Misfit Trials

Chapter 1

In the middle of the Blade is a clearing surrounded by dense, black forest. A canopy spreads over the clearing so no light gets in. A stone podium stands at one end. It is a large and gray stone, smooth and polished. A semicircle of chairs sit around the podium: on either side: three to the right and four to the left. In the middle of the clearing is a large, black, obsidian dais. The dais is well-worn with the pacing of many feet. It seems to radiate pain, sorrow, and anger. Long wooden benches fan out from the dais, filling the rest of the clearing. Torch stands line the perimeter and are interspersed throughout the clearing. Even with every torch light, the place is blanketed in shadow. The area is sparse, dark, and secluded, conjuring the images of dark deeds and painful memories. The perfect place to plot revenge.

Visitors come to the clearing once a year, yet nothing grows there. Too much evil has been told and spread here, but not by the creatures crawling and clawing through the forest to have justice dispensed.

Among the first to arrive is the judge, the Cheshire Cat of Wonderland. He takes his seat behind the stone podium. In the torch light, his large emerald green eyes and jagged, sharp teeth gleam. His wide and ever-present grin appears sinister and is difficult to look at for more than a few minutes. The Cat unbuttons his green suit coat and smooths his purple fur, preparing for a long night. He jiggles his black, lacquered walking stick in his left hand as he checks his pocket watch with his right. Ten minutes until the start of the trial.

Standing beside the Cat is his bailiff, The Mad Hatter of Wonderland. His suit hangs from his gaunt frame, dirty and frayed. His overly large top hat, bent and faded, rests precariously on his head. The hair beneath sticks straight out in all directions, as if he was electrocuted. He probably was. The Hatter's hands hang limp at his sides and a wild and wiry beard grows on his face. Based on his haggard appearance, it is easy to miss the Hatter's eyes. They gleam in the torchlight with a combination of intelligence and madness. His eyes dart in every direction, seeking the sources of noises, both real and imagined. The Hatter stands between the Cat and the crowd and no one dares to cross the divide.

Others quickly arrive in the clearing. Jadis, the giantess, towers over the assembly. Dressed completely in white with frost covering her skin, other creatures give her a wide berth as she sits in the spectator seats. She has been petitioning the court for years to aid her in avenging her lover, the Magician. Together, the two had created a new world, Narnia. It was a magical Winter Wonderland, until Aslan, the lion, took over. He killed the Magician and made Narnians believe that Jadis was a witch. All her attempts to save Narnia failed, particularly when Aslan enlisted the Pevensie children. She was cast out of Narnia and made her way to the Neverends. She has been waiting ever since.

At the edge of the clearing, Cruella de Vil sits quietly sucking on her cigarette. Her black hair is streaked with white and her once-immaculate white fur coat is patched with odd pieces of brown, red, and blonde. It is as if she has been scavenging fur to keep herself warm. Cruella's attempts to shut down the Radcliffe's puppy mill cost her everything: her social standing, her home, and her family. The Radcliffe's were far too powerful, far too devious. She never stood a chance.

Baba Yaga enters the clearing to the sound of whispers and hisses. Her iron teeth make her lips protrude from her face, though not as much as her nose. Her skeletal frame looks as if she might tip over. She is muttering one word in Russian, though no one has ever been able to clearly understand what she says. Possibly the name of a child. It has been said that she eats children, but those old enough to know remember her hunting for a specific child. Maybe a grandchild who was lost?

The "Big Bad" Wolf lays curled at the edge of the clearing. He is covered in matted and tangled gray fur and he shakes with fear at the assemblage. The Wolf is featured in many fairy tales: The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Peter and the Wolf, and so on. Looking at him, everyone knows that he was just a scapegoat. An easy way to explain the horrible things people do to each other.