Chapter 6 Part 1

 What Grows In The Darkness?

"So you would enslave me and anyone you deem important while simultaneously ending everyone else's lives?"

"Only for a little while. Alice needs to grow up somewhat unplagued by dreams or at least this dream. So this world needs to end for hers to continue. So instead of sacrificing Underland, I'd sacrifice her instead. After that, I'm pretty sure I can buy everyone who died."

Is that true?

[Yes. But the acquisition of everyone in Underland would be exceptionally expensive.] 

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

I look at him with dead fish eyes.

"How about by buying you and everyone else?"

"No."

I throw my hands up in the air and look at him like he's the crazy old man I know he is.

"How else? I really wanna know how else I can prove it."

"Buy the Red Queen as your servant."

"Hell no."

"Why not?"

"I'm not chaining myself to that bitch forever!"

"How about 'The Mad Hatter' then? Buy one first make them your slave and I'll-"

"And how will that prove I can keep to my word of not making you or anyone else a slave?"

"..."

[Might I offer a possible solution?]

"Sure give it to me."

[Could you not just take a vow?]

"A what?"

Jabberwock stalks around the room giving me the silent treatment while he stews over the information I've given him.

[A vow of eternity is often taken in the Dreamworld to ensure that the promise between parties is not broken. If any clause is broken by a guilty party they are banned from the Dreamworld resulting in death due to sleep deprivation.]

"Could I do that with Jabberwock?"

"Do what?"

[Yes.]

"I can take a vow with you that ends in death if we break it or in this case I broke it. Do you want to?"

He nods his big head up and down as he scrambles to my side speaking obnoxiously loud.

"Proceed with the vowing Sir System Persoonnael."

I don't bother correcting him.

[Draw blood from each other and mix each other's blood together. Consume the mixed blood and say the vow you wish to make.] 

"That's it?"

[I also have to officiate the vow but it's relatively simple on your part.]

"Ok SP says we have to make a minor cut to each other then mix our blood, eat said mixed blood, and make a vow."

"Let's do it!"

He gives me a long scratch down my arm and bites down on his tail in a few swift movements.

"OW! WHAT THE FUCK!?"

He grabs my arm with his tail and rubs the bitten end of it in my blood.

"You drink it first."

"Fine, you better taste good asshole, and ask before you decide to wound me next time."

"Yes yes, whatever you require just drink it."

I lick my arm tentatively and am not surprised by the god-awful taste. I've had his blood before. It's been a while and I can't believe I forgot what that tasted like. My blood is obviously regular human blood and tastes kind of metallic. His blood tastes of garlic, lemons, and hand sanitizer.

"So fucking gross."

I retch as he licks my arm with his sandpaper tongue.

He slurps and makes a couple of sounds before commenting.

"Not bad. You taste horrid but I-"

"Taste like bleach!"

"Bleach must taste wonderfully."

Oh, I'll show you wonderful one day.

He licks our wounds to staunch the bleeding while I mutter curses upon him under my breath.

[Say your vow.]

"Kay. I vow not to make Jabberwock my slave or make him do anything truly against his principles, wants, or needs."

Jabberwock stares at me with a dumb look on his face before asking.

"What should I vow?"

"How about you stop randomly or altogether wounding me mortally for no reason!"

"Fine."

"Wait don't say that exactly. Say you won't harm me on purpose or try to kill me."

He grumbles before doing it.

"I vow to not maim or kill Phoebe on purpose(for no reason)."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"No, that sounded like you were saying you wouldn't do it for no reason."

"What if you try to harm me!?"

"How about we both swear not to? Except for the one time that I need to complete the task?"

"Yes, good idea you first."

"At the same time then."

"I vow to not maim or kill Phoebe on purpose."

"I vow to not maim or kill Jabberwock on purpose. Except for the one time required by a mission."

[All vows have been heard…]

[Vow of eternity is being made…]

Illusory shackles appeared above our wounds and shot out binding us to one another.

[Vow completed both parties have been witnessed to and henceforth held liable for their actions if they violate the contract.]

The chains faded away and Jabberwock blinked at me.

"So did it work?"

"Yup we both have taken the vow and if we don't abide by the contract we get banned from the Dreamworld. And we could die as a result of that."

"Can I buy everyone now?"

"Yes, you may."

Ok, I want to purchase Jabberwock, Tarrant Hightopper, 6 Rank 7 White Knights, 6 Rank 7 Red Knights, 1 White Joker, 1 Red Joker, and 1 White Queen. 

[Very well the system accepts the DC in exchange for the characters mentioned. They will be transported to your Home immediately.]

Jabberwock disappears and I run out of the room stepping on broken bits of door and wall.

For fucks sake! This is a new castle and you destroyed a room in one day! One fucking day!

I run down the steps noticing that some are decorated with imprints of his big fucking feet.

And eventually, find the doors to the Front Hall.