In The Red: Wonderland Knight

1.2

I was getting sluggish from walking through the forest. Going up and over hills, running into branches and many other terrain obstacles. Then I came to a stop when I heard a rustling in front of me coming from some bushes. A woman emerged.

She was in shiny silver armor from head to toe with a surely sharp sword drawn and pointed right at me.

“Don't move! You are in the, in MY forest. A dangerous place to be right now, even in there wasn't a monster afoot. Who are you and what are you doing here?”

While I mostly understood all of that she was a little muffled from the helmet she was wearing.

“Um, I'm…”

Oh, this is my moment to be someone else! Finally.

“I'm Thaddeus Knight.” I proclaimed, trying to come up with something cool on the spot.

What a fucking chad.

“Knight? You're no knight of this land. However, to be named after a knight you must have good lineage of some sort. Although, you hardly seem prepared for a fight.”

“What do you mean?” I questioned.

She waved her sword up and down.

“Ugh! This damn thing.” she said reaching up and pulling off the helmet and throwing it on the ground. Her hair unfurled and dropped down past her shoulders. It was half red and half black.

“Your garb seems useless for any sort of battle.”

Oh… I just realized I'm wearing my stupid work clothes. Probably not a norm here but its just a white button up shirt and black pants. Then I looked back at her, decked out in armor before catching her face and really looking.

She had to be around my age. About mid twenties. And she was much cuter with the helmet off. Reminded me of hot goth girls with her red and black lipstick that seemed to match her hair, but her face was pale white like power makeup. I didn't want to come off as an idiot knowing nothing about this land, but I knew nothing.

So what was I to do? Lie. Obviously.

“I had regular uh, armor myself, but I uh. Took a nap and it seems to have disappeared at some point.”

“Some kind of warrior you must be,” she scoffed and rolled her eyes, “Either way, you're still trespassing and it's still dangerous here.”

“I didn't know, I'm sorry. I've been lost awhile.”

Our conversarion was interupted as there was an echoing screech. Loud. Close.

“I can forgive it just this once. It's near and any attempt to flee will just get you, I, or both of us killed. Too many things have been lost already.”

She reached behind her back and pulled out another sword that I couldn't even see and then tossed it to me. I of course, caught it by the hilt like champ.

“Wait… what's going on?” I wondered.

“We have a beast to slay.”

Another echoing screech was let out as the ground rumbled from something approaching. The sky began to turn dark and the woods with it as well. Then I saw them… these glowing red eyes emerging from the trees as it seems the beast was tracking our voices. After another screech, it shot fire from its eyes. I didn't think, just acted.

“Look out!”

I pushed the armor-clad woman out of the way as the bushes and trees around us ignited in fire. She pushed me back with her sword ready to battle.

“I would have had it.” she said, although I didn't fully believe her. I turned back to the beast raising the sword I had been given as well. The beast finally emerged.

It was a creature I could have never imagined. Nightmarefuel. I think they called such things chimeras where I'm from. A mixture of different animals or in this case, creatures.

The head like a fish reminiscent of seas serpents of legends, but with a dragon's midsection, looking hard and scaley. It also had what looked to be razor sharp talons on its hands feet and the edges of it its wings. It stood on its hind legs towering as tall as the trees.

What the fuck is that?!

“Quick! These blades are imbued with vorpal essence. It took me years to figure out the properties correctly, but they're the only thing that can bring the beast down!”

“Okay.” I said mild-manneredly. This is not what I was looking to get into in my fantasy getaway at all.

The beast took some steps forward looking ready to attack.

“I've waiting for this moment for some time. To see the crimson kingdom fall at my hands.”

What the fuck.

“Did it just speak?!”

“Yeah. It's not some mindless animal. How have you been around here and not know about the jabberwock?!”

The what? Where have I heard that before.

“I'm just glad it'll be you next. I've been hoping to catch you outside your kingdom. And now you're here. What. Luck.”