A Tale That Dawned [Book 4 of Selvina's Tale series]

Chapter 32: The Only Weapon

The Black Knight had burned its way through the maze of roses and reached the outer wall of Alice's castle. The castle's knights and guards had braced the door with as much material as they could gather and formed a block of armoured bodies behind it, weapons bared and shields up.

The Black Knight cut its way through the door and barricade with a few vicious and explosive strokes and was soon battling its ways through the defenders. None of their weapons could pierce its armour but its sword cleaved through theirs as if they wore none. Their brave stand did slow its progress, if only slightly.

Beyond the gardens, standing atop the keep's wall, Alice watched in dismay. She glanced aside as half a dozen bandersnatches tore across the open expanse, smashing through finely trimmed hedges and carving holes through the lawn with their sharp claws. Their mouths slavering, teeth shining, they roared in unison just as the Black Knight decapitated the last guard.

The bandersnatches, several hundred pounds of muscle and might, pounced at the Black Knight, claws and teeth leading. With a swift stroke it cleaved the first one in two, impaled the second, and caught the third in one hand, gripping the huge beast's throat tightly. It roared and grunted in protest but as the fingers clenched tighter the sounds coming from it became far more high-pitched and filled with pain. Whimpering in agony, the bandersnatch went silent as the Black Knight snapped its neck and tossed it aside. The last three bandersnatches circled their enemy but glanced at one another worriedly, waiting for one to attack first.

The Black Knight ignored them and continued to march toward the castle.

Alice eyed it expectantly. The Black Knight was approaching one of Hatter's traps. She could see him hiding behind one of the hedges, sipping at his tea cup nervously as he watched the demon's advance. Concealed behind other animal-shaped hedges were his accomplices, ready to aid in springing the trap.

The Black Knight stepped onto a white line of chalk drawn on the road. A moment later, a score of Wonderland citizens sprung out of hiding, bearing all manner of projectile. A dodo threw a baked apple pie at the knight, hooting with glee as it splattered all over its full-faced helm. A pair of dormice climbed up its armoured body and squeezed hot peppers into its eye-slit, giggling away as the Black Knight grunted and shook its head. Three dogs and a cat threw banana peels in the knight's path, rolling in laughter as it slipped and stumbled. A walrus, a lizard, and a sheep carried a huge bucket between them and dumped it over the Black Knight as it tried to recover from the banana peels. Hot black tar dribbled down the demon's body, forming a puddle at its feet. Finally, the Mad Hatter appeared, carrying a massive top hat in his arms. He slid it over the Black Knight's whole body as it was encumbered by the heavy tar, and then gave it a hug, ensuring the inside of the hat stuck to the sticky substance. He then stomped his feet on the hat's brim, sticking it to the tar on the road.

"Stand clear!" cried a multitude of tiny voices.

The Hatter stood back as a hundred fairies flew in and battered the hat with blue balls of lights. As a layer of ice began to form over the hat, the Black Knight struggled more powerfully, roaring in rage.

"Faster, faster!" Hatter shouted at the fairies. "Before he tears my biggestest and most precious of all hats!"

The block of ice was soon finished, trapping the hat that trapped the pile of tar that trapped the Black Knight beneath it all. Everyone gathered around cheered, including the three bandersnatches. The Black Knight was stopped!

Alice let a smile creep across her face. Could they have done it? Was the Black Knight really stopped? She dared to hope that it was so.

Moments later, all hopes were shattered as the block of ice itself shattered to pieces. The Black Knight stood with arms outstretched, fists clenched, and dark flames burning all over its armoured body, the man-sized top hat nothing but cinders. With a cry of fury it set itself upon the defenders. Hatter threw his empty teacup at it before holding his hat with one hand and racing away. His accomplices shrieked in terror and hurried off with all haste. The Black Knight pursued, reaching the slow walrus first, dispatching him with a vicious slash. The dodo was next, huffing and puffing and waddling as quickly as his short legs allowed him.