Chapter 2

All in the Eye

Even after the wonders of the Realm they'd seen, Hank had to admit that this was going to be difficult to top. It wasn't just bizarre: it was impossible.

'Is… is that even a building?' asked Presto. 'I don't think I've ever seen anything like it!'

Hank stared ahead. There was no real doubt that this was indeed the Guild of Magic in Kilan, but accepting what it was and looking at the actual structure were two entirely different things.

Even in the Realm, where you got used to flying horses, men with wings and a vast array of strange places, this would have to stand out as the oddest. At first glance, it was just what you would expect from a normal building; ornate walls, smooth curved roof, turrets, a couple of towers and lots of panel windows. But after the first second of familiarity, realisation struck. The perspective didn't match; walls disappeared into other walls, only to reappear at a different angle; windows stretched the wrong way. Trying to make sense of it just didn't work! It shouldn't even stand up! And if you looked at one point for too long, your head began to ache.

Blinking didn't seem to help so, to ease the strain on his eyes, Hank glanced at his friends. Even Eric had been shocked out of his sulky mood, and was staring, open-mouthed.

'Escher on a bad day!' murmured the Cavalier.

'It makes my head hurt!' said Bobby. 'I think my eyes are broken!'

Beside him, Uni looked up, obviously wondering what all the fuss was about. She didn't seemed bothered by the building at all.

'Um, how do you think we get in?' asked Diana. 'Can you see a door?'

'You really wanna go in there?' asked the Barbarian. 'What if we don't come out the same as we went in?'

'But we still have to find Krin,' said Diana. 'Right, Hank?'

Hank nodded, wondering what their next move should be. Obviously, they couldn't stand around staring at that visual monstrosity all day, but he had the distinct feeling getting into this place wouldn't be easy.

There were footsteps behind them, and he turned to see a tall, blonde man coming up the lane behind them. He was obviously a Wizard; as if the red robes weren't a give away, he also carried a long, metal staff that glowed a dull red at the top.

He seemed distracted to begin with, but jolted to a stop when he saw the six kids staring at him.

'Hello,' said Hank quickly, seeing a look of anger and surprise flit over the man's face. 'We were looking fo…'

'Who are you?' demanded the Wizard crossly. 'What are you doing, defiling this place!'

'Well, ya see, we…' started Bobby.

'Silence, child!' The Barbarian looked shocked at the sharpness of tone, and made no other sound. The man then turned to glare at Hank. 'You; you may answer!'

Under the man's heavy stare, Hank gulped, Dungeonmaster's warning loud in his ears: You must all be careful in Kilan, for it is a wild and dangerous place; a place ruled by those with power, and pride. And a place where trust is in very short supply.

This Wizard looked as though the only help he would give them would be directions to the nearest City Gate!

'We're looking for a Wizard,' he said. The expression didn't change. 'A Wizard called Krin…' added Hank.

Again, the expression didn't change.

'We were hoping… someone might be able… to tell us… where he is.'

The Wizard continued to stare at Hank.

'Dungeonmaster sent us,' said the Ranger in desperation. There had to be some way of getting this man to help! And mentioning their Guide had helped before.

'I should have known he'd have more Pupils!' snapped the Wizard. 'What joy! Well, don't think that just because you carry magic weapons, you're entitled to entrance into Our Guild!'

Hank felt his anger rising. What were they supposed to do in the face of such blank hostility? He didn't know what this man wanted from them. He didn't even know who he was! He took a deep breath. Perhaps they should try a different tactic.

'My name's Hank,' he said with a friendly smile. 'Who are you?'

For a second, Hank thought that the new plan had backfired, as the Wizard looked vaguely annoyed that he'd not been recognised. But he eventually replied:

'I am Meylar, the Wizard of Trans-species Interlocutation.'

'Uh?' said Bobby. 'Trans-what?'

'Ignorant child!' replied Meylar curtly. 'Dungeonmaster must have let his standards slip!'

'It means he talks to animals,' said Presto, earning him a gracious nod from the other Wizard.

'Crudely put, young Magician, but accurate nonetheless. And perhaps you are not as unworthy as you at first appear.'

Presto smiled at the praise, the first proper smile he'd given in ages.

'So, do you know Krin?' interrupted Diana. 'Can you help us?'

A look of distrust and suspicion at the mention of that name crossed Meylar's face so quickly, that Hank didn't think the others noticed it.

'That is not for me to say, young lady,' he replied. The Wizard paused, and seemed to be thinking. 'But perhaps it would be best if you talked with Shawn. Come with me!'

Meylar walked off towards the impossible Guild, and Hank glanced round at his friends. This was their opportunity to get in, but there was something about this situation that made him uneasy. Actually, he'd been uneasy since getting to Kilan, and going into that Guild was not going to make it any better. But they had to find Krin…maybe even get home…

'Do we really have to go in there?' asked Bobby in a whining tone that was usually the exclusive preserve of the Cavalier. 'All of us?'

'What else can we do?' he asked them. 'At least Meylar seems to know Krin. We must be getting close!'

The two girls gave rueful nods, as did Bobby. Presto seemed less perturbed, and was watching Meylar as he walked on ahead. Eric didn't offer an opinion, but the look on his face suggested he would rather go back to the mountains than follow the Wizard into the Guild.

'Well, c'mon then!' said Hank. 'Let's just get this over with as quickly as possible!'

He turned and led them after Meylar.

The closer they got to the building, the more difficult it became to look at, and they all kept their heads down, except the unicorn who strutted ahead, unfazed. Meylar lead them round a couple of "corners" that didn't seem much like any corners Hank had ever experienced before, and towards a door that seemed to bee too small to get through.

'I feel sick,' said the Thief by his side. 'Is this a good idea?'

'It will be OK,' said Hank, slipping his arm across her shoulders. She leaned into his embrace briefly, making Hank smile with pleasure. He'd missed her company over the past few days since they'd left the mountains, and maybe things could back to normal soon.

But too quickly for Hank's liking, they were confronted by the solid door, now the correct height to get through. Meylar knocked once, and it swung open with a faint whoosh.

The Wizard strode in without hesitation, and Hank moved to follow next. But, at the edge, he stopped. He didn't need any familiarity with magic to sense that this was obviously a place of Power, and had the frightening feeling that getting out of there wouldn't be as straightforward as getting in.

We have to get home…he thought. We have to find Krin and get home!

The thought of seeing his family again helped him move forward into the Guild.

It was a surprise to find it so quiet and so cool inside. After the mental stress of looking at it from the outside, he had expected it to be the same on the inside. But it wasn't. It had a similar feel to the school library; silent and calm, and empty. The others all followed him in and the door whooshed shut behind them. There was the faintest click of a lock.

The gang followed Meylar down a short hall and at the end, in front of three heavy doors, he signalled them to stop.

'You will wait here,' the Wizard told them, and disappeared through the door to the left.

Hank looked around slowly, unable to shake the creepy feeling that they were being watched. The hallway was dark and plainly decorated; there were no pictures on the walls, or furniture, except a single table with a lit candle on it. It was cold, still and very quiet, and he couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't welcome. The others seemed to feel the same. Sheila was still standing close to him, her cloak pull round to keep herself warm. Diana seemed as unfazed as usual, except the way she had her Javelin ready. Bobby was petting Uni, more for his own comfort than hers, it seemed. The only one who seemed relatively relaxed was Presto. He was looking around with great intent, but Hank couldn't see what we so interesting.

They waited in silence for a number of minutes, before there was the scrape of a lock and the door on the right swung open.

The man who stepped through was an imposing figure, even though he wasn't quite as tall as the Ranger. He wore lush purple robes and a hood that covered most of his head. In his hand he carried a long staff like Meylars, except it had an ornate top and was made of burnished gold. Behind the Wizard was a young manservant with a feminine-looking smile.

The Wizard look his time looking round at the group, and Hank had to fight the urge to straighten up his tunic and brush the dust from his sleeves. Then the man noticed the unicorn, and his demeanour changed.

'I'm sorry,' he said, not sounding like he mean it, 'we don't buy livestock from unapproved vendors.'

The Barbarian looked furious, and hugged Uni close.

'She's not for sale!' said Hank indignantly.

The Wizard looked totally confused.

'Well, why did you bring it, if you weren't going to sell it?'

'She's our pet!' said the Acrobat, crossing her arms.

'How very strange,' the man said. 'So, why are you here?'

'Didn't Meylar tell you?' asked Diana.

The Wizard gave a soft snort, but didn't reply.

'We're looking for Krin,' said Hank. 'Dungeonmaster sent us to find him.'

'Really? You're looking for Krin?'

The man seemed amused now, and the Ranger didn't like it. They looked eye to eye for a second, then the Wizard carefully handed his staff to his servant, who staggered under the weight, and had to use both hands to keep it from toppling over. The Ranger stared. At first, he'd assumed the staff was painted gold, but watching the servant struggle, he suddenly realised it was probably solid gold all the way through.

'My name is Shawn,' said the Wizard with a slight bow. 'And who might you be?'

'We are pupils of Dungeonmaster,' said Hank.

Shawn glanced down at the magic weapon in Hank's hand.

'And you are the Ranger, young man?' he asked.

Hank nodded, and Shawn gave a slow smile.

'So you are Dungeonmaster's Star Pupils? And in this Guild too!'

Unable to tell if the Wizard was being sarcastic or not, Hank thought it prudent to assume the best, and smiled back.

'And why would Dungeonmaster's star pupils be looking for Krin, and looking for him here? Did the Dungeonmaster send you to the Guild?'

Everybody was looking at Hank; he could sense it. After all, it had been his idea to come to the Guild in the first place.

'Not really,' said the Ranger. 'Dungeonmaster didn't tell us where to find Krin… just to ask someone who would know. And since Krin's a Wizard, we thought another Wizard might know.'

'I see,' said Shawn. 'And Meylar gave you leave to enter?'

This time, Hank paused before answering. He couldn't tell if the Wizard was angry or not, or why he was asking the question in the first place.

'Meylar wouldn't tell us anything about Krin.' That at least was safe to say. 'And he said we should talk to you.'

That answer seemed to please Shawn, and he gave a more open smile.

'What you say is very interesting, Ranger.'

'Can you help us?' asked the Barbarian eagerly.

'Perhaps.'

As Shawn looked round at the others, Hank wondered what the Wizard was thinking. It was difficult to tell what this man might do. Once again, Dungeonmaster's riddle came back to him: You must all be careful in Kilan, for it is a wild and dangerous place; a place ruled by those with power, and pride. And a place where trust is in very short supply.

Certainly, Shawn didn't seem to trust them, but then he had also acknowledged that he did know a Wizard called Krin. Finding out where Krin was, and how to find him; that was going to be the awkward bit!

In this City everything has its price…and who knows what price Shawn would ask.

He was a Wizard, and seemed to be in charge of this particular Guild, but that made it all the more difficult to guess what he'd want. Perhaps the price would be too high. The Ranger glanced down at the unicorn. Judging by Shawn's reaction to her, the price could be almost anything!

'But why did Dungeonmaster send you to find Krin?' asked Shawn.

There was no reason not to tell the Wizard that they were looking for a way home, but Hank didn't feel like sharing that piece of information at the moment. They needed some sort of bargaining point in case…

'He can send us home,' announced the Barbarian. The Ranger could only hope that Shawn was so surprised by the revelation that he didn't notice his look of annoyance.

'Home?' said Shawn. 'A portal?'

Hank nodded, trying not to look disappointed.

'Dungeonmaster thinks Krin can open a portal? How interesting!'

Again, Hank felt the advantage slipping away from them. They needed Shawn to help them, but they were giving away too much information too easily. He felt a flicker of a smile on his lips. He was getting paranoid in this place! They had always been open and friendly before. Why should this city make them behave differently? It is a place where trust is in very short supply. But even so, they had to be trustworthy to be trusted.

'Will you tell us where Krin is?' asked Hank.

Shawn pondered the question, looking directly at Hank all the time.

'You must understand,' said the Wizard, 'I cannot just "tell" you anything. This is the Guild of Magic, and the Wizards within have the right to privacy.'

Shawn looked at the expressions of disappointment on their faces and added:

'But I may be able to point you along the correct path… for a price.' That was the word Hank knew was coming: Price. It could be anything. 'You see, we in the Guild study magic, in all its manifestations. You, as the Star Pupils of Dungeonmaster have encountered magic in a great many forms, and we would be honoured if you would share some of that… experience.'

Shawn looked at Hank expectantly, and the Ranger gave a nod.

'Thank you,' replied the Wizard, but the smile told Hank that this was what Shawn had wanted all along. Perhaps it had even been planned. You're getting paranoid again!

'I will arrange for you each to be interviewed, separately.'

Hank opened his mouth to disagree, but Shawn just looked at him.

'You have nothing to fear from us, Ranger!' he said. 'We merely wish to understand more about you, and your weapons, and your adventures. Different Wizards will wish to ask different questions.'

'I'm going with my brother,' said Sheila, glaring at the Wizard with the Big-Sister look that she rarely used on other people, and Hank knew she wasn't going to back down.

'Aw, c'mon sis,' said Bobby. 'I don't need looking after!'

Sheila ignored him, still looking at Shawn. The Wizard stared back, his face almost blank. But Hank thought he's seen a fleeting glimmer of anger at Sheila and her brother.

'As a show of good faith, so it shall be, Thief,' said Shawn. He held out his hand to the side.

'Bob!' The young, round-face servant behind Shawn which the Ranger had forgotten about, hefted the staff back into Shawn's grip. 'Bob, bring Melor and Rimush, maybe Wrene as well, if you can find her.'

The boy scurried off, out of one of the doors.

'And you, Ranger. You will come with me.'

Shawn took a step back, and gestured towards another door.

'What? Now?'

'Yes, Ranger.'

'But…'

'Your friends will wait here.'

It wasn't a request, and Shawn turned. Hank looked back at the others.

'We should be ok, Hank,' said Diana, trying her best not to look worried. 'You'd better go!'

So, giving his friends a shrug and a smile, Hank followed Shawn out of the hall.

Diana watched as Hank and the Wizard walked off and as the door clicked behind the Ranger, silence once again ruled. She shifted uneasily. There was something unnerving about being left without Hank and going off on their own with strange Wizards.

As they waited, the Acrobat found herself wondering what was going to happen next. She didn't usually dwell on her anxieties, but this was an extraordinary place and she could sense something… well, strange was the best way of putting it. It was magical, yes, but that wasn't what was bothering her; after all, she had felt magic before. There was something unusual about the magic in this place, as if it was in constant flux. She knew the others sensed something odd too, in their own way.

She had seen Hank's reaction when Bobby had blurted out their reason for needing Krin; and Sheila, though usually protective of her brother, hadn't even wanted him out of her sight. For his part, the Barbarian had given in MUCH more easily than normal. Even Presto, the one with the most experience of magic, had been constantly fidgeting with his Hat, something he only did if he was nervous. Finally, Eric stood hunched up behind his Shield. In silence! Now that could never be normal behaviour for the Cavalier!

They didn't have to wait for long before a Wizard, who introduced himself as Melor appeared. He was a good head taller than Shawn, and dressed in green robes that were similar to the Magician's, but less grubby and threadbare. This Wizard looked very excited at meeting Presto, and greeting him with a big smile and a hearty handshake.

'So, you are Dungeonmaster's Magician!' he said. 'How exciting!'

Presto smiled, and turned red. It had been a very long while since anyone had been that pleased to meet him, or that interested in his "magic".

They were already in quiet conversation as they walked off.

'I wonder who's next,' said Diana softly.

No one replied, but they were all thinking the same thing and Sheila took a small step closer to her brother.

A female wizard dressed in red robes arrived next, less than half a minute after Presto had left. She smiled sweetly at Sheila and Bobby and ushered them out, with Uni tucked safely under her master's arm.

That left Diana alone with the Cavalier.

He still didn't say anything, and that was really starting to worry the Acrobat. Under any other circumstances, you wouldn't have been able to shut Eric up.

'Hey,' she said after a couple of minutes. He looked round at her, and Diana was pleased. At least he stopped staring blankly at the walls to look at her, but now she had to try and continue the conversation. She had to stifle a smile. She knew of one sure-fire way of getting the Cavalier to respond. 'Do you think Dungeonmaster knew we'd come here?'

Now, usually the mention of the old man would have been enough to get Eric into full rant-mode but, this time, the Cavalier just shrugged.

'I don't know,' he said. But the way he said it told her exactly what he meant: I don't care. And he looked so uncomfortable, and so unhappy that Diana couldn't help asking:

'Look, Eric. Are you gonna be ok?'

'I-I don't know that either,' he said after a long pause. Diana just waited. She knew him well enough to realise that he needed someone to listen. 'I… don't really know what…'

'Hello there!' said a bright voice behind them. They both turned, Diana cursing this Wizard's timing! 'I am Rimush.'

He looked at Diana, his eyes seeming to shine from within, and he motioned her to follow.

'Shall we go?'

Diana glanced back at the Cavalier.

'What about Eric?'

'Well… I don't know. But I'm sure Shawn hasn't forgotten about him,' said Rimush. 'And we must go.'

Diana tried to give the Cavalier a grin as he left, but Eric just looked away, the blank expression back on his face.

'The Cavalier seems most uncooperative,' observed the Wizard by her side as the door shut behind them.

'It's a kind of trademark.'

'I'm surprised you tolerate such behaviour.'

Diana frowned at him, and the Wizard seemed to realise he'd said something wrong.

'"Tolerate"? He's our friend!'

'I didn't mean to offend you, Acrobat.'

They walked together in silence along some more corridors, then out a huge double door into the gardens, Diana slowly letting her anger subside. Yes, Eric was a jerk, and annoying, and inconsiderate, (and the rest!) but he was her friend, and after everything that had happened recently, she wasn't gonna let some stranger think otherwise!

'These are the Guild gardens,' said Rimush, leading her round a wide shallow pool. Diana glanced round politely, thinking that the gardens of Zinn were much nicer. They walked round and sat on a bench by the pool's edge.

'Please, forgive my rudeness, Acrobat.' Rimush held up his hand as a sign of apology. 'I am the Wizard of Demonlore and it is an honour to meet you, Child of Light.'

She barely had time to hear the words before the painful memories came flooding back. Being called that name, out of the blue, caught her completely off guard. It had been such a long time since anyone had called her that, and she had tried very hard to forget.

'My name is Diana,' she managed. 'Not… the child, of anything.'

'But it is who you are,' said Rimush reasonably.

Diana turned to glare, with the intention of telling him exactly where he go, but she didn't.

Firstly, he was right, in a way. She was the Child of Light, the one who had saved then thousand souls who waited in terror, and nothing would ever change that fact. But also, she suddenly realised this man knew exactly who she was. And it was likely that the Wizards all knew much more about the group than they had let on before.

Once Shawn had discovered they were Dungeonmaster's "Star" pupils, his whole attitude had changed. Over that past few months, everywhere they had gone, they had been recognised at some point, why had she though Kilan would be different?

She realised Rimush was watching her.

'Once again, I am sorry,' he said. 'I did not mean to cause you sorrow.'

Forcing herself to smile, she said:

'I'm fine. I'm just not used to being called that.'

'Do you mind if I ask you about Turad?' he said gently, and Diana felt compelled to nod, even though it was the last thing she wanted to think about at the moment. In the back of her mind, she heard Dungeonmaster's words: in this City everything has its price. Was this the price of going home this time? To be reminded and questioned about the best and worse day of her whole life?

They talked for the main part of the afternoon about Turad but fortunately, while Rimush was interested in all her experiences, he was much more interested in the Demon Queen herself.

And after he had asked her about Turad, the conversation moved on to other creatures, like the Nightwalker and the Darkling. It was almost easy to forget who she was talking too as Rimush was a good listener, and seemed very interested in all their adventures.

But he kept asking questions, asking her opinion of places and people in a way she found difficult not to answer. They talked for a long while, Diana wasn't able to keep track of the time, but she had never felt so drained by a conversation before.

Being a Demonologist, Rimush was mostly interested in the creatures and the Demons they had met on their travels, but he also kept asking about Presto's Hat. He did it so subtly that Diana didn't notice at first, and it was only when Rimush asked the same question about two different spells, did Diana realise. After that, she was much more guarded about what she said.

The Wizard never showed any signs of running out of questions, but the afternoon was drawing to a close, and the Acrobat sensed he was trying to rush through to get everything asked in time. So, tired of being given the third degree, she waited for her chance to turn the tables on him.

He had just asked her about the Tower of the Celestial Knights, and she'd told him about the feeling of power that seemed to radiate from the stones.

'Ah,' said Rimush wistfully, 'magic like that gets everywhere within the building.'

'Like the Guild?' said Diana, sensing her opportunity.

He nodded, looking pleased to be asked.

'Yes, the Guild is like that. Surely you, of all people, could feel the power within?'

Diana nodded. 'Its power is such that no mere structure can contain it!'

'Is that why it looked so… strange, outside?'

'Yes,' replied the Wizard. 'the stress on the building itself is immense, as the magic here is both good and evil. It cannot be otherwise.'

Diana frowned.

'I don't understand.'

Rimush smiled at her, mistaking her confusion for alarm.

'There is no need for you to understand. We Wizards, together, are in complete control.'

Diana might not have had to deal with magic herself very often, but she'd seen enough from her friends to know that no one was ever "in control" when it came to using magic. She just had to find out more!

'Together?'

It took a short while for Rimush to answer, as if he'd realised he'd said too much, and couldn't get out of answering without sounding rude.

'It takes our combined power to hold the magic here,' he said. The Wizard now looked uncomfortable with the way the conversation was heading and, in spite of the friendly nature of the interview, Diana couldn't help feeling a little pleased not to be on the receiving end of the awkward questions.

'But isn't one of you in charge? Isn't Shawn?'

Rimush gave a sly smile.

'Yes, Shawn does like to think he runs this place. But in reality, no one Wizard is powerful enough.'

'Oh,' said Diana quietly. Her instincts about people were rarely wrong, and even though Rimush sounded like he was being truthful you could never really tell with Wizards. And there was definitely something else about the magic here that he wasn't gonna tell her about.

The Acrobat didn't get a chance to ask anything else, as the clear chime of a bell echoed round the gardens, making the Wizard jump.

'Oh, well, that's that then. It's time to go!'

He stood looking slightly unsettled. Diana was too, but she still had one question left, that she needed an answer to.

'So, do you know where Krin is?' she asked as she rose.

Rimush shook his head.

'I know little about that man,' he said. 'But I do know that he is dangerous. Very, very dangerous!' He pursed his lips before adding: 'To willingly seek his help, one must be close to desperation!'

With that, he walked off, towards the Guild.

Is that what we are? she thought. Desperate?

She watched him for a couple of seconds, then followed him back into the Guild.