Disclaimer: Since its development in 1983, the animated series Dungeons and Dragons has belonged to the following at some point: Marvel Productions, TSR, Inc., Wizards of the Coast, Saban Entertainment, (according to rumor) Disney, and possibly even others. I guess my point is, it does not (nor has it ever) belonged to me. Oh, well! This story, however, does! I hope you enjoy it!
Rating: PG-13 for some language and violent elements
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LEGACYChapter 7 -- Random Hearts
Teri sat by the campfire that Hank built after the descending darkness had forced them to stop for the night. The three had walked for hours, mostly in silence, none of them wishing to speculate as to what might be happening to their loved ones. Instead, when they did speak, they talked of other things. Sheila wondered outwardly what time it was back home and whether or not her folks had returned to the house yet. Hank assured her that very little time had probably passed and optimistically pledged that they would get back in plenty of time. After all, the last time they were in the Realm it had felt like years. This time, so far, it had only been two days. The Thief refrained from saying that that was two days too long without knowing what had happened to her brother and her daughter -- Realm-time or not.
The Dreamer had offered to take the first watch, afraid that sleeping would mean seeing something horrible happening to Bobby or one of the children; something that they would, once again, arrive too late to prevent. The young woman had never felt more helpless in her life. Bobby's smiling face kept entering her thoughts, even when she wasn't sleeping.
The few times that she did, unintentionally, doze off, her only visions were of a blackened, dreamless void. And for as terrifying as the dreams had been up to now, the absence of them sent an even more chilling shiver through her. Like there was nothing left to see. She began to lightly rock back and forth, hugging herself tightly, to drive the sleep away.
After a few hours, Sheila nudged her. "I can take over now," the Thief offered.
"I'm not tired," Teri insisted with a shake of her head. She brought her knees in closer to her chest and stared at the campfire. Rather than arguing with her, Sheila instead took a seat beside the Dreamer.
"You're afraid of what you might see," Sheila guessed as she looked at the weariness behind Teri's eyes. The other girl made no response. Sheila sighed and continued. "I know it's hard, Teri, but Venger said that you carried your greatest asset with you. Your dreams may be the one thing that can lead us to Bobby and Ayesha."
"You don't understand," Teri countered quietly. "You don't know what it feels like to see something happen and then arrive too late to prevent it. And it's happened three times so far. I couldn't help him in the park, we didn't reach the Realm before he and the others left the canyon, and outside Tardos Keep . . . when I saw . . . ." Teri stopped, choking on her words, and gripped her eyes to prevent the tears from leaking out.
Sheila placed her arm across Teri's back and drew her in close. She was right. None of them could begin to know the ramifications of the dreams or the effects they had on the girl herself. The Thief began to feel a bit selfish. She wanted so badly to find her brother and her daughter; but the dreams, although they were likely the best way, certainly took their emotional toll on Teri. They were very difficult for the girl to see. "It's okay," Sheila muttered with sorrowful reassurance. "It's okay, Teri. We'll find them and they're going to be just fine." Although the mother and sister inside her were both frantic, Sheila needed her words to calm Teri's fears right now.
Teri eased away from Sheila and gazed at the fire once again. "I hope you're right," she whispered as she remembered her last dream. She could still hear the Barbarian's cry of pain as Kadysse's magic exploded upon him, and she winced. "I don't know what scares me more," she continued, "Having those terrible dreams about Bobby and the others . . . or the fact that I haven't had a single one since!"
Sheila tried not to show how unnerved she had become by Teri's last statement and stared at the fire herself.
"I just wish that there was some way to let him know that we're here," Teri went on. "I want him to know that he's not alone." Teri's hand lightly gripped the collar of her shirt and her fingers sought something underneath at her throat. "I love him, Sheila," she whispered. "I always have."
The Thief smiled knowingly and shifted her gaze to Teri. She noticed a dim light glowing beneath the Dreamer's collar, where her fingers were. "Teri?" she asked, "What's that?"
Teri glanced down and took out what she had been handling -- a small, heart-shaped pendant on a chain around her neck. "I remember that," Sheila said. "It's glowing, Teri!"
The Dreamer nodded. "It's been doing that since Venger gave you guys your weapons," she replied, "Off and on." As she held it in her hand, the light died down. "I remember when Bobby gave this back to me," Teri laughed as she relayed the story to Sheila. "It was, like, the day right after everything happened in the Realm, after Bobby sent me back. It was about noon and I was coming out of class. I had been miserable the whole day . . . thinking about all of you, and what had happened, and worrying about whether or not you were all right . . . . And suddenly I heard this voice." Teri smiled and shook her head, casting her eyes to the night sky.
"Hey, Teri! You lose somethin'?" she said, imitating Bobby's words in a voice much deeper than his would have been at the time. "I just dropped everything and ran to him. I couldn't even tell you what happened after that. I didn't care! All I cared about was that he was home. It was one of the happiest moments of my life." She looked down at the pendant again. "I can only think of one other time that it's ever been off my neck since."
Sheila reached out and took the heart between her own fingertips. "Why was it glowing?" she asked.
"I don't know," Teri admitted, "But ever since Bobby gave it back to me, I've felt connected to him through it. I've been telling myself that the light means he's thinking about me . . . or, at the very least, that he's all right. It keeps me from going nuts with worry. Do you think that's crazy?"
Sheila smiled gently. "No," she said, "You're definitely not crazy. And I know that my brother, wherever he is right now, he is thinking about you. Because I know for a fact that he loves you, too." She once again wrapped her arm around Teri. "And it doesn't matter what this Realm throws at him. Bobby fights for the people that he loves. He's going to do everything in his power to keep Ayesha safe, and he won't stop until he comes back to you. He did it before . . . and he'll do it again. I promise you."
While she was speaking, Sheila felt Teri relax against her shoulder. Perhaps the Dreamer was more tired than she had let on, because it wasn't long before Sheila knew that the girl was sleeping. Instead of easing Teri down to the ground, the Thief allowed her to remain leaning against her, offering as much comfort as she could to her brother's troubled girlfriend and receiving it in return at the girl's closeness. She sighed and looked to the South, down the path that they would be traveling come morning. "Please, Bobby," she whispered, invoking her brother, "You come back to her. You and Ayesha please come back to all of us!"
* * *
"Are you gonna help me here or not!" Toby had been feeling around the base of the cell wall, searching for loose rocks in the hopes of tunneling a way out.
"Maybe I would if I didn't think you were totally wasting your time!" John grumbled. The boy sat a few feet away on the damp hay of the prison, his chin cupped in one hand, staring listlessly ahead. "We're never gonna get out of here."
Toby straightened up and scowled at the Squire. "This from a kid who's used to getting his way! What's the matter, Montgomery? Don't you want to get outta this place?"
John uncrossed his legs and rested his elbows on his knees, glaring up at the Fighter. "Well, I guess I figure since it's your fault I'm in this mess, I'll let you handle it!"
"Excuse me!?" Toby came back, "How is it my fault? And what's all this 'I'm in this mess' crap? Last I saw, we were in it together, buddy!"
John shrugged. "Well, that creep was aiming for you," he stated. "If I hadn't rushed over to save your butt, you might have been part of the canyon wall right now!"
"Oh, yeah!" Toby rebutted. "And our present situation is so much better! I thought that stupid weapon of yours was supposed to protect us from things like this!"
John got to his feet to stand toe-to-toe with the Fighter. "It kept us from getting fried, didn't it?" he growled. "How was I supposed to know that the jerk's magic was just gonna surround my shield and teleport us here? And I didn't see your Indiana Jones knock-off-of-a-weapon come in any handier!"
"At least I'm trying to find a way out of here!" Toby returned as he faced the wall again, searching for loose stones, "Which is more than I can say for you! Or are you just used to having everything done for you?"
When Toby received no answer he turned and faced John once more. The Squire was seated on the dank ground again with his back to the Fighter. The boy's shoulders were slumped over and, although they weren't shaking and Toby could fairly ascertain that John wasn't crying, the youth's body language communicated a despair that went beyond what sobs could convey. Toby's face softened a bit. "Look, man, I--"
"What's your problem, anyway?" John asked, cutting him off. "Since we met you've done nothing but ride me about my family -- but you don't know anything about me."
Frowning, Toby pursed his lips and strode over to where John was sitting. He sat down with his back facing the Squire. "Well, you haven't exactly been too willing to share," he said, a bit more quietly this time. "Except for what Varla said about you, I admit it, I don't know much. But you didn't want to talk about it." John didn't answer and only hunched his shoulders farther forward. "Look," Toby continued, "I'm sorry, okay. I won't jump to any more conclusions. We don't have anything here except for time, so how about you tell me a little bit about yourself right now."
John straightened and looked over at Toby. "Only if it will keep you off my back, finally," he muttered. "If you want to know the truth, I hate that my dad has money."
"Get outta town!" Toby laughed. "How is that possible?"
"Don't get me wrong," John shrugged, "I don't mind having money, but it seems like my dad and my grandpa are so busy making it that he's never around. Dad says all the time that he does it for me, but I'd really just rather have him show up for one of my hockey games, you know?"
Toby nodded. He couldn't exactly say that he understood or could relate to John's situation, but he could empathize nonetheless.
"My dad thinks that sending Cassie in his place makes up for it, but, you know, it would be totally awesome to have him there," John continued. He then turned his face completely away from Toby. "My mom died when I was born," he said. "I think my dad gives me all this stuff so I wouldn't miss having her around."
"He probably keeps himself busy so he wouldn't miss her either," Toby offered gently.
John shrugged again. "I just wish I could see him more. It's not that I don't think he loves me or anything, I know he does. But if he would make an appearance at something that's important to me it would make it easier to believe."
Toby smiled and turned a bit where he sat so he could place a hand on John's shoulder. "You know what, pal?" he said, "After hearing the stories that my Aunt Di told me, and especially after what Bobby told us, I think your dad is capable of a lot more than you give him credit for. There's no way he could have done all the things that Bobby said he did and come out only focused on some bottom line." The Fighter's smile widened even more. "You know what I think?"
The Squire finally faced the other boy. "What?"
"I think there's a reason that we were brought here -- and it's not just to deal with these three forces of evil. I think that once you get home, you'll have something to really talk to your dad about; something that he can relate to. Maybe you're here to establish a connection with him. This Realm is something that not a lot of people have in common. But you and your dad will have that."
"Yeah," John agreed, limply at first, before raising his head to look at the cell around him with more determination. "Now all we have to do is get outta here!"
"That's more like it!" Toby exclaimed. "Now are you gonna help me or what?"
"I only wish those bozo Orcs didn't take my medallion," John lamented as he tried to help Toby to survey the wall. "You must've checked this wall a million times by now! This is getting us nowhere."
"What would you have done, Squire?" Toby retorted. "It's not like you could have 'force-fielded' you way out of this cell!" The boy shot the Fighter a dirty look and the latter held up his hands in a defensive gesture. "Okay! Okay!" he placated, "I admit that my whip probably wouldn't do much good either." He stopped and stepped back from the wall. "What we need is a real weapon."
John stopped as well. "That's it!" the boy cried. He started fumbling with his empty scabbard.
"What's 'it'?" Toby asked.
"Venger said that the weapon in this holster would appear when it was needed!" John answered. "I'd say we need it now, wouldn't you?" The Squire gripped and shook the sheath in the hopes of making whatever weapon was hidden inside appear.
"He also said that the weapon in there wasn't meant for you, John," Toby reminded him. "Why don't you let me try?" He reached out for the scabbard on the Squire's belt, which John reluctantly released.
"Okay," the young boy relinquished, "But if it actually works for you, I quit this squire stuff!"
Toby's fingers reached toward the sheath and closed into a fist as though gripping the hilt of a sword. As he drew his hand away from the Squire's belt, it remained empty, however. "No good," he said with a shake of his head. "I guess we don't need it enough."
"You've gotta be kidding me!" John whined. "And just when would we need it more? When we're . . . ?"
"Quiet in there, you!"
The Squire was silenced by the rumbling voice and menacing snort of an enormous Orc who had appeared in the window of their cell. "Great," he muttered a bit indiscreetly, "Bacon Brains is back!"
The Orc, clearly angered by John's insolence, rapped loudly on the door of the cell. "Quiet, humans!" he ordered again.
"How about letting us out?" Toby asked sarcastically. "We'll be as quiet as a mice!"
The Orc's pigish snout curled into a sneer. "You be let out soon," he assured them. "Master Mordreth want to see you. Then you be let out!" The Orc smashed his fist against the barred window of the cell and trudged away with a defining snort, leaving the two Young Ones with nothing to do but wait.
John turned to Toby. "What are we gonna do now?" he asked with a hint of desperation.
Toby looked determined. "I don't know about you, but I'm not too keen on having an audience with this Mordreth guy," he said as he watched the Orc go. "I think I have a plan . . . if you can work with me!"
* * *
Diana placed her hand over Eric's closed fist. "Paper covers rock, Cavalier," she laughed. "Your turn again!"
"You know, I'm convinced that you're making this up as we go!" Eric returned as he tossed another log on the fire.
Diana laughed again. "You weren't tired, and I wasn't tired, and you were the one who wanted to play," she reminded him. "So c'mon! Most embarrassing moment this time!"
"Oh, well, that's easy!" Eric announced placing his hands behind his head and leaning back against a tree. "That whole bogbeast fiasco!"
Diana smiled. "That was your most embarrassing moment?"
"You mean it wouldn't have been yours?" he retorted. "Tell you what: You spend a day as a 5 foot 8 frog and then we'll see how you feel about it!"
"No, thanks," Diana conceded. She caught herself staring at Eric's profile for a moment before quickly turning away, her smile never fading from her face. "Can I ask you a serious question?" she said after a few seconds.
"Shoot," Eric responded.
"I know Sheila told you that Cale left me . . . but did she tell you why?"
Eric sat quietly for what felt like a very long time. He wasn't sure how he should answer that. If he lied and said that Sheila hadn't said anything, Diana might feel painfully obligated to rehash the difficult details of her story. If he told her the truth, he would feel as though he had invaded her privacy. She hadn't, after all, ever told him herself. In the end, he decided to play it safe, by answering a question with a question. "Why do you ask?"
"Last night, you said that I was taking this whole thing -- the kids disappearing, I mean -- you said I was taking it really well," Diana replied. She hugged her knees into her chest. "I'm not, you know. Not really."
Eric wasn't sure what to do or say. He knew that his friend needed him to say something, but after so much distance had been put between them, he wasn't sure if he had the right anymore. He sat quietly, waiting for her to continue.
"I can't have children, Eric," Diana admitted, "And whether you already knew that or not, I needed to tell you. I can't keep my mind off Toby and what might be happening to him. I love that kid," she mused, looking up to the sky. "So much! He's the closest thing I'll ever have to a child of my own and I think I would die if anything . . . ." The Acrobat squeezed her eyes shut and pillowed her forehead on her knees.
"He'll be all right. He and John both will. You were the one who told me that." Eric placed an awkward arm around her. "Are you sure, though, Diana?" he asked, "Are you really sure? About not being able to have kids?"
She lifted her face and wiped at the tears that were forming in her eyes. "The doctors are sure," she said, "Even though they can't explain why."
"Since you brought it up," Eric ventured, "I've been wanting to say something about that guy that you married. Don't take this the wrong way, Diana. I'm saying this as your friend, not Cale's. I know I didn't get to know him too well, but he seems like a really superficial guy. And I think you deserve a hell of a lot better than someone who's going to leave you because of something that's not your fault."
"Part of it probably was, though, Eric," Diana replied. "There were things I never told him. Things I probably should have, but never thought I could. That alone should have said something about our relationship. Especially when I look at Presto and Maggie and how he was able to tell her anything -- even about the Realm . . . .
"Anyway, the doctors may not have had a valid reason for my situation, but I did . . . and I never told Cale. I just didn't think he would understand."
"What reason?" Eric asked.
"Starfall," Diana answered. "I'm pretty sure that the reason I can't have kids is because of what my body went through during Starfall."
"How can you be sure?"
"There's a lot of different reasons," she sighed, "But the bottom line is that I just know. I can feel it. Don't say anything, okay? I didn't even tell Sheila that part of it."
Eric shook his head. Part of the Cavalier was flattered that she had chosen him to confide in, but he was still heartbroken for his friend. "I wish I knew what to say," he muttered. "Do you think, now that we're back in the Realm . . . I mean, maybe there's a way to . . . ."
Diana cocked her head to the side. "I appreciate the thought, Eric," she said, "But I think what's done is done. Besides, if I was meant to find out what kind of guy Cale Vaughn really was, it's better that it happened before I invested even more of my life with him. I would rather have a man who loves me for who I am -- not for what I can or can't give him."
Eric sat silently for a moment. "I think you would have made a great parent," he said. "For what it's worth."
Diana responded with a gentle smile. "It's worth a lot," she replied. "Thanks, Eric."
"So, what about you?" she asked, more cheerfully, after a few moments had gone by. "I bet you're a great dad!"
The Cavalier paused thoughtfully. "Sometimes I wonder," he said, shooting a sideways glance in Diana's direction. "I mean, I love John more than anything, but I'm continually compiling this list of things that I have to make up for. A missed hockey game here, a week or two away from home there, a couple of evenings in a row where I don't make it home for dinner . . . . I'll tell you, Diana, it's hard. But at least I can give him anything he wants."
Diana narrowed her eyes in a soft stare before sighing heavily. "Eric, can I say something?" she asked.
"Sure."
"Now, I want you to take this in the manner in which it's intended," she prepared him. "You have a lot of money; Enough so that you don't have to spend all your time making more. And what you just said, well, . . . it just doesn't make sense!"
"Excuse me?" Eric was floored. Who did she think she was?
It a moment, the Cavalier found out exactly who Diana thought she was. "We were friends, Eric. You said yourself that you were sorry we drifted apart," she reminded him. "If you want to rekindle our friendship, you know what that involves: I tell it like it is! And I am telling you now that what you have, is something that I would lay down and die for! You have a treasure in your life. And I can guarantee that the only thing that boy wants, the only thing he needs . . . is you!"
Eric stared at Diana angrily for a moment before shaking his head at the familiarity of the words. "You're starting to sound like Cassie," he said gruffly. "She would have said something like that."
"Girlfriend?" the Acrobat prodded.
"N-no," Eric stammered a bit, "She's . . . . You met her . . . at the park. Cassie Masterson. John's nanny."
"Oh, I remember. So, that was her."
"Yep," Eric mused, mostly to himself. "She would have said that. Or something stupid like, 'A wise man once said: Why give a tadpole the ocean if all it wants is the comfort of it's own pond,'" he imitated Cassie in an overly-exaggerated elderly falsetto.
"Shall I tell you who you sound like now?" Diana quipped.
"I think we can curb the insults, thank you very much," he mumbled.
"Come on, Eric," Diana said amiably, "I think the old Dungeon Master would be happy to know that you're keeping his memory alive!"
"Memory? More like a constant reminder," the Cavalier scoffed in reply. "I thought I'd had enough riddles to last me the rest of my life. It's just my luck that I would hire a nanny who has the same way with words as the Magical Mayor of Munchkin Land!"
Diana shifted her weight in her seated position so that she was now fully facing him, snapping Eric's full attention back in her direction. "That's another thing I'd been meaning to ask you about," she said. "John is what? Eleven years old? Almost twelve? Why does he still have a nanny?"
Eric turned himself as well so that he was now face-to-face with Diana. He had had something much more confrontational in mind to say, but swallowed hard and thought better of it. "I needed her, Diana," he stated. "After Denise died . . . I guess I just figured that John needed a woman around. And it was amazing how Cassie was just . . . you know . . . suddenly there. She was willing to leave her job for me and everything."
"Your son has a parent," Diana informed him, "And I don't think that a surrogate mother can replace the real father that John already has."
"How would you know, anyway," Eric grumbled bitterly.
"I know because I used to hear about it all the time from you sixteen years ago!" Diana said. "Your biggest complaint was that your father was never around. Think about it, Eric. Do you really want your son to have the same ill feelings toward you?"
"It's not the same," Eric insisted. "John knows that I love him."
"Look," Diana said gently, using her fingers to turn his face to hers, "You have something that I can only wish I had, and I would consider myself a failure as a friend if I didn't tell you to treasure every minute you have with that boy when we find him. Time isn't cheap, Eric. It's the one thing your money can't buy for you and your son. Don't waste it." She allowed her eyes to linger on his for a moment before speaking again. "Remember, Eric, it's better to be loved for who you are . . . not for what you can give to people. Your son is no exception."
Eric lightly gripped the hand that was touching his face and dropped his eyes slightly as he leaned in toward her. He paused for a moment before touching his lips to hers with a kind of shy caution. He wasn't sure why he did it. Maybe it was just being back in the Realm. Maybe it was his own desperation to have something to hold onto. Or maybe he had just never given up on the idea of Diana in his life. Whatever the reason, the scolding that she had just given him, Diana's old way of never allowing him to get away with anything, rekindled something in Eric, and he felt the need to act on it. It seemed so familiar at first that it was a bit of a surprise to him when Diana finally pulled away. "I'm sorry," Eric said, almost in a berate to himself.
The Acrobat only smiled at him. Don't be, her mind whispered, but the words couldn't seem to make their way to her lips, stalling a breath away from being uttered. Confessing what was in her heart now meant dealing with it later and Diana wasn't sure if she could handle that. Especially if that led to losing this man again -- whether it be to the dangerous, possibly deadly, force of evil that they were about to face here, or the grown-up responsibilities waiting for each of them back home. It was just easier, for both of them, if she didn't allow herself to love Eric again.
But Diana continued to smile at him; a reassuring smile that conveyed that the Cavalier had done nothing wrong. She stroked the pad of her thumb across his cheek once before finally letting her hand drop.
"Anyway, like I was saying," Eric continued, a bit flustered as he straightened up, "You sound just like Cassie."
"Well," Diana returned, "She's my kinda lady! That's one very smart child care engineer that you hired!"
"I swear the way she fights with me . . . sometimes it's like she wants me to fire her!" Eric mused. "The woman certainly can speak her mind."
"Maybe she knows that John doesn't need her anymore," Diana guessed. "But, like I said, he's always going to need you. Especially right now. Maybe this is a first step, Eric. Being in the Realm again is like being granted a second chance."
"You're right," Eric announced as he rose to his feet and pulled Diana up with him, "So what are we waiting for?" It wasn't yet daybreak, but the Cavalier was now more determined than ever to find John. "Let's go."
"You know, Eric," Diana stated as they began walking farther West, "If this doesn't prove to John that you'd do anything for him, I don't know what will. After all, anybody's dad can show up for a hockey game. But how many fathers engage in inter-dimensional travel for their sons?"
* * *
Ayesha scowled at the Orcish brute who had been sent to guard her. She felt as though she had been in this prison cell for hours and yet the ugly beast hadn't budged an inch in his relentless duty. On the table beside him lay the hilt of the Paladin's sword as well as Bobby's club.
She tried to keep her mind from drifting to her uncle, as she hadn't seen him or heard anything about him since arriving here, and she was already frightened enough with worry. If Bobby was here in this place, somewhere, Ayesha did know that the two of them were alone. Toby and John had disappeared at the hands of that horrible skeletal creature, Varla could still be trapped in that cave for all the Paladin knew, maybe worse, and Bane must have been successful in capturing Uni once Bobby and Ayesha were detained. It was like a bad dream. Her friends were scattered and Ayesha had no idea how to help them.
She allowed herself to gaze at her Uncle Bobby's club. What would Mom or Dad do? she thought desperately. She wrapped her arms around herself, gripping the edges of her cape, and wished that they were here.
"Well, they're not," she whispered aloud to herself, "And you might just be on your own, girl." Ayesha was frantic about the others, but she knew that the only way to help them was by getting herself out, first. She glared at the Orc who stood guard in the hallway.
"Excuse me," she said sweetly. The Orc ignored her. "You're certainly not one for conversation, are you?" she grumbled, annoyed that getting his attention would take more doing than she thought.
After several minutes, Ayesha heard a loud clattering as a metal plate was slid under her door. She turned to face the noise. Another Orc was snarling in the window of her cell. At the prospect of being faced with a guard that was a bit more animated than the mannequin that had been watching her, Ayesha became somewhat demanding. "Where's my Uncle Bobby?" she fumed.
"Lady Kadysse deal with him," the beast growled. "Deal with you later!"
The Paladin narrowed her eyes at the creature's back as he turned to lumber down the hall. She glared at the gruel in the plate at her feet, then at the guard stationed outside. Not if I can help it! she thought hotly.
* * *
"God! Where is it? Where is it? It can't be gone!" The dark-haired young woman fumbled through the few remaining belongings that were left on her dresser in the hopes of finding the item that she had lost. "I thought that once most of my stuff was packed I'd be able to find it!" She stopped and held up her hands in desperation before turning to the young man sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of her bedroom. "You didn't hide it, did you? So I'd miss my flight?"
The blonde young man chuckled. "Now, would I do a thing like that?"
The girl's hands rooted accusingly to her hips. "You were the one who insisted that I take it off last week when you dragged me to that rock-climbing thing that you love so much! I don't know why I listened to you! I never take it off!" She continued to search her room, even dropping to her knees to check under the dresser.
"You don't remember where you put it?"
"Maybe if I took it off on a regular basis, I'd have a special place for it!" she groaned. "But I-I don't know now! You were the one who told me that I'd find it before I had to leave! And my flight takes off in about four hours! How am I going to go a whole semester without it, Bobby?"
Bobby smiled a bit as he rocked back in his chair. He turned his head toward the window. "I'm gonna miss you, you know, Ter," he said.
Teri's aggravated face softened. "Oh," she sighed as she moved across the floor to kneel in front of Bobby, resting her arms on his knees, "That's so sweet." She took one of his hands. "I really appreciate you being okay with this. Studying abroad is a big deal for me. And I know it'll be tough . . . being a whole semester and all, but . . . ." She smiled as Bobby turned back to face her. "I'll miss you, too."
"France," Bobby mused, "That's awfully far away."
"Well, unlike you," Teri stated as she got to her feet and resumed her search, "I've never spent an extended period of time away from home. I just want the opportunity to see what else is out there."
Bobby scoffed. "My reasons for being away from home were hardly academic!" he reminded her. "It's not like I earned 3 undergraduate credits in Survival 101!"
"Magic Theory?" Teri offered with a grin.
"Orc Dodging might make an interesting gym class," Bobby added to the list with another snicker before staring down at his hands. "By 'seeing what else is out there,' do you mean people, too? Guys, I mean?"
Teri turned to him with a look of concern. "Bobby," she sighed.
The young man shrugged. "It's okay if you do," he ventured, almost shyly. "We were best friends for a long time before we ever started dating for real, and I think we still had a good thing, even then. So, if you're looking for something else . . . or if you think you might find it -- even if you're not looking . . . ." He paused to sigh heavily and collect his thoughts. "I guess what I'm saying is that I would still want to be your friend, Teri. Your best friend. And I'd want you to tell me."
"Bobby," Teri said softly as she walked back over to him, "No matter what happens, you will always be my best friend." She stooped down in front of him again and took his closed hand in hers. "There's no one else that I'd rather spend time with, or laugh with, or just be with! I think that's part of the reason that we've stayed so close for so long. You've been a big part of me for most of my life and I never want that to change. That's why I'm so upset that I can't find my necklace. It's like my link to you. Like having you in France with me . . . even if you can't really be there."
Bobby lifted his gaze to smile at her. "You're sure?" he asked.
"Absolutely," Teri assured him and, giving his hand a squeeze, added, "I'm going to go check downstairs."
"Hey, Teri," Bobby called, stopping her at the door. She turned around and faced him. He brought his eyes up from where they had been focused on his hands and looked at her with a light smile. Holding up his clenched fist, he uncurled it, dropping a small pendant and allowing it to dangle from two fingers. "You lose something?"
"Bobby!" Teri exclaimed and she ran back toward him as he rose from the chair. "You sneak! Did you have it the whole time?"
"No," Bobby answered cryptically as he relinquished his hold on the heart-shaped charm, "Not the whole time."
Teri cupped it in her hands. "What do you mean? Where was it?" She opened her palms to inspect the previously lost treasure . . . and her jaw dropped open.
"It spent a good portion of the week in the engraver's shop at the mall," Bobby responded softly.
Teri's breath caught in her throat as she gazed at the pendant in her hands. It was almost the same as it had always been. The same gold charm that Bobby had returned to her all those years ago. The one item that she owned that she was convinced she couldn't live without. But now, there was a small addition to the back side. Where there had always been a smooth gold surface, it now read, in tiny scripted letters:
Robert Patrick O'Brien
Loves
Teresa Lynn Bradick
Teri was moved to tears. She felt as though Bobby had given the necklace back to her all over again as he had the day after he returned from the Realm. The former Barbarian was never one to express a great deal of emotion. "Gushy stuff," he called it. But, as he took the necklace from her fingers and loosened the clasp to fasten it back around her neck, Teri could swear that she heard a slight catch in his breathing as well.
"I do, you know," she heard him say as she glanced down at the treasure around her neck. "I love you, Teri." She looked back up at him with tears in her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her.
"If this is a ploy to get me to stay home," she said as their lips parted in a voice that was half-laugh and half-sob, "It's totally working!"
Bobby shook his head with a tender smile. "I want you to go," he said. "I want you to do your thing, and," he pointed to the heart around her neck, "I want you to come back to me -- like I came back to you."
Teri wrapped her arms around his neck. It would be the last time for several months. "For someone who doesn't like the 'gushy stuff,' Bobby the Barbarian, you certainly are a sweet talker!" She then kissed him again, full on the mouth, for the better part of a minute before resting her head on his shoulder. "I love you, too."
Bobby remembered it as being one of the happiest moments of his life. He went to squeeze her tighter. "Teri?" he asked. He could no longer feel her against him. "Teri?"
Bobby's eyes flew open, only to find himself standing alone in a barren landscape. "Teri! Where are you? Teri!" He spun around at the sound of malevolent laughter echoing all around him. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Where's Teri?!?"
The laughing continued; deeply ominous, yet unmistakably female. "I told you, Barbarian," a voice suddenly mingled with the laughter, "You needn't worry about such petty things! You are mine now!"
Bobby tried to run, but he felt as though a ghostly hand was holding him back. His head throbbed as though someone was literally reaching into his brain. He emitted a grunt of pain before yelling again. "TERI!"
Bobby jerked awake only to find himself back in the circular chamber of the Citadel of War. He was still chained, still in a great deal of pain, and feeling much weaker than he had been before. In surveying the room, he noticed a figure standing a few feet away gazing into a circular pit in the floor. Steam rose from the hole as though something was smoldering inside. As the figure turned to face him, Bobby recognized Kadysse.
"The time has come, Barbarian," she said in a breathy voice. "I have been waiting for you."
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Author's Note: Yes, 'tis certainly true that I'm just a romantic at heart! Here's hoping that I get to insert more of the 'gushy stuff' later . . . but only if the Young Ones make it that far! Next chapter: Just what does Kadysse want with Bobby? Will Hank and the others reach him (and Ayesha) in time to prevent a tragedy?
Hope you'll stay tuned! As always, questions, comments, and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated! If you're reading/enjoying my story, I'd sure love to hear from you! Click the little button below or feel free to drop me an email! *G*
Till next time!