The Marvelous Adventures of Narcissa Hightopp

Chapter Two: Strategies and Plans

Tarrant was in his Shop sewing a feather onto a hat he was making for Helena when a knock sounded. "Come in!"

A young servant entered. "Sir, her Majesty would like to see you in the throne room immediately on a most urgent matter." Tarrant nodded his acknowledgment and the servant left.

He glued the feather to the hat, and then set it carefully aside before heading to the throne room, a bit surprised to see Ilosovic, Alannah, and Alice waiting there as well. "Mirana sent for all of us, I see."

Ilosovic nodded. "Yes, but I can't imagine what for. The messenger would only tell Alannah and me that it was a 'most urgent matter.'" Alice chuckled.

"That's the same thing I was told. I do hope we find out soon, this curiosity is killing me, and I'm not even a cat!"

"Oh good, you are all here." The group turned and stared at Mirana, who looked more serious and concerned than they had seen her in a while. "We have a problem. Yesterday, the Reader alerted me to the fact that the Oraculum had once again become active."

Alannah gulped, recalling well what had happened the last time. "But…I killed the Boojum!"

Mirana gave her a half smile. "This is a creature far more foul and dangerous." She sighed at their confused and scared looks and produced the Scroll from her skirt pocket, placing it on a nearby table and unrolling it. Tarrant was the first to spot the way it had changed.

"Is…is the Oraculum sparkling?" Mirana nodded, disgusted, and Tarrant grimaced. "I thought so." He motioned Alannah and Alice forward, and they stared at the pictures, grimacing. Ilosovic came forward, took one look at the pictures, and began laughing. Tarrant glared at him. "What may I ask is so funny?"

"Oh, come on! Look at her name! Why would any respectable Clan name their child…Narcissa? And give her that horrid string of names to go with it!"

Alannah smirked at him. "You are missing the bit where she apparently thinks that you are her One True Love." Ilosovic's smile vanished, and he quickly scanned the rest of the Oraculum. Sure enough, there was a part with Narcissa (he gagged mentally at the horrid name) throwing her arms around him for a kiss. Fortunately, the Oraculum-Ilosovic looked thoroughly terrified and disgusted by her touch. But what he found most interesting was that the other version of him had no scars and two eyes. He was also younger.

"Well, that is me, but not me. I'm….well…intact." He cocked his head as the picture moved, and snorted. "Makes sense. So how do I know this Sue anyway?"

Mirana frowned. "According to a…source I have, she is the long lost eldest sister of Tarrant who escaped the Horrendevush Day using something called Travel Magic. My source is reliable, and tells me that if we need help, she'll be glad to send in professionals to…deal with the Sue."

Tarrant snorted. "Well, considering that I'm the oldest in my Clan, and my first sister's name was Bernice, I think perhaps this Narcissa person is delusional. But at least I can be grateful that she's not trying to be my One True Love. That does get rather tiresome, especially as I already *have* a true love in my Alice. So what other gifts does she have?"

Mirana ticked them off on her fingers. "She's a powerful witch, mage, and sorceress. She's got some blather called The Power of Underland, can make any man fall instantly in love with her, and somehow has gigantic breasts, no hips, and is still able to stand up straight. She also dresses 'provocatively yet innocently' and is saving herself for her True Love."

Ilosovic frowned. "Which is me, right? I wonder if maybe we could…you know, distract her with…one of her own kind." He sighed at the confused looks on everyone's faces. "Well, look, most of these creatures are after an ideal of Tarrant, or me, or whoever they decide gets their knickers in a twist. Alannah, between you and Mirana you have an almost magical knowledge of potions. Surely you could concoct something that could…"

Alannah gaped at him. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be? To deliberately create…one of those creatures? ! Even if we succeeded, and there's no guarantee we would, there's the danger of it running amok amongst the ladies! Alice and I would be exempt, as that type usually doesn't target married women, but Mirana would be in danger!"

Mirana, who had been thinking quietly, looked over at Alannah. "I could take a potion that would make me immune to its' charms. But it would still be very dangerous. If they were to get together, and were not destroyed before….consummation, Underland could well be overrun by their Spawn. I don't even want to imagine what that would be like."

Alice shuddered. "Me neither and what's worse is none of us know how to kill these things. Alannah, I know you had that potion, but I have the feeling that this Creature will need more than just that to be defeated."

Tarrant sighed. "Well, look at all the ridiculous gifts she has. And she's got a phoenix. I didn't think those existed here."

Mirana laughed. "They don't. I think once the Creature is dealt with, her pet will simply vanish." She sighed. "Right now though what we need to concern ourselves with is tracking her. Normally I'd send Ilosovic, but in this case I think it's better he stay here. So we'll need someone who's brave, and sneaky, and…"

"You called, Mirana?" Chessur materialized over their heads. "I must say, you seem to have quite the problem on your hands. This Creature is a mere week's journey away from Marmoreal, after all. Hardly enough time to plan a defense."

Tarrant glared at him. "You've been listening, invisible, this whole time!"

Chessur grinned. "Naturally. What else would you expect of me? Now, I'm immune to the charms of Sues, so I could infiltrate her Caravan and find out her plans, and then relay them back to you. The rest would, of course, be left in your ever so capable hands."

Mirana gave him a stern glare, and he winced, ears flattening in remorse, but then she beamed. "Chessur, that is a brilliant idea. I give you full permission to carry out your espionage. This will give us time to formulate a strategy."

Chessur bowed and vanished. As soon as he had left, Mirana turned to the others. "Right. Now, let's start figuring out what to do."

Chessur flew down the path, spotting the road that the Sue was taking. It was easy to follow, since the sun shone brightly on the lush green carpet of soft, mossy green grass, on Chessur's smooth and silky coat of silky and glossy blue and grey striped fur that never had a single tangle or briar in it despite the fact that…

"Ahem!" Chessur stopped and glared at the horizon. "Beg your pardon, but please be a little less purple when describing me. I get briars all the time and they're a bugger to remove."

(The author had a moment of confusion, but then continued with the story, easing up on the description a bit.)

"Thank you "purred Chessur. He continued on, grimacing as he came across Narcissa's Caravan. It seemed to stretch for miles, and he couldn't help but notice that while the carriage that carried her, along with the horses, were sharp and defined, everyone and everything else looked undefined, as if he was seeing them through the wrong end of a telescope. He flew over to one person, and gently touched her? His? Its' shoulder. "Excuse me?" The person turned, and Chessur gulped at the grey and featureless face and blank eyes. "Who…what's your name?"

The person blinked slowly, and then spoke in a voice full of confusion. "Name? I…Servant and Worshipper of the Great One. I have no other name." The poor servant blinked again, and for a fraction of a second Chessur could see a spark of fear behind the blank eyes. But it was gone in a flash, and the person melted back into the indistinguishable crowd.

"Who is that who dares to speak to my Servants without my permission?" The voice was full of indignant anger, yet carried a note of sadness and melancholy. Chessur quickly vanished as Narcissa's carriage came to a halt and she came gliding out, heading over to where he floated, nervous.

Narcissa peered intently at Chessur, and he held his breath, wondering why she didn't say or do anything. Then it hit him, and he had to bite his lip to keep from cackling. Narcissa couldn't see him! He decided to have some fun with her, and flew past her, brushing her face with his paws before giving her a stinging slap with his tail, and she shrieked in pain as a mark appeared on her perfect and unblemished cheek. "I demand to know who did that! I am the Great One, and any who oppose me on my journey will be dealt with most harshly!"

Chessur laughed, a deep booming sound that echoed throughout the Forest, and then spoke in the maddest voice he could. "Flee from this place! Death awaits you at Marmoreal! Death! Destruction! Flee! Flee! Flee!"

Narcissa tossed her perfectly coiffed hair behind one bare alabaster shoulder and snorted. "I do not fear Death! I shall continue onto Marmoreal, and be reunited with my brother Tarrant and my true love Ilosovic! Begone, foul being of the Forest!"

Chessur flew away, laughing fit to burst. 'Foul beast of the Forest? Well, I suppose I've been called worse. Still, she's a dangerous one, draining the personalities of people. I hope Mirana and Alannah come up with a plan soon."

Alannah looked over at Mirana. "Are you absolutely sure about this?"

The Queen nodded, her face set. "Yes. We don't have any other choice, and if…things get out of hand, I do have a backup plan."

Alannah sighed. "Then unlock it."

Mirana pulled a silver key from around her neck and inserted it into the lock of a heavy, leather bound book that lay on a raised dais in front of them. "Try not to breathe in any of the dust." Alannah held a handkerchief up to her face, and Mirana unlocked the book. Dust flew up, and the women quickly waved it away. Alannah came forward, flipping through the book, mumbling under her breath. "No, no, oh goodness no, ah! Here it is. Mirana, this is extremely complicated. It's going to take at least three days just to reach potency."

"We just need it to work for a few hours, and then it can…dissolve."

Alannah sighed. "Very well, let's get started. We don't have much time."