War Room Archive

---

---

Located on the top-most floor of the Halfway House, the War Room is the only room completely unaffected by clutter. It has one large round table at which the chairs of the heroes sit, and a large enchanted wooden trunk. Upon entering the War Room, all weapons not part of one's body are magically transported within it, and should any sort of an attack be fired off the trunk absorbs that too. Physical attacks, such as punches or kicks cannot be stopped by the trunk. One is free to use their powers for non violent means though. The trunk is un-openable. Weapons will automatically be returned once a person leaves the room. Other than that, there is one important feature of the War Room-- it is the ONE place, in all of Wonderland, where one can be guaranteed that Queen Redd and her spies cannot see through magical means. It is a powerful room.

---

---

To say that it was a dark and stormy night would have been an understatement. The wind howled, and buffeted the Gryphon as he set about his task of magically locking the gates of the Halfway House, rain pelting his face in such sheets he could hardly see. He wouldn't complain though- this storm was exactly what they needed to summon the new group of heroes to Wonderland, to fight for their cause.

Giving the gate one last shake to make sure it would hold and not let anyone in (or out, for that matter) he turned and quickly retreated to the House, shaking the rain from his fingertips and out of his eyes as he headed up to the attic, checking as he went that the rooms were all empty. Soon enough, they would change, magically replicating the rooms of the heroes summoned to this place down to the smallest detail, but for now, they stood barren. Those rooms that left unused after the completion of the spell would be rendered un-openable, the doors twisting and stretching like cartoon rubber in reaction to any attempt to force the door open, the locks melting any tools inserted to try and pick the lock.

In the attic, Wyvern's hooded figure stood over a large, shallow bowl of silver water, chanting quietly. Soon, her spell would be finished, and the heroes would be here.

Hopefully they would survive longer than the last batch.

Pacing slightly, Griff almost tripped over the Cheshire cat when it suddenly faded into existence at his feet. "Guh! Oh. You."

"One assumes," the cat replied nonchalantly, licking its fur, which, unlike the Gryphon, was perfectly dry.

"How is she?" He knew better than to ask, but couldn't help himself. His concern for Alice was great.

The cat stretched, and hopped up onto the table, peering into the dish Wyvern was chanting over, as if he hoped it might contain milk. "A pity," it mused, though if about Alice or the contents of the dish was unclear.

Picking up a knife, Wyvern slashed open her palm, letting the blood fall into the depths, her chanting never changing in tone or intensity. Gryphon looked on, concerned. The spell was almost complete, and the heroes would be here in no-time... but would it be in time?

---

---

The gathering spell was complete. Wyvern had cast their magical metaphorical net out into the multiverses, and they had gathered as many heroes as they could. They could always try to add more, later, but for now, this was as many as they could get.

The liquid in the bowl she had been chanting over began to swirl, in small whirlpools, which appeared and disappeared as they drifted around the dish. Simultaneously, as she opened her palm face up, the same palm she had previously slashed, a bright white flame suddenly appeared in her palm. Outside the wind picked up. This storm wasn't over, not by half, and it was going to get worse before it got better.

Gryphon had moved to stand next to the only door in the room, arms folded. He really didn't like this next part. Next would come the arguing, the threatening, the whining, the posturing- he had yet to get a group of heroes that simply ACCEPTED that they were here, and that they were stuck here until things were fixed. Was it that hard to accept? It didn't seem that strange to Gryphon... but then again, he mused, he was a creature of chaos, like all Wonderlandians.

Next to the Gryphon was a large, wooden trunk. Like many things in the house, it was more than it seemed. Upon arriving in the room, all weapons would leave their owner, and appear in the box. All guns, knives, sprays, rayguns- if it was considered a weapon, and wasn't physically part of their body, it went into the box. It also had the neat side effect of absorbing energy-based attacks that were fired off in the room. They had learned THAT lesson the hard way. In fact, about the only attacks that COULD be made in the room, without getting sucked into the box, were garden variety punches and kicks. Which, granted could still hurt, but were at least more manageable than psychokenetics. When they left the room, they would find their weapons back on their person. After all- what was the point of having heroes if you were going to take away their way of fighting?

Other than the box, the only objects in the room were a large, round wooden table upon which Wyvern's bowl was sitting, and a few paintings, mostly covered with shrouds. A single window looked out over the grounds of the Halfway House, showing the attic room to be in a turret of the house. The room was dimly lit with a few oil lamps placed strategically around the room. And, of course, by the light of Wyvern's spell.

A few stumps off wood had been placed around the table. Very soon, these stumps of wood would magically transform into chairs for each of the heroes. Each chair would be different, specifically designed for its intended recipient. The chair would be made of carved wood, with a motif that would encompass them by their special power, ability or title from the world they came from. The cushion and any other decoration would vary from hero to hero. One might have a black velvet cushion and matching cushioned arm rests. Another may not have any cushion or armrest at all.

Wyvern finished the last of the incantation and the white flame died out after a quick flare of power. Wherever the heroes were, they would be surrounded, though not harmed by, the fire and transported to the attic room. The fire would deposit them each in their own chair.

Then... things could get underway.

||Continued from HH Living Room||

The flames dropping all around him, before extinguishing themselves all together, Jamie suddenly found himself wedged in a chair with the dupe that had been hiding under his bed. The flames had transported BOTH of them here, and now they were expected to share this one chair. He squawked, ungracefully, looking around desperately to see if anyone had noticed his sudden identical twin.

Because that's what was concerning in all this. Not the sudden flame, or the teleportation. No no. In Jamie's mind, nothing was more suspicious than a sudden twin.

Seeing other people around the room, apparently having just been deposited much like himself, he decided to not reabsorb his dupe, who was clutching around his neck like a drowning man at sea. He clawed at the dupe's arms. Air! Air would be GREAT.

Jamie's chair back was tall, and the back had a single line carved up the center, with several equally spaced perpendicular crossing bars, which ended in small circles. At the very top was a simplistic design of one man standing in front of two others. <blog:1157014> On either side of him he saw a tall, shirtless man with a kind of awkward haircut, and a kid, slightly shorter than himself.


Fire! Yalaa was no fan of it. On more than one account, especially when she had come up against Elementals, had she gained injuries from fire. The appearance of the white flame had easily put her mind into panic, preparing for the pain to come, yet there was none. What it did, however, was transport her into a chair at the same table Jamie sat at. Yalaa was use to teleportation, but she had never seen any that used flames before!

A quick glance around the room confirmed to her that Jamie was safe, and Yalaa let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Thank the Light he was safe. In fact, there were two of him. Huh, twins. Or mirror images. Maybe he was a mage? Or one in training at least.

Her chair was large, possibly the largest in the room, but not compared to her form. While it could hold at least two people in it, it was no throne for her, just big enough to hold her mass. Echoed the angles of the Exodar, and looking to be better suited for metal, not wood, shards of crystal sprung up from the base, part of it forming into the arms of the seat, others springing up 'naturally', enlarged versions of natural formations. These crystals glowed, powered by a mystic energy, producing a purple aura around it.

The back of the chair held three symbols carved into it, each with its own glow of light. At her head sat the symbol of the Naaru, it's blue glow echoing the Gift of the Naaru that all her kind could use. At chest level was the icon for her kind, the Draenei, with its typical purple light, the fractured state of it still iconic of the state the Exodar sat in, still not fully recovered. Finally, the symbol for the Alliance, displaying the bold face of a male lion, produced a golden aura, sitting at the base of her spine.

The sides also held space for her shield and mace to sit, but they were missing from her armour, something she was not happy to find. With a glance to Jamie, she asked, "Are you alright?"


||Continued from HH Library||

Soren had been about to comment to Jake, but he felt himself transported somewhere else and placed in a very comfortable chair. A very large comfortable chair. That in itself make the Archsage shrink away from the light that was fading even as he sat there. His suspicions not lifted in the least, he looked back at the tall chair he was in and froze in place.

The wood had taken on a black form, rising up above the short sage's head. It was a twisted form of a dragon, wings furled, the Daein crown upon his head. The clawed hands formed armrests, and one of them was curled up in a position that could hold a book. That alone would have caused Soren to try to escape the throne he was now sitting in, but something else caught his attention.

At the bottom of the seat, a black velvet cushion was shifted enough to allow Soren to see the ruins and symbols carved into it. The curse that all Branded had. He knew it by heart, but seeing it, in front of him, in a chair that clearly reflected his heritage, made him shrink further. He hadn't even realized that other people were present and he was feeling uncomfortable. Shifting around in his seat to look at the dragon again, he noticed the thing he had missed before.

A red symbol, exactly the same as the one he wore on his forehead, was carved into the face of the dragon. Soren let out a shudder before turning and looking for Jake, trying to see if his companion had been transported with him. If he were here, at least that would give him some semblance of comfort.


Feeling himself thump heavily into a chair, Jake uncovered his eyes in time to see the flames recede from around him. He had gotten a tiny bit shaggy, and his face looked a tiny bit longer, if anyone noticed, but he quickly pulled it back.

He looked quickly around the room, trying to figure out what exactly was going on, his jaw clenched tight and shut. Mostly what he saw was a lot of confusion and unease, which was understandable as those were fairly accurate descriptors of what he himself was feeling. He recognized Soren sitting a few chairs over, which then had his eyes quickly scanning for Nina. If the two of them had been transported here, then maybe she had just been some place else and- no. Nina was nowhere to be seen.

His chair was not extremely tall backed, but tall enough to fit his lanky form, with the engraving showing just above his hair. It was carved with a full moon, crossed by two shot guns, and the head of a howling wolf underneath. A little heavy handed on the symbolism for his tastes, but short of taking his claws to it, he saw nothing to be done about it, and certainly more important things to be worried about now.


|| Continued from HH Game Room ||


Lyanth was suddenly in the most comfortable chair in all the land. The flames had not harmed her, and instead were just a kind of teleportation magic. She thanked the Goddess and the Immortals again for her face mask, which hid her blush. How silly of her not to recognize such a common form of magic.

The chair she found herself in was wonderful and honored her heritage and previous adventures. It seemed carved from a single tree, the pattern of the tree rings highlighted in the polished surfaces. The armrests and seat were lined with the softest and most plush sheep skin, while the lower section of the back and as accents near her shoulders were laid in with supple blue leather. Running her fingers through the tufts of lambswool at the ends of the armrests, Lyanth was reminded of her days as a Beastmaster. She was also pleased to see that the crest of San D'Oria was carved into the back of the chair, just above her head. Surmounting the whole thing was a single pale blue crystal, the symbol of The Goddess and peace in Vana'Diel.

Though she could not see it, the back of the chair held the crest of the empire of Aht Urgahn in the mirror position of the San D'Orian crest, along with more blue leather. Under that was a carving of the flow of the beast and elemental strengths and weaknesses, a key to her successes as both Beasmaster and Blue Mage. Surmounting all of this, but below the crystal, was a single blue pearl, larger but similar to the one she left back in her room.

As she settled in, Lyanth was disappointed to see that she was mostly in the company of Humes. And several young ones, at that. There was one whose race she could not place at all, but seemed female. While the strange female appeared to be some kind of Beastmen, her concern for the twin Hume boys suggested to Lyanth an unknown but reasonable race. Also, the sophistication of her armor was a great sign. Perhaps a Dark Knight? At the very least, Lyanth wanted to make this woman's acquaintance, and maybe gain a strong allay.


Once upon a time the idea of possibly burning to death had not been a major worry in Remy’s mind (compared to other forms of mort no doubt trying to catch up with him), at least until he started working with Johnny. Bring around the fire bug gave him a healthy fear and caution around the possibility of one day waking up with half his room on fire because John got carried away. The fact the flames did not cause pain of any kind muddled with the normal reaction to fire in his brain, so the fact they were short lived gave some comfort to the Cajun.

The chair he sat in was tall, made out of dark ebony wood and semi ornamental, somewhere between that of a throne and a regular chair. It was comfortably padded on the seat and armrests with red velvet cushioning, yet still straight back enough to make it awkward if one tried to slouch in it. Curls of wood weaved their way up the legs, mimicking the ironwork found in the French Quarters of New Orleans, as carved on the back was the symbols of the playing card suits, resting at each compass point between the Joker dancing with the Queen of Hearts.

"This still ya Moogles?" He questioned Lyanth.



Gryphon looked around, trying not to ignore that sinking feeling in the pit of his currently human stomach. These were their heroes? There were hardly any at all! And a number of them looked, if not frail, then, well- a bit on the small side to be sure. Though the purple one was quite large, and heroic looking. He sighed, sending a look Wyvern as if to ask if she was quite sure this was it.

She simply nodded once in return, though her piercing gaze was mostly locked upon the smallest of the group, the small boy with the brand on his forehead. Wyvern's form was mostly hidden under a long, deep green hooded cloak, Her hands appearing and disappearing from it's folds as she wished them to, her face easily hidden just by lowering her gaze.

He made a noise in the back of his throat, something of a grunt of determination. Perhaps this group would surprise him. He hoped so. Stepping forward, away from the door and into the light, his form became clear. He looked, for the world like a normal, if not overly serious man. He had short black hair and sharp, dark eyes, and a very pointed nose. He was dressed in simple pants, boots, and what looked to most in the room like an old-fashioned men's peasant shirt.

He addressed the group, hands raised, possibly to show he was unarmed, but mostly just as a request for silence. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please- your attention. I imagine you are all quite eager to know what is going on, and where it is you now reside. I shall answer many of your questions in time, but for now-- I am known as The Gryphon, and you are in the Halfway House, in the world of Wonderland. You have been summoned here by our magic, as we are in dire need of your help. For you see, a great wickedness has befallen this land." He nodded to Wyvern, who he now stood next to at the edge of the table. She waved her hand over her bowl of water, causing it to bubble slightly, and then steam. The steam swirled unnaturally in the air, forming pictures as the Gryphon spoke.

"Years ago, our world was not as it is now. We used to be a lush and prosperous land of nonsense and innocence. But tragedy has befallen us- the tyrannical Queen of Hearts has imprisoned our world's TRUE queen, and plunged our world into darkness. This bloodthirsty tyrant has come to rule us with an iron will, though she possesses no power of her own. Her champion, The Jabberwocky, on the other hand, could kill us all if he but knew where we were, with little thought or effort. Between the two, no Wonderlandian is safe, and many of us have already lost our lives to their cruel rein. We simply lack the skills and power to take them on... which is why you have been brought here.

"Perhaps you don't care, or do not consider it to be any worry of yours what happens to our world. This may be so, but I must unfortunately inform you that the only way you will ever be able to return home is with the end of the Impostor Queen's rule. Nothing else will do it. You six-- er, seven," He blinked once, the largest show of confusion he was willing to show at the presence of the twin boys, "have been determined to be the greatest heroes of your respective worlds, and with your aid we will regain our stolen Princess, who is captive of the Jabberwocky, and return Wonderland to it's rightful self!" He spoke with passion and urgency, trying to get as much of the plea out before any of them could interrupt. His sharp eyes went around the table, looking directly into the eyes of the gathered heroes in turn. "You are not the first heroes we have summoned for this purpose. So far, none have survived long enough to aid us. Make no mistake. The task ahead is no easy one, and more trials than you can know await. I am sorry for bringing you into this war, but we are doomed without help. Your help."


Lyanth eyed this new Hume, and listened closely to his speech. Every sentence he uttered brought up new questions, but overall gave her some basic answers. Queen in trouble, magic, desparate cry for help. While she never considered herself the greatest hero of Vana'Diel, she was ready to provide whatever aid she could.

Standing up from her chair, she bowed quickly to the Hume. "It is an honor to be called upon, sir. I am Lyanth, Blue Mage as branded by the five serpents of the Immortals of Aht Urgahn. I am willing to serve you and this lost Queen as I did the royal house of San D'Oria, but I have a question first. Where are all the Moogles?"


Gryphon blinked. Never before had a hero been so accepting of, well, everything. Perhaps they had FINALLY summoned a group that would be of some use! "I have no knowledge of 'moogles,' I'm afraid, but should I hear anything regarding- them?" It had sounded like a 'them' situation, the way she had phrased it, "I shall quickly inform you. It is most likely, however, that they were left behind, in your own world." He looked over the rest of the group again. "I think you will all find things missing or not quite as they should be. Wyvern's summoning spell is very adapt, and we do our best to make you feel at home here, in the Halfway House, but there is only so much we can recreate for you. I assure you, however, that your friends, family, and possessions remain safe in your own world, in no more danger than you left them."


"Uh-" Jamie raised his hand, not unlike he would do if he were back in his own world, in one of his classes. "We.. .We're supposed to be heroes?" Or competent?! "I think there's been some sort of mix up. I'm just a student! I don't know how to fight or- anything like that!" His face was a bit white, with blotchy red cheeks. Probably from his duplicate which was still clinging to him for dear life in terror. Jamie knew how he felt. Just in his short time in the hall with Yalaa, he had been exposed to so many freaky things- the dupe was getting everything Jamie had gotten in the hallway and then some. Honestly he was just glad neither of them had wet himself out of sheer terror. Because that's where the level of fear was for him, right now.

He was rather concerned about this entire situation, to put it mildly.

He really did fail to see how he could be considered The Best Of of his universe. Really- he wasn't part of some crack superhero team fighting for Truth, Justice and the American way. He was just trying to pass American Lit 203. Hell- he didn't really even have any friends to be part of a fake superhero team, if he didn't count Cordy.

"Definitely... definitely some kind of a mistake..." the dupe muttered to himself, shoulders hunching, trying to hide behind himself, wishing he could just disappear into the floor and wake up back in his REAL room, and forget this crazy dream.


So they were here for some sort of quest. Yalaa did not like how they were brought into it, forced into the role, but at least it was something she understood. However, unlike the tall elf woman... who really looked like no elf she had seen before... she was not so quick to accept the quest. These people had not said what fraction they represented, so who knew if they were in fact a side Yalaa wanted to help. While their cause sounded noble, people lied, people lacked honour, and thus, could not always be trusted. Before she offered her mace to their cause, she would want more information.

Jamie's timid and panicked outburst brought Yalaa's attention back to him, and she offered a smile, hopefully trying to give some comfort. "I am sure, if you are a civilian, dey vill not make you fight if you cannot." Not only would it protect Jamie, but it would stop him getting in their way.


"We cannot make any of you fight, if you chose not to," Gryphon announced slightly distastefully. It was inconceivable to him that one would chose NOT to fight, but there were plenty from Wonderland who did just that. He generally didn't like those individuals. "We have brought you here, yes, but that is the extent of our power. We cannot force you to do anything you do not wish. However, we cannot send you home, if you chose not to fight. That power lies only with Alice, our true queen." Technically speaking, the Queen of Hearts could also send them home, through her Hall of Mirrors, but they had had issues, in the past, with Heroes defecting to the Red Queen to gain access to her mirrors, and losing their heads for their trouble.

His eyes then snapped to Jamie. "There is no mistake. The spell doesn't allow for mistakes."

"At least not as far as who it summons." Wyvern finally spoke up, though she didn't move, her face remaining obscured by her hood, though she was still giving the distinct impression of staring at Soren, somehow.


The Archsage shifted in his chair, setting the book he had been clutching in the dragon claw so he could sit forward to listen carefully to all that was said. If what these...creatures said was true, then he had no choice. He needed to get back to Ike, needed to protect him from the dangers he was facing, and if in order to do that he needed to defeat another false ruler, so be it. "Tyrants are not new to me," Soren said carefully. "I have fought wars before. But you haven't given us much information on who it is we are fighting. If this Jabberwocky has so much power, it would be helpful to know what kind of power that is." He was a tactician first and foremost. With his help, Ike had defeated extremely powerful adversaries. There was no fear in Soren's eyes now as he became the person he had hoped to leave behind in Tellius.


"Yeah, right," Jake agreed, leaning forward, letting his forearm rest on the table. "Not t'mention... We don't know who you are. How are we s'posed to know we've been drafted onto the right side of this war? We don't know nothin' 'bout any of this, further then you've told us. Hell-- we don't even know nothin' bout each other! And we're just supposed to- what? Click and form into your new army?" He shook his head leaning back. "I have been signed up for other folk's fights b'fore. I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now."


The Gryphon bristled at this remark. "I can assure you, you are indeed on the correct side. You will be afforded with the time to go out into the wold and assess this for yourselves, however, should you desire such proof. Speak with the people of this land, learn the history for yourself, and you will soon see. As for the Jabberwocky... you will not face him so readily. To confront him without knowledge would, indeed, be certain death. I and others of the resistance will help you learn the ways of Wonderland, so that you will be more adequately prepared for his- ways." He glanced at Wyvern again. He disliked talking about the Jabberwocky in front of her. He felt it to be provoking the beast inside of her. Still, it was as it must be, and they must get on with it.

"For now, I suggest we become acquainted with one another. As I said earlier, I am known as the Gryphon. The creature to my left is known as Wyvern." He turned, nodding to Lyanth. "You, Lyanth of the Immortals, have already honored us with your titles. I thank you for your readiness." He then pointedly shifted his gaze, to look at Jamie. "Introduce yourself- your name, and your status, if you please."


Jamie, who had been silently trying to will himself back to Kansas, went wide-eyed as Gryphon's gaze fell on him. He glanced nervously around the table, only his blue eyes moving, the rest of him still, looking the world like a deer in headlights. His eyes flicked nervously over to his dupe, and then back to the group. Unable to find words just yet, he pointed at himself, and mouthed the word 'me?' at the Gryphon, before pointing to the dupe and mouthing 'him?'. He repeated this a few times, unsure of how to proceed. His Duplicate, meanwhile, was doing basically the same thing. Neither one wanted to take the focus of attention.

"U-uh-" his voice squeaked and cracked at his first attempt at speech. He cleared his throat, and tried again, "I... I'm Jamie- James- Maddrox. And I, uh... My status..." He desperately didn't want to say the word 'mutant.' Admitting he was a mutant was basically a death sentence back home, and while old habits died hard, he was not at all sure what was going on, or if it really was safe to admit anything.

"My status... I- I'mma... I'm a m... mmm... I'm a freshman at university." He chickened out at the last second, eyes dropping guiltily, before desperately looking to his dupe, eyes wide with fear.

"Arthur!" The dupe immediately squeaked. "I'm Arthur. Maddrox. We- we're brothers. Uhm. Twins. So. I'm... we're- I'm also. Like him. Freshman. An' everything. Nothing- nothing special here." He looked at Jamie, and then they both looked to the next person over, hoping they would introduce them self quickly, to take the pressure of himself.


Having sat back down, Lyanth watched the young Hume twins. It seemed strange to her that they were both dressed identically. Most twins in her world were dressed differently to tell them apart, but she assumed that customs may be different in their world. Still, it nagged at her anyways. As for the concerns everyone else raised, she didn't understand at all. Their hosts seemed reasonable and the situation was dire. Who wouldn't want to help?


Soren looked up as Gryphon introduced the girl. Wyvern. He let out a puff of air as he glanced around the table. Since the twins were the only ones who had spoken up, he took the chance to speak up as well. "Soren. Archsage. Son of King Ashnard, king of Daein, and Princess Almedha, daughter of the king of dragons." With his heritage stated, he looked straight at Gryphon, who seemed to be taking charge. "And I would deeply appreciate my questions being answered sooner rather than later. Can we get to the explanations as soon as these introductions are made?"


For his part, Remy just sat back, taking in everything that was being said in the group, and also trying to find a comfortable position to slouch in his seat. During his silence he had noted his cards were missing, something he wasn't pleased to find out, but as long as he could touch something, he could turn it into a weapon. He was getting sick of this, being pulled into other peoples wars and causes without having a choice in the matter. Sinister, Magneto, hell even the Guild forced him into their war. Gryphon and this Wonderland was just one more straw to add to the stack. Yay...

“I be Gambit.” This was work, not personal, so no first names. “Single, 26, like long walks on the beach, have no problem with smokers, and mon ‘status’ and work be... complicated, mais multi skilled.” Remy gave a smirk to go along with his introduction.


A shame that Jamie and his brother were not actually mages, maybe they could open a portal and return them to Stormwind. Or her at least, since Gryphon's mention they were in another world made her question if they were truly the only way to get back to Azeroth. At this point, she would even take access to the Outlands. No wonder her map was unable to locate where she was. She would also be taking up the man's suggestion to question the locals and confirm they were on the side of goodness, presuming the locals were not also so entrenched in a shared view that they too were blind to the truth.

"I am Yalaa of da Exodar," She introduced herself. "I am a Paladin and varrior for the Light, member of the Alliance. If your cause is indeed noble and for da greater good, and not tainted vith evil, den I offer my mace in service." If they were was something she would have to wait and see.


Seeing as how everyone else had spoken Jake shifted up a bit straighter in his chair, to address the rest of the group as whole "I'm Jake Ketchum, former lead guitarist for Scare Tactics. Retired, now." He sighed heavily, scratching the back of his neck, and making a bit of a sheepish, uncomfortable face. "An' since it may come up... maybe y'all should know- I'm a werewolf too." He wasn't usually this forth coming with this information, but since he didn't know the lunar cycle of where he was, he thought it better to get it out of the way just to avoid potential drama later. He neither want to be seen as trying to sneak anything past the others, and also wanted to let them know he wasn't to be messed with. Granted "werewolf" didn't sound like much in comparison to 'warrior for the light' or 'prince of the dragons' (FINALLY. Soren was a BOY. Ok.), but it was something. He had the feeling that Remy, Jamie and Arthur were more than they were stating, given the other skill sets at the table, but that was something to be dealt with later. He could certainly appreciate wanting to play one's hand close to the chest.


Gryphon nodded as Jake finished speaking. "Very good. I think you will find as things advance, that some of you here today have been- exceedingly modest regarding your skill set. I would suggest you be less so, if you want to know exactly what resources you have to rely on in one another."

He turned to face Soren, then, "Regarding your question, then. The Jabberwocky is not easily categorized. Most who meet him end up dead, and so it is difficult to gather information regarding specifics. What I can tell you is he is a strong, powerful dragon with a knack for knowing your deepest shames, and he will not hesitate to use any and all leverage to crush your mind, body, or both." He glanced at Wyvern, again, who's emotion and expression were impossible to read under the hood. "I will see to gathering more specifics, for you."

His eyes slid back over to the rest of the group. "Regardless of your skills or talents, I assure you that your efforts are and will be appreciated by all of Wonderland, once our world is set right side up again."

"Appreciated, indeed!" a new voice floated through the room. "I have been to the palace to visit the Queen... and she is most delighted to have new play things." A cat slowly materialized on the table in front of Lyanth's chair, starting with its grin, and then pouring like smoke into a cat form all the way down to its tail. It's head rotated all the way around, reminiscent of an owl's head, to look at Lyanth, as well. "Her old ones were getting so headless." It's neck disappeared in a wisp of smoke, giving the distinct impression that the body and head had been separated, before the head rotated all the way back around to the front, the neck reappearing. It started to walk around the table, peering deeply at each person at the table. It paused in step slightly at Soren, but only for a second, before walking past, head held high, as if it could care LESS about the small boy. It ended it's journey around the table by jumping up to lounge atop Yalaa's chair, lazily.

"I was wondering when you would show up. Ladies, Gentlemen, please meet the Cheshire Cat. He is on our side, the Wonderland resistance, though you may wish to throttle him from time to time. I assure you, that response is natural." Gryphon rubbed the bridge of his nose. The cat could be very aggravating. "That is all the information I have for you right now. You may feel free to do what you will, and go where you want, now. I can only stay for a few moments longer-" He glanced at Wyvern, who nodded. "But I have time for a question or two before I must go."


Only time for a couple of question? Well damn if Remy didn't have a list of them he wanted answered. Hopefully time for that later, after he did some digging around himself. But for now, Remy had one he needed to know. "What be the time limit we got on this all?" This was a job, he needed to know when it was to be done by... and if there was a chance of payment. Hey! May as well get something out of this all... other than a one way trip back home...


Lyanth just stared at the Cheshire Cat. There was something extremely unsettling about the creature, beyond the fact that Lyanth had never seen anything like it before. The ability to appear and disappear in sections was marvelous and terrifying all at once. Perhaps, should the beast within her not totally be lost, there was the potential to learn the skill from the cat. Thinking about it more deeply, she began to imagine the potential for such a skill in battle. Certainly an appealing advantage.

Focused back on the conversation at hand, Lyanth shifted her attention to Remy. Or Gambit. The poor Hume really seemed out of touch with reality. And asking such a preposterous question! Quests took as long as they took, and it was always in the best interest of the party to be quick and efficient. Otherwise, the person or country that sent you on the quest could fall into terrible danger. Or, if you were vain, one's reputation would plummet through the spreading of songs by the Bards about one's laziness. Really, Lyanth had always operated on the assumption that quests were to be done as soon as they were given.

"It seems to me that the sooner the True Queen is rescued the better. Have you indeed been fighting this war long, Sir Gryphon?"


"Indeed, Miss Lyanth," the Gryphon nodded at Lyanth, before looking back to Gambit, "The time limit is a life time. You may find that time flows differently here than in your home worlds, but your perception of it will likely remain the same as it ever has. I do recommend you use your time wisely- the penalties for murdering Time have been exceptionally harsh in the past. However- we would prefer, as you yourselves likely would, that things be righted before the end of the world."


"You are making dis sound like an easy task, Blue Mage Lyanth. Over confidences can be as dangerous a weapon against as any wield by da enemy." Yalaa commented, looking a little perplexed. "Ve are few, vould it not had been better to summon an army instead of only a handful, Gryphon?" No doubt this ruling Queen would have her own army, and whatever this Jabberwocky was that also fought for her. Yalaa did not like the idea of going in blind, at least not without a team she knew could fight and live through the ordeal. On that note, she raised a question to the entire table. "Are any of you healers?" Preferably a reliable one, but she needed a start point to figure out how to handle this situation.


"An army would be more suspicious if the case is as I fear," Soren responded to Yalaa. He didn't like it, but his lot was cast in with the rest. "I traveled in a group comparable to this size and we defeated three nations." He wasn't bragging, not really, but knew that any question of how many people there needed to be should be answered first. Looking over at the cat, which he wasn't entirely surprised to see (not that it would ever show on his face), Soren let out a breath. He had questions, but none that were overly pressing, not with this group. Soren would wait, would plan, would do what he did best.


Gryphon was pleased. This group of heroes were very task oriented. Could it be they FINALLY had a group that understood the task before them? "We would have summoned more, had we been able. Unfortunately, the summoning magics are very grand, and not at all easy cast. We summon as many as we have power and time to, but, as you have noticed, that number is not grand. That said, I think you will find that your abilities give you a grand advantage. The False Queen has numbers on her side, it's true, but very little magic. She herself has no magic at all. Magic is limited, in Wonderland, and that which is readily available is typically not very useful for a war." He glanced out the window at the storm, gauging how much time he had left here.


"So what, we're gonna be guerrilla warfare? An' that's only if we agree to help, I still want to figure out which side is which, no offense." Jake mused, brow furrowed in concern. He glanced over at Yalaa. "I can heal m'self, to a certain extent, but I'm afraid that don't help none of you, much."


Lyanth nodded to Yalaa, "My eagerness to complete the quest has gotten ahead of me already, Paladin Yalaa," The paladin part was a bit of a surprise, but it was true that one's armor didn't always match one's desires. "But I do think that we should soon be on our way, if at the very least to get out and explore this world. In this we can both begin the process of learning about the forces at work here and start to bring peace to this land. As for healing magic, I would greatly love to offer my abilities, as a Blue Mage I pride myself in versatility."

With a moment of hesitation, she shifted her gaze to Wyvern, the obvious spell-caster here. "However, all of my spells have been removed, most likely as an accident to this summoning magic. But do not despair, as I can learn new magic through combat." Lyanth hoped that was true. She had no idea if she was able to learn any magic of this land at all, but she needed to put on a brave face for the company. They had to save the Queen.

"Should any of you feel ready to join me, I would like to begin this quest, learn the skills of our enemies, and turn their evil against them!" Standing again, she banged her fist on the table to emphasize her point, and stared at the strangers around her. She may feel weak and confused, but the lost Queen needed a hero, and Lyanth would do whatever it took to fill that role.


"Seems we don't really got a choice in the matter, hein? We got to do this, if we want to leave." The comment was more directed at Jake, but since Remy said it openly he clearly wasn't hiding his view on the situation. While he didn't like the idea of making the place worse, cause no matter the location there was always going to be innocent people who got mixed up in a ruler's personal vendetta, he wanted to go home. If the only way to get home was to help in this rescue mission, then so be it. "There be any chance of... compensation? Since we be putting out necks on the line 'nd all?"


"Shouldn't-" Jamie squeaked, before slapping a hand over his mouth. He had been staying quiet, hoping they would all just forget he was here. His dupe elbowed him in the ribs, giving him a disproving look.

"Shut up!"

"I- it's already started, I might as well finish!" the two hissed at each other, before looking at the rest of the table. Jamie cleared his throat. "If- this queen person really is bad, shouldn't we just help, because... it's the right thing to do?"


The Gryphon nodded at Jamie. "I find your perspective admirable. However." His gaze shifted to Remy, "Should you desire some sort of compensation other than the satisfaction of knowing you've done the right thing, and transportation back to your home world-- I am sure we can work something out. I do not know what sort of compensation you would desire, but if a reward will help motivate you, then I shall see to it one is waiting for you. You have but to tell me what it is you'd like."

Wyvern's cloaked form didn't shift, or acknowledge Lyanth's attention, but her voice did issue out, from somewhere under the hood. "Don't worry. You'll have plenty of opportunities for combat. Whether you like it or not."


Soren pushed himself up straighter in his seat, looking over at the cloaked form of Wyvern. "What would you have us do in the meantime? Training, testing our compatibility, may be a better option than sitting around discussing things as if we have some sort of choice in the matter." His eyes traveled slowly around the group. He was no leader, and they would need to designated one. He was a tactician, not a general. His eyes paused on Lyanth, the spell caster. "I would be forced to agree that finding out if our abilities are at all hampered by the journey here would be the next step."


"Survive, primarily," the cat mused from atop Yalaa's chair, it's tail twitching passively.

Gryphon eyed the cat, slightly annoyed, but brushed it off. It was one of the more straight forwardly truthful things the creature had ever said. "Truly. After that, building compatibility with one another, and learning about Wonderland should be your priorities. No one is guaranteed safety here, but experiencing how the land works may very well help you in the long run." Looking around the table at all their faces, a sudden flash of lighting and frighteningly close roll of thunder rumbled through the room. He glanced out the window, then over to Wyvern. "We must be leaving now. We shall open the front gates, you're free to come and go as you please now, but DO please try and keep in mind what I've said? Wonderland is more dangerous than you know. I will be back within the week with our first plan of attack. In the meanwhile- you can continue getting settled in." He strode over to the single window, opening it, immediately filling the room with the howl of the wind outside.

As the rain pelted his face from the storm outside, his form began to twist, and grow, rippling and sprouting down his body, changing him from a severe looking man into an imposing monster, with the wings, front legs and head of a giant eagle, and back end of a lion. His ears looked more like those one might find on a horse, and stood tall. In short- a gryphon. His clothing thankfully melted into his form, instead of shredding with the change. His new size was quite large. He shook his wings out, before refolding them.

"I'll be back in a week." He repeated, looking over the group one last time, as Wyvern climbed on his back. His voice was exactly the same, and didn't seem to suffer at all from coming out of a beak instead of lips.

With that, he lunged out of the window, back into the storm, wings deploying to catch him in his fall, flying out into the storm towards some unknown destination, with Wyvern clinging to his back. Between the rain and the clouds, their forms were quickly lost from view.

For his part, the Cheshire Cat seemed unconcerned, flexing his claws as if contemplating sharpening them against Yalaa's chair.


Gryphon's transformation was an impressive one, but Yalaa couldn't help seeing the... being... as just a normal gryphon, a symbol of the Alliance. Maybe it was a sign, further proof that Gryphon and Wyvern's cause was the right one. As the two left in a wave of feathers, she angled her head up to speak to the cat. "I apologize for any insult I may had given you earlier, cat. I understand now dat I was not thinking clearly, and I am sorry for dat."

She then addressed the rest of the room. "It seems our options are limited for the time. Dey are right, I vould like to know da group I am vorking vith. Vhat you can all do, your limits. If ve are heading into a var, ve have to know ve can trust our backs to each other." It wasn't just a case of someone not being honourable to their word, but if they could hold their own in a fight and not bring the entire group down with them.


"So true, Paladin Yalaa." Lyanth had never seen such a transformation before in her life! What a great power this world held indeed. But Yalaa's words brought her back to the task at hand. "As I said before, my power lies in learning the abilities of my enemies and turning it against them. However, I have lost all I have learned previously, and now can only offer my Scimitar until I have learned some spells anew. This is a great weakness for me." She hoped the admission of weakness would open the other up to trusting her. Perhaps one of them would let her learn an ability of theirs.

"Additionally, as a sign of friendship, I would offer to anyone here some basic training in sword combat." She looked directly at Jamie and Arthur, knowing that they couldn't see her smile behind her face-mask, but smiled anyways. As for His Highness Remy Gambit, she wasn't going to let him be within a stone's throw of a weapon until she knew he was sane. But she didn't want to anger him right now.


Soren growled under his breath at being pretty much completely ignored. He had been in a war. He had defeated enemies twice the size of his army. He was a skilled tactician. But here he was, being overlooked. It angered him. But then, these people probably thought themselves far above the young appearing Branded sage. He stood and picked up the heavy book from his chair, glaring hard at the floor as he inched around the large throne-ish thing and towards the door. If they were going to completely ignore his input and existence, so be it. He would find a better place to go.


"Hey-- Soren? Wait, where y'going?" Jake straightened in his chair as Soren psuhed away from the table and headed towards the door. "Pardon, folks." He nodded his head to the table, before getting up to head after the boy, quickly.


Jamie and his dupe tried not to stare at the tall elf-looking woman. While she didn't cause the gut reaction of 'Demon! Fear! Panic!' that Yalaa did, she was still intimidating. "I- I don't know. I've never, I mean, I'm not... I'm not a fighter!" He stammered.

The dupe nudged him. "That kid is leaving- Can't we leave too?"

"Seems like a good idea to me..." Jamie nodded, looking somewhat miserable. "I think, ah, we're going to go back to bed. Maybe this will make sense in the morning.


"Oh, I doubt that. Nothing ever makes sense here. Except for when it does." the cat leaped down upon Yalaa's shoulders, landing light as smoke, and examining her face, up close. "That's called a paradox. I suggest you get used to them." It was unclear if it was speaking directly to Yalaa or to Jamie, or to the group as a whole.


When he heard his name, Soren turned and saw Jake headed towards him. Shaking his head, he pointed at the door, looking straight at Jake, letting him know that he was just headed out into the hall. With that done, Soren gave one last glare at the people in the room before sliding out into the hall.

||Continued in HH Her Way or the High Way||


"This be gettin' far too Brady Bunch for me..." Remy mumbled as he surveyed those around him, from the over eager to the down right panicked. With a scratch to the back of his head, and a stretch of his arms, he lifted himself out of his seat and onto his feet. "I believe more in showin' mon talents than tellin' of them. If we got a room we can destroy 'round here, be more than happy to show what I can do." Until then, Remy guessed he better make himself decent, and load up on his weapons. With a little bit of a sarcastic wave back at the group, he left the room.

||Continued in HH Her Way or the High Way||


Jake was slightly uncomfortable with Gambit's statement. Was he going to find a room to destroy? And Soren was still skulking off-- for what reason Jake did not know. "Pardon me, Ladies. Gentlemen." Jamie and Arthur didn't look like 'gentlemen' to Jake, but there was no call for starting fights right now. Right now, he had to make sure Soren was ok, and that this Gambit fellow wasn't going to blow up the building.


||Continued in HH Her Way or the High Way||


Jamie was now alone with the two terrifying women, and a demon cat. He and his dupe both whimpered.


As the room began to empty out, Yalaa kept her attention on Lyanth. This elf and her ability to mimic magic could be very helpful. "I vink your powers dat allow you to do dis could be beneficial to both of us, as vell as da group." She didn't mean to ignore Jamie or Arthur, but for now, this was more important. "I can heal others and myself, but I primarily am a tank. I fight out in da front line, I lead da charge, take da most damage to distract da enemy. For dat, I must have a healer at my back I can trust. Vould you be interested in learning my healing spells so ve can vork as a team?"


Standing, Lyanth bowed toward Yalaa. "Your skill set is indeed very similar to the Paladins of my world. I would be honored to learn from you. Though perhaps we should find a more open space for this." Lyanth gestured about the room. "Would any of you know a space large enough to duel in?"


"The halfway house has many rooms of many sizes," The Cheshire cat offered lazily. "One has simply but to find them. Personally, I'd much rather take up knitting than fighting. A ball of thread is vastly more interesting than a bloodied fist. Have any of you visited the sewing room yet?"


As the cat spoke again, something Yalaa was slowly becoming use to, she turned to Jamie, offering a smile to the still startled boy and his twin. "Are you both all right? Dis no doubt has been a troubling day for you both." She felt sorry for the two, being pulled into this conflict, but wondered if it was an honest mistake by their two hosts or if the boys really had something to offer to the fight.


The two glanced at one another, fearfully, then back at Yalaa, the talking cat, and Lyanth.

"Er..." the dupe mumbled, unsure of himself.

Jamie spoke up, "We- We're fine. But. I mean. Perhaps we should just. Uhm. We can- go back to bed. And...."

"And you two ladies can- work out your own... thing... here!" The dupe gestured, somewhat frantically, at the other two heroes.

"Or wherever. Y'know. Wherever works. We'll just--" Jamie stood, fumbling, out of his chair, pulling the dupe up with him.

"We're gonna- go. Back to bed. Yeah."


Lyanth smiled behind her face-mask. The young twins did seem completely overwhelmed by the situation, which she could not help but find adorable in their awkwardness. "Please, young sirs, take rest. I am sure you will be better able to process this new situation when you have both been refreshed. Also, Paladin Yalaa, it was rude of me to assume that you would be willing engage in combat this late in the evening. I would not mind at all should you want to be refreshed as well."


"Thanks," Jamie gushed linking arms with his dupe, "I think- yeah."

"Yeah. Ok. Yeah. In the morning." The dupe clung to the original, as the two moved in unison towards the door. "Sorry!" he called back to the two women.

"Yeah, sorry. We're- ahm. Sorry!" And with that, the two exited.

||Continued in HH Jamie's Room||


Yalaa tilted her head to acknowledge Jamie and his brother's exit, before offering a smile to Lyanth once they were out of ear shot. "I do hope dey have not been brought here by accident. Dey do not seem capable, but perhaps dey are more powerful dan dey seem." She then nodded her head to the other woman's logic. "Zound reasoning, it is much better to do such things once rested, and maybe after some food too." Before directing her attention to the cat. "Is dere kitchen facilities here, cat? Or a tavern near by?"


"That," the cat purred, having curled up into a ball in front of Yalaa now, "depends entirely on your definition of 'near by'. Also which direction you chose to go. But if it's food you're after, I have no doubt you can find that here, at the house."


"So true, Paladin Yalaa. I particularly find it curious that they were dressed identically, but that may be their custom. But yes, let us meet up in the morning. As I am neither tired or hungry, I will see if I can search our a good sized space to fight in. Lest there is anything else, I will take my leave of you Paladin Yalaa and Sir Cheshire cat." Bowing, Lyanth pushed her chair in gently to the table and stepped back to the door.


"Until da morning den." Yalaa offered back to Lyanth, giving a brief wave of her hand in farewell as the elf woman was to leave the room. She supposed she should return to her own room and prep as much as she could, even if it was just mentally. A war and a quest was nothing new to her, but working with such a team was, and she worried for their safety as well as her own.


Lyanth left the War Room with a nod.

|| Continued in HH Her Way or the High Way ||


"Good evening, cat." Yalaa offered the strange being as she followed behind Lyanth's steps.

|| Continued in HH Her Way or the High Way ||