-Part II: The Plan-
Chapter 6
Venger was right. This was true torture.
A thin shaft of sunlight from outside moved across the floor, the only indication of time passing. Hank watched it with an ugly, sinking feeling in his stomach. Was this how it was going to be, forever? There was nothing worse than waiting in these cells, seeing the life of home going on through the portal. He hadn't slept all night, and he had watched the portal constantly, sick with worry and frustration.
He had no Bow, he was helpless, and Hank always hated being helpless, especially since the incident with the Cloud Bears.
Every small noise, every creak and whisper made him jump. Sheila would come; he knew she would. Nothing would stop her! But would she be clever enough to outwit Venger? Would she be careful enough to get past all those guards?
He shivered, and slumped down against the front of the cage. He rested his head on the bars in front of him, feeling his eyes tingle with the start of tears. He'd done everything wrong, he'd let everyone down. Regret filled him. If only he had his Bow… If only he'd been more vigilant…If only he'd been less trusting…
In the cell next to him, Alison had finally cried herself to sleep. The Ranger felt a pang of compassion, but it was tempered by the raw feeling of betrayal.
When Venger had first said it, Hank could barely believe that one of the others had bought their way home by betraying them. It was just a lie to taunt him. The Arch-Mage loved to gloat! But during the night, the Ranger had thought it through. And, unfortunately, he'd come to the conclusion that Venger hadn't been lying this time.
Eric's unconsciousness; Gail's death; the confusion; and finally his own swift capture, it all pointed to one thing. Someone had tipped off the Orcs!
Alison had even said as much the previous night. "We can't stay here much longer the way we are. They're going to mutiny!" Which one? Who would stoop so low?
Alison? Peter? Jamie? Lorraine? Paul? Would they have let Gail die?
That thought made him more afraid. If they were prepared to let one of their own friends die then, Sheila was in much more danger than he'd originally thought.
He closed his eyes, and hugged his knees closer to his chest. Please be safe, Sheila. Please.
There was a rasping sound from the doorway as it was pushed open, and their tormentor strode in, still looking fantastically smug.
Hank pulled himself up by the bars, looking anxiously for a sign that Venger had caught the Thief. But Venger was leading something else.
'UNI!' bellowed Bobby.
The unicorn limped miserably along beside Venger. She saw the Barbarian and gave a small whinny.
Bobby pulled at the bars.
'Uni! What have you done to Uni!'
'Be silent, Barbarian!'
Venger stopped to the side of the portal and clicked his fingers. A small cage appeared around the Unicorn. Its door snapped shut and the lock's click echoed round the hall.
'You will stay here.' Venger pointed a finger in Uni's face as she cowered before him. 'And do not try to teleport out of this cage! You have been warned!'
Venger didn't wait to gloat further and swept regally out, ignoring the children. The door slammed behind him and Uni looked up to Bobby and whined.
'Uni!' called the Barbarian again. 'Uni, are you OK?'
The unicorn started bleating plaintively, and her cries reverberated around their prison. Hank waited, but Uni didn't stop once for the rest of the morning.
At first, he was reassured by her cries, but after a few hours it was starting to grate and give him a headache. Not even Bobby could calm the unicorn and persuade her to be quiet.
Finally an Orc came in, looking angry. It drew its sword.
'Lord Venger says be quiet!' It waved the sword at the suddenly silent unicorn. 'And stay that way, or one of them gets it! Understand?'
Uni didn't make another noise.
'Good!'
The soldier marched out, and Uni watched him intently. Once he'd gone, she gave a contemptuous snort and shook her main.
The Ranger rubbed his forehead, his ears ringing slightly in the silence. Nothing had changed. Hank.
The sound was like a memory it was so quiet. He must have imagined it. Hank.
It was the sound of his name, yes it was! He held his breath, desperate to hear it again. It was real, it had to be real!
'Hank, it's me!'
He pressed himself against the bars, looking around. She was here!
'Sheila?' he whispered. 'Where are you?'
She materialised right in front of him, and reached out for his hand. She looked frightened and tired, as if she'd spent the night constantly on the run. He gripped her hand tightly and glanced to the doorway. The door was still closed and no one was around. They had a chance!
'Don't worry, Hank,' she whispered, look round at the other cages. 'Are you OK?'
Hank nodded.
'We are, but Venger's taken Eric somewhere, he wouldn't say, but…'
'S'ok Hank, but we have to get out of here first.'
'Did you really expect it to be that easy, Thief?'
She spun round, letting go of his hand. Hank's whole body went cold, and the wave of numbness almost made his legs give way. Venger was standing just in front of the portal. He had progressed beyond mere smugness, and Hank couldn't describe the look of satisfaction on Venger's face. It made him feel sick. The Arch-Mage was alone, confident that the Thief couldn't get away. It was obvious that he wasn't scared of her in the least. Sheila took a little step forward, and waited.
'I suspected this, Thief!' said the Arch-Mage. 'From the moment the unicorn was found! But I thought that you would try to save the unfortunate Cavalier before coming here.'
Sheila shook her head very slightly. Hank could see her shaking.
'I know the only reason you threatened him was to get me to help,' she replied, her voice high and strained. 'So I'm happy to disappoint you!'
Venger smiled, and Hank knew she was right.
'The Cavalier was a convenient choice,' said the Arch-Mage with a shrug, 'but perhaps I should have used the Barbarian, or the Ranger.'
Sheila gulped, but didn't take her eyes of her enemy.
'It was very foolish of you to come here for your friends, girl.' He glared at the Thief. 'I will take your Cloak, then the Realm will be mine!'
A fireball appeared suddenly in his hand, and Sheila leaped out of its way and rolled across the floor. The fireball smacked into the ground just beside her.
'Come now, Thief! There is no way to escape! Give me the Cloak, NOW!'
She ran again, moving closer to the portal and the unicorn's cage. Hank saw her take a deep breath.
'You'll just have to take it from me, if you can! But then, you are a rubbish shot!'
The Ranger had gripped the bars and couldn't take his eyes off Sheila. Surely she had a better plan than taunting Venger!
The Arch-Mage strode confidently forward, more magic at the ready. But instead of running she stood, her head held up arrogantly as she glared at Venger. Hank smiled, despite himself. He had never been so proud of her before.
Once again, Sheila jumped out of the way as magic rushed towards her, and she stumbled to the ground right beside Uni's cage. She looked at the little unicorn and reached up to undo her Cloak, then pulled the lock off the cage. Uni scampered free.
'No!' screamed Venger in disbelief. 'NO!'
The Ranger gasped.
Uni had taken the Cloak in her mouth, and teleported away.
There were a few seconds of complete silence, then the Ranger looked up at Venger, and panicked: the sort of panic that Eric hadn't even begun to imagine. It had been a long, long time since Hank had been afraid of Venger. But the Arch-Mage was beyond angry and his eyes glowed with a fierce, red light. Sheila…what would he do to her?
The Thief was waiting on the floor, looking up in fear.
'FOOLISH GIRL!' Venger shouted, magical energy crackling along his arms. 'Do you think this a GAME? The unicorn will not be able to hide from ME! Why did you do such a foolish thing! WHY!'
He strode forward and hauled Sheila up by the front of her dress, her feet dangling off the floor. For a few seconds he held her there, and Hank could see the terror on her face. At that moment, Hank would have given his soul for the Bow.
With a guttural snarl, Venger threw her against the far wall with all his strength. The Thief hit the wall with a yelp and a crunch, and lay there.
Hank's cry of anguish choked in his throat, but Bobby's shout echoed around. Sheila lay crumpled on the ground in front of the wall, not moving.
'Such a foolish thing to do!' bellowed the Arch-Mage, raising his arms and shouting at the ceiling. 'You have but delayed my plans! The unicorn cannot use the Cloak. She was captured before, and shall be again. You have gained nothing, nothing but my ANGER!'
His eyes narrowed and he was silent for a few seconds, watching Sheila. Then Venger clicked his fingers, and a golden cage appeared around her.
'For such insolence, I will ensure you are punished. I will be rid of you once and for ALL!'
He turned, his long robe swishing over the ground.
'Shadow Demon!' he roared. 'SHADOW DEMON!'
The small, black Shadow appeared from the walls.
'Go at once!' ordered Venger. 'The Orcs will dismantle the town and return to their duties. Immediately! Except Tursh. He is to prepare this room for an execution!'
He turned to look back at the Thief, and then glanced to the Ranger. The Arch-Mage drew himself up to his full, seven-foot height and said:
'However, since the Thief is no longer a danger to my plans, we must do it properly.' He gave the Ranger a wicked smile. 'And we must give them time to say goodbye!'
He turned away and stalked out.
Hank's head was spinning, but there was nothing he could do. Bobby was struggling against the bars, crying out to his sister, but she didn't respond. Her eyes were closed, as if she was dead, but there was a slow rise and fall of her chest that told him she was still alive.
The Ranger slumped down against the bars. That was it. They were finished. They had been in some tight spots before, but someone had always come through, someone had always escaped. There was no one left to help them.
There was never any doubt in Hank's mind that Venger would carry out his threat and, at first he tried to ignore the Orcs as they shuffled in and out of the hall. He watched Shelia as she lay by the wall, studying her face, the way her hair had fallen over her mouth. He had never seen anything so beautiful. What a terrible way for this to end…and he would never get the chance to tell her that he loved her.
Venger might be evil, but he had a flare for the melodramatic that Eric would have been proud of. The Orcs had built a small platform directly between Hank's cell and the portal, so he could see both at the same time. In fact, it was so perfectly positioned it seemed that the Arch-Mage had planned this all along!
The Arch-Mage was toying with them. The preparations dragged on for much of the afternoon. Venger had obviously ordered the soldiers to string it out as long as possible, for maximum impact. Hank grew increasingly anxious every time any Orc approached Sheila, but they all left her where she was, lying by the wall. Time and time again his heart lurched, just to see the soldier walk by.
It was both the longest and the shortest afternoon of Hank's life, and by the end of it he was angrier and more frantic than he'd thought possible.
Then Venger himself reappeared, gliding in serenely. He slowly walked past the cages of the young ones, glancing inside at the inhabitant of each one. He stopped at Hank's cage and smiled.
The Ranger shuddered. This was it.
'You have nothing to say, Ranger?' asked Venger softly. 'No pleading for your beloved's life?'
Hank stared back silently, almost numb with grief already. Further along, the Barbarian was frenetically pulling at the bars of his cell, tears flowing down his cheeks. Venger ignored the young boy. He raised his hand, and an Orc Captain appeared.
'Lord Venger,' said the Captain. 'What are your orders?'
'Bring me the girl, Tursh,' said Venger, never taking his eyes of Hank. The words burned through Hank, the numbness being replaced by a terrible anger. The Ranger couldn't help himself. He pulled himself right up to the bars and hissed:
'If you hurt her, I swear I'll kill you. Somehow, I'll find a way.'
The Arch-Mage raised an eyebrow, and looked mockingly back.
'I find that unlikely, Ranger.'
He turned, and Hank followed his gaze. The cage had dissolved and Tursh pulled Sheila upright, twisting her arm as he marched towards the platform. The Thief struggled sluggishly, but the Orc had a firm grip.
Venger walked slowly forward as Sheila was dragged forward. Her hands were tied in front of her with a silver rope that was fixed into the platform. She tried to pull away, but failed.
Tursh bowed in front of Venger, and pulled out his sword, his eyes gleaming eagerly.
'May I kill her for you, my Lord?'
Venger paused, and Hank willed the ground to swallow him up. This couldn't be happening to them. This couldn't be happening! Where was Dungeonmaster? Why was he allowing this to happen? Couldn't he save Sheila? Save them all? Where was he! WHERE WAS HE!
'No! I want the pleasure of destroying one of Dungeonmaster's star pupils myself!' Venger said. The Orc Captain looked down at the ground dejectedly. 'But you may despatch the unicorn when she is found.'
'Thank you, Lord Venger!' replied Tursh with an evil grin. 'Thank you!'
'Now leave us!' ordered the Arch-Mage. He watched his servant go, then turned slowly back to the Thief.
'So!'
She looked up fearfully at him and stared for a number of seconds as is she couldn't believe this was really happening. Then her expression changed to one of defiance.
'You're loving this, aren't you!' she said coldly. 'But I'm surprised you have the guts to do this yourself!'
Venger growled, his fist clenching instinctively.
'You will soon be silent forever, girl!'
'I doubt you have the courage!' Her eyes were shining with anger, and there was a faint sneer on her lips. There were gasps from some of the nearby cells.
'You dare…insult…ME!' Venger spluttered. 'You…dare…'
Hank stared at the love of his life in utter shock. What was she doing! He had never seen her like this before! The other kids were staring in amazement, and Bobby had stopped crying. The attention of the whole room was on Sheila.
The Arch-Mage suddenly raised his hand, red fire at his fingertips.
'ENOUGH!' he shouted.
Sheila smiled at Venger, a ruthless and triumphant smile that Hank didn't recognise. The Ranger gulped, unable to look away. But out of the corner of his eye he saw a glint of gold.
The Bow! It was just sitting at the side of his cell, as if it had been there all along. He blinked.
The Bow? How…?
Even after all the fervent wishing for his weapon, Hank hesitated, unable to believe what he was seeing. But it really was his Bow on the ground in front of him.
'I will be rid of you, Thief!' Venger said, and the words catalysed Hank into action. He reached out for the weapon.
'I wouldn't be so sure,' she said in such a confident voice that both Venger and Hank stopped to stare at her.
Then someone else spoke.
'So did I miss anything important?'