Warnings: Please be aware that this fan-fiction will contain battles, mild sexual content, some character deaths (although none of the main D & D characters!), and an overly obsessive use of semi-colons and 'big' words.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the D & D role-playing franchise, including the books, games and cartoons. This piece of written fiction was for merely entertainment purposes.

Rated: T!

A/N: My sincerest apologies for the huge time length between the parts, but then, better late than never, eh? I had some trouble, as a part of this episode was deleted and it had to be rewritten, but at least now it's all up and completed. I'm sorry if it seems a little rushed (exam revision is taking up most of my time), but if there are any mistakes please message me – I will correct them immediately! But anyhow, I hope you all enjoy reading this – it's been a very interesting time writing this and I may just continue these once I do find some more free time and if I get enough reviews *wink, wink* :)

Summary: Cont. from 'The Traitor', the young companions once again find themselves searching for a way home. Across bottomless swamps, through the land of blue fire, and further into the deeps of this mysterious world, the children must overcome great challenges. But will they ever get home? Shipping: Eric/Hank.

Dungeons and Dragons' series

Part Two: Through the Land of Blue Fire

Hank winced. His eyes fluttered open, noting irritably that water had been dropping onto his cheek whilst he had been unconsciously lying on the stony floor. He moved to sit up.

"Guys?" he called. "Is anyone in here?"

He was in a cave – and alone. The tunnel's entrance was a mere shoreline with water flowing up from somewhere underground, and Hank noted mindfully that the sea must have washed him up inside the cave. The only other direction, which led deeper into the tunnel, was quilted by darkness.

Hank was apprehensive about taking either route, but he knew that he had to look for his friends. The shelter that the cave provided was useful, but he'd need food, unsalted water, and companionship. He couldn't simply leave them – he was their leader, their friend, and they depended on him.

Thankfully, his bow had washed up not a few feet away from him; and shaking the water from his hair (for he could do nothing about his soaked clothes), he made to pick up the golden bow and check that it was yet still in working order.

Strung and aimed between the Ranger's fingers, the bow let off a golden glow that filled the tunnel with some much-needed light.

Sighing, but with a firm bout of courage in his heart, Hank trudged on with his glowing bow deeper into the tunnel. He knew he could turn back whenever he wanted if needed, but doing so would likely mean taking a swim through an underwater passage until he could surface. Also, he'd have to face the sea's vicious waves again, and he had no idea if that beast – the dragon of the misty swamp – was still out there.

Besides, he was sure that the cave would have another opening somewhere. He only had to keep up his courage and keep on walking.

He only hoped that his friends had ended up in better places than his current one in the darkness.

/***\

Presto was hot. He was irritated and hot, and Diana's seemingly boundless energy was only worsening his mood.

Whilst the sun was beating down hard on their backs and Diana was attired in her cool acrobatic outfit, Presto's green robes and hat felt almost like insulators. He was sweating beneath them and was also far too nervous, even embarrassed, to even consider taking them off near Diana. With the rest of the group he didn't have to really worry himself, since Hank and Eric were always taking charge, but now Diana had only him to speak to and he was practically terrified of her striking up a conversation.

Honestly, he knew he was doomed. He was either going to overheat from the sun or burst from the amount of nervousness he was feeling.

"Presto, can you please walk faster," asked Diana, who was now more than five feet ahead. She turned to face him before she continued on, "We need to find the rest of the guys before it gets dark."

"Err…yes, yes," he bumbled, and stumbled only slightly as he ran to catch up with her.

She sighed. "Why can't you just keep up? I don't understand…we usually walk for miles every day and you never seemed to have a problem before. Is there something wrong, Presto?"

"It's just boiling hot out here," he murmured lightly. He took off his hat and pushed the fringe from his eyes before placing his hat back. "Any monster would have to be crazy to be out here, and we normally take breaks when we're in a group. Especially with Shelia and Bobby."

"I suppose. But if we can't find the guys soon, we're going to have start looking for shelter. Unless you can conjure up a tent out of your magic hat, that is," she teased.

It had meant to be playful, but her comment still sounded a bit mocking to Presto's ears, and he sighed dejectedly and continued on trudging through the sand alongside her. Yet there never came a clearing or shelter, and they simply couldn't find their friends.

By the time the sun fell and darkness enveloped the sandy shores, Diana and Presto had decided to settle down a little more in-land to sleep. Hungry, but nonetheless more cool now, Presto made to recline lazily on the sand and stare up at the midnight sky.

"We're never going to get home, are we?" murmured Diana, only a few feet away from him. "If we can't even find each other, how on Earth are we going to find a way home?"

"We'll find one eventually, Diana, I'm sure of it. We just have to keep on searching," Presto reassured.

"With all this desert, it's likely we won't find them until into next week," she grated miserably, before turning over. "We'll just have to try again tomorrow, though, I guess. Goodnight, Presto."

Presto hardly slept that night. Too anxious over how his friends were and from being alone with Diana, he reckoned that he only slept for a few hours, three at most. Then, when the bright morning came and they still had no food (for the sacks containing their food had been lost into the sea), Presto attempted to magic them up some bread, cheese, fruit, anything truly!

"Really, Presto, we can just try and keep on walking," she suggested after a long period had passed by. "I mean, we're bound to come across a forest or something soon where we can find pick berries…and you can keep on trying whilst we walk."

He sighed. "Fine," he moaned.

"It's not like that hat works often, anyway," she muttered. "Next time we see Dungeon Master, you should ask –"

A chortling laugh came from beneath them, interrupting Diana mid-sentence.

She swallowed fearfully. "Presto, was that –"

The sand dipped and shook and spattered out all around in small glittering specs. Diana shook the sand viciously from her eyes and rose to her feet, only to see, through aching, blood-shot eyes, dirty goblins all around them.

"Presto, they're sand goblins!" she shouted.

Were they only in sandy loincloths they would not have been so dangerous, but with so great a number of them bearing vicious clubs, neither of them were willing to take any chances.

They ran – ran faster than they had in days. Ahead, in the shimmering dusty distance and through his blurry spectacles, Presto spotted green on the horizon, and then they were trees. The trees became a forest, and all too soon Diana and he were lumbering over roots and with the sand goblins chasing at their heels.

"Up that tree, Presto!" called Diana, pointing to a climbable tree ahead, although it was perhaps more climbable for her than for Presto. "Maybe those goblins can't climb!"

But Diana didn't need to climb. Using her acrobatic stick, she swung herself up onto a branch, whereas Presto began to clamber up. In truth, he would have fallen were it not for Diana managing to catch his hand just in time.

Sitting on differing branches though, the two soon realised that the sand goblins could in fact climb. Not the smartest of creatures, they appeared to be forming a ladder of goblins up the tree, and would soon reach them at any moment.

As Diana fought with her stick to keep them at bay, Presto seized his hat from his head and began speaking. He hardly knew what to say, but anything was better than simply waiting the goblins to overpower them both.

"Stuck here in a tree,
With no exit to see;
Magic hat, with all your might,
Sink these goblins from my sight."

The forest floor opened up beneath the goblins and, hollowing and bellowing, the goblins tumbled down into the dirt. As the ground swallowed up the last two goblins, who had attempted to scamper away only to be seized by tree roots, Diana moved effortlessly over to sit beside Presto on his branch.

"You did it, Presto!" she laughed happily, forgetting herself for that single moment and kissing him on the cheek. Gasping in shock, though, she sat hastily back on the branch, "I – err, I hope that was okay."

"No, that was…that was fine, Diana," he replied sheepishly, smiling as he fumbled to return his hat to his head. But recalling that they were meant to be finding breakfast, he said, "I suppose we should try to find some food before setting out again, eh? We could head deeper into this forest, even – the gang might be here somewhere."

"All right."

Diana nodded, understanding and sharing his concern about finding their friends quickly. But now, she couldn't help but appreciate their time together. She could feel her cheeks throbbing from blushing, and only hoped that her dark skin could hide it. She hadn't meant to kiss Presto on the cheek; she was sure that she had done so many times in the past, but it had been more intimate this time.

After all, it was rare after all that they ever got to hang out just together, considering how the boys of the gang, particularly Presto and Eric, were perhaps not all friends but seemed oddly content enough to walk and talk with each other for much of the day.

She was glad to be spending some more time with Presto, even if it meant fearing that it might take longer to find the rest of their gang. Both fourteen, they had been in the same classes at school. She hadn't really noticed him, then; he had been Shelia's friend more than anything, since he had sat with her during classes, but Diana could admit that he was rather sweet now.

As they finished off their berries before rising to head further into the forest, whilst chatting about how the many creatures that they had faced in the past, Diana bravely decided to close her hand around his.

"Are you all right, Dian'?" he asked tentatively.

"Is this – is this okay, Presto?" she murmured softly, staring at him beneath the hat. "I can let go if you want…"

Presto shook his head, and stopped walking so that they could talk easier.

"No, it's…err, it's okay," he murmured lightly, with a small, unsure smile. "I like you, Diana. A lot."

"I think I like you, too, Presto."

Presto bit his lip, and murmured something so quietly that Diana couldn't even hear, despite standing right beside him.

"What was that, Presto?"

"My name's actually Albert," he murmured. "When we came here, Dungeon Master called me Presto and everyone just sorta picked it up after a while. Even Shelia. And I – I do like it, but it's not my, err, name in the real world."

She grinned. "Well, Presto does have a good ring to it, but Albert does sound nicer. More chivalrous, don't you think?"

Presto grinned. "Never had it described like that, but sure. You can call me Presto, though – it sounds cooler for a wizard. And I wouldn't want Eric making fun of me when we…well, when we do finally find the rest of the gang."

She smiled, noting the pause but remaining silent. It was obvious that Presto missed Eric, and she had to admit that she was missing Shelia and Bobby as well.

"Come on, Albert the amazing Magic-man," chuckled Shelia, making a poor attempt to lighten the mood. "We'll find them eventually."

Hand in hand, the two walked into the forest, feeling all the more confidant that they would soon find their friends and even a way back home.

/***\

Flames of the brightest blue imaginable surrounded Eric, Shelia, Bobby and Uni, as they sat idly by on the desert sand and pondered over their whereabouts. They were lost, completely and irrevocably lost out in the wilderness, and none of them had been taking it well to heart.

Whilst Eric and Uni had been stranded ashore on the beach and Uni had cantered off into the desert at the roar of some unknown beast, with Eric following swiftly on behind, Shelia had found herself alone on a shoreline on the edge of a forest. It had only been after much walking that they met up.

The three had only met Bobby after a few hours of walking in the desert. The Barbarian, who was not even ten years of age yet, had since their arrival been walking entirely by himself, eating food from his pack and coming across – to Shelia's relief – only small creatures, whom were too terrified of his club to approach. According to Bobby, he hadn't been able to find anyone else either.

But, as the hours passed by seemingly in a haze (for, although there was a nearby pool of water, there wasn't any food in sight and so they were reluctant to leave without forethought), a figure appeared on the horizon. It was coming closer, and through the dusty mist, Bobby's young eyes spotted exactly who it was.

"Look – its Hank, you guys!" he shouted. "Its Hank!"

They rushed forward to greet him, but it soon became clear that Hank was stumbling. Quickly deciding that Hank was in need of clean water, as his throat was raspy and he could scarcely speak, they made to lead him towards the pool that was not a few yards away. But as Uni nudged his arm for the third time to continue walking onwards, Hank stumbled to his knees and then fell on to his chest.

"Hank, you dolt – get up," came Eric's irritated voice. "Oh, I swear if you die on us, I'm making Dungeon Master haunt your corpse with bloody riddles. You won't find any peace, oh no…"

Hank smiled, and felt himself drift slowly off into a deep slumber as he laid on the sand.

It was hours before Hank finally awoke. The day hadn't yet turned dark, but the sun was descending and Eric could already feel the coolness of the night approaching. Honestly, he was just thankful that it was, for his heavy armour was making his skin blisteringly hot.

"It was a troll," he whispered to Eric, as he picked up his bow once more. "I was swept up inside a dark cave and it came out from a different tunnel so suddenly that I didn't manage to escape the first hits of his club. My bow's arrows eventually distracted it just enough for me to get by and escape the cave, but those hits…I don't think I could have handled facing another monster after leaving those tunnels."

"Weren't you frightened, though, Hank?" asked Shelia in an inquisitive, caring tone.

"Come on, Bobby. Let's go get some more water for Hank," suggested Shelia, before her blue eyes then settled on to Eric. "You'll look after him, won't you?"

Eric didn't know how to reply, since Hank looked like he was capable of taking care of himself now, but he nodded nevertheless. He would have protected his friends anyway, whether vicious trolls had hurt them or not.

"So – how have you guys been, then? Since I've been away," asked Hank.

"Mostly fine. Shelia and I washed up on the shoreline not far from each other actually, and we met Bobby in this desert later on. It took us a while to find the pool, but I think they've been all right. No complaints or monsters to worry about so far, anyway."

"Well, good…thanks, Eric."

Eric simply shrugged. He leaned back on his elbows and admired the blue flames surrounding them, almost wishing that Shelia and Bobby would hurry up sooner with the water. He liked spending time with Hank, but the bloke made his heart beat too wildly sometimes and that scared him.

"In that cave, it was dark, you know," murmured Hank quietly, though Eric was sure that Hank had meant for him to hear him. "I'm not usually scared of the dark. I never was a kid, but then we came here and everything seemed more – more –"

"Darker than in our world," finished Eric idly.

"Yeah," said Hank. "I didn't know if I was ever going to get out, and when I did, I was so dazed that I thought I was dead. I still think I am…that I didn't escape that cave and its darkness."

Eric turned speedily onto his side and met Hank's weary eyes face-on.

"Hank, you're alive," he reassured, although sounding a tad more blunt than he would have liked. "You're not just our leader…you're a friend too, and none of us are letting you go any time soon, okay? So there's no need to be afraid. You've got us, all of us. Just remember that."

"I – thanks, Eric," murmured Hank.

He grinned. "Think nothing of it," he said, before turning to lie on his back once again.

They didn't speak again until Shelia and Bobby returned with the water, and even the atmosphere was tense. Eric couldn't help but feel that something had gone unsaid. He wanted to tell Hank that he liked as more than friends, but he wouldn't ever say that.

After all, as he watched Hank chatting seemingly effortlessly with Shelia, it was likely that his feelings wouldn't be returned anyway.

/***\

Later that night, as they were lying in the sand and watching the cool blue flames dancing around them, Eric found himself somewhere lying nearby Hank as the Ranger took the first watch. He wasn't tired, and after being the leader for the past day – without Hank around – it was comforting to know he was back with them again.

Stretching out, Eric closed his eyes and attempted to drift off. But no sooner did his mind finally start to settle than Hank's voice breached his ears.

"Hey Eric…err, thanks for looking after them again."

"Huh…oh, was no problem," replied Eric, shrugging off Hank's comment. "Bobby the little Barbarian can handle himself well enough. Just…don't tell him I told you that, okay, otherwise his head might end up bigger than that daft club he drags around everywhere."

He didn't want Hank to think him ungrateful, because he would willingly defend those guys (since they were kind of his friends), but he wasn't about to be all friendly with Hank when it was likely Shelia's health that Hank was mainly concerned for.

Honestly, Eric wasn't jealous. He certainly wasn't. In the real world, he could have anything; but what he wanted now certainly wasn't a little more consideration, even care, from Hank.

In any case, he also wanted a bath and some hot food, but neither of those were likely to come by anytime soon.

"Well, you did good anyway," reiterated Hank, grinning from ear to ear.

Scoffing, Eric sat up and clapped Hank on the shoulder. "I'm the good ol' Cavalier," he said. "Fear is not in our vocabulary. And besides, have you seen my armour and shield? These babies could frighten away even the most scariest of monsters in this Universe."

"I'm pretty sure they could, Eric," murmured Hank, sounding what Eric thought was almost sincerity. "They have helped out in the past, anyway."

"Hank, we really should try finding some food tomorrow," interrupted Shelia, lying not far from them. "I'm worried about Bobby, and we all haven't eaten anything in days."

"As soon as it's daylight, we'll head out. You said you found food in the forest, Bobby?"

"Yeah…berries," Bobby replied sleepily. "They were good, too."

"Well, tomorrow we're heading back into the forest to look for food," said Hank. "Then, once we find Diana and Presto, we can start looking for that way home through this desert land of blue fire. Dungeon Master did say that we would have to go through, so I guess that we will eventually have to actually go through it all."

"As long as we're not near that dingy swamp again," muttered Eric, thinking back. He wasn't fond of drowning, and more so in some swamp in the middle of nowhere.

"Or near that dragon," added Shelia, before yawning and then turning away from them. "Night, guys."

"Night, Shelia," they chorused back, alongside Bobby's quiet murmur, "Night, sis'."

Yet, despite having yet been up for an entire day already, Eric found himself still incapable of falling asleep. He tossed and turned, removed his armour even, and settled down only to close his eyes and still be unable to shut his mind off entirely.

But then, as Hank spoke again, perhaps it was a good thing that Eric hadn't been half-asleep.

"Eric," came Hank's whispering voice, "are you…afraid of water?"

Eric's eyes flew open and he rose to face Hank.

"What – err – what makes you think that?" he questioned, with a narrowing brow. "I mean, I don't have to tell you anything, do I? It's not exactly your business."

"I told you about that troll in the cave, and that I'm afraid of the dark," grated Hank, before lowering his gaze to the floor.

Eric sighed. "Fine, I am…and what of it, Hank?" he muttered darkly.

"Nothing, honestly," said Hank, motioning to hold his open palms up by his head as a sign of peace. "I was just making a list of all the things I know about you, that's all, and you did seem to complain a lot yesterday…well, more so than normal."

Eric snorted. It was obvious that Hank wanted an explanation.

"My father used to take me for swimming lessons. But it just so happened on one particular day, when I was about six or seven, he was too busy talking about business on his mobile and I fell into the pool. I can remember…I remember drowning, with the water all around me."

Eric shivered, before then blinking twice to shake away the memories. He couldn't recall the event exactly, but the fear of drowning had always stayed with him.

"Who helped you?" asked Hank quietly.

"In the end, the lifeguard was the one who rescued me, and after that I never went swimming again," answered Eric, with a sort of firmness now in his tone. "Not even once. Until we came here, I didn't really need to go into pools or seas. I was able to deal with it"

"But you've been fine whenever –"

"We've been mostly around lakes or small pools, not great swamps like yesterday," Eric emphasised. "And besides, it's not really that big a deal. Like I said, I can handle it, Hank."

Hank sighed. "Well, all right, Eric. But you make sure to tell let me know from now on when we come across any deep seas or anything. I don't want my – my friend being troubled."

Eric snorted. "I did go in that damned boat, Hank, if you remember. I can handle it. I'm not seven years old anymore."

"No," murmured Hank quietly, as Eric lowered himself down to lie once again on the sandy ground, "…you're definitely not seven anymore."

Not bothering to ask what he meant by that remark, Eric closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep slumber. Later on that night, Shelia awoke him to take up the last watch; and as he caught sight of Hank sleeping not a few feet away, he could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat.

But he shook his head and cast his eyes away, making to concentrate on the blue flames that circled around and among them.

/***\

"Presto, there's Shelia!" shouted Diana, before bounding towards him and the bush he was gathering some berries from. "And look – there's Bobby and Eric, too! They're all there."

"Told you they'd find us," laughed Presto.

After consuming their fill of berries, for there seemed more than enough to go on (and Presto was sure that they were safe to eat), they resumed back to travelling.

However, as they drifted back into the land of blue fire, and after walking for seemingly hours on end, Hank noticed that the fire was starting to rise higher. Soon, after only some more moments of walking, the fire became a circular, inflamed doorway of the brightest blue, and inside was a portal to the theme park – a portal back home.

But a fierce roar broke their attention, and the gang, each fearing the worst, turned their gazes to catch the sight of the swamp beast flying across the land towards them.

The dragon blew the deepest of scorching red flames across the land, causing Eric to duck behind his shield whilst the others dodged and leapt out of the dragon's way.

The gang started towards the door almost automatically, but Hank held back, watching as the dragon directed his attack on Eric's shining shield and with him hiding behind it.

"Wait," Hank ordered, "…we're not leaving Eric behind!"

Eric couldn't believe what he was hearing, so he chose to ignore it.

"What are you guys waiting for – go!" he shouted.

"No!"

Hank shot a golden arrow from his bow, which sliced into one of the dragon's legs and distracted him from Eric's undying shield. He then dived to hide behind Eric's shield when the beast, roaring in anger, sent a whirling ball of fire in their direction.

"What are you –"

Hank cut him off with a kiss to the lips. He watched as Eric's eyes widened – in desire or surprise, or both? – before Hank finally drew back, grinning despite the dire situation.

His brow narrowing, Eric hissed, "You –!"

But Eric was interrupted as the dragon, realising that two were now behind the shield, blew fire down on the earth in a continuous haze of deafening wind. Eric and Hank ducked closer together, forgetting that the shield's force field also quilted somewhat of its exterior.

"Don't worry, guys – we've got you!" came Diana's confident voice.

The dragon's fiery breath broke. The two men looked over the shield to see Diana, swinging on her stick, landed on the dragon's scaled back. Repeatedly, she kicked at his neck and whacked without failing, distracting the beast from her friends down below.

"Yeah, friends don't leave friends behind," shouted Bobby.

"Yea'," neighed Uni in agreement.

On the ground, whilst Bobby was whacking the dragon's wildly moving legs and Shelia was constantly catching the dragon's attention with her cloak, running and throwing herself in and out of invisibility, Presto was casting his magic:

"Oh magic hat, with all your pomp,
Bind thee wicked dragon back to the swamp."

A large muzzle and lead drew out from the hat and flew over to the dragon, latching on to its snout with a snapping bound. The dragon's mouth was muzzled, and he was being dragged by the lead, flapping wildly as he began to fly away.

Diana dived from its back and landed feet-first on the ground. Grinning, she bounded forwards and met Presto halfway in a cheery hug. Shelia and Bobby were laughing somewhere in the background as well.

Hank sighed and stood up to face Eric, whose pointed gaze narrowed onto him now that he knew they were safe. Meanwhile, the shield was left idly on the ground, forgotten.

The portal had vanished; the flames had dissolved to merely circling around them once more without burning anything; and agitated at having missed another chance to go home, Eric ran a hand through his hair.

"Why did you do that?" he bemoaned at Hank, before lowering the hand to his side. "You could have gone home – you could have all gone home!"

"I couldn't leave you to face that thing alone," muttered Hank obstinately, "…even if I didn't fancy you, we're still friends, aren't we? And you heard the guys; friends don't leave other friends behind. They likely wouldn't have even gone towards it if they hadn't seen that you weren't right behind them, as well."

"Yeah, right, Hank. Like any of what you just said is true."

"It is the truth, Eric," growled Hank, stepping forward. "And here's another truth: I love you. Think you can handle that one?"

"But you care for Shelia," hissed Eric, hoping that she hadn't heard him. He would never live that down if she had. "I know you do. You always go up to check on her."

"I care for her like a sister, yes, not as anything else. And I make sure to check up on everyone, too," grumbled Hank. He sighed, "…Look – I can understand if you don't love me, too, but I had to just –"

Eric severed him off from finishing that thought, seizing the back of his neck kissing him hard on the lips. To say that Hank looked surprised was inadequate; with his lips pursed and eyes having widened into two gaping circles, Eric thought he looked almost comical as he closed his own. But then Hank started kissing him back, pushing his lips against his own, closed his own eyes, and grabbed a fistful of Eric's ruby-red cloak.

Catcalls and laughter breached their eardrums not a moment later.

"Eww, they're kissing," moaned Bobby to Uni. "Gross."

"Shut it, squirt," mocked Eric, who was grinning so much – against his own will – that his cheek muscles were aching.

He didn't know what had come over him. But hearing that Hank did actually care for him instead of Shelia, that he knew his fears and understood on some level, and that he would not leave him to face this World alone, had dissolved that last ounce of fear inside him. He actually felt lighter now; he had kissed Hank, and he was sure the joy – and embarrassment of having done so publicly – reflected on his face.

"Don't worry, Bobby," laughed Shelia, as her eyes flickered between Eric and Hank with a knowing look. "You'll learn someday."

Hank rolled his eyes. "Come on, guys. If we make good timing, we could be out of this desert within a week."

"You just had to say a week, didn't you, Hank?" moaned Eric, although nevertheless following closely behind the group as he usually would.

So it was that the children, who had faced their fears and defeated them together, then made their way across the desert of blue flames and further into the World that they had belonged to for so long. Yet, there was not one of them now who couldn't say that they weren't confident they could face anything that the World tossed their way – so long as they could face it together.

"But ah, my children, will you be able to face the troubles that have yet to come," murmured Dungeon Master, who was idly sitting up in a tree somewhere within the forest and watching them, "for Venger's fears lie much deeper than yours, I fear..."