“That’s gotta take some getting used to.” Ryan laughed.
Casting a sidelong look at him, Eric asked, “So they might not have been doing a quest when they went missing?”
Lorian nodded. “We don’t know, but much investigation into their disappearance has been done and it was learned that each vanished at nearly the same time. The exact moment could not be determined for each, as they were apart when it happened and all but Eriana was alone at the time. She vanished in front of witnesses. The others did not.”
“In other words,” said Anna, “it was probably a quest they went on.”
“Yes,” the elf admitted.
Matt asked, “Okay, but the only quest is ours, right? Does this mean another quest was in effect all this time but recently completed, allowing us to be summoned?”
The elves and dwarf exchanged thoughtful looks.
“Possibly,” answered Morven, stroking his long, brown hair.
“The important thing is how recently?” Eric asked, watching the servant finish up. The guy was certainly taking his time. “How often do people try to summon them despite this idea that they aren’t answering anymore even though they can’t refuse to?”
Lorian shrugged. “There is no way to tell.”
“Guess,” offered Ryan, and seeing the elf frown, suggested, “Once a week?”
“Possibly.”
“Once a month?”
“Almost certainly.”
“So then sometime in the last month, they completed a quest,” Ryan offered.
“They completed a quest,” repeated Eric, leaning forward. “If they completed it, where are they? There is no word of them returning home?” The servant was done, and Eric watched him head for the door, step out, and quietly close it behind him.
Morven answered, “No, all word is of them appearing here.”
“Us,” noted Ryan.
“They could’ve completed the last quest a long time ago, though,” Anna disagreed, “and it was only now that we took their place.”
“True,” Eric agreed, “but then why did we take their place now, and why not someone else at another time?”
“Well,” started Matt, “we were at the Quest Ring when a summoning happened.”
“That should not have mattered,” noted Morven, “for the Ring only summons champions to it, not away from it, though if your being there was connected with the previous quest, such as having just finished one, it might appear that the ring was involved in your summoning when it was not.”
Lorian’s eyebrows rose, clarifying, “If you were the real champions, and had completed a quest and returned to the Quest Ring, and another summoning happened at that moment, you would have come from there. The return spell, the one you witnessed, might have been triggered by the new summoning spell. However, on your way home, so to speak, you would have been diverted to the next quest. There were known instances when two quests happened in quick succession and they did not return home until the second was completed.” Ryan began fidgeting with sudden energy as the elf concluded, “In your case, it would simply be coincidence to be standing at the Quest Ring, this Stonehenge, at that moment.”
Ryan spoke up excitedly, slurring a few words. “Wait a minute. You said the return spell on Earth might have been triggered, so we might have been headed to their home world but came here for a new quest instead. Does that mean that if we complete this quest, we won’t be sent to Earth on finishing it, but to their world?”
Anna gasped. “Oh my God! I never thought of that.”
Neither had Eric. They might never see their families or friends again, their former lives over for good. The lack of response from the elves and dwarf suggested Ryan might be right. A sudden image filled Eric’s head, of him returning to Andier’s home only to meet the rogue’s startled friends and family, likely demanding he explain what he’d done to Andier. He’d never get a moment’s rest, especially when yet another summons took him away. And what if he and his friends were separated, living on different worlds, or in different cities, always far apart until a new quest thrust them headlong into danger? It begged a question.
“Did they all live on the same world? The same city?”
Morven nodded. “Same world, yes, but different cities, some on different continents.”
“I suppose it could be worse. Did they have to be at a Quest Ring to be sent back?”
“No,” replied Morven. “However, it made it much easier and required less spell casting power. The Ring bears some of this burden.”
Probably smart, Eric realized. What if Soliander was exhausted and had to cast the spell without help, and with a bunch of monsters on their tail? He also realized there might be times when the quest was done but they couldn’t reach the Quest Ring and yet still wanted to go home. It made sense.
“I have a better question,” the knight started. “Can someone else satisfy the quest for them?”
Lorian nodded, studying Ryan’s face so that Eric wondered if the elf also thought Ryan meant something by it. “Yes, though I don’t think anyone ever did. Still, if the need goes away after they’re summoned, they are free to return. Otherwise you could have a case where, say, they must kill a dragon, but the dragon dies of natural causes before they do so. The spell recognizes the quest is no longer valid, and releases them. Otherwise, they would be trapped forever on the summoning world.”
Ryan frowned. “How could a spell possibly know something like that?”
“The Quest Ring acts a bit like an oracle,” the elf answered, “due to the spells on it. It is like a living thing, watching for the outcome.”
Matt looked impressed. “That’s cool. Is that also why it knows if quest requirements are valid or not?”
Morven nodded. “Yes. It’s also why a Quest Ring is needed for summoning. It performs necessary functions. What were you
