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
Author's Notes: This final chapter of Legacy is dedicated to everyone who has been so wonderful and so enthusiastic regarding my little story over the past two years. Your support and kind encouragement have served both as inspiration and motivation, and I cannot begin to express how much it means to have people reach out and show that the ride has been worth all the hard work! Words can't express how much it has meant to me! Thank you!
Special thanks, of course, must go out to the wonderful EQ and Heidi. Big hugs! Big, BIG! You know what you've done and how much I appreciate it! My thanks is beyond measure!
This chapter (and the very brief Epilogue to follow) marks the end of what has been a very long journey. As the coaster pulls, finally, onto the straightaway, I must say again how grateful I am that so many have enjoyed taking this ride through the Realm with me!
Thanks again, and please enjoy the end of Legacy!
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LEGACY Chapter 17 – Legacy of the RealmHank raised his head from the dirt, forcefully expelling the coating of dust that he felt was lining his lungs. "Whoa," he groaned between choking breaths as he glanced up in amazement at the space that the Nameless One had once filled. The clouds above were brighter, separating like wispy feathers as the blue sky began to reemerge. "Is everyone okay?" the Ranger called out.
"Yes," replied Sheila from beneath Hank's arm as she, too, lifted herself from the ground. She smiled brightly at her husband before scanning the skies in awe, squinting in the newly visible suns. The Thief then focused her eyes on Ayesha, who was already on her knees. The girl uttered a surprised laugh as she beamed back at her parents, even through all the soot that stained her freckled face.
"We're okay!" called Bobby as he pulled Teri to her feet and shook a shower of gravel out of his dusty blonde hair. He looked to the sky as well, allowing the four suns to warm his skin before whooping triumphantly for joy, catching the Dreamer in his arms and spinning her around.
"WHOOOO-HOOOO!" he cried pointing into the crystal blue void above him, where the nameless menace had been moments before. "That's right! That's what you get!" He continued to laugh ecstatically as he hugged Teri closer.
"I can't believe it," Presto muttered, awestruck. "We did it!" He wrapped his arms around Varla's shoulders from behind as she, too, stared proudly into the sky. "We really did it!"
"Is He really gone?" Toby asked, using a raised hand to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness of the Realm's suns.
"Indeed. Cast out of the Realm," Venger confirmed with a regal smile. The relief in his voice carried clearly through the still valley. They all turned to face him. "Thanks to you, my Young Ones."
"Wait until he gets our bill!" Eric chided in an aside to his son. John tried to stifle a laugh, but it escaped through his nostrils as a snort. The Cavalier took in the sight of the giggling boy at his side. Several hours ago, he wanted nothing more than for John to have been long gone from this place. Now, having his son here, at this moment, snorty noises and all, made Eric happier than he ever thought possible.
Diana's fingers ran unconsciously up and down the lengths of her arms as she, like most of her friends, continued to stare at the sky. The tingling pulse caused by the magic they had just wielded continued to beat gently beneath her skin. It reminded her again of Starfall. But it was different. Very different. The brandishing of such power in the Temple of Light had left remnants of an unpleasant electric tingling that seemed to crawl beneath her flesh for days. The Acrobat recalled rubbing fiercely at her exposed skin, trying to force the sensation out through her very pores, along with the memory of what had caused it.
This time, however, she reveled in it, this soothing pulse which thrummed within her like a second heartbeat. Her flesh felt warmed from the inside, even as the emerging suns kissed it from the outside. Diana's fingers caressed her arms in lazy circles, hoping to keep the sensation beneath her skin for as long as possible.
She looked at all her friends and could tell that they felt it too. They were glowing. All of them. And not just in gratitude for seeing the battle to a happy end, but from some wonderful thing on the inside. Suddenly Diana was reliving Starfall again, but the way it should have been. Not standing alone, but together. Wielding untold magic with a hand holding hers, instead of being ripped away from it. Facing the future with a sense of immeasurable gain rather than one of profound loss. The Acrobat turned her head slightly, shifting her vision to Eric a few steps away. He was smiling down at his son, but looked up when he must have felt her eyes upon him. His grin widened as he looked back at her.
"By the way, DM!" Eric announced as though suddenly realizing something. He tore his eyes away from Diana and directly addressed Venger. "I must admit I'm awfully impressed! But how come you waited so long before breaking out the big guns?"
"Yeah," agreed Presto, also with sudden realization. "That last burst of energy at the end was amazing, but I have to admit I was worried for a while. I thought we were goners for sure!"
This drew the Young Ones a step closer to Venger, waiting for his explanation. Each of them clearly recalled what had happened at the battle's end. Remembered filtering their own strength through their weapons, and through each other, to combat the ancient evil. Remembered the magic around them rising to a fever pitch as it hammered beneath their skin. Remembered struggling for just that fragment of extra power as the colliding forces met in a stalemate above their heads. Then, from somewhere behind them, there had appeared a thin spear of crimson light, adding itself to the power they had created. It was a slight push from a gentle yet powerful hand, little more than a magical pep-talk. Hardly a 'big gun' of any kind, as Eric had suggested, but it had certainly been enough to tip the scales in their favor.
Venger's powers certainly were impressive. And timely.
Venger smiled thankfully, bowing his head to the Young Ones. "My friends, I am most grateful for your praise. So much so, . . . I regret to say that the final assault did not come from me."
"What do you mean?" Sheila asked.
"Yeah," Bobby added. "We were already giving it all we had. The only person left to add to the attack was y--"
"My words mean what they say, Barbarian," Venger interrupted him. "At thirteen, even with all our powers combined, our strength evenly matched that of the Nameless One. The only way to tip the scale in our favor, was through the addition of another ally." The Dungeon Master smiled strangely.
Varla's head perked up. "You said that we would meet allies here!" she announced. "B-but I thought we already had . . . ." She looked around at the family and friends who surrounded her. ". . . When we found each other!"
Venger cocked an enigmatic eyebrow to her, but still said nothing.
"Expect to encounter aid -- most unexpectedly; at an unforeseen time, in a strange place," Presto intoned, recalling the riddle Venger had imparted upon their arrival in the Realm days ago. "Well, I'm lost now." He shrugged with the frustration of someone who thought he had discovered a miracle cure only to learn it had debilitating side effects. The Magician blew a strand of unkempt auburn hair out of his eyes. "I thought I had it figured when you appeared to us in Tardos Keep," he said, indicating both himself and his daughter. "I certainly hadn't expected to see you there. 'Course, it would have been stranger if you had shown up wearing your old horn and dress . . . ." His thoughts trailed off, along with his words.
Eric, too, looked thoughtfully perplexed. He picked absently at his bottom lip as he spoke. "My money was on when Teri came back after she was hurt." He shrugged. "Both unexpected and strange seeing as how we thought . . . well, . . . um, . . . you know." He finished spluttering out the end of his less-than-tactful statement with a sheepish cowering grin as he tried to avoid the Barbarian's eyes.
Bobby squeezed the Dreamer's hand tightly and used the other to scratch at his head, releasing yet another small shower of dust from the confines of his thick tangled hair. "Well," he mused quietly, "that would have been my guess, too."
Venger only continued to smile as he watched the Young Ones flounder through their puzzlement.
"But if it wasn't Venger's magic," Hank ventured, shifting his glare dumbfoundedly and bringing everyone's attention back to the original question, "then who . . . ?"
There was only silence around them, and then . . . .
"Dear me! But that line was long!"
The sudden appearance of a new voice in their midst caused the Young Ones to turn slowly back toward the steps of Tardos. A lone figure stood there; slightly older than middle-aged, of medium height, fairly stout, wearing an amiable smile. The person was unfamiliar to many in the group, vaguely familiar to others, but very well known by two in particular. Eric felt a queasy feeling grip his stomach in a clamp and yank downward as his jaw dropped open disbelievingly.
"C-Cassie?" he said in astonishment, when he was finally able to speak. "Wha--? What the hell are you doing here?" His gaze slowly went from wide-eyed shock, to a narrowed squint, looking at the woman askance to be certain he was seeing correctly.
John stood beside Eric, his disbelief paralleling that of his father. But unlike Eric, the boy was utterly speechless.
The robust woman's smile widened as she approached the stunned group before her.
"Eric?" Bobby nudged the Cavalier, "you know this lady?"
Eric was struck dumb again for a moment before stumbling into an explanation. "Y-yeah," he stuttered. "S-she's John's . . . nanny." He never removed his narrow gaze from the woman and she raised an eyebrow at his feeble introduction.
"Child care engineer, Eric," Presto muttered, at a loss for what else to say.
Cassie continued to smile good-naturedly at them as she answered Eric's original question. "What am I doing here? I'm simply fulfilling my obligation to my employer," she said plainly. "Although I never thought I'd have to travel to the ends of the earth to do it!"
Eric couldn't force a word out, but his face contorted in such a way that told the former nurse more explanation was definitely needed. Cassie shrugged and continued. "You hired me to look after your son," she reminded him. "I guess I'd be remiss if I wasn't able to do it one last time. So sorry that it took so long, Sir," she added. "The line at the Dungeons and Dragons ride became quite long after you left. Must have been the post-lunch rush."
Hank stood beside Eric, perplexed by the apparent nonchalance exhibited by this woman about being here in the Realm. He started to introduce himself, when Eric finally piped up again. "What do you mean 'one last time'?" he asked.
Cassie sighed, placing a gentle hand on Uni who had come to stand almost naturally beside her. The assembled Young Ones were even more taken aback by this.
"You know, Eric," she finally said, "in all the time I've worked for you I've given you a great deal of frank and candid advice -- some of which I know you never asked for. But any time I tried to simply hint at something . . . well, . . . you never did get it. You didn't get it that night on your back veranda, and you're not getting it now." The woman's mouth curled up into a cunning smile, her crystal blue eyes twinkling. "But then you never did have much patience for mere hints, . . . did you, Cavalier?"
Eric started, and it was a good few moments before he had to remind himself to breathe. "What did you call me?" he finally croaked out.
Bobby nudged John. "Who is this?" he whispered.
"My nanny," the boy repeated as though the Barbarian hadn't heard the answer the first time, "Cassie Masterson."
"Anyway," Cassie announced as she drew herself up, seemingly dismissing Eric's choked question, "I suppose I'll tell you straight out: For the longest time, I had been hoping that you would finally, shall we say, relieve yourself of my services. You truly didn't need me anymore, Eric, and neither did John. But since you never picked up on the hint I was dropping, apparently, it has become necessary for me to take matters into my own hands." The woman maintained her tender smile as her voice became all-business. "So, I have come here to deliver my formal resignation, . . . Sir."
Eric looked even more confused. Cassie crossed her heavy arms in front of her chest with another deep, long-suffering sigh. "I'm sorry, Eric, but I need to quit. I left my old job for you a long while ago and for ages, I have been wanting to have it back."
By now the Cavalier was in a total daze. He barely registered what he was saying as the words tumbled over dry lips. "If you wanted to go back into nursing, Cass, you could have just--"
"I said my old job, Eric," the woman interrupted. "That is, of course," she added with a sideways look to Venger, "if my son is willing to give it up."
"Your . . . son?" Diana murmured as she took in the sight of Cassie, dwarfed as she stood beside the towering Venger.
"You were longer than expected," the former Archmage said casually, not even looking down at the woman.
"You seem to have handled things well in my absence," she returned with a smile as she tilted her eyes away from him and back toward the Young Ones – who stared at her with matching expressions of fish stuck on dry land.
Almost immediately, a halo of light surrounded the woman, growing steadily brighter. The Young Ones shielded their eyes from the glow as Cassie Masterson vanished beneath the brilliant flash. Suddenly the blinding silhouette shrank in upon itself, reducing the woman from her height of five-and-a-half feet to one of no more than three.
When the glow died down, a collective gasp rose up from the Young Ones. Standing before them was no longer the stout, graying, middle-aged woman, but a diminutive ancient man. Only the amiable smile and twinkling blue eyes remained to mark the spot where Cassie Masterson had been. The rest had been replaced by a more dwarfish stature, a bald plate encircled by long white hair which trailed far down the individual's back, and ornamented red robes. As he approached the Young Ones upon the completion of the spell, his long gnarled fingers entwined around each other and he looked up into their stunned faces, still smiling.
For what felt like a long time, no one said a word. Then Hank took a step forward. "Dungeon Master?" he breathed in disbelief.
The name, alone, was enough to send Eric into a tailspin. His legs gave out beneath him and he found himself collapsing heavily into a seated position on the ground, staring straight ahead with that same 'landed fish' expression twitching on his face. John slid to his knees at Eric's side. "Dad?" he whispered. "Who's that? Where's Cass?"
Whether he was ignoring the questions or whether he genuinely hadn't heard them, Eric simply squeezed his fingertips into his temples and said, "I think . . . I'm having a breakdown."
Dungeon Master bowed his head lightly, regarding each of his former Young Ones, as well as the new additions. "Greetings! It is wonderful to see you again, my friends!" he said pleasantly, but in a voice that held the same wisdom and power as it had in the past. Though the vocal tone was now clearly male, it bore the same good-natured lilt that 'Cassie's' had possessed. It was shocking to each of the Young Ones that they hadn't recognized it during the exchange a few minutes earlier.
"Dungeon Master!" Bobby cried in surprise, finally solidifying the man's presence. "You're here! . . . I mean, you're . . . ." The young man pointed a finger in Venger's direction. ". . . We thought . . . I mean, I thought you were dead!"
"Dear me!" the ancient mage said, raising an eyebrow to the towering figure beside him. "You did?"
Venger appeared almost humorously nervous. He shared a look with Dungeon Master before directing his voice back at Bobby. "I believe, Barbarian," he said, "that I simply told you he was not here. 'On another celestial plane,' if I recall, were my exact words."
"Earth?" Bobby said with muted astonishment.
"So it was you who helped us!" Presto exclaimed, taking a step around the downed, and still grumbling, Cavalier. Soon, the rest of the Young Ones followed suit, creating an excited cluster around their former guide and friend.
"I offered what little assistance I could in the end, Magician," Dungeon Master confirmed, "but the true power that finally defeated He Without Name belongs to you. All of you, my friends!" The old mage's eyes continued to twinkle brightly as he passed them over all who gathered around him.
"Many years ago, a great evil came to this Realm," he began. "You were able to halt its advances when you returned my son to me the last time you were here. But evil has a way of being ever present, and it was only a matter of time before it made itself known once more." A knowing smile pervaded his face as he took in the sight of his Young Ones. "Only the purest of hearts can defeat the ultimate form of wickedness. Yours were stronger than most, and further forged here in the Realm through your unyielding desire to return home. That uncorrupted spirit, as well as the staunch determination that accompanied it, was passed on to your families. Combined, it is an unstoppable force; and one that you were able to use to its fullest potential when needed.
"Your instincts served you well, my children. For it was never the weapons that held the power to save this world, as well as your own. They were merely vessels through which to channel your true strength. Together is when your power is greatest, for you are all linked through unbreakable ties. And it was together that you were finally able to stand up to the Nameless One, the greatest threat this world has ever known, and defeat him. Thank you, my pupils. Once again you have saved us all!" Dungeon Master continued to beam proudly.
Diana turned her head and caught sight of Eric, still stunned on the valley floor. She circled around to kneel beside him. She had wanted to say something soothing, something comforting, but all she could get out was, "Cassie Masterson!" with a quiet giggle.
"Don't start!" Eric groaned, burying his head beneath his arms.
"I'm sorry," Diana chuckled, feeling a tad guilty at her inability to refrain from needling the thunderstruck Cavalier. "It's just that . . . you had Dungeon Master living in your house for, what? Almost twelve years! And you never even knew it!"
Eric shot his head up to glare at her. "Oh, like you would have!" he snapped. "It's not like the woman included it in her résumé!"
"Did you read the small print?" Diana asked innocently. "Candidate also happens to be a several-thousand-year-old miniature wizard with a fondness for riddles? You told me yourself that she was always quoting some 'wise man'."
Eric simply groaned a second time and buried his face under his arms again, hanging his head between his drawn-up knees. When he looked up again, it was to the sight of the crowd above him parting and the Dungeon Master striding toward him. He rolled his eyes at the approaching mage. "And here I thought you had a fortune cookie collection stashed under your bed. Why me, Captain Shortness?" he moaned with some fair amount of hostility. "What's the deal with you always picking on me?"
Dungeon Master's eyes softened, but kept their gentle sparkle. "Do you think that was what I did, Cavalier?"
"You lied to me," Eric insisted brokenly. "All that time you let me think . . . . Why couldn't you just tell me who you were?"
"If I had, would you have asked for my help? Or accepted it when offered?"
Eric squinted at the old man, whose face was level with his from the Cavalier's seated position. There was an accusatory jut to the young man's chin as he scrutinized the infuriatingly pleasant visage on the ancient mage before him. For a moment Eric thought about what it would feel like to swat that grin off his face, the way he had slugged Venger upon first re-entering the Realm. It wasn't like His Midgetness didn't totally deserve it.
"You call that helping?" Eric asked, his voice gravelly and biting. "Giving me the mother of all stupid riddles to solve?"
"On the contrary, Cavalier, what I gave you was the one thing you had always demanded of me: straightforward advice." His soft smile widened. Eric shook his head and sighed with somber downcast eyes.
"Remind me to be careful what I wish for," he muttered, refusing to raise his eyes to the person in front of him again. He wanted to be angry, wanted to be unabashedly enraged, tried to force it to erupt from inside him, to take out all his frustration and hurt on this old man – woman – whatever! Eric tried to make himself explode into a vicious tirade, but found himself becoming less angry as he recalled all the times that 'Cassie' had lovingly antagonized him. She may have gone by a different name, a different face, but that didn't make her words to him any less true.
"Besides," Dungeon Master added gently, perhaps seeing the Cavalier's features soften, albeit reluctantly, "what kind of a teacher would I be if I neglected to offer assistance to a pupil during his time of need?"
Eric didn't speak for a long time, almost seeming to be digesting the information. The riddles. All the stupid, stupid riddles! But, the Cavalier would have to grudgingly admit, he had found wisdom in them more than once. Little words, subtle hints. Many of them had impacted him more greatly than he had realized. Of course the most glaringly obvious was also the most recent: "Expect to encounter aid -- most unexpectedly; at an unforeseen time, in a strange place." Okay, maybe this little pearl wasn't specifically given by the original Dungeon Master, but it certainly referred to him. And damn it all! Is it part of the stinkin' job description that to be 'Master of Dungeons' one must also be 'Master of the Double-Entendre'? Sure, the Magic Munchkin's timely arrival had helped them just minutes ago, but . . . at home too . . . .
Eric's brain felt heavy. Dungeon Master had gone there. To help him when he needed it, to offer advice when Eric wasn't seeing the big picture. When Denise died, when there was a baby to care for, when a young boy was aching for attention from a beloved father (attention that Eric had himself once craved more than anything), all those times when the former Cavalier had been missing the forest because he was too busy bumping into all the stupid trees. The old man had tried to offer his aid.
'Unexpectedly'? At an 'unforeseen time'? 'Strange place'? Um . . . yeah. Yeah. And hell yeah.
He may have resented the method. Resented the deception. But in the interim of 'Cassie's' stay, Eric realized that he had taken steps toward a real relationship with his son. One in which the boy would truly know how much Eric loved him. The type of bond that the Cavalier had only hoped for with his own father for a very long time.
Diana had been right: time wasn't cheap. Maybe his money couldn't buy it, but, Eric thought, through this time back in the Realm, he was finally beginning to understand what could. And 'Cassie Masterson' had been key in this realization.
For Eric the Cavalier, it may have resulted in a serious blow to the pride, but Eric Montgomery, the father, would never be more grateful for any gift.
Finally he looked up, his hostility nearly gone. He couldn't bring himself to stay angry. Not after everything 'Cassie' had done for him. Not after all the help she had given to him -- even if, in the end, she wasn't who he thought she had been. Ultimately, the Cavalier rolled his eyes again and simply said, "Thanks," his voice grateful if still a bit dispirited.
Dungeon Master drew nearer and began to whisper privately. "Never forget what I told you, Eric." The Cavalier looked at the old man strangely. Although 'Cassie' had always called him by his first name, it was the first time he had ever heard the word in Dungeon Master's voice -- which gave it an odd, almost foreign sound. But one that was curiously pleasant.
"Remember," the mage continued, "to always put first that which you value most. Recall the desires of your own heart when you were young. For even with the best of intentions, nothing, in this world or any other, is worth the loss of a child." The ancient one's face became softly insistent as his smile vanished momentarily.
Eric's vision traveled from Dungeon Master to the majestic stature of Venger behind him, and he was struck by a strange thought. There was something knowing about the old man's voice, different from his usual pearly wisdom. As though, this time, he was speaking from experience. It occurred to the Cavalier that he and his friends had never actually learned what had happened all those years ago that had caused Venger to turn away from his father. Eric regretted the fact that now was probably not the best time to ask and, as a result, he would most likely never know. But whatever it was, it explained why 'Cassie' had always been so adamant about Eric spending less time focused on work and more time focused on his son. Whatever the vast differences between worlds, the role of the father is universal, and the Cavalier got the feeling that Dungeon Master's stay on Earth had been just as much for himself as it had been for Eric.
Finally, his eyes focused on John and he smiled. Instead of putting up a wall of arguments, as he had always done with 'Cassie,' the Cavalier simply nodded. Eric didn't wait for the old man to say any more. He regained his poise as his gaze returned to the Dungeon Master, his smile wider, more genuine. "Gotcha," he concurred with certainty.
And Eric finally rose to his feet.
"What'd he say, Dad?" John asked eagerly.
Eric realized, with a glance at his son and a quick scan of those around him, that the conversation between him and the Dungeon Master had not been heard by the others.
Probably for the best, he thought, suddenly understanding why Bobby had always been so fidgety when it came to the 'gushy stuff.' After all, the majority of Eric's most embarrassing moments had more to do with his lifelong battle with Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome and downright Bad Karma, which he tended to bring upon himself. Not many of them ever fell into the 'gushy' category, quite simply because there was never much to gush about. The Cavalier had a feeling that was about to change. He grinned, resigned to that fate.
Eric placed a hand on his son's head and smiled fondly down at the boy. "He said we're going home, Sport." Looking at the Dungeon Master, he added, "Right, DM?"
Dungeon Master straightened, his familiar amiable smile once again shining across each of his Young Ones. "If you wish," he answered. "However, my previous offer still stands, my friends. The Nameless One may be gone, but much evil still exists in the Realm, and many more adventures await you, . . . should you decide to stay."
The eleven outworlders shared a look of momentary deliberation. Then Hank spoke for all of them. "I think, Dungeon Master," he said, "that it's time we took our children home." Even the Ranger felt that the time had come for them to truly return to their own world. As Dungeon Master had said, there would always be evil -- waiting everywhere. And right now, their home was waiting for them.
"Besides," Presto added, "I left my wife back at the park. I think she's going to be expecting us."
"Yeah, DM," Eric jibed, kneeling down next to the minute mage and placing a hand on his shoulder, "and that's not all she's 'expecting'! Forget old No-Name! The wrath of an eight-month pregnant woman is not something you wanna mess with!"
"Very well," Dungeon Master conceded with a grin as he stepped back away from everyone. Venger reached a hand up to his own chest and removed the crystal amulet which hung from the front of his cloak. It dangled from its golden band as he placed it into the hands of Dungeon Master. The old man continued to hold it in his open palms for a moment, keeping his eyes on Venger.
"You have served the Realm well in my absence, my son," he said. "Know that when it is truly your time to take up the duties of Dungeon Master of this Realm, it shall be more than your birthright. More than your legacy. It shall be this world's blessing."
"Amen to that," Hank seconded quietly.
"Thank you, . . . Father," Venger replied with a low bow of his head that was full of pride.
Dungeon Master gazed auspiciously up at his own son for another brief moment before slipping the clear white stone back around his neck. Then, he turned to the Young Ones. "My friends, you have been a candle for us during very dark times. May that follow you wherever you go. And remember, it burns brightest when together!"
With that, he raised his hands. The crimson light that they emitted joined that of the jewel around his neck and shot a beam a short distance across the valley. It struck the ground and instantly formed a portal, within which could be seen the unmistakable bustle of the amusement park.
"Unbelievable," Toby breathed silently, still overcome by the magic of this world.
"Your weapons, as you recall, must remain here, Young Ones," Dungeon Master announced. "You, however, may go, with our deepest thanks!"
"Aw," John groaned. "After all that, we don't even get to keep them as a souvenir?"
"Hey, don't worry, Johnny Boy!" Toby teased. "If you want a magic amulet, I'll just string a hockey puck around your neck! I promise, you won't know the difference!"
"Shut up, Barney the Dinosaur!" John shot back as he laid the golden medallion at the Dungeon Master's feet and stepped toward the portal.
Eric stepped right behind him and placed both the sword and the shield onto the pile. He looked at Dungeon Master soberly for a moment. "You know," he said softly, "it's gonna be weird not having my nan-- er, -- 'child care engineer' around. What am I supposed to do now?"
"As your guide, Cavalier, it has always been my duty to help you to see, more clearly, the path that already lay within your own heart," Dungeon Master responded. "Perhaps, now, you might find someone else to fill that position." The old man glanced over Eric's shoulder to where Diana stood, hands rooted casually to her hips as she waited to use the portal. Eric followed his eyes.
"Let's go, Cavalier!" she called teasingly. "Or are you deciding how much you really do like this world?"
Eric looked back to the Dungeon Master. "You never know," he muttered with a shrug. Then he straightened, his familiar swagger returning somewhat as he looked at Venger. "Well," he announced, "thanks for the waltz down memory lane, Venge, but next time do me a favor. Have your people call my people. We'll work something out." He then smiled genuinely, took his leave of their new guide as well, and ushered John through the portal.
"You know, I'm gonna kinda miss this griffin-head thing," the Cavalier could be heard remarking, referring to the crest on John's tabard.
"Not me," the boy mumbled. "This stupid shirt was way too big!"
Diana and Toby were next, placing their weapons on the ground at Dungeon Master's feet. Toby straightened after laying down the whip and glanced up suddenly when a large shadow briefly blocked out the suns' light as it passed overhead. Squinting his sun-drenched eyes, which had spent too long in darkness for his taste, he managed to make out the hulking frame of an immense red dragon, gliding seamlessly across the sky high above. From the creature's massive body protruded five distinct heads of various colors, unheeding of everything around them except the vast expanse of the Realm itself. The dragon glided through the air as though it was the surveyor of all that spread out before it.
The Fighter let out a low whistle. "Unbelievable," he repeated, mostly to himself.
Diana cracked a smile as she took final note of, who she knew to be, Tiamat, the still-reigning Queen of Dragons, before turning to regard the ancient mage beside her. "Thank you, Dungeon Master," she said, a bit teary-eyed.
"Thank you, my child," the sage returned and, with an unreadable look in his eyes added, "It would have been an honor to have met a son of yours. Especially since your nephew is such a fine lad. I do regret the timing."
Diana maintained a solemn smile. "I regret that, too," she admitted with a plaintive shrug. "But it really doesn't have anything to do with timing. Some things just aren't meant to be."
"True," the Dungeon Master agreed. "After all, things are only meant to be . . . when they are meant to be." Across his face extended a wise smile.
Diana didn't ask him to explain -- she knew he wouldn't. Instead she simply slipped her arm through Toby's, flashed both Dungeon Masters a bright smile of her own, and stepped through the portal as well.
Varla placed her wand on the growing pile along with Presto's hat. As she straightened, the felt a light thump against her back. She turned to see Uni standing there and the young Mystic cradled the snout of the beautiful animal against her for a few moments. She looked the unicorn in the eye briefly and then whispered, "Thank you, too!"
Presto shook his head. She was still doing it -- even without the wand.
"Well," Presto proclaimed to Dungeon Master as he and his daughter neared the glowing portal, "I guess the real hocus-pocus is going back up my sleeve again!"
"You do realize, Magician," Dungeon Master said, "that once you have been touched with true magic, it never does leave you."
"I believe it," Presto replied. "I've got real magic in my life every day." He placed an arm around his daughter. "But," he added cautiously, "the day I conjure up Tiamat in the children's ward . . . then I'll know I put too much twiddle in it!" He smiled broadly at the two individuals who had been their guides, and led Varla through the portal.
Hank guided Sheila and Ayesha toward the gateway as well. After adding the cloak, bow, and sword hilt to the weapons on the ground, Sheila glanced up at Venger with a tender smile. She reached forward, a bit hesitantly at first, then took the former Archmage's hand in hers. "I think," she said gently, "that you're going to make a great Dungeon Master."
Venger was slightly taken aback by the affection in the Thief's voice. It took a moment for him to smile back as he replied, "I am most grateful to hear you say that."
Sheila gently squeezed his hand and bent down to place a kiss on top of Dungeon Master's smooth head. She then straightened and stood beside the portal home.
Ayesha also grinned at Venger. "I'll always remember what you told me," she informed him. "Thank you for helping me find my power." She smiled broadly again before joining her mother.
"I just have one more question," Hank said as he, too, approached the portal. "What's going to happen now . . . here?" He looked without specific focus around the surrounding landscape before his eyes settled on the edifice of Tardos Keep. His mind switched downheartedly to the tragedy of the gardened courtyard.
"I suppose," Dungeon Master replied, "its rightful rulers shall finally be able to return."
"You mean," Hank exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise, "they're not gone?"
"No, Ranger, not gone," Venger answered, "but merely seeking sanctuary in a faraway land until the threat had passed."
"I don't envy them the work they're going to have cut out for them cleaning that place up when they get back!" Hank said, but there was a definite sigh of relief mingled in his voice.
"The descendants of Queen Sulinara and her people will be most joyful to hear of the part the Young Ones played in saving their land once again," Dungeon Master assured him.
"Well then," Hank sighed, "I guess this is it this time. Thanks for everything, . . . both of you."
Dungeon Master nodded. "May the Heavens shine upon you down whichever road you choose to take, Ranger," he said.
"Don't you know?" Hank asked with a smile, taking a step back in the direction of the portal. "All those years on Earth and you never knew what I did? I'm a teacher," he smiled. "After all, I did have a good one, myself." And he stepped back, with Sheila and Ayesha, into the void.
Bobby took Teri by the hand and led her forward. But instead of stopping by the Dungeon Master, he fixed his gaze on a brilliantly white mare with a flaming mane and tail that glistened in the suns. "Goodbye, Uni," he said sadly as he stroked a hand down the side of her velvet face. "I'll miss you, girl. More than ever now that I've gotten to see you again."
The unicorn nuzzled into his hand, a regal-sounding whinny rising up from her throat. Then, as she looked Bobby dead in the eye, she managed, in a voice more closely resembling the goat-like bleat of her younger days, something that sounded like a farewell.
"Bah-eee, bah-eee, Bhaahb-eee!"
The Barbarian grinned from ear to ear and hugged Uni's nose into his chest for a few more moments before releasing her. "Don't worry, Uni," Teri said from over Bobby's shoulder as she slipped her hand back into his, "I'll take care of him for you."
Hand-in-hand, the two made their way to the portal. "Well," the Barbarian said, making a wide open-armed gesture as he looked around the surrounding Realm and placed his club upon the pile of weapons. "You know, it wasn't so bad . . . being back." He grinned mischievously, pointing a finger in both Venger's and Dungeon Master's directions. "See you later!" he exclaimed, and he pulled Teri through the glowing gateway as it closed, leaving the Realm of Dungeons and Dragons behind.
"Perhaps, Barbarian," Dungeon Master said softly, smiling after the closing portal. "One can never be truly certain as to what the future holds. Or where one's legacy will lead. Perhaps we shall meet again, but, for now, farewell, my friends." Dungeon Master raised his hand as the glowing doorway winked out of existence.
"For now, farewell."
* * *
"WHOA!"
Bobby's heart was suddenly in his throat as stepping through the portal plunged him into a violent freefall. Everything around him was dark as pitch and the swirling sensation filling his head as he fell only served to disorient him even more. What was worse, he had no idea where Teri was -- or anyone else, for that matter. He was able to focus on very little else as he tumbled through space.
The sudden jolt that came up to meet him, although not as painful as his violent plummet would have suggested, was still enough to rattle his bones as he suddenly found himself in a seated position. Everything tumbled around him for another moment, and in the next, a set of double doors seemed to burst open straight ahead, basking the world in an explosion of blinding sunlight and chaotic noise.
Bobby squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light, momentarily bewildered, then realized where he was. Ayesha was on his right, Toby on his left, Varla and John straight ahead, and surrounding them all was a little red roller coaster car, now halted on the straightaway of the Dungeons and Dragons ride -- in the amusement park -- back--
"Home," the young man breathed.
"We -- we're back!" Ayesha gasped. "Uncle Bobby, we're back!" The girl threw her arms around his neck.
"I don't believe it!" Toby added as he glanced down at the modern clothes that he was now wearing. "Thank God for T-shirts and plain old jeans!"
Varla and John were also hugging and laughing giddily in the front seat of the car.
Bobby pried Ayesha's arms from his neck and looked around. "Where are the others?" he asked.
As if on cue, a sharp jolt was felt from behind. Another car had entered the straightaway and impacted with the rear of the first. In it, Bobby caught sight of Hank and the others and breathed a sigh of relief. They had been put into the same cars in which they had originally entered the Realm.
"Come on, I said!" a gruff voice was heard from above. "This ain't no bumper car! Move it along! We got people waitin', ya know!"
Bobby slowly began to realize that the ride's operator had been bellowing for them to get out of the cars. No problem, pal! he thought as he scrambled to get himself and the kids as far away from that ride as humanly possible.
"Okay, ladies and gents!" Eric called from the car behind them, "The eagle has landed! Everybody out!" The six individuals in that car, likewise, made a beeline for the exit. They met up on the opposite platform as the operator began ushering new passengers onto the ride and sending red roller coaster cars, one by one, into the maw of the waiting dragon.
Bobby pushed his way toward Teri, picked her up and swung her around joyously; not even wanting to wait until they had completely left the vicinity of the ride. He was just happy that everyone was here and everyone was safe. He suddenly felt a tight fist grip the sleeve of his shirt. "There you are!"
Bobby spun around to see who had grabbed him.
"I hope you enjoyed your ride!" the crusty old roustabout snarled at him. Bobby recognized him as the one he had seen the other day -- No, he thought, No, I guess it would have just been a short time ago here! He briefly wondered how much time, before deciding that it really didn't matter. At least we know for sure that it's the same day!
"I'm lucky I didn't lose my job after that crazy stunt you pulled earlier!" the man growled brusquely. "I certainly hope the ride was worth it!"
Bobby stared at the man for a moment. Then, with an arm around Teri, a hand on Ayesha's shoulder, and an absorbing look at his friends and family around him, he looked back at the old man and said, "Yeah. Yeah, it was." With a roguish grin he turned, and the entire group made their way through the ride's exit gate.
The operator mumbled something under his breath about crazy kids as he watched them leave. He did catch himself doing a double-take at the people who had climbed out of the second car, trying to remember if they were the ones who had actually been next in line. He shrugged it off and went back to his work. After all, the ride was the same for everyone . . . and riders were all the same to him.
Bobby let out a puff of air as they walked away from the ride that sounded as though it had been building up for days. "Well," he said, "I guess Mom and Dad aren't back yet with Aunt Margie."
"That's perfect," Sheila groaned. "I don't know about anyone else but I want to soak in a tub for at least an hour!"
"Hey, Toby!" an adolescent voice called from behind the group. Toby slowly turned to see a pack of five youths, three boys and two girls about his own age, running to catch up.
"Hey, guys," Toby replied, almost wearily, not even bothering to introduce them.
"Where've you been, man?" asked a gangly blonde youth. "For once, we've been looking for you!"
"Oh, you know," Toby said, "just walking around . . . the usual."
"Well, hey, we were about to take in a few rides," announced another boy, round-faced and brunette. "Now that we found you, you can come with. We were gonna start with the D&D, since it's right here."
Toby and the others shifted their gazes slowly and simultaneously to the ride, then back at the group of newcomers. The five teenagers squirmed uncomfortably under the strangely dark glares that pinned them to the spot.
"What?" asked one of the new girls with visible uneasiness.
"No, thanks," Toby muttered definitively. "I think I'll stick to the calmer rides."
"Like the Parachute Drop!" John chimed in. "Without the parachute!" The young boy laughed at his own joke.
"Besides," Toby shrugged, covering, "I forgot that I was getting together with some family friends today." He indicated Ayesha and the others around him. "Okay if we meet up next week instead?"
The teenaged newcomers cast each other confused glares, slightly taken aback by Toby's rather weird reply. Not only did he actually seem to dismiss them, with little in the way of an explanation to boot, but did he actually hint at the D&D being, . . . well, exciting? Toby knew as well as the rest of them that that particular ride was just glorified animatronic kiddie fodder.
But . . . whatever, they thought with a shrug as they took in the sight of the motley crew before them. If Toby wanted to hang out with these old people and little kids . . . .
"Okay, then," one of the teens replied.
"Have fun, I guess, man," added the lanky blonde boy as he took one of the girls by the hand and started to lead the way in the other direction. "We'll talk to you in school."
Without vocal acknowledgment, Toby raised a hand to their retreating backs and then let it fall leadenly to his side, expelling a breath of exhaustion he hadn't realized had been building. "Well," he announced, tilting his head in the direction of the park's main exit, "what's say we get outta here? After . . . ," The boy suddenly caught sight of one of the overpriced food vendors and started to take a detour toward it. ". . . after I get something to eat. The cold mush in Mordreth's dungeon didn't exactly say 'Mmmm-Mmmm good'!" He smiled at the group. "Anyone else for a $6.00 hot dog?"
Ayesha fell into step behind him. "As long as you don't elbow me in the head again!" the girl teased. She reached into her jean pocket and drew out some of the money her Uncle Bobby had given her earlier. Looking at her mother, she said, "We'll meet you on the way to the exit."
Sheila nodded, reluctant to let the girl out of her sight so soon after exiting the Realm, – worrying was habit, after all – but Hank's reassuring squeeze to her hand said that everything would be fine. Their daughter would catch right up.
As Toby walked to the vendor's cart with Ayesha, he felt a sudden jab in his ribs. "You elbowed her in the head?" a cocky juvenile voice said from his left. "Smooth, man! Real smooth!" Toby looked down at John's smirking face as the boy trotted alongside him, joining the trek toward the food cart. Varla was also with him, walking double-time to pass out the boys and catch up to Ayesha.
"Give me a break, kid," the older teen groaned, but then rolled his eyes with a smile of his own at the smug youngster who he had actually come to consider a friend. Toby flashed a big-brotherly grin at John as the four new friends walked across the sidewalk.
"Presto!!" came a shout from nearby and the Magician turned. Immediately, he saw Maggie shuffling toward them as fast as her advanced pregnancy would allow. Presto's face looked as if the weight of the world had been lifted as he watched her run his way. Upon reaching them, the woman threw herself into his arms, catching him in a tight embrace.
"Ahh!" Presto winced sharply as his wife crushed against his battered ribs. She suddenly pulled away, flustered, looking down at where he was holding his side. "Oh! Oh, God! Oh, Pres! Are you okay? What happened?"
Presto smiled a smile that no amount of pain could have kept down. "Nothing that a good night's rest and a visit to my buddy Dr. Clausen wouldn't fix!" he said.
"The eye doctor can't do a thing for your side, Preston," Maggie said curtly, but blinking out tears.
Presto lifted a hand and removed his glasses, displaying the side with the missing stem. "Oh," his wife muttered with a slight sob as he wrapped his arms gingerly around her again. "Where's Varla?" she whispered quietly in his ear.
Presto drew back momentarily to look into the eyes of the woman he had married. "Over there," he said, indicating the hot dog cart where the four youngsters were now gathered. "Everything's all right now," he added as he pulled her to him again.
"I couldn't bring myself to leave," Maggie whispered as her eyes welled up with even more thankful tears. "I thought you would be gone so long, but I couldn't bring myself to leave! I didn't think you'd be back so soon!"
"Trust me," Presto said as he pulled out of the embrace, "it felt like forever." He glanced toward his daughter as he simultaneously kissed Maggie. "I'll tell you all about it later. Let's get the Princess home."
Diana shared a knowing glance with Eric. He would, too. He'd tell her every detail.
Presto and Maggie motioned to Varla to join them and began walking toward the South exit, which was closest to where Maggie's car was parked. He turned around and called back to the others as they went. "Listen, guys, I meant what I said. If we're not sick of each other yet, I'd still really like to get together for dinner at my place this week. I plan on hibernating for the rest of tonight, but how about tomorrow?"
"Try and stop us!" Hank called back.
"We'll be there with bells on!" Diana added.
Presto smiled broadly and ushered his family out of the Fantasy Land section of the amusement park.
After the Magician's family had disappeared en route to the South exit, the remaining group of friends continued their own stroll away from the ride. Since John, Toby, and Ayesha were just finishing up at the concession stand, Eric took the opportunity to suddenly pull Diana aside.
"Look, I need to say something to you," he told her quietly as they reached the shadow of a nearby building. Her large eyes looked at him expectantly, and for a moment Eric was lost before he was finally able to speak. "All that stuff ," he said, "what I told you back in the Realm. I didn't want you to think that it was all talk . . . I mean, because I thought we were gonna die or something. I mean, I did think we were going to die, but . . ." Eric winced as he heard himself babbling. Smooth, bonehead! If you want to sweep her off her feet, you're going to need to use something a little better than the oral equivalent of a lint brush!
Eric sighed and recollected himself. "What I mean is, I really do want to get to know you again, Diana. Your friendship has always meant more to me than anything . . . and I wasn't kidding when I said I loved you." Diana could swear there was a catch to his voice as he spoke.
She smiled brightly, glowing with that same air of confidence and attitude that she had always possessed. She stood just that way for a moment, then leaned in to brush her lips gently against his, taking him a bit off guard. When she did, she was hit with something, something warm and powerful, something right. Perhaps meant to be? Diana pulled back and smiled at him again. And his responding expression matched hers perfectly.
"And I wasn't kidding when I said we were worth fighting for," she replied. "And I plan on it -- just as hard as I did for anything worthwhile back in the Realm. But--" she added, "I do want to take it slowly. You have a son and I'm still a few signatures away from being single again."
"My thoughts exactly!" the Cavalier insisted cheerfully as he placed an arm around her shoulders and led her back to the others. John and the other children had returned from the concession stand and were hungrily devouring the hot dogs. Eric scrutinized the munching before turning back to Diana. "I thought maybe dinner," he said, "later this week."
Diana nodded happily. "That sounds great!" she affirmed. "Dutch," she added with a sly grin.
"Whoa! Whoa!" Eric exclaimed as he pulled her to a stop. "Dutch? Now what kind of a gentleman would I be if I didn't pay milady's way?"
Diana chuckled. "Why, Sir Eric Montgomery!" she sighed dramatically, "whoever convinced you that you were a gentleman?"
Eric waved for John and Toby to join them and the two adults continued their familiar bantering as they broke off from the others, heading for the VIP exit where Franklin, the chauffer, was waiting. Eric placed one hand around his son's shoulders and discreetly slipped the other into Diana's as they walked. Hank watched them leave with a knowing shake of his head. Somehow, he had a feeling that things would be just fine for all of them. "Don't forget Presto's tomorrow!" he called after their backs, but the foursome was already out of range.
He shrugged as he turned to face his wife. Sheila was practically glowing at him. Possibly remnants of the final spell back in the Realm. Hank wasn't sure. Sheila halted his train of thought by placing a hand on either side of his face and kissing him softly. "You did it again, Ranger," she whispered as their lips parted, leaning her forehead against his. "You got us home."
"We did it," Hank corrected, slipping an arm around her waist as they turned to walk on. "We shine brightest when together, remember?"
Sheila rested her head against his shoulder while they walked, glancing down to where Ayesha had joined them. "I'll say," she replied.
Bobby and Teri lagged behind a bit, allowing Hank and his family to move ahead of them. "Something wrong?" Teri finally asked after an extended silence from the young man at her side.
"It's just --," he admitted, "one thing's been bothering me. Something that Venger said."
"Tell me."
"Well," Bobby said hesitantly, pulling the Dreamer to a stop, "when we first got back to the Realm, before you guys showed up, Venger was telling me about why we were brought there again . . . and why the kids were brought with us."
Teri nodded in understanding. "Yes, he told us, too."
"One thing that he said stuck with me, though," Bobby continued. "And it's got me a little . . . well, . . . scared, actually."
"What?"
"When I asked him -- actually, when I demanded that he tell me why Ayesha and the others were chosen to go back there too, he said it was because they carried the essences of the Realm's former champions. That it was their legacy." Bobby's face fell. "What if he's right?"
"I don't follow you," Teri said gently.
"What if going to the Realm is the legacy that we leave to our families?" Bobby muttered, his eyes burning dangerously into Teri's. "What if it's a vicious cycle? What if people we love keep getting sucked back into the Realm to do God knows what? Sixteen more years from now? Twenty? Fifty? What if someday our kids--" The Barbarian suddenly went red in the face.
Teri's lips parted in a ginger state of shock, but Bobby managed to collect himself and continue. "I guess what I'm saying is that I don't want to leave that kind of legacy to my family. That Realm has given us a lot, but it's also taken so much." He paused to brush some wayward bangs out of Teri's crystal blue eyes. "It almost took everything from me this time. And for as much as I've gained, I wouldn't wish that place on anyone . . . especially people that I care about."
"You know what I think?" Teri finally asked after a moment of silence. "I don't think that was what Venger meant at all."
Bobby narrowed his eyes at her in a puzzled look.
"He said that the children held the essences of the Realm's former champions. If that's their legacy, then I see that as a good thing!" She flashed an encouraging smile at Bobby. "If those kids are privileged enough to have a piece of you in them, then that's a legacy worth having!"
"But--" the Barbarian tried to interrupt.
"Don't you see, Bobby?" Teri persisted. "That Realm isn't what you leave to them. You are. You and Sheila and Hank, Presto and Diana and Eric. Part of each of you makes up a big part of them, no matter where they are. They don't ever have to visit the Realm again to still carry the essence of its champions forever. And I think that is the most wonderful thing you can give." Teri's eyes fixed on his steadily before she added, "I would know. Because I felt part of that essence, too."
"What do you mean?"
"Back at Tardos," Teri replied, "when Ayesha managed to heal me after Kadysse's attack. That was why Venger made her a Paladin. She has the spirits of Sheila, Hank, and you inside of her. When she healed me, it was like a part of you rushing right through my soul. If you can pass that on to a niece, then any child that you have is going to have a tremendous gift. That is what I think Venger meant by legacy."
Bobby was stunned to silence for a moment, then suddenly took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. "I love you," he whispered when he finally pulled away, resting his forehead against hers for a moment before moving in again to briefly capture her lips.
"I know." Teri's reply broke through the swirl of emotions after the kiss ended. She slipped her hand back into his and pulled him along to catch up with Hank and Sheila.
"But do you know this, Ter?" Bobby asked as they walked, swinging their linked hands between them. "You're a champion of the Realm now, too. Any kids that you -- or we -- have are going to be something special. That is, if you'd be interested in that kind of thing . . . once we're married . . . . If that's what you'd want."
Teri's face glowed as she looked over at her flustered boyfriend. "Bobby the Barbarian, that has got to be the sweetest proposal I've ever heard!" She squeezed his hand tighter as they continued to walk. "I'll tell you one thing, I may or may not ever have another dream of the future. Maybe we'll even see the Realm again, and maybe we won't. This much I do know, though. You will have me by your side no matter what. That is a promise!"
Bobby smiled. "Is that a 'yes'?" he said as he pulled her to a stop and leaned over to kiss her again.
As they resumed their walk, they emerged from the range of the elongated shadow of the Dungeons and Dragons ride, which extended across the sidewalk behind them. The gaping jaws of the main tunnel curled upward; almost as though the ride itself was bidding farewell to the champions of the Realm and the children who carried their legacy.
* * *
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Epilogue to follow.
Thanks for reading!