JANAPURNA

There Was A Princess Long Ago...

They didn't know how long they walked, or how far. There was no change in the vast grey terrain - no hills, no valleys. No streams or plantlife either, although this didn't prove an immediate problem since they noticed they were growing neither hungry nor thirsty. They did eventually become tired, however, and as they did the cold grey light of the sky slowly darkened. It was Eric who stopped first.

"This is pointless."

The others ground to a halt and turned to him. He sat down in the ash, noting their faces. They were dirty, and tired. Not one of them looked particularly irritated at his outburst. Admittedly they had probably been waiting for him to give up for several hours. Presto and Sheila slumped down next to him, almost gratefully... almost as though they'd been thinking the same thing themselves, but hadn't wanted to say so... Eric continued to look up at Hank, who just opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again.

Diana sighed, rubbing her eyes wearily. "C'mon, guys..."

"We're going about this the wrong way, OK? We all know that." Eric switched his gaze from Hank to Diana, since the Ranger was refusing to meet his eyes.

"He's right." Hank looked at Sheila apologetically. "We could be going round in circles for all we know. This is just wasting time." Hank sighed and sat down, himself.

Diana, determined to stay upright, looked down at her friends.

"Well, what else can we do?"

She was met with four equally despondent expressions. She tried nudging Eric a little with her foot.

"We can't just give up!"

Eric caught her ankle with both hands, stopping it. "I didn't say we should give up. I was thinking."

"Can I have my foot back while you think?"

"Only if you sit down. You're making me nervous."

Diana duly lowered herself, one-legged, onto her bottom, and Eric crossed her captive leg over her free one before releasing it.

"DM said something about our weapons," he continued, "they all still work, right..?" He batted Diana's suddenly extended staff out of his face. "Thankyou, Diana... "

"So?" piped Sheila miserably for the first time in hours, "what am I gonna do, Invisible us outta here?"

Eric shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe Presto can do something with the hat."

Presto, who had been drooping gently, blinked awake at the sound of his name, and started slightly when he saw the others gazing expectantly at him.

"W... wait a minute," he protested, "haven't we forgotten about the pie incident?"

"At least try, Presto," sighed Sheila.

Presto looked down at the hat in his hands with trepidation. "I don't know... I think I'm too tired to work it properly."

"Ya can't work it properly when you're not tired, so what's the difference..."

Hank took his hands away from his hot, dry eyes and looked up. "Don't pressurise him, guys. We're all exhausted, our brains are all fritzed."

"It's getting dark, too," added Presto.

"We don't have time to rest..." muttered Sheila.

"We have to, Sheila!" Hank sighed and rubbed his eyes again, trying to compose himself. "We'll take a few hours' sleep, then we'll think about another way to get out of here."

Nobody argued with that, and, since they were neither hot nor cold, they simply lay down together in a protective bundle on the ash and began to drift into sleep.

Diana opened her eyes for a moment in the darkness. "What about this Other Lost Soul DM warned us about?"

"There's nothing here, Diana." The voice at her shoulder was comforting in its familiar sarcasm. "Where's it gonna spring from? Thin air?"

She turned her face from him, smiling, and listened to Presto snoring, and took Sheila's hand, and felt the weight of Hank's arm resting unconsciously against her calf, and fell asleep.

---

"...There was a princess long ago, long ago, long ago..."

Hank stirred from blissful dreams into wakefulness. It was still very dark, but he could feel Sheila's cloaked back curled foetally against him, and his fingers were full of the soft fur of Diana's boots. And there was that voice. He hadn't dreamt it.

"...There was a princess long ago, long, long ago..."

Like the Barbarian's voice before, it was close by, but muffled, and coming from a million different directions. But this was a girl's voice - a young woman's voice, singing. It was sweet and sad and seductive, yet innocent. And it was singing to him. It was singing to him alone. He sat up, looking around. Where was that voice coming from? Who was singing? He had to know!

"...She fell asleep for a hundred years, a hundred years, a hundred years..."

He could just about make out some shapes in the gloom. Some figures appeared to be walking, far away.

"Mmm."

He span around. The male voice had spoken softly, just behind him. Two people were standing still, their backs to the sleeping group, gazing out dreamily into the slowly lightening sky. Hank relaxed as he listened to them talking quietly to each other, and approached the other two boys.

"I tell you somethin', Presto," whispered the first voice, "if music be the food of love then that voice has gotta be a... a..."

"...a fresh strawberry sundae..." sighed the second voice.

"...with fudge sauce..." added the first.

"...and cream..." continued the second.

"...and a cherry on top." Hank stepped in between the two friends, finishing the sentence.

"Hey Hank," muttered Presto, without taking his eyes off the sky.

"So you guys hear it too."

"Nah, we snuck over here to make out." Eric grinned at his own joke. "Hear what?"

"Isn't it the most beautiful thing you ever heard?" whispered Presto, ignoring Eric.

"Mmm." Hank paused, listening. "Maybe this is that other person we were told about."

Eric nodded, although unseen by the others. "I have to find her."

"Maybe she needs help," added Presto, hopefully.

"We should go," said Hank, but didn't move from his spot. He knew that he should go. But he didn't want to do anything that might take his mind off that voice. "Once she stops singing," he added. "Then we'll all go. 'Til then..."

"...listen..." chorused the boys, together. They closed their eyes and listened to the voice, and didn't give a second thought to the shadowy figures approaching them.

"...Mmmm..."

---

"...mmmm..."

"mmph?"

"...mmmuhh..."

The noise definitely wasn't right. Diana opened her eyes to the dim grey light, then sat bolt upright and screamed. Sheila shot up at her side, disorientated.

"Wha..." was all the redhead managed to say before Diana leapt to her feet, extending her staff to swing under the legs of the approaching zombie. Sheila squeaked in shock and struggled to rise as the rotten corpse fell face first beside her and began to sink into the ash.

Diana stalled momentarily, trying to make some kind of sense of the scene in front of her. There were three more zombies. Two were clamouring about Eric and Presto. The third had taken Hank by the ankle and was beginning to drag him away. The boys didn't appear to be hurt, but not one of them seemed to be making any attempt to save themselves. Indeed, they looked almost comatose, their mouths half open, their eyes staring deadly into the middle distance.

What to do... what to do... think fast, girl!

There was only one of them with Hank - that would be easier for Sheila. But if had taken him single handed, it had to be very strong, and how was Sheila supposed to fight a zombie on her own..?

Diana had barely a second to think before the zombie closest to Presto lunged at him, teeth bared. Instinct took over rationality, and she sprinted, staff raised, at the two boys.

"Help Hank," she cried as she ran.

A little voice behind her mumbled "Um... OK...", and then her friend was gone.

The zombie attacking the little Wizard was easy enough to dispense with - one swift crack over the head with her staff and it fell cold, and began to be consumed by the ash. The other one, however, was strong and cunning, and either dodged or blocked her attempts to hit it. Still Eric and Presto remained motionless.

"Would one of you guys mind helping out?" panted Diana, exasperated.

There was no reply. They didn't even stir. Something was very, very wrong. Diana ducked under Eric's shield bearing arm, raising it against the zombie as she went. The zombie scrabbled against the protective field, furiously, as Diana searched the two boys' unseeing eyes.

"Guys? Guys?"

Tell me they're not zombified...

She caught Eric's chin and tried to catch his eye. The Cavalier just looked straight through her.

Ooh, whaddaya know, he's started shaving! OK... maybe now's not the time...

She attempted patting his cheek. There was no response. The zombie was getting angrier. She could feel the strength of its body against Eric's arm. She set her face and drew her free hand back, flattening her palm.

This is for his own good...

She slapped him, hard across the cheek. The force of it stung her hand and threw Eric's head over to one side. He blinked, and looked at her. She smiled, relieved, as his eyes focussed on hers.

"Diana..."

His voice was too calm. His smile was too tranquil. Like one of those weirdoes who gave out pamphlets on The End Of The World in airports. He gently reached out to her and put a finger on her lips.

"Ssshhh."

She batted the finger away. "What is wrong with you guys?" She looked from the Cavalier to the Magician. "Presto? Do something!"

Presto just gazed at her, serenely. Diana impatiently snatched the hat off his head and put it into his docile hands.

"Magic something up! Anything!"

Still nothing. With one arm still propping up Eric, she grabbed one of Presto's wrists and waved his lifeless hand over the hat's opening.

"Uh, magic hat," she attempted, "we're in trouble... help us out, or... or I'll hurt you."

She winced at her failure to make any kind of rhyme, but the hat glowed with magic anyway. Diana grinned and was about to guide the Magician's hand inside to grab whatever creation the petulant weapon had come up with, when she felt it begin to tremble. Presto began to sink under the sudden weight of it. Diana let go of both boys and grabbed the hat with both hands, pointing it at the zombie.

"I hope this works!"

She held her breath as the zombie pushed Eric to the ground and charged her. She continued to hold her breath as from the opened hat sprang the large, pink, toothsome face of a large, pink, man-eating worm. She only exhaled once the worm, a nanosecond later, recoiled back into the hat, allowing her to close it and watch the remains of the zombie fall, headless, to the ash. She turned to the boys. Eric was beginning to pick himself up. Presto was still just standing there.

"Guys? What's the matter with you?"

The only reply was a low moan from a way behind her. She span around.

"Hank! Sheila!"

The unprotesting Ranger was still being dragged away by the last remaining zombie. The Thief was nowhere to be seen. This was either a good thing or a very, very bad thing. Diana put her hands on the two boys' shoulders.

"Now you two, stay put."

She turned to run to Hank's aid, but before she could help him, saw the Ranger's bow rise, as if by magic, behind the zombie. Diana slowed to a walk, smiling faintly, as the invisible force lifted the bow over the monster's head, and swung it hard down on top of its skull. The zombie's horrible scream of agony was cut short by a second, sideways blow to the temple and it fell, sinking into the hungry ash.

"Nice work, Sheila!"

Sheila uncloaked, miserably, and carefully placed the bow back into Hank's limp hands.

"Is he OK?" she asked, bending over him, "He looks like he's been... zombified..."

Diana shook her head as she helped the young man to his feet. "Zombies are usually a little... well, deader, than the boys are. But there's definitely something wrong with them. I don't think it's gotten to us yet, but..." Diana tried clicking her fingers in Hank's face.

"DM said something before he went," added Sheila, thoughtfully. "That he hoped we were too young for... something."

The girls paused, looking at the oblivious Ranger as the other boys approached them slowly.

"Do you hear singing?" asked Diana eventually.

"I'm glad you asked that," replied Sheila.

"Why?"

"Because I thought I must be going mad."

"Isn't it incredible?" added Presto, dreamily.

"Not really," said Diana, "why? What d'you think's so wonderful about it?"

The boys didn't answer her. They just stood and listened. Suddenly Hank blinked, staring off to his right.

"It's coming from over there!"

The other two boys followed his gaze and chorused "...yes..."

"I have to go to her," said Hank, and set off suddenly, like a whippet.

"Hank?" called Sheila, confused.

"What is going on?" cried Diana, but the other boys were already off, running after Hank.

Diana sighed, and gave her friend a despairing Look.

Sheila's face was crumpled with worry. "What's the matter with them?"

"They're adolescent boys, Sheila. They're all nuts."

"I don't like this one bit," understated Sheila, chewing a nail. "Whoever's singing - I don't know what she wants, but..."

"...but it seems that she has Our Boys' attention." Diana finished off Sheila's train of thought as she broke into a jog after the others. Sheila was a little more hesitant. Diana turned to her briefly. "We have to follow them. They'll only get into a world of trouble without us."

---

"...a prince rode in and he woke her up, woke her up, woke her up..."

They had been running for over an hour. None of the boys seemed to be tiring, which surprised Diana. She was, however, getting very sick of the song. She and Sheila had caught up with Presto, the slowest of the boys.

"...that voice..." he whispered through his laboured breath, "...that song..."

"She might want to think about changing the record," panted Sheila.

Diana lifted her head and cried out to the Heavens. "Hey, Mystery Voice! Now sing 'Funky Town'!"

They all listened as they ran. The voice started up again.

"...there was a princess long ago, long ago, long ago..."

Diana tutted. "Nothin'."

They came to a rock. And then another rock, and then a whole lot of rocks, lining a small pathway. Somebody had created a little terrain all to themselves. The rocks began to separate, and create a large circle surrounding a mound. And the mound had a girl sitting on it, and the girl was singing.

"Hey!" shouted Diana.

The woman started, and looked up, and darted into a hole in the mound.

"Hey!" shouted Diana again, speeding up her pace. Hank and Eric were almost at the entrance to the hollowed out ash bunker, and Diana had no idea how dangerous the magnetic stranger was going to be.

She met the boys as they entered the small shelter. The girl was sitting hunched up against a wall, cowering.

"It's OK," breathed Diana as Presto and Sheila joined them all in the doorway. "It's OK. We're not gonna hurt you."

The girl stopped trembling, and uncovered her face, and looked up.

---

He fell in love. Just like that. Instantly and eternally. He had thought he knew what love was, but he realised at that moment that all his feelings before had just been silly, childish preoccupations. This was True Love. Yes. This beautiful stranger knew him. She understood him. And he was in love.

---

She began nervously to push herself to her feet against the shelter's wall. She was tall - taller even than Diana. And although she couldn't have been any older than 18, she had all the seductive curves of a woman. The long, grey robe she was dressed in must have been supposed to be frumpy, but her perfect body rebelled against it - the slender, smooth ankle jutting from the hemline, the full, pert breast pressing against the fabric... She was soft - all long, fluid, dark lines. Her hair was a thick, wavy chocolate, her lips like crushed cherries, her skin like honey. Her wide, hazel eyes shone with sadness.

Hank wanted to save her.

Presto wanted to hold her.

Eric wanted to strip her, and see where things went from there.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Sorry? For what?" Sheila stepped toward the girl a little. She looked so unhappy. How could she possibly be a threat? Sheila looked up at Hank, in the hope that he could think of something something comforting... something Hanklike... to say to the poor girl. Her chest tightened at the expression on his face. She'd never seen him look at another human being like that before. It was the look of utter longing that only ever crossed his face when they were within the sight and earshot of the funfair. She moved back into him, defensively.

"I didn't mean to draw you here," continued the girl. "It's been so long, so very long since another living soul's been near me. I had no idea you were trapped here too..."

"You're from the Realm?" asked Diana.

The girl nodded. "I can't help you, if that's what you're thinking," she added. "I'll only make things much worse. You should go. Now. I promise I shan't sing again."

"We're not leaving you." Hank's tones were supposed to be reassuring, but the girl flinched as though threatened.

"That's what I was worried about," she sighed.

Hank stepped toward the girl, gently pushing Sheila to one side.

"You're all alone here," he said, softly, "and lost, like us. We can help you."

He took her slim hand, dipped his head slightly, then flashed eyes and teeth at her simultaneously, flicking his fringe slightly. She met his smile politely.

"I'm Hank," he said, "I'm...

"...Eric," interrupted Eric, taking the girl's other hand. In one fluid movement he stroked along the hand to her fingertips, turning it palm upwards. He stooped and kissed the inside of her wrist, grinning up at her. "I'm a Knight."

Presto pushed Eric aside.

"Presto," he smiled, reaching into his hat. "Wizard." He presented her with a magically produced posy. With some difficulty, the girl retrieved her hands from the other boys' attentions and accepted the flowers. She looked across at Presto, confused.

"How unusual. I've never seen broccoli in a bouquet before."

"Uhh..." Presto blushed slightly, silently cursing the hat. "I'm just a quirky kind of guy. Never know what I'm gonna do next..."

The stranger looked up apologetically at the two distinctly unimpressed looking girls still in the doorway.

"Diana," said the Acrobat curtly, pointing at herself, before indicating the redhead, flushed and trembling slightly. "That's Sheila."

"My name's Janapurna," said the girl. She seemed as though she wanted to go towards the girls in the doorway, but the boys were still crowding her.

"...Janapurna..." breathed all three in unison.

Janapurna pressed herself against the wall miserably and sighed, eyes cast down at the floor. It was happening again.

"My name's Janapurna and I'm the worst thing that could have possibly happened to you."