castle gate, with a full retinue of servants, and lavish gifts for king, queen, princess and their nobles. In an audience the king could not refuse, the alchemist asked for the opportunity to study the princess''s hair. Reluctantly, and after the urging of his nobles, the king accepted. The Alchemist produced a great deal of esoteric and magical devices with which he examined the princess''s hair. His smile became ever wider and the king could see the bare avarice in his eyes. Already regretting his choice, the king bid the Alchemist farewell, who left the next day. After that, the letters only increased in frequency and darkened in tone. They asked for access to the princess, both promising riches, and alluding to consequences should the king refuse. The king turned to his nobles, but found them already swayed by gifts of gold. Whoever had set their sight on his daughter, they seemed to have a boundless supply of gold, and their influence spread wide. When he appealed to the neighboring kings, they all advised him to acquiesce, hinting that his small kingdom was not up to the task of resisting the masters of the mysterious alchemist. Still the king refused, and fearful of a kidnapping, kept the princess in the tallest tower of his castle, only allowing her to leave under heavy guard. His nobles still pressured him to accept a deal, but he held firm. A short while later, they stopped trying to persuade him.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. That should have worried him more. ~ It was a cold night in late autumn, the air carrying a sting that promised a bitter winter to come, when dark figures appeared over Goldstein castle. Riding gigantic bats, the figures wore tight cloaks made of a shifting, flowing fabric as dark as the night; Darkness spun into cloth. They alighted on the tower, the bat''s claws scratching the stone as they found their grip. Silently, the figures descended to the windows. Below them, the castle slept. The guards had received instruction, and payment, not to look up. Silently, the window to the princess''s bedchambers was opened. The hooded figure came through like shadows, their feet not making a sound. Barely visible, they seemed to glide across the floor. Rapunzel lay in her bed, peacefully resting. Her elderly maid had taken to falling asleep in the couch next to the bed, made anxious by the king''s fear for his daughter''s safety. A stiletto, as thin as a needle, punched into her throat, and she barely made a sound as she died. The princess stirred in her sleep, and a powder-like fine sand was sprinkled over her and she fell into a deeper, magical, slumber. Her hands and feet were tied, and she was placed into a basket that hung between three bats. As silently as they arrived, the figures departed, black shadows against the full moon. ~ Rapunzel woke up in an unfamiliar place. She was lying in a small bed in the corner of the white room. There was little else in the room, excepting a chair and a small table with a glass and a jug of water. Her head felt fuzzy, and she tried to rub the sleepiness from her eyes. The door opened and a woman wearing a strange uniform entered. It was white with red accents, and seemed to have been spun in a spiral around her body. She sat down and smiled at Rapunzel. "Hi there, you must be wondering where you are." Rapunzel nodded, even as she tried to sit as far as she could from the strangely dressed woman. "There''s nothing to worry about. We''re just going to examine your hair - isn''t it pretty - and then you''ll get to go home. How about that?" "I want to go home now." said Rapunzel, with as much determination as she could muster. "I''m a princess, you can''t do this." "My dear, it was your father who allowed us to bring you here." "That''s a lie!" called Rapunzel, and her hair seemed to poof out a little. The woman just smiled at her and stood up. "Get some rest. Tomorrow we''re going to figure out what makes your hair so special." She left the room, and a bolt could be heard sliding on the other side. Rapunzel hid under the sheets until a feverish sleep took her. Tears stained her pillow as she kept waking up expecting to see her room and maid. ~ "Age" asked the man with the dead eyes. Rapunzel didn''t answer. "10, nearing 11" said the woman from the day before. "Remember, The more you help us, the faster you can go home." Rapunzel crossed her arms. She was sat in another featureless room, on a tall bench surrounded by all sorts of medical, and other, devices. Scalpels, saws, thread and needles, but also butcher''s knives, hammers, tongs, strange black arrows and even swords hung neatly organized from racks on the walls. They had weighed her, measured the length of her hair, and used a stethoscope to listen to her heart, her lungs and even her scull. "I want to go home." she repeated. The two adults ignored her. "Let''s start with normal materials." said the dead-eyed man, picking up a small pair of scissors. Rapunzel shied away, but he only took a single hair and tried to cut it. Predictably, it didn''t work. The scissors bend around the hair, letting it slip between the blades. The woman made a note , and the man picked up a knife. They tried knives, saws, clippers, a sword, glass, stone knives, another of her own hair, a red string... Then they tried to damage the hair. It was draped over an anvil, and a large hammer was used to smash it. It seemed to Rapunzel that she could feel the shock of the impact through her hair, but that might have just been the loud sound. A few hours later, they had exhausted all the tools in the room. Rapunzel dared to hope that this was it. "You can''t cut it, can I go now?" The man''s emotionless eyes looked right through her. "Oh child, we are just getting started." ~ The next day she was brought to a room that clearly belonged to an alchemist. Beakers and vials bubbled with strange liquids, and there was a heady scent in the air. The same man who had visited her kingdom and tried to cut her hair was waiting for them, also dressed in the strange white and red uniform. He smiled wide when he saw her, but his eyes never found hers, he only looked at her hair. "Ready, Master?" asked the woman. Both she and the emotionless man from the day before were there. She hadn''t found out their names yet. "Oh yes... I have been preparing for this for a long time." He took one of her hairs and pinched it in a clamp. Then he put a candle flame underneath it. A few seconds later he replaced it with a stronger flame, coming from a circular tube. A minute later he removed the flame and held the hair up for inspection. He brought out a magnifying glass and leaned closer. "Marvelous" he said, grinning like a tiger. "Now for the acids." He took her hair and dangled it into a vial from which came a strong, biting scent. Rapunzel began to feel an itch on her scull, right where the hair ended. The itch got worse and worse, until pain, sharp like a needle was digging into her head. Rapunzel cried out, clutching at her hear. "Aha! A reaction!" said the Alchemist with a smile. "Bind her, and shut her up will you?" The woman grabbed her arms and held them down while the dead-eyed man put straps on her. Another strap went over her mouth, tightening painfully and chocking her screams. "Now let''s see what the acid has done." The Alchemist pulled out the hair from the vial using tweezers, and wiped it down with a towel. He examined it with a looking glass, and made a note. Then he started pacing. "No damage. The follicle seemed unharmed, but the reaction of the subject indicates an effect. Regeneration? Does the hair draw power from the rest, from the subject itself? No. A child would not sustain that level of power. Proceed with other toxic substances." He nodded to the dead-eyed man who took his place. He picked up a vial containing a dark green liquid that moved by itself, swirling and twisting in the glass. He met Rapunzel''s pleading eyes with his own emotionless ones. He didn''t seem to register her existence as he began his experiments. ~ That night, Rapunzel had to be carried into her room, still shaking and trembling. They gave her a sleeping draught, and despite herself, she fell into dreamless slumber. The next few days were much the same. They had talked of drugging her during the tests, but the Alchemist rejected it, wanting to see her reaction to his foul concoctions. A week later, blessedly, the tests stopped. She was told that she would soon be going home, and she hoped the nightmare was over. She still had tremors, and the headaches hadn''t gone completely away, but she could sleep again, if only due to exhaustion. Her hair was still whole. Nothing they had tried had worked. It only caused her pain, but her hair withstood it all. She wished her blessing gone, or for these people, whoever they were, to succeed, so that they might let her go. As the days passed, she noticed a change in her hair. It had always styled itself as it pleased, and no comb or braid could change it for long, but it seemed to have developed a mind of it''s own. It seemed more... active. It swayed when she moved her arms, like a cape flowing around her. Sometime she woke up from a rare good dream and found her hair had wrapped her tight in a warm cocoon. She wasn''t afraid; the hair immediately loosened before she could even think of it, but it was strange. Then, the tests began again. This time they tested her body, making her run, or lay down, or do squats until she threw up. They overfed her, starved her, froze her room until she was shivering, and heated it up until she could barely breathe. Her hair tried to protect her as much as it could, wrapping her in a cold and gently swaying in the heat to move the stifling air. When it tried to lift her from the ground, where she had collapsed after another grueling training session, the Alchemist noticed. After that, she was forced to spend most of her day trying to move her hair deliberately. By this time, she had given up hope of going home. The lie had been repeated so many times that it had lost its luster. Hope had left her, and in that void, anger flowed in. Against the Alchemist, the people who had taken her, her parents for not protecting her... where was her rescue? In all the stories, a prince would have arrived, killed all the bad people, and rescued her. Taken her home. Home. Tears filled her eyes at the thought. No! She shook herself. There was no use in thinking about that. She instead focused on her training. She could now move her hair with much more control, though she feigned incompetence during the day, and practiced in her room at night. Her hair became more an extension of her, and she could use it to grab things in a clumsy grip. Her days weren''t so bad, now that the pain has stopped. She felt like they had forgotten about her, as she was only in one in a line of cells. Then, the dead-eyed man appeared at her door again. ~ "Report." said the Alchemist to the dead-eyed man. "After failing to incise the hair, we turned to more indirect methods. We attempted to remove the skin around the follicle and remove it that way. Sadly, the protection of the hair extends to it''s base, and the subject''s scull appears similarly resilient. We also made incisions in other places. Her face, torso and limbs do not seem to share the same protection. The blessing seems localized the hair on her scalp. Finally, as per your hypothesis, her hair seems a remarkable conductor of magical energies." The Alchemist looked down at the still muzzled Rapunzel. "Excellent work. I have contacted our smiths, and they have finished my design. In one week, we will be cutting her hair." He leaned down and looked at the bound Rapunzel in the eyes. "Won''t that be fun?" Chapter IV - Calling the Storm
Chapter IV: Calling the Storm
That night, Rapunzel waited a few hours past what she guessed was nightfall (her room had no windows) and softly crept to her door. She had taken off her shoes and tied them around her waist, afraid of any noise she might make. Placing her ear against the door, she listened for any sounds. Nothing other than her heartbeat. Her hair slipped through the gap in the door and wrapped itself around the bolt. Slowly she moved it, the grating sound seeming the loudest thing in the world. Gently, she opened the door, and stepped outside. This was the first she had been outside her room without a guard. Her world had consisted of that bare room, the corridor outside, the lavatory, the training room and the laboratory, to which she was always brought blindfolded, lending to a disjointed understanding of her surroundings. But even blindfolded, she had taken the path to the laboratory so many times that it was etched in her mind. She passed other cells, some open and empty, some locked. Should she open them? She stood in the dimly lit corridor for a moment, staring at an iron door that probably kept someone like her captive. She moved on, the fear of getting caught so close to freedom winning out. Tip-toeing, she went down the corridor. Her hair gave a soft glow, lighting the way. Around one corner, then down a hallway... He hair suddenly stopped glowing, like a candlelight extinguished. She froze in her tracks and a moment later she heard footsteps approaching as a faint light shone round the corner. Panic rising, she hurried to the next door. She was almost surprised to have it swing open at her touch. She hurried in and closed it behind her, careful to be as quiet as possible. Her hair slipped between door and frame, dampening the sound as the door touched the frame. It then returned to gently flowing around her, like a cloak. The room had a bit of light, coming from a few jars set in high shelves. They contained some kind of glowing root; one held a crystal that seemed to reflect light that wasn''t there. The room seemed like one of the examination rooms that she had been frequently brought to. A large table with straps in the middle, surrounded by medical equipment. Mostly sharp implements. She quickly turned away from those. As her eyes got used to the light, she noticed that there was something strapped to the table. A tree? A bush? Curious, she approached. Someone had tied a small plant to the table. It was almost funny, so absurd was the idea. Why would you tie down a plant? The plant was missing branches, and the bark at the center had a large hole, sticky with resin. Rapunzel''s smile fell as her eyes started to make out more details. A tangle of branches that resembled a face, the two long branches to the sides, at about arm height. She jerked back in horror. This was a dryad! Everyone knew not to hurt a dryad; they kept the forests safe and blessed the fields. Hurting a dryad carried the pain of death in most kingdoms, because they were so rare and essential to feeding the people. Despite the now months of torture, this was the first time that Rapunzel truly understood the people that had captured her. This was the moment where her heart hardened, seeing a creature whose very nature was to selflessly help people rendered into materials for a deranged alchemist. She left as soon as the sound of footsteps had faded, and her hair began to glow again. She took off down the hallway, her mind conjuring ideas of finding a cache of gunpowder, maybe a weapons storage area, and blow this whole place to ash and cinders. A few turns later, she saw the first window. It was right there, the moon shining through black bars. A cool breeze flowed through, and she stood transfixed for a moment. Shaking her head, she continued past where she thought the examination room was, looking for an exit. A few times she saw guards walking the corridors, but her hair always dimmed well before she could hear them, giving her time to hide or retreat. She made it to what must have been the exit, a corridor branching off a dead end hallway. Two guards were stationed next to the door. She desperately looked for a way out, finding none. There was a metal locker set against the wall just before the exit corridor. She checked that she fit behind the it, then went back for an empty vial from the laboratory. She tucked behind the locker and threw it as hard as she could down the hallway. It clattered against the floor, sliding until it hit the wall at the end. A sound of alarm came from the corridor to the exit, and heavy footsteps could be heard approaching. Only one guard. Rapunzel cursed as she squeezed herself tight against the wall and locker. "What is it?" came a voice from further away, probably the guard still guarding the exit. "Dunno." said a closer voice, much too close. The guard must have come down her side of the hallway instead of the one she had thrown the vial down. The thump of heavy boots approached and Rapunzel closed her eyes, no longer daring to breathe. "Oi, there''s something over there." came the first voice again, closer this time. The heavy footsteps turned around and walked down the other corridor, following the first set. Rapunzel, her heart pounding, leaned over to spy around the locker. The two guards were slowly making their way down the other corridor. She tip-toed towards the exit, her socks barely making a whisper of sound against the smooth floor. She turned the corner and fought against all her instincts to bolt for the exit. Swiftly, she made her way to the exit, a black metal door with bolts and a large keyhole. She slid the bold, ever so carefully from it''s latch, her face flushed with sweat and her ears straining for any sign of the guards. She tried to open the door. Locked. Her throat full of fear, she moved her hair inside the lock, trying to feel the tumblers. She didn''t know how locks worked, but the shape of keys must have a reason for it, so if she managed to make a key with her hair... "Hey! What are you doing there?" came a loud voice from behind her. Rapunzel flinched, and shoved her hair into the lock, pushing against it from the inside, trying to force it open. A loud whistle sounded behind her, and the thumping of boots headed her way. Tears streamed from her eyes. The lock wouldn''t open. A pair of hands grabbed her by the waist and pulled her backwards. On instinct, she wrapped her hair around her fist, and swung at the guard pulling her down the corridor. The fist connected, with way more power than her 11 year old arms could manage. The guard was knocked back, clutching at his jaw as he stumbled. The other guard arrived, a thick truncheon descending. It hit Rapunzel on the head. And bounced off her hair. Both her and the guard were momentarily stunned. The other guard had recovered, and tackled her, pinning her to the ground with his weight. Her hair wrapped around her arms again, and she slowly began to lift him off her. She grimaced with effort, her hair tight around her arms and glowing bright. She barely caught sight of the truncheon descending towards her face, before everything went dark. ~ The next few days were miserable. They only fed her once daily, which was also about as much as she could stomach. She was always dizzy and nauseous, barely able to stand. Her face felt like it had split in two, and though she had no mirror, she could feel the bruise covering half her face. One eye was swollen shut, the other could barely focus. At night, her hair wrapped her head in a sort of helmet, cutting off sounds and gently pressing down on the wound. Whatever it was doing, it was helping. The swelling went down after a few awful days. Her skin was still raw, but she could see out of both eyes now, and she could mostly stand. But what was the point? She had failed to escape, and now there was a guard outside her room at all times. In four days they would cut her hair, and after seeing what they were willing to do to a dryad, she didn''t have any illusions of her own fate. She lay on her bed crying, wiping away tears that didn''t stop flowing. She prayed for help, prayed for revenge, prayed and cursed the Alchemist, and the woman and the dead-eyed man. *May this whole place be taken by the sea, or destroyed by monsters. May **Alice** take it all!* That last thought triggered something. Her hair twitched, as if startled. She had once heard a servant boy say it and he had been thoroughly thrashed. She softly spoke the worst curse in the Schattenwald. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report."May Alice take this place!" Her hair once again twitched, raising slightly from her head. She sat up, and the hair flowed from her head as if she was underwater. "Curse this place with Alice! Alice take them all! A slow death and a swift forgetting! Alice take them, Alice take them, Alice **TAKE THEM**!" Her hair rose higher, stretching into taught, barely visible strings. A humming started, and the strange sensation of her hair vibrating covered her scull. Like a thousand violins, her hair thrummed and hummed, the sound not getting louder, but somehow more profound. It echoed in her bones, and the walls seemed to shimmer, fighting to contain the wyrd sound. Her hair glowed brighter, a symphony of ill portent. For a moment Rapunzel hesitated, the feeling she was getting not a good one at all. Damn it all! She mentally pushed her hair to a higher pitch and the sensations heightened. The sound was a portent, yes... A failing light in darkest night, something moving out of sight. A drop of blood upon the floor, the sudden fear that there is more. The smell of storm clouds in the air, nature''s fury brought to bear. It got louder and louder, drowning Rapunzel in its malevolence. The lock on the door was being undone. The bolt was pulled back loudly and the door was flung open. Rapunzel lay in her bed, her hair quiet, eyes closed. The woman walked in, wary. "Rapunzel?" Rapunzel opened her eyes, pretending to just be waking up. "Yes?" The woman looked her up and down. "Nothing." She left the room and Rapunzel heard her say "Next room." before the guard slammed the door shut. Rapunzel didn''t know what she had done, but it had worried the woman, so she had set herself to repeating it. That very night, she began her chant again, calling for destruction like a doomsayer before battle. Her hair didn''t react. In fact, it had been lethargic since that strange occurrence. Well, lethargic as far as her hair was concerned. It still flowed on it''s own, and she could move it a bit, but it felt... exhausted. So, she left it alone, hoping that whatever it had done would lead to her rescue. The week passed, and the day the Alchemist had promised had arrived. Rapunzel had mostly recovered, and her hair along with her. Sadly, no rescue had happened. For every day that passed her hope had shriveled. When they came for her on the morning of the seventh day, she had none left. She walked numbly to the laboratory. They didn''t bother covering her eyes this time. In the laboratory waited the Alchemist and the dead-eyed man. Her guards strapped her to the table. She didn''t resist. The guards turned to leave. "Wait." said the Alchemist. "What is the situation with Alice?" Rapunzel''s eyes opened wide and hope filled her lungs like fresh air. "Our distractions are working, she''ll be gone within the hour." said the guard. "Very well." The Alchemist waved him away. He turned to a pair of blades attached to a crank. They were strangely shaped, like double-edged scissors. In fact, the looked exactly like a giant pair of scissors. The dead-eyes man voiced her question. "Pardon master, but why that shape?" The Alchemist beamed, stroking the flat of the blade which shone an dark red. "A simple blade would not do. No, no, no... We are trying to cut hair here, not slay a dragon. The function follows the form. That is how magic works, you need the right tool for the job. And these little beauties are made for a single purpose." He flicked the blade, which resonated in a strange oscillating note. "Vorpal steel, for the edge, blood iron for the core, and a channel of dryad heart fibers to transmit the power. You see, we will use the hair''s power against itself. The more it resists, the sharper the blades become." He turned his eyes on Rapunzel. Twin pits of black which only looked through her, not at her. The kind of eyes that could see a dryad as raw material. He pulled a strand of hair free and champed it tight between the blades. She tried to resists, her hair flowing like water, but the dead-eyed man strapped it down. He was well practiced in it by now. She thought of Alice, calling for her help, trying to get her hair to sound that ominous call again, but to no avail. The Alchemist began to crank, the blades moving together, slowly, inexorably. When the blades first touched the strand of hair, Rapunzel felt a lance of cold stab through her spine. Another crank as she fought to free herself on the table. It felt like a phantom limp was being slowly amputated. Another crank, and another. Then, without ceremony, the blades closed, and the strand of hair fell into two pieces. It didn''t hurt. Not really. It was more like waking up to find you had no legs. No pain, just a profound feeling of her body being wrong, of something missing. The Alchemist gleefully gathered the cut hair into a vial, and stoppered it. "The boss will be very pleased with this." He said, and swiftly left he room. Rapunzel stared at what she couldn''t help but call a stump of her hair. It sparked, like a struck piece of flint. She blinked, peering closely. It sparked again. Then, a shockwave exploded from it, flinging the dead-eyed man to the ground and rattling the blades. She desperately tried to free her hands, but the straps had held. The dead-eyed man stood up again, looking down at her with the same look of disinterest as always. A loud sound echoed from the corridor, a trumpet. Then another, then another. A slight frown crossed the dead-eyes man''s face. Then the walls started to melt. The back wall of the laboratory literally turned to liquid and melted, leaving a faint scent of vanilla. Vines crawled through, and strange plants grew in seconds, punching through the roof and letting in sunlight. A darkening azure sky stretched above. The dead-eyed man ran for the door, but it had vanished. The entire back wall was now a featureless wooden plane. The plants in the room grew, bloomed and wilted in seconds, only to be replaced by new growth in dizzying colors. A strange mist hung in the air. It was purple, no, blue! No, green! It shifted and glittered, wrapping into itself in loops and spirals. Animals came next, small scurrying rodents and birds filled the room, then fled from either the ceiling or holes that appeared in the floor. Rapunzel felt Alice before she saw her. An itch inside her brain, colors on the periphery of her vision. Lights that had smells, or taste or felt like biting into wood. Lights that might only exist in this place, close to the madness of Alice. Then, Alice stepped through the wall. ... A young girl, dressed in a worn blue dress, straight black hair hanging from a pale face. She didn''t seem to notice either of them. Where her eyes looked, mushrooms grew, then shriveled as her eyes moved on. Her gaze slipped past Rapunzel, and the table under her collapsed, now partially made of cake, part rotten wood. The crank disintegrated as well, sending the two swords clattering to the ground. Rapunzel scrambled to free herself from her bindings. Alice in the meantime was slowly walking through the room, warping reality around her. She seemed younger now, a little closer to Rapunzel''s own age. Her eyes though... Dark bags hung under them, and they flickered from corner to corner, like a hunted animal. While her expression was neutral, her eyes were drowning in terror. She continued walking in that slow pace, like a sleepwalker. Rapunzel heard a grunt and turned to see the dead-eyed man struggle to escape a floor that had turned to mud. His skin had taken a strange hue,and boils were growing on his face. Rapunzel looked down to find her hair moving over her body, somehow deflecting the colorful mist that was now choking the room. Rapunzel looked at her struggling tormentor. Her hair wrapped around her limbs and gently urged her to move. The dead-eyed man got a grip on a solid piece of floor and pulled himself up and out of the mire. He turned to the back wall, searching for an exit. Scanning the room, he turned back around. He looked down at his chest. Something dark red was sticking into it. A second blade punched into his chest. He looked up at the other end. Rapunzel looked up at him, looking every bit as shocked as he was. Her hands, wrapped in hair, held the two blades lightly. Her wide eyes hardened. Some conflict within her resolved itself as her hesitation melted under searing fury. She gripped the blades with as much strength as she could muster. "You''re the first." She spoke the promise, fixing him with her eyes. His eyes, that had for so long not recognized her as a human being, seemed to finally see her. He looked... surprised. She ripped the two swords out, and stepped away as instead of blood, little colorful rocks spilled from the man. Alice''s magic had already burrowed deep. He fell in front of her, and by the time he touched the floor, he had turned into a twisted plant. Small white flowers bloomed over what would have been his corpse. Rapunzel froze as a giant harebear slowly walked in through the hole Alice had made. It''s savage claws scraped the ground and it growled at her, but it dutifully followed Alice out the other side of the room, where a big hole had appeared, a forest visible on the other side. Rapunzel followed, keeping her distance from the harebear, and Alice further away. Alice must have just walked straight through the compound, judging from the line of rapidly decaying trees and giant mushrooms that stretched across it. Rapunzel heard shouts and started running. Not towards Alice, she had more sense than to follow a walking cataclysm. She ran into the forest, at a 45 degree angle from Alice''s direction. Hopefully that was close enough that no one would follow. She ran through the green and wide open space, filling her lungs with freedom. She ran, then walked, then ran, then stumbled. She took a short break to drink water at a brook, and noticed that she had been carrying the swords with her. Despite the damage they had done to her, they felt right in her hands. Her hair flowed around the handle in an uncanny way, making them light as a feather. She heard shouts in the distance and continued her flight. Deeper and deeper into the forest, as night fell, and her eyes were barely open. She was in the depths of the woods now. Giant trees dominated the landscape, reaching like towers towards a star-filled sky where a sickle moon hung like a blade. She walked through the eerily quiet forest half asleep. Her steps were quiet on thick soft moss. Cool, heavy air hung beneath the branches of the trees, which stretched into a dense canopy far above. Occasionally some star would peek down at Rapunzel through the foliage. She found a hollow tree and stepped inside. There was already someone there! A girl wrapped in a red hood was curled in the corner. Their eyes met, and in them Rapunzel saw the same desperation she felt in herself. Bone tired, she sat down, the twin swords left outside. She hugged the other girl and felt her tense, then relax. There, in that hollow, that dead tree, hanging on to that small piece of mutual comfort, they went to sleep. Chapter V - Blondie vs Red Chapter V: Blondie vs Red Rapunzel lounged in a tea house at Thyrsusstein central plaza, idly watching the passing crowd. She wore dark brown clothes, with a hardened leather breastplate and bracers hidden under a light coat. The years she had spent with the Hunters tracking Alice had gotten her used to the feeling of armor, and she felt exposed without its comforting weight. It had been almost a decade since her escape from what she now knew was an organization called Wheel. The waitress arrived with a steaming cup of tea, her eyes glancing down at the two swords leaning against the table. Rapunzel breathed in the rising steam, the tea''s strong herbal scent refreshingly stinging her nostrils. She took out a brooch from her coat, putting it on the table and tapping it three times. The small unassuming piece of carved wood unfolded into a small figure, a puppet made of wood. It looked up at her, and then at the cup. At her nod, the puppet reached over the rim and dipped one of its hands, the tiny fingers made of bronze, into the cup. ¡°No poison,¡± it said after a moment in a soft papery voice. One of Boy''s creations. She had commissioned it after rescuing him from one of the Wheel''s compounds. At the time, she hadn''t known the high cost of its creation; but no longer having to test everything she drank or ate was a real luxury. The Wheel wasn¡¯t quite omnipotent, but the number of assassinations, poisonings, and ambushes against her were becoming more common than was healthy. To be fair, she had been waging a one woman war against them for the last four years, but that¡¯s what they get for being evil. Not storybook evil, not petty evil, but the cold organized evil of numbers. If something gave them more power, they took it, be it property or person. They experimented on magical creatures and were, as Rapunzel well knew, not above kidnapping. Her latest pursuit of them led her here, the city of Thyrsusstein. She had sensed her missing hair for the first time in years, and followed the feeling here. Sadly, she couldn¡¯t feel its precise location, but it was definitely close. She still felt the missing strand, years later, like a lifeless limb hanging from her head. She took another sip, letting the slightly bitter taste settle on her tongue. The tea was almost done, and the little puppet looked up at her questioningly. She nodded again and it climbed into her cup. It couldn¡¯t drink, but it seemed to enjoy soaking in tea and smelling of herbs. It had made her life so much safer, that she didn¡¯t begrudge it that little pleasure. She was pretty sure it wasn''t built to enjoy tea, but who ever turned out like they were supposed to? She returned to her people-watching. The central plaza was well-visited at noon. Vendors sold hand-food from carts, the slightly more permanent stalls sold everything from vegetables to weapons, while the permanent shops nestled in the buildings surrounding the plaza held on to the luxuries market with high-nosed determination. There was a huge troll at the edge of the plaza, a construction of dubious robustness balanced on his shoulders. It was a viewing platform of some kind. Two rows of chairs were nailed to it and a small rope ladder hung down to the ground, where a goblin was holding up a sign while cajoling the passing crowd. The sign read "Experience the wonder of our fair city from the comfort of our traveling troll! Only 1 Thaler p.p." Rapunzel let her gaze wander up to the castle. It was built on top of the plateau that rose sharply above the north-west side of the city. It was a well known castle, famously built with enchanted slabs of stone, rumored to be the remains of a giant. True or not, the smooth walls cast a shadow on the poorer district below and made a clear statement on who held the power in this city. She looked back down at the crowd, and her eye caught a figure standing in the distance, staring in her direction, stock still. She sighed. So they had followed her. She paid for her tea, picked up the puppet, which folded into a brooch again, and stepped into the bright sunlight towards the center of the plaza. The figure waiting for her was dressed in loose clothing. A black shirt and cotton pants down to the knees, a vest with a few pouches sewed on it, a belt with a large knife, and a small back pack. Oh, and no shoes. Rough, calloused feet were the least striking of her features. Her skin was mostly dark, with occasional patterns and spots of pale skin. Most unique was her hair. Cropped close on one side, long on the other, it was a mix of muddy colors. A stripe of dark brown, almost red flowed down the middle, with lighter brown and the occasional white streak on the sides, corresponding to the pale patches on her scalp. A short crimson sleeveless cloak completed the picture as Red stood there waiting for her, a cocky grin on her face. Rapunzel noticed a ring of metal around her throat, attached to which were what looked to be explosives. "I see someone finally put a collar on you." she called when she was a dozen steps away. Red''s grin barely faded. "Gotta sleep sometimes..." She shrugged, and the collar rattled. She scratched at her throat. "So, what do they want from you?" called Rapunzel, her eyes scanning the plaza. Were those hooded figures watching them from distant rooftops? "Take a guess, Blondie." "Me, dead?" Red just nodded. "You sure you can''t survive your head being blown off?" asked Rapunzel. "I''d rather not find out. What happened to your hair by the way? Finally got a haircut?" said Red, nodding at Rapunzel''s head. A loose beany covered it, falling back behind her head. Only a couple of strands of blonde hair looped into her face, going back up and disappearing into the hat. There was definitely no space for all her hair, which had only kept growing since her childhood, to fit even into the loose hat. "Bag of holding." replied Rapunzel with a shrug. "Are you insane? You put your head into one of those things?" "Nah, it''s just the bit at the very back, only for my hair." The hair in the magically expanded bag did feel a bit numb, but it also helped with the overstimulation that the hair gave her when it was loose. "Stop chatting and kill her!" came a shrill voice from one of Red''s pouches. She pulled out a smooth green stone that was gently glowing. "Yeah, yeah, I''m doing it." "If you don''t attack right-" the sound broke off as Red crushed the stone in her fist. "Aren''t speaking stones expensive?" asked Rapunzel. Red grinned. "Oops." Rapunzel spotted a city guard patrolling the plaza and waved him over. "Good day sir, we are about to have a duel to the death, if you don''t mind clearing the area." He gave her and Red the look of someone who''s day had just acquired a whole lot more paperwork. He sighed and started calling for people to clear away from them as Blondie moved to the center of the plaza. A crowd formed on the periphery and people still lingering were asked to move away for their own safety. An elderly gnome woman, wrinkled and leaning on a cane ignored the protestations of the guard as she walked straight through the middle of the plaza, giving both of them nasty looks and murmuring to herself. Red waved at her. The old gnome raised a middle finger as she hobbled past. When the area was clear, Red and Rapunzel faced each other. Red spoke first. "Well, if you''re-" Red jerked downwards, planting her foot into the ground, her toes getting a firm grip on the flagstones below. She launched herself at Rapunzel in the blink of an eye. A hand stretched out, nails turning into claws as it scythed towards her face. Rapunzel jerked her head to the side. Red flew by in a blur and landed on all fours, sliding to a halt a fair distance away. A thin line of blood welled up on Rapunzel''s cheek. "-ready." finished Red, grinning a wolfish grin. Rapunzel drew one sword, turning to face her. She pulled on one of the loops of blonde hair peeking from her hat, and it uncoiled, longer and longer, until it reached the ground. It never touched the ground however, the excess length hovering in an spiral. Then, like a snake, it coiled up, wrapping itself around her sword arm and finally snapping around the hilt of her sword. Red charged again, her feet slipping on the smooth stone in her eagerness to fight. She arrived like a stampeding bull. Heavy, wide swings of her arms looking to break through Rapunzel''s defense. Her sword met claws, and cut into flesh, but by the next swing Red had already healed. That was how Red fought. She would trade a dozen blows for one, outlasting her opponents until they made a mistake out of exhaustion. Her blows might be easy to dodge, but they packed a punch. One solid hit would break bone. At least that''s how she was known to fight, and this was the show she was putting on now. Rapunzel put a bit of power into her sword and felt it lighten.She swiped at Red''s side, catching an arm and feeling the sword stop on bone. She grunted as a push-kick flung her away, tearing the sword free. Red limbered up the arm that had already stopped bleeding. She charged again, grabbing a loose flagstone and hurling it at Rapunzel. Instinctively Rapunzel cut it in two, leaving her sword out of position. Red jumped in low, tackling her. They rolled painfully over the rough stones, ending with Red on top of her and readying a blow with an arm that ended in wicked claws. Rapunzel pulled on the second loop of hair from her hat. The look of battle-hungry glee left Red''s face. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation."Now wait just-" The coil of hair joined the one already out and blasted into Red, flinging her into the air and over a nearby cart that was selling sweets to the people watching the fight. A solid thump was heard from behind the cart and the crowd winced. Rapunzel wrapped the second loop of hair over her off-arm like a gauntlet. She moved to the side as the crowd parted to let Red through. Red cracked her neck and charged again, though this time more carefully. She swung at Rapunzel who slowly retreated to the back of the plaza. Claw met sword and sometimes fist as Rapunzel''s off-arm, now empowered by her hair, was able to stand up to the force of Red''s attacks. Blow after blow was exchanged, Rapunzel accumulating cuts and scrapes while Red received wounds that would be mortal for any other. With a growl, Red shoulder-charged her, sending her flying into one of the narrow alleys that led out of the plaza. Red gave chase and pretended to throw things at her. "Here?" asked Red. "Eye in the sky." said Rapunzel. Above them, a giant bat circled, a hooded figure riding it. "Shit. Alright, make it quick." Rapunzel''s hair glowed briefly, and for a moment her movements became a blur. In the blink of an eye, her sword had pierced right through Red''s throat and out the other side. She pulled back her sword and Red fell to the ground. Also to the ground fell the two bisected pieces of the explosive collar. Before they had time to even bounce, Rapunzel''s two locks of hair had picked them up and flung them at the bat above them. Twin explosions echoed above the rooftops of Thyrsusstein, and a slightly singed bat flew away, without its rider. Red coughed a few times, spitting out gobs of blood. She sat up, wiping her mouth. "Well, that sucked. But nice to see you again Blondie, we should catch up." They walked back to the plaza where Rapunzel no longer saw any of the Wheel assassins. "We should, I actually might have some work for you." Red raised an eyebrow. "Need any help with those a-holes?" continued Rapunzel. "Nah, I''ve been with them for a few days, I got all their scents. Give me until tomorrow to kill a couple. It''s more about sending a message anyway..." Red offered a hand and Rapunzel shook it. Not letting go, Red asked "Hey, you ever wonder if we were to fight for-" "No." interrupted Rapunzel. "Oh, you''re no fun." Red picked up her backpack, glanced at something behind Rapunzel, then gave a quick nod and jogged off towards the city gates, her nose sniffing the air. "Ahem." Rapunzel turned around to find the guard that had cleared the plaza before. "So, I''m guessing you are going to pay for the damages?" Rapunzel put on an innocent expression, a hard thing to do with the lines of blood still bright on her face. "What damages? Nobody was injured." The unamused guard started counting on his fingers. "Scratches on the pavement, cuts on pavement, one dislodged flagstone, one count of disturbing the peace when you threw your friend over the crowd and thus outside the marked duel area, one count of leaving the duel area for both of you and finally: two unauthorized explosions over a civilian area with minor damage to surrounding property." Rapunzel sighed. "Fine..." "That''s exactly what you''re getting." said the guard, handing her a receipt for 54 Thaler. Ouch, that was a bit over two days wages for nothing but a few scratches on the street. "Pay it by end of week, or you will be officially charged. Good day." The guard nodded at her sternly and took off. Well, she better get that taken care off before anything else. She didn''t have that much money with her, but she was part of a few guilds that acted as banks for their members. She had been trying to remain inconspicuous, but that had clearly failed, so off she went to the Hunter''s guild. They could take care of her fine, and she could do with a shower after the fight. The guild was also relatively safe. Since the hunters tracked all the biggest dangers on the Schattenwald, Alice being only one of them, it was considered integral to the safety of everyone, and the kingdoms had long ago given it protected status. The Wheel might have spies on the inside, but any overt assassination attempts inside the guild would not go unpunished. After a short walk through the maze-like streets of the city, Rapunzel found herself in front of a modest three story house near the eastern gates. The exposed wooden beams and colorfully painted windows gave it the appearance of a normal multi-family house. Only the sign hanging over the entrance in polished brass betrayed its purpose. An arrow and a spyglass crossed over a shield. She entered and took a left towards the meeting and planing area of the guild. She had never been here, but all guilds had the same layout if at all possible. She entered a room like a mix of a tavern, an inn, a gentleman''s club and the exhibition room of an overenthusiastic taxidermist. Large and small round tables were spread across the room, some occupied, while a bar counter on one side served both as an actual bar and reception area for internal guild business. Along the wall hung stuffed trophies, from normal bears and wolves to giant snake skeletons and even teeth from monsters too large to exhibit. There was even a Wolpentinger sat in a prominent place over the fireplace. It looked cute enough, a mix of rabbit, eagle and deer, until it flew at you at head height and tried to gnaw your face off. They always went for the face, and no one knew why... Rapunzel entered to find a tense atmosphere. People were whispering around tables, hunched together. She got a few glances, and a nod from an old acquaintance, but no one payed her any more attention. She went to the bar and greeted the guild manager. He was a portly man, who fit in well behind a counter polishing glasses. She showed her guild papers and explained about the fine. He nodded at her, saying he would take care of it. "Looking for work?" he asked after making a note. "No, I''m here on a personal errant. What''s with the mood?" He nodded at a corner, where a group of people were clustered. "Hunter Hans came in barely an hour ago, he says they''ve lost track of Alice." "Lost track? How is that possible?" The manager''s eyes didn''t leave the corner of the room. "Ask him yourself." Rapunzel turned to see Hans extract himself from the group still demanding answers. He saw her and made a beeline for her. "Hi Blondie, fancy seeing you here." He extended a hand which Rapunzel grasped in the traditional Hunter''s greeting. "Hi Hans. What''s this about Alice?" He shook his head. "I heard it second hand. Gustav, Arthur and Bjorn had the shift, and they spotted a group heading into Alice''s Domain. They tried to contact them, but they just walked in. They had them for dead, but that night the Domain vanished. They followed their trail but they met up with some other groups and scattered randomly." Hans shook his head. "Someone found something strong enough to bind Alice, and they''ve taken her." "Shit. Any ideas why?" "Best guess they just want her to make them unending gold or something." He took a deep breath and blinked a few times. He must have been sent as a messenger to warn the guild. He looked exhausted. Blinking the tiredness out of his eyes, Hans looked back up at her. "How ''ve you been? It''s been what? Three, four years since you left?" Had it? Time flew when you were busy fighting an all-powerful organization. What were the chances that Wheel were behind this? Pretty high. There were a lot of villains in the Schattenwald, but few organizations with the reach and resources to plan something like this. And they would need a way to bind Alice... A shiver went down her spine as she made the connection. She knew of something that could resist Alice''s influence, and that was in the hand of Wheel. "Blondie?" Rapunzel focused on Hans. "Look, it might be nothing, but Wheel is in the city. They might be bringing Alice here." "Inside the city?" Hans blanched. "Why? She could wipe out the whole place!" Rapunzel shook her head. "I don''t know, but I''ve been tracking them for the last few weeks, and they are somewhere in the city. Maybe they are passing through, or maybe not." "Tell us where they are, we''ll take them on. If they have Alice here, no kingdom will say we didn''t have the right." Rapunzel shook her head. "I don''t know where they are, just that they are near. Or at least that something they have is near." "Does this have to do with your BS?" asked Hans. BS stood for backstory. With so many vendettas, curses and quests going on in the Schattenwald, an abbreviation was needed. When a rampaging monster destroyed a remote village or a witch cursed a kingdom, they (usually) didn''t go through the trouble of ensuring that only a single orphan or prince or whomever was left alive to carry out their revenge years later. Some of the more enthusiastic villains had died of exhaustion fighting a long queue of heroes with tragic backstories hell-bent on revenge. In short, the Schattenwald mass-produced tragic origins and heroes of destiny. So instead of wasting time listening to a long winded explanation as to why this particular farmer''s son was the long lost heir to the throne of wherever, you could just say it was his BS and get on with killing the monster infesting the castle ruins. That fact that BS also stood for something else fit neatly with what most people thought of backstories. Rapunzel nodded apologetically. "I''ll contact you if I find out more. But maybe the city guards should be informed." Hans nodded, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I''ll inform them. I have to get a message to the King anyway on behalf of the guild." They said their goodbyes and Hans left for the castle, while Rapunzel headed for a bath. If the city was going to be destroyed, might as well make use of it while it was still standing... ~ Rapunzel lay in the iron tub, the water starting to cool around her. She was done with washing and it was time to get back to business. She didn''t move, instead sliding deeper under the water, until it almost reached her nose. She raised her hands and grabbed her hat, which had stayed on her head. Tugging it slightly back, she freed a few locks of hair. She pulled them forward and after a moment they moved on their own accord, uncoiling from her head like some undersea creature, hovering in plain disregard for gravity. Each hair separated and soon a mass of hair flowed above her, coiling and waving like the center of a storm cloud. She closed her eyes, letting her senses drift to where they always wanted to go. The influx of sensations from her hair grew stronger, and she focused on it. The chaotic tangle was distorted, as if something was interfering, but eventually she managed to focus on a single sensation. Sound came first, her hair picking up the vibrations out of the air. It wasn''t a perfect analogue, but with practice Rapunzel had learned to understand most of it. A lot of footsteps, snippets of conversation, a scream. None of which was useful in such a large city. She ignored that flavor of sensations and turned to the next one. It wasn''t quite vision, more like impressions of feelings accompanied by flashes of sight. Again she was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer amount, even with just a few loops out. The visions came so quickly that they overlapped. Woman, street, a hint of dread, child with dog, a golden thread, a brick wall, drunken man... She blinked to clear her stinging eyes. It had been there, amid the chaos, a golden thread. She focused on the feeling and her hair shifted, dialing into what she was looking for. At first all she got was that the golden thread was somewhere near. Then, that it was somewhere to the west. No surprise, as she was by the eastern gate. The feeling sharpened, and for a moment she could feel an almost painful exactness of its location. But before she could orient herself, it was gone, leaving a feeling of... familiarity? That was... not unexpected, but it hadn''t happened before. Rapunzel thought of Alice. Yeah, that might do it. She looked out the window as she rubbed her arms. The water was now cold and the sun was well on its way to the horizon. Her hair was getting more and more difficult to control. Where she used to command it perfectly, now even just a few locks strained her senses. Rapunzel left the now cold bath and dried herself off. She got dressed in her second pair of clothes, leaving the first to be cleaned, along with a generous tip. Her hair had shrunk back into tight loops and she pushed it back inside her hat. Well, at least she had a direction. Old town, the less savory old district, where mostly illegal business took place. She even knew where to start. An old acquaintance had set up shop as an information broker. She could be exactly the help she needed. Rapunzel grabbed her belt and swords, firmly strapping it to her waist. She gave her hat a firm tug, and checked her leather armor. She stepped into the street, the sky above blazing a fiery orange as the shadows grew ever longer. The castle on the other side of the city blocked the evening sun and cast the Old Town district into murky twilight. Rapunzel''s boots clacked against the flagstones and she headed towards the district swallowed by shadows. Chapter VI - City Hunt Chapter VI: City Hunt Rapunzel strolled through the darkening streets, heading towards Old Town. The city had grown over the centuries, spreading over the landscape like a fungus. And, to keep the simile going, Old Town was its rotting heart. Long abandoned by the richer residents, the district lurking under the shadow of the castle was the meeting place of those not inclined towards a strict adherence to the law. Not that there weren''t legitimate businesses to be found, those however were lawful mostly by coincidence, not by intention. The wide new streets of the city gradually narrowed, smooth pavement replaced by uneven, poorly maintained cobblestone. The winding streets didn''t let much light through, turning the late evening dusk into darkness. Hooded and skulking characters occasionally crossed the street in a hurry. You didn''t enter Old Town for a stroll. You went in, did your business, and with a bit of luck, you might even leave. Rapunzel wore her sword prominently, a clear signal that she would be best left alone. Turning down one of the many side streets, she spotted a drunk staggering against a wall. His hand reached for a grip, slipped, and he banged his head against the wall. He didn''t seem to notice. Rapunzel walked up to him, but kept a wary distance. "Excuse me sir?" "Wuzza?" the drunk said, managing to focus one eye on her. "I was wondering if you are local and know the area." "Huh?" He looked her up and down. "Yeah, I''m , I''m-" he blinked a few times. "I''m from this shithole - pardon you miss''zzs." he stumbled a bit on the last word, just as he stumbled over his feet. "Great. I was just going for a walk and I was wondering if you could tell me what areas to avoid." It took a few moment for the drunk to parse her words, but they eventually seemed to settle into his head. "No, no, missusss. Pretty gal like you shouldn''t be in Old Town. ''s dangerous." "And what parts would you say are the most dangerous? So I can avoid them." He looked her up and down again, this time his eyes catching on her swords. They widened, and he glanced up at her. "No, don''t know nuthin''. Not me, no miss!" She took a step towards him and he cowered, raising his hands. "No, please. I didn''t say anything." She retreated a step. "Who do you think I am?" He glanced up and down the street. "One of them." Rapunzel rolled her eyes and felt her fist itch. Oh, how she hated vague portentous statements like that. "Who is ''them''?" He shuffled a little closer. "You know... The new guys." Rapunzel took a breath. "And the new guys are?" He took another step towards her. "You know." he leaned in and whispered. "The Wheel." The stinging stench of alcohol wafted from him, causing Rapunzel to look away. Her first mistake was to let him get close to her in the first place, the second to look away. The drunk lashed forward with surprising speed, the glint of a knife in his hands. Rapunzel ducked and the knife glanced against her head. She lunged and took hold of the arm. They were locked in a struggle for a moment, then she brought her head down on his. Thump, Thump Two blows later he was on the ground clutching his face, the knife on the ground. Rapunzel pulled out a sword and his incessant babbling stopped. "Spill it." "I don''t-" She reached the sword towards his throat and he went still. "Speak, now." "Ok, ok. I don''t know much. They came into the city a month ago, pushed out the old lumberjack gang. They have a base somewhere in the south of Old Town. There''s been people missing and the gangs are arming up for war. But the Wheel have bought off a lot of the local muscle. Not many a fighter that won''t take free money. They also pays anyone who deals with people snooping around." Rapunzel lowered her sword. "Any idea where their base is?" He shook his head furiously. "They got many, but no one knows exactly where. They kicked out the old gangs and killed thems that fought back." Well, Rapunzel knew someone who was good at information, and an expert on snooping. "Thank you for your help." She sheathed her sword. "If I see you again I''ll stab you somewhere nasty." She tossed a silver coin to the man. It didn''t hurt to have a reputation for being generous with informants. Then she stepped around a corner and walked in place for a few steps, gradually making her steps more silent. Standing still, she listened for movement. If he followed, things might have to get unpleasant. She heard a rustling, the sound of the coin being picked up, then the scrape of the knife. A few steps headed in her direction. She put her hand on her sword. The steps stopped, and after some unintelligible grumbling, turned around and disappeared in the other direction. As a precaution Rapunzel always had a single hair out of her hat. It was painted black and basically invisible, but its limited feedback worked as a very good early warning system, and the feeling she had been getting for the past minute or so was of being hunted. The eyes of a predator were upon her. Which is why she didn''t startle when a voice came from right behind her. "Wow, you were really ready to murder him." Rapunzel slowly turned around. "Nah, just a light stab." Red looked at her with a grumpy expression. "Why can I never surprise you? I''m sure you didn''t hear me." "Tricks of the trade." said Rapunzel with a shrug. "You''re back early." Red mirrored her shrug. "They fled like rats. Had horses and bats ready. Got a few of them, but didn''t want to spend a day racing after horses. So, what are you up to?" "How would you like to mess up some Wheel plans in the city?" asked Rapunzel. "Blondie, you are making my night." said Red with a grin. "Also Alice might be in the city, and kill us all." Red chuckled at the obvious joke, then her expression slowly fell as she read Rapunzel''s serious look. "Excuse me the what now?" "I''ll explain on the way." ~ Deep in Old Town, you can find anything you seek, for the right price. But, illegal goods, being illegal, are seldom advertised. A mercenary might be for hire, but if no one can be trusted to know his hideout, who will find and hire him? Enter the many information brokers of Old Town. Some specialize in goods, or services, or in the case of the cramped store lurking at the dead end of the alley Rapunzel and Red found themselves, anything and everything worth knowing. "Smells like shit in there. Bird shit." commented Red. "You sure this it the right place, Blondie?" "If I wasn''t, you just confirmed it." said Rapunzel, opening the door and stepping in. A very bird-y smell hit her. Bird food, bird dropping, and just plain old bird. Red, following behind, fell into a sneezing fit. The shop was strangely quiet, more so taking into account the dozens of birds perched on bird posts, chairs, tables and pretty much everything. Parrots, sparrows, pigeons, ravens. Even a couple of sleepy owls and a falcon. They stared at Rapunzel and Red with their beady eyes, still and quiet as statues. Only their heads turning to follow them. Red managed to stop sneezing and looked around. "The hells is this place Blondie?" Rapunzel walked deeper into the gloomy store. "This is where we get information." Red followed and growled at the birds tracking them. "Freaky birds. Can I Grin at them?" Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "No Grinning." said Rapunzel, who had reached the old counter at the back of the store. There was no bell to ring, but a parrot let out a sudden squawk, then settled back into staring at them. Its talons clicked ominously as it adjusted its grip on the chair it was perched on. Steps coming from a door behind the counter announced the arrival of a woman. She was on the sunset of youth, a beautiful face that was just starting to the show signs of age. Her long chestnut hair was tied in a long braid, and along with her clean and well made dress made a stark contrast to the dilapidated shop. She nodded at them as she sat on a tall stool behind the counter, comfortably settling in for a long talk. "Rapunzel, Red." Rapunzel nodded back. "Ella." Red glanced from one to the other. "You two know each other? Why is she calling you Rapunzel? And how do you know my name?" Ella shrugged, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Red, we had a public duel this morning; we didn''t exactly sneak into the city." Rapunzel turned back to Ella. "And I go by-" "Blondie, right. Sorry." interrupted Ella. "I keep forgetting to update your file. Maybe if you went back, I wouldn''t have to." She threw Rapunzel a questioning look. Rapunzel shook her head. "There''s nothing left for me. All the nobles were bought off a long time ago." She countered Ella''s look. "I was sorry to hear about you and the prince." Ella shrugged again, trying to appear nonchalant, though her lips twitched downward. "It lasted as long as you could expect a relationship based on a shoe would." Red grunted in exasperation "Nobles? Shoes? What are you even talking about?" "I''ll explain later." said Rapunzel, fully intending not to. "We''re here for business." "You''re looking for someone?" asked Ella. "Kind of. What do you know about Wheel setting up in Old Town?" "I might have heard a few whispers. What do you want to know?" "Locations, and any recent unusual activity." Ella reached under the counter and retrieved a large leatherbound book. She flipped to around the middle and scanned the pages, her finger tracing the neatly handwritten lines. That was a bit too quick, thought Rapunzel. She''d had the book ready. Then again, Rapunzel only ever asked for Wheel location to raid, so knowing she was in town, she could have just prepared... "I have five potential locations for Wheel bases. Four were visited by wheel operators in the last two days. Two since yesterday." Rapunzel slid a few Thaler over the counter. Ella wrote up the addresses and slid them the other way, picking up the Thaler. A raven fluttered down to her hand and picked them up in it''s beak. After giving her a beady look, it flew to the back of the shop. "Thanks for the info. You might want to get out of the city for a while. We think Wheel is bringing Alice here." Ella frowned, but didn''t look surprised. "I thought that was just a rumor." "I just came from the Hunter''s guild. The guard was informed at noon." Ella clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Damn guards, what do I pay them for? Thanks for the heads up." They nodded at each other, and Rapunzel tapped Red''s shoulder to follow her. She had been having a staring contest with a parakeet. They stepped out into fresh air and Red turned to her. "So what am I supposed to call you? I thought you were called Blondie." Rapunzel frowned. "You thought my actual name was Blondie?" "Why not? I''m Red." Fair point. "Call me Blondie, and maybe don''t mention my other name to anyone." Red''s eyebrows rose. "Oooh, you have some real BS going on, changing your name and everything. Did you kill someone and had to flee to a life of crime? Or did you mess with a witch? Or maybe..." Red continued inventing more and more reasons for Rapunzel to change her name, which in any other place than the Schattenwald might sound insane, but here were on the unhealthy side of probable. ~ They reached the first location, a partially collapsed house that looked empty as far as anyone could see. Luckily, with Red, sight wasn''t a determining factor. She lowered her nose to the ground, and took a long breath in. Her nose seemed to lengthen for a moment, then shrink back to normal. She leaned her head this way and that, her eyes flickering under closed eyelids. "There were people here in the last couple of days. Also food was brought in. Also... someone or something that was scared. Equipment maybe as well, something oily. There are still in there, I''m getting 3...4. 5 scents that haven''t left in the last day." Rapunzel looked at the half-collapsed building. "Can you tell if they are in the basement?" The rest of the place didn''t look fit for a base, but the basement might still be intact. Red''s eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated on the almost imperceptible scents. Her nose and mouth began to elongate and Rapunzel looked away. It wasn''t a sight for an empty stomach, or a full one to be honest. "I''m getting damp, some kind of mold. Yeah, basement is likely." Red''s voice had lowered in pitch an sounded more like a growl by the end. Rapunzel considered their options. Attacking now had the advantage of surprise, but if the Wheel operatives had a way of contacting the other bases, or raising an alarm, they would be gone by the time they could get to them. Even splitting up only gave them a 50/50 chance of finding Alice at the first try, and that was only if she was being held in one of the four recently visited bases. Could they storm the base quickly enough that they didn''t have time to signal for help? "Hey Red, you don''t smell Alice in there do you?" Red shook her head. "Never smelled her before, what''s she like?" "You''ve never gotten close to Alice?" asked Rapunzel with genuine surprise. "I''m not suicidal." said Red with a little affront. Rapunzel gave her a flat look. "Half- scratch that- three quarters of the bounties you go after are suicide." Red tapped the side of her head in a knowing way. "For anyone else, sure, but for me it''s as safe as getting stabbed in the throat." She held up a finger before Rapunzel could say anything. "Which was still rude of you." Rapunzel went to say something but Red shushed her again. Red''s permanent grin was gone, replaced by the grim expression of a professional bounty hunter. "Incoming." she whispered. The two of them retreated into the alley they were observing the building from. Red took another sniff. "Three targets downwind. Two smell lightly of bat. The third of gunpowder." Four figures silently made their way to the building. They all wore the dark brown leathers of Wheel agents, while masks obscured their identity. Rapunzel threw Red a look. "The fourth one doesn''t have a scent." she said defensively "Wait, maybe oil?" A bad feeling came over Rapunzel at that bit of information. She had an idea of who, or rather what the fourth figure was. The long leathers and cloak hinted at a tall, lean figure that moved with inhuman control over their body. The four figures stepped into the building, the gloom swallowing them. "Red, getting anything?" "Hang on a second." Red knelt down and put her hands on the pavement. With a strange hollow cracking sound, she disappeared and a large wolf was left in her place. It looked a tad strange as it didn''t have fur, but a second later fur exploded from its body with a poof, then settled into a slightly disheveled state. Red shook herself and stretched. Her clothes hadn''t gone anywhere, and she had to flick her hood off her face. Her nose reaching low, she sniffed the air like a connoisseur might sample wine. A few moments later, her hackles rose and a low growl escaped her lips. A reverse transformation later, Red was standing up and stretching. "Blood." she said simply. "I can hear fighting and there are people dying." "I thought this was a Wheel base. Why are they fighting among themselves?" Red shrugged. "Maybe the whole Alice thing is a splinter group? You said it didn''t make sense for Wheel to destroy a city." "Maybe... still doesn''t answer who wants to, and why." "Well, none of our problem. Let them sort it out among themselves." Red stretched her back with a pop. "Want to grab dinner? I''m feeling up for some good vegetable stew." "No. Wheel getting hold of Alice is worse than before! Can you imagine what they could do with her? Because I can''t, and that''s terrifying." Red sighed. "Fine, where to then?" "We wait for them to leave, then check out the base, after that we decide." It was barely a minute later when the four figures from before exited, looking none the worse for wear, and disappeared down the street. "Uh uh." said Red, and hurried towards the building. Smoke was already starting to creep out the door. Entering revealed a trap door to the basement belching an acrid smoke that stung Rapunzel''s eyes and throat. "Looks like they are really cleaning up." commented Red from outside. She was standing at a distance and holding her nose. Rapunzel exited and thought quickly. "OK, they seem to be cleaning out the city. We need to find where they are holding Alice before they get there." "Can''t we just kill the kill team?" asked Red in a tone as if being asked to tidy up her room. "In the mean time, the other bases might be evacuated. Also that thing with no smell... I have a suspicion that it''s a living puppet. Very dangerous, and while it might not be able to kill you, it''ll probably be a pain to take down, and I can''t regrow limbs." Red rolled her eyes at Rapunzel''s blatant use of common sense. "Fine, fine. So where do we go next?" "The nearest base. The kill squad is probably on their way there. If Alice isn''t there, we overtake them and search the next one." Red joined Rapunzel in running towards the next base. "How will we know Alice isn''t there?" "I have an idea." They slowed down when they caught up with the kill squad, letting the squad lead them to the next base. When they entered the old warehouse that served as a base, Rapunzel turned to Red. "Can you smell anything in there that smells like me?" Red sniffed the air as shouts of alarm came from the warehouse. A muffled scream forced its way through the brick walls and tall windows of the warehouse. "Nope. Anything in particular I should be looking for? You lost a shirt of something?" "No. But there is one of my hairs in the city. I''ve been after it for years, but they moved it before I could get to it. Once they realized I could sense it, they moved so far I lost track of it. A week ago I felt it again. It''s here in the city." Red looked at her for a moment. "Anyone tell you that the whole hair thing is a bit much?" "Let''s just go to the next base." said Rapunzel, already moving at a sprint. "Also, I resent that coming from a battle-maniac that turns into a wolf. Also, the Grin. Especially the Grin." Red raised her hands, easily keeping up with Rapunzel. "Alright, Blondie, keep your hair on." Rapunzel did not dignify that quip with a response. The next base, an unassuming house at the dead end of a crooked street also held no hint of either Alice or Rapunzel''s missing hair. Doubt began to rise in her as they left the base behind and headed to the last base. If the last base was also a bust, either their entire plan was flawed, or Alice was in one of the other bases, which could be anywhere. Or maybe they had an entire new base, just for her, or maybe... "Not getting anything here either." said Red, smelling the air behind the series of abandoned houses that supposedly housed the final base. "Shit." summarized Rapunzel. "Wait." Red sniffed at the air, then got uncomfortably close and sniffed Rapunzel. "Pull out some hair." Rapunzel pulled out one of her ready-to-pull locks and felt the power itching for an outlet. Her hair had not only grown in length over the years. Already she felt it trying to overtake her senses. "There''s - sniff - something..." Red took a deep breath, then followed her nose to one of the houses. "I was trying to smell you, but your hair has its own scent, hidden under yours. Something was here, in the last days. A lot of people, chemicals, iron, blood..." Red opened her eyes again. "I think this is the place." Rapunzel pulled out a sword. "We go in hard and fast, don''t give them time to call for help." Red grinned a sharp-toothed grin. "Finally." Chapter VII - City Hunt part 2 Chapter VII: City Hunt part 2 Rapunzel & Red stealthily made their way into the house concealing the Wheel base. Every second felt like a waste as she could almost feel the kill squad catching up to them. Rapunzel forced herself to calm down and take it slow. This was a hunt, and you only attacked when you were sure of your quarry. Red had taken point, and was silently creeping forward, her bare feet coming down as delicately as paws, barely even disturbing the dust. They found no traps, but the door on a center wall heading to the basement was locked from the inside. Presumably the kill squad had been let in, meaning the Wheel operators in the city didn''t know they were being cut loose. Rapunzel leaned against the door. A strand of hair slithered like a snake and entered the keyhole. She had practiced since her time in the plain white room. A few seconds later the lock clicked and she gently pulled it open. A steep staircase led down into the basement, and a faint glow from around the corner indicated someone was there. Red took the lead once more and crept up to the corner. She took a quick look, then moved on. Rapunzel followed, finding a long corridor that ran alongside a series of iron doors. The corridor was empty, bet there was a muffled sound coming from the first door. "Red?" she whispered. Red nodded and sniffed the air. "Three people, six animals. Pig, eagle, bear, some kind of snake, dog, deer." "Can you tell their locations?" "I can''t see through walls Blondie." Rapunzel nodded. "We go door to door. Take them out as quickly as possible, leave at least one alive. I''m guessing the animals won''t be a problem." Red nodded and stood next to the first of the four doors. The sound of people talking crept through the gap under the metal. So at least two people in this room. If all three were here, they could kill or disable them before they sounded an alarm. If the third was Alice, she was probably restrained, and that would only make things easier. A frown was forming on Red''s face as Rapunzel flung open the door and charged into the room. Just as she was opening it, her hair gave her a warning, too late. In the second she had entered the room, she realized all her assumptions were wrong. First, they weren''t four rooms, but Rather four doors leading into one very long room. Second, all three Wheel agents, dressed in the same white and red uniform of alchemists, were in the room, but on the other side, the low ceiling reflecting the sound so that they sounded closer. And thirdly, the six animals, while technically there, were in the form of two monstrous amalgamations. The two chimeras sat in steel cages at the end of the room, and two of the alchemists were busy examining them. In a frozen moment Rapunzel and Red stared at them, and they stared back. Then all hell broke loose. "Code five!" called one of the alchemists and pulled out a long bar pin from the side of the cage, which gave a screeching sound and ponderously fell apart. Rapunzel was already moving, grabbing a jar of something and flinging it at the alchemist running for a table in the middle of the room. The jar smashed against his side, knocking him off balance. Rapunzel had made it about half way when a sensation of sharp danger made her throw herself to the ground. A loud bang sounded in the room, the sound amplified by the restricted space and Rapunzel felt something whiz above her and impact the wall behind her. Red gave a howl of pain and clutched her ears. She fixed the alchemist holding the pistol with a vicious look. He dropped it and raised his hands. "No, please." Then he turned and ran as Red leapt over a table, giving chase. Rapunzel turned her attention to the alchemist going for the middle of the room, where a complicated construction stood, all vials and wires. He reached the table just as Rapunzel was restarting her rush towards him. He raised a fist and smashed it down on something. A thrown chair clattered against his face, knocking him unconscious, but it was too late judging by the pale red light that flashed on and off on the device. At the other side of the room, a scream cut off as quickly as it started. Rapunzel noticed that the second cage had also been opened, and the third alchemist was aiming a crossbow at Red. Eh, she could take care of herself. Rapunzel took a few seconds to grab the construct on the table and break it against the ground. That probably didn''t help, but it was worth a try. One of the chimeras, a strange combination of pig, snake, and possibly deer judging by the antlers, stepped towards her with a weighty, ominous look. It was much larger than its constituent animals, nearing two heads taller than Rapunzel and at least ten times her mass. It had six legs, ending in hooves, only four of which reached the floor, the middle two hanging limp. A pig-like face turned towards her, with sharp teeth and blood-red eyes. Multiple sets of haphazard antlers scraped against the low ceiling. Finally a mane of living snakes writhed about its neck, reaching out towards her, and hissing a venomous chorus. It charged, going from still to full speed in the blink of an eye. Rapunzel flung herself out of the way just in time, the chimera obliterating the table behind her, then the next couple as its hooves scraped the smooth flood trying to break. The snakes snapped out at her as they passed, but she had dodged low, and out of reach. Remembering the unconscious alchemist, Rapunzel glance at where he had lain. He had been in the chimeras path. Down to one. "Hey Red, don''t kill the last one." called out Rapunzel. From somewhere at the other side of the room an annoyed Red answered. "Oh man... Fine. You, stay there or I''ll bite your legs off." The chimera had by now managed to turn around, its bulk pushing over tables and sending delicate alchemical instruments crashing to the floor. A guttural squeal was all Rapunzel had as a warning before it charged again. But this time she was ready. She dodged again, her swords cleaving into the passing snakes as they overextended in an effort to bite her. The snake heads went flying, her swords barely meeting resistance. She turned to see the chimera slide to a stop, blood pouring down its side from the severed snake heads. Her tactic was working! Then, the blood stopped flowing, and slowly the woulds closed. Well damn. "Regeneration!" called out Rapunzel to Red, who was fighting the other chimera. "Yeah, I know." called back Red, taking a swipe at a two-headed furry thing with talons on its front feet. "Then call it out next time." "Will. Do." said Red between headbutting one of the heads while the talons ripped into her legs. Rapunzel''s own chimera had stood still, eyes fixed on her, a rumbling sound emanating from its throat. It took a step forward, then another. Its hooves, as large as plates, thudded against the stone floor. Damn. It was trying to corner her and trample her to death. Rapunzel felt a table against her back as she retreated. There wasn''t any room to maneuver in here, and unlike Red, she couldn''t just take hits. Who knew what venom those snakes had in their fangs... Rapunzel kept to the edges of the room, trying to lead the chimera in as wide a cycle as she could, and leaving herself room to move. As she chimera got close, she used the reach of her swords to slash at its face, but the snakes had almost as much reach and were viciously fast. As she retreated she switched to baiting attacks by the snakes and attacking them instead. They grew back in time, but that took a few minutes. She shuddered to think what it would be like if their regenerating were anything close to Red''s. Slowly, carefully, she whittled the snakes down to few enough that she could attack more freely. A loop of hair wrapped around her arm and attached to her sword in preparation of a powerful blow. All she needed was a clear hit. The chimera lunged at her, but she had felt it tense up and easily dodged under a table and away. The Chimera got stuck against a shattered table, and angrily stomped it to pieces. Now was her chance! She raised her sword. "Incoming! Door!" called out Red, and Rapunzel turned towards the entrance, where a second later the kill squad entered. One of them casually took out a vial glowing with a sickly green light and threw it towards her. Before she had registered it, her hair was already throwing her towards a table. She grabbed the edge as she sailed over it, and pulled it down behind her, putting it between herself and the vial that screamed danger to the instincts. A bright light flashed out, and Rapunzel saw the wall in front of her sizzle, little pockmark holes appearing as if acid was burning through it. She could feel the table she was crouched up against weakening, the wood smoking as the acid light ate through it. A beam of green light punched through next to her face continuing on to scar the wall. A shallow breath later, the light faded. Rapunzel peeked over the smoking table to find the two chimeras writhing on the floor. Red was swearing, also curled up on the far end of the room, in a similar state as the chimeras. The remaining alchemist had been behind the chimera, and manically laughing at their predicament. The kill squad was reentering the room. Rapunzel glanced from the kill squad to Red. She wasn''t getting up. Shit. OK, buy time! Rapunzel pulled the second loop of hair free from her hat and charged the kill squad. Immediately the figure she suspected to be a puppet stepped forward to bar her path. It pulled a longsword and a parrying dagger from its cloak, and Rapunzel saw the polished wood limbs, the delicate carved fingers gripping the weapons. The faceless head.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. There was no readying, no moment of adjustment. It drew and immediately attacked, blocking her sword and swiping with the dagger. She took a step back, but the next attack was already coming. She got her second sword in the way, but the sheer force of the blow pushed her back. And the came the next attack, and the next. The puppet didn''t tire, and each blow was as vicious as the last. Its reckless attack left it vulnerable, but it was not made of normal wood. It cared not for its own safety, as long as it took her down with it. A style similar to Red''s. New plan. Attack the weapons, limit its reach. She gathered her power, but a spike of danger had her dodging away as one of the kill squad fired a pistol. The puppet was upon her in a second, as relentless as a saw blade. She used her hair to throw random vials at it. Trying to get a second, a breath to stabilize, but where a human or beast might dodge or defend itself, it kept coming, ignoring anything that wasn''t her swords. With so much of her hair out, it was getting difficult to concentrate. Impressions from the entire room kept flooding her brain for critical fractions of seconds. Red was still on the ground, moving, but weak. The chimera was slowly getting up to its feet. The three humans of the kill squad were loading pistols, clearly meaning at keep their distance and tire her out. The puppet... Rapunzel threw her head back as the longsword nearly decapitated her. Pushing out power, she lashed out at its arm, cutting deep into the wood. A crippling blow to anything alive, but not enough for the puppet. She had to spend the next few moments in a tense retreat, trying to keep the puppet between herself and the kill squad, while it relentlessly hacked down at her. The chimera had stood up. She could see it behind the puppet. Unfortunately, the obese beast fixed its eyes on her and readied for a charge. Rapunzel felt a stab of pain as the puppet''s dagger found her leg in a low sweep. An idea formed. Let''s see how versatile this puppet is. She released her hair from her right arm and sword, immediately feeling the weight of the sword and the strain in her muscles. The hair snapped around her leg. As the chimera charged, she lashed out with her foot, delivering an powerful blow to the puppet. It did no damage, but it did send it flying into the path of the charging chimera. The chimera angrily trampled the object that had dared to impede its path. A crack sounded as the chimera finished the job her sword has started. The puppet''s arm had snapped. Rapunzel hurried to take advantage of the situation, but two shots from the kill squad forced her into cover. The third had a shot ready and was waiting for her to reappear. She was losing precious seconds. If the puppet could somehow repair itself, she would soon be running out of options. She tried to peek to the other side of the room. Damn it, where was- "That hurt." came a growl from the other side of the room, and Rapunzel sighed in relief. Red stood up, a very different expression on her face. Gone was the battle-happy, slightly goofy Red that had fought her that morning, throwing wide, predictable swings and took blows just for the fun of it. No, this was someone else. The bounty hunter with the highest kill count in generations, who went into the untamed, the deep, dark parts of the Schattenwald and dragged out the most violent, the most dangerous of monsters and men. She started walking towards the kill squad. She grabbed a chair on the way and almost casually blocked the bullet from the first assassin. The puppet stood up, longsword in hand, but Rapunzel crashed into it, keeping them both pinned beneath the stamping hooves of the chimera. She had more to fear from the snakes, but she was confident in dodging them with the extra target of the puppet to distract them. Red''s quick steps took her to the kill squad. She grimly raised her arms in a pugilist''s stance. The first two had managed to reload their pistols. She dodged the first hastily shot bullet, and the second lodged in her arm. Then she had arrived. Her yellow eyes seemed to glow as they fixed on the first of her prey. It tried to pull a dagger out, but her fist shot forwards, striking its neck with a crunching sound. As it fell over, choking, the other two abandoned their pistols and tried for their own weapons. Red charged, a flying knee thumping into the chest of the second figure. It doubled over, Red falling on top of it. She grabbed its head, and brought it down hard against the floor. A knife buried itself in her back, and she twisted, punching out the knee of the final assassin. While the final figure fell to the ground, she finished off the one underneath her. The she pulled out the knife and stood over the final assassin, who was crawling away. "Who sent you, what are you doing in this city?" A pained voice answered. "I don''t know anything, I swear!" "I believe you." said Red the bounty hunter. Rapunzel dodged a swipe and cut off a snake''s head. It was a dance on a razor''s edge, the puppet''s unrelenting assault in front, the snakes above, and the chimera to the side, every move had to block or parry at least two attacks, and set up the next counter or she would be instantly overwhelmed. Her senses, pushed to the brink, forced her hair to cooperate. Instead of a bunch of useless information, her perception narrowed into her immediate vicinity, everything else fading away. A breath- Lean out of reach, while blocking the sword coming for her leg, cutting a snake going for her shoulder and moving her foot out of the way of the trampling chimera. A breath- A glancing hit on the puppet''s sword to steer it towards the chimera while dodging a snake and deflecting the knife trying to skewer her out of the way. A breath- Her swords flowed in liquid movements, and through her hair she felt everything her swords felt. The minor imperfections of her swing, the texture of the puppets wood when they scored a hit... It all crystallized into a moment of flow. She empowered her sword just at the moment it caught on a chip in the puppet''s sword, biting deep and shattering it. Her other sword swept downward, cutting the last snake close to her and passing clean through the chimera''s head. In the next moment, she continued the motion, sweeping up in a golden arc to cut the puppet in twain. Finally, the first sword plunged into the eye socket of the chimera, which froze momentarily, then slumped to the ground, the remaining snakes going limp. Rapunzel stood, panting in mental and physical exhaustion. Her arms slumped down to sides, trembling. "Whooo!" shouted Red from behind her, startling her. Red clapped loudly. "Nice fight!" Rapunzel looked at the now deceased kill squad, then back to Red. "You were done? Why didn''t you help me?" Red pointed a thumb at a dead chimera behind her. "I did. You didn''t even notice it sneaking up on you." "Oh." Rapunzel yanked her sword out of the chimera, then took a few unsteady breaths. Oh, right. She knelt down to the puppet and placer her brooch on it. It unfolded, and without prompting started to search the puppet. Rapunzel slumped to the ground. Her hair was starting to become a problem. She was losing control. She had missed an entire chimera attacking her! She tried commanding the hair to relax, but it didn''t listen. The small puppet gave her a wave and pointed at a lighter piece of wood on the leg it was standing on. She cut it out and put it in a pouch. Boy would want this back. She tucked in her brooch and turned weary eyes on Red. "Hey, can I talk to the guy?" asked Red, who didn''t seem tired at all. Unfair that. "Sure. No Grinning at him." Rapunzel lay down on the cool stone floor. Her tendons felt taut like violin strings, and her hair kept sending her information about every sharp object near her. Given the amount of shattered glass, wood and metal, it was a lot. With a groan, she pulled her hair back up to her hat, and it slithered inside. The flood of impressions drained away, and she exhaled, slumping a bit in the now blessedly quiet basement. There was a piercing sound coming down the stairs, probably from the city, but that wasn''t her problem right now. "Hey Blondie, I know you said no Grinning, but this a-hole isn''t being very cooperative. I even offered to bite him." Taking a long, slow breath, Rapunzel stood up and walked somewhat unsteadily to the end of the room, where a smug looking man in alchemist robes was looking down his nose at them. Impressive give that he was still sitting on the ground. "Alright, spit it out. What happened here?" He looked at her with barely concealed disgust. "Well, you came in and killed everyone. Those people all had families, children..." Rapunzel gave him a flat stare. "No they didn''t. The Wheel doesn''t allow personal attachments. Try again." The man shrugged. "It doesn''t matter. The master is already gone. His ascension is happening at this very moment." "Is this ''Ascension" what you were working on here? With Alice? You know you can''t control her power." His eyes lit up with fervor as he spoke. "The master is in possession of a Wonderland artifact. Along with a golden thread that could channel her power. It it glorious! And you are too late to do anything about it!" he finished, giggling. "Where is he now?" He rolled his eyes and turned away. Red pulled out a long hunting knife. "Would this help?" she offered. "I''ll never speak. Shove that knife up yourself, you bitch." he spat. Oh oh. It was unwise to use the b-word in front of Red. She had a thing about it. Rapunzel put her hand on Red''s shoulder. "Just a moment." Red gave a low growl. "Alright mister, I''m about to let Red do something awful to you. I suggest you start talking." He barked a laugh." Ha! You think pain means anything to me? I''ve taken enough potions of numbing that you would kill me before I talked." "Fair enough." said Rapunzel turning away. "Red, you may Grin at the man." Rapunzel didn''t see the smile on Red''s face because she was already turning away. She had seen Red''s Grin once before, as part of a challenge when she had been a rookie Hunter. She hadn''t slept for a few days after. In principle it wasn''t anything bad per see. Red could change herself, or parts of herself into a wolf and back. The Grin was simply that. But very slow, and localized on her face. She would smile at you. Then slowly, ever so slowly, start changing into a wolf. At first you didn''t notice the change, her smile just seemed wider. Then it stretched and stretched as her face half-turned into a muzzle. It hit a point where the overlap of human and animal characteristics bypassed your brain and triggered a fear response. What you were seeing was either not human, or worse, was, and in terrible agony. Red said it felt slightly tingly to her. Rapunzel plugged her ears as to not hear the sound of Red''s bones growing, and tried to distract herself. She was still proud of the fact that of the hunters that took the challenge, she was among the third that didn''t run away. She had thrown up though. A scream of fear came from behind her. "Alright, that''s enough." She didn''t like torture at the best of times, having experienced it herself, but Wheel didn''t shy away from anything. She could only imagine what the chimeras had been subjected to. The alchemist''s eyes were wide and wild. His face sweat-drenched and contorted into a grimace. Rapunzel walked towards him. Thankfully, Red was back in her normal state. "Where is he?" "No, no, no." The man babbled, squeezing himself against the wall. A white room, a single bed, a little girl hiding under the covers. Rapunzel shook the image out of her head. "Red..." "No! No, wait. He''s at the south side of Old Town. In the old wood mill. Please." "What did you do with Alice?" "She''s with him." Well, that wasn''t good news. "Let''s go." said Rapunzel, heading for the exit. "What about him?" Rapunzel looked at all the bodies littering the floor, both human and beast. She felt so tired. "Let him go, or whatever, I don''t care." "Looks like it''s your lucky day, dude." said Red, patting him on the shoulder and making him flinch. Then she followed Rapunzel. The persistent sound that was just on the edge of hearing resolved itself as they climbed the staircase out of the basement. Shrill trumpets echoed across the city. Distant screams carried over the roofs, coming from the north. They were too late. "That don''t sound too good." said Red. "Master''s ascension has begun!" cried the alchemist, who had followed them out. His eyes wide with zealotry. "In the opposite direction you told us." commented Rapunzel. He froze for a moment, then fled in the opposite direction, disappearing into a dark alley. "So," said Red, "grab a bite before the whole town goes to shit, and then flee with everyone else?" Rapunzel started running towards the screams. Red gave a defeated sigh. "Dammit." she started running after Rapunzel. "You know you have to tell me if you''re a hero. I have to consent to any world-and-or-city-saving quests!" Chapter VIII - Elemental, dear Watson
Chapter VIII: Elemental, dear Watson
The city was drowning in panic. The streets were full of people desperately dumping their possessions into carts or wagons, some just dragging sacks behind them as they headed for the nearest city gate. Fights were breaking out in the streets, blocking the already congested traffic. Thyrsusstein was boiling over.
Rapunzel stepped out of the way of a wagon tearing down the street with as much speed the mule dragging it could muster. The wheels creaked and rattled on the uneven cobblestone. Rapunzel doubted that they would last until the gate.
Red stepped up next to her. "Bloody hell, it''s a stampede."
Above them a woman was throwing clothes out of a window for her husband to catch and pile onto a small handcart. Two small children were clinging to his legs. Looking around with wide eyes, the children could clearly tell something was wrong by how their parents were acting, but didn''t understand what.
A rough looking group turned the corner and spotted the family. Two men and a woman. Scars and tattoos identified them as members of the carver gang, so called because of the long knives they carried.
Rapunzel stepped in their way and shook her head. "Keep moving."
The leader gave her a black-toothed grin. "Or what, princess?"
Rapunzel froze for a moment, the word so unexpected, it cut right through her.
Red stepped forward. "Beat it, a-hole."
He squared off against her, a full head taller. Red leaned away. "Hells man, when was the last time you took a bath?"
His knife flicked to her throat and vicious grin spread across his scarred lips. "Go on, say one more-"
Red kicked him. In a delicate place. A wheezing sound escaped from his lips as he folded up. "Alright" she said, waving with a hand. "Weapons, now."
The other woman charged her, but received a kick in a similar place. Red picked up her knife as well. The turned to the third member of the group. "I got another kick in me if that''s what you''re waiting for."
He dropped the knife and fled. She handed the knives to the confused father of the family and turned to Rapunzel. "What''s up with you?"
"Nothing. Sorry about that, let''s get to the main plaza, see what it''s like in the center."
"You know, all this killing bad guys, now rescuing defenseless families... It''s all looking a bit heroic, and that''s concerning. Heroes don''t get paid enough." Red gave her a tired look. "Please tell me we''re not doing this because it''s like, noble or some shit like that."
"The Wheel kidnapped and tortured me as a child. They took a hair from me and I think that''s what they are using to bind Alice. I''m getting it back."
Red smiled and looked down to the wide-eyed children staring up at her. "See? Revenge. That, I can get behind."
~
They reached the main plaza, where they had their duel that morning, to find it full of guards and hunters, along with assorted nosy people and rubber-neckers. The goblin from that morning was repainting the sign on the troll. It now said "Experience the wonder destruction of our fair city from the comfort and safety of our traveling Troll! Only 1 0 Thaler p.p."
A dull rumble echoed over the city and the flagstones vibrated under their feet. Beyond the houses on the other side of the plaza, a plume of dust expanded over the richer north district. The houses there, all made of expensive stone, were at least three stories high, obscuring whatever was happening.
Near the center of the plaza, the guard captain was shouting orders at the ranked guards, while the manager of the Hunters guild was in deep discussion with his subordinates. He looked up at Rapunzel. "You''re helping out?" he asked, while throwing a glance at Red.
"Yes, we found out what is happening."
"Captain! New info." called the manager, and the older looking captain briskly marched towards them. A no-nonsense man with close-cropped hair but a large beard the same color as his gray and black uniform.
"Report!" he barked in a voice used to giving orders. Rapunzel had to resist the instinct to stand at attention, years of training in the Hunters having drilled discipline into her muscles, bypassing the brain.
"Sir. The Wheel, or a splinter group, brought Alice into the city and used her to create chimeras. She and their leaders were gone by the time we found them. They were planning some sort of ''Ascension'', whatever that means."
"You''re saying they have a measure of control over Alice?" asked the captain at much too high a volume.
"We believe so."
He nodded. "Alright." he was about to turn away when a shudder went through the ground below them, the flagstones shifting and flowing like pebbles in a river. Some were pushed out as the eddies of movement squeezed them against each other, the pressure popping them out of the tidy stonework. To the north, a gray hill made of brick and stone rose over the city, reaching above the houses.
"What in tarnation is that?" called the captain, echoing everyone''s feelings. Red whistled at the terrifying sight.
"That, captain, is an elemental. If records are to be trusted."
They all turned to see a dapper looking gentleman approach. He wore a tailored suit and his graying hair framed a sharp face. Sharp nose, sharp eyebrows, sharp mouth, and eyes the color of steel.
"Who are you?"
"Immaterial. Merely a concerned citizen, giving the benefit of my knowledge." He pointed a cane at the moving, shifting mass of stone. "That, my good man, is an elemental. Those usually result as the side effect of magical experiments gone awry, or in areas of potent natural magic. They are, put simply, animated elements. This one appears to be of the stone variety."
"So how do we kill it?" asked Red.
"Ah, a most pertinent question. I''m unfortunately in the position to inform you that elementals are functionally immortal. They rage and destroy until the magic that animated them has burned itself out, then they fall apart."
He raised a finger. "However, since it takes magic for them to grow, and to assimilate nearby materials, extensive damage might cause it to expend more magic re-constituting itself, and thus run out of magic sooner. I recommend explosives and artillery. Anything that removes large section of of the main body. I would hurry though, it appears to be growing rapidly."
"How big will it get?" asked the captain, looking to the north with concern.
"Oh, no larger than four, maybe five stories. The more mass, the more magic required to animate it." He gave a short bow. "And with that, I bid you good luck and adieu."
"Oi, where are you going?" asked the captain.
"Why, fleeing the city, my good man. There''s an elemental on the loose, hadn''t you heard?" he said with a wry smile. "Ladies." He mimed tipping a hat and strode off towards a man who had clearly been waiting for him. Everyone stared after him for a moment.
"You heard him. Explosives!" yelled the captain. "Get all the artillery we have."
A wide-eyes lieutenant stammered "We don''t have any artillery, it''s all at the palace."
"Get a message up there, have them ready to fire."
"On our own city sir?"
"There won''t be much of a city left if we let that thing rampage all night. And as for you- Where have the girls gone?"
~
Rapunzel and Red had discretely stepped away after the strange man had given all his information, and were on their way towards the elemental. There were fewer and fewer people in the streets as they approached the crashing, grinding sounds somewhere in the north district.
This was home to the richer addresses, where merchants, bankers and landlords resided. All of the houses were built of stone, and were generally taller than the rest of the city. Here three stories was the average, with some reaching five. Lots of material for the elemental.
A sound like an avalanche rumbled just behind the next corner, but they didn''t need to walk that far. The corner building collapsed in on itself, crashing into a heap and sending a cloud of dust into the air. They came to a stop, waiting for whatever was coming through the other side. But nothing did.
The building itself moved. The rubble along with part of the street all flowed against gravity and when a wave of stone pushed from behind, it rose and piled itself over the wave, climbing high and forming a moving hill which flowed over the street with the sound of a hundred milling stones.
Rapunzel and Red both stood and stared. The chimeras had been big, the troll carrying the viewing platform was big, but seeing something the size of a building move like a living thing... It took a moment for the mind to process what was happening. It gave you the feeling that you were moving instead, because it was the landscape that was shifting.
The elemental flowed across the street, leaving a trail of bare earth where it had stripped the cobblestones off the street. It crashed into the next building, which collapsed on top of it.
"So... got a plan there, Blondie?"
Rapunzel stared at the building slowly being absorbed. "You heard the man. The more damage, the faster it''ll disappear. So, we damage it."
"How are we supposed to do that?" demanded Red, gesturing at the animate pile of rock. "It''s made of rocks and bricks and shit."
"Are you telling me you can''t break through rock?" asked Rapunzel tauntingly, unsheathing her swords.
"Pfff. Of course I can." scoffed Red defensively. "I just didn''t think you could."
"Great, then there''s no problem." said Rapunzel with a smile.
She turned towards the building being ingested by the elemental and started walking, rolling her shoulders.
"I''ll eh... I''ll hold back so you can keep up." said Red, looking down at her fists and back up at the rolling hill of stone.
Rapunzel released both loops of hair, attaching them to her swords. She felt the blades channel the power and become extensions of herself. The elemental seemed to pause a second as she did, and she got the taste of something hidden. But that faint feeling was over very quickly. She brought down her swords, slicing through the stones as easily as water. With about the same effect. The cut stones simply continued their movement through the elemental, soon disappearing in the churning mass of stone.
OK, different tac. She dug in one of her swords like a spade, using it as leverage to fling a chunk of stone behind her. Next to her Red was just punching into the flow of stones and pulling out chunks like a dog digging a hole. She was actually doing better than her, but both their efforts had no visible effect on the elemental. The last of the building fell into it and it lay there, ignoring the small holes they were making.
The stones started pulsing inwards, a great heart of stone contracting and expanding the entire hill of rubble. Rapunzel and Red exchanged a look and jumped off, taking a bit of distance. The elemental seemed to be shrinking, like something in the middle was consuming its mass. Rapunzel felt a slight something from that direction, but couldn''t see anything. The pulsing stopped after a moment, and it mobilized again, simply moving sideways and crashing into another building.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"Well, we tried." said Red. "Anything else you want to try before we leave?"
"It''s starting to grow appendages." Said Rapunzel, pointing. Amorphous limbs of stone were slowly pushing out of the mass, reaching for nearby buildings. "Those we can break."
"Oki doki. Should I- ...and she''s gone." Red waited another moment for dramatic effect and jogged towards the stone limb Rapunzel hadn''t gone for.
Rapunzel ran for the limb growing on the left side of the elemental. It was reaching across the road for the next building. Almost hesitatingly, like a newborn leaning to walk, it stretched until it became too thin and unstable, then absorbed more mass from the main body, growing thicker and stretching again. It was about as thick as a small barrel, and when it reached the other building, it began to assimilate the surrounding stone, which started to flow back to the elemental.
Rapunzel split one lock of hair to each leg and jumped up to the first story window, then the second, using a street lamp as a foothold. Judging her jump, she leapt up to the limb, which didn''t seem to notice her. She raised a sword, and with one smooth motion cut through it.
The reaction was instantaneous. The severed part fell apart as loose stones and rubble, while the part she was standing on jerked back, much faster than before, throwing her into free fall. Rapunzel flicked both her locks towards the ground, catching herself and cushioning her landing.
But the biggest reaction came from the elemental''s main body. It shuddered, and for the first time Rapunzel felt it turn it''s attention on her. It had no eyes, but her hair felt it''s gaze all the same. A mountain looking down on an ant. It only lasted a second though, as Red punched through her own limp, which collapsed underneath her, sending her falling.
She bounced a down the elemental''s side, seeming to hit every stone on the way. Eventually she rolled onto the street, continuing her roll into a tumble, finally rolling into a standing pose like an acrobat finishing a routine.
"Tada!" she called, holding up her hands and smiling under a layer of dust.
Then a huge fist of stone punched her through the next building.
Rapunzel turned to see the elemental rise up high, supported by three limbs that spread out in front of it like spider''s legs, the one that had struck Red retracting to join the others. A fourth limb extended from it''s side and smashed through the remains of the next house down the street. It started shoveling stones towards the elemental, while near the top, a series of bumps and depression formed what almost looked like a face.
Red climbed out of the hole in the building she had created. "Rude." she commented. "A written review would have been just as good."
She came and stood next to Rapunzel. "Keep smashing?" Rapunzel nodded and they got to work.
Again they split up, each going for one of the supporting limbs. Rapunzel reached the one in the middle and cut through it in a single strike. The perfectly horizontal cut made the stone slip for moment, before the two halves fused back together. Chiding herself, Rapunzel raised a sword and cut diagonally. This time the weight of the elemental pushed the column of stone to the side, the two halves falling apart and a large chunk of the remaining leg crumbling as the sharp edge couldn''t hold the weight.
A rumble came from the elemental and a smaller limb extended towards her. It seemed pretty slow compared- Rapunzel jerked to the side as the limb shot forward like a whip, a tonne of stone slashing through the air at head height.
Rapunzel retreated out of range. If that had hit... She looked for Red, who was apparently grappling her own retaliatory stone whip. She was holding on as the whip smashed into the ground and buildings, tearing off chunks with her bare hands. Eventually the limb broke apart mid flight, sending her and a pile of now loose stones through the air to crash against the street.
Rapunzel rushed forward. The middle limb was slowly regrowing, and so was the one on the right, which Red had broken. The elemental was tilting, trying to balance it''s weight on the remaining limb. Rapunzel didn''t waste any time. She rushed to the left limb, cutting through it as she passed, then continued on towards the elemental. The whip-like limb needed a few moments to form, during which time it was mostly inert. Her sword cut through it as she passed and she started running up the now three story pile of debris that was the elemental.
The stones beneath her feet bucked, flowing around her and trying to grab hold of her, but her empowered jumps kept her out of reach. She kept moving, heading for any forming limbs and cutting them off early. The elemental leaned precariously backwards as its sheer weight threatened to topple it over. Rapunzel gauged its size as she tried to keep her balance.
She adjusted her hat. She could pull out all the stops, but she would probably end up doing more damage to the city than the elemental.
The elemental tilted the other way, and Rapunzel had to stick her sword into the stone to create a foothold. She looked down to see the ruined street below her. To her right, Red was climbing the remains of the neighboring building. She reached the highest intact point, a still standing central chimney, and with a powerful leap, landed on what could be described as the elemental''s head.
Her arms looked bigger and longer, ending in a pair of half claws half hands.. She caught onto the elemental, adjusted her grip, and started punching it. Well... less punching, more digging. She dug her arm into the elbow, and pulled, ripping out large chunks of stone. The elemental leaned back, almost throwing Rapunzel and Red off. But Red had an arm buried in stone and Rapunzel kept a grip on her sword as she was swung back and forth.
Red kept ripping out chunks, burrowing onto the side of the elemental''s ''head''. Stones flowed in to crush her, but that only gave her a more stable position from which to attack. Rapunzel stabbed her second sword higher as rocks rained down from above. She used her swords to climb, until the angle of the elemental was such that she could get a foothold. She reached Red, who had one leg pinned by rock, but was still ripping out chunks to land far below onto the street. Looking down at the street, Rapunzel noticed the height they were at. At least up to a fourth floor, judging by all the buildings around and below them.
"I''ll cut from the other side, you rip it off!" shouted Rapunzel over the sound of grinding rocks. Red grunted in acknowledgment. Rapunzel made her way to the other side of the dome that appeared to be the head, and readied her swords.
"Ready?" she yelled.
"Go!" came the answering shout.
Rapunzel pulled back both her swords, pumping enough power through her hair to make them hum. She cut two clean lines across, each a finger''s width apart, aiming to weaken the material. The dome shifted a bit but as it began to lift, the stones reattached and stuck together. Rapunzel slashed again and again as the stones reached out to reconnect. This time she didn''t stop. A steady rhythm of cuts rained down on the elemental and the top began to move. The stones that tried to reconnect were swiftly cut and, looking a bit like a piece of hot cheese being separated, the top split apart, Red lifting, then chucking it over the edge.
Red panted, physically deflating as her arms and upper body returned to normal. The elemental had gone still, the rocks below their feet only shifting slightly, as if unsure.
"Hey, I think we-" Red began, clearly tempting fate. Fate didn''t even wait that long to retaliate. The elemental melted below them, spreading across the street like a flood and crashing against multiple houses at the ground floor.
Red and Rapunzel were once again left in free fall, landing relatively unharmed. They quickly ran out of the churning mass of stones that the street had become, and Rapunzel tried to assess the situation. The elemental was quickly absorbing mass, causing the ground floor of most of the nearby buildings to collapse. There was no way to stop the elemental from absorbing the rubble from the collapsing buildings. Like a whirlpool, the stones gathered at the center, where a round dome of stone was steadily expanding to a huge size.
Rapunzel wiped her face, her sleeve coming back bloody. Well, if it didn''t hurt enough for her to notice, it wasn''t important. A few bruises were starting to announce their presence, but nothing serious. She had gotten through lightly.
"Hey how big did the guy say elementals got?" asked Red, peering up at the now massive creature.
"5 floors."
"Looks like we got ourselves a try-hard."
Rapunzel looked up at the still growing elemental. The dark mass of stone was difficult to make out against a sunset sky painted with dark crimson. But by now it was at least seven stories high, and growing.
Red squinted up as well. "Hey, not to pile on, but that Master guy made this, right?"
"Yeah."
"So, what''s stopping him making another one if we beat it?"
Rapunzel thought for a moment. "Damn. Can you track him down?"
Red shrugged. "I can try tracking your hair. He must have been close to here at some point."
"Do that. I''ll try and..." Rapunzel gestured at the elemental. "Deal with this."
Red nodded and sprinted down the street, nose leading the way.
Rapunzel looked up at the mountain of stone. Pull out all the stops? What if there was indeed a second elemental just around the corner? She was running out of options.
The sound of boots hitting stone made her turn around and look down the street. At the end of the street, Hans was running towards her, one large barrel under each arm like they weighed nothing. He reached her and carefully lowered the barrels to the ground, which landed with a weighty thump. Huh, she had always thought his nickname of ''strong Hans'' had been a joke.
"Gunpowder." he explained, between deep breaths. He pulled out a hand drill and furiously started drilling. "What''s the situation?" he asked as the drill punctured the thick lid.
"It keeps growing. It''s vulnerable on the limbs it extends, otherwise hard to damage."
Hans nodded, pulling out a long fuse that was hanging from his belt.
"Where are the rest?" asked Rapunzel, not seeing anyone else approaching.
"Still loading barrels onto a cart. It took a while to get to the armory and back." He stuffed the fuse into the hole and started on the second barrel. Another building collapsed on the other side of the elemental. The whirlpool of debris had only expanded, and the elemental was only growing in size.
Hans finished preparing the second barrel and heaved them both under his arms. "Where?" he asked laconically. Rapunzel considered for a moment. The explosion was likely to send shrapnel and debris flying, so it was probably a good idea to aim that away from the rest of the city.
"Towards the north." she said, pointing at the part of the elemental facing away from the north wall. There were still houses in the way but less city.
Hans jogged across the ruined street, jumping over the slow moving flow of stones. Rapunzel followed, keeping an eye out for the elemental. High above, it''s dark silhouette didn''t seem to move much, concentrating on growing.
They reached the south side and Hans nodded up at the elemental. "Any place in particular?"
But Rapunzel was looking down, at the stream of stones flowing past, and being absorbed. "Put them on the flowing stones, maybe it''ll try to swallow it."
Hans set one barrel down and it slowly ambled away like, well, a barrel down a river. He used a camp lighter to light the fuse, and did the same for the second barrel, which he rolled towards the elemental for it to land on another river of stone. Then they ran for it. They turned the corner and kept running. Three houses down was an alley, which they entered and hunkered down. A few tense seconds passed, then a few more.
"How long is the fuse?" asked Rapunzel.
"About 30 seconds. Give or take."
They waited for another while. All they could hear was the distant grinding of the elemental and the occasional collapsing building. Rapunzel took a moment for a deep breath, and to close her stinging eyes.
Shhh-Boom! An explosion echoed through the city, followed by a sound of falling rocks pelting rooftops. The street at the end of the alley was peppered with stone fragments, then a dust cloud swept past.
Rapunzel and Hans exited the alley to a street filled with chunks of rock, broken roof tiles, and the occasional shredded piece of furniture.
"Only one." remarked Hans.
They approached carefully, wary of another explosion, but none came. The elemental was still standing, multiple limbs supporting it as a crater in its side made it slimmer near the ground than above. Why it didn''t simply shrink to fill the hole was anybody''s guess.
Rapunzel unsheathed her swords and charged, cutting through the supporting limbs and once again sending the elemental on a slow fall. It blocked the sky as it fell above her and she rushed to get out from underneath. A limb shot out to block her path and she slid under it with barely a second to spare. The elemental crashed into the ground, the impact sending a shockwave along the ground that sprung cracks in the buildings still standing, a cloud of dust quickly following behind.
Between the fall and the dust, Rapunzel noticed something strange about the elemental. A curious sphere of stone was protruding from it''s side. Roughly the size of a small room, similar to the size of small hill it had started out as, the dome was static and unmoving, while the rest of the elemental flowed around it. It had been located on the other side of the elemental, so maybe that''s why she hadn''t noticed it before. The dome was swiftly swallowed by the elemental, it''s mass once more flowing towards the middle. The elemental rose again, dragging a few houses with it. She retreated, dodging the regrowing limbs that blindly searched for more stone.
On the other side, Hans was gesturing at the distant street, where a wagon was being pulled by a team of guards and Hunters, loaded with gunpowder barrels. Finally! Some decent firepower.
The wagon clattered down the torn up street, a few ropes all that held the barrels in place. The wagon came to a halt next to Rapunzel, the Hunters immediately working to release the ropes. One of them carrying a torch stood further back, trying to shed as much light as possible without blowing them all to smithereens.
They were just unloading the first barrel when a shiver went down Rapunzel''s back. Her hair was sensing danger, just like the first time the elemental had attacked them deliberately. She looked up at the shadow blotting out the night sky. She couldn''t see anything with her eyes, but she knew it was looking at them. And this time it didn''t feel like an animal or a thing of instincts. There was intent behind it''s gaze. A long limb materialized out of the gloom, rising ponderously above them.
"Incoming!" She called and leapt out of the way. The Hunters scattered and the guards threw themselves to the ground.
A pillar of stone crashed down, obliterating the wagon and it''s contents. Contrary to narrative expectations, the gunpowder did not ignite. Then, something happened that solidified the feeling of dread running through her veins. The stone limb scooped up the wagon, the gunpowder barrels and a good chunk of street. It flung everything over the rooftops, scattering the explosives over the city.
That wasn''t something a monster would do, not something an animal would do. There was intelligence there. She had been fighting it like she would a beast. If this thing wasn''t destroying random buildings, if it had a plan, then they were in a whole lot more trouble that they had assumed.
The Hunters and guards got up unsteadily and retreated. One of them blew a signal on a slightly dented trumpet.
"Clear the area!" he called. "I just gave the signal for the artillery."
Rapunzel ran away with the rest of them, as an answering trumpet sounded from higher up, in the direction of the castle. Red appeared next to her, jogging along.
"Hiya." She waved as she easily caught up to her. "So... I got good news and I got some bad news. Which do you want to hear first."
Rapunzel was too exhausted to argue. "The good ones?"
Red smiled. "I found the master dude."
"Did you kill him? What about Alice?"
"Yeah, that''s the bad news. They are, as far as my nose can tell, right there." she turned and pointed upwards.
Rapunzel followed the finger. It pointed straight at the elemental. It took a moment for Rapunzel''s tired mind to catch up. "They are in the elemental?"
"That''s where the scent leads. As far as I can tell with all the gunpowder all over the place."
Rapunzel turned to look at the elemental. It stood more than twice the height of the houses, a titan looming over the city. Something boomed in the distance, a soft whooshing sound, and a cannonball blasted a large chunk out of the elemental''s side.
Rapunzel and Red ran away as the bombardment began.