Behind Sanity

Chapter Forty-Four

Behind Sanity

Chapter Forty-Four

1

                It was true that the flight was long, but Alice hadn’t been able to sleep at all, taking the time to try and free herself of the soot, wiping clean with her apron.  She had smelled the horrible stench of brimstone before she’d even seen the dark land with rivers of lava, but then again, also had the Gryphon informed her of their arrival.

                “Look there,” he said.

                She leaned across his back and looked down, peering at the open craters, narrow walkways, and small fire demons, prancing about with their pitchforks, trying to look menacing.  Alice knew though that they weren’t even as big as they looked from up high.  They were no taller than her waist.  How she knew that, she had no clue.  

                “The locals look restless,” she said, observing.

                “They know of your arrival,” Gryphon explained. “Best to land safely out of view.”

                The Gryphon flew back and forth across the area until finally he found a spot.  He landed silently in a flat place surrounded by high, jutting rock walls.  After climbing down from the Gryphon’s back, Alice stepped forward to see a river of bubbling lava that had refused to cool even though it was stationary.  She could feel the heat on her skin and continued to stare at the glowing lava until her eyes began to burn.

                “Be careful, Alice,” warned the Gryphon, preparing for flight.

                “Where will you go?” she asked, turning back, surprised that he would depart so soon.

                “I should draw the attention away from your arrival.  We can’t risk you being stopped before you reach the contact,” he explained. “Since the Hatter’s march was only delayed, word must also be sent to our allies so that they might prepare for battle.”

                “And how will I recognize the contact so as not to kill him?” she asked.

                “Shouldn’t be too hard,” he assured her. “He’s a well-rounded fellow.”

                With a mighty flapping of his eagle wings, the Gryphon took to the air, leaving Alice alone in the heat.  She took a deep breath and prepared to search the area.  She hoped that the contact would make himself known without trouble.  It wasn’t attune with her mood to hunt him down.

                She steered from the boiling river as she crept along, being silent as she caught sight of a group of the small, red, fire demons gathered together ahead.  She didn’t see their breed as the type to gather, considering the fact that she wasn’t even sure they could speak.  They seemed to communicate with hand gestures – such that Alice couldn’t understand.  After a short moment, the group detached themselves from one another and headed off in separate directions, appearing to be on guard.  Gryphon was surely right.  They were aware of her presence.

                A smile reached her lips.  Fine.  If they wished to oppose her, they would get what was coming to them.  She slipped away behind the rock as she saw one drawing nearer.  They did not speak, so would they still scream to alert the others?

                The demon came around the corner and Alice grabbed him up quickly, slicing his thin throat and pushing the body to the ground without a sound.  She took up his pitchfork and peered around the corner, just to see another demon marching nearby.  She took aim with the fork and let it fly into the skin of the near demon, sending him to the ground.  Alice was quite pleased with her hit.  The practice so far had done her well.