Chapter 1
Reprise
It had all gone wrong.
There were too many of them.
The Ratmen were about to break through.
The last statue was just behind him.
He had known it was dangerous.
He had been warned.
Why had he led them to Ur?
Why...?
Though winded, it took Hank a second to realise what had happened, and he only just managed to put his hands out to help break his fall. He hit the ground with a grunt as stinging pain shot up his arms.
An instant later, there was a loud whooshing noise just above his head as the sword of the last statue whistled past, missing his head by mere inches and splintering into the ground in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Acrobat lying on the ground next to him her headband slightly askew.
Wha ? he mumbled.
Heads up, Hank! hissed Diana. She was already pushing herself off the ground. MOVE!
He managed a fleeting smile at her, as he realised shed gotten him out of the way just in time, then he rolled to the right, hoping to get closer to his weapon.
The last statue was right beside him, regaining its balance and tugging its sword out of the ruptured ground. And from his low vantage point Hank could see the Ratmen gnawing at the last energy arrow. They were gonna be through any second.
His Bow had skittered across the floor and was a metre or so away, and there was nothing he could do. Diana grabbed his arm, pulling him off the ground. Dust from the stone made him cough, and there was an awful, excited yapping noise from the frenzied Ratmen. There was no doubt, if the statue didnt kill them, those things would. And he still couldnt see the Thief.
Powerful despair and anger flashed through him. Was this really the end? After all that theyd been through, everything theyd done. Was this all there was?
The feeling only lasted for a fraction of a second, for all its intensity. He was not going to give up; even if this was The End Of It All. He reached out for the Bow.
Behind him, pressed closed against the far wall, Bobby and Presto were standing together, and the Magician was hurriedly saying something to his Hat. Hank wasnt quite close enough to make out specific words, but as soon as he stopped speaking the Hat started to glow.
The howls of the Ratmen grew louder, as the final arrow snapped under the constant pressure.
There was a sudden shift in the room, as if the air had become denser, and it was much harder to breathe. Hank could feel magic, powerful and unrelenting; the kind of magic he'd rarely felt.
Then, much to everyones surprise (including the Magicians, it seemed) the rocks and stones that were lying around the room started glowing a faint greenish-blue, and lifted off the ground; all the stones, every single one of them, from the smallest pebbles to the last remaining huge, stone statue. Its sword clattered to the ground just beside him, embedding itself point down in the floor.
Hank flashed a shocked glance at the Magician. Presto was holding his hand out, as if controlling what was going on, but even from a few feet away, Hank could see the other boy shaking. But the expression on his face was not what Hank had expected; it was one of exhilaration, rather than fear.
Slowly at first, the rocks drifted towards the gateway where the Ratmen stood, as if wafted there by a light breeze. But with every second they picked up speed, and soon began jamming themselves together as a wall. Hank saw some of the Ratmen retreat, a few of the braver ones tried to advance but just got stones thrown in their faces for their bravado.
More rocks flew forward. The sound was overwhelming as the pieces of shattered statue as well as stray bits of wall smashed into on another. Hank ducked down to protect himself, hiding his eyes, and didnt look up at what was happening; he could hear perfectly well, and there were still missiles flying overhead.
After only a minute of the steady thudding, crunching and splintering sounds, the noise died down and Hank took a tentative glance at where the gate had been.
Prestos magic had worked. Not only had the magic stopped the Ratmen, but it had stopped the statue as well. The entrance was completely blocked with a bumpy, stone wall with the last statue pinned into it like an ornament, its arm outstretched as if to try and reach out to them. It couldnt move, and there was no way for the Ratmen to get through; but they were safe.
Before relief could really take hold, Hank realised they had to go on now, regardless. He shuddered, and hoped no one had noticed his expression.
They had to go on. There was no way back.
Beside him, the others started to move, and he saw a flash of lilac from the far side of the room. The Thief was huddled up against the wall, looking shaken but relieved. Not caring what the others thought, he ran over as fast as he could, pulled her up and held her close, shaking with relief. He was almost oblivious to what was going on around him, but Sheila suddenly gave a cry of worry, and Hank turned so see what she was looking at.
The Cavalier was lying on the floor, and a cold feeling of déjà vu filled the Ranger. Eric why was it always him?
Presto and Diana were kneeling on the ground, but he still didnt move. Hank sensed their worry and panic; what if Eric was critically injured this time? What if he couldnt walk? What if he were
Is he gonna be ok? asked the Barbarian, whod move beside his sister, the unicorn beside him.
Probably just faking, replied Diana, but the bright, sarcastic tone didnt carry any conviction.
There was an annoyed grunt from the floor.
E-Eric?
Go away, he said indistinctly.
Thank goodness! said Sheila. Youre ok!
From where Hank stood, that seemed the Thief was being overly optimistic, but the Cavalier pushed himself up slightly, and both Diana and Presto helped him to stand. The others stared at the boy and, perhaps in an effort to draw attention away from the fact hed been injured yet again, Eric looked at the Magician and said:
Say Presto, do you do Asprin too?
The Magician frowned slightly, his cheeks still flushed from the use of such powerful magic, but he then said:
'Abracaday, help Eric feel O-Kay!'
The weapon glowed once more. After a moments hesitation, Presto reached in to the Hat and pulled out a glass of fizzing water. Eric blinked at it, as if he hadnt expected to get what he asked for, and took it from the Magician. He gave a tentative sniff before gulping it down in one go.
And I like your wall, Eric added.
The Magician smiled, a look of confidence and pleasure on his face that Hank had rarely seen. Presto seemed pretty proud of the magic this time.
Hank looked back at it too, then turned to give Presto was warm grin. Without it, they would probably be dead by now. But as useful (maybe even vital) as the magic wall had been, there was no other option now. It didnt matter what the decision before had been, they had to go on.
Everyone was obviously thinking the same, they all had a quiet, sober manner as they stood together. They were waiting for Hank to say something.
Well, I wouldnt just stand around here. Would you? said a familiar voice from nearby. The Ranger jerked round to stare at Thom, their erstwhile guide, as he squatted on the ground nearby. The little creature was covered in dust, and busily brushing himself off in a fastidious manner. He looked up at the Ranger with shinning eyes, waiting for an answer.
Yeah, we should get moving, Hank said slowly. He could barely remember where they had been heading, the fight (and worrying about the Thief) had taken up all his concentration. Glancing at the others he noticed that, somehow, Diana had managed to keep a hold of the crystal box with the first Key section in it, which was a relief. They had to find the second half of the Key, and get the heck out of there!
He took a look round the room, there was still two exits to choose from; one was to follow the main tunnel upwards, that was the way they had been intending to go when they were attacked. But since the room had been mostly destroyed in the fight, and all the crates were broken, Hank could see another exit that had been hidden before. It was just a small archway, but beyond it seemed to be more stairs.
Finally, he looked at Thom. He was supposed to be their guide! Why didnt he guide them!
Which is the fastest way forward? Hank asked the creature. Thom shrugged and pointed to the main exit.
Well have to hurry, Thom said. Theres a long way to go before youll find the Key.
Hank heard a groan from behind, he suspected it was from Eric, but they had no choice now. He was certain that if they could have gone back, they would have, and all of them were the worse for wear after the fight. But that luxury was gone.
This was a really, really bad idea, said the Cavalier in a bitter tone. Hank was about to answer back, but Eric just walked off, straight past him.
One by one, the others followed, and Hank watched with resignation, knowing that the Cavalier had a made a very good point.
Ahead there were more quiet, empty tunnels that very gently curved to the left. They were very similar to the ones before, the same height and width, and the kids walked on for a long time. Judging from the distance, it seemed that they should have walked all they way back out of the Palace, but in the dim light, Hank had no real sense of which direction they were going in.
Though they passed a number of doors, but they didnt open them. It wasnt that they didnt try, but the doors were actually just alcoves in the tunnel with an image of a door painstakingly painted on, and a stone handle. It looked so real that every one was taken in. But after a while, the amazement wore off, and they didnt bother with them any more.
Thom had overtaken Eric in the lead, and set a fast pace. No one seemed to have much energy for talking, the rest of the kids walked quietly in front of him. Sheila was by his side, and she slipped her hand into his as they walked.
In the dull monotony of yet more tunnels, Hank couldnt help thinking back to all the times they had come so close to a portal, only to have it snatched away. He had grown tired of reliving them, night after night when he was on watch, or when he couldnt sleep. But this time they had to succeed. If they didnt they would be stuck here they would never get home.
Feeling the warm hand of the Thief in his made him feel better. They had come so far, and overcome so much. It was a far cry from the group of acquaintances that had gone on the ride that fine summers day. All of them had changed. All of them had grown up in ways that they could never have imagined before. And they had grown together as a group, even Eric.
Ahead, the Cavalier seemed to be feeling a lot better, as he was walking briskly behind Thom, looking straight forward with his head held high. It was difficult to believe hed had yet another close call. The Ranger gave a slight frown. And now he thought about it, Hank was beginning to suspect that whatever the Magician had produced from the Hat, it wasnt Asprin! He took a quick look at Presto, who was walking with the Acrobat just behind Bobby and Uni; but if he was worried about Eric and the sudden change for the better, he didnt show it.
They walked on and on, the tunnels seemed the same as ever; it was almost like they had been going round in circles. But Thom led them forward, without ever pausing, or even breaking step. Hank would have loved to stop for a short rest, even for a few moments, and he knew Sheila wanted to as well, but he didnt say anything; the thought of getting home forced him onwards.
At last, just before they all dropped from over-exertion, the tunnel started to sharply slope downwards. Within a few minutes they had reached another chamber and both Thom and Eric paused at the archway, waiting for the others.
Again, as with all the buildings in Ur, it had a style and beauty that was incomparable to anything else in the Realm. They were in a huge, circular room that was unnaturally tall; the vaulted ceiling seemed to be impossibly high up in the air. The walls were covered in frescos of what seemed to be different scenes from the history of the Realm, all seamlessly blended into one another. The colours had faded, but the power and beauty were not lessened. Also, randomly placed around the walls, were more of those fake doors, except this time each had an ornate surround more suited to the room.
But in direct contrast to the artistry of the décor, the floor was covered in treasure chests and boxes, left strewn everywhere as if the room had been turned over by a burglar. Some boxes were open, but empty, some were partly broken. Further back near the opposite wall, there seemed to be piles and piles of scrolls, or papers of some kind, Hank couldn't see them properly from so far away.
For a few moments, the kids stood quietly in surprise. But the reverential mood didnt last.
Doesnt look like a Treasury to me! said Eric flatly.
Dont tell us, retorted Diana, youve a nicer one back home.
She was favoured with a scowl.
You expected gold and jewels? asked Thom, as if tired of having to repeat himself. All the precious metal and pretty stones are gone. Most of it left when the city was abandoned. But people have been looting the Palace and its rooms for centuries.
Hank glanced about.
I dont see any other exits, he said. He had expected Thom to reply, but the little creature had bounded off towards the scrolls and if he heard the comment, he ignored it. The Ranger frowned. They seemed to be at another dead end.
This fact was not lost on the others too, as they looked around warily and finally looked back to him.
Well, at least therere no statues, said Sheila brightly.
Doesnt look like theres any Key, either, put in Eric.
Well just have to search, she replied. Remember the Crypt. We found a way out from there.
The Cavalier gave a grudging nod, and Sheila looked to Hank for approval of her suggestion. Though it was a large room, there would be no harm in letting them all search, and the faster they found the Key, the better, in the present circumstances.
Well, lets get going, he said, giving her a special smile. The sooner we get the Key, the sooner we can get home.
For a moment, he was sure that hed overdone the enthusiasm; after all they all knew they were in highly precarious and very dangerous situation. But they all grinned back at him, even Eric, and moved off to look around.
He watched them for a moment or two, taking special note of which way Sheila was going, then started to look around too.
There was a surprising amount of rubbish left lying around as well as the more obvious chests and boxes; rotting pieces of wood, old, twisted pieces of metal, broken barrels, broken chests with smashed locks. He opened a few of the shut boxes to begin with, but they were all empty, and some disintegrated in his hand. It seemed that Thom had been right, that anything and everything of any value had been removed already.
As Hank stood up from opening another chest, he took a quick look at the others. Bobby and Uni were together, opening boxes on the nearside of the archway. And judging from their expressions, they hadnt found anything either. But they were both still looking around, and hadnt given up yet. Hank was pleased. Of all the kids (bar Eric) Bobby was the one with the shortest attention span.
Diana was closer to Hank than Bobby, also diligently looking around. She didnt have any chests or boxes to open, but she was searching through a pile of brightly painted ornaments, that could have been small statuettes. She seemed to be enjoying herself.
On the other side of the room, Presto was searching through some more boxes, and close by Eric was, predictably enough, opening up some of the more ornate treasure chests. In front of them, Sheila was rummaging around in the boxes too. He moved closer to her, discretely.
Lastly, Thom was still ignoring them all, as he was completely absorbed in reading the scrolls. He seemed to have found a few interesting enough to keep, but most were discarded with a disparaging snort; Hank thought he heard the words Pah, poetry again, but he couldnt be sure.
After a number of minutes, there didnt seem to be any change, no one had found anything to help them find the Key. Hank made his way over to Sheila. She pushed herself up, turning towards him with a tired smile.
Still think this was a good idea? she asked with a sigh. Because I think this is hopeless.
Hank was compelled to smile back at her, even in her despair.
Its not hopeless. Not yet, anyway.
They paused, looking at each other. His heart gave a cold lurch when he thought back to their recent fight with the Ratmen and the statues. Hed thought hed lost her forever. He overcame the urge to hold her again, but only just.
Hank? she asked in a low voice. What are we gonna do if we cant find the Key? How are we gonna get out?
Though she needed his reassurance, he found it impossible to say the words. He couldnt lie to her.
I dont know, he said, dreading the look of fear and worry that would inevitably cross her face. But instead, she nodded, a look of resolve on her face.
Were still got our weapons, she said. And Thom has survived ok here. Hes been here for years.
Hank glanced round at the little creature, as he sat surrounded but the scrolls. He didnt notice them watching.
Do you think he knows what hes doing? asked Sheila suddenly as they stared. He doesnt really seem to be helping us very much.
Hank frowned. No, Thom hadnt been much help at all. It fact, if anything, they had helped him more than he had helped them. He remembered what the Dungeonmaster had told them; to be careful who they helped. Was this what the old man had meant? But why? And even so, Thom hadnt helped much, but there was still no way they would have found the first section of Key without him!
From behind, Hank became aware of the sound of voices, and it distracted him from his thoughts. That Eric was arguing was not much of a surprise, but the fact that he was arguing with Presto was.
The two boys were standing in the very centre of the room, talking about something, and very intensely as well. They both looked annoyed, a feeling that Hank suddenly shared. Why did Eric always have to do this!
With an irritated sigh, Hank marched over to see what was going on, with Sheila following, ready to give Eric a piece of his mind. But as he approached, Eric looked up, and seemed to be relieved.
Hes here now, the Cavalier said. So say something, Presto!
The Magician scowled at the other boy, but remained silent.
Well, if you wont I will! said Eric. He faced Hank directly. Somethings wrong.
I didnt exactly say that started Presto.
Eric scowled at him, planting his hands on his hips.
What else would you call the opposite of right, then?
But
What are you talking about? demanded Hank.
Presto coloured slightly as the group all stared at him.
Well, it just seems, kinda, odd and muttered the Magician.
Oh, for goodness sake! said Eric shortly. Just tell them!
I think weve missed something, said Presto after a long pause. Something really obvious. Weve done something wrong.
You mean were in the wrong place? said Sheila, a horrible, worried tone in her voice.
No, said Presto hurriedly. Were just, not doing something right.
Hank frowned in confusion, wishing that the Magician made more sense. Sheila thought the same. Eric was still scowling at Presto.
What do you mean? the Thief asked gently, flicking a cross look at the impatient Cavalier.
Prestos cheeks flushed red, and he looked at the ground.
I think the answer is right in front of us.
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The Point fo No Return Part II
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