Reprise (PG-13)
Characters – Dungeonmaster, Eric the Cavalier, Hank the Ranger
Prompt - Deathfic #29 Teacher
Word Count - 1021
Warning - Character Death!!
Summary – All it would take was a little nudge in the wrong direction.
A/N – This is an Alternate Ending to the episode “The Dragon’s Graveyard”.
= = =
Reprise
The Graveyard was as silent as when they’d arrived. There was no sound, no wind to disturb them. The roar of the arrow had died away, and all the other Young Ones stared at Hank.
The Ranger slowly lowered his Bow. His heart was thudding as if he’d just been running for his life. Venger was slumped down on his knees beside the rock, his head bowed in the shame of fear. Hank stared at him in shock. He’d been so close, just a heartbeat, just a whisper away from killing the Arch-Mage. He’d wanted to, Venger didn’t deserve mercy, not after everything he’d done to his friends, not after the way he’d hurt them.
But something held him back, he didn’t know what it was, but looking at their enemy, so lost and helpless had made him realise something. There was a memory of what Eric had said earlier ‘We aughta do something about that guy…’ but there was something wrong, something that Hank couldn’t quite put his finger one.
The others had moved away slightly, all looking towards the Arch-Mage, all except the Cavalier.
Eric didn’t seem particularly pleased with Venger’s release, his face was disfigured by a dark frown. He stood still, staring past the rock where the Arch-Mage was kneeling and out in to the blackness beyond. Hank saw he was shaking.
‘Eric? Eric, are you alright?’ he asked.
For a few moments, the Cavalier didn’t speak, or even acknowledge that Hank had spoken. Hank waited.
‘We always lose,’ Eric said suddenly, the emotion in his voice catching Hank by surprise. ‘We’re stuck here as his slaves, and we’re never going to get home.’
He looked up at Hank, his eyes suddenly blazing with anguish, and it was the expression of hopelessness that struck a chord with the Ranger. He knew how Eric was feeling. He felt exactly the same.
There was a pause, as Eric struggled with the next words.
‘Dungeonmaster’s gonna keep us here forever, you know,’ he said thickly, ‘until we’re dead or of no more use. Why should he get us home when we keep doing his dirty work for him?’
Hank had no answer. He kept staring at the Cavalier, hearing his words and questioning everything. Why would he send us home…?
The old man’s sudden appearance didn’t help. The words were empty of meaning, just said to keep them happy, and keep them going.
But Hank didn’t listen, this time.
Because Hank realised Eric was right. And he knew what they had to do.
= = =
The mist swirled around them, and they were back in the Realm, ready for another attempt to find home.
And ready to fail once more, thought Eric sourly. We’ve lost. We always lose.
They were back to the status quo. Like this, they were never going to get home. He’d never realised it before but seeing Venger at their mercy had made it suddenly very clear. Venger was never the problem, not the real problem, anyway. He was just a convenient scapegoat, and someone they could focus their resentments on.
Eric turned and looked round at the Ranger, who was standing just beside him with his head bowed. Earlier, before they’d left the Graveyard, Eric had finally told Hank what he thought, even though speaking his mind had been difficult. Hank had barely spoken since, but Eric sensed something had changed.
This time, when Dungeonmaster started to tell them about another Portal, somewhere else, no one reacted, not even Bobby. Their Guide looked round in surprise, not realising the danger, his outward appearance still that of a concerned friend.
The pretence made Eric sick.
He listened to the old man babble on for a few minutes, letting his fury build.
Finally, Dungeonmaster ground to a halt, looking round at the children and expecting them to do as they were told.
‘My pupils, will you not go?’ he asked gently.
There was a cold, painful silence as Eric’s anger grew to a crescendo.
‘No!’ growled Eric, pointing his finger in Dungeonmaster’s face. For a moment, the old man looked worried. But even that anxiety was fleeting, as the look of smug complacency was back in an instant. That expression just made Eric all the more determined.
‘We’re not going to do this any more.’ His tone held finality, and there was no way he was going to back down. Hank was standing just behind Dungeonmaster, looking down blankly at the old man. The Ranger knew what was going to happen, but he still didn’t contradict the Cavalier; something that Eric noted with grim pleasure.
The look of confused innocence on the old man’s face helped Eric master his emotions. This moment shouldn’t be done in anger; he had to be rational and he had to be sure. After this there would be no going back. He took a long, slow breath, pulling himself up to his full height so he towered above their Guide.
‘We were wrong to go after Venger,’ said Eric calmly. His composure surprised him, but finally taking control was a good feeling, they were finally going to be free. ‘It’s not Venger who’s holding us here. It’s you.’
Dungeonmaster just stared at Eric with his mouth open. It was fatal mistake. Eric only had a Shield. But Hank had a Bow, and behind Dungeonmaster’s back, he had already pulled an arrow.
‘C-Cavalier…?’ the old man started to say. But Eric cut him off.
‘It’s never been Venger keeping us here. It’s been you. It’s always you.’ Eric found he was smiling down at the frightened old man. ‘So we only have one way home.’
A second before Hank fired, Eric looked up to the Ranger, seeing if he really was going to carry this through, this time.
Hank’s face showed no emotion, no elation or fear, and the hand that held the arrow steady was relaxed. He was ready to do what he had to do to get them all home.
Eric knew there was no going back. Not this time.
And this time, they would destroy the correct one.