D.B. Cooper:
yeah, I could go on for hours to write them arguing, it's so much fun. These are my favorite parts as well.
Thanks again for your nice review. Glad you like it.
You were? That's cool. I've always admired those who know all those nature's stuff. It's exciting to do these things, isn't it? Being outside in nature without the noises of the city. Wonderful. Oh well, now I'm rambling gg
Maybe you should have gone with Bobby instead to warn him from those berries. It would have been better, since he didn't know that.
If he'll survive this?
Well, let's see...
3.
"Bobby!" Sheila exclaimed happily and ran to the youngest of their group.
The others followed.
But when Sheila approached her little brother she already noticed that something wasn't right.
That's why she asked worried right away, "Are you ok? Is everything all right?"
Bobby just shrugged.
"Bobby, what's the matter? Has anything happened?" Hank enquired now.
But he didn't get an answer from the boy as well.
Bobby just hung his head, glanced to the ground and showed no reaction at all.
Sheila knelt down in front of her brother and shook him gently.
"Hey, Bobby, what's up with you? Oh, Hank, what's the matter with him?" Sheila asked desperately and looked at Hank, closed to tears.
"I'm afraid, I do know. But I really hope that this is not the case ..." a familiar voice sounded behind them.
"Dungeon Master..." Diana noticed.
"You know what happened with my brother?" Sheila asked hopefully.
Dungeon Master nodded and walked straight to Sheila and Bobby.
Sheila rose and watched their Guide, who was reaching for Bobby with his hand.
He touched the chin of the Barbarian and lifted it up gently.
Everybody was terrified about what he revealed with that: Bobby's eyes, which used to sparkle with zest for life and action, were now faint and lethargic. They have gotten an incredibly sad expression.
All the mischievous and cheeky characteristic traits were gone. Bobby's whole body reflected this striking change.
Dungeon Master kept Bobby's chin in this position another moment and ran his thumb over the corner of Bobby's mouth.
Then he let his chin go and surveyed the purple substance he had dabbed off.
As soon as his chin was released, Bobby lowered his head again and kept on staring silently at the ground.
"Hmm..." Dungeon Master made and tilted his head thoughtfully.
"What is it?" Hank asked impatiently.
Dungeon Master didn't react but turned towards Bobby, "Say, young Barbarian, have you perhaps eaten fruits from a tree?"
"Um... yeah..." was the boy's quiet answer.
"What? You did find something to eat and you didn't even bother to tell us about it but eat everything all alone?" Eric couldn't hold back his anger.
But none of the others paid attention to him.
Instead, they watched Bobby and Dungeon Master, who seemed to know what had happened.
"Have those fruits been purple, which tasted very sweet?" Dungeon Master kept on asking.
He got a nod to this question.
Dungeon Master exhaled deeply before he asked his last question, "Do you know how many fruits you have eaten yet?"
"Nah, dunno."
Dungeon Master shook his head, turned away from Bobby and his sister and walked a few steps, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"What do you know, Dungeon Master?" Presto asked.
"Well, I'm afraid the young Barbarian has eaten the fruits from a so-called 'Tree of Sadness'.
These fruits are extremely toxic.
The one who eats from them will suffer inconceivable sadness, which affects the entire being of the poisoned one. Hence the name. This malicious disease darkens the heart..." Dungeon Master explained earnestly.
"Can you do something against the poisoning or is there any other antidote?" Diana enquired immediately.
Dungeon Master shook his head once more and said regretful, "As I've said back then when the Barbarian was bitten by the sea-dragon: that is the law of nature, I can do absolutely nothing. My magic cannot help him."
"What?" Sheila asked furiously and approached Dungeon Master. "You know what's wrong with my brother and you don't wanna help him, though? How dare you... I thought you're our friend..."
"I am really sorry, little Thief, but I cannot help your brother. I'm completely powerless in this matter.
He is going to die...
Believe me; it is also hard for me to lose someone who is 'Pure of Heart'."
"Die?" Eric repeated aghast.
Even if he hasn't such a great relationship with the boy and they were arguing about nearly everything all the time, he never ever wanted him to be dead!
After all, the little squirt was a member of their small group.
Dungeon Master nodded.
"Unfortunately, yes! The course of the disease is never predictable, but the symptoms are always the same.
Under fortunate circumstances, it can be very fast without painful sufferings for the person concerned and his or her loved ones but if it comes to the worst it slowly can drag on for a very long time.
But no matter how it's going to happen, one thing is certain: the person concerned will change alarmingly and in the end, death is always considered as release!
I will explain to you how the illness is going to change the young Barbarian, so that you are not entirely unprepared for it:
The poisoning attacks his heart and darkens it; destroys hope, happiness, light-heartedness and joy completely.
Sadness, desperation and resignation will spread and soon no cheerfulness will be within him any more.
He is going to die from his own deep sadness, even if that's beyond your belief."
"No, I don't accept that! There must be a possibility!" Hank said in a choked voice and clung to his Bow so that his knuckles went white.
"I don't let my brother die. Neither now, nor here or sometime or elsewhere! Please, Dungeon Master, help us, help him." Sheila begged and glanced at her brother, who was standing there motionless and staring at the ground, as if he wasn't even involved in the whole thing.
"Hm, there's indeed a remedy. It is said that the water of the 'Sea of Madness' in the 'Valley of Silent Sighs' is the only known cure. But it is quite difficult and often very dangerous if not even deadly to get there..."
"It doesn't matter as long as we're gonna find a remedy for Bobby there." Sheila replied with such a determination, which was rarely seen on her so far.
But in this case her family was involved. And she would do everything for her family as well as for her friends.
Meanwhile, the others had gathered around Dungeon Master.
"How much time is left and how do we find this valley and the sea?" Diana asked.
"You will never reach this sea, because your time is up now once and for all!" a voice called from high above them.
They all turned around terrified and looked into the sky.
"Oh, no, Venger..." Presto gulped.
"Great, that's just the one we needed!" Eric muttered.
"Get lost, Venger!" Hank shouted to their arch-nemesis already raising his Bow ready to attack.
Flying in midair on his Nightmare, Venger scoffed, "Do you really think you can beat me every time? My power is stronger and you and your weapons are no match for me at any time. You're still a bunch of teenagers after all. "
"I solicit you once only on amicable terms to leave." Dungeon Master said to Venger.
"Don't overstrain yourself, old man." Venger reminded his old opponent coldly.
Then Venger surveyed the group.
Meanwhile, they all have taken their fighting positions, apparently waiting for his first step.
His gaze rested on Bobby, who was standing a few steps behind the others impassively, slowly lifting his head now as if he sensed that he was under Venger's observation, but didn't make any attempts to swing his magic Club as he normally did.
Venger only wondered shortly what was the matter with the usually enthusiastic Barbarian, but he wasn't particularly interested in it. And if there was something important about it, he sure was going to find that out soon enough.
With these thoughts, a plan was forming in his mind.
Thinking about his further proceedings, he smiled devilishly.
The others noticed this smile as well.
Hank frowned and asked himself what this was supposed to mean, before he suddenly realized.
"Bobby!" Hank called and turned around abruptly so that he almost had knocked Presto down, standing next to him.
But he was too late, though: Venger already raised his hand and even before someone could do anything, a bright ray of light flashed up falling directly on Bobby.
"Bobby! Nooo!!" Sheila screamed and wanted to rush to him, but she was kept back by Diana.
Bobby neither cried out nor did he move when the light surrounded him like a soap bubble.
He was lifted up into the air and the bubble headed back to Venger.
"Let him go, Venger!" Hank shouted angry and shot a few of his magic arrows.
"You better watch out where you are shooting your arrows, Ranger! You sure don't want them to hit the wrong one...
So, it would be wise not to aim at the light bubble. This could cause the death of your little one..." Venger replied and disappeared laughing into the sky.
The glowing bubble, which held Bobby captive, followed him.
"You freaking bastard! Bobby's sick and badly needs help!" Eric shouted behind him but Venger was quite unimpressed.
For several moments, the friends stared bewildered into the sky, where Venger has just disappeared with Bobby, until everyone was startled by a loud sob from Sheila.
"Oh no, Bobby!" Sheila covered her face. Diana stepped beside her and hugged her.
Hank slowly turned around towards Dungeon Master.
"Why haven't you done anything?" he asked reproachful. "You could have prevented Venger from capturing and kidnapping Bobby that easy."
Dungeon Master shook his head and answered, "No. I'm very sorry about that, but I couldn't do anything as well; just like you, Ranger. My hands were tied.
Venger was right; he had placed the bubble so well that it was impossible to aim past the bubble to hit only him without endangering the Barbarian."
"Aw, c'mon! You don't believe that, do you?" Eric mocked. "If my Shield was equipped with better magic and was able to shoot any lightning bolts or whatever, I would have tried at least."
"Would you even have risked to hit and to hurt Bobby with that?" Presto asked slightly stunned.
"I wouldn't have hit him!" Eric retorted.
"Well, this also doesn't help us along, unfortunately. Now it's important to rescue Bobby from Venger's grip as fast as possible and to get the remedy for him." Hank explained.
"Sure thing! But the question is: where are we gonna find Venger? Where could he have taken Bobby..." Presto wondered and added quietly, "...and what will he do to him?"
Author's Note:
a short explanation in case you have wondered about the title of the story: it popped into me head while listening to the song 'Seas of Madness' by Pink Cream 69. Then I searched for something to rhyme with that and I came to the story about the forbidden fruits in the Bible history 'The fall of mankind'. Well and so I called them 'Trees of Sadness'
Thanks to all readers and reviewers!