Castlevania: Darkness Never Dies

Fan Fiction

Continued...

Part 1 Gathering darkness.

"The lord said to Abraham. "Go away from your kin, your land and the house of your father, to the land I shall show you. I will make you into a grand people. I shall bless you and make your name great."

Moses: 12, 1-2.

Chapter 9 Trashard in the Cave.
Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
He did walk into the range of the holographic camera and fell to one knee. "What is it?" Above him the face of Gilles De Reis looked down upon him like he was nothing more than a worm, something he actually felt like. "My lord," He began. "before we did leave the castle you took me aside and commanded me to report if anything out of the ordinary should occur. A silver were-fox did approach me and asked me to train her in the arts of my people. I would not have bothered you with something this trivial if it had not bean that she seeks to overthrow lord Maeglin." The head of Lord Dracula's SS did investigate him closely before he spoke. "Is this sending shielded for outlaws to overhear?" His calmness and aristocratic balance did allways bring him a little of guard sine it allways looked like he himself would rash where De Reis would go easy on it. "Of course my lord." A smile crept over De Reis's face. "Good. Continue to test him. The dark lord has decreed that Maeglin is taken into custody and removed from office. If your little kick-back should actually kill him so the better. He is out of control and should be killed. But no words to either your new apprentice or to anybody else." He was swift to replay. "Yes my lord, as you say." De Reis again smiled. "You have done well young Justin. Do as I command and you will find that you have served Lord Dracula best, by serving me." He nodded and the hologram faided into nothing. He rouse and Gylldraphe went out from the shadows. "What are you doing here?" He demanded to know. "You said it would only take some minutes to rest, but you never came back so I followed you here." He lifted his hand and before the young were-fox could continue she was sent blasting right into the wall. "I thought you was a mere officer among the beast-riders." She said, giving him a shocked look. "Your little fool." He hissed at her. "You know the necromancer of lady Armster? He was my master in the dark arts of wizardy and necromancy. I don't wear the black robe of my rank, but enough of this." He lifted his hand with his palm righted upward and she became lifted into the air. "I will continue to train you in the arts of the sword and bow, but you know nothing about what have transpired here. Do you hear me?" She nodded and he let go off her. "I trusted you." She wakly wept. "Are you to give me over to lord De Reis for treason?" He shook his head. "You thought you are the only one feeling betrayed? I did trust you to, you have endangered everything I have worked and care about. I don't want to kill you but I'm ready to do so if need be." He took some steps back as she got up on her feet. She was after all an assassin. Then a dark thought came to his mind. "You was not sent by Maeglin to kill me, where you?" He lifted his hand and a shadow of solid blackness formed behind him. She forcefully shook her head. "No! I did want to learn your way of combat. I want Maeglin just as dead as Lord Dracula do." He let go of his powers as another smile crept over his face. "Then I take it you would like to learn more?" She looked upon him with large eyes, then a smile appeared upon her face to. "Of course," She took a short pause, before she said. "my lord." He smiled and motioned for her to kneel. "In the name of The Master," He sai, putting his hand on her shoulder, again the dark powers gathered around them. "I, Justin of the blue were-fox race, take you, Gylldraphe of the silver were-fox race, into service as my new apprentice. Rise and I shall teach you everything I know about the dark powers of the world. Let us go." She nodded and did as he told her. "Yes my lord." Together they went out from the communication-chamber.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 9th of December 2098 A.D.
He almost ignored the battling Belmont and DaNasty clansmen as he did turn his attention upon the vampire watching the battle. "Daniel Bauer." He said in a formal tone as he saluted him with his sword. "Long time no see Al." He snarled. "I told you the last time we encountered each other that you should not call me that." Alicia cast him a glance. "You know this gay?" "Indeed." He coldly said. "This bastard did haunt me almost all the time I did wander the castle in 2035 to aid your ancestor and the young Cruz. He is a servant of Dracula and a gigolo for bought his male and female servants." He brought out his shield to and then brought himself into a defensive stance. The vampire gave him a look, then burst into a swarm of bats. He snarled, he would not get away by that. He dashed after him with Alicia and Torah close behind, the Fernandez throwing Edward's coat over to her sister. He didn't care about that,of course, he did also care about his family's heirlooms, but he didn't have time to think further about that. They came into a huge hall, furnished to fit a living functions. Family-shields and weapons hung on the wall and so did rich tapestries and curtains, with torches and gold-decorated candle-stands hung on the wall beside the curtains. A coffin stood in one corner of the cave, so did a wardrobe and a cage containing an armour which Daniel was about to bring on and actually did complete in bringing it on. "Stay back. This is my battle." "And this is my." Alicia said, he turned his head at her, then looking at what she was fixing her gaze on. Then he nodded. From the shadows of the corner, a creature shrouded in yellow cloth appeared. "But that is…" He began, but was cut short as Daniel attacked him. "Warg blaze!" Two blue wolf-headed energy-blasts came blazing at him. "Crimson shield!" He countered the blast, but was then faced by Daniel who dashed at him with his claws at the ready. "Swarm of destruction!" He dropped his sword and did spread his cloak and unleashed a wave of bats toward his enemy. "Breath of Hell!" Daniel rouse his hand, palm outward, and blasted a long lasting blast of grey-coloured steam. "Balls of destruction!" He didn't stop there, from his hands he blasted six balls of blue bat-inhabited fire. "Crimson shield!" He deflected his blast and then brought out one of his cards. "Sword familiar come to my aid!" The strange sword-shaped creature did appeared. "What do my lord command?" "What do you think?" He snarled. "Your point is seen." The sword did dash at Daniel and slashed his next shot before he could make use of it. "Reflected shadows!" His enemy split into three and he again brought out his cards yet again. This time he brought forth the demon familiar. "Attack when I do when I assault him. Balls of destruction!" He blasted off his fire just as his familiars attacked. The one in the middle and the one to the left vanished into smoke, while the right one, the real one, jumped to the side. That was what he'd waited for. He lifted his hands, palms up, and two daggers of solid blackness appeared. "May God forgive your sins." He said and threw the daggers. As Daniel jumped, the first dagger went through his hearth while the other chapped off his head. The vampire screamed and burst into orange fire. "Ice cage!" "Watch out Adrian!" He tried to jump but it was too late. A cage of solid ice-bars appeared around him and trapped him in mid-motion. "Curse all elementalists." He grunted as he shrouded his cape around himself to keep out the cold, but to little avail. Alicia was cracking loose on another ice-cage as Torah did blast away orbs of magical energy who melted the ice. "What really is an elementalist?" The young Fernandez asked. "That is a darkside who has dedicated their power to control and wander the planes of the elements." "I thought the name darkside only related to those who'd bean completely absorbed by the dark powers." Alicia said as she finally broke free of her cage. "That actually refers to all spell-casters who pledged their fealty towards the dark lord. Except for the necromancers of course." "Drop the small talk." Torah shouted. "Orbs of sorcery!" A wave of golden orbs, magic taped from the temple of spirit, given to man in the form of the crest of white gold, if he was not wrong, blasted from the little sorceress's hands. "Black water-wave!" An evil twisted form of the element of water was blasted at the young Fernandez. "Crest of sapphires, don't leave me now!" She shouted and then lifted her hands and as she did so, the water froze and shattered into nothingness. He shook his head, deeply impressed by the Fernandez's defiance and power. "Void of Nothingness!" "Run if you want to live!" He screamed as he changed form into a swarm of bats. Luckly they didn't ask any questions, they did as he said and ran out in the corridor again. The last thing he saw of the darkside was a shocked look upon his face before he did vanish into a vortex of complete nothingness. That had really bean a gesture of panic. Only through the ascetic mental and spiritual training of the Buddhist monks could ever hope to fully understand and control that element. He tossed the thoughts aside as he came into a holt, then changed back into his human form. Before him was a vision from his darkest nightmares. It was almost like the time he, Richter Belmont and Maria Renard battled the three walking corpses Shaft had infused with power which made them able to impersonate Trevor Belmont, Grant DaNasty and Sypha Belnades in 1793. He threw even that memory aside, although it was difficult, and concentrated on the task at hand. He grasped the crucifix his mother had given him all those years ago and prayed, hard.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
If only Alicia was here, but she wasn't and he would have to take care of this alone. "I don't want to fight you." He did weight his blade in his hand, but didn't dash or anything else. "I'm your friend Victor. If you attack me, I'll defend myself. But I wouldn't fight you." "Fine." Victor almost snarled. "Then try to defend yourself against this!" His friend threw his dagger, it splitt into a swarm of smaller blades, which burst into black fire, before they darted against him. He rised his crucifix and prayed a short prayer in his hearth. He smiled as a golden blast of cross-shaped trust of energy. The different energies hit home and did totally obliterate each-others. Victor jumped and seamed to vanish up at the ceiling. "Die trator!" He had never thought he would hear him say that, but he didn't have time to mourn right now. He summoned his powers and did blast off a blurry of golden sword-blades up into the air, destroying the wave of daggers Victor did throw at him. His friend cursed him from where he hid among the shadows at the ceiling. Then, from almost the complete other direction, came three throwing-axes came flying at him. He lifted his boomerang-cross and a flash of light deflected the blow. Victor dropped down from above and then threw a new blurry of throwing-daggers. He concentrated before he shot forth a blast of golden fire from his sword. Then they did circle each-other as he did prepared for Victor's next attack. Four twirling axes answered that question and he threw his boomerang-cross to defend himself. The cross split into four and blasted thre huge blasts of cross-shaped energy, blasting the axes into oblivion. "Why don't you attack me?" Victor challenged him, rising his battle-axe high into the air, making lightning strike down around him. He brought out his crucifix which created a huge shining image of Christ appear aboce him, deflecting the lightning. "Because I'm your friend." He calmly said, bringing out his sole vial of holy water, a weapon he'd borrowed from Christian before they became split into groups and sprinkled some of the water over his sword-blade. "God be with me in this task!" He called as he swung his blade. Holy fire blasted around the weapon and he did dash at Victor. "You're no firend. A friend don't call you things and turn their back at them." His friend countered as he broke the slash with his axe, who did blaze with the reddish fire of hatred. "I didn't think about being rude." He said as he did defend himself at the firce blows. "I'm sorry if I've bean rude. But what I did mean was that you must respect my advice. All I want is your best." "Respect?" Victor snarled. "You called me a weakling without power to defend myself. Well, who's defending himself now?" "That isn't defence." Victor spun around and so did he. Before them stood Alicia, their other friends behind her, but it was the Schneider-girl who fixed his gaze. "What you've done is to attack. A Belmont's power, or any power given by God, is not only made for battle. We wanted to become those we are of our own free will, neither Leon nor Sonia whished for their destinies, but they did what life decreed of them. I'm also afraid at times, so are all. Our plight is to go beyond our fear to do what we have ben chosen to, what we have chosen to, do, four the sake of the world and in the name of God." She'd spoke with a passion he'd not heard from her before and it did a great impression on him. "Easy for you to say." The DaNasty clansman grunted. "Eas?" Alicia said. "You don't know anything, do you? My family is spread all over the countryside, haunted by the black wanderes and other agents of the dark lord. Some of them is dead already and perhaps the rest also is. All I can do now is upholding Sonia's promise. Fear and sorrow is in my soul, but I cannot do anything but do what I do. I'll help you, we all will. Let's go and see what we find. Pleas?" His friend gave the girl a look, then slowly shook his head. "I'll go with you. But remember, one more argue and I leave you." He took a deep breath, praying in his hearth that the abyss between them would disappear. They gathered their belongings, he brought on his hat and coat, and they were off.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
He gasped as he saw her, then tears formed at his eyes and run down his cheeks. "She died to protect us? Didn't she?" Alicia sadly nodded and lifted her whip. "She even gave up her spirit to aid us win this war." "I hope none of the dark spirits of my father disturb her sleep." Adrian said, before he again brought out his blade. He did the same with his axe. In his hearth he felt ashamed, being so selfish and only because he didn't wanted to do suretan things. He started to run down the tunnel before him, leading at the glowing corridor further down. He slipped on the ground and fell face flat on the ground. He knew he should feel lucky for not being damaged by his own axe, but to be honest, he didn't care. He got to his feet and cast a look around and gasped. "Gays, I think you must see this." His friends, or he hoped they still was his friends, came up behind him. The entire tunnel was frozen into concrete solid ice. Stalagmites of glittering frost hung from the ceiling as silvery spikes of the same material rouse from the floor, while the walls was like a seemingly endless kaleidoscope of frozen sculptures. "This is like the underground gallery of my father's castle." Adrian said, he nodded as he picked up his axe. "It must've bean some sort of drip-stone grotto or something." He said. "That's the only reason for all this ice to be here." "Did somebody ask for ice? Here, I have plenty of that. Let's take them folks!" The white-fured were-foxes who dropped from the ceiling, or so it looked, did jump at them with huge twin-handed Katana-blade at the ready just as they landed. "Orbs of sorcery!" "Balls of destruction!" "Star bow!" The combined magical attack gave them a moment to prepare themselves before the were-foxes did resume their attack. "Frozen shield!" One of the were-foxes did counter the magical blast with a wall of blue light. "Fairy familiar, come to my aid!" Adrian shouted. "Execute the "Origin of life" spell now!" The tiny familiar did flutter so that she stood right between them, before she cast her spell. "Origin of life!" An enormous explosion of golden light blasted through the cave and did blind him completely. When he could see again, many of the were-foxes lay dead on the ground. "For God, Basraq and Warakiya!" He did follow Adrian on his attack. "Wait, wait you two! There's…" Before Edward got the chance to finish his sentence, a group of bone-soldiers and human traitors, under the command of a wraith. He felt how his blood became cold as the rotting face of the wraith and the burning eye-sockets fixed upon him. He swallowed, it was not as bad as the black wanderers, but it was bad enough. He didn't get much time to think, as the sword of a bone-soldier hit his axe. "Lightning missiles!" That was Torah's voice. The result did leave him speechless. Lightning blasts, rocketing past him with a speed he'd never seen before, hit home amongst the black servants and exploded. Then the wraith ran past him and the cold feelings immobilized him, which did almost kill him since that gave one of the were-foxes the chance to get in a blow on him. Snarling just as fierce as their enemies, he threw himself at the were-fox with rage-filled swipes of his axe.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
Black bolts of lightning struck down around her, whipping her and throwing her backward. She screamed in pain before she did gather her powers. "Shining frost!" Balls of frozen energy blasted out from the air before her and shot right at the wraith. "Black soul!" The counter-strike did throw her square into the floor. "Sun wave!" Waves of blazing heath blasted down from multiply directions and burned the wraith into nothingness. She fell to her knees and gasped like if she should've run a mile. "Everything all right?" Alicia came up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Yes." She smiled. "Thank you." She didn't know why she felt this strange connection with the Schneider, but that she did. And judging by Alicia's behaviour, she felt the same connection. She looked up at the older girl, Alicia smiled. "We are who we are." She plainly said, before she uncoiled her whip. "For Christ, Torah?" She nodded and brought out her razor-rings. "For Christ Alicia." They dashed into battle. Bone-soldiers and human traitors circling all around them. With wargs had also joined in the battle and was breathing chilling steam from their mouths. Edward and Saria fought back-to-back while Adrian and his sword, demon and fairy familiars did cover-up each-others. Suddenly, it was all over. Victor clammed at a wound in his arm, while Adrian's fey did heal him from damaged taken from frost. Edward grumbled at a gash in his coat, Saria did already fixing it, she smiled a short grin. Her sister wasn't of the homely type, not as far as she'd seen. Then she felt something which made her grow stiff as rock, so hard the mind-call did hit her.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
"I'm in the nest of the power-plant, please help me." The young Fernandez did repeat the prase over and over, like she should've bean hypnotized. "It's that dragon." Edward worriedly said. "Indeed." He coldly said. "We swore to aid her. Now that Ursula has passed the boundaries of this world it is up to us to save her cousin's offsprings." Alicia cast him an irritated look, before she took a deep breath and nodded. They had all heard the tale about him, Ursula and Edward had first met each-other. "Eh, gays. I think something terrible is about to happen." Victor had drawn his axe, but looked like he did not knew what to do. "A corpse-eater." He had not made his familiars disappear and that he thanked God for. It looked like a rat, but with nine tails, with hissing snake-heads at their ends. It had come out from a shining portal in the air. These creatures where magical to some degree, attracted towards places where death was. The piled bones of the soldiers and the corpses of the human traitors, but that did not matter. It would kill them to get more power. He did also unsheat his own weapon and saluted their enemy. "Attack the heads, but bevare. The snake-heads is poisionus and the rat-head might blast you with different elemental attacks." His friends nodded and prepared their own weapons, readying themselves for battle. "Crimson lightning! Balls of destruction!" He did start it, but the corpse-eater did swing its snake-heads and nine balls of black liquid. "God with us!" Alicia called and swung her whip, attacking the nearest heads. They became chapped off, but from the bleeding necks, four new heads erupted. "This creature is no creature of life." HE said as he did summon the sword familiar. "This is a creature brought about by the dark powers of Satan himself. Balls of destruction!" His blast did burn the neck of which his familiar had hacked one of the heads into. The tale exploded and only eight was left. "Fireballs coming in!" Torah's shout got him back to the other dangers. The rat did blast a small wave of fireballs and he did break off into a small swarm of bats.

Caves, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
She taped into her inner core and focused. "Lightning missiles!" Where she'd got these spells from, she wasn't sure about. She knew she hadn't bean that very good with lightning sorcery, but now it looked like she was getting the hang on it. From her palm a super-swift blast of lightning force shot and made the fireballs coming at her burst into nothingness. She did bring out her racor-rings and jumped at one of the tales, noticing that Edward and Saria did make up a cover for her by attacking the rat part of the creature. The other heads tried to stopp her but did had to turn around as VictorAlicia and Adrian did attack them, aided by Victor and the sword familiar. She did had to do some dancing to avoid being hit by the snake-head's acid blasts, but she made quick work of it. Or rather, them. She'd attacked the head which had grewn two new heads from their last failed attack. Now however, she did cut them clean off. She did want to throw up, this corpse-eater did disgust and terrifid her in a way none other of the creatures they'd met before. "Orbs of the sun!" Three twisting balls of orange fire did circle her before they blasted into the snake-neck and made it explode. She found herself covered in blood and felsh, but she didn't have time to worry about that as the other heads was spewing acid blasts at her. "Orbs of sorcery!" She called, aldough she could ececute this spell in sleep, or so it felt, she couldn't control the type of power which she used in it. IF she didn't focus on a certain element, they could take on almost any type of magic. Luckly, it was fire, ice or magic which was the usual result and that she was thankfull fore. This time however, some ugly grey balls blasted from her and made the head she was going at to more or less disappear with one shot. "No worry." Adrian encouraged her. "It is mere your wish for this foul creature to die who has manifested itself in your magic. Be careful dough. One or two times is no danger, but if you start using it random, you might become a lich." She nodded and started to concentrate like her grandmother had thought her. She emptied herself of the fear for using up her own life-force in her magic, her fear for this creature and everything which made her afraid and then tapped into her inner source again as she called out to God to aid her. "Wigore of spirit!" She did merely whisper the name, she knew this was knowledge from someone beyond her, perhaps from The One himself, but even that did not make her turn back now. As she cast it, she knew she could do it again if need be. It was not as powerful as the crest of yellow gold itself, but it was a spell by those who carried it in their hearths. From her hands, from her very body, a calm golden light spread about, vaporize all of the corpse-eater's tale-heads. Now the creature was nothing more than a giant rat, but it was still prepared for battle. She again focused her mind, but this time she found nothing, save for sleep.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
"You are absolutely sure?" He asked. The dark-blonde vampire nodded. She was his contact with those circle of blood but that wasn't his main concern right now. She had contacted him through their personal signal to tell him that they'd come to take him. He still hadn't to his "guests" to obey, but he still had some resorts to threw into the game. He dismissed her and activated another holographic channel. "Perkins, Bring three eggs up to the entry hall and place yourself under Van Der Hawk's command." The vampire, dressed in black, grey and brown uniform as all the Nazi did. "Yes my lord." He didn't ask any questions and that was as it should be. He activated yet another hologram. "Kishman, gather my troops." The hard-faced vampire dressed in black robes the darksides liked to wear. "And what about the order of reorganizing the nest-command?" "Let our new servants and the local troopers take care of the intruders." "Yes my lord." The hologram went blank.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
She jumped to the side and cracked her with at the fireballs the corpse-eater had spew at them. Edward had blinded one of its huge eyes, but even so it looked like it was still ready for battle. "Crimson lightning! Balls of destruction!" Victor jumped forward with a snarl on his face and swung his axe whit such fierce force that he pierced the armour like skin of the creature and was drenked in blackish blood. "No Victor, no! It's like acid!" But it was to late. The DaNasty clansman screamed in pain and rolled round on the floor. Saria did search in Torah's backpack for the laurels, but it was to no avail. He lay still before the dryad could reach him. But at the same time, white light surged through the tunnel and chased the wounded corpse-eater off. "Once again it has happened." She wirled around and a being dressed in shining white appeared out from the light. He had long light-brown hair and grey eyes came walking toward them. "As in 1496 a DaNasty dies because of the dark lord." "Who're you?" Torah, who had now gotten back to her feet, did nearly whispered. The divine being smiled and nodded his head. "I am the guardian of the forest temple, which generate the element of life." A sudden hope welled up inside her. "Can you bring him back to us?" It was Edward who asked the question before she could ask it. "What?" He softly asked them. "Do you ask me to go beyond the pattern of The One? That is something I can never do." She nodded, there where nothing they could do, but the next thing she said did make her eyes grew vide with hope. "I will take his body back to his family so that he could be buried according to the laws of man. But his weapons belong to another of his family who fights alongside another of your kin. The One be with you and give you piece." The light subsided and when they could see again, Victor's body was gone.

Forest, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
She screamed as a bolt of light struck down in her, she saw John dash at her to threw her to the side, but it was too late. Strangely enough it didn't hurt her. When she could see again, she noticed that she had a huge battle-axe in her hands and another smaller axe and throwing daggers in her belt. Anna blinked her eyes as she knelt down by her. "Is this how Dracula promotes his knights to axe-knoghts?" Johan asked. She shook her head before she got back to her feet. "Lord Dracula. And I don't know why I got these weapons but that dosen't matter now. Let's find Thomas and get away from here." They nodded, unsure of what to mean. Then they shrugged and started walking. They could hear the footsteps of more beast-riders.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
"Fire at will commander." She did order the bone-mage who commanded the forces. "Yes sir." The dead magician, dressed in black boots, crimson weapon-robe and shoulder armour saluted her. "Intensive your fire." The soldiers he had ordered, bone-archers and lizardmen hooded and cloaked in black and armed with light wrist-blasters for the most, promptly did as they where told. "You are a good battle-commander." "Thank you my lord." She said as she lifted her hands and fired the black lightning bolts her master had told her to cast. "I quite agree my lord." General Van Der Hawk did spread his arms and blasted off a beam of heavy steam. He and some of the other troops participating in the battle was soldiers lord Dracula had sent to arrest Maeglin. Another vampire, one of two surviving of the trio who had bean leading the soldiers, came over to them. "The most is over, but there is still troops coming from the lower decks to aid Maeglin." She did envy this Caribbean undead, with rich black skin, silky wavy hair of the same colour and shining Thai eyes of a clear green colour. And even dough she was petite and cute, she'd seen her in battle and knew she was good in fighting. Beside, she belonged to the ones in the circle of blood and she wasn't mad enough to try anything on any of them. "Watch out! Arrows are coming!" The bone-mage called out. "Form a firing line. Protect the commanders!" He wasn't Rowdain, but the skeleton's telekinetic voices did hear all the same. But that wasn't interesting now. She focused on her rage against Maeglin as she did bring out her sword-crystal, a twin-bladed one, and dashed into battle. It was like that traitor had expected this to happen. He had gattered the troops he could and was now doing what he could to keep them back from the control-centre. She would do whatever it took to tear Maeglin's hearth from his body.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
They did walk down the corridor. The beautiful kaleidoscope of ice and the shining stalagmites almost went unnoticed as they passed by. First Marina had left them, then Ursula and Marcia was killed. Sithish had died while protecting them and now Victor was dead. Edward looked like he was prepared to cry Saria tried to comfort him, but it didn't look like it was helping much. Torah did look like she was unharmed by all the death she'd seen, but there was something dark in her eyes she hadn't seen before. To her surprise, it was Adrian who tried to comfort her. "Kiss them!" The snap of a command forcefully broughther out of her thoughts. "Snake-charmers." Adrian coldly said as he drew his blade. "Be careful, they are not to be underestimated." As he said so, a swarm of snakes did crawl towards them. The telepaths controlling them was where Egyptian vampires dressed in antic jewellery and black sleeveless silk-dresses with splits gowing all up toward their hips, leeving their feets free to move in swift attack-motions. For a short moment, she almost thought the jewellery actually was snakes. She shook her heads, knowing that she only tried to not thinking about the worms. She was afraid of snakes, she'd bean so since she was little. She grasped her cross and tried to focus her mind. She cracked her whip at the advancing snakes and the power of the crest of sapphires and the snakes became surrounded with blue light and they cracked into tiny ice-shards. "Sunburst of the first Dawn!" Torah blasted at the other snakes, while Saria concentrated her magic, she could feel things like that now, and fired arrows empowered with magical energy at the worms they dadn't destroyed. But it was Adrian and Edward who dashed beyond them and attacked the snake-charmers. "Cover us." She called at the dryad and the little sorceress as she ran to aid the men. One of the vampires jumped before her and she looked down in clean reflex. She felt how twin-beams of fire blasted clean across her head. She lifted her head and the vampire kissed her. The undead's lips burned against her, it was the first time another woman, if the vampire could be called that, had kissed her. "Love me." The vampire temptingly whispered. She lowered her head to kiss her again and then noticed her cross. The scream of the foul creature almost made her go deaf but she was able to swing her whip as she summoned the powers of the crest of rubies. The whip cracked the vampire in her breast and a bright red light absorbed her. When it disappeared, the vampire was also gone. "Sunburst of the first Dawn!" Torah's spell did blast away the snakes some of the other snake-charmers did send at her. She swung the whip across her head in a complete circle as she ended the non-life of another vampire who dashed at her. "Ice-skaters are coming, becare of ice-magic!" Adrian pierced the body of another vampire as more vampires, dressed in fur-trimmed black tunics, white leather-trousers and slender black boots with skaters upon them. Swords and long daggers rested in their hands and their dancing was gracefull and deathly enough to make her roll out of reach for the nearest one. A golden-haired beauty who did bring some of the envy she'd felt when she first met Lenore returned to her. She shook her head and again tried to focus. This time she didn't had time to summon any of her magical force, although the whip did its work well. The blonde vampire did dash at her with her swords at the ready. She swung her whip again and caught her left hand in a deathly grip as she threw her holy water at the vampire. She concentrated on her connection to the crest of yellow gold and a wave of golden water splashed over the vampire did burst into fire. A look of celestial peace went over her face before she went up in her final decay. She took a brief moment to smile in hope of the girl being forgiven for her sins, before another swarm of snakes came at her. She swung her whip at them and threw yet another vial of holy water. But even dough she managed to destroy half of them, they where still coming at her. Then Adrian and Edward came running at them with their swords at the ready. "Sunburst of the first Dawn! Vigour of spirit!" They where all growing more powerful, it was all so clear to her now. The shining blasts of fire and spirit did blast the attacking snakes into oblicion. She didn't like it, it was like blasting birds with a bazooka, but they didn't have time to think further about that. She rouse her head and gazed. It looked like the vampires was retreating. "I don't get it." Edward scratched his head under his hat. Adrian nodded. "They still had a fair possibility to defeat us, so why?" She shrugged. "We'll have to see." The boys gave her a lok, then nodded. Torah and Saria came over to them and she gave them a short version of what they'd agreed on. The two younger women nodded and they went forward.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
Kishman gave his commander a nod. "I will stay down here my lord. I have sent up all the troopers you sent down here and only locals is left." Lord Maeglin nodded, he was sure the darkside smiled under his hood. "Of course young Kishman, you may do what you wish. Now that my enemies are here I free you from my command. May Satan give you power." He nodded and returned the salute. The hologram vanished and he threw away his holo-ring and destroyed it under his boot. He looked at the new servants where they lay sleeping. He did really look forward to seeing this. He changed into a coil of mist and drifted away.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
The cavern was enormous. With the tapestries, wall-paintings and statues of the entrance hall, but here it was the piled treasure laying everywhere. She could only shook her head. It was like in the tales grandmother Yoko had told her when she was little. Well, she looked at Alicia and the other grown-ups, younger she corrected herself. Then it was the dragon, a towering creature with giant wings and silver-white shells. She was beautiful and even so, she was changed to the floor with strange crystalline links. Then there was the carcasses laying in the shining piles. Rotting and ugly as death could be. High up, on a gallery on the far wall, white-fured were-foxes armoured in silvery armours and with other creatures shrouded in black and lizardmen and vampires standing here and there in the gathering. What was they waiting for? "Humans," The white dragon began. "do not underestimate them." Before any of them could ask what it was all about, Hell broke loose. The dragon corpses rouse to a sitting position. Empty eye-sockets looked upon them with burning blue flames of the black magic they'd bean brought back to life through. "So this is what they did plan." Alicia brought out her whip, as Edward and Adrian brought out their swords, Saria placed an arrow at the bow. She took a deep breath and then opened herself to the magic force inside herself. An orange orb of magical energy appeared in her hands. Then the dragon zombies made their first move. The one to the left opened its mouth and fired of ball after ball of blue fire. She screamed as the fireballs, sized like a horse, and Adrian did his move to counter. "Crimson shield!" Swarm after swarm of bats did appear to deflect the vampire against the fire. But it was the other one who really made her eyes grew vide. It turned its head in a full-circle motion and fired off orb after orb of solid black energy which exploded nearer and nearer Alicia and Edward. Then she smiled. Alicia swung her whip and a flying phoenix from the silvery-chains and blocked the evil energy. Edward's attack wasn't less impressive. He rouse his blade and a horde of firing sword-blades rocked from his blade and dug into the dragon zombie. Not that it had any other effect than that it ceased fire. But the first zombie wasn't finished with her, Saria and Adrian yet. It breathed a heavy wave of fire. "Crimson shield!" Again Adrian countered the attack and she decided to join in the battle. "Sunburst of the first Dawn!" She spread her hands and the same orange explosive fire bursted from her and the two powers clashed against each-others. She focus her mind in an effort to remember what her grandmother had thought her about necromancy. Not that it had bean much, she hadn't liked necromancy more than other whiterobes did. It was something about crystals placed in the proper patterns for the spell to generate a portal between the planes and… She ran toward the piles of treasure and started looking for those tiny objects she knew must be there. "Star bow!" Saria ran behind her and did quick work of the skeletons who rouse from the glittering piles. She just had to find them if they where to defeat these things. The destruction of the crystals wouldn't destroy the dragons, but it would hinder them in resurrecting themselves again and again. She smiled as she finally found it, or at least one of them. It looked like multiply crystalline spikes grown together like a shining flower. A group of skeletons and walking corpses did rise to hinder her in destroying it. "Orbs of sorcery!" She did a full circle motion as she blasted away the group and Saria fired a magic arrow at the crystal. It shattered into shining pieces and she was thrown far back as it did so as a ill-smelling chilling wind did blew her in the face. But she didn't have time to think about that now. She ran for the next one, or at least where her memories told it should be.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
She ran toward the huge spiral staircase at the centre of the room, placed just between the two dragon zombies with Adrian just behind her. Edward had decided to join Torah, whatever she was going at. She swung the whip at the walking corpses and skeletons who rouse from the piles of treasure to hinder their path. "Ball of destruction! Crimson lightning!" Adrian blasted them into oblivion and they finally reached the stairs. But that wasn't the end of their problems. Bone dragons and pillar of bones did stand with different length here and there along the stairs. "Come to my aid my familiars!" Adrian summoned the sword, fairy and demon familiar with one swift motion with his hand and they started a furious attack on the enemies before her. She ran up the step and Adrian was close behind her shouting orders to his familiars. It was when they reached the top of the pillar that it happened. A cage fell from above and trapped them just as nice as it would have trapped mices in a trap. Even the sword and demon familiar was captured with them. Only the fairy familiar was outside the cage. "So at last you have delivered what whe have agreed on." A coil of mist came drifting from the gallery and changed into a skeletal vampire in black slange-cape and a high hat from the Victorian era. "OF course. I promised you I could." The fairy familiar did drift toward the vampire. She pressed her glasses to her eyes and gazed at the tiny shining creature. "You betrayed me." Adrian said with a voice colder than she'd ever heard before. "I did trust you and you did this to me." "Forgive me master." The fairy said. "I did it to keep you safe. By your father's side none will threat you ever again." The vampire smiled and then lifted his hand and the fairy was suddenly trapped within a crimson crystal. Another vampire dressed in a black hood and cloak hid the crystal within his cloak and he bowed against them. "My name is Nikita Kishman, darkside of the dark lord's new order. You, young master is to be escorted to your father." A gleeful smile appeared on his face as his eyes went over her body. "While you, will be a nice dinner for me and my servants." The other vampire who'd taken up the crystal smiled and actually licked his lips. While Adrian again rouse his voice to argue with them, she instead closed her eyes and tried to focus her mind inward and started praying to God and the guardian angels of the elements. It was like the two brothers and the red-haired feminine angel for her inner gaze. "By Christ our savior, let it be." She called out and her whip shined with the combined power of sapphire, yellow gold and rubies. The whip struck the bars of the cage with a singing sound and the metal changed into clear glass, but it wasn't destroyed. Kishman laughed evily at her. "We made the cage of fairy crystal." He smirked. "None of your powers will work on it. Soldiers!" His call made bats appear and coils of mist drift towards them, turning into snake-charmers, ice-dancers, only that they didn't have any skates on them now, and other vampires dressed in the same black hood and cloakes Kishman's aid was shrouded in. She didn't notice them. Her mind was searching for a memory she couldn't find. Where has she last heard about fairy crystals? Then it clicked and she grabed at her breast-poecket. She opened the envelope and brought out the crystals Marcia had left behind when she passed away. "Place them in a complete circle." Adrian said. She didn't ask him how he knew about these things and only did as he told her. "Now, place a piece of your God inside the circle," She carefully placed a piece of the Host inside the circle. "then sprinkle them whit holy water. See to that you sprinkle the liquid in a perfect good star around it." She completed the build up of the spell and Adrian smiled at her. "Demon familiar, blast them!" As the little demon started to blast the vampires with tiny fireballs and rapid blasts of plasma, he turned to her again. "Your crests, summon their power and command it by The One." Af first she didn't know what to do, then she again focused on her connection with the elements and presented their powers by focusing them through her whip. Then she did the sign of the cross. "Please God," She whispered. "give me strength." Then a sudden blast of whitish gold and shining silver blinded her. When she could see again, Marcia fluttered before her, dressed in a gown of the purest white and with a shining aura of gold and silver. "Thank you Alicia." The fey said, smiling up at her. "You're truly my friend."

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
She peeked out from one of the giant statues. The dragon zombies had stopped firing at them, but that was only because other soldiers now had started attacking them here. A bone-musket got a look of her and knelt down to fire a shot with its ancient-looking musket and nearly blasted her head off hadn't it bean for Saria who dragged her back just as the bullet shot past her. As the bone-musket was reloading its weapon, she summoned one of her magical orbs and blasted the creature out of existence. She took a deep breath. If her grandmother was right, or if she remembered correctly, there where twelve crystals for each of those enormous undead. So far she'd destroyed seven of those crystals and she was still looking for more of them. "Get down!" Edward threw his boomerang-cross right at a were-skeleton who dashed at them. He missed and the dead were-cat countered by throwing a flaming dish right at them. With a snarl on his bierded face which almost made her run away he swung his blade right at the dish and cut it into pieces. The were-skeleton wasn't finished with them yet. It lifted its body tall into the air and threw off all its rib-bones at them in an impressive spread-shot. "Go!" He shouted as he swung his blade to destroy the bones and threw his dagger at the head of the creature. She gave him a look before she did as he said. Saria was close behind her with a pained look on her face. Just them two of the lizardmen attacked them. "Orbs of sorcery!" "Star bow!" With two quick spells they did short work of them and she ran at a spiky object shining in the pile of gold and jewellery. It wasn't another crystal, but rather, another orb. It shone with a clear orange, blue and white glow. She carefully lifted it to inspect it more closely and it shattered and became absorbed by her very soul or so it felt. She didn't know how this was possible, but now she had another tread to her inner source of power. "Being of life!" She cast the spell and thre bone-soldiers coming at her was sent flying across the hall and cracked when they hit a statue further away. "That's a tread to the forest temple you have there." Saria softly said. "Dryads have to train for years to open channels to that legendary place. These crystals must really be powerful." She nodded. "Rmember what Adrian said. These things are seeds of chaos, which means that what not normaly happens do happens either way." "Get up girls, don't have time for small-talks now." Edward came running at them with two shadow-dancers close on his tracks. Saria fired her bow, but the silver-fured were-foxes merely seamed to melt into shadows and disappear. "Find the crystals Fernandez and do it quick. Our friends seams to need some help up there." Not that she'd seen any signs of battle coming from up there, but she got his point clear. She started piling through the treasure as fast as she could. "Over there, I saw some crystals over there!" The white dragon called at them. She didn't have time to thank the ancient creature as she ran clear over the hall toward where she now could see some of the crystals shine in black now that she'd brought them in unbalance. She hadn't noticed that before but now that she saw it, the understanding just came to her through supernatural way. She now understand what Yoko had meant when she said that when being around the demon castle strengthened your abilities and gave you knowledge just by being near magical beings or objects inside the castle. Another were-skeleton did dash at them, joined by two shadow-dancers. If it was the same two as before or if there where two new ones, she didn't care knowing.

Caverns Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
Marcia did look on the crystals like she wanted to destroy them through shear steering. "Rebirth of light!" It was just a tiny point of light, or so it looked, but when it hit the cage, it sung like a giant's hammer had hit it and crashed into shards which flew everywhere and then vanished into nothingness. "By the power of God!" She did the sign of the cross and dashed at Kishman who jumped to the side and lost his hat in the jump, but that wasn't important as she cracked her whip right at his head. He vanished into a coil of mist and she washed it with a vial of holy water and it burst into flames. The other vampires teleported away as fast as they could, but not even that was interesting just now. The dragon zombies gazed down upon them with burning blue fire where their eyes should've bean. She took a deep breath then prepared her whip. Adrian was at her side, with his blade at the ready and with his sword and demon familiar prepared for anything. She didn't know what he'd done with his fairy familiar, but didn't want to know. She hadn't forgotten that the tiny familiar had betrayed them. The left zombie breathed a heavy wave of fire at them and Adrian deflected it. She brought out a vial of holy water at the right one just as it started blasting off orbs of grey energy at them. "We've destroyed the crystals who kept the inballance of death and the girls ar trying to free the dragon." Edward came running up the steps, but shut-up when he noticed they where indulged in battle. He just drew his sword and threw his boomerang-cross at the dragon zombie she'd hit with the holy water, not that it looked any weaker by that. The throwing-cross split into a swarm of crosses and did create burning wounds erupt on its body. "If only Victor could've bean here now." She said as she threw her holy water at the zombie and focused on her connection to the crest of rubies and tiny tornado-shaped water did flush over the zombie's head. The dragon roared and a spread-shot of grey orbs did blast over the platform and created small explosions appear. "Crimson shield!" Adrian did rush at them to create a shield of bat-shaped energy-orbs. She noticed that the other dragon zombie had lost some of its flesh, but wasn't destroyed by far. "Star bow!" "Sunburst of the first Dawn!" Arrows empowered with magical energy pierced into the right zombie just as orange sun-shine struck down in the left one and made its flesh burn. The dragon zombies roared ind pain and furry as they fired long heavy breaths of fire or orbs of grey energy which exploded when they hit either the pillar-floor or Adrian's shield. She leaped across the platform and whipped one of the dragon zombies in the head and actually felt how its power became dappled as it hit home. Edward dragged her right backward as the other one blasted a wave of grey orbs right at where she'd bean just seconds ago. She gave him a smile before she resumed battle. It would be a long battle and she didn't have time for small talks.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
Slowly he walked up toward the holocams, before he knelt and she did knelt alongside him. They where bought dressed in the darkside's black cloak, and she felt comfortable about it, like this was like it should be. Before them the face of lord De Reis looked down upon them. "Again you come before me lord Vengeance." She had grown custoumed to that they, as darksides, had secret names to not give away power to those who could name them. Lord De Reis broke into her thoughts. "You have a new apprentice I see." His aristocratic calmness allways impressed her, as it had did since the first time she met him the day before. "My lord, meat my new apprentice, lady Rage." Her master formally said. She new he'd given her that name since she was so good with fire-magic and that her rage against Maeglin was her prime source of power. "Wellcome to the rank of the darksides in the new order lady Rage." De Reis calmly said. Then her master continued. "I have dire news my lord. The dragons have escaped. Three eggs is all we have left. Even though those who oppose us will be sure to search for them, commander Reich is leading a group of soldiers with them towards you now. But my lord, Meaglin has manage to elude us somehow. Reich has resumed command of the remaining soldiers to me. My orders are to find him and arrest him and those loyal to him." De Reis looked down upon them with an unmoveable face. She was proad she did manage to stay just as cold an emotionless as him and her master. "You have done well lord Vengeance. Go forth and serve Lord Dracula and the new order." Vengeance nodded. "Yes my lord. Hail der Graf!" She joined the salute. When the hologram did vanish, she turned to look on her master. "You didn't tell him that Maeglin has barricaded himself inside the control centre." His hand rouse silenced her. "No need to report that until we can tell him that we have taken good care of them." She nodded. "Of course master." But in her hearth she was not so sure.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
He lifted his crucifix and summoned his Belmont power by praying to God for permission. He swung his sword and a wave of golden fire blasted from him and washed over the dragon zombie. It countered with a even greater force. The grey orbs was nothing he would like to be struck with. He rouse the sword into the ground as he threw the boomerang-cross and smiled as he saw it split into a myriad of burning golden fire bursted into the dragon zombie and golden blasts struck down from above as they did so. He'd noticed that he could add more power to his weapons by rising his sword into the air while he focused his mind toward God. And another thing he'd notice was another nice trick. He dug his blade into the ground, it did actually penetrated the stone-floor, and chilling winds and lightning bolts spread out all around him. It had costed one of the dragon zombies claws, but it had also sent his friends running for cover the first time he used them, but now it looked like they took it like a natural thing. Not that their powers hadn't precisely reduced themselves. Alicia swung her whip, empowered with ice and the flames the dragon zombie blasted at her froze and shattered into tiny pieces. "Winter's hearth!" Torah executed the spell and it started snowing over the undead dragon. Adrian came them to assistance just as the dragon started blasting them with grey fireballs. The vampire summoned a shield of energy-bats and deflected the deathly energy. His demon familiar started blasting off tiny fireballs just as he threw his boomerang cross right at the dragon zombie. He used his sword to summon more energy and tried to focus on another attack, or rather, a special target for his attack. The dragon zombie understood what he was going at just a second to late. He buried his blade into the ground and a solid wave of energy-rings blasted from hin and cut right through the skull of the dragon just as the cross cut through the creature's throat. The creature roared and then burst into fire just as he regained the cross. He knelt and thanked God as it happened, he'd bean afraid that they couldn't destroyed these creatures. But the other one was as ready as ever and, that he was sure of, it had grown more powerful than before. If it had absorbed the other one's powers or not, he didn't care. They would have to do what they had to do. Just then, the undead dragon lifted up in the air, it didn't fly, it just elevated, but that was bed enough at is was. "Sunburst of the first Dawn!" Torah did spread her hands and a wave of intense orange fire went from her like a tornado with her as it's core. She screamed as if somebody was pinning her with swords. He couldn't help her, nobody could help her. Saria had fainted earlier and Adrian was taking care of her as best he could, Marcia was aiding him in that, he could only pray for the best. Alicia summoned a rain of spiritual holy water which seamed to give greater force to Torah's fire and he did what he could to aid them as he summoned so much power as he could. He dug his blade into the ground and lightning blasts and chilling winds spread from him as they hit the other powers and washed over the flouting dragon zombie. The explosion made him shudder and the winds, burning like wild-fire, threw him far back and threw him hard into the pillar's floor. Darkness took him.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
She did sat on the floor. She, Adrian and Marcia had prepared beds in the piled treasures for Saria, Edward and Torah. Although Torah was still conscious, she'd completely drained herself with her final spells. She did wander away, Marchia did flutter arraound her head again, to where the dragon nested with her eggs carefully protected underneath her. The chains linking her to the ground had vanished as they'd destroyed the two zombies. "This worries you?" The dragon asked her. She nodded. "If the troopers return we cannot defeat them." "I understand. Being of life." The spell was far more powerful than Marcia's had bean, she was blinded by the overwhelming bright light. When she could see again, The others where on their feet and looking like they where healthy and ready for battle. She shook her head, how in God's name could this Maeglin ever have captured someone this powerful? "I will go to live with my kinds. They did capture three of my children and there is nothing I can do. May The One be with you and protect you and your friends." Even dough the words sounded true, she saw tears in her eyes. "I swear I'll save them if I ever find them." The dragon smiled down at her. "You underestimate the powers of darkness." Then she was gone and they where alone in the hall, only the treasure and the huge statues and tapestries where left to tell that this once had bean the nest of a dragon. She turned to her friends and noticed that Adrian was right behind him. "Do not mourn for her Alicia. She did pay the price for becoming a part in this war." She shook of his hand and turned around. "I'll keep my promise if I can. Ursula died to save this dragon and the dark ones wanted her and that proves they deserve it. Let's go. She told Saria and Torah that the spell cast over the stairs now where lifted and that it would lead them up to the centre of the command-area. Adrian was so cold sometimes, she promised that she would never become that cold.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
"My lady," She did turn around and felt how fear washed over her. "hove is the battle preceding?" They knew it, how they knew it she didn't knew, but that wasn't interesting just about now. Her master was killed and so was the vampires Van Deer Hawk had left to assist them. Gerard, the bone-mage, was her only surviving warlord she had left. The two black wanderers looked upon her with empty hoods and gloved hands caressing battle-axes, the weapons they liked to use. Even with her new-found powers she didn't have a chance against these two. The forgotten princess of Hessen and the chief-advisor of Oldenborg was the two the warlock-lord trusted the most. She shook her head and fell down on her knees. From the corner of her eye she saw Gerard do the same. "Maeglin has gained the trust of to many of the soldiers and we are on retreat to the upper grounds. But if you have more troops with you or…" "Arrows are coming!" She dropped herself to the floor as a storm of arrows came flying at them. "Where are those destroyers?" She cursed at the tecno-soldiers of her side. "They're coming my lady." The lizardman said. "They'll be here soon." Just then six weels came rolling down the tunnel and recoiled and sat six legs into the ground and then spider-like humanoids upper-bodies did appear up from the upper portions and started blasting away with twin-turet hand-blasters. Just them other droids did recoil and the dish itself rouse to form the body of a real spider. She smiled as she recogniced the I and II type models of the destroyer-droids. "Rebirth of death." It was merely a whisper, but grey lightning-bolts did blast from their hands just as the droids started blasting off their missiles and rockets toward the enemy soldiers. The spider-women and bone-muskets did return fire, aided by bone-archers and other black-robed lizardmen with twin-lasers of their own models. She again brought out her sword-crystal and activated it and dashed at the enemies, gathering the soldiers around her as she wung the energy-blades deflecting laser-bolts, musket-bullets and arrows. Gerard was at her side, using his magical staf to swing asaide the attack, black lightning saw to that, and blasted off grenade-like skull-heads. A scream from behind the enemies made them drop their weapons and rise their heads over their heads. "What's going on?" She demanded to know, already having an idea what the answer would be. "Maeglin is dead. The Belmonts have killed them." She nodded and deactivated the sword-crystal. She smiled. Finally, it was over.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
Something was wrong, she could feel it. Then she noticed it and stopped dead in her tracks. "The ice is gone." Edward nodded. Adrian looked around him and then drew his sword. She prepared her whip. The treasure lay still, the water the frozen stalagmites and stalactites had left when they melted. She took a step and the water splashed around her foot. Adrian looked like he'd just noticed his friends hated him, or so she could've looked if she've noticed that. "The water is rising again, but how it is possible?" Marcia fluttered before her face as she spoke. "This Maeglin is a magical mastermind. He resurrected the dead dragons and formed a link to their minds and cast the winter-spell through them. Even dough we would destroy them, he would harvest the power he used to resurrect them, making himself more powerful." Adrian nodded, she shook her head. "This's very interesting, but I think it's best we move upward. I don't know if this is Maeglin's doing or not, but the water is flooding in again." Just as she said this, the gates shot close. "The galleries might still be open." Edward said, pointing at another door which looked to be the only way out. She nodded although this felt like a trap, it was their only choice. As they plashed through the water, Adrian had taken the form of bats to not get hurt, enemies began to reappear. But this time it wasn't bone-soldiers who did attack, lizardmen and fishmen rouse from the water. "How is this possible?" Edward threw his cross and although the fishman he'd gone at did try to jump away, it became split into pieces. She cracked her whip at at another fishman as Saria fired an arrow from from her bow and Torah jumped at the lizardmen with her racor-rings at the ready. The dragon had returned health to their bodies, but their magical powers where still dappled from the battle against the dragon-zombies. But even as they destroyed the final fishmen, other fishmen and lizardmen rouse from the water who now had reached all the way up to their mid-sections. Suddenly the sword-familiar appeared and started attacking their enemies. "Thank's Adrian." They ran for the steps.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
He took a moment's rest as they reached the top of the first stair. This vertical shaft did have the same problem as that he and Adrian had fought through before they met up with the others. Since the strange light from the ice now was gone, Marcia's glow now was their only source of light. He shook his head and turned to face his friends. "My question is an interesting one so I'll repeat it. How has fish and lizardmen managed to get up here?" Adrian seamed to ponder the question, but Saria didn't even blink. "The nest lies so deep that they actually reached the water-caves at the bottom of the power-plant. The ice must've blocked the water and now that bought the spell has bean lifted and since the dragon has left, the ice no longer is cept frozen and the water floods in." He nodded, the dryads felt how the elements, the ones keeping a forest alaive at least, and should know what she talked about. "Thank's Saria." He almost shyly caressed her breasts, she pressed his hands against them, then four fishmen jumped up from the water and spewed poisonous liquid at them. He brought out his cross and threw it at them just as Alicia threw a vial of holy water and Adrian fired down parallel bolts of crimson lightning. The cross returned to him and he grabbed it and brought it back down in his poecket. He watched down at his belt and shook his head. He didn't have any crystals left, but even so he would use the cross even dough he would have to be careful not to miss it. But more fishmen and lizardmen was jumping at them so he drew his sword instead and focused his mind towards God. "Star bow!" Saria fired arrows empowered with magical energy and the mutated fish-life fell burning back down into the water. She blew him a kiss before they started running again. Bone dragons blocked their way as the pillars of bones did blast away fireballs and heavy flames. His sword pierced the skull of a bone dragon and had to jump as one of the bone pillars blasted a wave of fireballs at him. "Star bow!" Saria was right behind him, firing arrows at the pillars of bones. "Crimson lightning!" Adrian summoned crimson bolts of parallel lightning, destroying more bone dragons. Torah and Alicia did cover up their backs, taking care of the fishmen and lizardmen coming at them. He brought back his sword and they again started running again. Then he cursed, the door at the top was a solid metal-door. If only Victor had bean alive, he would know how to open it. Then he smiled and brought out one of the few set-bombs he still had left. "Run!" He shouted as he set it off and ran down the stairs. The explosion sent him head first into the water. He bubbled and spit water as he came back up to the surface. The mermaid medallion didn't tutchead his skin. He shook his head and went back up the stairs. "Everything allright?" Saria asked him as they came back up from their watery hide-outs. He nodded and smiled when he saw that the bomb had worked. It had broke through and now there was nothing who hindered them from escaping. As he went out on the gallery, a rock went pass his head. "Get down!" Adrian called. "Rock-knights are here." Possessed black and grey-coloured armours was coming at them. They did carry huge bags on their shoulders which they grabbed rocky boulders from to throw at them. "Not this time!" Alicia came up beside them and held up one of her vials of holy water. He smiled as he saw how the armours withdrew, but then, his smiled died and fear made his blood go cold. Then he heard somebody singing and his blood became warm with desire.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
The water bubbled and flushed as the giant form of the skeleton of one of the dragons they had killed rouse out of the depths. She felt how chills went down her spine as she returned the gaze coming from those empty eye-sockets. "Take a hold on yourself!" Saria said, slapping Edward on his hands as he did gaze upon the ones resting on-top of the centre-platform. Three vampires, three female ones, naked and voluptuous, delicate and seductive. With rich ebony skin, round curves and hard muscles, with flowing hair and eyes which could drink a man's soul. But it wasn't their eyes who could do that. They could steal a man's will, while their voluptuous red lips and shining pearl-white fangs. She almost blushed, no she actually did blush, by looking on them. She did the sign of the cross and brought out the envelope containing her pieces of the Host. "Whores of Satan." She calmly said. "Be gone in the name of Christ." They did merely laugh with clinging silver-bell clear voices. Torah did look upon them with huge eyes "It's so different from how grandmother told me it was." Saria put a hand on her shoulder but she didn't paid attention. She'd heard about the vampire's raw desire for sexual performance but this was the first time she did actually see it. "Fireballs are coming!" Adrian's call got her out of her reverie and jumped to the side as the dragon skeleton did blast away a wave of tiny grey fireballs. She did stare as she noticed they exploded when they hit the ground, but she didn't have much time to think as the dragon skeleton blasted away heavy flames at them. "Let's speak about love!" The trio of vampires did jump right over the water and onto the platform. She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw leathery wings, pointed airs and sharp animal-claws on feet and fingers. She shuddered, then put the envelope back inside her pocket and cracked her whip at the first one who did jump high into the air and the second vampire attacked her. It opened its full crimson lips and breathed three quick successive fireballs at her. She threw a vial of holy water at her and she vanished into a swarm of bats. There where strange what you did notice in battle, she saw that Edward didn't had his hat on and wondered where it was. She also noticed that the black vampires didn't was complete duplicates of each-others. The one who was coming at her now was a petite black statue with silky hair, while the two climbing on the ceiling was bigger more African types, she shook her head. A vial of holy water quickly appeared in her hand and threw it just at her. As the vampire did vanish into mist, she turned around and cracked the whip right into the face of the one who'd jumped right up when she'd first attacked her. She burst into flames, but some of the bats managed to escape her attack. She summoned the power of the crest of rubies and red blobs of water spread out all around her, but even now some of the bats from the vampires did manage to avoid her. "Star bow!" Saria was at her side and fired away arrow after arrow empowered with magical powers. She smiled and then summoned the power of the crest of rubies again.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
Torah sung and the water froze. He smiled as he and Adrian did jump right down upon the ice-cap and although the ice broke up into blocks and bergs of ice, it was still good enough for their needs. He did strongly want to help Alicia and Saria, but he knew he would have to do this and beside, Torah ran to help them. He was a little mystified by that the ice didn't melt, but he didn't asked as long as it held. "Crimson hurricane!" Adrian summoned a crimson rain of lightning down over the dragon skeleton. It roared without sound and blasted a wave of grey energy which made the water look like sewer. "Death." Adrian calmly said. "He uses the element of death without carring the consequences." He nodded and rouse his blade right into the air and threw his bommerang-cross and focused his mind towards God. "Now." He heard the calm voice inside his head, he smiled and let loose the energy. Rays of golden energy struck down seemingly from everywhere as the cross splitt into countless duplicates of itself and became empowered with more golden energy. The dragon roared and blasted of fireballs of grey energy and Adrian created a shield of crimson bats, before he spread his cloak and unleashed a swarm of blue bat-inhabited fireballs. He pointed the sword right outward and lightning bolts and chilling winds flew from him and hit the dragon skeleton right in its middle-ribs and giant bones spread all over. Some of the shards hit him and made blood oozed from him and he screamed in pain. "Reflected shadows!" Adrian executed the spell and pillars of shadow appeared all around the vampire and blasted at the dragon skeleton did roar again and more bones spread all over the place and skeleton started falling apart. He threw his boomerang-cross again and used the final crystals he'd managed to gather along their wild run as the golden energy broke the dragon skeleton into pieces. But that wasn't the end, the neck and head flouted free from the sinking remains of the skeleton and roared with such force that he actually heard him. He took a deep breath and preppeared himself for the final round, or so he hoped.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
She cracked the whip, taking out one of the steam-blasts the smallest of the three black vampires had sendt her way. Marcia fluttered around her head and took care of the smaller bats they did summon to throw them off balance. Saria was at her side, firing off arrows at the bats and had even killed one of the three. Torah was also there, blasting of orb after orb of magial energy. Had it not bean for her, they would most likely have bean overthrown. "Vigour of spirit! Sunburst of the first Dawn!" It still surprised her how powerful the little girl was, but the result did destroy not only yet another wave of bats but also the other of the grander black vampire. "Soul death!" The final vampire did blast of a huge dish-like wall of grey steam. "Winter's hearth!" Torah countered with a tiny blue hearth-shaped sphere which exploded like some sort of nuclear-bomb. When she could see again, the black vampire staggered backwards and then burst into fire. She recoiled the whip and turned to where Adrian and Edward where battling the bone dragon king, it that was what she could call it now since it have came from the dragon skeleton. She shook her head and brought out the chain-whip and brought out her vials of holy water. "Watch out!" Saria shouted. "The rock-armours are back again!" She for a moment didn't know what to do, then made her decision. "You and Torah takes out the knights and whatever else might show up." The dryad and her half-sister nodded and she ran at the ice-bergs on top of the water's surface. Her first vial hit the bone dragon king right in the head and spine-bones did spread all over the place. "Maeglin have not drained this creature of its power." Adrian calmly said in his usual ice-cold aristocratic manner. "No, tell me?" She dryly commented as she summoned the power of fire manifested it around the whip and swung it at the spine-bones. "Drop yourself!" Edward called as he threw a blurry of throwing-crosses surrounded with green energy. "Watch out Edward!" Saria's voice did brake off his attack as the bone dragon king started blasting of small blue orbs. There they hit the ice, they exploded and made ice and sparking energy fly everywhere. She screamed as ice-shards tore into her leg and coloured her simple grey trousers with crimson. Torah did jump from ice-cap to ice-cap and hit down beside her and put her hands upon her. She gasped as the pain of the wounds burst through her body. She was a little shivering as it subsided, but the wounds where healed. "Balls of destruction! Crimson lightning!" She felt how her eyes grew wide as the bone dragon king did breathed heavy fireballs and more exploding orbs which did actually destroyed Adrian's attack. "Sunburst of the first Dawn! Winter's hearth!" Torah did stand tall and executed the spells with a grim look upon her face. More spine-bones did fly all around and bought she and Edward was hit. The bone dragon king dove into the water and disappeared. "Now," Adrian coldly said. "we will be patience." Torah did put his hands upon them while holding the laurels in the other. But beside of the pain and shuddering resulting by the healing, she didn't paid it any real attention. "There." Saria suddenly shouted, pointing her hand out on the dim cave. Suddenly the bone dragon king appared and breathed a devastating wave of fire. She threw a throwing-axe she'd found inside a candle-stand, hitting the bone dragon king square in the head, making bones spread all over the place. "Crimson lightning!" Adrian took care of the flying bones just as Torah and Saria did attack it. She jumped to fetch the axe and was thrown right into one of the ice-caps by the flying bones. "Sunburst of the first Dawn!" That was the pay-off, or so she hoped. The storm of orange fire did blast the from Torah's very being and washed over the bone dragon king. Its spine did fall from the skull and fell burning down into the water. "Don't just stand there!" Edward shouted as he was channelling energy into his sword. "It's now the real battle begin." She gave him a look, then dropped herself flat down on the ice-cap as the skull of the bone dragon king did blast a heavy wave of fire. "This is it." Edward mumbled and sent away a blur of burning sword-blades. She screamed as one of the exploding spheres did hit her and threw her clear over the ice-cap and into the water.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
"Where's Marina when you really needs her." He mumbled for himself as he dived into the water. The mermaid medallion gave him the power to breath underwater. He'd hoped he wouldn't have to use it anymore, but hopes didn't allways come true. Torah was by his side, surrounded by some strange bubble-like sphere. "There she is." He heard her voice in his mind and would've jumped if he'd bean on dry land. Then he shrugged, she was a sorceress after all. He saw where she pointed and swam to fetch her. As his hands grasped around her, he felt how something did blast right beside him. He almost wanted to scream. The other dragon zombie's spine and skull came fluttering toward him as it shot poisonous waves at him. He knew he should've bean pleased by the fact that it wasn't the entire skeleton who attacked him, but it was a little difficult looking on the bright side of things as the bone dragon head continued to blast poison at him. He threw his cross at the bony creature and smiled as he saw spine-bones flout around in the water. "Here, take her up to the land." He tried to call out for her and smiled as he heard her answer him. She swam up to his side and grabed around Alicia. He hoped the weight of the whip didn't hindered her in getting her up fast enough. He didn't have time to think further about that as the bone dragon king now was blasting frozen dishes at him. He threw the Bowie and smiled as he saw it split into three and pierce the spine of that undead beast. He thanked God as the Bowie returned to him. As he did so and his thoughts still focused upon God, sword-blades of solid-packed water came blasting from his sword. He knew that earth, spirit and water was the powers he had to his dispose, thanke to God, but he didn't paid the teachings of those crests that much attention. He shook his head. It was strange thoughts which came to your mind as you did battle for your life. He screamed as some of the bones hit his shoulder and made blood spread out from him. HE felt how chills went down his spine. It there where any sharks left they would surely be attracted by the blood. He bit his teeth together and did instead blast away more water-blades at the bone dragon king. "Winter's hearth!" He heard Torah shout the spell inside his mind as frozen shards did came blasting through the water. "Continue!" The Fernandez said. "Adrian and Saria is un top of things up there. They told me to help you." He nodded, although he had some doubt that she couldn't heal his friends if they should need it. He shuddered as some of the frozen water the bone dragon king did blast at him did compact with him. Torah was immediately at his side, making him shudder even more as she healed him. Then he threw the boomerang-cross at the bone dragon king, making more bones fly, or float or wathever, through the water. He could only hope things went better over the water.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
He let go of the spell, the fairies fell down on the bottom of the fountain. HE could see how they cried and gasped of pain. "Who do you serve?" He coldly asked them. The mother fairy, a fey in full human size, gave away her power, soothing her children's pain. "The One." She defiantly answered. He nodded and again executed the spell. "Evil chaos." It was something he'd learned by joining the dark lord. Even dough the servants of light denied it, there was a nineteenth element, chaos. When you did combine ol the element of light you got just that, light. But if you where to combine the elements of darkness, chaos was the result. That knowledge had given him a glorious power and he didn't intended to give it all away just because Dracula had cought him while playing out the other servants against each-other to gain more power. The cries of the feys destroyed his concentration. He thought about just killing some of them because of that, but he knew he needed them all to fulfil his wishes. "My lord." He ended the spell and turned around to face the guard. "We are all there's left." The guard said. "When the ice melted they all thought you where dead. Gylldraphe is the new commander of the power-plant, with lord Gerard as her second-in-command." He made a dismissing move with his hand. "So be it. When the fairies give in I will become more powerful than either of them. If you distrust me, you are free to go." The guard nodded and then took some steps back. He smiled as he saw that neither of the guards still loyal to him didn't leave. They where so fateful to his power. He smiled and again executed the spell. "Evild chaos!"

(A.N: This chapter is long and it don't contain the entire battle against the dragon zombies. But I hope you understand I made it this way. And it'll be a time until I return to this part in the tale. Next time it'll be about the other's battle against the dark lord. So, until next time, God with you, as Edward might have put it.)

Chapter 10: The Story Continues | Back to Chapter 8