Castlevania: Darkness Never Dies

Fan Fiction

Continued...

Part 1. Gathering darkness.

"My house should be a house of prayers and not a hideout for rogues."

Mathew 21, 13.

Chapter 5: Iron blue intentions. Bodley mannor. The 9th of December 2098 A.D.
Lord Wold, a huge broad-shouldered red-haired grey-eyed vampire, dressed in a golden Egyptian armour and black cloak, sat upon his throne at the highest point at his tower. "They are coming." Galamoth, his chief-advisor, an anonymous creature dressed in a ash-coloured robe, pointed to the crystal-ball with a scaly clawed finger. He slowly nodded. "I know. I hope you all are prepared." The tiny humpbacked creature bowed deeply before him. "We are prepared my lord. The gunmen and crossbow skeletons are ready and bone-soldiers are posted at every door. We are in actual control of these grounds. We are awaiting your commands, my lord." He nodded. He would soon face the ones who, according to uberstuhrmbandfurher Heidrich, had been reported to be captured by his Nazi-zombies a few days ago. He had received news that they where coming here and he was preparing the tower-complex for battle. He was sure the Nazi-vampires would take them to one of their camps, but he had to be prepared for anything. That was how he'd gotten to such a high level in Lord Dracula's army and he was prepared to do anything to defend his post.

Prison-camp, Warakiya. The 11.th of December 2098 A.D.
He was sleeping, the dream he had have this last four days, was haunting him, also that was becoming a more than bad habit.

The walking death, dressed in black and brown Nazi-uniforms, marched him into the room. It was a little room, whit huge windows looking out at the the snow-cowered plaza, stood a table with a chair behind. On the stool sat a white-haird, short-built dark-eyed vampire, dressed in the brown and grey uniform of a sturmbandfurher. "Sprechen Sie Deoutch?" He half-wanted to say no, but he knew they would just torture him until they got the replay they wanted. And beside, he could actually speak German. "Ja, Herr Sturmbandfurher. Ich sprechen dahin." The vampire smiled without humour. "Goht. Ich warden sturmbandfurher Rudolf Von Lerchenmuller." He went on to explain that he now was in a camp ruled by Lord Wold, and that he, and his commander, the vampire standing by the windows, who where called ubersturmbandfurher Josef Heidrich, would take care of him until he would be sent to the tower of wind to stand before the master of this territory. He was asked of his name and where forced to writhe it down in the camp's list and where then marched out again. The Nazi-zombies, as he had began to call them, showed him his "room", already occupied by two others, a man and a girl, before they closed the door behind him. They hadn't left any food and the water didn't look all that fresh to him. He shuddered as he thought about the tales he'd heard in the school when he was a child. He hoped they hadn't cought his friend but feard it nether the less.

"Thomas,, Thomas wake up!" He heard a voice and opened his eyes. The dream still so clear in his mind, then he noticed that the dream was real. Then he remembered ewerything. He and his friends had tried to stop Dracula from becoming resurrected but had failed. He and John had been thrown away from their friends and had wandered around all night in hope of finding their friends again. Then that huge bat, a phantom bat John had called it, and defeated it. For a moment, he thought back to that happening.

Flashback.

The enormous creature flapped its wings and he where threwn hard against one of the trees. John brought out his sword and throwing-axe. "Stay back, this is something I would have to do this alone." He shook his head and readied his spear. "I'm a Lecarde-descendant, It's my deseny to do battle with the servants of Dracula." His friend nodded and then with one swift motion threw the axe at the bat. It answered by breathing a ball of blue flames. He blasted a boom from his shotgun, but to his surprise and horror, the bullet went right true the beast. "May You deliver us from evil and make us prevail over the Devil's lies!" John did a sign of the cross and again threw his axe and this time he hit home. And this time, the bat screamed and splitt into a swarm of smaller bats. He attacked them with his spear and this time he managed to damage them. Some of the bats where slashed into nothing, but there became spawned more bats just as he killed them. Before he could recover the bat reformed and spit another ball of flame at him. "Christ guide my hands!" His friend drew his sword and struck the bat in the head. The bat again screamed and split into a swarm of bats. "Three of them." John mumbled. "It's three of them that's real. The other's just fakes, look for the burning ones." At first, he didn't understood, then he saw what he was going at. He drew out his shotgun and fired and this time he hit one of them. It exploded, just as the phantom bat reformed, but it was now smaller than it had been before. John gave him the tumb-ups and shot a arrow from his crossbow and the bat again splitt into a swarm. This time they didn't just fly around, now they flew directly at them and tried to drain them of blood. "In the name of Michael the Archangel!" He didn't saw what John did, but the bats where consumed in a blast of flames.

End of Flashback.

It was after the victory that the Nazi-zombies had attacked them. And even though they did their best, they had overwhelmed them. It was then he did it. He had told John to run and although he'd seen reluctant in his friend's face, he'd done as he said. It had been worth it, and it still was. "Thomas, come on now, wake up, we're getting food and you know we only get it twice the day." It was one of his cell-mates, Ortega was his name. He was a red-headed male, dressed in the camp's uniform, a grey tunic, brown shirt and black trousers and boots, was one of the few who made it worth living in this Hell-hole of a prison-camp. Sara, his other cell-mate, was another reason. She was an eighteen year old dark-skinned female in the same dull prison-uniform as he and Ortega was dressed in. They had been to bed whit her, bought together and one on one, but sometime he thought it was a tric set up by Von Lerchenmuller and co, to hinder him to committing suicide. But he'd seen her be whipped just as many times as any other in this camp. It had taken the Nazi-zombies less than a week to bring him there, and he'd been here for three days now, but it already felt like an eternity. He shook his head, there would be plenty of time to think about this later, now it was time to eat. They would soon be taken out to the diamond-mines to the west of the camp and without food he would soon be to tiered to work and then they would kill you and that he knew. Although he'd managed to keep his cross, he knew he would sooner or later die. He went over to the little opening in the door and food was "served" to them by a human, dressed just like the Nazi-zombies. That was one of the thing he really hated about this place. That "sonder-commandos" consisting entirely of living humans, did the dirty-work of these bloody demons. He knew it wasn't the better food and living-quarters that made so many volunteer, but the chance of living a month longer than the usual prisoners. They had asked him if he wanted to become one, but he had burned the one who asked him whit his cross and that was the end of the tale, or at least he hoped so. He would rather die than help these bastards whit their dirty-work. A little voice inside his head asked him if he would do it just to live, but he silenced it as best as he could. He ate the food in silence and was just finished with it when the day-guards came to pick them up. He snarled, the "sonders" he could understand, but this humans who had pledged loyalty to Dracula of their own free will, that was the one he really hated in this camp. Two of them forced him to stand and then marched him outside.

Prison-camp, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
He felt a shudder go down his spine. Every day new groups of prisoners which where to, young, old or to sick to work where brought to block 9 or 13, from which no-one ever returned. He'd heard that it was the blocks where Von Lerchenmuller had his killer-factories. He didn't knew it for sure, but it was always the same, and that went for the new arrivals too. He'd heard that even the other human soldiers and "sonders" kept away from the men and prisoners who worked there and he could understand why. Every night the Nazi-zombies came in with new prisoners and every day a special group of day-guards and "sonders" marched some of them over to the "blocks of no return" as he and the rest of the prisoners called them. The guards had told them that he and his friends, because they where man-beasts, would be among the last to go and "take a shower" as they called it, since they where so good to work, but that didn't matter. If only God could give him strength to destroy this place, he would die a happy man. His thoughts where interrupted as the guards, who until now had been talking whit their officers, came over to them and sat them in motion. They where brought over to a cluster of huge lorries on which they would travel to the mines. He could see motorcycle-mounted human-guards where ready. He wondered which of the officers would lead the work-groups this time? Oh yeah, there he was. Feldtwebel Siegfried Swartz, another vampire, sitting up into a car from 1940. He'd been interested in old cars and machines, but that was before the ice came. The lorries started up and the journey began. The first four of them went toward the farms on which they worked to provide the camp with the food it needed. He'd never been on any of the farms so he wondered how they cold make vegetables grow in the middle of the ice-age, but that was beside the point. He'd hoped that Feldtwebel Swartz would go to the farms, on which the most women worked, but the car followed their group.

Diamond-mines. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
A group of Nazi-zombies brought him and Ortega deeper into the mines where they got their working-gears. He took a deep breath, it felt good to be rid of the human-traitors. He picked up the tools and where then sent even deeper into the cave. They where then sent off to work. There where no guards around, but that didn't mattered, as the prisoner who came whit one of the huge raw-diamonds would get a fair chance to do battle with Lord Wold. Ortega mumbled a prayer that he would find a huge diamond and then changed into his man-beast form, a bear-looking form, and started diging into the wall where he'd mined yesterday. He followed suit by picking up the rubies and little sapphires which fell from the walls and sealing. "If I only found one of those diamonds, I would challenge that lord of theirs and free us all." Ortega shook his huge head. "Don't say that, Helga is near." He looked over his shoulder. Isa Helga Weber was a petite ice-blonde sixteen-year old girl, dressed in a white cloak, was the leader of another hated group among the prisoners. She leaded those prisoners who gave of their own blood to the vampires in return for a somewhat freedom. Her group was known as traitors to the other prisoners. He growled as he threw some small opals into the sack they had gotten for that purpose. "I don't care. They'll kill me either way." He hadn't seen his friend anywhere and the hope of him still being free, But that wasn't helping him anything. "What's going on up there?" Nathan, one of the other prisoners was the first who noticed it. Ortega turend around as they heard several explosions at the head of the cave. He and Ortega, followed by several other workers, went toward the opening of the mine. But they where hindered by a group of Nazi-zombies, armed whit grenades and MPs hindered them. "Right forward, throw your bags at them, then use your mallets to attack them." He shouted the command on bought German and Romanian to be sure they understood him. Whit himself at the head of the first group and Ortega in the second, they attacked them. Many of them where killed by the machine-guns and grenades, but some of them who still had their crosses and crucifixes, even a few Stars of Davis and a few crescent-symbols, they managed to drive them off. Almost on instinct, he grabbed some of the jewel-bags before he run after his friend. He flet ashed in doing it, but if John wasw to be killed, he would do whatever in his power to free the people of this hell of iron. He then grabed one of the MPs and started running to regain his post at the lead. He prayed for the victory, but was afraid it wouldn't be one.

Prison-camp, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
It was later on the day. He sat in his cell. Although he now had proofs that John was alive and bent on rescuing him from the forces of Dracula. Not that it was any good inside the cell, but maybe it could bring the other prisoners a glimpce of hope. But he didn't think so. He'd heard that Ortega had managed to flee and that many of the Nazi-zombies had ben sent back to their eternal slumber. And, which he was very thankful for, feltwebel Swartz where also dead, again. He shook his head. Since Nathan had been at the lead, they had killed him before all the prisoners, "sonders" and human soldiers in the camp. Nathan had been a friend the time ha'd been here and he felt guilty about it. Sara had tried to comfort him and he'd just redressed, he was thankful fore what she did, but didn't feel that much better. It was then when a group of hammer-knights came into the cell. Another vampire feltwebel, Conrad Richter, told him on a bad Romanian language, that he should follow him. The hammer-knights, possessed gold and green plated suits of armours, held Sara back and he had no other choice than to follow them. They brought him over the plaza and toward the office in which the Nazi-zombies had first brought him when he came here. Inside the building, sturmbandfurher Von Lerchenmuller sat at the other side of the table as he'd done the first time. But this time, another vampire was there too. On the desk lay the weapons they'd taken from him. He shuddered by the thought of what may come. Then he saw two other things which made his heart beep faster. Two huge raw diamonds lay at the side of his weapons. "I eh, werden, am, Reinhardt Mainz, captain Von Lerchenmuller haben zu mich reported that Sie gefundet haben two diamonds and werden to be released undt unseren weapons is deinen noch ein mahl." His Romanian was even worse than feltwebel Richter's, but he understood what he meant. "Sie haben also eine anderen diamante gefunden undt wir mussen eine anderen mensh gehen." This time it was Von Lerchenmuller himself who spoke to him. He nodded and told in so good German he could that he wanted Sara to follow him on his quest to battle Lord Wold. "Ach so. Feltwebel, woollen Sie der medchen mihr gebringen?" Behind him Richter saluted his superior and left. He was soon back with Sara at his side. They where then, after having redressed themselves in the clothing they had before they come to the camp, escorted to the bonders of the camp and they where then lett loose. But he wasn't surprised when a group of motorcycle-mounted Nazi-zombies came riding out of the forest. He did a shoot from his shotgun and one of the motorcycles where freed from the control from its undead rider. He jumped on top of it, before concentrating on the other enemies. Sara had changed into her lion-like form and killed another of them and jumped on top of another motorcycle. But no sooner had they done that, when the fences at the western side of the camp, exploded and two figures came running toward the burning holes and started throwing grenades at the undead and living soldiers who came running to defend the camp. Then he heard a voice shout. "Christ! Guide my hands and give us strength to overthrow our enemies!" That was John, he was sure of it. He could see that the other was Ortega. "We must help them!" He turned the motorcycle and drove right over some of the Nazi-zombies wh by now where coming at them on foot. "Watch out, bats are coming!" He looked up and saw a swarm of bats coming at them. They swiftly turned into vampires and he snarled as he drove the spear true the heart of Richter, but was nearly beheaded by the claws of feltwebel Mainz, the translator. Had it not been for Sara he would just as well become killed. She slashed the throat of the vampire. But Sara, who where right behind him, where then shot down by Von Lerchenmuller. He saw that her spine was shot out of place and a rage blinded him and he jumped at the sturmbandfurher with a rage he'd never felt before. When the red fog left his eyes, he saw that Von Lerchenmuller's corpse lay there, tore into pieces.on the ground. "Thomas, stop, now." He turned around and saw John looking at him whit fear in his face. He shook his head and then started looking for Sara. He found her sitting up, pressing her hand to a wound in her back. He could hardly believe it, he thought she would be dead by now. Then again, she was a man-beast and damaged who would've killed a human would for the most part be great wounds to their race. He shook her head, then saw who she was holding in her arms and he felt tairs forming in his eyes. "Ortega." She softly said. "One of the Nazi-zombies threw a grenade at him and even to a man-beast an away-blown heart is nothing you could survive." He nodded and knelt down beside her. The worst thing, was that they didnæt have time to give him a funeral. The dark soldiers had withdrawn but they would soon return and he only hoped they wouldn't resurrect him as one of their zombie-servants. He dried the head of his lance off of one of the vampire's uniform and then they sat up on the motorcycles. John looked a little disturbed by using a thing belonging to the dark lord but then sat up. He only had time to look back once before they where surruounded by the shadows of the forest.

Forest, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
The sun was setting, they'd drove half a kilometre into the forest and was now coming to a halt. "Why're we stopping here?" John looked like he was about to answer, then he instead started shouting. "William, Liza! Are you here? It's me, It's John Kishine." Two prisoner he'd seen on the lorries in the morning, came out from the forest. "There you are." The woman, Liza, smiled to John and nodded toward him and Sara. "I see you have found your friends, or have you?" The Belmon descendant nodded and returned the smile. "I found them, but William, how many do we have." The dark-haired Hollender wrinkled his brow. "From the mine, thre or maybe four hundred, from the farms, five or perhaps six hundred. In total I think we have at least 1.000 men and women." He quickly calculated it over in his mind. That would mean they had at least 1/3 of the camps prisoners, but it was at least 2.000 prisoners left in the prison-camp. How many troops wouls there be to guard them? "We planned to come to rescue you. The bombs was to be a diversion, but when we heard you battle the motorcycle-zombies whe came to help you. But now it's time to concentrate on the next part. But let's go to meet the rest and plan on how to rescue the nect of the prisoners." He nodded and smiled in relief. He should have known that John would never surrender anyone to the forces of Dracula. The two former prisoners led them deeper into the forest and to a camp consisting of men and women still dressed in the dull brown and grey uniforms of the prison. He hoped they would have the power to destroy that cursed place once and for all, although he knew that the best they could hope was to free more of the prisoners.

Prison-camp, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
He wandered down the line of the group he'd gotten the command of. They had arranged the troops in bands of five hundred whit smaller groups of hundred men each He'd summoned the contract and bought more bombs and grenades for long-range attack. He had given out the money so that the people could by their own weapons from Renon. He hoped that non of them had bought enough to forfell their souls to the sales-demon. But that was beside the point now. "Prepare for attack!" He shouted on bought German and Romanian to be understood by all the men and women behind them. HE heard some of the hundred-men commanders repeat his command on English and Hungarian. Then they marched toward the wall of the prison-camp, some of the men from Thomas's group and to throw grenades at the electric wall. He'd warned them about that, he'd noticed that danger when he placed the bombs earlier the day. A group of two hundred men had attacked from that direction and he hoped that the heavier attack from this direction would draw more attention and troops toward them. Groups, consisting off fifty or seventy Nazi-zombies, had formed a line to defend. The zombies was armed whit MPs and plain-rifles, but his own men had their own rifles and grenade-throwers, not that they where useful now that they came into hand-to-hand battle. He was loosing the overview as he dug the sword into one Nazi-zombie, before he ducked before a hammer-knight tried to smash him in the head whit it's hold and crimson coloured hammer. He countere him whit the sword, although he almost lost the blade, he splashed the armour whit some holy water he'd found inside a candle-stand. The possessed knight burst into flames and he was hitt by some of the flying peaces, but he didn't was that much, but that was beside the point. He slipped on a frozen pond and a NJazi-zombie almost killed him whit a battle-knife, but he killed it whit the rest of the holy water. He saw that the vampires had sent in what they had of heavy troops. Axe knights and mace knights, aided by vampires and human soldiers, was coming toward them. "God be whit us." His hands folded into a praying motion, before he rushed at the possessed knights.

Prison-camp, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
Thomas used his ancestor's spear to pierce the hearth of one of the Nazi-zombie, before he was hit in the shoulder by a bullet sent out by yet another Nazi-zombie, before he swung the spear and beheaded it whit the wooden end of the spear. Then one of the final-guards, a possessed knight, dressed in a black weapon-robe, web-painted tunic in black and crimson, whit spiky armour in the same colour and a horned helmet and a diabolical mask before their not-existing face, swung it whip at him, before it followed it up whit a grim swipe of it curved sword. Flames of solid blackness followed every swing of the whip and sword as the diabolical battle-mage. He desperately swung the spear at him, and pined the right arm of the final-guard, it lost the sword and for a moment he almost thought the armour was finished, but then it regained composure. A blast of black fire shot from his damaged arm and had it not been for his cross, he might as well have been burned to death then and there. The cross shined whith silvery light and the blast was resisted and sent right back at the final-guard. The flames was re-consumed by the dark warlock before he slashed at him whit the metallic whip and Sara dashed at the armour and blasted it whit several bolts of energy. He leaned on the spear and took in several deep breaths as the final-guard burst into flames and exploded into nothingness. But it wasn't much time to rest. New bands of Nazi-zmbies and human guards came running to aid the troops batteling them. He dashed at the nearest groups of enemies, it would be a long night, he could only hope it would be worth it.

Prison-camp, Warakiya. The 12th of December 2098 A.D.
The control-tower of the camp was one of the few structures still intact. After having regrouped the soldiers of the camp, he had managed to concentrate the defence and most of the prisoners where now fleeing the camp. The human soldiers, some of the "sonders" and some of those who had been so overwhelmed whit fear that they had just stayed in their cells, where the only one he had left. He had ordered the Nazi-zombies to take up the hunt on the Lecarde and his fellow prisoners and was now preparing to report the happenings to his superior. He was not looking forward to it, but it was his duty as the commander of the camp. "Lord Wold." He said, standing whiting the range of the crystal-orbs ceach, he saluted his overlord. "I have failed you. I let the Lecarde escape." The picture of Wold, coming form the crystal on his side, looked upon him whit thought-filled eyes. "You reported earlier that the boy had found a giant diamond and was about to come here. Does any report sugjest that he has changed his mind?" "No my lord. The last report pinpoint to the solution that he and some other human have been among those who organized the escaped prisoners and attacked us. Feltwebel Nicolas Muller reports to me that three of the attackers where riding motorcycles and his fellow feltwebel, Richter, recognized two of them as Thomas Lecarde and Sara Birchenher, two earlier prisoners. I am afraid Richter is dead, but I have Muller here if you want to speak whit him?" Wold shook his head. "You are to rebuild the camp, I will send you more tropps to aid in the rebuilding. In the meantime, comtinue the operation, report to me when the Lecarde is dead." He bowed before his master. "As you moccamd my lord. Hail der Graff!" Wold did the same salute, then the crystal-orb went blanc, but not for long. "Ubersturhmbandfurher Heidrich, disem warden feltwebel Hildegard Kaufman." His face became dark with disdain. He didn't like female officers, but duty was duty. "Ach so, feltwebel Kaufman, was warden est?" He knew she was in command of one of the gunposts his commander had sat up here and there to defend his territory. The feltwebel, seemingly not very good in German, continued her report in Romanian. "One of my beast-rider outpost has reported that sigthnings of the persons you have ordered us to find." He nodded, a smile crept over his face. "Verstoren irhen." He just hissed. "Ja woll meine Ubersturhmbandfurher. Hail der Graff!" Again the crystal-orb became blanc.

Forest, Warakiya. The 12th of December 2098 A.D.
An arrow came flying through the air and hitt his arm. He cried and was sent of his motorcycle. Fortuneatly he landed in a huge pile of snow, but the bike exploded into a three. "Everything all right John?" The black girl, Sara, stopped her motorcycle and looked woridly down at him. "Watch out, arrows coming in!" He jumped and dragged her to the ground, not caring the blood leacing from the wound in his arm. He had trained much alongside the Pope-guard in the Vatican and had been wounded many a time when he and they had been sent to take care of renegades in Itally. He smiled, not that it was so much left ot Italy that stil existed outside of the huge cities. He didn't have time to think much about it, as something he recoginzed as a Raptor ran out from the bushes. On its back sat a blue-fured were-foc, dressed in red leather and white fur, whit an open helmet on her, at least he thought it was a her, head. She was drawing a new arrow from the quiver she had on the side of her belt when Thomas shot at the dangerous-looking dinosaur. It grawled and ran to take cower. The sudden movement made the were-fox loose its bow, but that didn't hinder her in bringing out her sword and making the Raptor springing towards them in a dash-attack. William, one of the other prisoners who stil lived and was whit them, slashed his mallet at the dinosaur, opening a gash in its side. The creature grawled and slashed at him in return. William screamed as the sharp claws of the Raptor's left arm almost slashed his arm off. He didn't have time to scream for long, the were-fox dugg her sword into his chest, making him fall over, dead before he reached the ground. "Fire at will!" She screamed, as a group of lizardmen, armed whit bows and curved-swords came running out from the forest. Some of the other prisoners fell to the ground, killed or wounded by the falling arrows. He snarled as he countered the swing of the Raptor's claws and counter-stroke which made the beast take a step backward. He then had to turn aside the blade of the were-fox's sword, before he felt the raptors claws try to wound him in the chest. But the breast-plate and the shells of his tunic made it fail. He threw the family's throwing-axe at the were-fox and then threw up as he saw her head became tear in two by the blade. The corpse fall from the saddle and the steed, scared by being without it's caretaker, ran off as it slashed all who tried to stand in its way. He saw Thomas and Anna fight back-to-back as they had done in the attack on the camp earlier this night and felt a little sorry for not having anyone to watch his back. Soon after, the few lizardmen who had attacked them where also dead. He saw them burn away and remembered something Mathew had told them. "The castle make all evil creature in this world come to it, but it also make other monsters and servants of darkness appear in this world to protect the dark lord which it serve." He cleaned his sword whit some of the snow before he went over to the body of the were-fox. Her black leather tunic, bearing the insigna of the Basraq dragon, was tainted whit her own blood, he almost felt sorry for her. She was so beautiful, but then he thought about what she had done, in pain and blood, for Dracula and the feeling subsided. Johatan and David, two other prisoners volunteered to dig a grave for her and he let them do it. They where not as their enemy, they deserved to be laying there to rott, but neither he nor them was like that. He looked over the prisoners. There was at least three or four thousand of them, men and women, even a fiew children they had ben able to save from acid-chambers. He shuddered.

Flashback.

He and William, one of the prisoners who had showed himself as a leader, lead a group of one hundred toward the blocks in which these bastard had killed so many. 30 or perhaps 50 Nazi-zombies where guarding the place, together whith just as many hammer-knights and human guards, but it hadn't been enough to stop them. He had sent Liza, another of the group-commander to help Thomas and Anna saved the prisoners from the soldiers who was now killing at will to hinder them from escape. He and William then left each-other, having at least twenty men and women behind him, he entered block 9. Inside the corridor, a few Nazi-zombies was lurking, but it wasn't them who made his blood go cold. Ghosts of children and old people was sreaming out to God to help them, he understood why. From outside of small chambers, you could mace bouling acid flush from small openings in the sealing, killing everyone inside. In large boxes at the side of the controls, lay uniforms and weapons ready to suit new groups of Nazi-zombies. He actually threw up when he understood that some of the killed humans where turned into Nazi-zombies after having been killed here. He and the soldiers he had whit him, those who was still alive, lplaced bombs inside to destroy this cursed place.

End of Flashback.

He shook his head, trying to regain his composhure. It had been a nithgmare and he haven't even been one of the prisoners in the camp. He hated Dracula and his servants, hated them whit such furry that he was afraid for it. It was the same fear he saw in Thomas's eyes and in so many of the other's eyes. But to him it was worce than for any other of them. He knew that to do battle whit Dracula you could only win if you have managed to control your fear and hatred for him. And that was what he hadn't. His cousin, Christian, would've known how to tacle this. In all the years he'd known him he had never given in to anger of fear when he trained in the arts of the Belmon-legacy. He was a child, whit a child's broblems, but he was also a Belmont. "Do you want something to eat?" Liza put a hand on his shoulder and he almost jumped in perplection. He hadn't noticed that they had begun preparing the camp for the night. It had been a good idea to take food, tents and other supplies from the prison-camp and now they where put into use. "Thank you Liza, I would love to have something." She gave him a piece of bread and some stew which the men and women at the fires had prepared for them. They had marched almost hole night and it had been late on the day when they had attacked the camp, many of the people he saw was either sleeping or was close in doing so. Tomorrow he was sure they would begin to ask themselves the question on where to go next. An army as this would be good in the war against Dracula, but he feard that they had only felt a hint of the armies of darkness who would come. The dark powers have had one hundred years to grow strong and Dracula would surly use them in the battle. "Gather those who have strength left to do guard-service and meet me here in one quarter, I'll see if I find anyone myself." Liza nodded and gave him a smile before she went off.

Forest, Warakiya. The 12th of December 2098 A.D.
Feltwebel Kaufman wandered back and forth among her troops. She had been a vampire since 1943 and had learnd to obey when your commander gave an order, but this was easyer said than done. She had almost three kilometre of forest to search through and if what her last report was right, they had more than three thousand man out there. She looked around on her forces. She had gathered all the troops from seven cannon-commands but stil didn't have enough troops to do what she had gotten orders to do. "Kaufman, they are here." She turned around to face feltwebel Gunther. "Very good, bring them before me." He nodded and walked off. She was only twenty year in look, whit light-blonde hair and whit blue eyes, but that was only what seemed to be, she was in all reality the oldest of the feltwebel vampires present. Gunter, a short-built grey-haired vampire, dead in 1971, came over to her whit the new arrivals. When she saw who it was, she swiftly knelt and bowed her head. "Don't be so formal young Kaufman, here I just have the rang of feltwebel, just like you and the other who had sent you troops." She slowly rouse and nodded. "As you say feltwebel Oldrey, of course your are right." She took a deep breath to regain her composure, before she continued. "Are you taking the command then?" James Alexander Oldrey, the vampire who had once ruled the castle annex, shook his head. "I don't know if you know, but De Reis is again one of the leaders of the dark army, he have ordered us out here so that the Devil cells should regain respect for the dark lord, if I remember it right." She smiled, his orders ment that he was out to inspect the felt-commanders, not strange that he now was dressed in a black slang-cape and a black, brown and gold coloured SS-uniform and helmet whit the dragon on top of his helmet. The dragon was the sign of Dracula's personal guard and she almost felt proud having one of his rank among her troops. Just then, one of the beast riders, a blue-fured were-fox on a Raptor, came riding into the camp. "I have found them." He shouted as he jumped down from his steed. Two of the Nazi-zombies came running over, taking the rims of the Raptor, bringing it over to where it would receive food and rest. "It is as Jiko said, there's at least three or four thousand of them." He licked his lips nervously before he added. "They have killed her and the soldiers together whit her. I found her Raptor running loose around the camp. The other beast riders whit me are bringing him in now." As he said it, four other beast riders came into the camp, leading another Raptor whit an empty saddle behind them. She snarled, exposing her fangs as she waved the other commanders to gather around her. "We are going out to take them. Heidrich told us to destroy them and that's was we are going to do." She saw that Oldrey smiled, but didn't have time to think further about that now. "The heavy tanks will go in the front. The beast riders will cower the flanks and the motorcycle-zombies whil go as fore and back-troops. Any questions?" Oldrey had one. "Where will the command and foot-soldiers be?" This time it was she who smiled. "We will ride inside the lead-tank and the foot-trops will be held in reserve. Let's get going." This tiem it was no-one who countered her and the troops was sat into motion. They where only a little over 1.000 in total, but they had better weapons then them, but they had to be on close guard. It the tanks where destroyed, they would be lost and that she feared they all knew.

Forest, Warakiya. The 11th of December 2098 A.D.
He kissed her, then rouse from the two sleeping-bags he'd taken from the prison camp. He wondered where John was, most likely among the guards patrolling the camp, but he was far from sure. His friend was worried and that he'd good reason to. The forces of that basstard wasn't finished whit them and that he was sure of. Anna looked up at him whit a worried look on her face. "Thom, what are you afraid off? The castle is far from here, they can't possibly send and entire army against us or anything like that." He slowly shook his head. "I don't know, its something who's wrong here, I feel…" He stopped mid-sentence as Liza came into the tent. "John asked me to gather guards for the night and I wonder if you're going on the list If you're finished that is?" Liza Trantoil was a dark-blonde hair and soft brown eyes, dressed in a dark-brown winter-coat and heavy boots, although not his type, smiled shyly to Anna. "I know he would think about that, I'm coming. He redressed and walked out after a still blushing Liza.

Forest, Warakiya. The 12th of December 2098 A.D.
John stood upon a low hill four hundred meters away from the camp. Thomas and Liza at his side. "I have posted guards all around the camp, whit three hundred meters distance. I hope it would be no more problems tonight." Thomas shook his head. "You know that Heidrich isn't finished whit us yet. We have a holy army behind us who hates Dracula, but I fear it won't be enough." He smiled, but it wasn't from the heart. "I know." He plainly said. "I think…" Liza began, then felt silence and he could understand why. "They're here." He said in a low voice. As to ad to his comment, some of the other guars came running to alarm them. He turned to Thomas. "My friend, tell the other. Hell, has broke loose on us." Thomas nodded and run down the hillside. He prepared his weapons and Sara did the same. She had taken a sword from the sword knights at the camp and he'd seen her use it too. This would be hard. How many dead would it be this time? "God be whit us." He raised the blade in a defencive move.

Prison-camp, Warakya. The 12th of December 2098 A.D.
"The most is over commander, the last of the prisoners are feeing into the woods. But nearly all my troops are dead or dying." Kaufman had burns on her face and her uniform was thorne and stained whit blood. At first it had seamed like they would all be killed in one blast. The tanks had killed many of them, giving the beast riders and motorcycle-zombies time to spring in attack, but it had just been to many of them. The tank she and the other commandos sat in whas set on fire and only she and Oldrey was still alive. She still didn't understand that part. How could anyone make metal burn? Anyway, had it not been for the foot-soldiers who had attacked under a solid rain of arrows and grenades, she might as well have been dead now. "Everything is there, in my person-report, but I tell you sir, it was not an easy job." Heidrich looked upon her whit disdain in his face, but Oldrey had himself promoted her to be among the SS and it was nothing that byrocratic bastard could do about it. "What about the Lecarde and the other leaders of the rebellion?" Lord Wold asked her, it was Oldrey who answered him. "It's impossible to know that now. The few who we managed to capture alive was far from sure who the leaders really was. Someone say it's the Lecarde boy, other that it was a girl, Liza Trantoil and a man they only called John." The SS-vampire shook his head. "We are still searching for survivors who can tell us more, but she is right, we need more men to do this." Wold seamed to think about it for a moment, then he nodded. "Good, Oldrey, take the men you need and go hunt them. I want them taken alive and SS is the best unit to use in this matter." Oldrey slowly shook his head. "SS is Lord Dracula's to command and him alone. You have been delegated power to rule this sector and nothing else. We will do it this time, but not because of you, but because they are a danger to the rule of Lord Dracula." She didn't dared to, but inside, she smiled. Oldrey knew which power he had and which power he didn't have. SS stood over the usual devil-cells, as he had said to Lord Wold. She then shook her head. She was one of them now, a SS-soldier. "Come whit me, Kaufman, they must be recaptured at all cost." She saluted her new superior. "As you command. Hail der Graff." They turned and left the room.

Forest Inn, Warakiya. The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
It was a good gather being this early on the day, John decided, looking around the room. He had been a little afraid that the other guests would find it suspicious about him looking on them. But the truth was that at least one at each table was looking around. The were-wolf and the minotaur, serving as outcasts, was taking it easy, it would be long before the wild happenings, later on the night. The owner sat at the bar, a huge man, bought in flesh and muscles, having a watchful although discreet eye on his daughters and the other serving-girls. The serving-girls, a Russian and a African one, where bought tempting enough, but he didn't think it was them the man was watching. The two Romanian women where involved in conversation whit some male and female beast-riders. Then there was the usual mixture of human renegades, goat and lizardmen. The only exception was some cloaked vampires, dining on blood the owner had served them. How he'd managed to keep and warm it he didn't understand and to be honest, he didn't care. What he really cared about, was that their cowering as renegades would make them pass the patrols whit-out being asked questions. He and Thomas had given his crossbow and shotgun to Sara and Anna. He himself had cowered his cross-decorated shoulder-plates under his army jacket, he only hoped that the dark creatures didn't felt their powers and attack them. He thanked the Russian serving-girl as she served him and the two girls an ale and she smiled, exposing her fangs as she did it. He hadn't liked plundering the corpses after the battle yesterday, but he didn't think his Euro would be worth anything down here. Gold or copper-coins was the only money and they had to accept it. His thoughts where cut off as Sara talked to him. "Have you seen Thomas lately?" He shook his head, blushing slightly. "No, I thought you and he slept together this night." The black man-beast frowned and shook her head. "We didn't. He went downstairs to check on something, or at least, he said so." He frowned himself. If Thomas had disappeared, he could be in danger. At that moment, Thomas came walking in, dressed in and old woollen cape and Russian fur-hat. Together whit him, was the third daughter of the house. She giggled and kissed Thomas, who gave her some coins before he walked over to where they where seated. He waited until the young Lecarde came over to the table, but then he rouse to face his friend. "We don't have enough money for you to use them on prostitutes." Thomas gave him a stern look. "Have you never felt the urge to spend some time whit a young lady who know how to do things?" He was dumbfounded, then Sara came him to the rescue. "I thought you loved me." She calmly said. "I made all I could to comfort you while we where prisoners and this is how you treat me?" Thomas smiled, before he said something which made them all rouse from the table. "I had some work to do, that girl had what we needed and I bought it from her." At first he wanted to hit him, then he just followed him outside to look at what this was all about.

Forest, Warakiya. The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
"I know I'm a little ruff, but we don't have time to ponder." He told them as they went out of the tavern. "Soon the other soldiers and renegades come in and they will surely feel our allegiance."So, whit the aid of that prostitute, who's actually a secret Christian, who helped me put things down." He waved his hand at four horses who stood bonded beside the greenhouse of the inn. It had been a good idea by the people who'd been forced to live in these winter-lands. It was enough of sand underneath the ice and snow and glas-industry where still a flowering industry in comparison to the other medievalist environments. But that was beside the point, these horses would help them pas more freely. "This is a miracle." John said, almost doing the sign of the cross, but stoped himself and that was most likely the best. Who know, perhaps someone where watching them? "You're sure you've got an absolution from the army for them?" John asked him, he nodded. "She what you would call a "black-market sharp", she have the papers who's needed." Sara hugged him and he did it in return. John and Anna turned away to let them be alone. He smiled, the Graves, as John's family originally was named, had long lived in Great Britain and had taken up the Britain's way of life. They jumped up on their horses, he'd feared that the ladies didn't could ride, but they did ride quite well. It was in the middle of the night, the sky treated whit more snow, but they didn't have any choice. He could only hope that the snow would keep the dark servants inside too.

Berkeley mannor, Warakiya. The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
"Sie werden eine sehr shone medchen, danken Sie nicht, meine boyar?" He bowed before Reichardt Von Strassburg, one of his more powerful guests. The boyar vampire, a pale man whit white powdered wig, knee-long grey coat whit knee-long green trousers and red vest whit golden buttons and a white silk-scarf around his neck. But it was his eyes who drew his gaze, black and shining as they was in his pale face. "Ach sho, boyar Ludwig Von Bork, Sie werden dahin." He himself was a much weaker vampire, middle-high, whit shoulder-long grey hair and a red velvet tunic, bear legs and hip-high boots. It was quite a paradox that he, whi died in 1591, was weaker than boyar Von Strassburg, who left humanity in 1763, but that was beside the point. His guest was concentrating on a undead youthful looking pair, dancing nearby. And they was truly a beautiful pair to behold, that no-one could say they where not. She, Malpheffa Von Tyringen, petite yet muscular in shape, whit hair like fire, eyes like green jewels and whit light copper skin, was just 300 years, her body was merely 15 or 16 winters old. She was by far the most powerful of the vampires in the huge dancehall. He, was Gustav Von Lutmarch, a really Hercules of a man, clad in a dark-blue silk coat, knee-long trousers and boots, decorated whit golden embroideries of leafs and flowers and was dancing just as elegant as any of them. His short-cut brown hair and beard was most likely done so because he could wear it inside a helmet. He could understand that Von Strassburg could feel jealousy about him. Although Malpheffa, as she demanded them to call her, was a beautiful creature, she was not exactly his type. Then Nicole Archer, merely called the hunter, dressed as she was in simple black leather clothing and white polar-bear fur, was more his type. She was tall and lean, whit black skin and one yellow eye, always fingering whit her bow and quiver. But it was really Lord Malus, who was leading the orchestra who interested him for the moment. Rudolf Stern, the leader of Lord Dracula's SS, had arrived whit him a day ago and now the childish-looking vampire was playing the lead-violin. Stern was nearly as huge as Von Luthmarch, but he was skeletal where Von Luthmarch was broad and muscular, Stern was white in bought hair and moustache, whit a monocle in his left eye, while Von Luthmarch was youthful in body and mind. But if it would come to war, he would trust Stern in favour of Von Luthmarch. Even though he had no reason for believe so. "My lord?" He turned around, the cloaked warlock, the ambassador of Lord Wold of Bodley manor, bowed before him. "Was werden est mein Herr?" He asked. "One of Lady Armster's commanders want to speak whit you. I think it is vital." He nodded. "Gebringen Sie dahin." The cloaked warlock again bowed before he left him. "Was woollen Sie?" Von Strassburg asked him. He shook his head. "Ich habe keine anong. Dahn werden Sie." He pointed as the ambassador come back whit a seemingly tiered vampire, clad in a journey-dirty slang-cape and a Austrian helmet, knelt down before him. "Ich muste mitt der boyar gesprechen." The stranger gasped, he nodded, then waved at one of the human guests, Greta Quentin, came tripping at him. "Wollen Sie blot haben?" The travel-tired vampire thankfully bowed, before he dug his fangs into the wrist of the Greece human. After drinking, regaining some of his youth in the process, he again kneeled before him, bought Commander Stern and Lady Von Tyringen, whit her two "fiancées" behind her. "Der Belmont habe boyar Armster getothed." The vampire told them, He could hear some of the other gasp and didn't know if his own voice was among them, but now Stern took the control. The three crimson dragons on the shoulders of his black double-buttoned army jacked and the blue sash, going across his waist, giving him the rank to do so. "Wo werden Sie?" He demanded to know, rubbing his black-gloved hands back and forth as he asked the question. "Meine name werden Nicolas Werner, stuhrmbandfurher aus Boyar Armster seine wehrmacht." "Ihr spreche dahn ganch recht." Von Luthmarch said. Stern calmly nodded and when he come to think about it, he'd seen this Werner before, together whit Von Luthmarch. "Sauberman!" The SS-commander called and the cloaked warlock came over to them and the white-haired vampire started talking on Romanian so that the dark wizard and the hunter could understand him. He did understand him well. Although he would speak German among the higher servants of Lord Dracula, his mother language the same as most of the boyar's his master had resurrected. "Sie wollen nach seine boyar zuback gegangen." Stern commanded. "Nicht verstehe." The cloaked warlock said. That was the words most non-German servants would have to learn to make them speak in a language they could understand. "Unshuldegung." Stern said, seemingly whit-out meaning it. And the truth was that most Germans didn't like that German hadn't become the formal language of Lord Dracula's new order, but that was beside the point. "You willst return to your lord. Tell him to give reports to me if anything else happens. He is to… Was ist dass?" Two more vampires had came marching in. This time followed by a group of hammer-knights and Nazi-zombies. "Der festung Lerchenmuller kaput werden." The first of them, a male one, in the uniform of SS, told them. "Die Belmonts habe dahn gefluchted and eine halbe befelungen vehrstort." "Nacht und nebel mit die Belmonts gegangen!" Stern cursed in utter anger. "Archer. You will take what SS-troops they and I have here and go hunt those verdante clan. Report first to Lord Wold so he knows what is going on. And I want no disintegration this time." Archer nodded, waving Werner and the two other vampires whit her. The cloaked warlock was already gone as he'd been commanded. "Was werden meine befelungen?" He asked the SS-commander. "Ihren wolte boyar Malus hilfe." The older vampire said, pointing at Von Luthmarch and Von Strassburg. "Shnell mit ehr nach die sloss, ich wolte nach Aljiba gegangen. Sie," He pointed at him and Lady Von Tyringen. "Ist hier zu werden. Burkeley werden seine und ich nicht aufgabe haben fuhr sich." They bowed before the SS-comander who, together whit Von Strassburg and Von Luthmarch left the hall before they had a chance to bow before him. "Would you like to dance this dance whit me?" Lady Von Tyringen surprisingly asked him, whit a little smile on her little mouth. He then laughed and bowed toward her. "Sehr gern." He said as he grasped her hands. Lord Malus, who didn't know that he soon would have to leave, played up again and they started dancing and so the other guests did. This would perhaps turn out as a good time after all.

Outside, the snow started pouring down. It was to become a cold night, the night who was the 13th of December, Sta. Lucia's night.

Forest, Warakya. The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
It had been smart of them to take whit them two of the tents. Even though he and Thomas had to walk, but it was worth the price. Now, the horses had their own tent and looked to be doing nice. He and Anna had prepared for them while Thomas and Sara had taken care of their own tent. But it was taking them a biger problem to make a fire than any of them had expected. Most likely the wood was wet because of the recent snowing, but by now, they'd managed to light one. Anna, being the practical one, had rescued a tee-pot and a good supply of tee-leafs. And, after melting some snow, they'd all enjoying a nice cup of tee. He, having lived all his life in Great Britain, one of the nations who'd escaped realativly untouched by the cold, if you not took whit Scotland, Wales and the northern parts of England that is, was really enjoying it. He hoped his mother, who'd stayed behind when he, his father and brothers had gone to aid the Morris-side to escape Romania when the black wanderer had started hunting them. He felt how tairs started forming in his eyes just by thinking about it. "What's wrong?" Thomas asked him, the two women stopped their quiet conversation to look about him. "When the seal Julius Belmont sat on the demon castle started weakening," He told them. "the black wanderers was among the firest who got free. They started hunting for the Belmonts and soon found out where the Morris part of the family lived. The Schneider-side of the family, who was the family keeping the Belmont clan together, called upon us to help them escape while they kept the black wanderers busy. The last time I saw any of them, was when the black wanderers had started killing most of the Morris family. The Schneider I was in contact whit told me to bring Christian to safty in the Vatican. He said that he and the rest of the family would try to flee the contry too, but I don't know if they managed to. There was another fraction of that family, one of them did actually try the whip, like I did, Alicia was her name. And I hope at least they did manage to get away. I was myself just a child that time and Christian was just a boy at that time, I was too for that matter. I was only9 or something like that, mother was against me going in the first, but he was just 3 or 4 years when it all happened. Since that, I have been on the run, for almost a year, before whe came to the Vatican. And although it was before the ice came, we where always fearful the black wanderers where hunting us. That's because I hope Edward is stil alive. For beside of Christian, he is the last Morris alive." He felt silence after his speech and the others did too. "What's that?" Sara suddenly asked. "What?" Thomas asked. "I don't have the ears of a man-beast." But now they all could hear it. It was the quick feet of the VolociRaptors, the sound they'd all feard to hear. "Now," He said, being sure to look all of his friends in the eyes. "we're to stay calm. They don't know who we are." He could see that bought Sara and Thomas didn't like it, but they stayed where they where. They know, as he did, that they could most likely destroy this little group, but the commander of the beast-riders would sooner or later miss them and then… The sound stopped some distance away, before they again could hear something, the falling snow made it difficult to see long, but they could hear even better because of the snow already laying there. And now they could hear the sound of leather boots coming marching towards them. "Hello!" A male voice called out. "Is there anyone there?" "We are here, but who're you?" Out from the falling snow and into the light of the camp-fire, came five blue-fured were-foxes, clad in the beast-riders usual brown and black uniform, whit helmets on their heads and steel on bought shoulders and before their chests. Three of them where male and the other two where female, not that it was much diference between them. The blue were-foxes where short in built, as was the red ones, but they where more muscular than the rest of their brethren, not that it had any importance. "We wondered," One of the male ones asked him. "if we could sit down by your fire for the night?" "But Tristan," One of the females inquired. "commander Oldrey wanted us to join him as fast as we could." The leader, Tristan, turned and barked at her. "Silence, Crystal. I'm in charge her, not you." The female one, Crystal, bowed her head in obedience. "As you command my lord." He slowly rouse from his sitting position. "Yes, of course. Just sitt down and enjoy yourselves." They would likely take his nervousness as the usual behaviour from a human and nothing else. "Thanks, Tyramus, you have your orders." Another of the male ones nodded and started to bark orders to the other were-foxes. "Crystal, Amber, take care of the Raptors. Make sure they do not came to close the horses of these good men." "Yes sir." The two females said, almost in unison. "Kronos, you will gather food from our packing." The last of the males merely nodded before he left them to go do his duty. "Tyramus, you are to go whit them and bring us plates to eat from. And do not forget some good vine for me and these good men to taste." The second-in-command saluted his superior. "It shall be as you command my lord." He went off, marched really, but he wasn't interested. "Are you a lord in… in lord Dracula's army?" He hoped that this "lord" Tristan didn't hear Thomas's doubtful tone before speaking Dracula's name. The were-fox merely smiled. "I truly are. I'm lord Tristan De Navara, a noble family from France." He became silent whit memories. France had been a really good land, but now most of the land was reduced to a frozen winter-land. And although it wasn't as bad as in Scandinavia, Russia or Germany, it was still hard to belive that most of the northern parts of the continent had became a real tundra, but so it was. Rumours from Berlin said that bought Hamburg and Stockholm was stil inhabited but he didn't know if he really belived in that. But now the other were-foxes where returning. The two females, Crystal and Amber, had pieces of bread, meat and cheese. While Tyramus carried plates of thick porcelain and Kronos whit some stone-bottles. "I'm sorry sir." Tyramus said. "But there is only some of the homemade one, which we bought at the inn yesterday." Tristan merely waved his hand. "IT will suffice. And that was all for tonight. You may go." Tyramus and Kronos saluted him, although Crystal and Amber stayed on their posts. "No dances for tonight." He hoped that the were-fox didn't saw his glare, he could never had ordered soldiers to do anything like that. "But stay on guard. There may stil be runaway prisoners that we hadn't couth yet. And if I should call on you, tell Tyramus to take over." "Yes my lord." Crystal said, a little resistant, he thought, but he couldn't be sure. "John." Thomas said, as friendly he'd never heard him, said to him. "There is something I need to talk to you about, in private." He nodded and they walked some distance away to speak. "This is not good." Thomas began. "Kronos and Amber is not the ones I worry. But the others… John, that girl Crystal would cut the hearth out of Tristan if she ever get the chance. Tyramus will do the same, but not because of misuse, but because he would hope to inherit his superior's rank in the army." He calmly nodded. "I know. I shall have a little talk whit Crystal, I can only hope she would listen." Thomas nodded and they went back to the camp.

Prison camp, Warakya. The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
"Ist werde eine halslaus gernung meine Uberstuhrmbandfurher." He declared. Heidrich just looked calmly at him. "Wollen Sie nach der sloss gefaren?" "Nein meine Uberstuhrmbandfurher." He know that one wrong word could make Heidrich give the order for him to be executed, or sent to the castle for an eternal imprisonment. But this was political suicide. Lord Wold had strictly told der Uberstuhrmbandfurher to stay in the camp and to restore it. And until now, he had done so. From the numerous death he'd rouse a new army of Nazi-zombies and by the work of them and recaptured or unsaved prisoners, he had managed to restore the camp not only to it's former glory, but to an even greater glory. He, Carl Kraft, had been promoted to sturhmbandfurher, but their master had let his lust for revenge grow out of control. Heidrich, a group of biker-zombies and some hammer-knoghts, had decided to go after the young Lecarde responsible for his former downfall. "Dahn gehen wir aus!" The Ubersturhmbandfurher called to his team of commandos. The Nazi-zombie on his bike nodded and started off into the forest. The rest of the motorcycles came roaring to life and followed their master. "Willen wir die tothen eine anderen zait gesehen?" One of the soldiers, a young undead of the name Heinz Von Inzeln, asked him. Even though he also wondered if they where ever again see their commander, admitting that would break the morale of the other troops. "Wie warden bach nach der festnung gegangen." He commanded his squad of securities. "Ach so, meine Sturhmbandfurher." His second-in-command, feltwebel Fritz Mayer, told him as he gathered the troops. "Hail der Graf!" They all shouted, before they started marching back toward the prison-complex.

Forest hills, Warakiya. The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
She tried to smile toward lord Tristan, as she again cupet the strong alcohol out on the snow. The idea of trying to drink this were-fox under the table, was not going quite as they'd planed. True, Thomas and Sara had "taken care of" the other were-foxes, the mouning sounds coming from their part of the camp concluding to that, but this gay had seemingly no bottom. He just continued to practually "mug" down the, at least to her, acid-strong wine. She looked down toward her watch, at least it had been her's for the past day, and to her surprise saw it being close to midnight. When she looked up again, a woman whit shining golden-blonde hair and dressed in a shining red robe. At first, she grabed for her weapons, believing that Actrise had come, then she saw the shining crown of silvery-light on her head and she in stead fell to her knees. "He's asleep." The strange woman said whit a soft whispering coice. She turned around and saw John rise from Tristan's body. The young man nodded and then he to knelt before the sure-to-be saint. Now, Thomas and Sara also came running, somewhat naked, but that didn't seam to botter the woman, who merely smiled toward them. "It was a good plan. But you see, the were-foxes are among the most powerful of the dark lord's servants. They can drink much more than humans, or even make love to each other way longer, than the children of man can ever hope to copy from them." She slowly nodded, she should have known it. She'd lived among these creatures since the ice came and all thing became a living miracle, whit that many of the mythological creatures of light and darkness to come out from their hidings for all to see. But that was beside the point. The woman spoke again. "This is my night, as you all should know. But even I can not help you much. The dark lord again walks the land of the living. And although he is still weak, his power is growing stronger each day. The shadows are rising and I can only give you the few moments which is left of my night to flee." As she spoke the last words, she began to fade and soon they could no longer see her. "Let's do as Sta. Lucia said," John suggested. "let's get out of here." Non of them made any obstacle and soon Thomas and Sara was dressed, the horses packed and the camp cleaned. For not doing any sins, John had let the fire untutched and had even put more firewood on it. They had carried all the were-foxes to lay around the fire, putting all the warm clothing the beasts had in their bags. Then they rode off. This was no time to plunder the sleeping and not even Sara, whit her partly animal attitude, suggested that they should do anything else. This time however, all of them sat up on the horses. Speed was now on the essence and the animals just had to pull it through.

High over them, so no-one could smell the stench from its rotting flesh, it looked down upon its enemies. Lord Dracula had ordered it to kill them and that it should do.

Forest hills, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
"Did you really do "that" whit all four of them?" He felt really embarrassed for asking, but the visions who came to his mind by mere thinking about it, made him go sick. "What do you think about us?" Sara said whit such an innocent look upon her face that he didn't believe her. "Cut it out Sara." Thomas said, for once it looked like the Lecarde was being a little taken aback himself. "That Kronis gay just went to sleep and one of those females, Amber I think, went to keep watch as she'd been instructed too." He nodded, smiling a little. He was, although he would never tell anybody about it, a little impressed by how Thomas and Sara could be so "free" about these things. "But that good Saint was right. Hadn't she come along, whe would we been worn out in stead of vice-versa." He nodded. Although Anna had been whit him a long time now, he was still a maiden and didn't want to push either himself nor her. To hide his confusion, he drew his sword and did a dive for a swarm of bats that where coming at them. "John, are your sure that is…" But Thomas was never able to conclude his sentence. He did, as Thomas most likely also had, that these bats where just rotting remains of their former state. He hear Sara roar, taking on her true man-beast form, just as Anna fired a shot whit the rifle Thomas had given her. "Domini arde!" He screamed in fear as he saw the swarm fe-form into the huge form of the phantom-bat. "Get away!" He called toward the girls. "This is a job for a Belmont." He didn't have time to see if they followed his demand, as the phantom bat spread its wings and started flapping them whit such force that he merely could stand his ground. What he shouldn't have given for having Christian here now. He knew how to do battle against this undead beasts. He now bitterly regretted not having read so much as his brother-in-spirit had done. All he knew about was how to keep him alive and sometimes that just wasn't enough. As Thomas came up behind the foul beast, he used his spear to pine one of its wings. The undead bat merely groaned at him and spun around to spit a short wave of blue flame-blasts at him. "Your spear isn't strong enough!" He shouted from where he stood. He jumped up toward the head of the creature and hit it whit his sword. As he hitt the ground, he had to roll to the side to avoid getting hit by the blue fireballs the creature spat. Grumbling since he'd given over his grenades to Edward and his cross-bow to Anna, it was time to test the true power of the Belmont clan's weapons. He brought out the throwing-axe and then concentrated as Christian had learned him. A flicker of golden light was all the warning he got, as a huge wave of axes came flying from hin in a hurricane-like pattern. But it wasn't over whit that, bolts of intence lightning shot up from where the axes hit. And as the mist, caused by the multiply lightning, the numerous bats flew back together, again reforming into the huge phantom-bat. But there was something he noticed, the bat had become smaller, some of the bats must have been hit. "Try to see if the magical aura has been weakened by my attack." He called to his friends, but got no replay. He shook his head and again concentrated on the battle against the strange bat. The phantom-bat had withdrew a little and was now again flapping its wings so hard that he had to seek shelter behind some trees. He drew some of his "ordinary" daggers, the one he'd found inside a strange light-stand in the forest, before he found the track after the walking corpses which had taken Thomas, and threw them right toward the bat. The bat spread into a swarm of lesser bats and then he again brought out his sword and attacked the lesser bats. This was what he'd waited for, was a huge bat, it was difficult destroying it, but as the small ones, he could attack them as if they'd been mere natural bats. The bat again reformed, but this time it was smaller than he'd ever seen it before. Now it was as big as a man, as it before had been as huge as a flying dinosaur or something, but he didn't have time to enjoy his handy-work. The bat started blasting a clean spread-shot at him, seting trees afire as it went along. He started worrying if he shouldn't win this battle, he just being a man while the bat was an undead beast, then he took a grip on himself. Christian had told him that if he just prayed strong enough, God would hear his prayers. So, whit praying hands, he brought out the golden daggers the pope had given him. "My spirit is in your hands." He said as he threw them right at the phantom bat. The result was extraordinary. The golden blades went thtrough the air and hit the bat dead on. Then the bat just vanished in a blaze of golden energy. "Thank you." He said, looking up toward the sky. It had stopped snowing and the star of the Christmas was shining high in the air. Then all was destroyed. "Nicht slecht." A cold inhuman spoke in German behind him. Whit a cold feeling in his hearth, he turned around to see.

Forest hill, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
She took a good look around. Making sure that her reply wouldn't be wrong. "The last interception was at forest hill, three miles south of the wind tower and fourteen from the Karpatian barrier." She at last concluded. Lord Wold, now dressed in a golden armour, whit heavy spikes on his shoulder-plates and whit a breast-plate shaped like the head of a goat, in crimson and black colours, nodded. It had taken human engineers weeks to prepare holographic projectors capable of actually showing a hologram of vampires. But now, whit silver-based materials, they did their work well. "What have you done to the squad of beast-riders who let them slip through?" A grim smile appeared on her face. "Lord Tristan has been executed as per your orders. The second-in-command, sergant Tyramus, are deposed of his rank and are being sent to prison-camp 5. The others I have sent to scout for the renegade prisoners." The hologram, although small, projected from a vrist-hologram, seamed to contemplate what she'd told him. "Archer, I want you to whitdraw all troops from actual battle. They are to merely detain the area in an radius of ten kilometres. It is time to end this little revolt. I will send in my contingency-force of doom-troopers." She gasped, she couldn't help it. "But my lord, those genetic freaks are monsters, they'll kill all and everything you lett them loose upon." The hologram shrugged. "I have lost all faith in SS. They are bought rude and ineffective. If you and some other beast-riders are the best they can matter, it is time to see if the technical crew can to better. End of translation, Hail der Graf!" Wold saluted her and she returned it. But in her undead hearth she disliked the order very much. To turn the world into the rule of Lord Dracula and his master, was as it should be, but to let the doom-troopers destroy everything, it wasn't right. She turned to her aids, giving the orders. "I want all forces to whitdraw back to the Warakiya plains and to the Karpatian barrier. I want them to stay there and to contain the entire area." Her second-in-commands, vampires and blue were-foxes, nodded and ran to bring forth her orders. She didn't see them worry. Then again, they where to obey her, not ask questions about her decision. She went over to where one of the vampires, a young soldier dressed in the black and brown uniform of the Nazi, which held her Raptor. "I will ride to look for other SS-troops." She instructed him, giving him one other of the wrist holoprojectors. "You will call me again when the troops reports that they are gathered at the points I ordered. Do you understand?" The trooper answered her by merely saluting her. She nodded, proad of the teachings of the dark lord's military. She then came to think about something. "It some of the troops are to meet a doom-trooper, they are to open fire and kill it by all cost. Don't even try to capture them or something like that. They're devastating in battle, so don't do anything foolish." The soldier nodded. She could see of his attitude that he'd been long enough in the SS to know when she meant what she said. Smiling she gave the dinosaur the command to start moving."

Gustav Myer, soldier in Lord Dracula's army, the trooper who'd hold commander Archer's Raptor, turned to another of the soldiers, shaking his head. "I don't understand this. Why are everybody so afraid of those doom-troopers?" His friend, a Russian vampire, named Dimitri Ximanowa, shook his head. "I take it you have never been down in Dr. Frankenstein's lab?" When he did shook his head, Dimitri smiled whit-out humour. "And by Satan, you should be glad you hadn't. There's crowded whit genetic experiments and prototype robots. Some of it I think is useful, like those holographic projectors and such things, but some of those things… Just be glad we're leaving the area." He nodded, understanding what he said. When Dimitri said they should be glad getting out, then it was so. Either way, he hoped he would soon be back in usual service, then his thoughts where cut short. "Contact commander Archer." One of the were-fox commanders told him. "One of Lord Dracula's generals is out there. We just have to warn him." He nodded, saluting his superior, before he lifted the holoprojector.

Forest hills, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
"Achtung." Heidrich's order made the hammer-knights and Nazi-zombies to form a line, all pointing their guns and rifles toward them. John had fought gallantly against the phantom-bat, just as they had fought the undead Nazis, but this time they where just to many of them. Sara, growling in her beast-form, had done her best, her claws where stained whit crimson, then she suddenly threw her head back and smell the air. He saw how her neck-fur rouse and she started growling in a low manner. "Was ist dass?" Heidrich demanded to know. Then he himself threw his head back and smelled the air. "Ferdante!" He exclaimed, a shocked look in his face. "What is it Sara?" He asked his lover in a worried tone. "What do you smell?" She turned toward him, looking just as shocked as the old vampire. "It smell like lizard, but it's something wrong." "Shnell!" The vampire commander told his troops. The undead beings turned and began scouting the surrounding area. "Meine damen undt herren, Ich warden dahn sehr slech in die Romania gespreche. Aber, Sie wollen die doom-tropper nicht zu, underastemate. Sie werden sehr stark undt Sie werden zu verstorhen alles Sie wollen gesehen. Verstehen Sie mich?" John, the best in the German language quickly told them what he'd said. "He tells us it's some creatures called doom-troopers coming. He wants us to destroy any if we see any of them." One of the hammer-knights, suddenly drew its shotgun and opened fire. Heidrich turned toward it, but never got the chance to say anything. Three huge black lizard-like creatures came jumping out from the forest. Clad as they where in spiky black body-armour, it was difficult knowing how they really looked. They where at least two meters tal, whit scaly spiked skin, long worm-like tails and whit huge hammer-shaped heads. Although their faces where small, he was truly amazed by their eyes. Which just didn't shine whit the animal's usual prime instinct on protecting the tribe, but also shoned forth whit an intelligent form of blood-lust which made him shudder in a fear he'd never felt before. Two of them went straight at Heidrich, tearing him into shreds whit the sharp claws on their hands and feet. Then they proceeded on towards the other soldiers from Dracula's army. The hammer-knight who'd fired the first shot, did shoot again and did actually managed to kill one of the… he didn't know what to call them, aliens perhaps? They did just not look like anything he'd seen before. Then he saw something which made him, a trained hunter, to throw up. The one who'd gone after Sara had tackled her to the groung and was now kissing her. Or so it looked like. Anna did fire a bolt from the crossbow John had lent her, just as he fired a shot from his own shotgun. The bolt pierced the alien's breast, showing just how powerful the little weapon was, while his own bullet went straight through the creature's head, the combined shots killing the fuel creature. Just then, another alien came dashing out from the forest, and the two in combination did quick work of the few soldiers who where left. The only exeption, was the hammer-knight, who was now indulged in hand-to-hand combat whit one of the aliens. John, who by now had drew his sword, came running to aid the hardly pushed hammer-knight. He just kicked away the corpse of the alien he'd killed, anxious to see if all was alright whit Sara. "Thom." She softly called up to him. He knelt down, placing his arm under her head. "The alien did implanted something in me. I don't know what it is, felt like some sort of gel, but I can feel it move inside me." A look of pain appeared on her face. "Thom, you must kill me, before whatever it is comes out of me or…" She stopped in mid-sentence, as a moan escaped her lips. "Thom, I feel it's starting to… Kill me! Kill me now!" She then started screaming, he could see her belly bulding, as if some monstrosity struggled to get out. Whit a sinking sensation in his heart, he lifted his spear and drew it right threw her. She had expected her to scream, but it was from inside her, or so it sounded, that the scream came from. When the thing inside her finally stopped screaming, a smile crept over the man-beast's face. "Thank you, Thom. Thank for everything." Then, still smiling, her head fell back, her eyes looking glazed over, blood coming from her mouth. He threw his head back and howled, like the wildest animal, in sorrow over her being dead. He then lifted his head, Anna looking back and forth between the hammer-knight and John, battling the last two aliens. He didn't care. Whit a wild snarl on his face, he dashed toward the aliens, the red blur he'd seen once before again came before him. He did swing his spear at the first alien, crushing its skull, the other one, casting one look upon him, turned and ran into the forest. He didn't care. He ran after it, bent on killing all the creatures who'd killed his beloved Sara.

Forest hills, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
Whit a tired grunt, the hammer-knight sat down upon the snow. He looked upon it whit surprised eyes. "I didn't thought a possessed creature like you could become tired." He said as he too sat down. The knight gave of a laugh whit-out humour. "I'm not a regular knight." It said, lifting its hands toward its helmet. "I'm a human, a woman." She removed it, showing forth the face of a twenty-three year old woman, whit tired grown eyes, pale skin and black hair. "You're a Jew." Anna exclaimed. The woman snorted. "That I am, girly. My name's Ruth Van Helsing, or Vincent, or whichever of the family name you prefer." He felt how his eyes grew larger. "You're a Belmont helper. What're you doing in Dracula's army?" "Lord Dracula's army." She corrected him, as if she merely did it of old habit. "It was the only way to go for one who wanted fighting experience around here. I planed to quit as soon I had what I needed. It seems like this is the moment I have waited for." "Yes, yes." Anna broke in. "It's all very interesting, but wouldn't it be wice to go look for Thomas?" Ruth surged. "No idea girly. The doom-troopers kills all who don't kill them first. But if I know Lord Dracula, he wouldn't just play around whit those creatures. He would most likely just give someone like Wold a handful to toy whit. Good for us we haven't met one of the cloaked yet. They control the others through telepathy and they're immune toward magic." Again he felt how he was taken aback by what the new companion said. "Resistant? But how?" Again the Jewish girl shrugged. "Don't know. Perhaps they used dragon DNA when they created them. They're just immune to magic and that's it." Now it was his time to groan. But whatever the case, Anna was right. They couldn't just abandon Thomas like that. It was then it came. It came just as silent as the snow fell to the ground. It looked just like the other aliens. Even whit the same body-armour, but this was also shrouded in a simple black cloak. "We will go in all at the same time." He whispered to Anna and Ruth. Whitout saying anything, the shrouded alien lifted it hand, palm out, and fired a black wave of fire. It didn't hit any of them, but in some way he didn't understand, he knew that it didn't intended to hurt them whit the fire. It was as if the alpha male of the tribe showed strength against a challenger. "It's playing whit us." Ruth said in a low voice. "I know." He answered in the same tone. He then turned toward Anna. "Do you know how to use a sword or a hammer?" "What?" Anna looked upon him whit a shocked look in her eyes. "You wants me to fight him?" This time it was his time to shrug. "I depend to much on magical artefacts and celestial powers. While Ruth is totally worn down by battling, you must do it this time." The Romanian woman looked upon them, then she nodded. "I shall try." She calmly said. "Do some of you have an axe?" She blushed by his look. "I did use to train whit one on the farm before Dracula's forces came." Ruth seamed to ponder her question, then she nodded and went over to one of the fallen knights. Now that the evil spirits which had possessed them where gone, the steel-plates of the armours lay scattered all over the snow. She drew an axe from one of their belts and gave it to Anna. "Thank you." She then spit into her fists and swung the axe to feel its wait and reach. He smiled, she really looked as if she knew what she did. She then did the sign of the cross, Ruth gave her a look and shook her head, but he didn't mind. Now it was Anna's turn to show her worth.

Forest hills, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
She looked over the troops who'd gathered around her. Now that Werner, Oldrey and Kaufman was all back, the SS-squad was once again in good order. She brought her Raptor over to where Werner and Kaufman stood. She smiled when she saw that they seemingly had become good friends, but now effectiveness was what she needed. "Have you found something?" She asked them. Now that no boyar snob was nearby, the two did understand Romanian quite well. "Nothing. Just a dead alien. Oh yeah, there was a group of Nazi-zombies there too. Who was really grateful, seeing that we where dressed in the uniforms of SS." She nodded. Lord Wold luckily only had two groups of those blasted monsters. But two squads where more than enough to slaughter the poor soldiers who came across them. She shook her head and went over to where Oldrey stood, drinking blood from one of the human soldiers who served in his group. "Be careful not to take to much Jeremiah." She told him, he looked up on her and then withdraw from the drinking. "You know me better than that Nicole." She smiled down at him, before she got serious. "Do you have something to report?" Oldrey seamed to think it over before he answered. "It's that were-fox, Amber I think is her name. She claims she met a squad of wer-wolfs, goat-men and bone-soldiers, marching toward the tower of wind, as we call it in popular language. Bodley manor it is real name. But that is beside the point. They said they had captured one of the renegades who had casued much chaos in this region. It could have been one of the Belmonts or their helpers, but she didn't get the name. Do you think it is important?" This time it was her time to ponder a question. She thought about it for a moment, then she shook her head. "It's more than half a thousand renegade prisoners who're running about out here. Stern wanted us to find the Belmonts at all cost. Werner, Kaufman, come over here!" The two vampires she'd ask for came walking over to her. "I want you to regroup the SS we have into four groups. I am to take command over one of them, you over the three others. By the report I have received it looks like it's pretty much clear now. We are to seach the contained area until we find the Belmonts. Tell Kraft, Von Bork and the cloaked warlock to continue to contain this area." They nodded, saluted her and ran to do their orders. They all knew by now that this area was the last in which the Belmonts had been scouted, al least all reports concluded to that, and she was bent on searching the area until she found them.

Forest hills, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
The cloaked alien would teleport from place to place. She knew it was impossible, but it was as if the lizard-like creature grinned at her. She swung the axe right at it, again it lifted its hands and sent a black burst of flames toward her. She jumped out of reach, then looked around to relocate it. It stood, looking at her, then it spit another of those gel-like blobs at her. She'd seen what that gel had done to Sara and was not interested in seeing if she would suffer the same faith is she was to swallow any of that slime. She swung the axe and, to her own satisfaction, was able to cut the ball into pieces. The alien screamed one of its bone-chilling screams and made a dash at her, its claws at the ready. She ripped forth the crossbow and fired a bolt at the foul creature. She knew she would get only one shot so she'd speared it for a chance like this. The bolt shot through the air and pinned itself into the shoulder of the monster. Een tough it wasn't a deathly blow, it made the alien slow down a little. And although it lasted for shorter than 10 seconds, it was all she needed. She jumped at the monster, kicking it in its lower section, the alien staggered backward, faling to one knee. She did then cut its head clean off, but she jumped back to get out of the way. Blood and gel spread all over. She knew what the gel could do, but now she saw what the blood could do whit metal. She saw how the stinking black blood made the metal-plates laying on the ground melted like if strong acid had hit them. She bent down and started to clean the axe and to her everlasting joy, she was able to save the blade from the same fate. She rouse of and then dropped the axe as John embraced her whit a bought proud and thankful look on his face. Ruth did clasp her on the back, an impressed look in her eyes. "You did it!" The Jewish woman said. "You defeated one of the cloaked ones. It's incredible!" The Belmont beamed toward her, smiling as she hadn't seen it since they freed Thomas and the other prisoners from that camp. Thomas! The thought hit her like lightning. He'd stormed into the forest, hunting the last alien, if that was indeed the last alien. That thought sent chills through her bones like that not even the cloaked alien had managed to. She could see that the same thought had come to John's mind. But the worst, was seeing the grim look on Ruth's face. It was like the grim look already concluded to that Thomas was already dead. She sat a new bolt in the crossbow and picked up the ace. Ruth checked her gun and then drew her hammer, placing her helmet back on her head, once again looking like the professional hammer-knight she was. John drew his own blade and then they were ready to go.

Forest hills, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
They hadn't gone long, merely two hours or something like that, when they came over the corpse of the alien. But that wasn't what worried him. It was all the other corpses. Corpses after hammer-knights, goat-men and bones after the pesky bone-soldiers, even two werewolf was there, killed by shots from a gun. A gun he was sure he knew. "They've taken him." Ruth said, her voice sounding a little hollow from whit-in the helmet. But that wasn't important now. He thought she was right and the important thing now was to find out where they'd taken him. "Hey!" Anna's shout made him run over to her. "Look what I found." She pointed toward a white paper, hammered into one of the trees whit many grim slashes. "In the name of Lord Dracula," HE started reading. "this is where a squad of the dark prince's vassal, lord Wold, captured a renegade enemy of the new order. He is to be taken to Bodley manor for there to be questioned about his grim doings. Love ling the prince. This is not good." He turned around so that they shouldn't see the terror in his eyes. "We must go there, we just have to." Anna said in a terrified voice. Ruth snorted. "Do you think that marching into Lord Wold's tower will be as easy as it was whit that camp? That bastard entertain himself by letting prisoners from the camps come into the tower where either he or some of his servants kill them." He nodded, understanding what she said. He felt how a shudder went through him. This was a living nightmare but it was how it was. It was time to see if he really was a Belmont or not. This was things like Trevor or Simon would've done whit-out thinking it could be dangerous. "So be it." He said. "You're right Anna. We cant just leave him to that vampire." He turned to Ruth. "You don't have to come along if you don't want to." The Jewish girl again snorted. "You don't even have a chance in getting inside that hell-house whit-out me." She said in dry humour. He nodded, smiling slightly. "Then it's all in God's hands." He again brought out his blade. "Let's…" But before he could end his sentence, Raptors came galloping through the forest, kicking up snow as they went along. Nazi-zombies and hammer-knights marched behind them, whit even more beast-riders at the back. "God in Heaven." He whispered. HE recogniced the insigna on the hammer-knights armours and the special colours on the living deaths uniforms. "They're from SS, all of them." He had been wrong. It wasn't when they get to the tower his skills as a Belmont would be put to the test. It was here and now they should be tested. "Holt!" An elderly-looking vampire in black slang-cape and an Austian Nazi-helmet called to his troops. "Have you seen a young boy and a child-girl go past here?" The vampire called toward them. "Answer quickly it's the Belmonts we're hunting." For a moment it was absolutely empty in his head. Luckily that wasn't the case whit Ruth. "No." She said as inhuman and possessed she could. "Blasted!" The vampire commander growled. "Then let's carry on." "Wait, wait sir." It was one of the beast-riders who called. To his horror, he could recognice Amber, whit Crystal sitting on the Raptor behind her, who had called her superior. "They're renegades too. They knocked out me and all the others in my group. Archer wouldn't lissen to us but perhaps you…" "Silence!" The commander shouted. "You betrayed Lord Dracula by letting those renegades escape. But to be sure," He turned toward them again. "you shall accompany us until we meet up whit Kaufman and Oldrey again." It wouldn't work. Now he knew it. Kaufman and Oldrey had been among those who'd made battle against them when they'd thought they where safe. He hadn't seen them, but they had most likely seen them and knew who they where. They hadn't kept it a secret that he was a Belmont among the freed prisoners. And by now the SS most likely knew it, although it seemed like some of them hadn't linked the leader of the renegade prisoners to the rumours of a Belmont being among them. So he drew his sword and whit one powerful swing he cut of the vampire's head. "Sir Werner!" Crystal cried. Then all went up in chaos and combush. As he'd hoped it would. "To the forest!" He called to his friends as he swung his sword at the attacking Nazis. He saw how Anna swung her axe and Ruth smashed her hammer into the helmets of her former colleagues. "To the forest! To the forest!" He screamed as he continued to battle the troops of Dracula.

(A.N: I do not agree on the German war-crimes under the second World War. But I do like the German and Austrian culture, history and music. What I have tried to show here, is that it's the Nazi, the ones Dracula has resurrected, who where the real villains behind the war. And one other thing, next time I'll take up the story from where I left it whit Edward's group. This chapter is also the first non-stage-like chapter I have wrote. I hope you like this form of build-up to so that you may enjoy my different forms of writing.)

Chapter 6: The Story Continues | Back to Chapter 4