Moon Girl 5: Camelot

By Briony Rose Smith

On the run and caught by the police. Dreda thought that her friend Matis Lawson would save her but instead, he asks her a question:

‘Do you want to break the curse?’

She gives no answer and he sends her to places and times unknown. Separated from everyone but her pixie friend, Alice. Dreda faces one of her grandest fears and just when she thought she had learned all there was of the world. She leans what she may need to turn it upside down once more.

Welcome to a world ruled by mythical creatures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Briony Rose Smith
• Release date: Dec 6, 2023

Briony Rose Smith

Hello!My name is Briony Rose Smith, Author of superhero's and hopefully other things in the future and will think of a better bio here in the future. It's all fun and games writing about fantasy but when it's me it's hard, ya know?

Book preview

Dreda stumbled, unable to keep her balance. Her vision was stars but instinctively she threw her hands out to catch her and felt the ground covered in strange, damp...

Grass?

Slowly, sight came back to her blue eyes. She blinked again and again until the green grass beneath her became clear.

She took in deep breaths of chilly air that felt nothing like the ones she had taken moments ago.

She’d been in a holding cell. The air had been dry, and smelly due to the toilet in the room, but it was crisp and clear now.

W- She wasn’t even sure what to say, she whipped her head around to see green fields stretching out in all directions.

Then she remembered she hadn’t been alone in that holding cell.

Alice?! She called.

Here.

Despite not knowing where they were or what the hell just happened, hearing the familiar high-pitched sound of her pixy friend reassured her greatly.

Alice glided up into a more obvious view and the two shared a smile like they were both trying to reassure the other.

Don’t happen to know the magic Matis used? Alice asked.

No, I... Dreda paused, You know Matis? She questioned.

Matis Lawson. The man who processed Dreda after coming out of The Project. The man who looked up a name for her, was looking up ways to help stop The Project, got captured by Sanson when investigating him,

and now…captured her and Alice. Threw them into a holding cell and then…used a massive amount of magical power and managed to throw them…somewhere.

Alice would have heard his name before because of what happened with Sanson but as far as Dreda knew Alice hadn’t been in the field long enough to meet the detective face to face.

Yeah, he found us a few years back. Gave Fort the idea for our villain names. Alice explained and Dreda’s stomach turned.

Just...who was Matis Lawson?

And more importantly, where did he send them?

Any pixie tricks you can use to help us tell where we are? Dreda asked, hopefully.

Well, no magic but I can do this. She answered, then flew up into the air, small wings buzzing.

Dreda followed her up with her eyes, thanking her lucky stars so much that she wasn’t here alone and even more so that she was stuck with someone with wings who could get the lay of the land with ease.

Alice slowly spun to get a good look at her surroundings. She saw the Pixie stiffen and quickly fly back down.

We should go that way. She pointed in the opposite direction she just looked in.

Why? Dreda asked, worried about the grim look on the Pixie’s small face.

Cause that way, She pointed over her shoulder, Is a town that has the same kind of vines and shit as Solala.

Ah. Dreda nodded, turning on her heel and setting off in the direction Alice pointed.

In a poof of pink smoke behind her Alice caught up in her human form and the two shared another reassuring smile. But when they looked away from each other they both just...thought about everything that happened.

What the hell even happened? Dreda sighed.

I know, right! Alice exclaimed, Lani being the dirty traitor I knew she was, fucking police officer magic man. Like what the fuck?

Dreda frowned. Hearing Alice always thought of Lani like that hurt a bit. Admittedly, it hurt less than Lani going traitor in the first place.

How did you beat her? Dreda asked, curiously.

Alice frowned, insulted,

Not saying you couldn’t. Dreda put her hands up, But she was using a lot more than just her normal wind powers there and she’s like, 600 years old and probably pretty experienced and-

Alice sighed, She let me go.

Dreda stared confused.

Yeah. I don’t think I’ll ever understand that girl but once you got away and after a bit of time, she told me to go to you. That you’ll need me, and I didn’t want to question it too much but… Alice frowned, I think maybe she was working with Matis. That’s what I figured as I was waiting for you to wake up.

What do you mean? Dreda asked.

Well, I think Lani was just supposed to separate you from the others. She was pretty fixated on just you and with that barrier she set up she could have caught all of us if she wanted but she didn’t. Then she kept me just busy enough for Matis to knock you out and let me go with just enough time for me to zoom over and fly into your pocket before they took you away. That can’t all be a coincidence.

Dreda shook her head, Just who the hell is Matis?

Alice shrugged, looking worried, Someone scary, I think.

Dreda nodded. The amount of power that had been poured into the spell that transported them to wherever they were had been immense. From what she sensed it wasn’t fairy magic so he hadn’t borrowed it from Lani nor was it a combination of powers like it should have been for a human.

Very few things could have pulled together the power Matis had.

Chapter 2: Pixies and Faries chapter heading

Ooh, a forest. Alice chirped with a little hop as they approached the woodland.

The trees at this point were rather far apart but they were thick and old, gnarled, and dark. The leaves lit up the area in vibrant colours of yellow and red that could barely hold on from joining their brethren carpeting the earthen floor.

Alice went to literally skip in but only got one little hop before she stopped herself with the good sense that she shouldn’t run off ahead.

She looked back to Dreda with an asking frown as Dreda just shook her head, unwilling to skip with the pixie recklessly into unknown territory.

Much more cautious of whatever the hell they could run into, Dreda opened her senses as they entered the trees but as she did, she stopped.

Alice walked a few steps before realizing and looked back concerned.

Dreda was looking at the ground a few feet from her with a look of confused amazement.

What is it? Alice asked.

There’s so much power around. Just raw lingering power. Dreda pulled her eyes up and looked around.

Alice frowned and tilted her head, but Dreda just had to take a few seconds to take it in. It was nothing like what she felt normally when she opened her senses like this.

There was a sense of nothingness back where they came from. Dreda had so easily picked out the creatures around her because they were so clear in that nothingness but now...

Now her senses felt like they were in fog just because there was so much power around. She could pick up pieces of the earth from it, powers of the air, of the world and nature itself.

Had the curse affected that in the world they came from?

Hello, Alice called.

Dreda jumped out of her skin. She’d been so distracted for a moment that Alice had managed to walk right up to her and lean in.

Alice frowned worried, You gonna be okay?

Yeah, Dreda shook her head and for now closed off her somewhat useless senses, Just feels very different here.

Alice nodded thoughtfully, What do you think that means?

Dreda shrugged, I have no idea, other than I can’t sense things like I could before....

That worried Dreda a little and Alice nodded, Just have to keep to the five senses, The Pixie shrugged and moved further into the forest.

Dreda frowned. Maybe the uneasiness that welled up in her meant she had become a little too reliant on that sense.

She jogged to catch up with Alice and the two wandered further into the forest. The sun slowly disappeared as the canopy of sunset colours became their new sky. The thick, old trees increased in number and the two walked closer together as it shortened their field of vision.

The trees rustled in the breeze. 

Dreda caught a glimpse of a blur of bright orange. She stopped dead. It zoomed towards them. She braced but it stopped not far from them and revealed what it was.

Alice didn’t know what to make of it. It was small, as big as her hand with buzzing, shattered-glass wings.

It was a pixie.

Halt! It ordered in its tiny high-pitched voice.

Dreda and Alice exchanged looks and the pixies’ eyes narrowed on them. It wore what looked to be a tiny guard uniform, like something from a fantasy book. A little spear was pointed at them.

It narrowed its eyes at them, neon blue locks falling around its face.

State your business.  It ordered.

Alice and Dreda tried not to panic but the two had no idea what to do. Dreda stammered for an answer while Alice decided it might be better to negotiate at the same size.

In a puff of pink smoke, Alice was about the same size and floated over.

The pixie was taken aback at her transformation. It blinked at her with a look of utter confusion.

Why were you in that...strange form, fellow pixie? He asked her.

Well...I ….er… Alice struggled, I was...trying to gain the human's trust! Yes.

Oh! Oh, I see. The pixie's whole face went red with embarrassment, And I have ruined the game. Oh, I do apologize!

It’s alright! To make it up to me, you can tell me where the nearest human city is. Alice tried.

The pixie paused, its face fading back to the strange grey colour it had been before the red. The look of confusion returned too.

There are no human cities. It stated.

Alice and Dreda stiffened.

Then- Alice tried to ask for something else, but the Pixie spoke over her.

Humans are rare. The Empress will want to see it. You have to take it to her after playing with it. The pixie told her.

Dreda didn’t appreciate being called ‘it’, but she wasn’t about to argue.

I will. I will. Alice nodded.

Okay... The pixies seemed a bit disbelieving but flew away.

Alice turned around, and gave an apologetic smile before poking Dreda and yelling,

Let’s go play human! Go! Go!

R-right. Dreda walked in the way she was being prodded then after a few steps she heard Alice whisper.

I think we should run.

Dreda nodded then broke into a sprint through the forest.

Though...having lived in a city for as long as she could remember she stumbled slightly on the roots and uneven ground of the wild forest. To stop herself falling flat on her face she quickly realized she had to slow down.

Alice could fly much faster than she could run but stopped every so often to let her catch up.

They didn’t manage to get all that far though as Alice stopped dead as something they really didn’t want to see jumped out of the bushes.

The small dark-skinned girl had large purple eyes and pointed ears. Her warm orange wings kept her just a little off the ground as she looked between them and squealed at the sight of Dreda.

Oooh! I thought I heard something about a human! I did! I did. The girl clapped.

Alice and Dreda looked at each other awkwardly. Then Alice quickly turned to her.

She’s mine! Go away! Alice snapped at her, and the girl looked at Alice confused more than anything.

Excuse me? She questioned.

I said she’s mine... Alice said again with less confidence.

Nope! Mine now, and you were rude to me. You can both come with me to Solala! She clapped, Under arrest! Under arrest!

As she declared this as sprites appeared all around. Alice and Dreda faced them back-to-back.

This isn’t fair! You can’t steal her! Alice tried to argue, pretty sure she wouldn’t get anywhere.

I am Princess Hokulani of Solala. The girl declared and the two froze at the name, I can do whatever I want!

Alice glared at the girl and darted for her as Dreda readied herself for the sprites. There were four in total. More than that she wasn’t really comfortable taking on her own without the runes in her hero outfit.

She felt a small pang of loss when she realized this meant she didn’t have Tim’s scales either, but she had to quickly shake it off a dart out the way of a water sprite coming her way.

Hokulani giggled as she saw Alice go for her.

What are you doing pix-

When she got close Alice blew dust at her, but the fairy quickly darted back, summoned a small green glass wand, and waved it in an arc, blowing the dust away.

She glared at Alice.

You can’t attack me! She barked at her, but Alice looked stunned for a moment.

She’d fought a fairy with that exact weapon not that long ago. A Lani, just like her.

What the-?

The hesitation was enough to throw her off. Hokulani lashed out. She threw her wand at her, and a concentrated ball of air threw Alice back and into a tree.

The pixie fell to the ground and struggled to get back up again.

Alice! Dreda called worried, dodging to try to get to her but an earth sprite got between them.

Hokulani picked Alice up by the wings, careful not to cut herself, obviously pretty practised at dealing with this kind of thing.

You can’t defend against all of my sprites, human. If this pixie is your friend, then give up.

Dreda glared at the girl. The sprites had taken her lead and stopped attacking but the earth one still kept her from charging the fairy and freeing Alice.

The last place Dreda wanted to go now was Solala considering she had just gotten out but...this wasn’t the world she knew. She had no idea where they were, or what had happened.

Maybe, maybe going somewhere they had at least heard of would be better than wandering around blind.

So, she relented.

Fine.

Dreda! Don’t we just- Alice tried to tell her off, but Hokulani shook her.

Quiet traitor. She snapped at her, then looked at Dreda with a smile, Okay, then. Come on!

Dreda thought Alice might set off fire with her hot glare from being called a traitor. She managed to keep her mouth shut but her face was as red as the inferno.

Hokulani landed then skipped through the forest at a fast pace back the way Dreda and Alice had come. Dreda had to jog to keep up with her but...

Like Alice, she had started to see similarities with this girl and a certain fairy she knew. She didn’t get that great a look at Lani’s wand while she had been on the ground, but it had been green like the one this fairy carried. She was younger though. Their Lani was a teenager, this one was clearly a child. Dreda couldn’t say she knew much about kids, but she looked about as young as Cole who looked young for his age, so she looked maybe about 10.

Poor Alice was shaken up and down as they went, and they were led back to the large city of Solala they had seen in the distance.

Chapter 3: Prison Birds chapter title

To Alice, it was familiar but...older. Rather than the towering city of vines Alice had seen from the Solala they came from, the buildings here were much more modest.

Small cottages, like the city they lived in, might have been hundreds of years ago. There were fewer vines too. Maybe because they were on the surface now, they didn’t need as much light. The stone and wood buildings looked like they stood easily on their own and the entangled vines were simply decoration.

Hokulani skipped through the town. Waving happily to fairies that bowed to their princess as she passed. When they looked back up, they noticed Dreda and started whispering to each other.

Dreda still couldn't make heads or tails of their situation.

They were led to the centre where a traditional medieval castle stood. The watchtowers were square though, making Dreda think of a skyscraper just without the glass.

Hokulani happily skipped through and into the large building. She spoke to a few people.

Dreda could just about hear. Something about wanting to keep the human and hoping the pixie got thrown into jail forever but the guards shook their heads.

They told her she couldn’t which Dreda didn’t know whether to be relieved at or not. Hokulani pouted as the guards started to take them away to cells that looked familiar to Alice at least.

Alice tried to hide her smile that she knew how to open and close these but as Dreda was shoved into one of the bending bar cells Alice was thrown into a tiny birdcage cell that hung on hooks between the larger cells.

Hey! She barked as the tiny door shut before she could fly out.

The sprites left them and both Dreda and Alice examined their cells trying to find a way out.

Hokulani. Alice stated as she buzzed around her cage, Heard of it?

Nope. Dreda answered pulling to see if any of the cell bars were weak, You?

No, but she had the same weapon as the Lani we know. Alice pointed out.

Her wings were the same colour too. Dreda answered, But there’s no way that was our Lani, right?

I don’t want to call her ‘our Lani’. ‘Our traitor’ maybe.

Dreda didn’t quite agree. She was mad at Lani for this, sure, but she must have had her reasons... maybe.

After about half an hour of shuffling around the two deemed there was no way out for them. Dreda had tried to use her magic on it, to activate whatever magic they did to bend the bars, but it was no use. For some reason, the magic just didn’t respond to her at all.

Alice on the other hand couldn’t find anything in her little cage that was connected up to the same magic she had used to open the cells before. It was just cold hard steel, and to her at least, it stank.

The two eventually settled down. Frustrated but settled. There was no point in wasting energy they could use to escape when the time was right.

Curiouser and curiouser. Alice thought out loud.

Dreda giggled, So, we’re in Wonderland?

I mean, why not? We have weird not quite versions of things we know, She shrugged.

So, you’re Alice. What does that make me? Dreda asked, remembering the fond times in The Project when she and Alice would argue about who got to be Alice in their pretend wonderland.

Alice had officially taken the name so by all accounts she had won.

Erm... well I guess I followed you here, so you’re the white rabbit. Alice nodded to herself.

I’m late, I’m late for a very important date, Dreda quoted, then her heart ached when it reminded her, For a date with Tim I never got to go on.

She groaned as her back slipped down the wall she was leaning on, the weight of emotion just crushing her down.

She felt about ready to cry then and there. It usually took a bit more to do that but damn she had been looking forward to just being with him and the crushing disappointment that it never got to happen just hit her all at once. She just wanted to have a nice normal date like any other girl with an amazing nerdy cutie of a boyfriend.

You were gonna go on a date?! Alice jumped up, leaning on her bars to look round at Dreda, the air of pessimism didn’t seem to faze her, All the details! Right now! She ordered.

Dreda laughed, pushing past the pain she happily bragged about her amazing boyfriend.

We were going to the tapas place that Aken and Selena talked about, Dreda told her,

Ooh! Aken says that place is great. He’s tried to replicate some of the dishes at home. Alice nodded,

Yeah. I- Dreda stopped and looked down, Tried to Dress up.

The black smart trousers she had been wearing weren’t too bad other than the odd rip and fray but the white blouse she had chosen for the occasion was ruined. Brown dirt, green grass stains and its own share of rips and tears after everything it had been through.

We’ll find something even cuter for next time! Alice reassured her.

Dreda managed to smile but not for long, If we can even get back.

We have to. There are people who need us. Alice nodded resolutely.

Dreda nodded, Just glad you’re here.

Alice laughed sheepishly, Same here. Not sure I could be so brave on my own.

The two exchanged a look. Just taking comfort in the presence of the other.

It’s been a while since we had any time to hang out anyway.

Yeah. Alice nodded, We should do more when we get back.

Yeah. Dreda agreed.

It was hard not to slip back into the negative thoughts as they sat there. It was the first time they had a chance to process everything that had happened. Kidnapping, rescuing, mad escape from the police that led to a betrayal from Lani and another kidnapping by the police and then an officer sending them off to Wonderland.

So much had happened and Dreda worried what kind of consequences were in store for those she and Alice had left behind.

Tim would be freaking out about her again. Trish probably got arrested. Who knows how many heroes were allowed to go back to work after all that and whether they managed to get Ad and the others to safety?

She sighed and Alice started talking about books she had read to try and fill the silence, likely keeping her own mind off everything too.

Suddenly, the door to the prison was shoved open with a bang, startling Dreda out of the doze she had been close to and stopping anything Alice was going to say about the books she was ranting about.

In the doorway was the familiar Hokulani, a grin splitting her face as she skipped in.

Helllooo human! She skipped all the way up to Dreda’s cell and looked at her with sparkling eyes.

Hoku! Came a call behind her.

Another fairy was running behind her getting to the door with an annoyed look at the younger Fairy.

Alice recognized her right away. She didn’t have an eye patch and she was definitely a little younger but without a doubt, this was Solala’s first Princess Noelani.

Noeeeee. Hokulani complained, You’re too slow, so I went on ahead.

You should not even be in here. I’m letting you in here just to see the human, but you need to behave. The elder lectured.

Hokulani just pouted and turned away but as she turned away her eyes caught Dreda and suddenly, she grinned again.

Hi, human. She said again.

...Hi, Dreda answered with an awkward wave.

The young fairy bounced on the other side of the cell.

Noelani sighed, seemingly regretting her decision to let her younger sister come with her.

Sorry about her. We don’t get humans in Solala often. Noelani apologized,

Dreda just nodded to her, putting her guard up as she started to feel like an animal at the zoo.

Now then. Noelani’s eyes turned to the small cage that held Alice.

Where did you get this human? She asked the pixie sternly.

Dreda narrowed her eyes. She didn’t like feeling like an object. It was all too familiar. Alice stumbled to find an answer, but Dreda snapped.

She didn’t get me anywhere. We’re friends.

Noelani looked at her surprised and Hokulani giggled.

It just yelled at you! Hokulani said in amazement, I didn’t know humans could be feisty?!

They aren’t. Usually, they aren’t that stupid. Noelani said watching Dreda curiously as Dreda glared at her.

Hokulani seemed to be finding this hilarious as Noelani turned to Alice.

What kind of spell have you used on her? She asked.

Alice looked back shocked and confused.

None. She’s my friend. She answered, honestly.

Noelani stared in disbelief and silence for a while, waiting for some kind of punchline or joke but none came.

Huh... Noelani nodded, not quite convinced, You sneak into Camelot or something? Take her from there?

Camelot?! Alice and Dreda both echoed in amazement.

They don’t even know about Camelot. Hokulani continued to just laugh at them as Noelani looked between them confused even more.

You’re not from Camelot? She finally directed a question at Dreda.

No… Dreda answered, cautiously.

Her mind was processing it. Camelot was a kingdom that existed 600 or so years ago. The place where the curse was originally cast.

It didn’t exist anymore in the world she lived in but then... Solala was underground in the world she lived in. Human cities were the main settlements in the world she lived in.

In