Chapter 4

Hank was aware of the sound of stomping feet and the familiar smell of cold, wet dungeons. His head was throbbing across his temples and down the back of his neck, and there was a dry sickness through his stomach made him stay completely still.

What had happened? What had happened to make him feel like this?

One word brought the memories flashing back.

ORCS!

It had been so easy to let his guard down. They were all excited. He had let them wander as they pleased, not bothering to keep watch. Diana went to explore the Henge with the Rogue, Presto stayed by the fire with Jamie and Sheila, and Eric wandered off up the mountain on his own. Bobby and Uni accompanied the Ranger down to the riverside to get some water, then ran off to explore further upstream.

Hank waited alone for a long time, listening to the tinkle of the nearby water and the low roar from the ravine. It was a cool, bright evening, and it was so pleasant to rest after hard walk. He'd been worried that he'd pushed them too far, too fast. But now they were here, beneath the Henge, with a day to spare.

He smiled. They were definitely going to get home this time.

'Hey, Hank,' called Alison from behind him. He turned to greet her with a smile.

'You seen Gail recently?' she asked. 'I can't find her anywhere.'

Hank shook his head, trying to remember the last time he'd seen her sister.

'I think she was talking to Jamie at dinner,' he said slowly.

Alison scowled, putting her hands on her hips.

'Where's she got to? Stupid sister!'

There was a long pause, and he saw Alison stare up at him, her eyes wide. There was something extraordinarily uncomfortable about the way she looked at him. It reminded him of Sheila. He sighed. Sheila!

'Um, Alison, I don't think that…' he started, but saw her brow crease. He should continue. It wasn't fair to lead her on.

'S'ok,' she said. 'You don't have to say it. I know already. You don't like me.'

She said it so matter-of-factly that, for a second, Hank was unable to speak.

'I do like you, but, just, not like that.' Why did it have to sound so lame? What a complete jerk!

Alison sat down dejectedly on a big rock beside the river.

'I knew you wouldn't,' she said. 'It's Sheila, isn't it?'

There was no point in lying. Since they had left the Temple of Love a week ago, his feelings for the Thief had grown increasingly confused. At first he'd felt numb, then just guilty for taking advantage of her. Every time she looked at him he could sense her anger and embarrassment. He had decided that staying out of her way would be the best idea, but it was so hard, and not just because they were stuck together in this world. The truth was, he missed her.

Hank nodded, and sat down beside the Amazon.

'I've really messed things up,' he said.

Alison asked why, and the Ranger told her all about the Temple of Love, the kiss and the Curse. She listened in silence until he'd finished, then said:

'If you want my advice, you should stay well clear of any relationships in the Realm. They only bring trouble.'

Hank nodded once more, but was intrigued.

'Why do you say that?' he asked.

Alison put her chin in the cup of her hand, staring across the river.

'When we first arrived in this stupid place, Pete and I were together,' she told him. 'But it all fell apart. We never got any time to ourselves, and he was always looking out for the others. He tried so hard to keep us going, but I got jealous. We argued, and I mean really, really argued! He didn't speak to me for days after that.' She turned to look at Hank again.

'Peter used to be the leader, you see,' she said. 'Then, after we met some Trogs…'

'Trogs?' interrupted Hank.

'Troglodytes. Nasty, lizard-like things.' She pulled a face. 'You don't want to meet them! They are the worst sort of evil, vicious carnivore that it's been my misfortune to meet in this crappy place. And they smell completely awful!'

'What happened?'

'We survived, just, but after that Peter started hanging around with Lorraine most of the time. I got more jealous, and…' Alison stopped, her lips pursed. Hank didn't say anything.

'Once we were sure we'd lost the Trogs,' said the Amazon slowly, 'I threatened to break up the group, unless he stopped being the leader.'

Hank couldn't stop the look of surprise crossing his face, but Alison gave a small smile.

'I know! It was so, so stupid! I feel terrible, and now I'm stuck in this crummy place with people who hate me.'

'They don't hate you!'

'Lorraine definitely does!' Alison answered immediately. 'I'm sure Peter does too.'

'They don't hate you,' repeated Hank. 'Paul likes you.'

Alison snorted.

'Paul likes anything in a skirt!'

'Gail likes you,' he suggested.

'She has to! I'm her big sister! But all she does is cause problems. She's as trustworthy as Eric!'

'Gail can't be that bad,' Hank said lightly. 'No one is!'

Alison stared intently up at the Ranger and asked:

'You're a good leader, how do you do it?'

Hank blushed.

'I can't be that good, we haven't gotten home yet!'

'But they all look up to you, they all trust you,' she said. 'I'm so rubbish at it! We'll never get home.'

Impulsively, he put his arm round her, and said:

'All of us will, this time!'

Alison's face became hard.

'You don't understand, Hank,' she said. 'My friends are getting desperate.'

The Ranger suddenly became worried. There was an edge to her voice that he didn't like.

'What do you mean? What happened?'

'We, well, we fell out with Dungeonmaster. And he's not the sort of chap you want to get angry!'

Hank was speechless. He couldn't imagine anyone falling out with the guide, at least not permanently. And as for Dungeonmaster being angry…

'What did you do?' he whispered.

Alison looked sheepishly down at the stones.

'That's not really the problem. He said he wouldn't help us until… Well, anyway, we're on our own. And it's not working!' She turned to look desperately into his eyes. 'We can't stay here much longer the way we are. This is our only chance. They're going to mutiny!'

Hank squeezed her shoulder, feeling much more anxious than before. Now he thought about it, the way the others acted around each other was definitely strained. But he smiled at the Amazon.

'It'll be OK,' he told her. 'C'mon, let's go get everyone together. We need some sleep. We have a ritual to practice in the morning.'

From high up on the mountainside, Hank heard a wolf's howl echo across the plains. They both stood.

'Thanks, Hank,' said Alison. 'It's nice to talk to someone who understands.'

'It's OK, I…' He paused. There were faint shouts coming from downriver, the way Bobby and Uni had gone.

'I'll see you back at camp,' he said. 'I'll go check on Bobby.'

Alison nodded and Hank ran off, suddenly feeling uneasy. No one was on lookout; they had all been too pleased with themselves for finding the Henge without any problems. They hadn't seen a whiff of one-horned trouble for ages, not since they'd left the Temple. But he wouldn't have just been sitting around, would he? Would he?

Hank gripped the Bow tightly as he ran, a terrible icy feeling in his stomach. Venger wouldn't wait around, not planning anything!

The Ranger rounded a corner, and stopped, his worst fear suddenly in front of him. Bobby was there, sitting on the ground, his helmet half over his eyes. Two large Orc soldiers were standing beside him, and one was holding the Club. There was no sign of Uni.

'HEY!' shouted Hank, oblivious to any danger.

His hand was already pulling back an arrow, but an instant before he released it something huge and heavy struck him from behind. The arrow roared off into the sky, dissipating a long way from the Orcs.

The Ranger stumbled, knocked off-balance, then something grabbed his legs and he fell. The Bow was wrenched out of his hand.

Suddenly, there was a scream of pure terror from upriver that cut through the night. Hank tried to turn, but the soldiers held him firmly. Then he was pulled to his feet, and they bound his hands behind his back.

Bobby was also standing, bound, between two soldiers.

The Ranger gasped. His capture had been so quick and efficient. It was hard to believe the Orcs could make such a good job of it! Barely a minute had passed.

From the direction of the camp, there was a sudden cry and the crack of a Whip. Hank and Bobby were dragged quickly forward towards the trees, the noise of fighting growing ever louder.

The camp was under attack by at least twenty Orc soldiers. Alison was lashing out at any Orc that dared to come within whipping distance. At her back, Peter sent arcs of lightning across the clearing, keeping the attackers away.

Diana was whacking Orcs enthusiastically toward Paul, who was practicing his left jab on them. They had already knocked four to the ground. Presto and Jamie were standing next to Lorraine. The Magician was half way through a spell and the Mystic was using the Book as an offensive weapon, thumping any Orc that got too close.

Hank heard the harsh grate of steel as a sword was drawn. So did Presto, as he turned and gave a strangled cry. The others all looked to see why.

The cold tip of a sword was pressed against the Ranger's neck.

'Surrender!' ordered the Orc Captain with the sword. 'Now!'

Hank desperately wanted to tell them not to give in, to keep fighting and get away, but he could see by the looks on their faces that there was no chance of that happening. Diana moved first, lowering her guard, staring at Hank with tears in her eyes. Peter and Alison followed, then Jamie, then Presto.

The Orcs were devastatingly quick. Within seconds, all the magic weapons had been removed from their owners, and the whole group was herded together into the middle of the campsite. Peter was the only one who resisted, and the Orc Captain hit him hard across the face. The Gladiator fell back, with blood coming from his top lip. The Orc waved his sword menacingly at the boy, and growled.

As Hank was dragged forward, he looked around, trying to see how everyone was.

Presto seemed unhurt, and Diana only had a few shallow scrapes. They both tried to smile at him. Bobby was unhurt too, but kept looking around anxiously.

Sheila was missing!

Hank felt a rush of relief. At least one of them was safe. Then he realised Eric was missing too. Typical!

He looked for the other group. Jamie and Alison seemed OK, but Paul had a long cut down his arm. Lorraine looked shaken, but unharmed. Peter was kneeling beside her, blood across his mouth.

Gail was missing.

Hank suppressed a smirk. The two with the most effective weapons for hiding hadn't been captured. Neither had Eric, the one with the best sense of self-preservation. They still had a chance to escape. He looked at the Orcs, wondering which one was the Harlequin.

There was a sudden scuffing noise and a new group of Orcs with another Captain appeared from the mountain path, dragging something with them.

Hank choked back a cry of dismay. It was the Cavalier, paler than moonlight, his eyes closed. But it was the way his body flopped to the ground that struck the Ranger with horror. Eric looked dead!

Hank's stomach contracted as fear and guilt washed through him, making his head feel light. He'd been so stupid to let his guard down in all the excitement. They were easy prey. It had been a well-organised attack, much better than ever before. The Orcs had known exactly where to strike. They must have been watching them for days.

He gulped. This was a trap!

The two Orc Captains were talking together. The Ranger tried to listen, but could make out the words 'cliff' and 'fall', and nothing else. The Captains didn't seem pleased.

Then there was a shout from the Orc who'd captured him, and all of the prisoners were dragged forward, a guard on either side of each one. Eric was pulled roughly up, and thrown over the Captain's shoulder.

They were made to walk all night, along the course of the river, away from the Henge. Hank had waited in vain to hear Sheila's voice, or to see one of the Orcs wink, indicating that the Harlequin was there in disguise. As the night wore on, he got increasingly worried, and not just about the two girls. Eric was still unconscious, or worse…

Eventually, he plucked up courage to say something.

'Hey!' he called out to a Captain. The Orc turned, glowering at him, its snout twitching in anger.

'What about my friend?' said Hank, nodding at the Cavalier. 'He needs help.'

The Orc Captain laughed in his face.

'He doesn't need help!' it replied. 'Does he, boys?'

The laughter spread round the group, and the Ranger gulped back a sudden, raw panic. Then the giant Captain punched him. Hank fell to the ground, and hit his head on a rock. He tasted blood and his vision began to blur.

There was another ripple of laughter.

'And there's NO talking!' snarled the Captain.

The Ranger's head was ringing. He tried to stand, but everything was going grey around the edges. He looked up and saw the sneering face of the Orc coming closer, just as the Realm went black…

Hank groaned.

He'd been very stupid. It was all his fault. They'd been caught, finally, and the weapons taken. No doubt Venger was gloating over them this very minute.

'Hey, I think he's coming round!' said a Presto-like voice beside him.

'P-P-Presto, it that you?'

Very slowly, the Ranger opened his eyes. He could make out light and dark shapes, but everything was fuzzy. Shifting position slightly, he tried to sit up, but was hit by a wave of nausea.

'Take it easy, Hank,' said Diana. 'You'll be OK. Try not to move.'

Nodding made him feel sick too, but the Ranger smiled. The dank dungeon slowly slipped into focus, and he saw three of his friends crouched beside him: Presto, Bobby and Diana.

'Thanks, guys. How long was I out?' he asked.

'I don't know, but it was a long time, hours I guess,' replied Diana. She sounded very worried.

'What's happened?' he asked.

'They took us to one of Venger's Castles,' said the Acrobat. 'Hank, we're in big trouble.'

He looked up, very slowly to minimise the nausea.

'What?' Please, don't let it be Sheila. Please don't let it be Sheila…

'It's Eric,' Diana said with a catch in her voice. 'He's not breathing.'

She shifted position, letting Hank see the rest of their cell. Eric was lying on the wooden bench along the wall, perfectly still.

In spite of the pain and sickness, Hank forced himself to stand, and staggered over to the Cavalier. Instinctively, he checked for a pulse from Eric's limp wrist, for the second time in less than a month. This time, there was no sign of a heartbeat.

And yet hope didn't leave the Ranger. Eric looked dead, but Hank knew enough about death to know that dead bodies didn't flop around, and dead bodies definitely weren't warm. There had to be another explanation. He drew a slow breath.

'I'm not sure guys,' he said, turning around. 'He must be under some sorta spell.'

The others look relieved.

'You think so?' asked Bobby timidly. 'Will he be OK?'

Hank hesitated. The possibility that any of them were going to be OK was highly unlikely. He couldn't lie to Bobby, so instead he avoided answering directly.

'If we find a way to break the spell, he should be.'

'If only I had my Hat,' sighed Presto.

'If only we could escape,' echoed Diana.

'What about the other group?' said Hank suddenly. 'Where are they?'

Diana pointed towards one of the walls.

'They're next door.'

The Ranger slid gently down to the floor, feeling the need to rest.

'Have you heard from Sheila?'

The Barbarian shook his head, now looking tearful. He sniffed.

'We haven't heard anything, Hank. I'm worried.'

'She'll be OK, Bobby,' Diana said. 'She'll come find us, I know she will.'

There was a cold silence, then Presto said:

'But that's what Venger wants! Sheila and Gail are still missing, and so are their weapons!'

Hank swallowed hard against the sickness inside him. Yes, it was exactly what Venger wanted, and Sheila was not the type of girl to let a little detail like that stop her from trying to rescue her brother and her friends!

'What are we gonna do, Hank?' asked Presto quietly.

What were they going to do? How were they going to get out of this? What happened if Sheila got caught? The Ranger shivered. He couldn't let his worries cloud his judgement, he'd already failed to keep them safe from Venger. He couldn't falter again. They needed him. The Ranger smiled at his friends.

'Be ready,' he said, hoping he sounded convincing. 'No matter what happens, we have to be ready at all times. Sheila will come for us, and we have to help her when she does.'

Each one of them smiled back at him and, in spite of his doubts, Hank felt hope rising. Sheila would come to help them.

Close by, there was a harsh grating of wood on stone, and the sound of Orc laughter. The door of their cell opened, and an Orc Captain strode in, looking at the children with a mocking leer. He pulled out his sword.

'The Lord Venger wishes to see you,' he said.

Hank looked past the Orc, into the corridor beyond, trying to assess the possibility of escape, but there were lots of Orcs milling around outside the door. They would never make it, certainly not with an incapacitated Cavalier.

So the Ranger stood up tall, and walked proudly past the Orc, and out of the door. The others copied his example.

Down the corridor, the group of five were also being taken out of their cell. The Orcs herded them all up the well-guarded stair, and out into a courtyard stuffed full of Orcs. The last time Hank had seen so many in one place, Venger had been trying to capture Tardos! There were hundreds, all watching as the children were guided through.

The sight of so many soldiers was depressing. There was no way the gang could try and run through the mass of Orc-flesh. Worse still, it was very unlikely that Sheila would be able to help them. She was invisible, but even that was not much help against so many soldiers.

They walked in silence down the long, silent corridors, finally stopping in a huge room, easily the size of a football pitch. It was decorated in Venger's usual, austere style, and there was a huge, abstract statue at the far end that towered above an ornate throne. But there was one feature that caught Hank's eye: the eleven separate cells along the back wall. You didn't have to be a genius to figure out where the Young Ones were going to end up.

They were put into their cells one by one. Hank's was the one in the very centre, with Alison on one side of him and Diana on the other.

At all times the Orcs were very careful. Two well-armed soldiers guarded each child, and there was a whole regiment guarding the door. They took their time too, making sure that the young ones were all secured in their cells. One cell at the far end was empty: Eric hadn't been brought with them!

But Hank didn't have long to worry. After checking all the locks once more, the Orcs left. Just as the last one disappeared round the door, the Arch-Mage himself swept in with Shadow Demon following at a respectful distance. He strode into the middle of the room, directly opposite the Ranger, looking indescribably pleased with himself.

'Venger!' Hank hissed.

The Arch-Mage bowed, with a mocking smile on his lips.

'Greetings, Young Ones,' he said. 'Welcome to your new home!' He waved a hand round slowly round the room. 'This is where you will spend the remainder of your pitiful lives, looking at these four walls! The game is finally over!'

'You'll never keep us!' said Hank proudly. 'We've escaped before!'

Venger ignored him, and said:

'But there is one thing left to add to this room. You see, Ranger, I have devised the perfect punishment for you. Yes, I could have killed you, but this is so much more fitting!'

A sudden flash rippled out of his hand, and the Rainbow Orchid appeared there, its colours shining with magic. Then Venger crushed its delicate petals beneath his fingers. Multicoloured fire swirled round his hand in a ball of light that slowly grew bigger and brighter. Finally, Hank had to shield his eyes.

The Arch-Mage threw the ball at the wall opposite the cages. Colours leaked out, slithering across the stonework. It was like watching a mural being drawn at high speed. It took less than a minute to complete, but long before it was done, Hank recognised the picture that was being painted before them: It was the amusement park. Hank could see the ice cream stalls, the rides, and the people walk around. He gave a low gasp.

It was a real portal.

Venger was still smiling at them. This was obviously giving him an enormous amount of pleasure.

'Now you understand!' he said, his voice shaking with triumph. 'Now you will watch your world, unable to get to it. What was it the Dungeonmaster told you? "Take the Orchid to Recadia, and you all shall see your home."' The Arch-Mage gave a booming laugh. 'How amusing that it should turn out like this!'

Hank knew that Venger was taunting them deliberately, and could barely control his anger and frustration. But he would rather die that show Venger how deeply this hurt. His nails dug into the palm of his hand and he tried to take slow, deep breaths.

Venger paused, most likely waiting for a response. But when no one spoke, he continued.

'But now to other matters,' he said, glaring at the Ranger. With a huge effort, Hank managed to tear his gaze away from the portal and looked up. Inside he felt rage boiling, unable to get out. Keeping a lid on his anger was so much harder than he'd thought. Every word the Arch-Mage spoke seemed to be specially designed to mock them.

'Sadly, your Cavalier will not be joining you,' said Venger, not looking the least bit unhappy.

'What did you do to Eric?' demanded Hank.

'I?' said Venger in genuine surprise. 'I did nothing! But I will use his misfortune for my own ends. Since he cannot share in your punishment, he will serve better as a reminder to others of the price of defiance!'
The Arch-Mage didn't say any more, but the look of malicious amusement on his face told Hank that Eric was also in a whole lot of trouble. Venger then turned his smirk on the Amazon.

'Your sister will not be joining you either. She is dead.'

Alison grabbed the bars of her cell. Hank could see her trembling.

'You're lying!' she gasped, choking for air. 'You. Are. Lying!'

Venger shrugged.

'I do not lie, Amazon! Unfortunately, the Harlequin fell from the edge of the ravine during the attack.' He looked Alison directly in the eye. 'I did not intend to kill any of you. Death is too simple.'

The Amazon put a shaking hand over her mouth and dropped down to the floor. In the cage on the other side, Peter tried to move close enough to comfort her.

But whatever sorrow Hank felt for Gail and Alison, he was now terrified that a similar fate had befallen Sheila. Bobby was obviously thinking the same thing.

'What have you done with my sister!' the Barbarian shouted.

Venger's top lip twitched into a sneer.

'The Thief was not captured, a fact my Orcs now deeply regret. But I have plans, Barbarian. Do not worry, your sister will be joining you shortly.' He raised his eyebrow in a dramatic fashion. 'I know that she will not leave you here. And when I have the Thief and the Cloak, our bargain will be complete!'

There was a distinct, chilling pause.

'Bargain?' echoed Hank. That couldn't mean what he thought it meant. Could it?

'Yes, Ranger,' replied Venger, the wolfish smile suddenly reappearing. 'One of your new friends traded you and the weapons of power for a way home!' The smile grew broader. 'So much for trust!'

Hank had to grasp the bars of his cell to steady himself. They couldn't have!

'I know what you must think,' said the Arch-Mage. 'But I have the Contract right here.'

There was a small flash of light and a piece of parchment appeared in Venger's hand.

'Who?' whispered Hank. 'Who was it?'

'Come, Ranger! You do not know?' said Venger triumphantly. When Hank didn't reply he added:

'Then you have something to contemplate, as you await the Thief!'

Venger turned to his Orc entourage.

'Let us prepare the final resting place for the Cavalier.' He turned back to Hank, and smirked. 'He is the one person beyond all help!'

The Ranger finally snapped, anger overwhelming his good sense and self-control.

'You fucking bastard!' he bellowed at the Arch-Mage, pulling fruitlessly at the bars of his cell.

But Venger didn't stop, and his smirk widened as he left the helpless Young Ones watching their unattainable way home.