They didn’t have to wait long before they were once again enveloped in smoke and transported back to the gatekeeper’s room. The gatekeeper was still seated behind his desk, like he had never moved. Belatedly, Chuck hoped R2 was ok. They had left him to guard the pickup, but Chuck could somehow tell that he had wanted to accompany them into the tower.
“So Champions, I know you must have questions for me. I will answer what I can.” The gatekeeper gestured for them to sit as two chairs appeared out of nowhere. They tentatively sat and Chuck got down to business. “Where are we? Are we still on Tess’s world?” he asked, squeezing Tess’s hand. “No, this domain lies between worlds. Although once you complete the tasks given then you may return to wherever you wish.”
“You mean I could go back to Earth?” Chuck asked excitedly. Tess just frowned and looked at him nervously. “That is correct.” The gatekeeper continued. “So, who summoned us in the first place if it wasn’t you?” Chuck continued. “Unfortunately, I do not know why you were chosen or who chose you. Champions appear in the graveyard and must make their way here. If they do not survive the journey, then they are deemed unworthy and join the ranks of the undead.”
That seemed kind of harsh to Chuck but it made him glad they had managed to make it through. “Ok, you mentioned we had to complete tasks. What are these tasks?” Chuck asked, starting to get worried. “The first task is to continue following the path through the wastes until you reach the second tower. The guardian of that tower will give you your next task.”
“Ok, but what are we supposed to eat while on this journey to the second tower. We nearly ran out of food getting to this tower. With a name like the wastes, I doubt there will be much to eat along the way.” Chuck replied sarcastically. “You may take this with you. It will tell you what plants and animals are edible in the wastes and where to find water.” The gatekeeper said, waving his arm and giving a book that suddenly appeared to Tess who started flipping through it.
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“Great, thanks.” Chuck said unenthusiastically. “Good luck champions, it was a pleasure to meet you but it is time for you to begin your journey.” The gatekeeper said as they were again enveloped in smoke and found themselves next to the pickup. R2 was still in the back end and whirled around in greeting. Chuck looked back at the tower and noted the door was no longer there. At least R2 and the pickup seemed to have been untouched.
Tess greeted R2 while he got to work filling the pickup with gas and checking the fluids before they set off. Chuck wasn’t sure his old pickup was up to the challenge of the wastes but they didn’t seem to have any other options if they wanted to get home. He looked at the path as it continued into the distance and sighed. He wasn’t looking forward to the trip and had a feeling the wastes would be just as dangerous as the graveyard had been.
When they both got in the pickup, Chuck asked to see the book. It was written in the language of Tess’s world but he could understand it well enough at this point. There were pictures and descriptions of various plants and animals with information on which portions were edible. It was a good book but he wasn’t looking forward to scavenging. A lot of the animals in the book looked dangerous, which reminded him. From looking at the book it didn’t seem likely that they would run into undead creatures outside of the graveyard. In that case, it was time to switch the ammunition in the guns to something that would do a little more damage. With that taken care of, he smiled at Tess and they started down the road.