What would have happened if the Hero actually did end up in Katrina's spell circle at the beginning of Quest for Glory 4, rather than being dumped in the Dark One's cave? Hero: Paladin, with all abilities (since I've been playing the character since QFG1 and went through the trouble of getting him every ability, even the shadier ones). Note: This is a work of fan fiction and I do not own the rights to the characters or setting.

Chapter 1: Kidnapped!

Gareth smiled at Rakeesh and his other friends as they gathered around him to congratulate him on defeating the demon wizard. He felt relieved and happy. Facing the demon wizard and its minions had been a harrowing experience and Gareth was glad that he had been able to defeat Tarna's greatest foe and close the World Gate. He felt his soul, the very essence of his being; sing in harmony with the Universe. Rakeesh had told him about a Paladin becoming more in tune with the Universe around him through his deeds, and Gareth had begun to experience those feelings as he became more and more powerful through his actions, but all of those previous sensations paled in comparison to the joy and peace that he felt at this moment. It felt so right. Everything leading up to this moment seemed to be in perfect step with the flow of the Universe and Gareth could feel the power within him strengthen.

Then, as Rakeesh and the others were speaking, Gareth felt a tingle through his Paladin "danger sense". Something suddenly felt off. Something that was not in sync with the flow of the Universe. That prickling feeling felt sour and foreboding. There was an immediate and palpable sense of danger. Alert and wary he started to look about when he suddenly felt himself seized by some magical force. Had he failed to completely defeat the demon wizard? No! It wasn't possible. He had driven the fiend back through the Gate. It wasn't possible, he kept telling himself, as he struggled against the magic that clawed at him.

"This is dark magic!" roared Rakeesh, but Gareth could barely hear him as the rush of magic began to pull him into a dark, yawning void. The last thing Gareth heard was Rakeesh calling out his name before the dark magic swallowed him completely.

His senses reeled as the enveloping, dark magic pulled him from his natural plane of existence to a shadowy, limbo plane. He couldn't see anything but roiling darkness. He couldn't hear anything but the rush of magic and the frantic beating of his own heart. All that he could feel was the sensation of being violently yanked across time and space. And all around him, he felt the growing, gnawing sense of danger as he neared wherever it was that the magic was carrying him to. In the back of his mind, his inner voice speculated that he must have really pissed someone off for them to go to this amount of trouble to summon him.

As he seemed to near his destination, he felt another force pulling at him, struggling with the original summoning to steer him towards a new destination. Gareth allowed himself a brief flash of hope. Perhaps one of his friends was attempting to aid him? But how could they? No one he knew that could handle this amount of magic would know about him being taken, would they? His questions didn't matter, however, as he felt the original summoning spell reassert its dominance. It pulled more strongly than the other force and accelerated Gareth faster through the void.

With the sudden, renewed acceleration he heard the flap on his small backpack rip open. Oh crap, he thought as the contents of his pack began to spill out. With tremendous effort, he reached back to clutch at the bag and hold it closed so he wouldn't lose everything he had. His other hand gripped the hilt of his Paladin sword, Soulforge. He could feel his hand start to numb as he gripped the hilt tightly. He wasn't about to lose his best weapon to the roaring darkness around him.

Then, almost as suddenly as the magic had seized him, he flew out of the void and landed hard on a cold stone floor. The breath was knocked out of him and his body protested to his mind about the abuse it was taking. He thought he heard voices, but the ringing in his ears was too loud for him to comprehend what they were saying. Raising his head, he shook it in an effort to clear the ringing and confusion. Opening his eyes, he was assaulted by bright candlelight. After the swirling darkness, it felt like he was staring into the sun.

He thought that he heard a door open and someone slam it shut, but the disorientation was making it difficult for his senses to straighten themselves out. The sense of danger seemed to lessen slightly within the room. He slowly dragged himself up to his knees and looked around. He recognized some magical symbols around the room, but most of the intricate script he did not recognize. He was a novice at magic after all. Whoever had summoned him was clearly a master. He heard someone move behind him and his hand flew to his sword. He drew it with a flourish as he rose to his feet and spun to face whoever had brought him here.

"I don't think that will be necessary, do you?" asked a soft, musical voice. It was low, suggestive, and heavily accented. Slavic, perhaps? His eyes met the warm, dark brown ones of the speaker and Gareth felt his breath catch in his throat. The woman standing before him was beautiful. She seemed to exude charm with her half-smile and she seemed alight with magical power. He felt a sense of weariness from her and more than a little curiosity. His mind leapt to the conclusion that this woman was the one who had summoned him. So why that intense feeling of danger that had now turned to a muted undercurrent? He did not feel that this woman intended to harm him directly. At least, not yet.

Feeling somewhat sheepish pointing his sword at an unarmed woman, he sheathed it and tried to work his thick tongue into forming an intelligent sentence, "Oh, uh, sorry about that. Um, hello," he managed to say. Oh, that's just bloody brilliant. Nothing like sounding like a complete idiot in front of one of the most gorgeous women you've ever seen, he berated himself internally.

The woman seemed amused by his actions and she took a few steps towards him. The soft candlelight seemed to warm her skin, making her all the more lovely. Her long, reddish-brown hair cascaded down onto her bare shoulders and framed perfectly her lovely face. She was wearing a simple, elegant dress that flattered her figure and seemed to be showing off more cleavage than Gareth was used to seeing. Whoever she was, she certainly didn't look dressed for battle. Well, not the sort of battles he was used to at any rate.

"Oh, I must apologize for the manner in which you were brought here. I was so desperate for your help that I simply had to bring you here as quickly as possible," she said in a contrite tone. "Ah, but where are my manners? My name is Katrina. Katrina Borgov, master mage and the Boyar of Castle Borgov."

Gareth felt himself staring at her full lips as she spoke, feeling almost hypnotized, and it took some effort to raise his eyes back up to meet hers again. "My name is Gareth," he replied. "Gareth Grey, Paladin and Prince of Shapier," he added. He gave a courtier's bow to her since he vaguely remembered that Boyar was a noble title of some sort. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Katrina. But… why have you brought me here?" He was more than a little curious as to why this woman would have brought him here in this manner.

She seemed pleased at his show of proper etiquette. "As I said, I need your help, Gareth. It has been shown to me through my divinations that you are the only person who can help me," she said as she looked at him with a hopeful expression that made Gareth suddenly want to draw his sword and fight back whatever it was that threatened this woman. Then she shook her head, "But look at me. I am being selfish," she said, then tsked herself. "I have stolen you away from your friends and brought you to a strange land. You must rest and recover your strength from the trials of the summoning spell. Then I can tell you more, Gareth. Come, I will lead you to a room where you can get some rest," she said with a warm smile.

Gareth found himself smiling back at her. She truly was a lovely woman and the nagging sense of danger he had felt earlier seemed to have quieted down considerably. "Alright, but I have many questions for you once I've had some rest," he replied as he followed her out of the summoning room. His curiosity nagged at him, but he could be patient. Rakeesh had taught him that answers come to those who are patient and in tune with their surroundings. So, he'd wait for now. He could play the part of the polite house guest, as long as he was treated as a guest.

Katrina chuckled softly and she wove her hands in a delicate series of movements that caused light to flair and dance around her fingers. The lights left her fingers and flew up above their heads to light their way. Gareth blinked. Her casting had looked so… effortless. His own casting seemed clumsy by comparison. He would definitely have to ask her to teach him some spells. And for some pointers. "I imagine you do, Gareth. But they will have to wait for now," she said as she led him down a long, dark hallway. Gareth tried to keep his mind and eyes from wandering where they shouldn't, but he couldn't help but notice the gentle sway of her hips as she walked in front of him.

Gareth felt like slapping himself. Idiot! Stop that! He needed to get a hold of himself before he got caught staring where he shouldn't be. Tearing his eyes away from Katrina, he looked around the dark hallway. Apparently, Castle Borgov had seen better days. While the hallway did have the occasional tapestry and suit of armor that you would expect to see in a castle hallway, there was a considerable amount of dust and cobwebs. Katrina certainly needed help, specifically the help of a cleaning staff for her castle. Luckily for Gareth, he was reasonably certain that wasn't what she needed from him. He was much better at wielding a sword than a duster.

They continued walking down the hallway and took several turns to the left and to the right. Gareth was reasonably certain he could make it back to the room he had entered this land in, but Katrina certainly wasn't making it easy to remember. Then she came to a halt beside a side door near a large archway that appeared to lead off to a larger chamber. "Ah, here we are. I had this room fixed up for you," she said cheerily as she opened the door. The hinges squeaked loudly. Leading him into the room, she said "I hope that you will find it to your liking."

Gareth looked around the room. It was clean and nicely furnished. A large bed dominated the room and there was a chest for storing equipment. To the side of the bed was a nightstand with a lit lantern that cast a warm glow around the room. There was a window up high that if he stood on his tiptoes, he'd be able to look out through. He noted that the sky was starting to brighten slightly, so it must be nearing dawn. He nodded to Katrina, "Yes, this will be fine."

Katrina looked pleased, "Good. Rest then and we will talk more in the evening. I must rest as well, the summoning spell is very draining and I will need that time to recover from the casting. I had to expend more of my strength than I had expected to in order to get you here."

He accepted her words. He knew how using magical energy to cast spells could mentally exhaust a person. He'd felt that way himself after intense battles where he had used every ounce of his magic to defeat his opponent. So, rather than press her further, he said. "I understand, Katrina. Rest easy and have pleasant dreams."

She threw him a coy smile as she brushed past him to leave the room. "I intend to," she said as she turned and closed the door. Gareth felt himself blushing slightly. Whoever Katrina was, she made him feel like a boy with a sudden schoolyard crush. He had met some amazing, beautiful women in his travels, but none of them had captivated him so completely from just one meeting. Gareth sat down on the bed and shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. He should be taking this situation more seriously. After all, he had been kidnapped! But, he didn't feel like a prisoner. Quite the opposite, in fact. Katrina made him feel like some honored guest in her home.

He took a moment to take stock of the room. He noted that the door was unlocked and he poked his head out to look around. The dark hallway was empty. Katrina was gone and there was apparently no guard. At least not yet or that could be seen. Gareth felt his curiosity tugging at him. He wanted to explore, but he was tired and he felt that exploring the castle at this point wouldn't be the best idea. If he were caught by any guards, it could make things awkward when he saw Katrina again. He didn't want that. Sighing, he closed the door and walked back over to the bed and took off his now lighter pack. He unceremoniously dumped out the remaining contents on the bed to figure out what he had lost.

He still had his small bottle of mana pills from the apothecary back in Tarna. Thinking of Salim, he smiled slightly. He wondered if the odd man would travel to Shapier now that the war in Tarna was over. He had been very happy when Gareth had told him of Julanar. Well, at least someone was going to go where he wanted to be. Thinking of Shapier, he ran his fingers lightly over the magical shield his adoptive father, Harun Al-Rashid, the Sultan of Shapier, had given him when he had left for Tarna. It all seemed so long ago now. He missed Shapier with its golden sands and friendly, open people. He'd have to return there one day if he survived the new trails he'd face in this new, strange land.

His eyes fell to Soulforge, Rakeesh's Paladin blade, which the Liontaur had given to him when his friend had made him a Paladin. He hoped that he would see Rakeesh again. He could use the Liontaur's wisdom at this point. Pinned to the scabbard of the sword was the sapphire pin that the Katta had gifted him with for saving Shapier from the elemental scourge that Ad Avis had sent to plague the city. It reminded him of his dear friends Shameen and Shema. He smiled at those memories. Happier times. Times which felt like they had happened a lifetime ago rather than a few months. Moving along, he noted that he still had a few rations, his tinderbox and a waterskin filled with water from Erana's Pool of Peace in Tarna. He, of course, still had his clothes and the armor he had been wearing, but everything else was gone, spilled out into that empty void.

He had no healing or poison-cure pills. The lack of healing pills didn't overly concern him since he could just heal himself now with his power as a Paladin, but the lack of ability to cure poison was more worrisome. His daggers, aside from the one he kept hidden in his boot were gone. His Thief's Tool Kit was missing, perhaps for the better? It wasn't like he used it much anymore. Still, it had come in handy often enough and he had paid good money for it back in Spielburg, so it irked him to see it gone. It felt like a piece of his past was missing. He had no oil. That fake Blackbird statue he had bought back in Tarna was gone. He chuckled to himself when he noticed that he still had some rocks that he had picked up in Tarna. Now why couldn't these have fallen out and not all of that other stuff, he thought ruefully. His money was also gone; although that wasn't too much of a loss since he had no idea if there were any money changers in this new land. That and he always seemed to be able to find money when he needed it. Funny how the Universe worked like that.

He stuffed everything back into his pack neatly and left his sword and shield propped up against the side of the bed within easy reach. Then he moved to the chest at the foot of the bed. He might as well see if there was anything useful in it. Flipping the latch, he lifted the lid and rummaged around inside. There were a number of adventuring sundries in the chest. Two leather-bound cases holding several bottles immediately caught his eye. When he opened them, he was pleasantly surprised to see small bottles labeled for healing and curing of poison. Well, at least he could stop worrying about those essentials. There was a handsome brace of 12 throwing daggers which he was also eager to take. There was also a rather "generous" supply of SPIM rations. While he wasn't exactly excited to see these, he at least knew he wasn't going to starve to death any time soon. There was also a spare set of clothes in the trunk that were similar to his current clothes except for the colors. The trousers and vest were black and the long-sleeved shirt was a deep blue. They were made of good material with some impressive looking detailing. They also looked sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of adventuring. Lastly, he found a pouch filled with coins. Dumping some of the coins out, he inspected them.

The larger coin was obviously made of gold and had the relief of a crown stamped on it. The smaller coin was made of copper and had "1 Kopek" stamped on it. It was pretty easy to deduce which coin had more value. Counting up the coins, there were 25 Crowns and 50 Kopeks. He added the new equipment to his pack, and then he took off his armor and stretched his muscles to try and ease their soreness. It had been a very long day, fighting demons, saving the world, and being kidnapped by a beautiful wizard. Yup, a long day, he thought.

Shedding his boots, vest and shirt, he climbed into the bed and found it to be quite comfortable. His eyes grew heavy and he felt himself drifting off into a deep, dreamless slumber.

****

Within her richly appointed bedroom, Katrina readied herself for sleep. She had sent one of her goon guards to go watch over the hero and make certain he didn't get any ideas about exploring the castle while she slept. After meeting the hero who had defeated Ad Avis, she realized that her servant had left out a number of details about the young man. He had failed to mention that the young man was a Paladin. Paladins were strange, mystical warriors who could draw upon the Essence of the very Universe. She would have to be careful in how she treated Gareth. She knew that Paladins could sense danger and had a degree of empathic power. Since she didn't know how powerful a Paladin he was, she would be cautious. Against her retched servant's advice, she had decided not to bind Gareth to her will. At least not yet. She was confident that she could simply persuade Gareth to help her. Besides, it would be far more interesting to charm and seduce him into helping her. Also, having a more willing servant would be a pleasant change of pace.

She also had to admit that Gareth was a handsome young man. Her divinations had shown her Gareth's visage, but it had always been blurred and imperfect. Events seemed to shift around the man with infuriating speed, causing him to look hazy. Meeting him in person was quite different from what she had initially expected. Gareth was also probably appropriately dashing and courageous given his past heroic deeds, which would make it all the easier to get him to do what she wanted. He wouldn't be afraid to face the dangers of the tasks ahead. Also, given that he had triumphed against seemingly impossible odds meant that he was either very lucky or very cunning. While she needed those skills, those traits also made the young man dangerous if he ever found out too much. However, she had confidence in her plans. She had prepared carefully and planned for various contingencies in case anything went wrong.

Before retiring, she decided to check in on her guest. Walking over to the crystal ball atop her desk, she waved her hand over it. The fog within dissipated to show the room Gareth was staying in. She watched as he took off his armor and stretched. A corner of her lips curved into an amused smile as Gareth stripped down to his pants. Her little pet hero was certainly a strapping young man. He will be far more pleasant to have around, she thought to herself, I may even turn him when I have achieved my goals.

After Gareth had climbed into the bed and drifted off to sleep, Katrina waved her hand over the crystal ball again, clearing the image. Then she walked over to her "bed" and retired for the day.