The Adventures of Alice and Max
Chapter 33: Alice and Max Storm the Castle
All was quiet before the King gave the order.
Nothing seemed real. All was frozen. Time nonexistent.
Alice gazed out into the far reaches, out into the edge of the dark world, trying to see the Great Light.
Maybe if I squint, I’ll see it eventually.
But just as she was looking out, the King of Briarwood, unsheathing his sword, shouted, “All on me! Attack!”
He ran down through the streets, across empty cars and abandoned bicycles. Buildings were shuyt up with wooden boards, garage doors were shut across small shops, and most lights inside were dark and desolate. Everyone followed him, chanting, “Long Live the King’s People!”
Through the deserted streets, they ran furiously, waving their weapons. Imposing and stout-hearted, the soldiers shouted and hooted. Their voices rang out, echoing throughout the buildings and arson ridden houses.
Moving like a horde of ants, they swam through meticulously and aggressively towards the downtown where the Garden’s and Capitol stood, fierce and proud.
As they turned the corner, Alice and Max could see the other soldier’s breastplates displayed proudly with a yellow star on front as they fought with the white armored guards. They emerged out of the sewers, erupting out of the manholes near the Gardens. They fought endlessly the hordes of the Guard. Spears were thrown, swords clashed and battered, heads were bashed and throats slashed.
Suddenly, as the King headed towards the chaos, the King’s People collided with the white horde, collapsing on top of each other.
Alice sliced and evaded blows. Max hit a thug with his elbow paralyzing him instantly then dug his sword deep into a guard’s stomach.
As they moved among the ensuing chaos, Alice’s arm was grabbed. Startled, she looked up, but then was relieved and smiled.
“Dear me,” Miss Rose said, smiling. “I sure didn’t expect to see you here.” Then in the madness, Miss Rose fired off her pistol and shot at the white guards one by one. “I thought I lost you. I also brought some company.”
Alice turned and saw Lily behind and all of the girls from the orphanage driving and managing three giant tanks.
“This one’s for all of us, Alice,” Lily shouted as she popped her head out of the entrance to the tank top.
Then she sneaked and hid again as the gray metal tanks fired mercilessly at the Gardens of the Queen’s Capital, the mysterious castle that was hidden behind the large scaling trees. The giant tangled mass of long dying shrubs encased the Queen’s palace like an invisible shield, protecting it against its enemies. But the firing started to crumble the shrubbery. Fire erupted and spewed around the gardens, destroying the Queen’s perfectly manicured flower beds and evergreen trees and plants.
Then as Max stabbed a soldier in the face, he twisted it mercilessly and then releasing the blade, he looked up and saw Pig and big Abe, with long sharp spears killing five guards at once and impaling them on a stick.
“Hey!” Max called. “Hey, you two!”
They turned their heads. Abe smirked cunningly, came forward, and clasped arms with Max. “What’re you guys doing here?”
“Wanted to join the party,” Abe said. “We gotta fight for the City, right?”
Pig impaled the face of a writhing guard and said, “We heard the rumors that the King and his secret people were gonna invade the City. So we came.”
“What happened to the kids back at Muze’s?”
“Their safe but the older ones we brought,” Abe said. Two teenagers on Max’s left on top of a building, threw two guards off as they collapsed and splattered onto the pavement. “See? Better than expected.”
“We figure we want to join in the King’s ranks as soon as possible,” Pig said firing rounds at the sky, hitting some Transfigurans. “We heard he was a great king.”
“Better than Muze ever will be,” Abe said gravely and spitting on the ground harshly. “What a fool I was listening to every word that insane guy spoke.”
“You were under his influence,” Max said. “You had no idea. He fogged your mind with a trance.”
“Yeah, what a jerk. But look I think I met some more kids you know,” Abe said pointing up.
Then Max saw James shooting some guards with a handgun on a nearby roof and shouted, “Come on guys! Show ‘em who’s boss!”
“Bruce is!” Rooster said.
“Not anymore dummy,” Markus said firing at his small enemies. “We quit to join the Queen’s ranks!”
“King’s ranks, guys,” James said rolling his eyes. “We’re joining the King against the Queen.”
“Wait, but which guys am I supposed to be shooting at?”
“The white ones!” James said furious.
“Yeah the white ones are the good guys, no?” Markus asked.
“No! They’re the bad guys, the Queen’s soldiers.”
“This is all confusing,” Markus said embarrassed. But then went shooting the white coats.
“Rooster, Markus, James!” Max called up. They sniped their foes and then looked up at Max.
James smiled and yelled, “That’s right, boiy! Now, come on, Max,” he said firing endlessly. “We’re gonna need ya now more than ever! I finally found ya! I guess you didn’t go to the bathroom after all. That woulda been a long break!”
Max screamed like a warrior and attacked in the red sea of death.
Then after he killed six more men, he called out to Pig and Abe, “Me and Alice need to get onto the roof, you see that platform?” He pointed and they witnessed the large palace of the Queen, the large cathedral stood tall and menacingly over all peoples, threatening at any foul move one might make. And then along the left side jetting out was a large structure that held huge balls and jetted out far out and on top of the roof was where a doorway stood. One way to enter the Queen’s castle.
“Yeah, so?” Abe said, annoyed.
“So, we need to get up front,” Max explained. “But there’s too many people.”
“And?”
“And you two have large spears.”
“And?”
“Oh, my - Look you can spear people and use yourself like a wall to surround us and we’ll trudge ahead with you.”
“You want us to be a wall for you,” Pig asked unimpressed.
“Hey, it’s not my brightest idea-”
“We’ll do it,” Pig said grinning madly and raising his spear, indicating near death to all who would oppose him and Abe. Abe nodded in agreement silently as they prepared for impact.
Max called out to Alice who saved Douglass from almost getting his head chopped off. She turned and saw Max’s wave as she ran over. He explained everything to her and the whole plan he surmised.
She smiled. “You’re not so bad, after all, buddy.”
“I have my moments,” Max said laughing.
So as the allies gathered together, to storm the Queen’s dreadful castle, guards were falling back as they shot their rifles and pistols. They were pushed back by the force of the King’s army. Trampling down under, scourging with their arrows and swords, the children made it to the gardens.
Surrounding the castle and flooding the gardens, Alice and Max made their way through as Pig and Abe pushed guards out of the way with their deadly spears.
The fire spread as the white guards put up a fight, raging as they hacked away at the King’s men. But it was no use, fear overtook their hearts as the King’s People fought and triumphed.
Finally, after they pushed through almost dying a few times, Abe and Pig arrived at the wall and said, “But how’re you gonna climb?”
“Leave that to me,” Alice said as she reached into her bag and pulled out a sharp hook and a long, sturdy rope, assembled it and flung the hook attached to the rope into the air. It landed perfectly onto the edge of the frame of the massive long building.
“Wow, that was easy,” Abe said beaming brightly. The first time Max saw him smile.
And just as Alice and Max were about to climb, a boomerang swung around and tore the rope as it unraveled. Turning and twisting around all shattered in their psyche and trembling in their weak hearts and minds, they saw the bald and sweaty head of Captain Rapture.
The boomerang hurled back round and landed into Rapture’s white gloved palms and he said satisfied, “After all this time, I have you right where I want you.”
Abe and Pig hurled at him but he deflected their blows as he kicked Abe in the ribs and spun round, hitting Pig in the back as he collapsed head first into a bush.
“No more running,” Rapture said heaving in fury.
Max lunged and tried to bring him to the ground but Rapture got him by the neck and slammed his head against the ground.
“Max!” Alice shouted and charged Rapture. But Max slid over onto the ground and hid in the bushes around as people were slain and cursing numerous. He rubbed his neck as he sighed out of pain but also relief that he was alive.
Alice wide-eyed, tried to cut Rapture but he was too quick. He grabbed her hair but she clawed his left hand as he drew back, annoyed and irritated that he got bested by a girl.
“So, another go, shall we?” he said as he drew his boomerang. It transformed into a glistening mechanical sword. It contracted out and grew in size, transforming into a sharper and deadlier blade.
Alice raised her small but lethal sword as the golden handle glistened against the street lamps.
Captain Rapture’s sword gleamed wickedly in the starry night.
“Alice,” he said quietly. “The little blond girl who got away. But not this time, not this time!”
He ran at her as he screamed, vengefully, “I’ll make sure of it!”
But she spun and jumped as he went flying into his fellow soldiers whom he almost killed. Angrily, he pushed his men out of the way as he was caught in another fight.
He fought three of the King’s men. He battled with swords as metal clinked together in a loud roar of sheer death. Rapture killed them quickly and with tenacity. He was meticulous and no one was getting in his way of killing Alice.
Alice rose and stabbed a guard as he had his back turned. Choking in agony and clutching at his throat, the white-clothed guard fell to his knees as she released the sword from his heart.
She then saw, Captain Rapture, approaching like a lion ready to devour his food. “I’m gonna enjoy this one, kid.”
But Alice stood tall, and said, “I’m right here, Rapture. But I’m not willingly being taken. I won’t go without a fight.”
To Be Continued…
