Disclaimer: I don't own TLW. You should know that by now.

Destiny Calls

Chapter 4: On the Road Again

by: TheChosenOne3

The sun had been shining for an hour. Five of the six explorers were standing in the common room. Marguerite had yet to emerge from her room.

"Marguerite get a move on! I want to get a good start sometime today!" Roxton yelled from the top of the stairs.

"I'm coming! Calm down Lord Roxton, you'll just get more gray hair." Marguerite grinned as her statement got the desired effect. Roxton, almost shyly, began examining his hair in a nearby mirror.

All previous annoyance with the heiress forgotten, Veronica joined in Marguerite's little joke. "Yeah Roxton, I've been noticing that too. I guess age does that to you though." Marguerite smiled brightly at her ally.

"Hey maybe you should stay here Big Guy. I mean we don't want you to have a heart attack. You're not as young as you used to be you know." Finn chimed in and received huge grins from her fellow tormenters.

"Okay ladies. That is enough bullying Roxton. Let's just get a move on." Challenger said diplomatically.

Malone, Challenger, and Finn rode the elevator down first, leaving Marguerite and Veronica trying to apologize to Roxton through their laughter. When the elevator was brought back up Roxton jumped in and waited while Marguerite and Veronica stumbled in, still very much amused at Lord Roxton's expense.

The journey to Avalon began like any other trek through the jungle. Roxton lead the way with Marguerite next to him, apologizing without the laughter this time. Challenger and Finn followed. Challenger was regaling his young companion with stories of adventures in their earlier days. Veronica and Malone brought up the rear, quietly discussing this whole voyage.

The whole first day of the trip was.well.boring. Except for a run-in with a trio of raptors and a small hunting group of ape-men, it was very smooth going.

At night fall the group set up camp. Marguerite and Malone set up the tents. Roxton went to check the perimeter, while Veronica and Finn collected firewood. Challenger prepared the fish that he and Malone had caught only a few minutes before setting up the camp.

After a dinner of fish, nuts, and fruit, the group sat around the campfire silently watching the flames. No one was really in the mood for conversation; there was too much emotion to sort through. The closer they got to Avalon, the more each person began to realize just how important this trip was. They all began to see that this was about more than finding Veronica's mother; this was a bout something a whole lot bigger.

One by one they turned in for the night. Finn's never ending supply of energy left her with the first watch; seeing as how she was going to be up anyways.

Half an hour into her watch Finn heard something stirring. She followed the noise to the tent she was sharing with Marguerite and Veronica. Marguerite was already next to Veronica, trying to rouse the huntress from her fitful sleep.

"Finn I can't wake Veronica up! Go get the others!" Marguerite gave her orders then gave her undivided attention to Veronica.

Finn rushed over to the men's tent, which was only a few feet away.

"Malone! Challenger! Roxton! Wake up, it's Veronica! Marguerite can't wake her up!" Finn hurried back to her tent and anxiously watched Marguerite attend to Veronica.

When the men got there, Marguerite and Finn waited outside of the tent with Roxton so Challenger and Malone could examine her.

After a few minutes of silence, Challenger exited the tent and went to talk to the worried trio.

"What is wrong with her George?" Marguerite practically jumped at the scientist as soon as his head emerged from the tent.

"That's just it.nothing is wrong. Aside from the fact that she won't wake up Veronica is in perfect health. As far as science can tell Veronica is fine." Challenger sat down the log the others had vacated as soon as they saw him.

"So what she is trapped in her bad dream?" Finn asked. She never really did get used to the strange things that went on in this plateau.

"I don't know what else to do for her." Challenger sighed and ran his hands through his hair. It was times like these that he missed Summerlee the most, times when his knowledge was secondary to that of his lost companion.

"George it isn't your fault. Veronica is strong; she will pull herself out of this." Roxton put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. George did look a little more confident, but not much.

"Challenger! Marguerite! You two had better get in here! Something is going on with Veronica!" Ned called from the opening of the tent. Without any further prompting, both Challenger and Marguerite entered the tent. Ned went outside with the other two to give Marguerite and Challenger more room to work.

Veronica was still unconscious, but her eyes were open and she was staring blankly, almost lifelessly, at the ceiling of the tent. She was very still. If it was not for her slow, deep breaths anyone would take her for dead.

Veronica's zombie-like body slowly sat up and stared straight ahead. It started speaking in a strange tongue, with a voice that was too deep to be Veronica's. Challenger looked at Marguerite, by the look on her face she must have translated what Veronica said.

"The Protector was the first but not the last. You will all meet her fate. Unfortunately I cannot take the bodies, just the spirits inside. I will take one a night until I have you all. Lets make this a game shall we, if you reach Avalon before I can take all of you, the spirits of the fallen ones will return. If you do not reach Avalon then I get all six spirits and there is nothing you can do about it. Good luck!" As Marguerite finished her translation, Veronica gave a hollow laugh and fell back down on her mat. Once again her body looked completely lifeless, except for the now shallow breathing.

Marguerite was in a state of shock. Challenger didn't have time to figure out why, he left her in the tent to look after Veronica and went to tell the others exactly what had just transpired.

"So this bastard is going to take one of our spirits each night until he gets all six? And if we don't reach Avalon before he claims us all then our spirits are lost forever?" Finn recapped.

"That is what whatever that thing that was inside of Veronica said." Challenger stated wearily.

"That wasn't a thing Challenger. I remember that voice. It was the voice that was always condemning me, telling me that I was useless. It was Tempest." Marguerite stated as she walked out of the tent in a dream-like trance.

"Wait a minute! You mean the guy who killed your parents took Vee's spirit?!" Finn exclaimed throwing her hands in the air.

"How do you know Marguerite?" Roxton asked as he gently put his arm around her for comfort. The contact seemed to snap Marguerite out of the daze she slipped into.

"It was him Roxton! It was Tempest who was sending me nightmares of my parents. It was his presence that I felt in my room when I woke up from them! He has known this trip was coming and has been trying to sabotage it from the beginning." Marguerite's words caused Roxton to draw her closer to him. 'It must have been Tempest that I drove from her room the other night.' He concluded with absolute certainty.

"Well if he was able to get to you then, why didn't he just take your spirit and be done with it? I mean if he took you then, we never would have been able to read the directions to Avalon in the first place." Malone pointed out; with out ever really taking his eyes off the tent that housed Veronica's now unconscious form.

"Because he couldn't. If he could have done that then Marguerite would have been dead a long time ago. There is a reason why he could not get to her those times." Challenger said with his 'I'm-going-to-solve-this- scientific-puzzle' face.

The others looked at each other uncertainly. They stayed up a while longer, each taking comfort in the presence of the others. Challenger finally convinced them that it would be in Veronica's best interest for them all to get some rest. Malone insisted that he stay with Veronica, so he switched places with Marguerite. Roxton took the next watch, terrified of what the next night brought and who it took with it.

********** Meanwhile, in Veronica's unconscious

"You will never get away with this Tempest. I swear to you that once I get out of here I will hunt you down for all the pain that you brought Marguerite!" Veronica screamed. She was chained to a wall. Veronica knew that this wasn't real, but she also knew that as long as she was chained to that wall, the "real" her was useless.

"Oh you won't be getting out of here Veronica. So just relax and enjoy your time off. As for the pain I brought Marguerite, killing her parents was just the beginning. She will pay for the mistakes of her ancestors." Tempest's laughter reverberated through the chamber and caused a shiver to run down Veronica's spine. 'I will get out of here. And you will die. Even if I have to come back from the dead to do it.' Veronica swore to herself as she continued to try and figure a way out.

To Be Continued.

Okay. I know this is very confusing, but stick with me here. All will reveal itself in due course.

A. Windsor: Thank you for your unending support of all of my stories. I appreciate that you have been so loyal. *hugs!*

Spirita: Here you go! The fourth chapter as requested. Actually it was more of a demand wasn't it?

Angel LeeAnn: Please don't hunt me down! Here you are just don't hurt me! *looks thoughtful* Apparently I respond well to threats!