Madness Solver in Wonderland 2 Read online

  Madness Solver

  in

  WonderlanD

  2

  ~

  By E.E. Rawls

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Madness Solver in Wonderland 2

  Chapter 1: Wanted

  Chapter 2: I’m a Gorf

  Chapter 3: Decorative Rocks

  Chapter 4: Lives Lost

  Chapter 5: The Banderkraken

  Chapter 6: Sheep Go Baa

  Chapter 7: Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

  Chapter 8: Sky Town

  Chapter 9: Man in Moon

  Chapter 10: Red Trail

  Chapter 11: Where is Wolf?

  Chapter 12: The Need for a Plan

  Chapter 13: Baa-napper Strikes Again

  Chapter 14: At the Fang Rocks

  Chapter 15: Who Did It?

  Chapter 16: Those That Lie

  Chapter 17: Moving Forward

  Chapter 18: The Striped Tents

  Chapter 19: Twilight Circus

  Chapter 20: Get Your Act Together

  Chapter 21: Lights Out

  Chapter 22: Knight Hunt

  Chapter 23: Bad Business

  Chapter 24: Bunny Foofoo

  Chapter 25: Tricks

  Chapter 26: The Show Goes Ever On

  Chapter 27: The Next Plan

  Chapter 28: The Forest Again

  Chapter 29: Cave of Memories

  Chapter 30: Where Things Went Wrong

  Chapter 31: Revelations

  Chapter 32: The Secret’s Out

  Chapter 33: To Shifting Island

  Chapter 34: Bad Shifts

  Chapter 35: Snark Attack

  Chapter 36: The Shadow Realm

  Chapter 37: The Truth of the Nymphs

  Chapter 38: The Last Crystal

  Chapter 39: The Red King

  Chapter 40: Sacrifice

  Chapter 41: A New Beginning

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  MADNESS SOLVER IN WONDERLAND 2 Copyright © by E.E. Rawls 2021

  All rights reserved

  Associated logos and art are trademarks of E.E. Rawls. All related characters and elements are trademarks of E.E. Rawls.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover art by Nadia

  Made in the U.S.A.

  First edition, May 2021

  Chapter 1:

  Wanted

  CITY LIGHTS GLOWED beneath them as dragon Pelur descended to the ground and to Madnes’s final destination. They couldn’t afford to raise suspicion—or squash somebody—by landing a huge dragon in the center of the Wonderland city, so Pelur aimed for the outskirts and landed nosily in a meadow.

  “Here we go, off to find a crystal,” Madnes said and slid off the dragon’s scaly back to the grass.

  He then turned to offer Alice a hand, but found she was already on the ground, standing next to him.

  “Ahem. Pelur, don’t forget to take those lab prisoners over to the White Duchess’s and have them locked up,” he reminded the knight. “Then go help Oz evacuate the crowv villages.”

  Pelur raised a clawed paw to his scaly purple forehead, giving an awkward salute. “Yes, Sir Madnes.”

  “Still with the Sir thing...?” he sighed.

  “Use this to call me.” Pelur held an object daintily between two claws, lowering it to Madnes’s open palms. Smooth and purple, the object resembled a dragon’s scale and had holes in it like a whistle. “I will hear it and come pick you up.”

  “Convenient. The other groups could have used one too, you know,” Madnes chided.

  “I only had one to give,” stated Pelur. “You are the most important person, the Madness Solver. We cannot let anything happen to you.”

  Madnes’s brow twitched.

  Most important person, he didn’t like that. He shouldn’t be more important. He didn’t want to put himself before his friends. But like it or not, he was valuable to Wonderland.

  He tucked the whistle into a pocket. “All right. Until we meet as scheduled.”

  Pelur lifted off the ground, thick leathery wings hefting him up into the night sky and nearly blowing them over.

  With the dragon gone, the meadow fell silent, and Alice stretched her arms. “Onward to the city,” she singsonged and twirled on her heel, her short wavy hair bouncing.

  Madnes followed her downhill. He almost bumped into her when she came to an abrupt halt.

  “What is it?” He came around beside her and followed her stare to a tree: On the trunk was a white-and-black poster. A Wanted poster.

  He neared, until the drawing of a face became clear—a face resembling his own stared back at him.

  “Wanted... I’m wanted?”

  “For five-million pieces. Not bad.” Alice tilted her head. “Mine’s only one-million.”

  “Yours?” Now he noticed the outlines of more Wanted posters dotted about the trees. “Oh no. If anyone in the city recognizes us...”

  “Time for a disguise.”

  “But what about Harrey? Cheshire? They need to be warned!”

  “They’re smart,” she said, unconcerned. “You didn’t think the Red King was going to sit by and do nothing, did you? Even Harrey isn’t so much of an idiot that he won’t be on guard.”

  She continued strolling out of the meadow. “We each have to focus on our own mission, now, including you. Or else we’ll never save Oswick in time.”

  Alice’s words of wisdom. And here he was supposed to be the wise one.

  “Right.” He chuckled ruefully. “That’s why you’re here to keep me on track.”

  Chapter 2:

  I’m a Gorf

  CHESHIRE YOWLED LIKE a banshee before the parachute finally flew open, and he and Cosmic floated down to a terrain of sinister mountains. Craters littered the expanse, each one filled and connected by rivers. But it was the waters that worried the cat most—the craters and rivers were different colors, of different liquids, and some bubbled and fizzed hotly.

  A hot gust steered the parachute into the side of a lava rock mountain. When they hit and landed on the jagged edged terrain, Cheshire swatted his paws to be free of the parachute fabric that suddenly engulfed him.

  “Calm yer whiskers,” said Cosmic, working to lift and fold up the parachute. He crouched, glancing about downhill. A red river meandered past them, ending at the base of the mountain where it vanished.

  “Don’t tell me that! I’m as calm as ever,” Cheshire snapped, and dusted off his hat.

  “You can put that in my pack,” Cosmic offered. “You’ll lose it where we’re goin’.”

  Cheshire grunted and handed over his hat.

  Several creatures moved along the red river’s bank, dragging what appeared to be fishing nets.

  “Those be the gorf people,” said Cosmic.

  “Don’t tell me what I already know,” Cheshire huffed.

  The gorf were an
amphibian race, similar to frogs with fins, yet they walked upright and had humanoid limbs.

  He looked to the red river, which was the main entrance into the gorf lands. At the base of the mountain, it plummeted deep underground to a tunnel and gate. Only those who breathed water could get inside there.

  “This mission is already impossible,” Cheshire voiced. “We have no way of breathing underwater, and even if we did, much of that water is toxic and hot. I don’t suppose we could convince the gorf to just bring us the crystal...?”

  Cosmic dug around in his pack, and with an “Aha!” lifted a bottle that contained two marbles.

  “What? You seem far too pleased about all of this.” Cheshire’s whiskers twitched.

  “Cuz I never go anyplace without bein’ prepared.” Cosmic shucked off his duster coat, boots and hat, laying them in a pile. “No bounty hunter does. I found these here swimmer pearls and kept ‘em for a rainy day.”

  “Swimmer pearls?” Cheshire exclaimed. A medicine ball with magical properties, able to transform a person into an aquatic being.

  “They’ll only keep us changed for a few days, but that’ll be plenty of time for us—we’re supposed to be done by then, anyhow!” Cosmic rolled the pearls in his palm, then tossed one to the cat. “Cheers.” He swallowed the pearl.

  Cheshire eyed the pearl before likewise swallowing it. “A feline having to become aquatic...this is a nightmare,” he muttered.

  “Not all cats hate water. Just ask the catfish.”

  Cheshire gave him a look. “That joke isn’t even worth commenting on.”

  Cosmic chuckled. And when he did, his nose flattened and his face broadened. Fins rose around his head, and gills slit along his neck. His skin changed to a bumpy green and his feet become flat, webbed things. He was a gorf—his thick black hair the only thing unchanged.

  Cheshire shuddered as he felt the changes overtaking himself. He didn’t want to imagine what he must look like. Only his whiskers remained—all fur now green and slimy skin.

  “Best get hoppin’!” Cosmic strode downhill toward the river, his gait wide and awkward over the black jagged ground.

  “Hopping, indeed.” Cheshire put his webbed foot forward and lost his balance, tumbling down the rocky slope past Cosmic. He landed with a splat before the river, chin in soil. The other gorf people there glowered his way then continued their fishing.

  Cosmic lifted the cat by the shoulders, setting him upright. The pearl hadn’t changed their height much. Cheshire was still small.

  The red water bubbled unpleasantly as they followed to where it ended at the mountain’s base. And there, the river sank down a vertical shaft into darkness. They peered into the red depths.

  “This water...are you sure that medicine will keep us from getting fried?”

  Cosmic nodded. “Let’s go find out!” He dove in, hands first, with a splash—webbed feet and hands and a tadpole-like tail propelling him down the river shaft.

  Cheshire gripped the ground. “Oh my, I’m going to be sick.” He breathed in and out, trying to think of happy thoughts. “Madnes needs me, Earth needs me...just think like a catfish and you’ll be fine,” he told himself.

  And then, teeth gritted, he made himself plunge headfirst into the red liquid.

  Bubbles rose around him. The heat hit his new skin. But instead of frying his body, it only warmed him around the thick mucus of gorf flesh. Cheshire hovered there at the surface for a while, getting used to the strange feeling, before he kicked his legs and tadpole tail, and dove after Cosmic.

  The shaft grew darker the farther he descended. Panic threatened to take hold of him. And then a light of luminescence came and replaced that of sunlight: plants glowing and swaying along the rocks of the shaft. When he finally reached the bottom, a gate made of fish teeth there glowed.

  Cosmic waved his webbed hands to the bulky gorf guard, and the gate swung open. They swam through the short tunnel beyond.

  “If I die as an aquatic cat, I’ll haunt your every nightmare,” Cheshire warned out the side of his mouth.

  “Who knew the great mentor of Madness Solvers lacked guts? You sure put your students through a heck of a lot,” said Cosmic.

  Cheshire glanced sidelong at him.

  The tunnel opened into a crater lake underworld of green waters. Sunlight pierced down and revealed massive stalks like lily pads rising from the lake floor up to the watery sky. Perched on almost every giant leaf were huge pods with doors and window holes. Gorf came and went from them.

  “I think those‘re gorf houses,” Cosmic whispered.

  “Yes, I can see that.” Cheshire frowned, his fin ears flattened.

  They lowered their legs to the ground and tried to walk along a path like the other gorf were doing. Their flat feet did well, walking in a sort of glide across the soil, and their tails helped like rudders.

  Fish darted about plants like birds would trees, and colorful sea slugs roamed about like gorf pets. Bubbles rose from underground vents throughout the crater land, keeping the temperature heated.

  “Well, now that we’re in their civilization, where do you suppose the gorf would hide a special crystal given them by the Red King?” Cheshire asked, more to himself than the bounty hunter.

  Cosmic shook his shaggy head. “Not used t’ this sort of work, are ya? Listen, cat, the first rule of bounty huntin’ is t’ dig up any information you can. And the best places for that are always the gatherin’ spots.”

  Cheshire sniffed. “Gathering spots?”

  Cosmic nodded to a rock-and-coral structure the path would soon lead them past.

  “A tavern.”

  Chapter 3:

  Decorative Rocks

  MORE AND MORE STRANGE structures came into view as they approached the crater lake’s center. But it was the lumpy conglomerate of rock and coral that Cosmic focused on.

  “And how do you know that’s a tavern?” Cheshire questioned, not seeing any indications or legible signs.

  “People don’t go in and out a place as much as they do taverns, and many get wobbly legs. See? That there gorf looks like he had one too many drinks of somethin’.”

  Cheshire rolled his eyes skyward.

  They strode through a door which was no more than an archway. Cheshire was still getting used to the strangeness of using his tadpole tail to propel himself forward.

  On the inside, the tavern was like a hollowed-out piece of coral, and little water bugs in lanterns hung throughout, their glowing abdomens giving light. Plant stalks woven together made chairs and a cushioned floor.

  Cosmic sauntered up to the lava rock counter. “Gleo burgen,” he said.

  To Cheshire’s new fin-like gorf ears, he understood the words as if they’d been translated: “One fizzy drink.”

  The gorf behind the counter eyed them while cleaning a mug, one hairless eyebrow lowered. But he filled a cup with something fizzy and slid it Cosmic’s way.

  “And how do you expect to pay for that?” Cheshire began, taking the seat next to him.

  Cosmic plopped an opal coin on the counter.

  “You do get around a lot,” Cheshire muttered. “I didn’t realize you frequented Wonderland.”

  “Well, ever since my little sister accidentally made me able to see Wonderlanders, I couldn’t help but do some bounty hunter work for ‘em.” His undertone held a sharp edge at the first part.

  Cheshire shifted his webbed paws uncomfortably against the lava rock counter before him.

  “Say, waiter,” Cosmic called to the gorf behind the counter. “We’re in town lookin’ to acquire some expensive specimens of decorative rock. You wouldn’t happen to know where we should begin our search, eh?” he asked.

  The gorf’s round frog eyes regarded them both. “Decorative rock, you say?” He feigned to ponder. “There several places about, but only one is the best and at lower price. Gindo!” He waved over a seated gorf. “These fellows looking for decorative rocks—the special kind. Maybe you can take them t
here?”

  Gindo came over. He wore patches of fabric around his froggish body that looked sewn together out of fish scales, much like how all the gorf dressed. But there was something shady in Gindo’s smile and in the gleam of his too-close-together eyes. “Yes, I be happy to help. Is nice place for buying pretty rocks.”

  Gindo motioned them to follow. “Come; place is only open for short time each day.”

  Cheshire shared a look with Cosmic. “I’m not so sure about...”

  “Hey, it’s a start.” Cosmic rose to swim-walk after Gindo.

  Cheshire clenched his paws. “Dash it all, humans never listen to me!” he muttered.

  THEY FOLLOWED GINDO through the aquatic town of lily pad stalks, corals and sea pod structures, to the opposite side of the crater lake. A gate there opened to an underwater river of yellow fizzy water.

  The numerous bubbles tickled Cheshire’s new skin as he reluctantly trailed after the others through the river tunnel, trying not to let himself think about what the yellow color reminded him of.

  The river branched in several directions, leading to many different crater lakes. They kept to the right, and soon ran into a large gate. The fangs of a giant beast made up the ominous bars.

  Gindo twisted and turned some mechanism with a key before the gate fangs cranked open.

  “You have a key?” Cheshire questioned.

  “Yes, I some days work here,” replied Gindo. The corner of his froggish mouth twitched. “Please,” he motioned, “do go in and look around at what available.”

  Cosmic swam through.

  “Wait, Cos— Oh never mind.” Cheshire gave up and followed him.

  This crater was much smaller, more like a gorf yard—if gorfs had backyards. But the sides were steep and sharp to the touch, and sunlight slanted down to reflect off of hundreds of jewels and crystals embedded in the rock and soil—a myriad of sapphire, emerald, ruby and citrine colors.

  Cosmic tried to whistle under water. “Pancakes from heaven, this place is a treasure trove!”

  “Quick, look for a giant white crystal,” Cheshire whispered to him urgently.