Entering the third and final tunnel of the massive hand, the eerie feeling wrapped around them tighter. It was like a snake, squeezing the life out of them. They all felt it. Their faces paled as they quickly pulled out their weapons and filled them with the soft glow of their respective energy, producing flickering shadows as they made their way toward the tunnel where it would split into three separate paths.

They knew there was something in the tunnels with them. They had felt it for a while. It was only now that it was getting stronger. They had to watch for whatever was stalking them, as well as items required to access the Master Spell book. They were exhausted, but knew they had to try to keep going. They had a timer they had to worry about, and there was still too much to do to complete the quest.

"Keep your eyes peeled for hidden items," Drake reminded them. His voice was low, shaking subtly as he spoke. "We still don't know if there are still things to find. We also need to solve the puzzle. We have a key representing each of us. The tunnels look like a hand. I am at the palm, and each of the cohort is a finger. The thumb is the way out, and it represents the dimension. What I don't get is the two tunnels before the Chamber of Knowledge. Any ideas?" he asked, hoping that his friends could come up with an idea of what it might mean.

"No, but maybe it's like a combination lock. Maybe we just have to figure out what the combination is," Mike offered. He didn't really agree with his own words. He was just tossing ideas out there. He was at a loss as to what any of it meant. He wasn't even sure if Drake was right about the tunnels being a hand.

Drake yawned, causing the others to do the same. They were all exhausted, having difficulty staying awake. They needed rest but were afraid to stop their search. Not with the dwindling timer hanging over them like the sword of Damocles.

"I sure hope none of the other quests are timed. This really sucks," Mike grumbled, yawning again, trying desperately to keep his eyes open. Then his stomach grumbled, telling him he was hungry as well.

Chad nodded in agreement, yawning. It was getting contagious. If one yawned, it would force the other to do it as well. He desperately tried to keep his eyes open as they made their way down the tunnel.

They moved slowly through the tunnel, exhausted and weary of danger. They were hungry too, having not eaten for over a full day. They needed to sleep. If they didn't, they would undoubtedly collapse. It was a double-edged sword. If they didn't sleep, they would be put in danger if something came out and attacked them. They would be too tired to fight at their best, making it difficult to defend themselves properly. Yet, they also needed to complete their timed quest. If they slept, they worried that they wouldn't finish in time. Sleeping could cause them to waste valuable time. It was time they were short on.

Drake sighed, rubbing his eyes. They were turning increasingly heavy from exhaustion. "Head to the Chamber of Knowledge. We need to rest. We already know it's a short tunnel," Drake conceded. realizing that they needed to try to get some sleep. They needed to eat something, too. Something quick. He didn't like the increasingly eerie feeling, but knew they had to overlook it and get to the chamber before whatever was in the tunnels with them came out at them. Once there, he could put up a protective barrier so they could sleep in peace.

The short tunnel to the Chamber of Knowledge revealed that there were no hidden items. They had been looking for hidden items with both their magical vision as well as their sword's energy. There was nothing. When they went into the Chamber of Knowledge, they quickly scanned the chamber, still finding nothing.

Drake used the master staff, hitting it lightly on the ground. The giant emerald at its top began to produce a soft green light that shone brightly, lighting the entire room. They studied the chamber again; this time, they could see a glow on the dirt podium that revealed small glowing circles, each colored to correspond with the keys. There was another spot in the center, but they didn't have anything for that location. That told Drake that they still needed to inspect the other two tunnels.

Sighing deeply, he placed a magical barrier at the chamber's entryway to protect them while they slept, then sat on the floor, leaning against the wall of the tunnel. "Eat something then, sleep," he ordered his friends. "If we collapse from exhaustion during a battle, we're as good as dead. There would be no need for the dimension to kill us, because our exhaustion would get us killed."

Understanding the need, Mike and Chad sat against the wall next to Drake. The three of them quickly ate one of the many sandwiches Chad had in his storage ring. When they were done, they leaned against the wall and closed their eyes. They all fell asleep immediately.

***

Back in the ordinary world, in Drake's room, Drake's father watched the boys on the computer screen. Chad's and Mike's fathers sat behind him as they watched their own sons on the screen. They watched as the boys had finally conceded to sleeping, even though they were on a timed quest. He understood. It was dangerous to try to stay awake longer than the body could handle. They had been awake for a long time. Their bodies were at their limit and needed rest.

"It's good that Drake placed a protective shield over the entrance of the chamber," Chad's father pointed out, worried that the boys had stopped to sleep, but impressed by the protective actions they took. "They're almost done with that quest. If I remember correctly, I think they need to solve the combination before they can place the keys, but they're doing really well."

"Unless their quest is different than the one that we had," Mike's father pointed out. "Their quest looks the same, but also different. I can't put my finger on what's different. I think it's the extra chamber. There should only be two, not three, in the third tunnel. Besides that, I don't see anything different from the one we did."

"I was wondering that too," Drake's father said calmly. He sat in thought for a moment, watching the boys sleep. "Did you notice they're prepared to fight something. It's like their instincts are telling them that there is danger somewhere nearby. I saw their faces go pale suddenly, then they immediately pulled out their swords. Something is wrong. I know there is something wrong. They wouldn't have acted that way if there wasn't. I just don't know what it could be. I've been looking, trying to figure out what's wrong, but I don't see anything."

Chad's father studied the screen, trying to see anything that looked… off, but didn't find anything either. "I bet that's why Drake put up the barrier. They felt something. Danger or something following them, or just the general feeling of wrongness, so he wanted to make sure they didn't get attacked while they tried to rest."

The three fathers watched their sons as they slept. Even their beast slept, exhausted by the days they had stayed awake. They knew that the quest should only be five days. They had been gone for four days already. They didn't really have time to be sleeping, but they looked utterly exhausted. They all prayed that the boys could wake up soon and complete it before the time ran out.

The men didn't know that the time on the ascension quest counter had been reset as a result of saving Nelly, though. In their minds, the boys were wasting too much time. If they didn't finish, they would die.

***

Back in the Chamber of Knowledge, in the darkness on the outside of the chamber, dark eyes looked through the glowing green barrier unseen by those who watched from the ordinary world or the sleeping boys with their small beast.

The figure scanned the chamber, looking at every detail. There were only smooth walls and the podium that remained empty. The figure's gaze went back to the sleeping boys with their beast; A wide grin appeared on the figure's fanged lips.

He knew their quest was nearly over. There would be a lot to do to prepare. The figure grinned wider in anticipation as he stared through the barrier into the chamber at the boys.

'Patience… patience… that's what is needed. The young heirs will be finished with their quest soon. Then, when they start their third, it will be time to act.'

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