Forbidden Quest (5 page)

             
"Jack?" Hoppers deep voice bellowed as he swung around to face him.

             
Nicole sat up in the grass a short distance behind Jack. The pair both wore dark
green leather body armor, consisting of short, thick, leather-like vests covered in dark sparkling metal links. Jack wore a long pair of tight dark brown trousers and Nicole, a nearly nonexistent dark green skirt. Physically, Jack appeared much the same as before except his hair was much longer and his muscles more pronounced.

             
Jack stared up
as
Hopper approached, shaking his head in disbelief. "Don't tell
me, you've had a fetish about monsters all your life and it's chosen now to surface? You
must be at least 8 feet tall."

             
"Where's Sarah?
”
Hopper growled.

             
"And you've got Satan's voice.
"
Jack grinned wickedly, then added gazing past
h
im,
"
Turn
around
.
Dr. Strong goofed again. She doesn't look like a fairy to me
.
"

             
Turning back to the still form in the grass, Hopper gawked in amazement as Sarah
rose from the grass. Her short golden hair had been replaced by long, curling, crimson
locks
.
The startled blue eyes that met his were indeed Sarah's, but the tall athletic form
cloaked in a dark sparkling sapphire robe
wasn't
.

             
"Sarah?"
H
is deep voice asked.

             
“Todd?  What happened to you?" She rushed toward him.

             
"The same thing that happened to you!
"
He stepped back from her, feeling clumsy and awkward for the first time in his life.

             
"Me?" Sarah stammered, not able pry her eyes away from the hulking monster

before
her that was supposed to be her handsome elfin warrior.

             
"Something must have gone wrong." Nicole's soft sultry voice floated across the

glen toward them
.
"Sarah, you've got my robes on."

             
Turning to look at her, the others froze in amazement as they stared into a pair of
glowing emerald eyes. Nicole practically floated across the grass toward them. Her short brown hair was replaced by long shining locks of such a deep black, the sun reflected a satiny blue hue
.
Her tall slender form had transformed into a petite hourglass figure nearly completely hidden by the thick layers of hair that reached past her knees.

             
"Hopper, you look terrible." Nicole's grin was so sincere and carefree it caused

Jack to step backward a pace.

             
“I think he’s an ogre.” Sarah managed, turning her attention back to Todd.

             
“He’s a troll.”  Nicole countered softly.  “Ogre’s don’t have claws that can slice a man in half.”

             
“How do you know that?”  Sarah asked frowning at her.

             
“I have no idea.”  Nicole shrugged her shoulders with and smiled in delight.  “I guess it comes with the territory.  Hopper’s a troll, you’re a wizard and Jack’s definitely a barbarian.”

             
“And you’re an elf,
”  Jack
said “ A scantily dressed one at that.”  He added as he stepped forward and tugged gently on a lock of Nicole’s hair.  “I’m the only one that turned out right.”

             
The group stood and stared at each other for several seconds before Nicole started to giggle and said, “I always suspected becoming a Hockey star war going to give you a big head Hopper.”

             
“And what did you have to do to get that shirt stuffed so full?”  Hopper countered, motioning to Jack who leaned forward and deftly undid the top button of her skimpy vest.

             
Nicole’s hand flew to her chest as the lessened support nearly exploded the tiny vest.  Yet instead of redoing the button, she simply smiled and shifted the vest into a more comfortable, and revealing position, one that nearly cause Jack to lose his footing.

             
“Caution, Barbarian.”  Nicole stared at him.  “You don’t want to give in to those urges . . . just yet.  Unless
you’re
interested in discovering just how much stamina you truly possess.  Or is that what you sacrificed in order to become so robust?”

             
"My 'stamina' has never been in question." Jack met her challenge with surprising
gusto.  "I'd be happy to demonstrate if you'd care to . . ." Jack's answer
was cut
short by a quick slap on the back from Sarah.

             
"Let's not start anything we can't finish.
"
She shook her head at them
like
they were a quarreling pair of siblings.

             
"Who said sex wasn't allowed?" Jack bellowed, lunging for Nicole.  Nicole let out a squeal of laughter as the pair hit the ground. Hopper and Sarah quickly joined them as the giant troll tackled his girlfriend
, wrapping his huge body around her and rolling in the grass
. Soon the adventurers were laughing and pointing out each other's most ridiculous feature. Then each in turn stretched out on the tall grass, gasping for air.

Each, except Nicole; Nicole couldn't stop laughing
.
Slowly her laughter increased, escalating into hysterical howls, then screams of laughter. Nicole gasped for air as tears streamed down her face. Jack stared as her laughter turned into sobs of anguish then screams of
horror.

             
"What's going on?" Hopper's booming voice called out as they backed away from
Nicole's wild thrashing. Nicole's still glowing green eyes grew wild with fear.

             
"I think she's having some kind of seizure." Jack said reaching out for her.
 
"Nicole, it's all right. As soon as Strong realizes he put us into the wrong characters he'll
set it straight."

             
Shoving him away, Nicole ran down the grassy slope to the center of the glen
screaming with rage. She couldn't stop; it was as if Nicole was watching herself from afar, unable to react, unable to control what was happening
.
Nicole fell down on the grass, kicking and screeching in horror feeling as if every fiber of her intellect was fighting desperately to survive.

             
"How do we stop this?" Hopper asked running after Jack and Sarah as they rushed to Nicole's side.

             
"I don't know! I've never seen her like this." Jack shouted over Nicole's screams,

looking
to Sarah for advice.

             
"Dr. Strong!" Sarah screamed toward the sky. "Stop the session!"

             
There was no reply, no change in their surroundings, only the sound of Nicole's
terror. Jack knelt in the grass beside Nicole and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Nicole,
stop it!  You’re going to hurt yourself!" Jack pleaded.

             
Nicole shoved him from her, rose and screamed in horror as the emerald glow
from her eyes spread outward and enveloped her completely. All at
once
she stopped suddenly, turned to stare at Jack for one brief moment before collapsing, unconscious on to the grass.

             
"I think she had a nervous breakdown." Hopper's deep voice said quietly as the

three
of them stood staring down at Nicole.

             
"Why didn't Dr. Strong bring her out of it?" Sarah asked kneeling down to check

Nicole's vitals
.
"He said he would bring us back if anything went wrong. She's still
breathing, but her heart is racing."

             
"Maybe this is an expected reaction." Jack offered. "Some people react badly to
drugs.  Maybe that sedative didn't sit right and gave her some kind of a bad trip."

             
"Or maybe she just reacts badly to hypnotism and Dr. Strong had to let her ride
out the storm." Hopper added.

             
"That's absurd." Sarah
answered, annoyed at their ri
diculous explanations. "Dr. Strong's a professional. He said it was mild."

             
"We're only trying to help.”  Hopper said reaching out to touch Sarah's hand then pulling it back quickly remembering his sharp claws.

             
"
l'm
sorry, I guess we're all a little upset.
"
Sarah smiled up at them
as she
grasped
Hopper's clawed hand and squeezed it gently.

             
"Okay then, let's get her out of the sun," Jack said
as he
scoop
ed up
Nicole with
surprising ease and carried her into the shadows at the edge of the clearing.
He lowered
her gently onto the flower speckled grass then turned to Hopper, "See if you can find a
village or cottage nearby
.
She could use some water . . . or whiskey, I'm not sure which."

             
Nodding Hopper trotted off into the woods. Nicole stirred and opened her eyes
just
as
he disappeared into the trees. The dark glow had vanished leaving her with eyes
the same deep emerald color of the grass and brush around them.

             
"Nicole?" Jack whispered leaning forward.

             
"What happened?" Nicole sat up and rubbed at the ache in her temples.

-
          
"You . . . were hysterical." Jack searched for the right term, "Then you passed out.  Are

you
all right?"

             
"A little tired, but otherwise I'm fine.
"
Nicole sighed feeling as if the weight of
the world had somehow lifted itself from her shoulders
.
Her carefree smile returned
as
she found great amusement in the two concerned faces that stared at her. "Where's Hoppy monster?"

             
"Todd
went to find you something to drink." Sarah frowned at Nicole. "Are you sure you're all right? You're acting strange
.
Do you feel lightheaded, dizzy or confused?''

             
"I'm fine, Sarah." Nicole turned to smile at her. "Wow! Look at you! You're
gorgeous
.
Dr. Strong must really have taken a shine to you. He turned you into a
scarlet haired temptress." Nicole winked at the bewildered Sarah then rose onto her knees
and reached out to squeeze Jack's muscular upper arm. "The barbarian motif suits you,
but the name Jack doesn't fit anymore."

             
"I'm keeping it.
"
He smiled, relieved she was all right
.
"Aren't you the least bit
angry about being turned into a pointy eared elf instead of a powerful sorceress?" Jack
asked. He gently brushed her blue-black hair behind an ear.

             
"Are they really pointed?" Nicole asked. Touching her ears, she squealed with
delight. "This is incredible! They feel so real and I think I can even hear better.
"
A glance
down at her vest induced another peal of laughter. She took hold of
a
breast in each
hand and added, "I never dreamed that I'd have such a large set of. . . "  She paused,
listening.
"
Hopper's coming back."

             
Turing the trio looked up the small rise to find Hopper's hulking form trotting toward them. "Nicole, you're awake and smiling." His deep voice caused Nicole to giggle. Taking his offered hand, she jumped up and hugged him.

             
"Hey, where's your club?" she asked, suddenly turning serious.

             
"My what?"

             
"Trolls carry clubs, their choice of weapons." Nicole explained glancing around for a suitable piece of wood.