Rhapsody Hope had just begun following an animal that she was planning on eating for supper through the woods when she heard a strange sound. She looked all around her, but saw nothing. Then she heard the sound again, this time closer. When she looked around again she saw a rustling in the bushes. She held her dagger up in front of her and slowly and carefully inched toward the bushes that had moved. She could faintly see something reddish that looked like hair behind the bush. She had the strange feeling that someone had been following her, even though she had never met any creatures with the mental capacity necessary for something like that in the Outlands before. As it turned out, she was being followed, and it just so happened that her stalker was human just as she was. What's more, the person—or should I say people—following her had lived in the Outlands since before she was even born. She reached out with her free hand and pulled back the bushes to reveal two humans. One of them was a female with a very large head and funny looking red hair, and the other was a younger looking male who had a heart-shaped eye patch over one of his eyes. The two people were handcuffed together. Rhapsody had seen humans besides herself before, although she couldn't recall when or where, but never anyone that looked like this. She frowned in concentration. The female had a very large smile across her already large face, and she was staring at Rhapsody in a way that made her feel very uncomfortable. "Isn't she perfect, Stayne?" she said, and looked up at the man.

"Well," Stayne replied, "I don't know. She looks a bit…distorted…if you know what I mean."

"No, I do not know what you mean. And for that reason, I shall ignore your comment."

Rhapsody was very confused by all this, but she still had some of her knowledge of human procedures from what felt like a previous life…something she simply could not remember. She could also understand their words, though they were not Outlandish. She curtsied to the best of her ability and said, "Good day, my name is Rhapsody Hope." The English words felt strange to her lips, but she took the utmost care not to show it.

"I am the Red Queen, Iracebeth, and I would like to ask you for a favor. I really need your help," Iracebeth was using a very different voice from her usual one. She was trying to sound as pitiful as possible, and she succeeded. Rhapsody felt sorry for her without even knowing the first thing about her. The Red Queen continued, "This is my knave, Islovic Stayne." The man bowed at the waist.

"How do you do?"

"We are neither in the best of spirits," said Stayne, "for you see, Iracebeth's horrid little sister has stolen her crown…and her throne. She even had the two of us banished from the kingdom!"

This did sound awful to Rhapsody, but she didn't know what in the world she was expected to do about it. "What can I do to help?" she offered anyway.

"Well," said the Queen, "I have heard it rumored that Mirana—that's my sister's name—has a young girl about your age that she calls her 'New Champion.' The Oraculum speaks of a day known as the Klingon Day when a young girl who looks very much like this New Champion will rise up with a sword opposite the one in the White Queen's possession and slay the New Champion."

"You're going to have to explain most of that to me," said Rhapsody with a confused look, "What's the 'Oraculum'? What swords are you talking about? And are you asking me to kill someone, because I don't think I could ever do something like that."

"Oh dear me. It looks you and I are going to have to have a looong talk. Won't you come to my hut and let me explain it all to you while we have a little snack?" And with that, she put her free arm around Rhapsody's shoulder and led her through the bushes the way she and Stayne had come.

When they arrived at Iracebeth and Stayne's little hut made of sticks, grass, and other such materials, the Red Queen began to explain many things to Rhapsody. She told her about the Oraculum, which was a scroll that played a double role as history and prophecy. It had every day in that went by—whether that day had happened yet or not—in Underland. She explained that the White Queen, as her sister was called, was in possession of a sword called the Vorpal Sword, and that that was the sword that her New Champion would use. She told Rhapsody that she would have to wield the Laprov Sword, which was a mirrored version of the Vorpal Sword, in order to defeat the Champion.

"I just…I don't think I could kill a person, Queen. I'm sorry," said Rhapsody.

"Oh, it isn't as hard as it sounds," Iracebeth said, "Trust me, I was nervous the first time I had to kill someone, too. It's not really all that different from killing an animal, to tell you the truth."

"You've killed a person before?" said Rhapsody anxiously.

"I had no other choice, dear," said the Queen, and Stayne coughed a little. Iracebeth gave him a strange look that Rhapsody didn't see.

"I really would like to help you," she said, "but I just don't think I could do it."

"Come now, dear, I'll have Stayne here train you in fencing. You'll do just fine," she smiled reassuringly.

Rhapsody, who had grown up hunting for food in the wilderness of the Outlands, wanted so desperately to fit in with other humans like herself. She finally agreed to at least try. Iracebeth informed her then that she could begin to learn fencing as soon as she found a way to break the handcuffs so Stayne could train her.

Rhapsody suddenly realized that she had somehow lost her dagger along the way to the Queen's. She backtracked their steps and soon found it lying in a pile of weeds near the edge of the forest. She walked over and picked it up, happy that she wouldn't have to take the time to find something else that was sharp enough to cut the handcuffs. She immediately made her way back to the hut and cut the two people apart. Once she had cut the cuffs from their wrists, Stayne said, "I suggest we begin the lessons in the morning since it's getting a bit late."

"No!" Iracebeth exclaimed, "They shall begin now!"

"But Queen, the girl is likely to be very tired. Don't you think she needs some rest?"

Iracebeth sighed deeply, knowing that Stayne didn't care the least bit about Rhapsody, but she agreed anyway, since he was still probably right.

"Thank you very much," said Rhapsody, and she curtsied again. Then she began to walk away, but the Red Queen stopped her and offered to let her stay with them. "Oh, you've already been so kind to me, I just couldn't accept-" The Queen interrupted her.

"I absolutely insist!" Stayne rolled his eyes, but neither of the ladies saw it.

"Well…alright," said Rhapsody, so she followed Iracebeth into the hut, "Thank you very much."

"Oh, it's a pleasure, dear," she said. Stayne coughed again, and again got a dirty look from Iracebeth.