Silence echoed through the dungeon as Alice turned the key in the keyhole above her head, a heavy, wooden click quickly filling that silence. Flower petals carried by a breeze spiraled out of the opening gate, strange yet child-like music speaking of flourishing fantasies rolled from that otherworldly portal Alice now found herself in the awning off. A sort of haze hung in the air. Like cinders and smoke but sweeter. Alice could feel the Cheshire Cat's eyes burn in her back as she stepped inside, and found the portal rising up to meet her, swallowing her into a darkness where she found herself falling to an unknown destination.<br/><br/>Back at the dungeon, the male dryad Ekho and the White Knight found themselves able to enter the awning unopposed. That portal waiting alluring to a promised freedom. One could only hope the cat was true to it's worth in it's madness, and this portal lead to somewhere where they were safe and free. From the darkness, the Cheshire's eyes glowed, watching them closely and waiting for them to enter, and while it could not be seen, the Cheshire cat was almost certainly grinning.<br/><br/>As combat heated up, and more and more reinforcements arrived from above to aid the demon forces into dispatching the nymph's corruption, Elirr and Alin'sora did not find their entry as unimpeded as that of those before. Like teeth, a steel portcullis descended to bar their way from entering the awning. Quite likely trapping Ekho and the White knight in the mouth of the strange portal cave as well. Wresting itself free from the stone above, the upper body of the Cheshire cat manifested to speak to them. It looked barely feline, more of a gargoyle, or more like one of the creatures suffering Alin'ssora's corrupted touch.<br/><br/><i>"Ugh, must you bring that?<br/>
It's dripping and drooling,<br/>
and probably tastes of rot.<br/>
I asked for something that,<br/>
you know, might appease.<br/>
<br/>
Yet all I see in front of me, <br/>
is this rotten horse creature.<br/>
The white knight might,<br/>
but I have no need of a mount."</i><br/><br/>While the Cheshire cat spoke, another manifested itself from the mist. This cat fat and fluffy, so unlike the first body is manifested. It also looked like an actual cat, even if it had an unsettling grin. Sitting right in front of the face of the bee-girl Elir was dragging along. It looked curious at Izzy, tilting it's head before purring and rubbing itself against the frightened Izzy's cheek.<i>"Perhaps I spoke too soon."</i>it mused, while more small copies of itself manifested around the bee-girl, rubbing their heads against her for in search for affection and attention.<br/><br/><i>"The lord of the castle is well on his way here."</i>One of the many Cheshire cats said, before another chimed in.<i>"And this treat looks promising, but it's hard to say if might truly appease me. Like I asked the Red Queen to find a way."</i>Playfully batting at Izzy's antennae, yet another spoke up.<i>"Promising, yes, she has potential to be something... fun. But she isn't yet. Still, she could be."</i>All of the cats crowding Izzy turned their eyes and grin towards the nymph and her drider companion. The one sitting above the gate left out a playful sigh.<i>"We're running out of time, so I'll ask on good faith. Take this tender treat and teach it to be something neat!"</i>Laughing and talking amongst themselves, the Cheshire cats turned tail and vanished into nothingness yet again, while that portcullis made from teeth slowly opened, providing everyone a way into the portal, out of the dungeon.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>