Wilford rolled off Sean, then kicked Sean in the hip to move him out of the Zombie's path. Sean grunted from how Wilford's boot heel hit a sensitive part on his hip but rolled as best he could to keep moving away. Wilford didn't retract his leg in time, causing the zombie to trip over his leg. The Zombie stumbled, its face slamming into the wall of the hallway. The fall would have stunned a human, but the Zombie sprang up on all fours and whirled around to seek out what it tripped over. Sean started to rise on all fours but froze as the Zombie silently crept back toward them. Its hands sliding across the ground as it listened closely. When it got too close to Wilford, Wilford raised his gun to aim at the Zombie's face. Sean held his breath, then winced when the soft 'click' of the hammer stood out in the silence. The Zombie flinched liked he recognized the sound, dropping flat so fast that the bullet missed. Then with a loud snarl, the Zombie lunged up and sprang onto Wilford. Wilford let out a surprised yell, but his hands quickly shot up to grab the Zombie's neck. Wilford tried to roll over to flip the Zombie over, but the Zombie was too well balanced on his legs.

The Zombie snapped at Wilford with its teeth, its hands reaching out to claw at Wilford's chest. Grabbing bits of his shirt and tearing it as he tried to pull Wilford closer to his jaws. Bandit and Illinois rushed into the living room, yelling out. "Will, hang on!" Bandit raised his gun, telling Illinois loudly. "I need a clear shot! He's too close to Will!" Illinois rushed up to grab the Zombie's ankle, pulling him back hard to pull him off Wilford. Wilford scrambled to keep his body away from the Zombie as he was yanked back. Bandit fired at the Zombie's head, but it missed because the Zombie sprang up like a striking snake to attack Illinois. Swiping its hands out at the hand that had ahold of him. Illinois let go of him, jumping back from his reach. The Zombie rolled up onto all fours so fast that Bandit was having trouble aiming for his head. Bandit fired and the loud 'Bang' made the Zombie flinch, causing the bullet to go cleanly through his neck. The Zombie let out a distorted growl that was a twisted mess of anger and surprise. Bandit cursed taking aim again, but before he got off a shot this time, the Zombie punched a floorboard. The nails holding the floorboard sprang out, allowing the long floorboard to rise quickly beneath Bandit.

The floorboard hit Bandit between the legs, hitting him so hard that Bandit yelped and fell to his side in pain as he cupped his balls. Whether the Zombie had planned that exactly was unclear. Hearing Bandit go down, the Zombie ran across the floor on all fours to attack him! Illinois called Bandit's name to warn him, but the Zombie was already crawling over him! Sean gasped, watching Wilford tackle the Zombie, wrapping his arm around his neck to try and contain him as he rolled with him to the ground. Illinois removed a knife from his boot, rushing over to help Wilford, who screamed in pain. The Zombie may have been pinned to the floor, but it was a fighter. Clawing at Wilford's arm until it cut flesh with his jagged nails. Illinois moved in to stab the Zombie in the temple as cleanly as possible. The Zombie went limp across the floor and Wilford moved off from him, mumbling out as he held his bleeding arm. "I hate Zombies..." Illinois panted, asking the others. "Everyone good?" Bandit groaned loudly but strained out. "Fine..." Illinois reached out for Wilford's arm to see it, but Wilford moved away grumbling out. "It's just a scratch." Illinois jogged up to him to yank his arm out to see it. When he confirmed that it was just a scratch, Wilford slapped him and snapped out. "OW! What's wrong with you?! Are you trying to pull my arm off!"

Illinois began snapping out to him in response. "I wanted to make sure that you were bitten! You remember the last time that Robbie was free? We had to quarantine nearly half of Wonderland!" Wilford pushed Illinois back, snapping back. "That doesn't give you the right to try ripping my arm off! It hurts!" Sean exhaled, trying to collect himself as they continued to yell at each other. He was about to get up, when he thought he saw Robbie move. His hand appeared to twitch. Swallowing, Sean tensed up and asked softly. "Guys...?" Robbie blinked, his hands slowly pushing himself back up onto all fours. Sean scooted back toward the fireplace, waving to try and get the attention of the others. Illinois stopped talking midsentence to see him acting weird. Sean pointed with a shaking hand and Illinois turned to see Robbie standing up on his feet. Wilford's eyes widened, uttering out under his breath. "Oh, bloody hell... How is he still moving?" Illinois shrugged, mumbling back. "I don't know... But that's not good." Robbie reached up to grab the handle of the knife and pulled it out slowly without a hint of pain or distress. When it was out of his head, Robbie's fingers cracked as he curled his fingers more tightly around the handle. Which resulted in Bandit stating out from his spot on the floor. "And you gave him a knife... Thank you, Illinois."

Illinois tensed, telling the others softly. "Guys... Find the Necromancer. I'll distract him." Robbie bared his bloodstained teeth, growling as he locked onto Illinois's voice. Sean didn't know what to do. He felt like he was out of his element. Robbie slashed the knife out wildly in Illinois's direction. Illinois blocked Robbie's arm, then grabbed it to flip him hard to the floor. Putting a knee to Robbie's neck, he yelled out to the others. "GO!" Bandit staggered to his feet and followed Wilford to the front door. Kicking the blanket aside, Wilford yanked open the door, letting out a yell before slamming the door shut again. Sean barely saw a man standing on the other side in a purple robe, before the door had been slammed shut. Pressing his back against the door, Wilford asked Bandit with a nervous smile. "Shall we try the back door instead?" Bandit raised his gun, pushing Wilford aside to open the door. He stuck his gun out quickly like he was going to shoot the person but lowered his gun and uttered out in shock. "Where did he go?" Wilford opened the door more, peeking out as he said. "Maybe we scared him?" Bandit gave Wilford a doubtful look, receiving an innocent shrug from Wilford.

Bandit cautiously leaned out of the house, his gun at the ready before stepping out. Wilford peeked out, raising his own gun as he stated out. "Guns verses magic. What have we got to fear?" Sean called out to Wilford as a man shimmered into sight surrounded in bright green flames inside the house. The man hefted his long dark staff with a ram skull on the top and hit Wilford across the back to shove him outside. Wilford grunted as he fell and the Necromancer waved his hand, causing the door to slam and become bolted with ethereal green locks. Illinois struggled to hold down Robbie as the Necromancer walked closer toward Sean. Reaching out, the Necromancer told him in a calm collected deep voice. "There is nowhere for you to go. Come with me." Sean slowly rose to his feet, snapping out. "Want do you want?" The Necromancer's eyes glinted a golden yellow within his darkly painted eye mask, before he smiled and told him regally. "The Stone of Wonderland. There is quite a bounty on it and the person carrying it... I plan to collect. Now come with me. Or I'll have Robbie kill your friends." Illinois huffed, starting to snap out. "You think that is a threat when I- AH!" Illinois was cut off by the Necromancer flicking his fingers to conjure a flame that hit Illinois in the hard in the chest.

Illinois was knocked off Robbie from the force of it, leaving burns across his chest. Robbie rolled up onto his feet, stalking after Illinois. Taking a step out, Sean blurted out. "Stop! Don't!" Robbie dropped down to grab Illinois to pin him down but did nothing more. The Necromancer moved his hand slowly back out for Sean to take, telling him coolly. "I can sense the power of the ring. I know you have it. Last chance." Sean glanced at Illinois, then told the Necromancer sternly. "Let my friends go and when they are safe... I'll go with you." The Necromancer smirked, then removed a pink crystal from his robe. Holding it out toward Illinois, the crystal shined brightly. Then in a flash, Illinois was gone. Sean inhaled sharply, when the Necromancer showed him that Illinois was trapped within the crystal. Sean reached out for it, but the Necromancer curled his fingers around the crystal, telling him casually. "He's safe. Your friends are safe. Now come along." Sean shook his head, stating out. "That's not what I meant!" The Necromancer strolled closer, his cloak bellowing menacingly when he replied. "You didn't specify. Not my problem. They are safe... Unless you decide to do something stupid."

The locks on the front door faded as another man in a dark hooded robe with silver edging and embroidered black runes told the Necromancer stoically. "I have the others. Shall I send word to Von Battle that we will be arriving soon?" The Necromancer's hand reached out to touch Sean's long blonde hair, answering in a soft deep tone of voice. "Yes. Tell him that I'm bringing him a present for his ceremony." Sean tried not to show fear as he stood tall. The Necromancer's eyes drifted down Sean's almost entirely naked form, before asking him curiously. "Where is your attire? You don't want to travel in... your underwear. I doubt that garter is much protection from vampires." Sean pointed to the bathroom, but when he tried to go there, the Necromancer grabbed his arm firmly. Pulling him close, the Necromancer told the other robed man. "Acolyte, retrieve the lady's clothes from the bathroom for her. So, she can dress in the carriage." Sean rolled his eyes, he wondered if Damien had done something to make everyone see him as a woman and not the man that he was. Although, Anti had recognized him as someone he knew, and Illinois had too. The Necromancer took the two crystals that the Acolyte gave him upon passing him. Allowing Sean to see Bandit banging on the crystal and shouting out in a small voice. "Let me out, you bastards!"

The Necromancer stashed the crystals in his robe then forcefully walked Sean out. Sean tried to drag his feet, but the Necromancer easily outmuscled him. Stepping outside, the Necromancer whistled and something from the woods shimmered out of the shadows to walk out onto the dirt road. Sean's jaw dropped as he saw the large skeleton horse with a mane and tail made of rippling green flames. The skeleton horse was pulling a large carriage unlike anything Sean had seen. It was a square prison carriage with iron bars and a thick wooden gothic looking door with iron fittings and locks. At the corners of the carriage were human skeletons holding swords before them like knights with identical black crowns upon their skulls. The entire carriage was decorated in human bones, making the thing smell like death. Tugging against the Necromancer's grip, he yelled out in a panic. "NO! Don't put me in that!" The Necromancer pointed at the door with his staff, the ram eyes glowing as the door swung open for him. Sean tried to run, but the Necromancer managed to get his arm around him. Picking him up, the Necromancer worked to shove him into the carriage. Sean spread his legs to brace his feet on the sides to stay out of it. It was working until the Necromancer took advantage of him. Tilting him back while his legs were braced on the carriage, the Necromancer brought his lips to his and exhaled a green gas over him.

Sean tried not to breathe it in, but he had braced himself to be kissed and not whatever this was. The Necromancer then just waited until Sean's limbs went limp. Dropping his staff, he hefted Sean up better and laid him carefully into the carriage. Sean could see everything through blurry vision but couldn't move. Breathing steadily, he asked the Necromancer groggily. "What... did you... do...?" The Necromancer picked up his arm, removing his gloves as he told him carelessly. "Breath of the dead. Paralyses the victim. Don't worry. It doesn't last long." Sean whined as the Necromancer removed the Ring of Wonderland. Looking over it, he smirked and put it into a little wooden box. Snapping it shut, he closed the carriage and locked it. Stashing the box in his robes, he told Sean with a smile. "Be thankful you fell into my trap and not Googleplier's. He seems really angry with you. Then again, with him you'll just die. With us... death isn't permanent." The Necromancer picked up his staff, gesturing to the carriage as his Acolyte came out of the cabin. The Acolyte slipped his clothes through the bars, then moved to unravel a chain from the back of the carriage.

Sean felt a little bad, watching the Acolyte lock a heavy iron collar around Robbie's neck. Robbie tugged and snarled as he realized what they'd done to him. His whines and cries of distress going unheard by them. The Acolyte then took Diesel and Shwoompl up to the front of the carriage, where the Necromancer told the Acolyte happily. "Fine horses. They'll come in handy. Hook them up and let's get underway. I don't want Googleplier showing up to steal my prize." After a short time, the Necromancer pulled strings to roll down leather blinds to hide the contents in the carriage. Then the carriage started to move. Sitting up stiffly, Sean coughed and cursed. Pulling on his clothes, except the corset, he went to the door to see if he could get out. When he couldn't find anything to help him get out, he just sat down and peeked outside of the bars and curtains. He was a little surprised to see more medieval looking homes with dirty villagers that were hard at work in fields and going about their daily lives. They only briefly glanced at the carriage but didn't stare for too long. On the wooden message boards posted outside the towns, Sean saw fancy parchment talking about a grand coronation for the King of Night. It was weird. Wasn't he already King? Or was he just trying to make it official somehow?

Villagers fled from the road as the Necromancer's carriage rode into the villages. They whispered in hushed voices about him taking fresh blood to the castle. Which only added to Sean's fears. He'd been hoping to avoid vampires. Yet, it seemed he was being taken to a castle full of them. The horses' hooves clopped over the cobblestone road, taking him over a large gorgeous bridge. Adjusting to see better, he got a view of the massive black stone castle that had rooms with soft red lights coming from within. The place looked like a typical spooky haunted castle. Yet, the courtyard was inviting with its grand stone fountain with golden lights that made the water glitter like treasure. As they rode up around the fountain, a man asked them gruffly. "What's this, Necromancer?" The Necromancer leaned over from the front seat, flipping up the flap as he told the nicely dressed man. "A gift for our Royal Highness. Completely harmless. Now... anyway." Sean backed away from the bars as the man peeked in at him with bright red eyes. Flashing him a smile that showed off his long fangs, the man chuckled out. "Pretty little thing." The Necromancer lowered the flap, telling the man bluntly. "Yes, she is. Now if you'll excuse us. My Acolyte needs to get her ready for the King and I need to give him some good news." To Be Continued...