Part 1: Gathering darkness.

"Do it soon, that you will do."

Chapter 34: "Boss fight"Enchanted Banqueth.
Command ower, underwater lantern. The 21st. of December 2098 A.D.
Lrd Damien Frost stood hidden in absolute blackness. He coud feel his enemies approach. Frost smiled. A smile cold as winter's heart. He felt mistrust and mistrust surround those who could destroy them all. "Ae you ready?" Frost asked. His servants knelt to his command. "Good. Very good." He left the shadows to face the Belmonts.

Command tower underwater lantern. The 21st. of December 2098 A.D.
With his sword at the ready Daniel presued John Kishine into the shadows beyond the door. Ruth and Thomas joined up behind him. John came to a halt and Daniel got his first viewof the general's chamber. Before them, at the other end of the room, stood a single chair. Through the large circular windows they had an exelent view of the underground lake. At the centr of the room stood a single oval holo-projector, shaped into the form of a table. The hologram displaying an image of the lantern was the only source of light. There where nobody there. "I have a bad feeling about this." Daniel nodded. "Metoo John." Thomas retained his man-beast form as Ruth prepared her laser. "Greetings Belmont." The hologram suddenly changed into the image of a blonde vampire. "Long I have awaited your arrival." The hologram smiled, exposing his fangs. "Come." Daniel stepped to stand beside his cousin. "Where are you?" He demanded to know. John opened his mouth to speak as their friends came to stand beside them. "You shall see. But firs, let me introduce my servants." The light came on and from the ceiling 12 destroyer-droids. Pluss, at least a 100 super battle-droids. From behind the chair came a small figure dressed in a black robe and an officer's uniform. Large dark eyes burned with hatred toward them. A heavy mane of raven hair fell all down her back. "It is time." The hologram vanished. Then the hologram-table began to rise. "May God be with you." John said as he vanished above them. "I hope He wll." Daniel grunted. The hatch above them closed and the pillar came back down again. Then the able and the chair vanished into small pockets hidden in the floor. The windows and door became hidden behind black plates o metal. Daniel moved for the others so they might fight back to back. Then the droids opened fire. He summoned frost and the battle was on. Daniel summoned wind to move quick enough to relect the enemy fire. He knew it wouldn't be enough. Ruth settled that problem by unleashing all missiles she had left at the destroyer-droids. She destroyed three of them before they could re-generate their shields to defend against hard rojectiles. That was what Daniel had waited for. "or God and the house of Belmont!" Before the remaining destroyer-droids could react Daniel attacked the three to the right while Thomas went at them to the left. The heavy droids became cut to pieces. Daniel then twist and spun to deflect the umerous other droids. Hidden openings in the walls opened to release even more super battle-droids. From the enemies Ruth must've picked up more missiles. She fired around, blasting several more droids into oblivion. Daniel swung his sword, shouting his war-ry, over and over. He knew one mistake would kill him. So be it! "God and the house of Belmont!" He would die asa warrior if so would be his end.

Command tower, underwater lantern. The 21st. of ecember 2098 A.D.
John Kishine stepped off of the platform which have brught him here. It close and he stood alone in complete darkness. No, not complete darkness. The domed ceiling was all one giant window displaying the dark blue water of the underground lake. Beside of that the room was completely empty. John stepped further outward. Then the dark disc at the centre of the dome opened and several figures fell to the floor. John expected more battle-droids. Instead twowere-panthers appeared to circle him in. It was the third figure which interested him dough. A figure hooded and cloaked in black, almost as himself. John smiled at his own thought and then shook his head. He threw off his own cloakand prepared for battle. "If that is your wish." To ohn's surprise the cloaked figure threw off his own hood and cloak. It was that blonde man he'd seen in the hologram. Beneath his cloak the vampire was protected in a full suit of armour, painted an ice-blue and golden pain. That was no techno-suit. From a hidden pocket in the floor his enemy then summoned a lance of the same colour. John slowly closed his mouth. Nothing was like he'd expected. The vampre bowed. "I am Damien Frost. A candidate for the dark throne and a possible incarnation of the Dark Lord." Damien smiled, exposing his fangs. "Your friend with the computer would be able to tell you I was born in 1999. And I became a vampire in 2035." John returned the bow. "I am John ishine. A hair to the house of Belmont." "I know that." Damien said. "But even so you do not carry the Vampire Killer." His smile became larger. "So you might exuse me for passing on a little test to prove your worth?" Before John could answer Damien wavd at the were-panthers. "Kill him." Without answering one of them kicked for his head as the other leached out with her claws extended. John dropped and rolled to the side. He got back up as one panther attack with a sliding-kick as the second came forward with repeated claw-swipes. John pulled of a back-flip and then sent his throwing-axe at the kicking one. She was cut down just as the second panther sent John to the floor with a double-handed claw-swipe. John could've easily killed her with his magic. But he knew he would have greater use for it when fighting Damien. John then did something he wasn't the least proad of. With all his force he kicked the were-panther between her les. She cried with pain as she was thrown aside. John ten quickly dug his blade into her heart. Then he looked around for Damien. The vampire where nowhere to be een. John then blinked as a giant cloud appeared. Snow began to fall. John shook his head. This was madness. He gathered his bloodline power and saw beyond the obvious. Mist came drifting. Then Damien reappeared. John rought up his sword as his enemy prepared his lance. "You have fought gallantry." Damien smiled, a cold smile, exposing his fangs. John didn't answer. The cold grimace vanished from Damien's face. "It will be a pleasure to kill you." "Be the will of God." John finally said. Damien again vanished. John knew the battle was on.

Command tower, underwater lantern. The 21st. of December 298 A.D.
Piles of shattered droids lay everywhere. Still there where still around 30 or 40 still standing. And among them where still two destroyer-droids. Thomas and Ruth fought back to back. Daniel however was involved in his own combat. "Crimson eyes!" That half-elf flouted in the air and shot parallel beams of red flame from her eyes. No even frost could freeze them. That Daniel had painfully experienced. Instead he'd bee forced to retain to his water magic. Daniel was no expert in mastering water. But his sight skill had so far kept the battle in balance. "Evil dolls!" From nowhere more of those blasted dolls appeared. They threw small ball-like explosive at him. Stabbed with their laws or tried to inflict a cursed state upon him. That last one was actually the most troublesome. Being cursed it slowed Daniel down and made it more difficult to summon his power. But the water magic made him able to lift the curse. Daniel knew it woudn't go on forever. So he suddenly changed his magic and used wind to quickly swing his sword about, cutting the dolls to pieces. "Pearl of shadows" That was a new one. Daniel spun around just as that little witch threw a pitch black orb toward him. "God in Heaven!" It wasn't often Daniel cursed. He brought out his cross and stamped it upon the sword. Bright flam lit up and when the dark ball hit him he cut at it. The evil energy exploded. When Daniel could see again the enemy had just vanished. He looded about. She where nowhere to be seen. Daniel thanked God in his heart and went to aid his friends.

Command tower, underwate lantern. The 21st. of December 2098 A.D.
Damien appeared flouting in the air He stabbed his lance at John. "Ring of frost!" A ringof ice shot at him. John John summoned his bloodline powers and threw his axe at Damien just as he shattered the ring with his burning sword. Due to the armour Damien's heart was protected. That left only his head as a weak spot. Damien teleported like mist. Then he suddenly launched at John with his fangs expsed. John managed just barly to side-step. Then John threw hisdagger. He summoned his bloodline magic and made it split into three. Two of them merely hit the amour and thus fell harmless to the ground. The third however hit Damien in the neck. The vampire screamed and then turned into mist. "Rings of frost!" Damien reappeared and stabed his lance at John. Three-way rings of ice shot forward. John again threw his dagger and made it split into here. "Deathly blizzard!" Damien returned and spread his arms. It began to snow like John haven't experienced before. Strong winds blew snow all about and made it alost impossible to see. John screamed with pain as the first icicles hit home. More and more icicles started to fall. ButJohn soon noticed it was a rather spread attack. He managed to dodge and threw his axe at Damien. He fused it with fre to make it more effective. When Damien tried to dodge John summoned his magic and made the axe split into multiple axes. Damien was hit. John cursed as only one axe hit home. "Tonight's forcast." Where did the voice come from? John looke around, unable to locate his enemy. "Frozen shower!" Suddenly John nearly became hit as four frozen eteors struck down. "Rings of frost!" Ths time it was Damien who triumphed. Two of his rings hit home. John fell to his knees, shivering with intence cold. He gathered himself and summoned his druid power. "Druid flame!" He spread the flames outward and melted the four bloks into water. John got to his feet. Damien where nowhere to be seen. John got into a defencive stance. Then Damien appeared just above him. "Frozen rain!" John ran but Damien presued. John felt how his enemy dropped down icicles in his wake. Things where ot going well at all.

Command tower, underwater lantern. The 21st. of December 2098 A.D.
Luna Saranow felt powerful hands grab her. How by the Dark Lord was they behind her? It should've been impossible. She looked up. Behind her stood a huge man I a brown cloak and big hat. "Come with me." A strick voice demanded. "Who are you?" Luna asked, although sure she wouldn't receive any answer. "Call me Germain." He said. She opened her mouth to ask more questions. The man silenced her. "We don't have time for this. We have to go, now." Suddenly he smiled. "I cannot let Daniel Graves kill you. The Belmont clan needs yu." Aner and hatred whelled up inside her. Luna prepred to attack. Then she noticed they wheren't inside the lantern anymore.

Command tower, underwater lantern. The 21st. of December 2098 A.D.
John thanked God as Damien flew right into the wall. The vampire had been to busy hunting him than to watch where he was going. John used the dagger to score a third hit before Damien became mist again. "Frozen shower!" Four new meteors fell from nowhere. This time John avoided being cornered. Damien almost seemed to have expected it. "Javeline of the winter!" Damien stabbed forward with bough hands and a javeline stabbed all across the room. John dodged. Damien appeared just above where he'd first stabbed at him and sent another javeline at him. John dodged again. And again when Damien appeared even higher and sent a third javeline at him. Piles of shattered ice where everywhere. Suddenly John slipped. "Rings of ice!" Just efore Damien shot John threw his dagger in return. John felt how he became turned to ice. He knew he was dead. Then he summoned all his inner fire, praying to God to save him. Heat returned to him just as his dagger through some miracle hit Damien in the head. John struggled to his feet. He didn't know about his enemy but John felt almost drained. Again he summoned his power. "Druid potion." The healing restored him but not as good as Thomas's healing potions whould do. "Deathly blizzard!" Damien was at it again. John ran as icicles fell all around. John couldn't help but scream as he became hit twice. Damien reappeared and John threw his axe at him. Damien dodged and John again threw his dagger. He summoned his power and made the dagger become a stream of pointed weapons. Two of his daggers hit home before Damien again turned into mist. "Javeline of the winter!" John screamed as first one then two javelins of solid ice stabed at him. He became thrown backward. Although in a slight daze John managed to roll aside as Damien sent a third javeline his way. HJohn got back to his feet. "Rings of frost!" Damien was right in front of him. John summoned his bloodline power and cut the rings to pieces with theaid of his enflamed sword. John continued to strikeright at Damien's lance who shattered. Damien staggered backward. "Rings of frost!" His enemy fired at him. Before John was sent flying backward, all haking with frost. He managed to swing his sword directly at Damien's face. Damien turned to mist and then opened another hidden opening in the floor, summoning another lance. John shuddered. He just couldn't help it. Damien looked terrible with his destroyed face stained with blood. "I salute you." Damien said just as his face became healed. "I will kill you." Damien said ith such cold that John felt real fear in his heart.

Command tower, underwater lantern. The 21st. of December 2098 A.D.
Daniel and Thomas placed themselves before the door. Ruth then had some time to pick up some new missiles and refill er shield's energy tank. Daniel and Thomas have nearly given their livesin the battle. They where powerful, Ruth knew. But this wasn't their type of fight. It wasn't her's either. Hd it not been for the techno-suit they would've been overwhelmed long ago. When the last droids where destroyed the room had returned back to its original state. Well, he table and chair was back. The iron plates had been withdrawn. But the piles of broken machinery didn't blend with the calm which had once ruled this area. "They might only enter two at a time." Daniel said. "Step back." Ruth told them. Thomas shrugged. Then they stepped aside. Ruth stepped over and blasted the instruments beside the door. "That will not stop them for long dough." She admitted. "Quickly." Daniel said. "We have to find the ontrols which rises the table upward." Thomas prepared himself as the battle-droids began punding the door. "Go on!" He encouraged. "I'll take care of this metal buckets." Ruth nodded. "I'm on it." Together she and Daniel began searching.

Command tower, underwater lantern. The 21st. of December 2098 A.D.
John smiled and made the sign of the cross. "John? Can you hear us?" From the load-speaker came the familiar vice of Ruth Van Helsing. "Exuse me." Damien answered in a venomus sweet voice. "This line is chanceled." The vampire roused his lance. "Rings of frost!" Five-way ice-rings shot outward and frozed the machinery to oblivion. "Borring conversation." Damien smiled, exposing his fangs. "Do you not think?" John didn't answer. His friends where alive. In his heart John thanked his God. "They will not save you." Damien attacked. "Javeline of the winter!" John managed to dodge, one, then twice. The third javeline however stabbed at him. Without his armoured plates John knew he would've been dead already. "Rings of frost!" Damien stabbed forward making five-way rings of ice fly forward. John gatherd his bloodline power and threw his dagger forward. John then summoned his druid magic. "Druid fire!" Instead of throwing it forward he istead made the three-prolonged dagger become on fire. "Frozen shower!" Damien made his four meteors fall and thus crushed his projectiles. "Druid fire!" John melted the boulders of ice into water. Then he ran toward Damien. The vampire became mist. "Deathly blizzard!" Icicles rained about but this time John managed to dodge. He summoned his bloodline power to see beyond the obvious. There he was. He again summoned his bloodline magic and threw his axe through the air. Damien dodged. John knew he might would. He continued to run and then jumped just as Damien was about to turn into mist. Before he could vanish, Jon swung his sword. Blood was spilled everywhere. Still Damien somehow managed to avoid oblivion. Damien appeared flouting in the air above John. He knew what was to come and raon. Damien laughed as he made chase. Icicles fall down in his wake. This time he didn't collide with the walls. John was tiered. Soon he could run no longer.

Command tower, underwater lantern. The 21st. of December 2098 A.D.
Daniel stepped over to his friend. "Look." Ruth said. She'd finally managed to break into the cystem of the chair. "I think this is some sort of secret map overlooking the command tower." Daniel shrugged. "What do that tell us unless what we already know?`" Ruth pointed an armoured finger at the top of the tower upon the hologram. "Above the observation deck you find the general's private escape-pad." Ruth then pointed at some controls placed to the left of the chair. "This seems to be the lantern's self-destruct cystem." Daniel nodded. "How much time does it give us?" He asked. One hour it looks." Ruth answered. Daniel smiled. "That would give us plenty of time." "Exse me." Thomas shouted over from the door. "But could you please speed up? Things are a bit out of control here." Piled machinery nearly blocked the door. Hat didn't stop the enemy dough. More super battle-droids continued marching forward. "Always on the move." Daniel muttered. "Wat?" Ruth threw him a glance. "Nothing." Thomas and Ruh went to stand beside the table. Daniel activated the self-destruct device. He then activated the elevator. Daniel got u and ran to his friends just as the elevator began moving.

Commnd tower, underwater lantern. The 21st. of December 2098 A.D.
Damien flouted through the air as icicles dropped from his hands. John suddenly side-stepped and threw his axe at him. Then they bough became thrown off balance. "Detention!" Another com suddenly began blurting. "Detention all crew! Abandon ship! Repeat, abandoned ship! Self-destruct mechanism have been activated 60 minutes enconting!" Damien cursed. "Curse you Belmont!" He then landed and ran toward a small table to one side of the room. He accessed a small computer inset in it and the plate went aside. John wanted to scream. Within the table where five crystl orbs, each containing an organ. Damien brought out a small pendant and cast a spell. A bright flash of light followed. Then only the pendant remained. Damien opened a wound in his hand and then let soe of his blood spit on it. A deep crimson light shone about before subsiding. "I am an possible incarnation of the Dark Lord." Damien turned. John who'd been about to cut him down stopped. The glow in Damien's eyes frightened him. He just couldn't help it. Damien hung the pendant around his neck. "You know what will happen if they are to be destroyed?" John never answered. A portion of the floor slid open an Daniel, Ruth and Thomas appeared. Damien laughed. "Fools!" He shouted. "You do not yet realise who you are up against." He pointed to the ceiling. "Watch." The centre of the dome opened and a group of were-panthers and jaguars fell down to surround the trio. Damien snarled. "Kill them!" He shouted. Then he turned at John. "Rings of frost!" John just barely managed to dodge the five-way rings rings of ice. Dmien became mist and then reappeared somewhere else. "Javeline of the winter!" Again Damien stabbed at him. John dodged and then brought out his secret weapon. The shuriken flew outward and hit Damien as he returned for the second stab. The vampire screamed. Then he stabbed again an John nearly became nailed against the floor. He shuddered with cold and nearly became frozen all over. He summoned his druid magic and managed to melt it. But he had to struggle more than ever before than ever to do so. The battle had lasted to long. John was about to run dry on energy. "Rings of frost!" John ran as another wave of five-directional ice-rings shot at him. John then made flme burn around his axe as he threw it at Damien. The vampire dodged.Then John threw his shuriken. Damien became mist. "Deathly blizzard!" Damien made it snow heavly as a tiny rain of icicles became spread about. John tried seeing beyond the obvious but instead became struck down by icicles. He tried rising but instead fell backward. Damien loomed above him. "You belong to me know." The vampire exposed his fangs as he knelt down. "No." John struck up at him. Damien dodged. As he did so John tore the necklace of the crimson pendant. It fell into his hand. John put it into one of his hidden pockets and again managed to stand. Damien leaped at him and John slashed at him. Damien saved himself only through a diabolically speedy leap backward. Still John's sword scored home. Blood splashed forward. John felt sick as he got some of Damien's blood in his mouth. Damien staggered as he again managed to heal himself. He got nohing for it however. "Now it's my turn." John snarled and swung his blade. Damien tried tododge but then his head became split in two. John swung a second time and Damien's head fell to the ground. "John!" Daniel shouted. "Getaway from there!" John turned, not understanding. Then a powerful blow sent him flying. Damiens corpse had exploded with clear red flame. Black smoke rouse up and foa moment John couldn't breath. It was like Damien laughed in his ear. Then it was all over.

Command tower, underwater lantern. The 21st. of December 2098 A.D.
Thomas helped John over to the table in the centre o the room. Ruth activated the mechanism and they rouse upward. Thomas looked around. They now where inside small bullet-nosed ship, not the least like the three-winged ship they'd first come her in. Ruth and Daniel went to sit at the controls. Thomas couldn't hel but smile. It looked all morbid with Daniel moving the controls, dressed and armoured as he was in weapon-robe and armour. "The ship is pre-programed to land in the cave of waterfalls." Ruth finally said. "Just go there." John ieredly said. "The elves and dwarves might still need our help." Ruth nodded. Thomas set in and fasten his belt. Then Ruth switched the button. The ship sped out from the giant lantern.

"Fire fist", Warakiya. The 22nd. Of December 2098 A.D.
A young lieutenant came running over. "High admiral." He called. "We have a priority signal from the demon castle. The Dark Lord Dracula whishes for you to make contact with him." High admiral Rita Cole acknowledged the messge. "Very good." She turned to her warlord. "You will acompay me, warlord Cody." She turned to her bridge-captain. "Cerry on captain Mitelan." He saluted her. Then they left the bridge.

Inside the high admiral's communication-launge Rita Cole and her wrlord, Roger Cody, knelt. Cole had just activated their end of the link. Then a giant image of the Dark Lord Dracula's hooded face loomed above them. Cole figured if lord Dracula had shown the face of her predecessors she would be less horrified by his presence. She had been in his service all since the 1970s and the Vietnam war. She had been absent during the demon castle war from 96 to 99. "Thou hast served me well." Cole almost didn't understand his ancient Wallachian dialect. "Arest things as I foresaw?" "Yes my lord." The officers echoed one another. "We've received distress-calls from the lantern." High admiral Cole told. "I have sent two mythological squads to secure the retreat of all other forces from Karack Warn." Warlord Cody filled in. "The scientists aboard the war-spider have already secured the captive." The Dark Lord's face was as unmocable as ever. Still the two American vampires felt a certain pleasure well up through the link they and all other undead shared with him. "Good. It hast egun then." Then his gaze fell upon them again. "Thou arrest to rejoin with me. Thou arrest to wait for my servant. He will tell thee what to do." The Dark Lord Dracula then saluted them. Then he wasgone. The warlord turned to he high admiral. "You didn't tell him about the Belmonts." Cole shrugged. "No need telling him what he might already knows." The warlord nodded. They got to their feet. There was still much work to be done. "You are sure they managed to secure all the doctor's technology?" Cody asked. Cole nodded. "They sent all finished robots to us and the other spiders. All data or built prototypes available where inside the escape-pads." "That's good to hear." Cody said. "Indeed." Cole admitted. "When all troops are aboard we'll depart." Codysaluted her. "Yes my lady." They left the room.

(A.N: This chapter is short. Altough I hope you like it. From here this group's adventure is over. For this part of my series. I hope you've enjoyed it all so far. Happy holiday.)

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