Chapter Twelve

Dantenar's POV(still):

My jaw dropped.

Zarathel's jaw dropped.

Kile's jaw dropped.

Jaron and Aileen just looked surprised, while Dreya looked at all of us smugly. Gimbo looked confused. "What?"

I recovered first. "It's just that..." Then I had a better idea. "Let me introduce myself. My name is...I mean, his name is...her name is...Ugh, this is complicated. Okay, here goes. I'm Dantenar, this is Zarathel, my twin sister and Kile, our older brother."

Now Gimbo looked shocked as well. "Kile?" He peered at his son, then at me and Zara. "Dantenar? Zara?" Then, to my surprise, I noticed tears in his eyes. "My kids..." He whispered, and laughed. "They're my kids!" He said to Dreya, who smiled and nodded knowingly. I wondered just how much she did know.

Kile broke out of his shock, shaking his head, but before he could do anything, Zara had rushed into Gimbo's arms and was hugging him tightly. I joined her, and Kile hesitantly finished off the group hug. Our father hugged us back, and I noticed Aileen and Jaron looking at each other with sappy "aww, isn't that sweet?" looks on their faces.

Then I had a thought. "Hey, umm, Dad..." I said slowly, not sure about what to call him. My Dad smiled and nodded. "Dad, why are you still in your computer animated form? Ours sort of fell off when the game became real."

Dad shrugged. "I dunno. Rikko the Enchanter still looks like a penguin and those broccoli things still look like broccoli. Maybe because our forms weren't human."

Suddenly, a smooth female voice spoke. "Well, this reunion is a nice sight after years and years of standing in one spot by that fountain." Jin the Seer stepped into the circle of campfire light, as the sun was gone. Or whatever it was that lighted the 'game.' "Ten years of standing in one place. It gets boring after a while."

Zara's jaw dropped again. "This game has been around for ten years? So that's where Dad went! We never found out what happened to you. Remember our conversation, Dantenar?" She turned to me. "Well, we just found out."

I nodded. Dad smiled. "I'm glad you were taken care of. After your mother died..." Here he almost lost control but kept going. "After your mother died, I arranged for the orphanage to take care of you should anything happen to me."

Zarathel looked horrified at the thought. "We just got you back, we're not going to lose you again," she said firmly.

Gimbo, I mean Dad, patted her shoulder. "I don't want to lose you, either." Zarathel, with a look of bliss, hugged our father again. I grinned at the expression on her face.

Jin was smiling, and now I turned to her. "Do you know why Dad's still in his computer generated form? Cause you aren't, obviously, and Dreya isn't anymore. And neither is Dell Arnes. Kindly explain, if you can."

Jin looked surprised. "I can try. Your father and the broccolis are not human. Well, I mean, they are, but not in the game. Plus, Yahz'rod is still in control of the game. He's probably holding them in their forms."

I folded my arms. "Why them and not us too?"

Jin shrugged. "I'm sorry, Dantenar, I don't know. I really don't know." I sighed, feeling my shoulders sag. "For what it's worth, I think you five are doing an excellent job. Most of the characters didn't last this long, they were killed before defeating Yahz'rod." I smiled slightly.

"Thanks. Oh, and if you aren't a Maker, why are you in the game?" I had recalled the list of Makers Dreya had given us, and Jin wasn't on it.

"I was a test subject. They needed someone to test it, and since I was Madalyn, I mean Dreya's, older sister, I was the best choice." Jin said vaguely. Dreya nodded sadly. "Don't worry, Dreya, it's not your fault that Yahz'rod became to powerful."

I sat down again, sitting close to the fire Zara had brought. Her and Dad were already sitting close together, and Zara had her head on his shoulder, like I usually did with Kile. I smiled at the picture they made, father and daughter snuggling. It was nice to have a father again. If we ever got out of this confounded game, I hoped that Dad came to and that we could go back to living with him.

My concentration was broken by Jaron sitting down next to me. I glanced at him, then went back to staring at the flames of the fire. "I'm glad you found your father," Jaron remarked.

I smiled. "Thanks." Aileen was talking with Dreya again, probably about Seth. Was I sick of hearing about her perfect boyfriend! I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and looked up as Zara laughed. Then I heard Jin, who was talking to Kile, mention something about going back to the Dungeon. Zara looked up and glanced at me with apprehensive eyes. It was obvious she wasn't for going back into that dark place, especially not after she almost died.

"We should probably start getting ready," Kile was saying. "The Dungeon is dangerous."

"We have already talked about this," Zara said darkly. "I'm not going back down until Dreya says I can. I don't even want to go back down, to be perfectly honest, but I guess I must if I want to leave." Jaron looked up at these words, then glanced at me and smiled, going back to paying attention to Juute. Fiddlestix crawled into my lap and curled up in a tiny ball. I smiled at her and stroked her back absently.

Kile's POV:

Zara looked at me with challenge in her dark eyes. I bowed my head, submitting before things could get out of hand. I knew when I was out-willed. "I know you don't. I was mostly talking about the ones who aren't injured, Zara. I'm sorry I wasn't more specific."

Dad's eyes shone with approval at my move, and I felt vaguely satisfied with myself. A father's approval is a nice thing to have.

Suddenly, Zara put her hand over her mouth. I followed her gaze to where Dantenar and Jaron were sitting by the fire. Dantenar was cuddling with Fiddlestix, who was asleep, and didn't notice Jaron glancing at her from time to time. Zara sat down next to me, tugging on my pants leg to make me sit down as well. "They'd be so cute together, don't you think?" She asked me in a whisper.

I grinned and nodded. "Too bad neither realizes that they like each other." Dantenar stood abruptly after gently depositing Fiddlestix on the ground near the fire and walked off in the direction of the Dungeon gate. I got up and followed. "Dantenar?" I called, trying to see her in the now-dark town.

"Yeah, Kile?" I saw her vague outline crouching over something near a tree. She lifted something and pulled out a long, stick-like thing. Her poleaxe.

"How did you know which chest was yours?"

Dantenar, who was now walking back towards me, shrugged. "I just guessed. Plus, I couldn't open the other four." I looked at my little sister. She looked ready for battle, holding the poleaxe like a walking staff in both hands. Relaxed and warlike at the same time.

We walked back to the fire together. Dantenar returned to her seat by the fire, laying her poleaxe on the ground next to her and picking Fiddlestix, who wagged her little tale sleepily, up and holding her on her lap. Jaron was staring at her again, but she didn't notice. Again. I smiled and shook my head.

Jin cleared her throat. "You should all go to bed now, you have a big day tomorrow." I looked up in shock. "I'm a Seer, remember? I have Seen that you are returning to the Dungeon. Zara is healed enough to go back down."

Zara looked up at this and choked. "What?" She squeaked. "Says who?"

"Dreya, of course. She's the healer."

Zarathel looked like she was going to start sobbing at any minute, but pulled herself together. "Whatever you say, Jin." I admired her self control. Going back down to the Dungeon wasn't going to be easy for her, since she'd nearly gotten killed last time.

We all curled up around the fire and went to sleep.

I was walking along in the Dungeon, when suddenly I heard a noise. I looked around. "Kile," the voice taunted. I held my sword at the ready. "Kile." A shadow moved in the corner, and I started walking slowly towards it.

"Who are you?" I called out, trying to distract it from noticing my movement.

"Kile," the voice said again. The owner stepped forward. I still couldn't see it's face, but I saw glowing red orbs for eyes. "I'm your worst nightmare." The person raised it's face and stepped into a shaft of light. I gasped and stepped backwards involuntarily. The voice belonged to Dantenar.

I woke up covered in sweat and gasping. I looked around, propping myself up on one elbow, and made sure that everyone was still there. My gaze fell on Dantenar, who was sleeping near Fiddlestix. The dog had curled up against Dantenar's stomach, and the girl had curved around the dog protectively.

I started breathing deeply to calm myself down. "It was just a dream," I told myself. "Just a dream." Laying back down, I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

I was back in the Dungeon. I groaned and tried to wake myself up, but to no avail. "What's wrong, Kile?" The same voice said tauntingly. "Scared?"

"I'm not scared of you, Dantenar." I said firmly, but in reality I was scared about what was going to happen. I didn't want to have to kill my own sister.

"Who said I was Dantenar?" The voice said and the person stepped out. Zarathel looked at me, her eyes glowing red in the dim light. I screamed. Not her, too!

I woke to someone shaking me. "Kile, wake up. It was just a dream, man, get a hold of yourself!" I opened my eyes to see Jaron crouched down over me. "You're gonna wake the girls. What happened?" I took a deep breath and explained in a slightly shaky voice. "Aw, don't worry, Kile, the girls would never turn like that. They're both too strong."

Jaron's POV:

Kile was breathing hard, and a thin coating of sweat shone on his forehead. "I know, but it seemed so real!" I turned slightly to glance at the twins, who were now back to back, sleeping soundly. I smiled faintly.

"If you want, I'll keep an eye on them, just in case."

Kile shook his head. "No, that's not necessary and it'll only make them nervous. It was just a dream, I don't think that would actually happen." He dropped his head back down against the dirt. "I'm going back to sleep."

I moved away and stared at the fire, thinking. The girls wouldn't do something like that, would they? I glanced at Dantenar, I couldn't imagine her with red eyes. Only the dark chocolate brown ones that she had now. I couldn't believe that either her or Zarathel could be convinced to join Yahz'rod. For some reason it just didn't seem possible. Maybe if they were under mind control or something, but they wouldn't go against their brother and father, right? I sighed. I was to tired to think straight. I went back to sleep.

The next morning, Kile seemed to have forgotten about the dreams. Or maybe he was just good at hiding it. Either way, he wasn't going to let the twins know. He'd told me the night before.

Aileen was sitting by the fire, staring into the flames moodily. "I'm starving," she remarked. "Is there any food in Grove?"

I shrugged. "Beats me. You should ask Dreya, or Gimbo or Dell or something. They'd know." I turned to wake up the twins, but they were already sitting up and rubbing at their eyes sleepily. Dantenar smiled at me, still bleary-eyed, and Zarathel groaned.

"Is it morning already?"

I nodded. "'Fraid so." Zara made a face and flopped back down on the ground. "Come on, up and at 'em!" Dantenar shook her head at me, then bent down to help her twin up. Zara let herself be pulled to her feet, then went to the fountain to wash up for breakfast, if there was any.

"Hey!" Kile shouted. "We can cook fish for breakfast, the lake's full of them!"

Dantenar looked shocked. "But won't they turn us into some type of monster?"

Kile snorted. "Not if we cook them first, they won't. A properly cooked fish will lose its magic powers. Probably. Most likely. I think." Dantenar rolled her eyes, but grabbed her fishing pole and joined Kile on the dock.

Before long, we had fourteen fish and were in the process of frying them for breakfast. Well, more like putting them on spikes and holding them above a fire, trying to cook them. Kile held up a thoroughly cooked, though very burned, fish and looked at it skeptically.

"Did you take the guts out?" Aileen asked suspiciously as Kile handed it to her. "Because I'm not eating it if it still has the guts inside."

Kile slapped his forehead. "I knew I was forgetting something!"

Zarathel looked up from her position of cooking another fish. "It's a good thing I remembered to gut it then, isn't it, Kile?" She rolled her eyes and handed the fish to Dantenar, who was sitting next to her, trying not to laugh. I bit my lip to keep from smiling. Good old sibling banter.

After breakfast, Kile broke the news. "We're going back into the Dungeon. Grab your gear, guys, we're heading out."

Dantenar and Zarathel, glancing at each other, simultaneously reached for their weapons. Dantenar had strapped her spears to her back with one of the belts in her Storage Chest, and now she looked positively warlike. I half-expected her to put face paint on and start dancing around the fire singing a war song.

Zarathel had stuck a sword through her belt, had her Cludrip hanging from it and was holding her Fist Mace and Feathered Sceptor in her hands. "Let's go, I'm ready." Both the twins looked fierce and ready for anything.

Aileen had her crossbow slung cross her back on its strap, and we all linked arms to go through the portal. There was a rushing sensation, then we arrived on level thirty-five. Rushing through the levels at breakneck speed, we descended quickly, fighting when we had to but mostly just avoiding the monsters.

At level forty-nine, we stopped. We were in a room, safe from the various monsters, and were taking a break. I had a stitch in my side, and was trying to catch my breath. The door opened and Dantenar sank her poleaxe deep into the Naga's chest, killing it immediately. Strangely enough, it disappeared into a cloud of sparkles.

"A magic Naga," Kile remarked. "We're getting close. Four more levels, then we're at Yahz'rod. We can do this. I know we can."

Dantenar was cleaning her poleaxe, which shone dark with blood. "This is gross. I liked it much better when there was no blood to worry about. But thank goodness we're nearly there."

Again, Kile got a thoughtful look on his face, and I knew he was thinking about his dreams. I spoke up before he could get lost in his reflections. "Time to go, the quicker we do this the quicker we can get rid of Yahz'rod."

We took off again, down to fifty, then fifty-one. Again, we had to stop and catch our breath, and this time, we stayed a while. We had gotten on top of a table, and strangely enough none of the monsters could get onto it or hurt us. It was weird. The Yetis and Ogres were big enough to flatten us while on the table but for some reason they didn't.

On level fifty-two, Aileen was clipped by a sword and was having trouble with the wound. It was on her left rib, but none of us were healers and couldn't help her. Dantenar and Zara each donated the cuffs of their sleeves to make a bandage, which helped slow the bleeding but didn't dull the pain. Aileen gritted her teeth. "I can go on. Only one more level. All I have to do is shoot at the darn thing, I don't have to get in close and fight it."

Her logic was good, so we continued on, more slowly so that she could keep up. We paused on the down stairs. "Are you sure about this, guys?" Kile asked. "Are you ready for it?"

Dantenar bared her teeth in a savage grin. I felt myself smile at her enthusiasm as she said, "Let's get done with it and go home!" She was the first one down the stairs, with Zarathel and Aileen only slightly behind.

"It's a sad day indeed when the girls are more aggressive then the guys," Kile remarked, and followed. I was right on his heels as we stepped off the stairs, and I saw Dantenar looking around in shock.

"There's no monsters. Usually there are a lot, where are they?"

Aileen hurriedly shushed her. "Don't jinx us, it's good that they're gone! If you talk about them, they might come back..."

We walked around the level slowly. There were no monsters whatsoever. It was strange not to have to worry about being ambushed, or killed. I looked around warily, though, and kept my Addertongue at the ready.

(A/N: An Addertongue is a sword with two points at the end, so that it's forked, like a snake's tongue)

All was quiet until we got into a large room in the center of the level. There, making Dantenar gasp, was Gimbo Tel.

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Well, that's that! End of the story! Not really of course, but this is one of the last chapters. Another chapter and an epilogue should do it, I think. This is like my longest chapter ever, I've never had one more than five pages before, and this one's six and a half. So sorry for the long wait, but I've been busy with school and stuff. The quicker you review, the quicker the next chapter gets put up! Oh, and I'm going back and editing chapters, since I found out the monsters name is Yahz'rod, not Kuhz'rod. Sorry about that.