From Court to Cats: A Sword's Journey

Expedition

Fubuki returned to the Matsumoto Black Galleon after a few other errands in Wakigami. One had been placing two quality Hu Die Dao, weapons favored by Matsumoto Hiei, outside of her* stubborn brother's door. The second was delivering a heavy metal door, forged by Masamune to her* specifications, back to the ship. That would be used for a future plan.   With those done, Fubuki's attention turned to the Oriab Ruby that she* had found abandoned in the ship's hold. Tsukijō Hanahane's advice was simply not to sleep near it. It was a dangerous item, apparently, but not immediately dangerous unless one was dreaming. Deciding to heed the words of an experienced Dreamer, Fubuki magically conjured an opaque box and set the ruby within it before sealing the thing in a tangle of chains. With that done, she* settled down in the ship's hold. The rest of the crew had either gone to sleep or to pursue other hobbies on their own, and so it was quiet. Fubuki began to meditate, but found herself* slipping deeper into the trance. Soon, it wasn't unlike sleep at all.

When Matsumoto Ooawagaeri awoke, he could immediately tell that something was wrong. His body felt odd, flat, and heavy. More importantly, he couldn't move. His vision was blurry at first, but even after it cleared, he found it largely fixed in one direction. All he could see was a tile floor, sporting an elaborate diamond mosaic. Sometimes, his weight would shift without his control. Wary of this strange new situation, he called out to anyone who might be listening.   It was a surprisingly familiar voice that answered him; that belonging Alice of Diamonds. She was just as surprised to find Ooawagaeri on her back as he was surprised to be there. He recalled in detail the wish he had made to Kuranes after the White Rabbit Bowl: to become a Dreamer with Alice as his link to the Dreamlands. It had been granted, but interpreted in a mischievous way, as such wishes often are. He had somehow inhabited Alice of Diamonds' sword, just as his ancestor inhabited Jigenmaru. The family tradition continued.   Alice was able to explain that they were in the Dreamlands. More specifically The Enchanted Wood, in the castle of the Queen of Diamonds. She was now waiting for an audience with that selfsame Queen, presumably to discuss their next step in cleaning up the leftovers from the fall of the Court of Hearts. When Maxim killed the Queen, it left a tempting power vacuum in the Enchanted Wood, and each of the other Courts were scrambling to take advantage. The Queen of Diamonds was no exception, and Alice, her most loyal knight, had just returned from a quest to gather up more of Hearts' refugee guards. That explained the Card Soldiers Ooawagaeri had seen in the corner bearing the suit of Hearts.   Before they could continue their conversation, Alice was summoned within. The Queen of Diamonds' throne was not overly ostentatious, but that was made up for by the rest of the room. Soaring architecture, unrealistic in its fine complexity, framed an enormous window looking out over a cliff face to the forest below. Indeed, this was the first window Ooawagaeri had seen. None other seemed to decorate the interior walls of the castle. The Queen herself was a regal figure. Tall, commanding, and with a head of long royal purple hair, she somehow lacked a certain quality that had made the Queen of Hearts seem so formidable. Still, Alice showed her great deference, and explained the situation.   The Queen's next orders would not allow her knight much time to rest. She had discovered that the King of Hearts was alive and well, most likely in the hands of The Dodo. It was Alice's next mission to retrieve him and bring him back to the castle. As the last remaining figure of power from the Court of Hearts, he would be a useful tool in asserting their control over the Wood. Alice of Diamonds took the orders on her knee, honorably accepting them without complaint. They were about to be dismissed, then, but Alice nudged Ooawagaeri in his unyielding metal side. Taking the cue, he grinned as hard as he could at the Queen.   It's hard to say what, exactly, a sword looks like when it's grinning. Still, the expression had the desired effect. The Queen of Diamonds demanded to know why Alice's sword was showing her such glee, and the two explained the situation. This didn't overly faze the Queen. When one rules over such a chaotic place as The Enchanted Wood, it likely takes more than a talking sword to throw one off. Ooawagaeri was welcomed on the mission, and the two departed the chamber.   As they made their preparations to depart, Alice asked rather bluntly what Ooawagaeri could bring to the table. On such a dangerous and uncertain quest, she couldn't have her sword just hanging around as dead weight. Opting not to explain that all swords did just that until they were used, Ooawagaeri found that he could indeed tap into his magic. He couldn't change his shape or move under his own power, but the spells and his own mystical energy should be at his disposal. He said as much and, satisfied, Alice asked if there was anything else he'd like to do before they left. That was, again, a strange question to ask a sword, so Ooawagaeri said no, but thought to enquire about where they'd be heading.   Ulthar, Alice explained. She had no idea where to begin her search for The Dodo, or if he even existed. She wasn't about to say that to her Queen, of course, so Ulthar was the next logical destination. Just a few miles outside The Enchanted Wood, it was said to be home to cats that could offer counsel on many esoteric matters. They might be able to tell her where to find her quarry, or at least point her in a new general direction. Ooawagaeri was more of a fox person, but he had no issue with cats. So, they set off.   --   The journey from Ex Arce Adamantem to Ulthar was a strange one. Ooawagaeri noticed as soon as they left it that the castle was buried beneath a twisting canopy of thorny vines. That explained why there were few windows within. Any on the sides of the castle would only look out onto a wall of brambles. The road they traveled from there was well-worn, but the scenery inconsistent. Sometimes giant flowers loomed up along the sides of the path, looking down at the travelers with an unseen gaze. A few times he heard the sounds of something chittering and darting from bush to bush, but only caught a glimpse of a shadow. None of that seemed to bother Alice of Diamonds, who strode down the forest road with unerring confidence and purpose.   Eventually the forest thinned out, and the things Ooawagaeri witnessed from Alice's back became more reasonable. It took not more than an hour from there for them to arrive on a rise overlooking a hamlet by a river. This must be Ulthar, and at first glance it looked like an ordinary village that wouldn't have been out of place on Earth. Something still bothered Ooawagaeri about it, and eventually he was able to place the feeling. Each time he counted the cottages, he came up with a different number.   Alice started down the hill without delay and flowed onto a cobble path leading over a bridge and into the center of town. Sitting on one of the bridgeposts, a widely-grinning man stood and spread his arms joyfully. He welcomed them to Ulthar in a booming voice and, rather more strangely, encouraged them not to kill any cats during their stay. Alice muttered a thank you and swept past. The humans, after all, weren't what they had come for. The girl and her sword made their way further into town before arriving at a grassy knoll running up against a treeline at the hamlet's edge. No other villagers stopped or even spoke to them. Apparently, their purpose was known.   Following some unknown script, Alice sat on the grass and stared into the forest, waiting. Across from her, stark white against the treeline, a cat sat on a stump. It watched back. A silent few minutes followed and Ooawagaeri felt the distinct impression that they were somehow being tested. Eventually, their reverie was broken by the feeling of whiskers brushing against his hard shell. Alice nearly jumped, but Ooawagaeri's composure was like cold steel. It was another cat, this one orange and fluffy, with a certain sense of poise and power. He spoke, then, accusing Alice in a commanding baritone. She had committed the crime of bringing a weapon into the town of Ulthar and he threatened to evict her for such an insult against the Cats.   Ooawagaeri thought fast. While his normal method of transforming himself was not available to him here, he was still able to do so with magic. Casting Metamorphosis, he transformed himself into a cat similar to one which had plagued the Hashinara Clan many moons hence. This was the right move. The cats immediately changed their attitude, and a third arrival spoke in a goblin's screech that he had adopted the "Holy Form." From there, Ooawagaeri explained their purpose. It quickly became obvious that Alice could not understand them for reasons unknown. While the cats spoke elegant and thoughtful to Ooawagaeri, to her it sounded like a chorus of meows. She attempted to meow a few times to keep up her end, but eventually held back and let the sword-cat handle it.   Once Ooawagaeri revealed himself to be Holy in Form, the Cats of Ulthar had no compunctions about offering their aid. They did not know where The Dodo might be, as they never ventured deep within The Enchanted Wood. Within the forest, however, was one who could likely help. A Forbidden Cat that was just as likely to lead him into danger as to his goal. Still, it was the best lead they had, and Ooawagaeri agreed to pursue it. Alastair, the apparent leader of the cats, offered to paw a Letter of Reconyandation for him. This, at least, would allow him to speak to the Cheshire Cat.   Voicing his thanks, Ooawagaeri ventured if there was anything he could give in return. This question seemed to catch the Cats of Ulthar off-guard. They chirped amongst themselves, but then stated that they expected nothing in return. To help one of the Holy Form was reward enough. With that, and a meowed thanks, Ooawagaeri brought Alice up to speed. They would need to return to The Enchanted Wood, but this time they had a purpose, and a pawprint on parchment that should introduce them to someone who could help.