Take the Yellow Brick Road [Ways to Wonderland Book 1] [OLD VERSION]

The Big Three

The scarecrow looked down at him with a look of deep interest.
"Have we met before?" He asked.
Carter sat up, swallowing. "I-I almost got hit by your carriage the other day."
He wasn't worried about the scarecrow, he had spent the last day with Felix. If anything, the lion staring at him that unsettled him the most. He had seen lions tear a cow to shreds at the zoo. He very much hoped he didn't look like a cow.

He shot a glance up at Georgia. Unfortunately, the robot, who he could only assume to be the tin-man, followed his gaze. He is body was a series of overlapping plates, not unlike a suit of armour. He seemed cobbled together, and rust and grime gathered at joints along his arms and legs. His jaw sat slightly off centre to his mouth, and his eyes shone like torches. A large battle axe was slung over his shoulder.
"There's another one." He said, pointing up at Georgia. His voice was hollow, seemingly echoing from his chest rather than his mouth.
Carter saw Georgia's eyes widen. The scarecrow looked up and spoke to her.
"You can come down," he told her, "We don't bite."
Carter took a quick look at the lion out of the corner of his eye hoping that statement was indeed true. The scarecrow waved his hand and a rug flew from the floor and came to a stop bellow Georgia. She tentatively put her foot on it, decided it would hold her weight and sat down. The carpet glided down to the floor in front of Carter.

The lion circled them. Georgia bowed. She looked over at Carter, who follows her lead. He stood up and looked at the three peculiar figures standing in front of him. As he opened his mouth, the door I front of him burst open. Felix and Fiona struggled struggled in the arms of two large guards.
"Caught 'em trying to get in sirs." Said one of the guards. The lion looked at Carter.
"With you?" He growled. Carter nodded slowly. The lion nodded at the guards and they let the pair go. The tin-man paced up and down in front of them.
"Why are you here?" He asked.
Carter stepped forward. "It's my fault. We thought you could get me home."
The scarecrow and Felix looked at each other, transfixed. The tin-man looked at him for support, realised he wasn't going to get anything, and continued himself.
"And where would that be lad?"
Carter hesitated. "England." He said flatly.

The lion stopped circling. The scarecrow moved his gaze from Felix to Carter. Carter could feel his palms sweating. "There's no one here that can help you. Not anymore." Said the lion. The tin man knelt down in front of Carter. His knees creaked.
"Get used to Oz lad. A lot of Earthmen have gotten here, very few few have ever gotten back."
Carter looked back at his new friends.
"There's no one who can get us home?" Asked Otto.
The scarecrow let out a short laugh. "We never said that. We said there was no one here, that could help."

"There's only one sure way to get you home'" said the scarecrow. He waved his hand and a board appeared next to him. Attached was a picture of a mirror. Carter looked at it. It seemed familiar.
"The looking glass." The scarecrow continued. "Almost like portal linking your world to ours."
Fiona spoke from behind him. "Where is it?"
The lion sighed. "That my dear is the hard part. The mirror is currently sitting in the palace of the Queen of Hearts." "The Queen of Hearts?" Carter asked. "As in, Wonderland?"
The tin-man nodded. "That is why we are all here. She has once again cut off all trade routes with Oz, leaving the land deprived of important resources. Queen Ozma has summoned her council to determine a plan of action."

Georgia gasped. "Her majesty is here?"
The scarecrow shook his head, a hood flapping around his neck. "Not yet. She has not returned from another attempted negotiation."
Carter nodded slowly, a million thoughts racing through his mind. "So I have a way home then?"
The lion lay down. "I suppose. If you could survive that is."
Carter looked at the twins. "Survive?"
The tim-man shook his head. "It's not a simple task lad. The ocean that separates Wonderland and Oz is treacherous. Few have ever managed to cross it."

The hope Carter had felt just moments ago vanished. He had an answer. He so close and yet so far from his goal.
"I think I know someone who can." Felix put forth. This caught Carter off guard, causing him to step backwards onto Otto's tail. The cat hissed.
"Just get us to the sea and I can find him." Felix continued.
The lion shrugged. "Your funeral." He growled. The scarecrow nudged him slightly with his foot.

Soon enough, the group was being piled into a horseless carriage. Carter looked at his companions. Otto, a talking cat. Felix, the lost-boy turned scarecrow. The twins, the bandits who had tried to get him off their land.
"You don't have to do this." Carter said to them. Otto jumped onto his lap and purred.
"Are you kidding?" Felix asked. "You saved me from that farm. I would do anything to help you get home."
Georgia and Fiona shrugged. "It just sounds pretty cool." They said in unison, each turning around and leaning against each other's backs.
Carter looked at his new friends with a new sense of admiration as the carriage pulled off down a road, the lion, the scarecrow and the tin-man standing behind them...