𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕎𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕃𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣. ⏱

5. The Chess Game

      About two months later, Alice was feeling even more attached to this place. The thoughts about her home in London were fainting. She kept writing every night. The more she has seen and heard, the more pages she filled. Alice was very talented and soon she added a lot of illustrations to her notes. 
She wondered how she could live before without her friends at her side. 
Of course, she missed her ship extremely, but who's to say she couldn't sail through the seas of Underland? It would be so delightful...! 

***

-They are coming from the Outlands! - The Cheshire Cat materialized in Alice's room at dawn. He floated toward her  - Come! The Queen is waiting for you! 

Alice jumped out of bed and grabbed her father's watch from the night stand. She ran to Queen Mirana's throne room, where she suited up quickly in her armor. Alice took the Vorpal Sword and a shield with her. 

-The army is waiting near the old Witzend town. You must hurry, Alice. Be careful - The Queen touched her cheek. - I wish I could be there with you...
-I know. Don't worry, your Majesty. We won't disappoint you! 

***

Alice met all her friends waiting with the horses at the Marmoreal gates. 
-We haven't discussed it yet...but how exactly are we going to fight them? - The Mad Hatter asked, holding his sword.
-I don't know yet...What I do know is that there are a lot of monsters who wish to kill us all. Just…try to not lose your head, okay? 
-No problem! Hahaha! I have a pan! Smells like Squeaky Cakes! - Hare was brandishing his weapon. 
-Good - She smiled, hiding her concern. She was extremely worried about her friends safety, although she knew she needed their help. 

They set off on horseback toward the battlefield.

***

-It's happening, Sir! You wished to be informed - Wilkins announced. 
-What to do now? - Time was thinking out loud. He got up from an armchair and left the room with a fireplace. 
-You don't have to do anything! Do you remember? You don't participate in wars! - Wilkins followed him. 
-I know! I know! Stop lecturing me about myself! - He was losing his patience. Time opened the black vortex with a pocket watch. 
-Ummm...Your Majesty...? -Wilkins asked -...where are we going? 
-I need to see it, obviously! They have watches which I need to have back. You thought I would let it go? 
-Please forgive me for my directness, but you seem to be acting differently from time to time...
-You keep saying that over and over. I'm sick of that already. 
-I'm…
-Silence! - He thundered.

***

   Alice knew the vicious dragon Jabberwocky and Jubjub the giant Bird, but these other monsters …they were something else. Something she had never seen before. 
She took a glance at their pictures inside Mirana's Book's, but for real…

Mome Raths were big wolf-like creatures. Their eyes were glowing. Their claws were sharp like a razor and foam was rolling from their mouth. 

The Snarks were even more terrifying. They looked like piranhas with legs and big like-wooden-boards teeth. 

When the battle began, it got quickly to the point where she felt they were gonna lose. 
The White Army was two times bigger than the last time Alice fought in Underland, but there were too many of the foes. Alice was losing her breath and right before Rath smacked her with his paw, Time stepped out of their safe viewpoint and did something even he would not expect. 

-Your defeat is at hand monster! - He shouted. He held his hands out in front of him and tried to slow down the enemies. Their moves were slightly delayed, about a quarter a second. But it was hard to keep so many of them that way. They were slipping out of his grip constantly. He was trying really hard.