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

Learning to Fight

Carter rested his head against the window as the carriage slowed to a halt. The sea glowed a deep orange in the sunset beyond the shore, the lights reflections shimmering against the cliff face behind them. He had been here for two days now. Carter wondered if time had passed since he left. Was his grandfather still hiding behind the door? Or had years passed since he had been gone? Before he could think anymore about the subject, the door of the carriage swung open and he was pushed out, landing face first into the sand. As he attempted to get up, Otto jumped onto his back slamming his head back into the ground. After a moment, Georgia pulled him to his feet.
"You right?" She asked. Carter nodded, wiping sand off his face. He looked around. The waves lapped against the shore, crashing against the jagged black rocks protruding from the earth. Felix stumbled through the sand, splashing his hands around in the water.

"We're her for a reason you know!" Carter yelled at him. Felix looked back at him, doing the closest thing to rolling his button eyes could manage. After a moment, he pulled a large conch shell from the water. He helped it to his mouth tried to blow. Nothing happened. Felix tried again. After a few more try's, He ran back over to the group.
"I don't have lungs." He said quietly. He held the shell out to Carter. "Can you try?"
Carter took the shell. Hesitating for a moment, he held the shell to his mouth and blew. The sound echoed around the landscape, carrying off into the distance. Glancing around, Carter handed the shell back to Felix.
"Now what?"
Felix held up a straw finger. A blue spot shimmered in the bright orange sea. Moments later a teenaged boy pushed himself up onto a rock in front of them.

He waved. Wet, shoulder length blonde hair framed his rounded face.He couldn't have been anymore than fifteen. Felix waved back, running towards the boy. Carter followed and the twins followed, Otto close at their heels. The boy cocked his head at Felix, his face exhibiting an almost bluish tinge.
"Do I know you?"
The scarecrow looked hurt for a moment. He laced his straw fingers into a tube like sharp infringement of his mouth. Tilting his head back slightly, he let out a sound somewhere between a howl and a cry.

"Felix?" The boy asked. He tucked his hair behind his ears, revealing three diagonal slits down either side of this throat. Carter froze.
Were those gills?
"You know it." Felix smiled. He high-fived the boy. "How've you been Ikena?"
Ikena shrugged. "Can't complain. Unlike you! What happened?"
Felix sighed. "It's... A long story. I'll have to tell you later. In the meantime, I need you to find Hook for me."
Ikena rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever. I expect full details next time I see you."
He leapt into he air, doing a backwards summersault into the water, a sapphire fish tail flicking behind him.

Carter stared at the spot where Ikena had just been.
"Was-Was that a-"
"A mermaid?" Felix asked. "Yes. Ikena's an Atlantian. His sister spends a lot of time in Mermaid Lagoon back in Neverland."
Carter looked back at the twins.
"Mermaids." He muttered under his breath.
"Mermen." Felix clapped him on the shoulder.
Carter sat down on a rock. "So Captain Hook isn't evil?"
The scarecrow shook his head. "Not anymore. He's done some... Questionable things, but he's trying to change. He's the one that brought me to Oz in the first place. "
Carter nodded, dragging his hand lightly across the sand.

Felix and Fiona went out searching for some wood.
"I feel really useless right now." Carter muttered.
Georgia threw a piece of seaweed at him. "You are useless England."
Otto snickered. Carter pulled the seaweed out of hair and through it at his cat. Otto jumped back in alarm and landed in a puddle. Otto walked towards Carter and shook himself like a dog drenching his owner. Georgia laughed. The others bounded along the beach carrying several large pieces of wood. They dumped them I front of Georgia who pulled out
dagger and a small rock. She scrapped the blade along the rock, sending sparks flying towards the wood. After a few attempts, the kindling burst into flames, lighting up the dark beach. One by one, they drifted off to sleep.

Carter wasn't sure what woke him first, the heavy breathing, or the blade to his throat. His eyes flew open. A hand grabbed his mouth. Georgia leaned around his shoulder, removing the knife from his neck. She took her hand away from his mouth and held a finger to lips. Pulling a burning branch from the fire, she walked away, gesturing for him to follow. Carter glanced at the other three sleeping and hesitantly followed Georgia. She lead him into a cave and stabbed the torch into the sand, casting flickering shadows across the walls. Georgia pulled a dagger from her belt and tossed it at his feet.
"If we're travelling together, you need to know how to fight."

Georgia charged at Carter with the dagger. He ducked out of the way and Georgia kicked him in the back, causing him to fall face first into the sand. Carter reached and grabbed the dagger and stumbled to his feet. Georgia moved again, this time slicing the blade towards his face. Carter inhaled sharply as he felt blood begin to flow down his cheek. He moved towards Georgia only to have her jump sideways, cutting him across the back. Carter doubled over in pain, grunting as his knees hit the ground. Giving up, the through the dagger at Georgia, the blade cutting her across the face. She dropped the knife and clutched the bleeding wound. Carter moved his hand towards his own cut. Warm blood flowed down the side of his face. He stood up and picked the knife of the ground.
"Enough?" Carter panted. Georgia nodded and the pair left the cave.

The two made their way back to the camp, the sun rising in the distance, once again casting copper and gold reflections off the clear blue ocean. When they arrived back, the others were already awake.
"What happened to you two?" Asked Otto. Carter grunted, feeling blood soak into the top of his pants from his back.
"Ok then." Felix muttered. He looked out at the water and pointed. "If I'm not mistaken, our ride is here."
Sure enough, sailing toward them was a large, three masted boat, a black flag flapped in the wind. Eventually, the boat ran ashore. A long wooden plank slid onto the grounds man in a long black coat stepped walked down it. A deep red shirt was visible underneath, and several belts and bandoleers were slung across his torso, holding an array of pouches and weapons. A three pointed hat was pulled low over his face, and he pushed it upwards with a large silver hook, it's curve glinting in the sunrise.

Felix raised his hand high into the air. Captain Hook stared for a moment, before raising his hook high into the air in a similar gesture. Felix ran towards the pirate, gesturing for the others to.
"I leave you alone for less than a year and you do this to yourself?" Hook laughed.
Felix wrapped his straw fingers around the captains shoulder. "Did you expect anything less?"
The pirate turned to the others.
"But where are my manners?" He flashed a mischevious grin at the group. "Captain James Killian. Or, as everyone else knows me, Hook."
He took a deep bow before shaking Carters hand and kissed the twins hands, making them both giggle. He lead the group up the plank and onto the ship...