The nightfall came and passed, leaving Alice to walk in semi darkness, it's cold yes but nothing to be discouraged by. She had heard that great plains seem to give the impression of the chosen direction being closer than it is in reality, and while she did believe in those tales, it is the first time she has the opportunity to experience said phenomena on her own skin. Wonderland, while impressively humongous at a glance can not be said to apply to that rule. All is where it seems to be, no further, no closer- and how could it possibly be any different if it is her perception of it that shapes the landscape?

It is not dark, not really. The sky is clear as only desert sky can be. Leaving the pale moon to shine as brightly as nature means it. Enough to cast shadows not unlike the Sun, it's a rare occurrence for such a night to happen in England, much less London, where the smoke from factories adds to the grey mass obscuring the sky. But she did in fact see a night brilliant enough to rival this one before, once. Oh so long, so long ago.

What is truly new to Alice, are the stars, again, it isn't that she has never seen stars before as that is simply implausible. But she has never before seen so many of them, never knew that so many could exist! Maybe they don't, back in the city. The girl recognizes not even one constellation that shines so beautifully above the world. So much brighter, so much more colourful, as if someone spilled sparkling dust, or milk, then only deciding to delight himself by haphazardly but meticulously arranging the stars themselves.

Alice's eyes revert from observing heavens to land atop the pyramid she has decided to reach, it stands out as a great shadow surrounded by the sea of stars. There is no mistaking it for anything else even in the dark of night as there are no mountains to confuse it with. There is an anomaly though, one taking form of a flickering light in the spot she assumes to be the summit of this massive structure. Fire light, it is far ahead indeed as the lost brunette has not even reached the feet of the aforementioned construct. She is not sure if she will manage the climb that awaits her, rarely has she experienced exhaustion in her life. Other than mental of course, Wonderland can not be taken into equation either, as any harm or effort there is also one conducted by mind. Her ten year stay in asylum, where she mostly spent her days (weeks at times) lying in bed did not do wonders to her stamina. Her first days outside Rutledge were torture, pure and simple. Induced by none other than her own pathetically weak body, oh she got better yes. But her shape leaves much to be desired, and her legs agree, if the way they feel as if made of cotton is any indication. It's the sand most likely, Alice is unused to walking on such unstable a surface. At least the grains do not spill inside her footwear, it is a lucky thing indeed that she happens to wear high boots, or maybe not. She is not sure if they are appropriate for walking on such a surface, perhaps walking barefoot would be more comfortable. And oh! She could carry Vorpal Blade in her boot!

She will give it a try when she reaches the pyramid.

The young woman scours her mind for something to occupy herself with, there really is nothing around to do that for her and quite honestly, she finds herself bored. It's a bad thing to be, makes for an awful company- this monotony. It stretches time beyond its given boundary and finding something to disperse it is on occasion a challenge for Alice. Given how her thoughts tend to wander into all the dark places she would prefer them not to, the asylum, the orphanage, the fire. It's annoying how the sheep she was told to count so that they help her fall asleep have a tendency for appearing more alike monsters than animals, with sharp teeth and foam dripping from their snarling mugs. Covered in sharp wires and glass instead of wool. The fence is always off also, jagged and with teeth serving for spikes. Lullabies only invoke memories of her mother and her screams right thereafter. Not the most comforting sound, not that she's particularly bothered by those, no. It's only uncomfortable, they've been plaguing her mind for too long to be anything more than somewhat disturbing.

Damned Cat. The least he could do is distract her with riddles. In theory she should be capable of thinking them up for herself, the despicable animal is a fragment of herself after all. Turning to a being inside your head for conversation doesn't seem a healthy thing to do but it has always been like that. For as long as the girl's memory dares to wander anyway. Hm, trying to come up with a riddle is also not a bad idea to pass time. A pity she won't have to think of an answer, oh well, maybe she can share them with someone she meets, should that ever happen that is. Who is to say that bonfires don't happen to simply start by themselves here. Wherever here may be. Hm.

Talks without speaking, knows without thinking. No, this could be so many things, something more precise. It speaks only with your... mouth? Words? Tongue maybe? Carries- no. Too obvious.

Speaks only thanks to you, with words without a sound.

This seems nice, simple but not too much she hopes. A quick glance tells her that she seems to be getting noticeably closer to the construction now. The light atop seems bigger than a spark at least, maybe that's a better point of reference than the structure itself.

Hm, I don't walk yet I wear of walking, what am I?

That's better, this one she could actually- There is something behind her. Alice stops abruptly and spins around, Vorpal Blade at the ready, it is with a bit of disappointment that she notes a lack of anything before her. She takes a step back, strange, she is sure there was something-

Alice's musings are interrupted when she trips over a sudden lack of footing and falls downward in an undignified heap of limbs and flapping material. She comes to a stop a moment after the beginnings of dizziness catch her, and struggles to stand up, falling twice in the process. After giving a squeeze to the blade to reassure herself of its continuous presence in her hand, the girl twirls around in the opposite of direction to that which the world seems to be pulling her towards. Then tries to brush herself of the sand, although with little effect. She winces as her unoccupied hand attempts to straighten out her sand filled hair. Dreadful, this is not any state for a lady to make introductions. This isn't any state for anything at all!

It serves as just another reminder that this world is not Wonderland. She is always clean there, well, relatively, all the gore she sometimes manages to seemingly swim in, does not at all feel bothering, the sand on the bottom of the sea is nothing but solid and yet somehow soft. Dirt does not as a point of fact exist, for all intents and purposes, she does not have to worry about trivialities of life there.

Like water.

The young woman sneaks a glance at an offending dune from the top of which she's just tumbled down. Only it's not there. Or rather not where it should be as the moonlit trail of her slide goes further downward, technically- there should be no downward at all. She smiles.

Now this feels somewhat familiar.

She turns around to find that the dune that was in front of her had disappeared also and that the pyramid seems to have moved closer, not daring to turn around lest the landscape shifts again, she resumes her walk, now wholly focused on not looking behind in spite of overwhelming sense of wrongness trailing her steps.

Even though she hears nothing, she knows something to be just behind her. Even if it's not truly there. Before long she breaks into a run.

It lasts for the entirety of a couple of seconds as in her way, from beneath the sand raises a... creature, for Alice knows not a better name for it. One which size puts it just under Cat. That is if he was not such scrawny a creation and had the appearance of an insect of sorts, at least it has four legs. The girl imagines that her frequent companion would be quite displeased with comparing him to the being before her, even more so should it not have four legs! Cat is very meticulous when it comes to such things. And riddles, naturally, it's a rare occurrence when he decides to speak plainly.

Again she raises her weapon, ready for an attack that is fated not to come.

"As was foretold. Here you are."

Most would turn around at just hearing a man's voice from where there is supposedly nothing, or something that isn't there. Nearly everyone would if that voice happened to lapse around itself, creating an echo that has no right to exist. But Alice is not them, looking back now is a bad idea when her goal is such short a distance away, when it may not truly be lest she touches it.

What a terrible circumstance for an introduction. To talk with someone without facing him, with a blade in hand no less! At least it is clean, she doesn't want to appear piggish. Even if her manners at the moment do seem to be lacking, this she can also blame on the fact that quite a dangerous looking insect happens to be disturbing her peace of mind at the moment. But to also be grimy in such situation? Unthinkable!

"Hello sir. Would you please come in front of me? This is quite an uncomfortable way to talk-" She points her knife at the beast before her. "and I'd rather not turn around."

"The voidling is with us. It won't move till we say and it is you who face the wrong way." So the creature is called voidling? And it's a companion it seems, to this unnerving entity behind her. At least they don't seem to mean her harm as they could already deal it in duet. She lowers Vorpal Blade, somewhat reassured by their actions though still unwilling to listen to the new arrival.

"Thank you but I'm afraid that the pyramid will disappear, I've been meaning to reach the fire atop." She hears a snort, strange sound, given how it seems to coil in on itself.

"It makes no difference. The fire is of its own and your entrance is forbidden. You shall find nothing there." Now this is letdown. But no point in fretting over it, she has found something of notice on her way so does it truly matter that she will not reach her destination? She turns around as her worries seem to no longer be valid.

Her brows rise as she sees a levitating man, clothed alike a desert nomad. She can't see the details of him beside strange markings on his clothing, as there is no light to reveal them, although his most striking feature, the blue, glowing eyes shine brilliantly enough to make the mask he adorns visible. The most curious thing though is that his is the body of a human. This, for Alice, is unusual as in her experience, creatures beyond mortal capability, never are. Then again- her experience in that field is only gathered from Wonderland, where indeed she would most likely find a creature with two heads, as she expected from the way he speaks. But this is no Wonderland, something she would do well to remember.

"Alice Liddell," she makes to curtsy but her efforts are only rewarded with stumbling when the sand gives way from under her feet, she straightens up, making attempt to look somewhat dignified "pleased to make your acquaintance." She looks at the man expectantly.

"You are not of this world." Well this is rude. "Your arrival is nonetheless expected, you have travelled through the Void and yet remain untouched by it."

"I- must admit to not having an idea as to what you speak of mister..." She trails off in hopes of receiving a proper answer this time.

The light in this strange man's eyes flicker as he blinks while crossing his arms. Alice only notices it now but he seems not to blink frequently. She steals a glance at where the pyramid was a moment ago and notes that it has vanished altogether.

"Call us Malzahar if you must, and we've seen your coming to this world. As we have seen many come before you, but they were of the Void and Icathia beckoned them. What are you?"

He is almost as infuriating as Cat is. Even his answers bring only more questions.

"A human, to the best of my knowledge, from London in England."

"We know nothing of places you speak, and we know of great many things beyond comprehension." He (they?) becomes silent for next couple seconds as he seems to contemplate upon something. "Come, this is not a conversation to be had here." With that his feet drop to the ground and without delay, start moving toward a place their owner chose. "Don't stray your gaze from us, we do not wish to look for you again."

"Again?" Alice asks as she catches up to his leisure pace. She can hear the voidling following her steps but does not look back, following Malzahar's order.

"It is nature of this place to elude minds." Alice has issues when recognizing moods but the echo of his voice seems a lot harder, nearly flat when he says it. "Second sight has found you, mortal eyes are not enough to see the path between ruins and it takes both minds' sight to stay together. You did not know of us, thus you were lost." What a curious place, a maze without walls. Not so different from Wonderland it would seem if it too is affected by mind, unless it is the mind being influenced by something here. No matter, anything at all unnatural is more than she could hope for back home.

"And where are we going?" This seems like a reasonable inquiry to make, it is not at all prying since it involves her as well!

"Our camp outside ruins. We have a meal prepared for you as well as a tent. You will want to come with us after we speak." Well he seems a bit overconfident.

"Will I?"

"That, we know for certain." She can't tell for sure but he seems to be amused by something in her question.

What a curious, curious man.