Lincoln meets Monster Girls

Nia the Cheshire Cat

(All pictures, products and if I make allusions to anime, series and games do not belong to me)

Frost arrives at a stone bridge that goes over a streaming river. The bridge is quite simple, a slight bend and the ends have a kind of gate. Frost shrugs and wants to cross the bridge, but a voice stops him.

The voice says "Well hello there, what brings you to this bridge on this beautiful evening?" Frost looks around, but discovers nobody who could belong to the voice. He looks at his radar and sees a point above the gate at the bridge. He says "Show yourself."

The voice says "Oh silly me, I forgot to make myself visible again." At the gate appears a woman with cat ears, cats paws and a cats tail. The cats girl grins and says "Hello traveler, I'm Nia the Cheshire Cat." Her voice has a playful tone. Frost nods and says, "Hello, I'm Frost."

Nia puts a claw on her chin and says, "I suppose you have to cross the bridge to continue your journey." Frost looks left and right and says, "Well, I do not see another bridge around, so yes." Nia leans forward a bit and says "There's a little problem there." Frost asks, "Why?"

Nia says "Funny story, I can decide who can go over these bridges and who is not." Frost asks, "Why is that?" Nia says in a false innocent tone, "Well this bridge was created by my thoughts, so I can decide who and who can not go over, I'm really sorry."

Frost turns his head slightly and asks, "Is there a way to get your permission?" Nia thinks for a moment, until she says, "I'll offer you a deal, if you can answer my five riddles, I'll grant you permission." Frost seems to think, Nia notices that and says "Come on, do not you want to have a little fun? Plus traveling can be so boring, do not you want to see that moment as a little break from your tireless wandering?"

Frost nods and says "Alright, a few Riddles do not hurt." Nia throws her arms in the air and says, "Great! Let's begin shall we. Riddle number one: What 8 letter word can have a letter taken away and it still makes a word. Take another letter away and it still makes a word. Keep on doing that until you have one letter left. What is the word?"

Frost thinks until he thinks of the answer, he says, "The answer is Starting. Starting, staring, string, sting, sing, sin, in, I." Nia jumps off the gate and lands in front of Frost when she says "Correct! Riddle number two." She gets closer to Frost and says, "The more you take, the more you leave behind. Frost says, "That's easy, footsteps." Nia goes to Frost's side and whispers in his ear "Correct ~"

She takes a few steps back and says "Riddle number three:  What belongs to you, but other people use it more than you?" Frost crosses his arms and says, "I would say my name." Nia says, "Correct. The Fourth Riddle: My life can be measured in hours, I serve by being devoured. Thin, I am quick. Fat, I am slow. Wind is my foe. What am I?" 

Frost grins but Nia does not see that because he still wears his mask, he says "A candle." Nia puts a claw on Frost's chin and says, "Korret. Last question: You have me today, Tomorrow you'll have more; As your time passes, I'm not easy to store; I don't take up space, But I'm only in one place; I am what you saw, But not what you see. What am I?"

Frost strokes Nia's head and says "Memories." Nia's grin widens and she says, "Correctly, that was fun, I had a good time." Frost nods to the bridge and says, "May I cross the bridge now?" Nia jumps on the gate and says, "Of course, the entire nonsense of earlier was not real."

Frost scratches his helmet and says, "Frankly, I thought so, but I can say 'no' to a good riddle." Nia says, "I like that, it's getting so lonely out there, sometimes I have to use such methods to get my guests to spend time with me." Frost says as he takes the first step on the bridge "I liked it and I will gladly come back if I may."

Nia winks at Frost and says, "Of course, traveler, have a safe journey." Frost goes on and says "Goodbye Nia."

To be continued.