The Wanderland: Rewritten

Chapter Nine - Journey Into The Unknown

"So, it would be nice to get to know you as well." Alice said. "Oh yeah, yeah-" Alex spluttered. "My name is Chris. Chris Edwards." Chris said and shook hands with Alice. "I am called Captain Howards, but you can just call me the captain." the captain introduced himself. "And you?" Alice looked at Alex. "Oh, my name is Axel, wait no, Alex. Alex, uhhh, Blackwell. Yeah." Alex spluttered again. "Did you get traumatized by the fight you just saw, or are you just a little slow?" Alice needled. "No... I, uh... yeah I guess I am just slow. Haha." Alex said. Alice smiled. "Well, should we get going? We've been wasting time." Alice asked. "Well, there is just one small problem. We have no idea where Evilor is." Chris explained. "Consider yourself lucky, because I do... kinda. Take a look." Alice pulled a map out of her pocket. "This is a map of the unknown regions. I do happen to know that Evilor is supposed to have some kind of a shelter out there. The problem is, that I don't know how to read this map. I've never been much of a sea gal.". "Let me have a look." the captain said. Alice gave him the map, and he was looking at it for a little while. "Glad you had me with you. I know exactly where to go." the captain said. "Great! Let's go, then?" Alice celebrated. "Just curious, where did you get this map from?" Chris asked. "Are you sure it will lead to the right place?". Alice went pale for a second. "Are you alright?" Chris asked. "I do not wish to talk about it." Alice said. "Oh, well, alright-". "Let's go." Alice said and walked out of the door that lead back to the room with the giant dead troll. The captain followed her. Chris and Alex started walking behind the captain. "That was embarrassing back there, buddy." Chris whispered to Alex. "Shut up." Alex said. "Get yourself together, Alex." Chris whispered and laughed. "What are you two laughing about?" Alice asked. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Alex answered, and Chris laughed.

It took them about half an hour to get out of temple again. They used the same rope trick with the bridge room, because the bridge broke again. Alice explained that the bridge is made to break on purpose. Alex tried his best to not show that he was still scared of using the rope to cross the gap, so he accidentally slipped just before getting on the rope, but thankfully he managed to grab the rope just before he would've fallen into his doom. Alice helped him up, and Alex was flushed for around ten more minutes.

"Which one of these ships is yours?" Alice asked from the captain. "That one right there. It's called the Flying Penguin." the captain saw that Alice was confused about the name of the ship. "It's called Flying Penguin, because of a good old friend of mine. He made up a nickname for himself, that I can't really remember. It had something do with penguins... and oh, curry as well! The name of the ship was his idea." the captain explained. "Riiiiggghhhtttt..." Alice stared at the captain. "Hey, you never told us that." Chris and Alex had finally catched up to the two. "I hope that the ship is comfortable. I've been hanging out purely in the desert and on top of some roofs in The Wanderland. I'd really need a nice couch right now." Alice told. "Well, I know that at least the beds are very comfortable!" Alex said. Chris rolled his eyes. "Has your humor actually fallen that low?". "What? Oh... yeah, uh, forget that." Alex realized. Alice smiled a little and also rolled her eyes. "Well, let's check the ship out."

"That was a loooooong day." the captain said as all four of them were sitting next to a small table that the captain had set up, eating bread. "It really was, I'll head to sleep instantly after I've finished this extra dry piece of bread." Alex said. "Don't complain, it's all we have." Chris reproached. "Sorry Alice, I think it'll take a while for me to get your bed ready. I wasn't really prepared for a third guest." the captain said. "Oh, that's fine. I'm not that tired anyway." Alice responded. "Thank  you." she stood up and walked up to the deck. "Welp, I'm really tired." Chris said and yawned. Alex looked up at the deck, probably wondering if he should go there as well. "To be honest, I'm really tired as well." Alex stood up and walked down the stairs to the sleeping area. Chris followed him. They saw the captain looking for some bed sheets. "Where did I put them again?" the captain was wondering. Chris couldn't bother to care, he was that tired. He walked straight to his bed, fell on it, and fell asleep.

Chris woke up in a place that he recognized. He was lying on a stone-cold ground. "Been a while since we've talked, huh?" Chris opened his eyes. It was the same cave he had been in weeks ago. It was the cave that he had seen before, in his last vision. "Why do you keep bringing me here?" Chris asked. This time he was not scared. He knew that it was just a vision. Evilor was sitting on the same throne than he did in the previous visions. He laughed a little. "I know what you are trying to do with that little group of friends of yours. It's hilarious." he laughed. "You know Chris, I am impressed. Not impressed because of your childish plan, but impressed because of your determination. You just keep on going, even if the path in front of you seems impossible to cross." Evilor continued. "And what's that supposed to mean?". Evilor looked down at Chris. "You'd have so much better chances in succeeding in your life if you would join me." he said. "I think that we both already know what I am about to answer." Chris responded. Evilor smiled and changed the topic. "How can you be so sure about your new friend being in the same team as you?" he said. "Are you talking about Alice?". "Ohhh, yes, Alice Spencer. A very... clever and persistent girl." Evilor kept going. "I would trust Alice with my life." Chris said. "That has always been your weakness, Chris. You are so friendly that you are unable to use your brain. You met Alice less than a day ago, and you barely know anything about her. You saw her brutally murder three of my armed soldiers. And yet, you still trust her." Evilor said. "What are you trying to tell me?". "Her past was... interesting." Evilor said. "Stop teasing and get to the point." Chris started to get angry. "She is known for backstabbing her friends. I've seen that with my very own eyes." Evilor told. "What?" Chris was confused. "Indeed. Wouldn't it be better to leave her and the others, and join me?" Evilor persuaded. Chris smiled. "Very clever. But doesn't work on me. I will never leave my friends." he told Evilor. "You'll regret it!" Evilor said angrily. "I'd regret it more if I would join you." Chris said. Evilor was silent for a while. "What would you do... for your family?". "What?". Evilor opened some kind of a window in the air. Chris could see his mom and dad, sitting on a stone-cold ground, inside of some kind of a cell. "Mom! Dad! What have you done? You told me they were dead!" Chris yelled at Evilor. "They are alive. But not for long." Evilor said and smiled. Chris didn't know what to say. He remained silent for a while. "We're coming for you." "Hahahahah!" Evilor laughed, and the vision closed.