The door continues to swing open, and light floods in. Silhouetted in the doorway is a robed figure. Luke swings his saber around into guard position, but the man speaks.
"I can see I made a wise choice in warriors, that they are always ready for battle. I however, am not the one you were brought here to kill, Luke Skywalker, nor are they near. You may put away your mighty weapon."
Luke complies, and the rest gawk at this man who knows how they got here.
"Yes, I brought you here, and for a reason. I need your abilities to win a war for me."
Hermione looks alarmed at the prospect of combat.
"But sir, we're not, uh, warriors, we're just students," she says to the stranger.
"Ah, but you have defeated the Dark One of your world, Mr. Potter, as have you, Master Skywalker. I have also brought your closest partner, meaning you two, Hermione and Han."
"I take it you've been watching us," Han puts in, almost angrily.
"You must understand, I am in desperate need, and having watched this crisis approach the breaking point, I was somewhat ready, and knew who I would be wisest to bring. That you ended up in an abandoned wine cellar was only a result of an unconsidered problem, which struck sooner than I anticipated. At least you all appeared together, and on the castle grounds, rather than alone in the land of our enemy."
"I have a feeling that we're not going home until we do what you want, right? I mean, you do hold the keys to our way back," Han replies.
"Yes, but I would never be able to hold the greatest warriors of your respective lands captive... wait, do you mean to tell me that you have not the power to get back by yourselves? I had no idea! In that case, if you do not want to help me, I will send you back. A reluctant warrior only gets killed."
The so-called warriors look at each other, deciding in their heads whether or not they would stay.
"If you need me as badly as you say, then I should not refuse you," Luke says.
Han nods in Luke's direction, "If he's in, I'm in."
"Thank you," the man says.
Hermione looks at Harry, and says to him: "I think we should help him, Harry. We could do some good for someone else."
"Hermione, look, we shouldn't even be here, wherever here is. We belong back at Hogwarts, finishing that potion. All our friends will wonder what happened to us."
"And what will they say when we come back in twenty minutes, and they ask us where we were, and all we can say is: 'We were offered an adventure to help a distrought wizard, and turned it down because we didn't feel like it.' I didn't know you were a coward, Harry." Harry goes a bit redder, and she continues. "Besides, think of it as a vacation, and a chance to put what we learned to practice. It'll be fun!"
The stranger looks at her. "Oh, I'm afraid it will not be fun, but you will be rewarded, if only by virtue."
"Harry, I'm staying, and if you don't, I'll tell Cho that you were afraid to."
Harry turns a startling shade of scarlett, and says quickly, "I'm in."
"Good, thank you all. My name is Farimaeus, and I am the wizard of this keep, that of Lord Bieron. Dinner has already been served," Here everyone's stomach except Han's growls. "But I can arrange a private audience with him, and food will be there. Follow me."
He turns and starts down the corridor at a brisk pace. Everyone follows quickly, Luke and the two kids for the food, Han to be away from the cellar and its rats. After a few moments they emerge into a grand hall, empty but for a solitary maid, and cross it to a short hall, then up a stairway and down another hall, and finally to a large room, where a man, obviously Lord Bieron, sits at a small table. He has a short salt-and-pepper beard and his blonde hair down to his collar.
"Welcome, heroes, to the land of Ytraslovia. I am Lord Bieron, and I understand that you are all famished. Please, eat," he says, and indicates the table, which has mostly recognizable food on it. For some reason, the journey through whatever it is that separates their worlds from this one also emptied their stomachs, and they all dig in like there is no tomorrow. While they eat, both men fill them in on the situation.
"Every few years a man arises whom God renders undefeatable, as long as he fights for the good. The dark lords have their fighters as well, but none have stood up in direct combat to a Hero. My son, Vladdic, was a Hero, and fought for less than a year. Then he vanished, and we have not had a Hero since. Many towns and outposts have been overtaken, and our territory has shrunk considerably," Lord Bieron states sadly.
Farimaeus continues, "To our shame, I believe that we have grown farther from God, and that is why our Hero is gone. It seemed that the selection of the Hero became less a choice made by God, and more by man, and so Vla-, er, the Hero," he rerained from saying a name. "Has not possessed the qualities that those of the past had. They were more easily killed by deception, and misguidance. We have tried praying to God, and I have only recieved a cryptic response, one that stated that 'The past has held true, concerning the salvation of men who do good,' and so far I cannot make sense of it."
The silence hangs heavy until Luke and the others finish their meal. Han is the first to speak.
"I guess the best thing to do now is go out and find little Vladdy."
Luke nods, saying, "Yes, that would be best, and if we do not find him, then we return here to learn what else can be done."
The rest agree, and are given supplies to reach the ruins of the last town that was sacked, plus enough to stay three nights, and to make it back to the Keep. They are led to the front door, and shown the direction, and begin their walk.