D.B. Cooper:
Thank you very much!
Nice. I'll add the Orcs to my 'on character-list' gg it seems I tend to write the bad guys in character (does this say something about my personality? does that make me evil? oh hell :P)
ohhh, I'm sorry to 'bump you off of top spot' gg but hey, this means you have to update your story more often, then you'll be on top again ;)
besides, we both have conspired against you evilgrin
ah, no, I intended to submit one chapter per week (or at least I try to)...
oh, well...

Yay, it's 'halftime', guys. That means there are only 7 chapters (with this one here) left to go...
Enjoy :)

8.

"Do something!" Eric begged his friends, while the Orc tried to lash out at the Cavalier but, luckily for him, always hit his Shield instead.

Sheila jumped at the Orc from behind spontaneously and punched him with her fists.

That provided a break for Eric to get out of reach of the Orc.

"Stop that, will you!" the Orc bristled with anger. He grabbed at his back and lifted Sheila down.

With a grunt the Orc threw her against the wall rudely.

"Sheila!" Presto called horrified.

"I'm fine." she groaned and sat up a bit dazed.

"That wasn't very kind! You just don't treat a girl like this, got that? You really have to learn a few manners." Presto reprimanded the Orc, but with that he drew the Orc's attention, including his rage, back to him again.

"Oh, and who are you to tell me that, you little wimp?!" the Orc turned to Presto and came up to him sneering.

"Yeah, well, I..." Presto started, quickly pulled his Hat off and frantically searched for a spell of getting rid of the Orc, while evading him.

When the Orc gave a jerk towards him, the Magician got entangled in his robe and fell backwards to the floor with a yelp.

"Well, are you still talking big now?" the Orc scoffed and stood above Presto threateningly.

"Leave him alone!" suddenly rang out behind them and before they could react, the Orc was hit by a yellow bolt which tied his arms to the body.

The Orc wavered and fell to the floor with a thud next to Presto and stayed there lying down.
Hank turned him onto the belly, tore off a scrap of the Orc's clothes and stuffed it into his mouth so that he wasn't able to call his buddies for help.

"Oh, hey guys. Nice to see you." Presto said relieved and allowed Hank to help him up, while Diana tried to get Eric to stand up again.

"Well, we're just in time, apparently. I wonder what would have happened if we haven't turned up by chance... and we already thought you will be bored to death here." Diana winked.

"Ah, what makes you think that we're bored without you? We just have saved that one over there as long as you were gone until you'll come back. As a pastime so to speak." Eric replied repulsing.

"I see." Diana grinned.

"Oh, good, you got the Club." Presto remarked and adjusted his glasses.

"Yeah, and it won't be long until Venger and the Orcs will notice that too." Diana stated.

"That's why we should hurry now. Release Bobby and then let's get outta here." Hank prompted.

The others nodded their agreements.

"Hey Bobby. Don't worry, we're gonna get you out of there." Sheila promised and rattled at the bars.
But those didn't give a way one millimeter.
"Oh, here's a lock. Fortunately, the cage isn't locked by magic then. Does one of the guards perhaps have a key?" Sheila applied to the others.

Presto turned one of the Orcs around and discovered a bunch of keys.
He took the key, walked over to the cage and opened it.
"So, there you are." he murmured and stepped aside to make way for Bobby.

But the Barbarian was still sitting motionless in his cage.
Apparently, he hadn't witnessed the whole turmoil about his rescue at all.

Sheila stepped up to the cage, knelt down and bent towards her brother.
"Bobby, you hear me? Come out, you're free!"

But he didn't make any attempts to climb out of the cage.

"Bobby?" she asked again and touched his arm.

At that, he lifted his head and looked at his sister with a blank face.
This sight broke Sheila's heart.
It seemed as if he didn't recognize her.

"Sheila, hurry up. The guards can show up here every moment." Hank admonished, standing at the door with drawn Bow, looking for guards.

"Did you hear that, Bobby? We quickly have to get away. Please, come out now."

Diana came to the aid since he still didn't react.
She slid to the floor next to Sheila and took hold of Bobby's other arm.
Then she signified her to pull him out of the cage.

When the two girls yanked Bobby out of the cage he suddenly started to scream like waking up from a nightmare, so that they let go of him shocked. He staggered a bit.

"MOM... DAD... MOOOOOOM!"

"For heaven's sake! Shut him up or do you want him to call attention to our escape to the whole castle?" Eric hissed towards them.

Sheila rushed to her brother immediately and tried to soothe him but he kept on screaming.

"MOM, DAD, WHERE ARE YOU??"

"Shhhh, Bobby. Everything's all right. Please, calm down." Sheila hugged her brother and rocked him back and forth.

Bobby breathed heavily and tossed his head from one side to the other. His eyes were darting restlessly around as though he would have an epileptic seizure, while tears were running down his cheeks without him knowing it.

Apparently, he seemed to calm down slowly since his screams were hoarse - or it simply was because his strengths were declining, which were devoured faster by the disease.

"Mom... Dad... SHEILAAAAAAAA!!" he screamed with all his remaining might once more and his eyes lingered a short instant over his sister before they fluttered again.

In the hope her brother has finally recognized her, Sheila talked to him, "Don't be afraid, Bobby. I'm here. Shhh, don't cry."

"We ought to get the cure as fast as possible now, 'cause I don't think that this outburst is such a good sign. I wonder how far advanced the disease might already be." Presto pointed out, glancing at Bobby, who was sobbing quietly meanwhile.

"Well, we gotta get out at first. The guards are coming!" Eric noticed in panic.

"C'mon, let's go!" Hank shouted.

So they ran towards the exit.

Sheila pulled Bobby along with her on his arm, so she was slower than the others.

"There! Don't let them escape. If we capture all of them, we're certainly going to be amply rewarded by the Master!" one of the Orcs hollered and his buddies rushed with battle cries behind the Young Ones.

"We'll get them now. Catch the boy." one of the Orcs running behind shouted to the Orcs running ahead.

At the same time, the foremost Orc reached out for Bobby, but didn't get a hold of him because Hank had flashed into action: he shot one of his arrows.
It hit one of the torches at the wall which was pushed out of its holder.

The Orc jumped backwards to dodge the burning torch.
The guards running directly behind him didn't anticipate this movement and collided with the first Orc.
The backmost Orcs were being held up with that as well, but this provided time for the Young Ones again.

When they turned a corner, a single Orc came towards them.

"Stop!" he shouted towards them and held a lance up.

"I'm gonna take care of him." Diana decided and she jumped off vibrantly, whirled through the air and did a backflip.
With that, she landed directly on the Orc's back, who was sent to the floor due to the impact.
"...and knocked out by now!" she grinned and got on her feet again with another graceful jump and then ran on behind Sheila and Bobby.

"There's the exit!" Presto called excited.

One moment later they passed the heavy oak door, which, strangely enough, was still standing open - as if nobody has noticed it yet.