Tale of Four

”Let’s rest.” The large man said in a deep voice. Looking up at the sky, Alice frowned, seeing that it was still earlier than it usually would be. Sensing her confusion and annoyance with his order, the large man let out a deep exhale. ”We had to run and push the horses today. Although they are different from southern horses, they still must rest.” Patting the side of its neck, his fingers worked their way up into its thick mane. With a deep scratch, the horse made a sound, one that could only mean enjoyment. ”They are fearless beasts; they must be, but it doesn’t mean their instincts aren’t there. That swarm earlier would have awakened something in them, and even if it doesn’t realise it, it must let its body and mind calm down.”

”Fine.” As if she needed to give her approval, Alice crossed her arms in annoyance and jumped off before they came to a stop. ”I’m going to explore. I’ll be back.” Without giving them a chance to argue, she mobilised the arcane and aimed her hands at the ground. Firing a large gust of wind to throw herself into the air, she spun herself around, dancing in the air she would do in the Madhouse, before firing another gust to propel herself towards a distant forest.

Spinning, her laugh echoed acorss the sky as she expertly timed her next uses of wind to stay afloat. One fall would be all it took to seriously injure herself. Sweeping her right hand through the air, she caused her body to twirl slightly and straighten.

Finally approaching the forest, she began her descent, throwing a gust of wind to break her fall. As she got close to the ground, she threw one final gust of wind towards the ground, breaking the fall but leaving her tumbling across the ground. Jumping up and patting herself down, she began her march, looking around the forest.

Like the first, silence engulfed the forest. Silence that deafened. Silence that made one hear things just to feel the emptiness. Even now, she couldn’t understand the silence. Even if the power in the land was the cause of it, she should have seen animals. Even the trees should have moved. It wasn’t silence that engulfed the forest, but stillness. Stillness that caught sound, stillness that confused, stillness that made one believe what they saw wasn’t real.

’Deadlands. I guess the name makes sense. But animals definitely exist; after all, I saw that swarm, but there must be more. Even normal ones, not just creatures that wish to eat you.’ Looking up in the trees, the grey canopy of leaves blocked the sky, letting a pitiful amount of sunlight through, just enough to allow one to walk around. But the trees were strange, everyone identical. It wasn’t obvious before she looked up, but each one was a carbon copy of the other. From the pattern of the bark, to the number of branches, finally to each individual leaf.

’Is the forest a creature itself? How can it be identical? The odds are so low it is impossible to be natural.’ Placing her foot on the ground, Alice paused and looked down. Staring at her left foot, she slowly lifted it up before slamming it on the floor and tilting her head in confusion. She could accept there being no animals; she could accept the silence and stillness around her, as it all could be explained by the strange power that ran through the land. Lifitng her right foot and slamming it on the ground, she tilted her head again.

’Even my steps are silent? How?’ There was no logical explanation for it. Reaching into her satchel, she pulled out an empty glass vial and dropped it on the ground. Once more, there was no sound. Bringing her foot down atop it, the sound of glass shattering didn’t occur.

”AHHHHHH!” Finally, wishing to test the theory, she let out a scream and heard it: the sound of her voice, not distorted by the stillness of the forest.

”Why are you screaming?” A mischievous voice spoke, the grin on the woman’s face clear even if she couldn’t be seen.

”CHESH!” Alice’s eyes slit open, and looking around, she frowned, unable to see her friend. ”Where are you?”

”Let’s play. It’s been so long.” Narrowing her eyes, Alice found it odd. It was most certainly Chesh’s voice that spoke to her, but there was soemthing off about it. It sounded exactly like her, the same tone and same mood, but there was a difference. Shrugging, Alice followed where it came from, venturing deeper into the forest. ”Alice,” Chesh called out again, teasing.

”Where have you been, Chesh? You missed it; I saw something really cool. It was an intelligent creature, but it wasn’t human. Instead, it was a tree spirit. The same type as in the books from Teacher’s study.” With a giddy voice, she couldn’t contain herself, remembering the arrows and her new spell. ”And then that woman with the blue scar. She made numerous explosions without the arcane of runecraft. Of course I managed to replicate it with the arcane, but it was so fascinating.”

”Really? Tell me all about it?” Alice paused. She could accept the difference in Chesh’s voice that she couldn’t understand. She could accept Chesh suddenly appearing, knowing she liked to appear and disappear as she pleased, but something about what she said was off.

’Tell you all about it?’ Narrowing her eyes, she looked into the distance. ’Chesh knowseverything about me, even when I don’t tell her. Why would she ask me that?’

”I’m not playing anymore.” Sitting down and crossing her arms, she needed to know. ”Come here instead.”The silence of the forest changed, like it was thinking.

”Don’t be like that, Alice. Let’s play.”

”I KNEW IT!” Alice jumped up, with a deep frown. Spreading her hands, she let out deep, angry breaths. ”CHESH DOES WHAT I SAY! YOU’RE NOT CHESH!” Taking a few more breaths, the voice didn’t speak to her again. ”If you don’t come here, I’ll burn the forest down. Five seconds.”

Not satisfied with using a normal fire, Alice changed the properties to be an inferno. From her hands, massive pillars of fire exploded. Shielding herself with arcane so she didn’t accidentally burn herself, her lips curled into a mad grin as she looked in the direction the voice came from.

”FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! O..”

”Alice.” A voice from behind the playful voice spoke. Jumping up and spinning around, Alice’s head tilted as she saw Chesh looking at her. Mimicking her, Chesh tilted her head the same way. Staring at one another, Alice didn’t hesitate. Flicking her hands, the inferno she had conjured flew out, catching one of the trees, setting it alight, and jumping to the nearest source of wood to spread its flames. ”I came out. Why did you burn it?” Chesh asked in a confused tone, making Alice’s lips curl.

”You’re not Chesh.” With certainty, she said, ”Chesh never questions why I do things like that.” Placing her hands behind her back, Chesh stepped foward, sweetly smiling, until she came to a stop before Alice, only inches away.

”I am Chesh. Remember the first time we left the Mad House, only to be disappointed that it was a boring desert.” Alice shook her head, her eyes growing more arrogant.

”That’s wrong. When I first left, it was when I found the annoying man’s cave.” Alice watched as Chesh looked at her in confusion this time, so sure it was right but unable to understand why it was being told otherwise.

”Stop being silly, Alice; you always have been.” Stepping foward, Chesh looked down at Alice with pity. ”We went to the desert.” Lifitng a hand, Chesh rubbed Alice’s cheek; his touch was cold. ”Don’t tell me you’re forgetting things again. You always do this.” Turning her, Chesh bit her lip as if scared to say the next part. ”You’ve been like this since you killed your father.”

Rolling her eyes, Alice lifted her hand and grabbed Chesh’s wrist, taking it off her face. ”If you’re going to mimic Chesh, at least do a better job. Killed my father; I don’t even know who that is. And forgetting things. Chesh is the stupid one; even she knows that.” Poking a finger into Chesh’s chest, Alice quickly pulled her hand back, feeling a slimness on her finger. ”You are really bad at pretending to be Chesh.”

Chesh didn’t move, instead taking a deep, angry breath. After a second, she smiled and stared Alice deep in the eyes. ”Alice, I don’t understand why you call me stupid. I’m the one who always helps you to your next line of thought. You think you’re special, but I have always been the one to help you. Look at me and look at you. I’m gorgeous and smart, but you are neither. I have tried for so long to protect your delusions, but look around. Look at the damage you caused because of it. I can’t do it anymore.”

Running her hands down her face, Alice took a deep breath before bursting into laughter, her giggles echoing acorss the silent forest that slowly burnt, ”You’re so bad at this. You don’t even look like Chesh now that I think about it. Sure, you have the hair and eyes, but your smile is all off. Chesh’s is more playful and pretty. Yours is similar but wrong. It lacks the playfulness in it.”

Chesh looked at Alice, her face warping in anager. ”WHY AREN’T YOU SCARED!” Its voice distorted the charming and slightly seductive voice Chesh had, mixing with a deep gargling sound.

”Are you an idiot?” Grabbing her hips and smirking, Alice looked into its eyes. ”Why would I be scared of you? You’re a pathetic mimic who can’t even correctly understand Chesh. Actually, I wonder.” Her eyes lit up with greed. ”What do you look like? What can be made with a mimic’s body? How do yo udo this? How did you learn my name and Chesh’s, and how did you pretend to be her? So many questions.”