Chapter 3
The Nightmare landed in mud, a short distance from the Temple. It had snorted and reared when Venger had told it were to go, and refused approach the Temple's walls. The Arch-Mage was not surprised. The beast recognised Bad Magic, and knew when to keep its distance!
Venger couldn't see the Temple through the mist, but he didn't need to see it to sense its power. He moved forward, Shadow Demon in tow, leaving the Nightmare to look after itself.
The mists parted suddenly, and he saw the great, black walls of the Temple. The Nightmare had been accurate, even if it was a coward. They were just outside the silver door of the Temple. He looked at the building in front of him with a growing sense of superiority. The door was open.
'Fools!' he murmured.
'Master, look!' said Shadow Demon suddenly, pointing off to the left.
Venger turned suddenly, worried for an instant. Could the children have deceived him once more? But there were only two of them, and he noticed with great satisfaction that they were slumped on the ground, well away from the doors with their weapons lying beside them.
The Arch-Mage moved swiftly forward to take the Javelin and the Hat from their distraught owners. Not even the unicorn stirred as he passed.
'Foolish children,' he muttered with a smirk, 'Unable to master your emotions!'
He strode through the open, silver doors with his head held high, and across the Temple's main hall. Shadow Demon followed at a discrete distance. There was a stirring of air behind him. Venger turned.
The Obsidian Dragon came sweeping down from the rafters and landed on the stone floor, blocking Venger's way forward. It stared at him with bright red eyes.
'Devil!' the Dragon hissed. 'Free me!'
'Never, Sara- Estaria! I will never set you free. And no one else can help you!'
The Dragon snarled at him, provoked at the sound of her former name, her teeth snapping shut just inches from his face. Venger didn't flinch. Estaria had no power to attack him, she wouldn't dare. But his show of bravado seemed to make her angrier. Thin, orange flames coiled out of the side of her mouth filling the air with the sharp smell of dragon-smoke.
'Where are the children?' he demanded.
The Dragon didn't reply, but flicked her tail back and forth.
'Tell me, Dragon! I command you!'
Estaria flicked her forked tongue out insolently, then turned and leaped up into the air. Black winds swept past him as she soared off, flying back up into the rafters hidden in the shadows above.
Venger scowled. For a few seconds he contemplated killing her. But no, the Dragon had her place, and he was not going to tamper with a Curse that had worked so well for so long.
'But I will make you pay for this, Estaria,' he called up to the shadows. 'I will teach you to play games with me!'
Venger drew a deep breath. Since the Dragon was not going to be cooperative, he would have to find the weapons some other way. He knew the Curse, it was his creation after all, and he knew better than to try and use magic.
A twisted smile crept over his face. This Curse was his finest work. He had despised the simple nature of love and was determined to see it perverted. It was such a simple emotion, so easy to distort. Those poor, foolish children stood no chance against his beautiful Curse.
And the Arch-Mage had another advantage over those children: he knew his way around.
Venger approached one of the doors, but as soon as he touched its handle, he sensed something was wrong. Magic surrounded him, as strong and vibrant as ever as the day it was first created. The Magic of the Temple, the Magic of Love.
Venger paused in surprise.
The Magic had been activated. The full power of the Temple was alive once again. Something had triggered it. How could this happened? They should not have been capable of triggering the ritual.
His hand tightened on the handle as the Magic engulfing him, and he understood what had happened. The Thief, and the Ranger!
That accurséd Ranger was the cause of this!
A snarl appeared on his face. He had not anticipated that the children would be able to do that. How was he supposed to know that the Ranger loved the Thief! The Arch-Mage shuddered. All this childish, human emotion! It was sickening!
He wrenched the door open to sever the connection with the Temple's power source, deliberately tearing the door off its hinges and flinging it aside.
Then Venger waited, as still as a petrified Orc, for the echoes of Magic to die away so he could think clearly. The Curse was still intact, that was clear from the two children outside, pinning away. The Dragon was also still enslaved.
So, with the Magic of the Temple alive, the Curse would increase in power too. How potent would the Curse become if it used the full powers of the Temple, the power he could not access before? The Arch-Mage smiled once more.
How amusing that would be! The perfect and pure love that the Ranger had sacrificed to power the Temple would be turned to evil. True love being used to destroy! It was delicious!
Venger straightened himself, his smile now broad and thoroughly evil. There was no need to worry. Ultimately, it made no difference. As long as they were incapacitated, he could take their weapons, and if the Curse swept out beyond the Plains, perhaps destroying the city of Amoran too, then that was just a bonus.
And now it was obvious where the Ranger was. He and the Thief had to be in the Sanctuary.
Venger walked forward once more, heading directly to the Sanctuary, never once stopping, aware of the growing sense of magic as they approached the Heart of the Temple. Shadow Demon trailed after him all the time, never saying a word.
Within a short while, Venger saw the cobalt blue glow from the Temple's centre. Rounding the corner, he looked into the Sanctuary to the Heart of the Temple and suddenly sneered.
The Ranger and the Thief were there, together.
It was as he had suspected. They had indeed ignited the Magic. They had given themselves to the Temple, and it was thriving!
They were sitting on the Heart, entwined around each other and locked in a passionate kiss. They moved slowly, as if they had all the time in the world. Their faces were slightly flushed, and they seemed utterly oblivious to anything going on around them. The Bow and Cloak lay beside them on the floor, forgotten.
Venger smiled, two more weapons were his! Now there were just two left, the little boy's Club and the Shield. His smile broadened. He was looking forward to removing the Shield from that exceptionally annoying Cavalier. Nothing would give him greater pleasure (except destroying Tiamat, of course). Dungeonmaster had been unbelievably foolish this time, sending his star pupils into somewhere so dangerous.
Under other circumstances, Venger would have taken the weapons immediately and left, but his desire to gloat got the better of him. He watched the young ones kiss, with a look of disgust on his face. It was curious, the power of this fragile emotion.
Why did it drive them? he wondered. Why do humans have to love?
Suddenly, his heart seemed to leap in his chest and life ignited once again. There was a stabbing pain through his whole body and the magic weapons he carried slipped from his hands.
'Master?' asked Shadow Demon from far, far away.
Venger couldn't reply. Intense loneliness welled up through him, and his thoughts strayed to a broken family: a father, long forgotten and a sister, long ignored.
Then came panic, and also a new feeling, one he hadn't experienced for a very, very long time: regret.
What was he thinking? What had happened to him? These feelings, they had no place in his life now. He had abandoned all these things, locked them away forever, in a place no one could touch.
How? How could this have happened to him? It was not possible! Through the maelstrom of emotions he struggled to understand. What had happened?
His eyes narrowed.
There was only one being powerful enough to do this to him: that Dragon! But how?
The Arch-Mage shuddered, his mind consumed by unwelcome memories of his past life. But he was rational enough to know he had to get out. He lurched backwards, away from this terrible place, away from the source of his pain: the two young lovers, eternally wrapped in each other's embrace.
Time had very little meaning in the Plain of Desolation and Eric was never sure how long they walked through the mud. It had started raining soon after they left the Temple, making the mud more slippery. The rain was the last straw and the Cavalier ground to a halt, muddy water pooling round his ankles.
For a few moments, Eric stood, head tilted back and eyes closed, basking in the heavy downpour of water. There was no point in trying to fight it. There was nothing dry for miles. And at least rainwater was clean.
Bobby was watching him silently, his eyes narrowed with a sulky look on his face. It was true that they had never been the best of friends, but they usually got along OK. The Cavalier could never resist the temptation to tease him. Bobby was so easy to wind up but usually got angry too quickly. Lorne was better, much more like the surrogate brother he'd wanted.
Eric opened his eyes abruptly. He wanted to think about something else. He looked around once more at the dank rainwater that was turning the mud into slimy sludge and sighed.
'I hate mud!'
Bobby gave a terse nod of agreement. He looked up at the Cavalier, and spoke for the first time since they'd left the Temple.
'What's happened, Eric? How could love do that to our friends? I thought love was supposed to be a good thing.'
Eric felt his heart sinking and resisted the temptation to come back with a put down. He didn't want to have this conversation. But Bobby didn't give up.
'Er-ric?'
'You're too young to understand.' Eric said, and immediately wished he hadn't. What a stupid thing say. Like that would shut the Barbarian up! Bobby scowled.
'I am not!'
Eric raised an eyebrow, trying to look knowledgeable. 'You should be glad you don't understand. Look at Presto, and Diana!'
The Cavalier started walking again at a brisk pace, hoping that Bobby would drop the subject.
'But what's wrong with them, Eric?' Bobby asked plaintively. 'Why did Diana keep crying like that?'
Eric struggled to find an answer.
'She loved Kosar. She still does,' he said. Strange how saying the words made him feel such regret. 'She won't ever forget.'
'I love Mom and Dad, but I'm still OK,' replied Bobby.
Eric felt a sharp twinge of jealousy. Family! Family was the last thing he wanted to think about at the moment. At least Bobby's Dad cared whether he lived or died. He had one up there.
'What Diana felt for Kosar, and Presto felt for Varla, just…well, it just isn't the same.'
Who was he trying to kid anyway? Since when had he felt anything that intense for anyone else? Who did he have? Hank had Sheila, Presto had Varla, Diana had Kosar. Heck, even Bobby had Terri. And here was he, trying to explain love to the Barbarian. What a joke!
Bobby was looking confused.
'You remember Terri, right?' said Eric. The Barbarian gave him a deep scowl and raised his Club.
'Don't you say anythin'…'
'OK, OK, it's an example!'
Bobby nodded.
'You liked her, she was fun, yes?' The Barbarian nodded. 'Well, imagine feeling like feeling like that for someone, but with all your heart.'
Bobby stared blankly at the Cavalier for a few seconds, then said:
'Sounds stupid!'
Eric shrugged. The only stupid thing around here was his lame explanation. He shouldn't have bothered.
'But why…'
'Look,' interrupted Eric angrily, 'I can't explain it any better! It just is, OK?'
'But if this Curse is sooooo bad,' said Bobby. 'Why are you alright?'
Eric looked carefully at the Barbarian. Wasn't it obvious? But Bobby seemed serious, so Eric gave a careless flick of his hand, holding his head high.
'Don't you know the ol' Cavalier has a mind like a steel trap! You wouldn't catch me getting bogged down in all that love stuff, no way!'
Saying the words hurt more than Eric could have guessed. He had never understood love either. He had never had anyone who truly cared about him that much, not even family and certainly not any member of the opposite sex. It was what he longed for, someone to care about him, someone to care for in return. He could count on one hand (one finger, actually) the number of people who genuinely loved him. But even his Mom hadn't been the same since Michael had…
NO!
Eric suddenly jerked to a stop again. Denial was his only course of action. He wasn't going to think about that. No, no, NO!
Bobby was staring at him again.
'What you looking at, squirt?' said Eric loudly.
'Nothin'!' replied Bobby. He sulked at the ground for a few moment then added:
'I don't understand.'
'I don't either,' replied Eric heavily.
This time Bobby didn't take the opportunity to tease him, and so Eric gave the Barbarian a reassuring smile.
'I'm sure Sheila will be OK,' he said. 'But we have to find this curse-breaker, and get back real quick.'
They walked on in silence for a few steps, Eric realising that he wasn't so much walking as wading. The Cavalier looked at his shorter companion, wondering what the Temple had done to him. The Barbarian seemed to be his usual annoying self, but he had been looking at Terri's pendant again. He usually only did that after they had missed another portal, when he thought no one was looking.
Suddenly, Bobby blurted out:
'I'd do anything for my sister!'
The Cavalier gave a resigned smile. Family. He just couldn't get away from it, could he? Perhaps he should just come clean and tell the little pipsqueak, so he would shut up!
'Sheila's lucky to have you as a brother,' he said slowly. Bobby glanced at the Cavalier, but Eric was being serious. 'It must be nice to have a brother,' he murmured. 'I don't really rememb...'
'Hey, look!' interrupted Bobby. 'I can see lights ahead!'
The Barbarian ran off, giving no sign that he had heard anything the Cavalier was saying.
Eric gave a short sigh, and ran to catch up with Bobby then suddenly splashed to a halt. The mist was gone!
'This is a seriously crazy place,' he murmured.
Before them was a huge city, similar in style to the Temple, black and forbidding. Not a place Eric would have willingly gone into, under normal circumstances. But when was the last time he had seen anything normal in the Realm?
Bobby pointed.
'Do you think that's Amoran?'
'It had better be!' said Eric. 'Any more rain and I'll rust!'
'Let's go then!' said Bobby eagerly. 'C'mon! Let's find out!'
The Cavalier and the Barbarian walked quickly up to the gate in front of them. Eric gave a sigh of relief when he saw the name AMORAN welded to the outer gate in big, golden letters. For a few moments he forgot about the Temple and the Curse. He gave the Barbarian a playful thump on the back.
'We've found it! Way to go, us! What a team!'
But Eric's elation didn't last long. As soon as they had stepped inside, his heart sank again. It was the feel of the city, now they were inside it. There was only one word that described it: depressing. The city was drab and dark, and full of misery.
And no one wanted anything to do with the two young ones. The few people that did acknowledge them backed away in fear.
'Gee, no one seems to like us anymore,' said Bobby, anxiously. 'How are we going to find a curse-breaker if no one will talk to us?'
They walked onwards, hoping they were heading for the centre. It was difficult to tell, all the streets looked the same and the Cavalier couldn't keep track of where they were.
Bobby suddenly nudged him in the ribs.
'Hey, you hear that, Eric?'
The Cavalier shook his head.
'I can hear singing!' said Bobby.
Eric was about to suggest that the Barbarians ears needed an overhaul, when he heard it too: a female voice singing close by.
'Let's go find her!' suggested Bobby eagerly. 'If she can sing, she can talk too!'
The Barbarian ran forward, and Eric followed. Guided by the song, Bobby led them out into a large town square, approximately the size of a football pitch, surrounded by shops of all sizes.
The first thing Eric noticed was the general lack of people. There were four, perhaps five people in the whole place. All of them walked with their heads bowed down, not looking at the two newcomers. The next thing he noticed was that all the shops were shut, and looked like they had been that was for a long time, judging by the boards across their windows.
'I've seen busier cemeteries,' he quipped without thinking. And the little voice in his head asked: And when was the last time you were at a cemetery?
The Cavalier shuddered, and nearly dropped his Shield. It whacked the stony road with an incongruous clang. Bobby turned round angrily, giving him a fearsome Barbarian glare.
'What's up with you now?' he demanded.
Eric scrabbled around on the ground for his Shield, trying not to look directly at the Barbarian, in case the boy was the tears in his eyes and laughed. But Bobby suddenly pointed across the square.
'Hey, look!'
A young, brown-haired girl was sitting on the steps of one of the shops, a begging bowl in front of her. She looked a little younger than the Cavalier, and was dressed in a short, blue dress that was frayed around the edges. But, most importantly, she was smiling hopefully at them. She began to sing.
I've loved you for a long, long time
I know this love is real
It don't matter how it all went wrong
It won't change the way I feel
And I can't believe that time's
Gonna heal this wound I'm speaking of
There ain't no cure,
No, there ain't no cure,
There ain't no cure for love.
There's nothing pure enough
To be a cure for love.
Her voice was lovely to listen to. She was the only one in this whole place to be unaffected by the gloom and despair. Another pang of isolation crept up on the Cavalier and he drew breath slowly. They would have to hurry. The Curse was working away at him all the time. He wouldn't be able to fight it off forever.
Not for the last time, Eric wished he could be anywhere but here (or the Temple, or the plains of mud, or this whole crazy world, now he came to think about it), but he followed Bobby as he ran up to the girl.
The bowl in from to her was empty, and she looked at them with a expectant smile.
'Sorry, kid,' said Eric, 'We don't have any cash either.'
Her shoulders sagged, and she sighed.
'I'm never going to get enough,' she said miserably.
She looked back up at Bobby and Eric, looking surprised and slightly wary.
'Why'd you come over, if you have no money?'
'We have to find a curse-breaker,' Bobby told her, 'and no one else will talk to us. My name's Bobby, I'm a Barbarian.'
'I'm Clara,' the girl said, standing up and holding out her hand politely.
She shook Bobby's hand, then turned to look at the Cavalier.
'He's Eric,' said Bobby helpfully.
'That's Eric the Cavalier!' said Eric in annoyance.
Clara shook his hand too. There was an uncomfortable silence.
'So did you write that song?' Eric asked more to keep the conversation going than genuine interest.
The girl looked at him as if he had two heads, and he scowled. How he was sick of people looking at him like that! It was bad enough when his friends did it, now strangers were joining in on the act.
'It's a Leonard Cohen song,' she replied. 'Where did you get an education? Doctor Spock's School for the Permanently Silly?'
The attitude and the way she spoke seemed familiar. All the people they'd seen in this world looked human, well the human-looking ones did, anyway. But the ones from home had a certain look, a kind of sparkle that none of the others had. Terri had it, and Jimmy had it too. So did this girl!
'You're from Earth!' he exclaimed. 'You're stuck here too!'
'Almost. I am from Earth, but I'm not stuck.'
Bobby frowned at her.
'Don't you want to get home?'
'I am home. I live here now.'
'You live here? In this crappy city?'
Clara nodded with a smile, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Bobby looked round at Eric, who just shrugged. They had to keep their minds on the task in hand.
'Look,' said Eric, 'we need to find someone to help with this Cursed Temple we found. It's done something to our friends.'
Clara's smile faded.
'"The" Cursed Temple?' she asked nervously.
Eric nodded. How many Cursed Temples could there be around here?
'There's one person who might help, but…' she petered out.
'We're running out of time,' said Eric impatiently. 'We'll take anyone we can get!'
Clara paused for a few seconds, as if debating what to do. Her lips were slightly pursed and she looked worried. She picked up her bowl and said:
'Alright. We'll go see Shiran.'
'Who's he?' asked Bobby.
'He's the city's Tronager.'
She looked at their blank expressions without smiling.
'He's the supervisor of the port's scales. He makes sure all the merchant's weights are calibrated correctly as well. At least he used to.'
'Why did he stop?' asked Eric sarcastically. 'It sounds so interesting!'
'The port closed a long, long time ago. There's no trade as no one dares come near. You are the first visitors this city has seen in ages!'
'Well, it's not exactly on the tourist route, with all that mud!' said Eric reasonably.
'This Tronager, he's not a Wizard?' asked Bobby.
Clara shook her head and gave a knowing smile.
'No. But he knows a lot.'
They had no better plan, so they followed their new friend through a maze of streets getting more and more lost. Eventually they saw the deserted port, and Clara stopped beside the medium sized house that sat at the near end, before the loading bays and the pier.
She pushed the door open, and the two young ones followed her in.
Eric stifled a gasp. The Cavalier had been dragged along to some pretty big public libraries, but he had never seen so many books stuffed into one place. They were stacked in impossible towers that reached up to the ceiling; they were piled on bookcases that had warped under the great weight. And there was barely enough floor space to walk across the room. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling. Books, books, books! Everywhere.
Clara picked her way with practiced ease towards through the tiny gaps, to a door in the corner.
'Shiran!' she called.
There was a shuffling noise and the door opened. An old man appeared, slightly stooped (presumably from carrying so many books around). He had a long, craggy face that reminded Eric of a headmaster and his hair was dark brown, except for a striking lock of steel-grey, just off centre.
He took one look at their weapons and rushed forward to shake their hands with a bone-crunching grip. Eric noticed Bobby surreptitiously rubbing his hand afterwards.
'Dungeonmaster's pupils, here in my house!' said Shiran. 'What fortune! What fortune!'
He gave them a broad, almost predatory smile. 'How can I help such famous adventurers?'
'My sister, and our friends, are in the Temple of Love,' said Bobby eagerly. 'And Dungeonmaster told us to find a curse-breaker. Clara said you could help.'
The old man looked round at Clara in surprise.
'No one else in this city knows as much as you about magic,' she said defensively.
Shiran glanced down at the ground with a bashful shrug.
'Well, that's a bit of an overstatement, Clara,' he said modestly.
'Can you help us?' asked Bobby anxiously.
Shiran looked at the Barbarian with another broad smile.
'Let's go and see what we can find in the books, shall we?'
He turned to Clara.
'Perhaps you could find some food for our new friends?'
The girl nodded, and waded back through the book towers to another door.
'Come, young adventurers,' said Shiran, leading them through to the back room. The halls and rooms they passed were also stuffed full of books, but the back room only had books over three quarters of the floor. There was a large table at the far end, covered in scraps of paper. With one fluid movement, Shiran pushed the papers into an unruly pile, clearing a space and then picked three or four thick tomes from one of the bookcases nearby. He flicked through the pages with a long, claw-like fingernail.
'The Curse is a fine piece of craftsmanship, if I may say. One of the triskiest bits of magic I've seen in a long, long time. Subtle, complex, dangerous. Venger was inspired that day. I must search carefully…'
Neither Bobby nor Eric spoke as Shrian pored over his books. Bobby watched the old man eagerly, but Eric soon tired of watching someone else read. He turned, and tilted his head, pretending to read the titles of the books. Instead, he stared blankly at the wall of knowledge in front of him, thinking about home.
Until now, he had always focused on getting out of this crazy world, and back to their own planet, where they had useful things like TV and burgers. But going back home to his house and his family wasn't actually something he was looking forward to. How the hell was he going to explain to his parents where he'd been? His Father would probably lock him up forever. He could hear the lecture already. His behaviour was not acceptable. He had to grow up and take some responsibility: he was the last of the Montgomery Clan now.
Yes, hissed the voice in his head. You remember why, don't you?
He turned abruptly away from the books, to see Shiran staring at him with dark, shining eyes. The Cavalier took an involuntary step back.
'What!' said Eric in surprise.
'I said: "Are you following this?",' said Shiran.
Eric glanced at Bobby for support, but the Barbarian was looking intently at him too. How long had they been talking for? And what were they talking about?
'Um, well…Could you give me, um, a quick recap?'
Shiran gave him a devious grin, obviously realising that the Cavalier hadn't heard a word he'd said.
'Your friends have increased the power of the Temple,' said the Tronager evenly. 'But since the Temple is under a Curse, they have increased power of the Curse instead. The Curse can now extend its area of influence and destroy the inhabitants of this city, as well as yourselves. It that clear enough for you?'
Eric nodded mutely.
'And, don't forget, it will still attack you any way it can!' said Shiran sadly.
There was silence, and a familiar feeling of panic engulfed the Cavalier. It was hard to remain hopeful under normal circumstances, but with the Curse affecting his mind, it was almost impossible. He tried to remind himself how often the gang had cheated death before, but it didn't help.
'What about the Dragon?' asked Bobby.
The Tronager gave a sudden start.
'The Dragon? You met her?'
'It's a her?' asked Eric sourly. 'Yeah, we met her. She almost had us for dinner.'
Shiran nodded slowly.
'The Dragon was once the Keeper of the Temple. It was her home. When Venger cast the Curse, Sara was transformed, enslaved even, and trapped with the of a dragon-form. The Temple is a living building, you know, it needs guidance. So, with no Keeper, it was easier to subvert.'
He looked at the two young ones in surprise.
'How did you escape? Your weapons?'
Bobby shook his head.
'The Dragon tried to eat my sister, but Hank frightened her off.'
The Tronager looked confused.
'Obsidian Dragons aren't easy to scare,' he said.
Shiran turned suddenly, going over to one of the bookcases, muttering, 'Odd, very odd. I wonder? I wonder…'
Yes, thought Eric, it was odd, now he came to think about it. The Dragon had stopped attacking when it saw Hank about to sacrifice himself for Sheila. But why? Why would it care?
'Shiran?' asked Bobby quietly. 'If this Curse is so powerful, why are we OK and the others aren't?'
Instead of replying directly, Shiran looked at the Cavalier.
'Have you ever been in love?'
The Cavalier was taken aback by the directness of the question. He gave a sullen humph.
'Who needs that mushy stuff, eh, Bobby?'
He was enormously relieved to see the Barbarian nod. Shiran nodded too.
'Well, there you are then,' said the Tronager reasonably. 'It is the Temple of Love, after all!'
'But…' started Bobby, and Shiran held up his hand.
'Yes, you love your family and care about your friends, but being 'in love' is different.'
To Eric's surprise, Bobby didn't argue with the old man, but said:
'Dungeonmaster told us to break the Curse. Can you help us?'
There were tears in the young boy's eyes. Shiran smiled.
'Breaking curses is deceptively simple, young adventurer. The books all say the same things about curse-breaking. You must reverse the spell using the opposite of what Venger used.'
He smiled confidently at them.
'And, of course, some blood.'
Eric screwed up his nose. Why did it always have to be blood?
'Yes,' he said matter-of-factly, 'Venger's blood.'
Both boys looked at each other, then turned to gawp at the Tronager.
Eric recovered first.
'Venger's blood!' he said incredulously. 'You have GOT to be kidding! You might as well have suggested one of Tiamat's teeth!' The Cavalier shook his head in disbelief. 'I'm not even sure that Venger even has blood!'
The old man frowned, and looked back at the books on his table.
'You could try some other source,' he suggested. 'Um, innocent blood might do the trick, but there would have to be an awful lot of it. Perhaps a bucket…'
'Oh, please!' snapped Eric. 'This is getting us nowhere!'
'But how do we break it when we get back there?' asked Bobby.
Eric gulped, so loudly that Shiran seemed to here. Of course, they had to go back to the Temple! There couldn't be any long distance curse-breaking, oh no that would be too easy.
But Eric knew he could never get back. He would never be able to get close to that place without remembering. He was hardly able to keep denying the memory, and they were miles away! He looked at the Barbarian. Bobby had saved them before, he had come to that stupid prison of agony place, he had got them out. But he'd had help, and an amulet from Dungeonmaster, and…
'Shiran!' called a female voice. Clara appeared suddenly at the door, her eyes wide in fear.
'The Mayor and a big mob are coming down the street, Shiran. They're coming here!'
Bobby and Eric exchanged looks. Why did this always happen? And at the worst moment too! There were sudden noises outside, shouting and angry voices.
'They are coming!' hissed the Tronager.
'Who? What? Who?' said Eric indistinctly.
The old man turned to him.
'They know, they must have seen you,' he said, looking around in a panic, grabbing various books from nearby shelves.
'Us?' said Bobby, 'What did we do?'
The old man didn't stop gathering his books.
'They must know the Temple has been awakened once more,' he said. 'You are the only strangers to come here in decades. They'll come for you!'
Both Eric and Bobby jerked back in surprise.
'Let 'em come!' said Bobby, swinging his Club in front of him, just missing the table. The Tronager looked sternly at Bobby.
'No, child! You have a great task to do, you must go. Now!'
'But we don't know how to break the Curse yet!' said Bobby desperately. 'You haven't told us…
Shiran wasn't listening. He looked at Clara.
'Will you get them safely out of the city?'
The girl nodded, but she looked frightened.
The old man smiled at her.
'And I will remain here,' the old man said firmly. 'I will distract the Mayor, when he comes. But you must go, and go now. Return to the Temple, quickly.'
The old man stepped up to Eric and gripped his arm. Tears suddenly sprang to Eric's eyes as his chainmail buckled under the man's exceptionally powerful grip. The nerves in his lower arm went numb.
And the panic Eric felt paled into insignificance as he looked into the Tronager's eyes. The depths of age and knowledge and intelligence were there. It was like looking at the night sky, seeing countless suns across the countless ages of the Universe. Eric stood there, hypnotised.
'Take them back to the Temple!' Shiran hissed at him. 'Take them as far as you can. We must trust that the Dragon knows what she's doing.'
The old man released his grip and looked away to his books, ignoring the three children. A jumble of questions formed in Eric's mind, but he was unable to speak. What had just happened to him? Who was that man?
There was a thump from the door, and the hinges creaked.
'Let's get out of here!' suggested Bobby.
Clara had gone to one of the bookcases, and lifted on of the dusty books off the top shelf. There was a click and the bookcase moved away from the wall.
'Come on!' she said, disappearing through the gap. Bobby and Eric both followed her. There was a click behind them, cutting off any light.
They were in a dark, narrow passage that smelt of decaying leaves. As they squeezed along Eric could feel his red cape catching on various lumps in the wall. His metal chest plate was making a hideous scratching noise every time he moved.
'Quiet, Eric!' Bobby whispered to him.
'I'm trying,' Eric muttered back.
'Your not trying enough!'
'Shhhh!' said Clara. 'Don't move!'
Eric closed his eyes and waited. There was the sound of raised voices, but the Cavalier couldn't make out what they were saying. Then there was the sound of falling books, and a dull, whooshing roar, as if an angry dragon had just roasted its enemies. Then silence.
It was too dark to see either Clara or Bobby, but he could hear the Barbarian breathing rapidly.
And all the time there was the whisper of suppressed memories in the back of his mind. Was this ever going to end?
They waited for over ten minutes, possibly the longest ten minutes Eric had ever spent trapped behind a bookcase. Then Bobby gave his a little shove and whispered:
'Clara says to give the door a push!'
Eric did. It moved slightly, then stopped. He put his shoulder to it and gave a mighty shove. There was the scraping of wood and the door opened enough for him to squeeze out.
Shiran was gone. His books were still there, but seemed to be covered in a thin layer of steel-grey dust. There was no sign of anyone else.
The instant Clara appeared from their hiding place, she ran to the back door, and the two young ones ran after her. There was the sound of raised voices far off, but the harbour was empty, so the three of them ran off through the streets, to the city gates, with Clara leading the way.
Eric didn't speak, he was too out of breath.
No one saw them until they were close to the gates. They gave a spurt of speed, but all the Amorites threw at them were insults.
Then they were outside, back in the mud again. They slowed, but didn't stop running until they were hidden in the mists of the Plain, following the footprints form earlier.
Finally, Eric stumbled to the ground, gasping for breath. It was one thing to go racing around the streets of Amoran, but quite another to try and run through mud. Bobby and Clara were breathing heavily too, but Eric knew they couldn't rest for long. Time was running out.
The closer they returned to the Temple, the stronger the feelings of despair were getting. So far, his denial of the memory had kept him going. He wouldn't let himself remember, he just wasn't strong enough to live through that again. But Eric was getting more and more confused, and he knew it. The Curse would soon force him to remember, and then there would only be Bobby left.
'Let's go!' he said, between gasps. 'It's a long way.'
Bobby didn't look too pleased, and the Cavalier wondered again what the Temple had done to the Barbarian.
'Who died and left you in charge?' demanded Bobby.
Eric felt sick, as if Bobby's words had physically hit him.
'Shiran told me to lead you back to the Temple,' he snapped back. 'So let's go!'
The Barbarian opened his mouth to argue, and Eric lost his temper, no longer listening to what he was saying.
'Oh, give it a rest, Michael! We've gotta go!'
The Barbarian froze, his eye wide in surprise.
'What did you say?' he asked.
'I said give it a rest, stupid. We've gotta go.'
The Cavalier stood up as quickly as he could, and started walking. There other two followed, the Barbarian watching him with a scowl, but Eric didn't slow.
They struggled on for a short while, Eric slowly growing more perturbed. Eventually he stopped, and turned to the Barbarian.
'Look,' said the Cavalier, 'we need to figure out how to break this stupid curse. Grandpa back there wasn't exactly helpful. We don't know what Venger used to make the spell, and we are never, ever, ever going to get some of Venger's blood to spice it all up! And we'll never be able to get back to the City now, they're after us!'
He knew he wasn't making a lot of sense, but didn't dare stop. If he did, the Curse would win.
Neither of his companions spoke. Eric felt panic starting again. He desperately needed something to keep his mind off his family.
'What are you two staring at anyway?' he said belligerently. 'C'mon, we need activity here!'
'Venger would have used something nasty to create it in the first place,' said Clara slowly.
'Of course he would, dummy. And since it's the Temple of Love, he would have used hate to make the Curse. Since when did Venger love anything!'
That's right, keep talking, thought Eric. More talking, less thinking: more talking, less thinking…
The Barbarian looked confused.
'So, to break the Curse, we have to use the opposite of hate, which is love again? Right?'
Eric shrugged. He tried to remember Dungeonmaster's riddle from earlier. Give something, wasn't it? It was too hard to remember anything but…
'Eric? Is that what we'll do?'
'I thinks it's less of a 'we', and more of a 'you',' mumbled the Cavalier. What was it he was trying to do again?
Family…
There was a movement ahead of him, and a ethereal image of another dark haired boy appeared. The Cavalier stared intently at the vision in front of him.
The ghostly boy was standing with his hands on his hips, looking down at Eric with a playful smile.
God! No! Please, please don't make me remember.
"Bet you can't keep up, Eric…" said the other boy. "You're too scared to play this kind of game!"
The Cavalier gave a little lurch and slipped to the ground.
There was no mud or mist, no Shield or armour, just a clear blue sky above an empty beach. Overhead, gulls hovered on the gusting wind.
"Come on, Eric! Stop being such a party-pooper! It'll be fun!"
Eric held up his hand and said:
'Oh ok, Michael…'