Part XVII -- Gamble

Vader knelt to study the footprint in the soft ground before them. A padded foot made this track, with exposed claws making tiny pits before the print. Some sort of dog or wolf, he theorized -- and a large one at that.

"A werewolf would be my guess," Chang told him. "There are very few true dogs and wolves in Xanth."

Vader stood to regard Lake Eerie. The lake certainly lived up to its name -- it was weirdly quiet and lifeless. No birds sang, no insects flitted through the air, no fish swam in the waters. The lake's surface was as calm and still as a newly polished mirror. Heavy fog shrouded the banks and dampened the surrounding ground. Aside from the mysterious tracks, there was no sign of life. Even the Force around the lake was strangely quiet.

"I don't like this place," Metria announced, her usual bravado wavering.

"Neither do I," Luke replied. "There's something unsettling about it."

"Somehow it doesn't surprise me that Darius selected this location for his base of operations," said Vader.

"Watch your step," cautioned Wara. "It's almost impossible to find your way around unless you're familiar with the area."

"Sammy," Jenny ordered, setting the cat down, "find a safe path to Darius' headquarters."

Sammy set off, going slowly to avoid stumbling over some hazard. Everyone followed cautiously.

A forlorn howl pierced the mist. Vader halted.

"What is it?" asked Jenny.

"That came from close by," he replied.

Wara gasped. They had reached the shore of the lake, and the pawprints were visible in the mud at the water's edge. Even as they watched, the tracks began to fill with water. So whatever this animal was, it was trailing them very closely.

"Look," Luke whispered, pointing ahead. "There it is."

Five meters down the path, a large dog stood and regarded them with intelligent amber eyes. Its build, shading, and facial structure suggested it had a healthy dose of wolf in its lineage, but its fur was black and brown rather than gray and white, with a single white patch on its chest. Its triangular ears flopped over, not standing erect. It was a simple mongrel, without any trace of magic or the Force that Vader could detect. But there was something in its eyes that indicated it was no mere animal.

Sammy approached the dog. The two animals touched noses, then the cat sat down and looked expectantly at Jenny.

"I think this dog will help us find Darius," said Jenny.

"Well, that's unusual," Chang noted. "Most animals don't have magic -- with Sammy being an exception, of course."

"Dogs can often sense things humans can't," Luke replied, kneeling and scratching the dog behind the ears. "Maybe the game sent him to help us out."

"Her," Metria corrected. "She's a bitch."

"She's not!" Luke defended. "She's a perfectly good dog!"

"A female dog is called a bitch," Vader told him. "Metria meant no malice. For once."

Luke blushed in embarrassment.

"What do you say, girl?" Wara asked, patting the dog's head. "Can you help us find Darius?"

She wagged her tail and opened her mouth in a canine smile. Then she turned and trotted a few paces. Turning her head toward them, she gave one short, deep whuff as if encouraging them to follow.

"I suppose that's a yes," Wara said with a shrug.

"Everyone follow the dog," Chang ordered.

"Shouldn't we give her a name?" asked Luke as they set off.

"You met the animal thirty seconds ago and already want to adopt her as a pet?" asked Vader amusedly.

"No," Luke replied. "But I just don't want to refer to her as 'the dog' all the time."

"How about Misty?" Jenny suggested. "Since we found her in the mists."

"Sounds good," Luke conceded.

Misty led their party first one way, then another, as if looping around hidden obstacles. Vader wondered how foolish they looked trusting their safety to a dog, but ceased questioning when, as they turned yet another corner, he accidentally kicked a stone out of sight. The hollow clatter as the rock fell down an unseen chasm seemed to be a warning not to question their unusual benefactor.

Suddenly Misty halted and barked, her deep voice echoing through the fog. She didn't stop barking until everyone came to a stop.

"What is it, girl?" asked Luke.

Misty scooted off to the side of the path and barked twice. When no one responded she grabbed the hem of Wara's dress in her teeth and pulled insistently.

"Do as she says," Luke ordered.

"But she didn't say anything," Metria protested.

"Follow the blasted dog!" Vader hissed.

"Okay, okay, you big grouch," Metria grumbled.

Quietly they followed Misty. She led them behind a house-sized boulder and sat down.

"Something's coming," whispered Wara. "Something of the dream realm."

A shadow separated itself from the mist, approaching their hiding place. Vader squinted, trying to see the threat clearly. But it abruptly vanished.

"A night mare!" Wara whispered.

"I've had enough problems with those," Luke groaned. He had told the others about his dream, and Jenny had explained that most dreams brought by the night mares were prophetic. But the fact that Luke couldn't remember the dream concerned Vader.

The shape appeared again, closer this time. The body was that of a winged horse, Vader could see, but the head was indiscernible. Then it blinked out again.

"It's not a pure night mare," Wara whispered. "It's a griffon-night mare crossbreed. Griffon-horse crossbreeds are usually hippogriffs, but a griffon-night mare crossbreed would be a hippogriff with the night mare ability of teleporting from one shadow or darkened area to another. And my guess is that it would be female, since there are many night mares but only one night stallion."

Once again the creature came into view. Her head, chest, and wings were those of an eagle, and her legs, body, and tail were powerfully equine. Jet-black from beak to tail, her fierce red eyes glittered savagely as she slowly looked from side to side. Astride her back was a dark, lovely woman, bigger than an imp but smaller than Jenny, though she appeared to be adult. Though petite, she looked more a warrior than a damsel, for she wore armor and carried a sword.

Misty growled.

"Quiet, Misty," Vader ordered the dog, resting a placating hand on her head.

"That looks like a goblin woman," Jenny whispered.

"I thought goblins were ugly," Luke pointed out.

"Not the women," Jenny replied. "The men are ugly and fierce, but the women are beautiful and kind." She hesitated. "Most of them, anyway."

Another growl issued from Misty's throat. Her lips twitched in a snarl.

"Steady," Luke urged. "Steady girl."

"She'll blow our cover!" Chang hissed.

The hippogriff let out a hawklike cry. The goblin woman stroked her feathered neck soothingly and murmured something Vader couldn't hear, then dismounted. Drawing her sword, she slowly approached the boulder. Vader saw Luke draw his blast-her, and he gripped his lightsaber tightly. A strike to her sword would disarm her, then if she pressed the fight they'd know her allegiance...

But Misty beat him to the punch. She launched herself forward, knocking Vader aside, and landed at the goblin's feet, snarling her rage.

The goblin dropped her sword, fell to all fours, and became a dark gray wolf, baring white teeth in a killer smile.

"Goblin-werewolf cross!" Wara exclaimed. "I thought that woman looked familiar!"

The hippogriff shrieked and vanished. The two canines smashed into each other, teeth flashing, bodies twisting around each other as they battled. A loud yelp of pain sounded, then faded into a vicious bedlam of snarls and growls.

"Apparently one bitch knows another," Metria noted.

"Let's retreat," Chang advised.

"But the wolf'll kill Misty!" Jenny protested.

"She's sacrificing herself to allow us to escape," Vader replied. "It is her choice. Now run!"

They plunged through the mist, Metria going ahead to ensure there was no danger. Eventually the sounds of the dogfight faded behind them.

"Are we lost?" asked Luke.

"Isn't that oblivious?" Metria snapped.

"What?" asked Wara.

"Ignorant, clueless, clear, apparent..."

"Obvious," Vader corrected.

"Whatever."

"That boulder is a sort of landmark around here," Wara offered. "Unfortunately, it means we're on the wrong side of the lake. Darius' fortress is across the lake from it."

Metria suddenly snarled, becoming a wolf. A canine form was loping toward them, limping slightly. The werewolf? Vader was in the process of reaching for his saber when the animal stopped and lifted its head. Even in the fog he could tell the creature's ears hung down rather than standing up.

"At ease," he ordered the others. "It's Misty."

The dog pawed the ground at Vader's feet and whined, as if trying to tell him something.

"I don't understand you," he told her.

Giving an exasperated snort, Misty began digging at the soft ground. Within seconds she'd revealed a round trapdoor with a ring-shaped handle and odd markings on its front. Barking once, she licked Luke's hand and disappeared into the mist. Vader felt strangely vulnerable without the dog's guidance.

Luke yanked once at the handle. "Ungh. It's locked."

Vader knelt to examine the door. There were nine tiles embedded in its surface, and each bore the image of a creature -- a man, a woman, a snake, a horse, a lion, an eagle, a centaur, a naga, and a griffon. He touched one tile and discovered it was moveable. A puzzle, perhaps? He began sliding the tiles around.

Perhaps, he thought, seeing as Darius was so fixated with crossbreeds, that was what this door should depict in order for it to open. He began to group the tiles together -- the centaur, man, and horse together, then the naga, woman, and snake.

"Those are interesting markings," Chang observed. "Perhaps if I could have a look and attempt to decipher them..."

Sliding the griffon next to the lion and eagle, Vader completed the puzzle, grasped the ring, and pulled the door open.

"...or we can just go down there," Chang finished lamely.

"This must be a secret entrance to the fortress," Wara realized. "There are so many, only Darius knows of all of them."

Luke went down first. "There's some sort of glowing stones in the walls, but it's still pretty dark down here. There's a tunnel that goes under the lake -- I can see that much."

Metria took on the form of a lightning bug and darted down the tunnel. Vader lowered Jenny and Wara down before going himself. Chang went last, though it was a tight squeeze to get his ungainly equine body through the doorway. He only managed it by going tail-first and having Luke and Vader use the Force to guide him down.

The passageway was large enough to be used as a shuttle tube, but the floor and ceiling were so irregular it made progress slow. Phosphorescent stones set into lanterns provided a little light, but it was Metria's glowing form that led them forward.

"Are you sure you want to fight Darius, my friends?" Chang asked Luke and Vader.

"Quite," Vader replied, ducking under a large stalactite. "It is the object of our game. According to the Good Magician, Darius is in possession of the prize. To obtain it, we must defeat him."

"Must be some prize, seeing as you're so determined to find it," Wara noted.

"The prize itself doesn't intrigue me," Vader answered. "As far as I know, winning the game is the only means by which we can escape Xanth alive."

"That's not very fair," said Wara. "Win the game or die, no third option. You should be allowed to quit if you want."

"You know, I really never asked Metria about that," said Luke.

"And I'm not sure I've inquired directly of Jenny," added Vader.

"Then inquire," Chang encouraged. "And let this be our battle. Wara and I are Xanthian and have direct quarrels with Darius. You are Mundanian, and thus far Darius has done nothing to you. I don't judge it fair for you two to perish defending a land that is not yours."

"I'm staying to fight," Luke said firmly. "Any world that needs my help is my home, even if only temporarily."

"Chang is right, Luke," Vader told him sternly. "The Empire needs me, and the Rebellion needs you. If Darius kills us or we are stranded in Xanth, not only will we die in vain, but our own world will suffer."

He looked unhappy with Vader's explanation, but he didn't press the issue further. "Fine. Metria, how do we get out of the game?"

The lightning bug flitted in circles over Luke's head, humming to herself.

"Metria, answer my son," Vader ordered.

"I'm thinking!" she snapped. "Ask the elf!"

"Jenny, tell us how to exit the game," Vader requested.

She looked very uncomfortable. "I... can't... tell you..."

"Why not?"

She looked away as if ashamed. Why was she so reluctant? Weren't Companions supposed to aid their Players? He hadn't overstepped some boundary, had he?

Then a sickening thought occurred to him -- Jenny was a False Companion. Despite all her kindness and innocence, the game required her to betray him. And she had chosen to sabotage his progress by withholding the means of exiting the game. He would be trapped in Xanth, forced to continue playing until he either committed a fatal error or won the game -- and she might find a means to prevent the latter.

He should have been infuriated by this, but he felt more pain at the realization than actual anger. Jenny had led him to believe she was his truest friend, then played him for a fool. The one who should have been his guide was instead his betrayer.

Just as Obi-wan had betrayed him...

"You're a False Companion," he hissed.

She paled. "Lord Vader, please..."

He turned his back on her. "Metria, tell us how to exit Xanth!"

Metria continued to spin circles. "Gimmee a moment..."

Luke reached up and caught Metria in his cupped hands. "It can't be that hard to tell us something about the game."

She became a snake and hissed menacingly at him, and he dropped her, startled.

"Look, Streetwalker, I can't tell you! End of story!"

Luke stared at her. "Don't tell me I got a False Companion too!"

"What are the odds of that?" said Wara, surprised. "Both of you getting False Companions in the same game."

"Don't be angry, please," pleaded Jenny, tears filling her eyes. "It's not what you think."

"I think," Vader said in a harsh voice, "that we deserve a full explanation. If you are False Companions, then we are done dealing with you. Confirm this so we may decide on a new course of action. But if you are true, then something is going on behind our backs. A true Companion would let us know of it."

"We can't tell you!" cried Jenny, distraught. "Those are two things we're forbidden to tell!"

"The elf's right, steel-skull!" snapped Metria. "So quit making her cry! She's been nothing but good to you, and you repay her by calling her a traitor!"

"If she has been a False Companion all this time, I deserve to know!"

"How many times do I have to tell you?! Companions can't tell..."

"Everyone shut up!" someone rasped from behind.

The group whirled.

"The Good Magician!" exclaimed Chang.

The old gnome stomped down the tunnel toward them, scowling annoyedly. He carried a torch in one hand and a book under his other arm. Dirt covered his robe skirts and boots, as if he'd walked the entire journey from his castle to Lake Eerie.

"What's the old chop doing here?" asked Metria.

"The old what?" asked Luke.

"Slice, cut, fogey, geezer..."

"Hack," Humphrey replied.

"Whatever."

"I haven't much time," Humphrey replied. "So sit down, shut up, and listen to me." He let go of the book and torch, but instead of falling, the torch remained where it was while the book hovered flat in the air like a repulsor-desk. The Good Magician sat atop the book and faced the Players.

"Do we have to sit?" asked Chang. "Centaurs aren't built for it."

"No, but the 'shut up and listen' order is mandatory," Humphrey answered. "And stop accusing your Companions of lying to you. I gave them the order to withhold the means of exiting the game from you..."

"YOU!" Vader shouted, taking an angry step forward.

"I said shut up, Skywalker!" Humphrey snapped. "Just like you Skywalkers, acting without thinking. My message is important, and I can't deliver it if you strangle me to death." He waited for the Sith to subside. "That's better. I had my reasons for keeping information from you, though in retrospect I see the decision to do so wasn't entirely fair."

"He's right," Jenny said with a sniff, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "He helped design the game, and he told all the Companions that you two weren't to know how to leave."

"Why can't we leave Xanth?" asked Luke.

"You can at any time," Humphrey replied. "It's a simple matter. Were you still at your keyboard, you would press ALT-ESCAPE. Here in Xanth, simply tell your Companion 'I hereby quit the game' and wait for them to ask if you're sure about quitting, then give an affirmative answer. But you must understand the consequences of that action before you do so."

"What do you mean?" demanded Vader.

Humphrey turned to Luke. "Tell us about your dream."

Luke shook his head. "I don't remember it."

"Naturally," huffed the Magician. "It's human nature. We tend to block out unpleasant memories. We remember that broken bones hurt, but we don't remember the intensity of the pain. Women forget the pain of childbirth -- and a good thing, or we'd all be only children." He reached into his robes and drew out a stoppered flask of bright blue liquid, which he handed to Luke. "Extract of forget-whorl treated with reverse wood. A potion to refresh your memory."

Luke uncorked the flask and drank the stuff, grimacing at the taste.

"Now share your dream," Humphrey requested.

Luke shut his eyes as he tried to recall. "There were four beings... demons. Not like Metria, but powerful, all-knowing. Three of them were gambling over something, and it looked like two of them were ganging up on the third. The fourth seemed to be some sort of official or moderator."

Humphrey nodded grimly. "You saw the immortal and omnipotent World Demons, the beings who control the worlds. Xanth is governed by Demon X(A/N)TH. Demon E(A/R)TH is in charge of Mundania. Your galaxy is run by Demon F(O/R)CE."

"You mean they're not Mundanian?" asked Wara.

"No, they are not from Mundania," Humphrey snapped. "Their universe is simply called 'Star Wars,' or in some parts 'The Galaxy Far, Far Away' -- GFFA for short. It, like Xanth, is considered fictional by the denizens of Mundania. But that's beside the point." He coughed. "These World Demons cast wagers to pass the time, gambling on the outcomes of quests, wars, disasters, elections, and other major events in their realms. But these are no idle bets! The prizes of these wagers are entire worlds, as well as an elevation of status. J(U/P)ITER is the highest of all, having gotten there through a series of lucky wagers. He oversees all the bets and gambles.

"This game was created to settle a bet between E(A/R)TH and X(A/N)TH, with the prize being control of Xanth itself. Now the two Demons are gambling again, this time on the outcome of your quest. The prize -- the GFFA."

"You mean our galaxy?" asked Luke, stunned.

"Yes, your galaxy. You see, Demon F(O/R)CE abdicated his position among the World Demons eons ago. He was tired of their silly games and was content to be a spectator. But his uninvolvement in the wagers meant he had millennia worth of free time, and eventually he grew bored. To fill his idle time he created a world, calling it Corusant. Then he formed another world, and another, and another... until he had an entire galaxy on his hands. Governing the affairs of this galaxy was a difficult job, but he was grateful for the diversion."

"Don't the other World Demons manage their worlds?" asked Vader.

"Their primary concern is their status and gambling, but yes, they tend to their realms' affairs, some more than others. But they were outraged to discover F(O/R)CE had a galaxy at his command. They believed he gave up the right to rule a world when he gave up his position among them. So E(A/R)TH and X(A/N)TH are currently vying for control of the GFFA.

"Each selected a being from F(O/R)CE's galaxy to participate in X(A/N)TH's game, as well as a Mundanian from E(A/R)TH's realm to record the matter. They saw to it that a Rebel pilot obtained a copy of 'Companions of Xanth,' a portable gateway into Xanth. The pilot was able to give the game, intentionally or not, to both of you. X(A/N)TH selected Darth Vader as his Player, while E(A/R)TH chose Luke Skywalker. In short, if Vader defeats Darius and wins the prize, X(A/N)TH wins the wager and control of the GFFA. But if Luke defeats Darius, E(A/R)TH wins."

"What if neither of them defeat Darius?" asked Chang. "What if they die before they complete the game, or one of the others in our traveling party destroys him?"

"Then the game is a draw and two more beings are chosen to settle the wager."

"But what about our galaxy?" asked Luke. "What's going to happen to us when F(O/R)CE loses control of it?"

"That depends on who wins the game," Humphrey replied. "E(A/R)TH is a strict ruler of Mundania and its inhabitants, keeping a firm control over their actions -- and forbidding magic entirely. X(A/N)TH is far more liberal, allowing his creatures to do as they please, and gives them unrestricted access to magic. F(O/R)CE is somewhere in the middle. He will interfere with the GFFA when necessary but normally allows the denizens to make their own choices, and he allows a limited form of magic to be used by a select group of people -- what you call the Force."

Luke's eyes widened. "If E(A/R)TH wins, the Force ceases to exist. Neither the Jedi nor the Sith have any more power, and the galaxy falls deeper into war and confusion. Without the Force to restore order, we're doomed."

"And if X(A/N)TH wins, chaos reigns," Vader added, the full implication of the situation sinking in. "We are totally unprepared for the madness that infests Xanth to overtake our galaxy. It will take centuries, perhaps millennia, for the galaxy to adjust -- if it doesn't self-destruct completely first."

Humphrey nodded gravely. "Then you understand the gravity of the situation. You aren't as thick as I first thought."

"Then either way, their world is doomed?" asked Wara sadly.

"Not entirely," Humphrey replied. "Much to the dismay of both E(A/R)TH and X(A/N)TH, F(O/R)CE was allowed to participate in the wager as well. If Luke and Vader can work together to defeat Darius, with minimal aid from the others, F(O/R)CE receives a position among the World Demons and is allowed to keep the GFFA."

Had Humphrey demanded they work together at the beginning of the game, Vader would have written the situation off as hopeless. But in the past week, he and Luke had managed to establish a comradeship of sorts. They could work together -- and would, if it meant preserving their home realm.

"But there was something about a test," Luke recalled. "In the dream, X(A/N)TH said he got to give me one more test."

The Magician set his lips in a serious line. "F(O/R)CE has played fair thus far, but that decision has proven costly. For though the Demons are forbidden from tampering with any event on which the outcome of a wager depends, that rule is rarely observed. E(A/R)TH is greedy for more land and higher status, and as he hasn't been able to take Xanth as his own, he has interfered with your own quest to an alarming degree. X(A/N)TH does not normally attempt to rig a bet in his favor, but in this case he has done so as well, though not to the extent his rival has.

"Luke's dream was a vision of J(U/P)ITER calling E(A/R)TH and X(A/N)TH to task. Because F(O/R)CE has not tampered with your quest at all, he has been granted one chance to alter some event to increase his odds of winning. Unfortunately, because X(A/N)TH has not cheated as much as his competitor has, he is granted a final opportunity to interfere with the quest."

"Then Luke is in danger," Vader realized.

"Not necessarily," Humphrey corrected. "X(A/N)TH is cunning. He may attempt to destroy Luke, enabling Vader to win. Or he may kill his own Player, hoping Luke will either forfeit or be so distraught by the loss that he will make a deadly mistake. Or he may destroy Darius, eliminating your objective. If he cannot win the game, he will settle for forcing a draw, and a rematch will be in order."

"Do you know the outcome of the battle?" asked Jenny.

The Good Magician suddenly looked very old. "No, Jenny. I do not."

"But you're the Good Magician!" protested Metria. "You know everything!"

"I know the future to an extent -- when it concerns Xanth. The affairs of World Demons are unknown to me, but I can make an educated guess. But when it's another world entirely..." He shook his head. "I can be of no more help, except to advise you all.

"Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, this is a pivotal battle for your realm, though no one knows of it but you. You may elect to quit now, but then your galaxy's fate rests in the hands of other, less competent beings. Not only does the fate of Xanth depend on you, but the fate of the Empire, Rebellion, and all worlds of F(O/R)CE's creation.

"This is a heavy burden to bear, and I don't blame you if you have no desire to continue the game -- though I'd hardly call it a game anymore. The choice is yours. Press on or exit the game. But either way, choose carefully, and be aware of the possible repercussions. Be wary. Trust the Force. And trust your Companions, for neither of them are False. On the contrary, they are your truest allies in Xanth and would die to protect you.

"Jenny and Metria, neither F(O/R)CE nor X(A/N)TH can influence you, so do not fear you are being manipulated. Protect your Companions with your lives, but do not complete the quest for them. Jenny, trust in your heart. Metria, use some common sense for once. And work together.

"Chang and Wara, be careful. Think before you act. Demon X(A/N)TH may use you as pawns if you aren't cautious. If any idea you may have seems suspicious, don't execute it. If you make a mistake, err on the side of caution. And trust in your newfound bond, for love is the strongest form of magic there is... and it could very well save both Xanth and the GFFA."

The Magician stood, and torch and book flew into his hands. He turned around and walked out of sight, the flickering glow of his torch fading.

Luke and Vader exchanged nervous glances, more unsure about this quest than ever before.