Chapter 6

"King of the Castle"

It was difficult for Diana to quite believe this was happening. She was walking to the very gates of Venger's Castle, accompanied by twisted versions of Hank and Eric; with her handsome, Aryan, Paladin boyfriend (and Sheila) accompanying her.

And she wasn't trying to escape. She must be insane! Completely, totally and utterly insane!

She didn't know how the other two were feeling, but she was pretty sure it was similar.

The Paladin walked beside Diana, flanking her protectively from the rest of the Orcs, but they mostly contented themselves with marching along, grumbling about the walk and the weather under their breathes when they thought no one could hear them.

On the Acrobat's other side, Sheila was walking in silence, occasionally casting charged looks towards Hank. He had noticed as he had looked back at her and smiled once. Eric was in the lead, and he hadn't looked round at all. He held his head up proudly and Diana found it difficult to take her eyes off him. He was so different, and so much the same, seeing him like this made her feel… strange. She couldn't explain it any better than that.

The huge, ugly Castle loomed close now, they were only a few minutes away. Diana couldn't help suppressing a shudder.

'Are you certain this is a good idea,' Joseph whispered to her. 'Once we're in there, I don't think we're ever going to get out!'

Diana nodded, she understood the tremendous risk they were taking, but it seemed like the only way. Now they had found Eric and Hank, they had to stay close. Getting them back through the Kronos Crystal was the only thing that mattered; she had to remember that.

They had walked quickly; far too quickly for Diana's liking and they had arrived at that monstrous Castle much faster than she was comfortable with!

Close up, the Castle looked even less welcoming than from far away. There was a great moat of black, syrupy water round the base, and a drawbridge and a portcullis, as well as a massive set of double-barred gates.

Diana shivered as the group approached, wondering why so much fortification was needed. Surely Venger was strong enough to protect his own Castle!

They crossed the drawbridge, the Acrobat noticed that the huge, heavy gates were guarded by armoured Orcs and Trolls; and that all of those creatures looked with awed respect at the two young men who led the party forward.

And that was the strangest thing of all; the Orcs obeyed Hank and Eric's commands without question and treated them as their superiors at all times.

Her skin began to crawl at the thought of what must have happened to her two friends, growing up in this terrible place. Questions forced themselves to the front of her mind, the wrong questions for the predicament she found herself in: what had happened to her two lost friends, how had they survived? How had they been changed? How was she ever going to help them get back home?

She reached out to Joseph, her hand finding his and tightening around it, and drawing strength from his touch. Then, as they walked forward, the fear in her chest suddenly increased. What were they going to find inside?

She walked forward in silence, aware of the thud of their footsteps across the bridge. They were only a few feet away from the gates, and Diana looked round at Hank and Eric, forcing herself to remember why she was here. She didn't hesitate as she stepped over the threshold.

As the portcullis came down behind them, and the drawbridge rose, Eric dismounted and then he and Hank talked very quietly to one another. Some of the Orcs were sent scuttling off into the Castle. Hank left as well, then Eric approached Diana and her friends.

'You will come with me,' he said.

'Where are we going?' she asked. 'The dungeons.'

Eric gave a little smile and shook his head.

'No, you will come with us to the Great Hall. Our Father will be anxious to meet you once he learns of your arrival.'

'Venger?'

At the name, Eric seemed to flinch.

'You will not address him by that name,' he said sternly. 'He is Lord Venger. Do not forget that, as he is less forgiving of mistakes than I!'

Diana nodded, by beside her Joseph seemed to be less agreeable, but he didn't voice any opinions on the matter in front of Eric. Sheila nodded as well, but didn't seem to have been listening, she kept glancing to the door through which Hank had left.

'Very well,' Eric said. 'You will come with me!'

He turned and led them forward, and Diana, Sheila and Joseph all followed him, possibly more out of curiosity than obedience.

They walked through dark, austere hallways, plainly decorated and lit only by torches, and then climbed two sets of wide stairs before arriving at a set of huge double doors.

Eric stopped. He seemed to be nervous.

Diana, Sheila and Joseph exchanged glances. This was it!

Eric paused for a moment more, then knocked twice, paused, and pushed the doors open, letting a rush of cold air out.

It was a long room, narrow and high; and brightly lit by two double rows of flaming torches. Down each side were rows of blue-white statues, carved in what looked like ice.

At the other end from the door there was a raised step, and an intricate, white throne that rose up out of the floor like an iceberg from the black floor.

And on the white throne was the unmistakable figure of Venger.

But Diana stared at him. Something wasn't quite right. She was too far away to be sure, but there was definitely something…

Eric walked proudly up to the far end, with the other three in tow. Diana shivered, partly from the cold, and partly from nervousness.

They drew closer and closer.

The man on the throne was looking down to the floor as they approached, and only when Eric stopped and went down on one knee did he raise his head.

Diana stared. Though she knew it was a bad idea and he would undoubtedly consider it rude, she just couldn't help herself.

The man was certainly Venger; the eyes, the face, the demeanour was exactly the same. He even wore long robes of the same colour and style. But there were no full wings on his back, only the broken remains that protruded up from his shoulders and spread only a foot before ending in ragged, truncated stumps.

But more shockingly than that there was no single horn, there was no horn at all; Venger's head was uncovered and completely hairless, but the pale skin was not smooth, it was wrinkled and disfigured like the scar of an old burn.

Lord Venger stared back at her for a long moment, regarding her impudence with a calmness that Diana didn't like. Eventually, she looked away before he did.

'Greetings, my young guests,' said Venger.

The voice! The voice came as the greatest surprise. The voice she had known so well was gone too. Left in its place was a rasping whisper that carried none of the fear and power that Venger had in the Other Realm. Instead, Diana felt a pang of unexpected sorrow.

Venger was waiting for a response, and since Diana couldn't speak and Sheila seemed to be stuck dumb for the moment as well, Joseph decided to reply. Diana saw him bow slightly, and before she could say anything, the Paladin spoke.

'Greetings, Lord Venger.'

Venger looked surprised.

'At least this time, Zandora has chosen Young Ones with manners,' he said calmly. 'You are the Paladin, are you not?'

'Yes. Lord Venger.' This time, the Lord Venger sounded slightly more like an afterthought, and Venger leaned forward on his throne to glare at Joseph. It seemed to pain him to move, and he sat at an awkward angle. Diana wondered for a moment what other injuries he had, and how they had happened.

Then his eyes turned to her, and she suppressed another shiver. Those deep, red eyes seemed to bore under her skin and straight into her heart; they seemed so much more human than she remembered.

'And you are the Acrobat?'

Diana nodded, but didn't quite trust herself to speak.

'The Acrobat,' repeated Venger quietly. 'I have often wondered if there would one day be an Acrobat. And a Thief as well.'

His eyes flicked to Sheila and Diana noticed her friend take a tiny step back. Then Venger looked back to Joseph.

'There are others from your world here.' It was not a question, and it was said with such finality and conviction that Diana wasn't surprised at Joseph's answer.

'Yes, Lord Venger.'

'Their titles?'

Joseph hesitated for just a moment before replying.

'Sage, Barbarian, Magician.'

Diana watched Venger's expression carefully, but he betrayed no emotion, only nodded slowly, as if that had been something he had expected. The answers seemed to satisfy the Arch-Mage, and he finally looked down to Eric.

Eric, still down on one knee did not rise or look up as his Master had spoken. He simply waited. Venger stared at him, and Diana grew more uncomfortable. She didn't like the way the silence stretched out, or the way Venger sat and stared at the back of Eric's head.

'Stand!' said Venger at last, and Eric pushed himself up off his knee to face the Arch-Mage. Then Venger gave a warm, indulgent smile that looked completely out of place on his face. 'You have done well, Cavalier!'

Diana gasped; she just couldn't help it. The shock of hearing his title, said like that, with such affection from the man that was their enemy, had taken her by surprise. If Venger noticed, he made no comment.

'While you have not brought me the Dragon, at least you have found some Zandora's newest pupils.' His voice grew more stern. 'But you have not fulfilled your errand, Cavalier. And you know the punishment for failure.'

Eric nodded, ever so slowly. Diana couldn't see the expression on his face, but she could imagine it!

Venger raised his hand, and it glowed with white light. As it grew brighter, Eric hunched forward, and gave a small cry of pain.

'See that it does not happen again, Cavalier!' the Arch-Mage said, as the light died away.

Eric bowed, but didn't speak. He took a step back, away from the throne, and Diana could see his face. There was no expression there at all, not anger or pain or fear. Nothing at all.

As they stood, there was the noise of quick footsteps from the behind the throne. Eric looked up hopefully, and after a moment, Hank appeared.

He had changed his clothes and had replaced the armour with a plain, blue tunic. He smiled at Eric as he entered, and gave a low, reverend bow to the Arch-Mage. Diana watched him carefully, and she was sure he gave the Thief a tiny wink as he looked round at them.

'Ranger!' said Venger, sounding pleased.

Diana had braced herself for this, ever since she had heard him use Eric's title, she had known that Hank would probably be called Ranger. But she was not prepared for the happy way Venger said it; the tone was even bordering on joyful!

She looked round at Sheila, seeing the shock and confusion she felt mirrored on her friend's face.

'Pupils of Zandora!' said Venger. 'You are to be my guests in this Castle.' That didn't sound very promising. Joseph shot her an angry glance that she tried to ignore. 'You may leave if it is your wish to do so, but first you should understand what dangers there are in this Realm.'

The Arch-Mage pushed himself up off his throne very, very slowly, and Diana could see that Eric was struggling to restrain himself from rushing forward to help. Once Venger stood tall, it was clear to see that part of his left side was twisted and deformed, and that he had great difficultly in standing.

'Eric! Hank!' he said. Venger said their names! He had used their real names, not their titles! She was so preoccupied with that fact that she almost missed what else Venger had to say. 'You will escort the Acrobat and the Thief to their rooms. You will afford them every courtesy. Their safety within these walls in entirely in your hands.'

The two boys both bowed low to the Arch-Mage, then Hank turned to Sheila and Eric turned to Diana. But the Acrobat was more worried about Joseph. The Arch-Mage was looking at the Paladin carefully.

'And what about me, Lord Venger?' Joseph asked, raising his head to look Venger in the eye.

Amazingly, Venger smiled.

'Approach!'

Diana suddenly felt a light pressure on her arm and she turned round with a jump. It was Eric, standing so very close to her. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at him, so very different, and so very much the same.

'This way, Acrobat,' he said.

Diana managed a very brief glance back, to see Joseph and Venger face each other on the step in silence.

She wanted to stay, she wanted to find out what was going to happen to Joseph, but she didn't dare disobey. This was, after all, the chance they had been waiting for. Sheila was already heading for the door, Hank hovering at her elbow.

With as much of a smile as she could manage, Diana nodded and followed Hank and Sheila out of the door, Eric by her side.