Chapter 18

The sound of the hooves drew nearer as they beat the ground at a furious rate. The forest seemed to shake at their approach and Elphaba knew it that the manifestation of whatever the Wizard had cooked up. She readied herself and looked to Glinda who was as ready as she could be. Fiyero cocked his rifle and put it against his shoulder. If this was his parents, he wasn't sure how to handle it.

Just as the horses came into view, they could see that the carriage that the Queen had taken from the Emerald City. Fiyero swallowed and steadied himself and his rifle. The horses slowed up and stopped in front of Avantador. They stomped their feet and snorted their nostrils.

The carriage door opened and out stepped Queen Adalet. She didn't look like she should as her hair was wild and her gown torn in multiple places. Her eyes looked crazy and she had mud smeared everywhere.

"How dare you enter my forest?!" She yelled at them. Avantador's response was to roar at her, which incited fear into the possessed horses and they reared back, jolting the carriage, knocking Adalet down.

"Glinda! Now!" Elphaba shouted. The blonde let loose a bubble which quickly encased the Queen and lifted her up into the air. Avantador used his claws and popped the bubble, grabbing Adalet before she hit the ground. The Queen struggled against the dragon's grip.

"Don't make me squeeze you any tighter. I would hate to deprive Prince Fiyero of his mother," Avantador told her. The mention of her son, made Adalet stop struggling for moment and suddenly, Elphaba noticed almost the same look on her face as the one on the Wizard when she told him about Frex. They were fighting something and she wasn't sure how to break it.

"Knock her out," Elphaba ordered. The dragon obliged and squeezed her until she passed out. The instant she lost consciousness it was like a switch was flipped. The forest around them brightened and everything dark turned bright again and the horses returned to their normal docile selves.

"What the…" Fiyero was thoroughly confused. It seemed as though the spell was stronger than the one cast on the Flying Monkeys yet here they were with it seemingly reversed.

"I'm right there with you," Glinda shook her head.

"The enchantment was not as deep as I thought. I think we'll be able to find out more when we find the house and hopefully the King," Elphaba frowned. Perhaps the Wizard took Fiyero's parents to get information and then to keep them out of the way out here in the middle of the woods. Although how did it all come together with the Witch of the South? Fiyero could see the gears in his beloved's head turning.

"Can you please put my mother near the carriage Avantador? We should secure her inside and get a move on. The further we get into the woods the better before dark, especially since we have yet to find my father," the Prince said. The dragon nodded and gently set the Queen down on the now plush ground. He then helped Fiyero down.

"Good idea. Glinda ride inside with her in case she wakes up. Fiyero can drive the carriage and Avantador and I will take point," Elphaba told them. Quickly Glinda used a bubble to float off the dragon's back and then used another bubble to get the Queen into the carriage. Strapping her in, Fiyero then climbed onto the seat above the horses.

"Onward Avantador. We're losing daylight and I can't shake this bad feeling that I've had since we landed," Elphaba admitted.

"I know what you mean Princess. This forest is cursed. I'm not so sure that the Witch of the South was the good person the Prince thinks she was," he said as softly as he could. The green skinned woman nodded and patted his back. With that the group moved forward, deeper into the woods.

To Be Continued…