Castlevania: Darkness Never Dies

Fan Fiction

Continued...

Part 1: Gathering darkness.

"Moses, Moses. Take your shoes off your feet. The pearth which you stand upon is holy ground."

2. Moses 3. 4.

Chapter 6: Sinking old sanctuary.
Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D. She looked around and shook her head. "I don't know but I think they're right." The fairies who'd followed them this long flouted around her head. "The ice attract the little light who is in here and send it out in these eerie light we can adapt to." Saria smiled toward her. "Then you can go little sisters, fear well." She saw Adrian shrug, but she didn't care. Bought Torah and Saria had told them that they'd merely gotten the aid of the fays on the promise to let them go when they wanted to and she agreed whit them. "I would like to stay whit you." She looked and one of the golden-shining faries came fluttering toward her. "Don't you like Torah?" She asked the little fey. The tiny creature shook her head. "I do, but you're a Belmont and we know who they are and what they do. As Saria said, I want to help you." She nodded and lifted the little lantern who'd carried her own fey-helper when she and the other's first entered the cave. As the tiny creature flew down, she turned and concentrated on what Adrian, Victor and Edward was discussing. Then her eyes fixed on Ursula, who sat tiredly on the pillar next to them. She understood her. The dragon had carried them all the way from the battle-field and to this pillar.

Flashback.

"Creature bats coming in!" Adrian shouted as he spread his cape and started elevate into the air. She looked upon him whit a astonished look, then she remembered it. Vampires couldn't fly, but they could elevate through the air from whichever high they would please. But now Adrian's prepared attack wasn't needed, as Ursula blasted the creature bats into oblivion. Another group of creature bat came flying and did blast a little rain of fireballs. "If you don't want to end like the water-flower," Marina pointed toward where they still could see the frozen-to-death flower. "you must try not to fall down. It you do that we're finished!" She thought her words was a little out of the way, butshe didn't have time to think as more creature bats came flying at them. "They don't try to kill us?!" Victor shouted in utter surprise. "They don't have to." Adrian had returned and now had retaken his "seat" on Ursula's back. "If they just managed to cripple out ability to fly, they know we're finished." "Set us down there!" Victor pointed toward the huge metal-pillar they'd setteled for in the first place. "This must be some sort of trap!" She called as Ursula blasted a wave of fire at the group of creature bats coming toward them.

End of Flashback.

"Let's see now." Victor was studying the technical readout Adrian's group had found in the service-room down in the pipe-system. "The main-generator is inside the pillar we now sits un and the turbines, is up there." He pointed toward the huge crack in the sealing where she could see heavy articles of machinery. "Then this must be the second main-observation deck. The cleaning-pools was back in the caves we just left." The hunter seamed to ponder his thoughts. "Then the exit must be over there." The DaNasty clansman then shrugged. "But whit all the new tunnels and corridors I have discovered, I can't be sure on anything anymore." She put a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be good enough." She softly said and the other nodded. Victor smiled and rolled together the draft and put it in his pocket. Then she drew her whip, she saw the other do the same, and they walked toward the stairs and down on the ice.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
If only she'd had had a coat or robe like Edward or Ursula, but she couldn't botter herself whit that now. She could see that Victor, Marina and the two girls had the same problem. Then Saria said something which made her blood go cold whit fear. "The ice is cracking, it will become destroyed if we walk any further." She looked down and saw she was right. Small cracks could already be sean in the ice. Now they really was on deep water this time, literally. Ursula was totally worn out and couldn't fly them anywhere. "Marina, you can't do anything?" She asked, but without any hope. "I could warm the water so that we could swim in." The naiad said. "But it wouldn't last long until the spell would kill my weak spell." She nodded, then something else caught her attention. Saria was helping Torah to kneel on the ground. The little Fernandez was singing, a tone which made incredible visions of dancing snow-flaxes falling and shining ice embrace the water of the land. "The song she's singing," Saria softly said. "it's the song called "Sonnet of the nutcrackers". It's one of the most powerful songs of the winter, but it only last as long as someone sing." Victor nodded. "You heard the lady gays, let't get moving." Without any more arguing, they started walking. "Adrian, I did wonder something." The youthful looking vampire turned her head toward her. "When we got out of this cavern, what are we then to do next? I know you and Edward promised to help Ursula whit freeing her kin. But I and Torah think it's more vital to go and free the springs of their frozen state. They give electricity and water to so many who has not yet left Warakiya. And I cant just left even Dracula's followers to die of cold and hunger." "We'll see." Adrian just said. "Perhaps those two goals could be combined" She nodded and then swung her whip at some in-coming bats. "Good shot cousin." Edward smiled aprowingly, just as he swung his sword at an approaching Medausa-Head. "Keep it queit you two." Saria pleaded. "One wrong note and we are finished. Remember she is only singing on instinct and by the One's mercy." She nodded, feeling a little ashamed by forgetting that. They would have to bought quick and silent. It was still a good distance walk before they reached the shore.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
"Curse it." He balled his fists when he saw what waited them near the end of the lake. If it was the spell-caster which was either too weak or if it was a part of his plan, he didn't know. But that was beside the point, as more than three or four hundred metres from the shore, the ice was open and it was only some scaly-looking ice-blocks which seamed to the the only way to cross the open area. "I'm sorry," Torah said whit a horse worn-out voice. "but the song doesn't seam to work here." Saria nodded. "The song only works on what already are. It cannot change was is not." He nodded, this was not good. Ursula had used up much of her energy in flying so far in this cold, so that wasn't an option anymore. The only way which seamed to be left, was to try to jump their way over to dry land. "This is where I might be of service." They turned around, it was Marina who'd sounded her voice. "I must soon return to where I can find open water, but this is something I can help you whit." Then, without thinking twice, the tiny naiad threw herself into the water. He felt how his eyes grew large. It was ice-cold down there. Jumping down in that water would mean surtan death. But then, when her body reached the water, the flowing liquid became crystal-blue, they could now see how she really was. Her skin was now pure blue and she'd grown fins and she became even longer and more skinny than she'd ever been before. "Don't be afraid!" She called up to them in a strange bobbleing voice they'd never heard before. "You can now swim through the water. It want hurt you." Torah was the first to jump into the water, quckly followed by Edward and, to his great surprise, Adrian did also jump into the water. It was truly a miracle, usually water would kill the undead, but Marina's spell seamed to repel even that. Then Saria and Ursula followed, he took a deap breth, prepearing to feel the same sensation as St. Peter did when he did try to walk on water together whit Christ. Then he jumped out into the water and it really felt just like warmed summer water. He smiled at Edward, who gave him a shrug, he did just smile broader. The Morris was seemingly still a little affected by the revelution that he was an homosexual, but he didn't care. Is was like his friends had said. This was a miracle. Then he cast a look on Marina, who seamed to be just as tired as Torah was. Then he understood it. "Quick, swim to the shore, she cant possibly hold on to this much longer!" His friends looked at their naiad friend, and saw what he'd seen. What she'd said about needing to get back to unfrozen water wasn't an understatement. They started swimming and although the bats and Medusa heads still did appear, it was Ursula who had to defeat them. At last they reached shore and they all climed up from the water. Then they discovered another particular thing. Even dough they'd been into the water, they hadn't become wet or anything. That was a good thing, since another fear he'd worried about had been that they would most likely freeze when they did came out from the water. Then, whit him and Ursula on guard, they did all turn to the naiad. "So," Edward said, seemingly a little taken aback about what was now to come. "I take this is your good-bay?" Marina weakly smiled. "Bought no and yes you might say. I must leave you here to get down to more water. But I will gather the naiad who wants to help in the war against Dracula. You see," Turningt serious, she now spoke to the entire group. "before I left my domain, rumours where spreading that the dark lord was gathering all darkness around him and was preparing for war like he'd never done before." Lifting a hand, she stopped Adrian who was about to say something. "I know he has only been alive for some few days, but underground information can sometimes turn out to be true. Whatever the case, I promise to help you. May the One be whit you all." She then doved deep into the water and was gone. "Well," Alicia said, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder. "we have to continue." She whispered something to Edward who he couldn't hear, but the Morris's face lit up whit new determination.in his eyes. "Let's go." Adrian said and the group continued on.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
As they continued walking, Adrian came up beside her. Dressed as he was, in shining armour and dark cape, he was one of the most exotic of the group. "How do you know the Morris clansman?" She gave him a side-glance, before she shook her head. "I don't love him or anything." She said as softly she could, pushing her glasses tighter toward her eyes. "Members of my family said I look a lot like Sonia Belmont, but even so, I'm not her and can never be her." The estranged son of Dracula shook his head in turn. "You look more like Maria Renard than your great for-mother, but that was indeed not the reason I asked you the question." She gave him a quick smile, then she got serious. "Then why did you asked me the question?" The youthful looking vampire returned the smile. "Because he saved my and Ursula's life." She gave him a surprised look, the dark-blonde vampire nodded. "I forget that you was not there when I and our other companions sat around the tree where we exchanged tales and histories. But what I tell is the truth. I was sleeping in my cave when I was awakened by the sudden presence of the castle. I decided to take a look around. Although Victor think he's the only one who know this place, I and the dragons knew it before the humans of Romania power-company came here and built their powerplant/water supply station." A smile then crept over his face. "But I confess, the caverns was not like they where when I awoke. Even so, I met Ursula Draco and we found out we had the same enemy. It was then we where attacked by two gorgons, daughters of Medusa and her sisters. We where able to defeat them, but they did manage to see us in the eyes and we where those turned into stone. If a dying or dead gorgon see someone in the eyes, they will stay that way until the one who rule the gorgon is destroyed. Edward did destroy the bone dragon king, the beast which ruled the gorgons. For that I am in depth whit him." "It's no reason for you being so." She again pressed the glasses toward her eyes. Edward had come up to them so silently that she hadn't even heard him. Judging by Adrian's unmoving face, he hadn't either. "I merely whish for you to be my friend." The young Morris then cracked a tired smile. "Outside of Victor and Thomas, who just sty by me for my safty 's sace, they're the only friends I have. Now Marina has left us, I know she had no other choice and so, but it's hard." She put a hand on his shoulder and so did Adrian. Then the young vampire opened his cape. "Balls of Destruction!" Three balls of bat-inhabited blue flames came flying at three axes which came flying at them. The boomerang-like objects did burst into nothingness just as she jumped over where they'd been just a moment ago and swung her whip at the gold-plated armour who'd attacked them. "Watch out!" Edward's call came just as the axe-lord, for that was truly what it was, brought out its shield and deflected her blow and another monster, a minotaur, clad in steel-coloured armour and whit a mace swinging over its head, did run to its comrade's aid. Edward swung his blade and was able to pierce the breast-plate of the vile creature, making it stagger backward whit blood oozing from the wound. But they wasn't the only enemies, not by far. "Dark-dryads!" Saria snarled like the sleek little cat she could some times look like. "Star bow!" An arrow of star-coloured energy came flying from her bow and drowe itself into the breast of another dryad-like creature. "Get back!" She called. "Your magic whill be of no use if they cut you down!" Together whit Adrian, Victor and Edward they formed a semi-circle around the smaller parts in th group. "Crimson shield!" Adrian formed his shield whit energy-shaped bats which hindered the little rain of arrows from hitting them. "Do you see them?" She asked Adrian,as she whipped one of the axes thrown by the axe-lord. "Pond of the blue Crest!" Behind her Torah spread her hands and a shock-wave of, something, she couldn't see what it was, shot from the little half-dryad and hammered itself into the axe-lord. At first it didn't look like anything had happened, then, suddenly smoke started rising from the possessed armour and one of its arms, holding an axe at the ready, fell down, shattering into tiny crystals, looking more like ice than metal. "35-40 or something like that. At least ten of them is dark-dryads, armed whit bows. It was them who shoot at us before." She turned to Adrian, a surprised look on her face, then she shrugged. Even though she'd been concentrated on the axe-lord, it didn't mean that everyone else in the world needed to do the same she did. A quick smile went over the youthful-looking vampire's face, before he continued whit the task she'd given him. "The most of them are bone-soldiers dough. Armed whit either swords or lances. The rest is…" But he was cut short, the rest of the troops have seemingly gotten over the loss of their most powerful fighter, and was now springing into attack. She noticed that some of the enemies where lizardmen, dressed in the leathery and scaly armours made by their shells.of their own fallen cousins. Armed whit the curwed sword they liked to use and whit spiky axe-like weapons. They where aided by blue-fured were-foxes, dressed in short-leather boots, brown trousers, red baggy-sleeved jackets black tunich whit steel-shell sawn all over and whit black-polished armour over their breasts and shoulders. Black helmets going all the way around their faces, fastened whit simple metal-buckles underneath their chin and whit a brim shading their eyes, made it difficult to know who was male and who where female. The strange light inside the cave, most likely some strange reflection from the ice or something, shone in their short one-handed sword and on the spike on top of each helmet. Then she lost all control of the battle-field and all she could see, was the enemy right in front of her. She whipped at bone-soldiers, making them burst into flames. She whipped at lizard-men or where-foxes and they fell to the ground or drew back as fast as they could. All grasping around the burns her whip had created on their flesh. She felt how the swet flowed from every pore as she continued to fight. From time to time she saw how Adrian or Edward destroyed or killed enemies who tried to cut her down from behind. Vitor was allways at her side, or so she thought although she knew it was times when he was gone, swinging his axe like a Nordic berserk. From time to time, arrows came flying from in front or from the behind of her, she used her throwing-daggers to destroy the ones she could see, and in her heart thanked God for giving her the idea of taking along the mail and breast-plate. Even though, it was the song, she didn't know if it was Noriko or Torah who sung, but that wasn't important. The song made hope and the will to fight these fuel creatures burn in her heart so she could fight even better than she would usually do. Then, it was all over. In one moment she was surrounded by the forces of Dracula, in the next, she stood there breathing heavily. The enemies either dead or dying around her. But they would also have to pay the price. Adrian was unwounded, since he was what he was. She turned around as he took blood from some of the dying enemies, and found herself looking at Edward, who helped Victor sitt up. The good man had an arrow fastened in his leg and did also had several wounds in his shoulders, most likely from the lizard-men's cruel axes. "I don't think he's poisoned." Edward said, giving them a smile before he himself fell to his knees, his face turning green. "Quick!" She called to Adrian. "From my backpack. Give me the bottles from the small room." The Basraq clansman nodded and, thank God, was quick to react to her demand. "Drink this." She told the Morris, pressing the opening of a yellow bottle toward his lips. And although she clearly saw he'd difficult whit swallowing, he made to get down some of the liquid. She could only hope the ferryman didn't lie about the power of "the yellow medicine" as he called it. Even though it was other things she remembered the strange creature by, she thanked him for giving her these few bottles whit, whatever it was. Edward seamed clearly better and was able to sitt up. Even though he still looked pale and weak, the poison was gone. "Sorry for bothering you, but could any of you please come over here. Saria needs help and I'm afraid she needs some help no woman can give her." "What?" She shook her head, then walked over to where Torah was embrazing her half-sister. "What are you talking about?" She asked the little girl. "She used so much power whit helping to aid your fighting spirit that she completely drained herself. She said that if we'd been in a forest it would've been no problem, but down here… She needs magnetism from one other to restore her life-force." She nodded, understanding just all to clear what the little dryad needed. "Anybody wolenteer? And I'm not asking you Adrian." A humour-less smile crept over Adrian's face. The other two gave each-other an uneasy look, then Edward shrugged. "I'll do it, you other can please do me a favour?" She nodded. "If we can." The Morris, now clearly stronger nodded. "Take care of Victor, he needs to be healed. And one other thing…" He was cut in mid-sentence, but she thought she already knew what he was thinking about. The cutting came from Adrian who silently asked them. "Where is Ursula?" She felt how a chill went down her spine. Even dough she couldn't see her body anywhere, she understood the two men's worry. They had to be quick. Victor and Saria needed help and they needed it soon. "Edward, Torah, you will stay here." She gave the little sorceress what she needed to cure Victor "Go a little further up among the boulders. I'm sure there's no more enemies up there and," She took a deep breath, unsure on how to say this. "don't look back, you may hear strange sounds but not look. Do you understand me?" The little Fernandez nodded, although she saw that she didn't understood it. Either way she hoped she would keep her promise. She was to young for this things. She then looked at Adrian, pushing her glasses tighter towards her eyes, glad she hadn't lost them in the battle. "We'll go look for Ursula." The vampire nodded and after having waved good-bay to their friends, Adrian had bowed in a formal way and babbled something on ancient Romanian which she hardly understood, and then they walked up the shore, toward the tunnel which lead out of the huge grotto."

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
Edward caressed her petite body. She was so cold, so little. But she was a full-grown woman, for a dryad that is. He'd felt strange feelings toward bought Alixia and Ursula and had actually thought about them as if being in love whit them. But this was different. This little creature needed him, not only to survive, but for an entire forest to live. He brought off his coat and put it on the ground, putting it around him and her. At first it felt like having a child in his arms, but then he did what the Belmont have done all since Sonia's time. He looked beyond the obvious and then he saw how she really was. A living creature whit problems and perils like himself. He felt how she started heating up and she opened her eyes. "Edward." She said. "I'm so sorry for this." He felt how her arms started caressing him. "I know how dryads do it." He half-way mooned to her. "I would never had forced you to do this." She told him as she went down over him. He'd never done this before and it felt bought strange and good at the same time. He monaed as it happened. "Saria." He mumbled. She smiled toward him as he wraped his arms around her. At last, he felt how warmth and life returned to her.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
He swung his sword at some incoming bats and they burst into flames. "Why do you think she disappeared?" The young Schneider at his side asked. " It just doesn't make sense." He saw how her brow became wrinckeld and in his heart he grumbled over seeing something so smooth becoming ashamed like that. Then he shrugged, she didn't wanted anything to do whit him and he respected that. "It could be that she got a signal from her cousin which was so urgent that she just could not wait it out?" She thoughtfully nodded, then shook her head. "If that's the case, then it was a desperate gesture. By what we have seen of this outsending from Dracula, he don't take care even about his own troops. Freexing that plant and send that little force against us... Adrian, it was murder, nothing less. He must either be mad or something much worse than that." HE gave her a look. "What can be worse than meeting a mad warlock?" The look upon the girl's face darkened whit a look he'd never seen upon her face before. Fear, clean and utter fear. "A warlock who's mad and know about it. A warlock who knows it and doesn't care about it." He nodded, that was one of the reasons why he hated his father. The dark lord was mad and didn't cared about it. "Do not fear." He softly said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I will stay by your side when it is time to face him." She grabbed his hand, squeezing it slightly. "Thank's Adrian." She smiled a small smile. "You're a true friend." He smiled back at her and they continued down the corridor.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
He leaned back on the boulder, groaning a little as Torah drew the head of the arrow from his leg. Then she gently pushed a clean piece of cloth awainst the wound. He grinned his teeth not to scream, but soon the pain subsided. He took a deep breath, then he truly screamed as the little girl was taking of his jacket to look on the wounds on his shoulders. But since his jacket was the only he had, he would have to make it out. He could thank the metal-shells on the tunic for that his weak frame wasn't more damaged then that he where. He shrugged, agitated that he'd now thrown away all his silver-stakes, then he was again reminded of his wounds as the Fernandez's small hands started checking the wounds on his elbows and shoulders. "You're lucky to not being poisoned as Edward was." She said as she started cleaning the wounds for blood. "Yeath, really lucky." He grumbled underneath his breath as he looked upon the gashes in his body. "This might give you a slight pain." Torah warned him as she dug inside her own backpack. "Now, concentrate upon your own health. Try to figure yourself without any wounds." He gave her a strange look, then did as she said. She then lay her hand upon his leg and started mumbling words he couldn't hear, then a stinging pain, it felt like when he first got the wound Again he couldn't hold back the scream. "Jesus! What're you doing?!" She looked him into the eyes whit a calm he'd never seen in them before. "I am healing your wounds. Now be still." Then she smiled and her eyes became sad. "That's what my grandmother, Yoko Belnades used to say when I didn't understand her." Her hand again moved toward his wounds. "I'm sorry Victor. I know I said it before, but this just needs to be done." He nodded and then concentrated on himself, well and without any wounds. He groaned as he again felt the same pain as when he first got the wounds surge through his body. "Than's girly." He smiled down at her. She giggled and withdrew her hand. "I see that you too has ia good time." He, almost to his own surprise, jumped to his feet and drew his axe. Torah at his side, her hands blazing whit magical energy. "Take it easy. It's just me and Saria." He almost laughed as he saw the Morris, dressed in his usual hat and coat, whit the little dryad at his side. "You're well again!" Torah exclaimed as she almost dashed at her half-sister. The half-sisters lauged, happily they did embraced each-other. "So, tell me Edward," A sly smile appeared on his face. "did you give our little tree-climber some new magnetism?" The former mailman blushed, then he shrugged. "What do you have to do whit that if I may ask?" He nodded, understanding the point. Instead of answering, he just clapped his friend on the shoulder. Edward gave him a dirty look, then he just smiled and returned the gesture. "So, if not anybody has anything against it," Edward suggested. "I vote for going to look for the others." "I'm in for that." He inquired and the two girls nodded. They brought out their weapons and started walking.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
She looked up the rolling-stair. This was something she hadn't taken into calculation. But now she had to. How was they to climb a moving stair just as they did battle whit bone dragons, pillar of bones and Medusa head? Adrian could've flew up the shaft in which they stood. But not even he was powerful enough to carry her more than five hundred metres into the air. She was no true Belmont, at least not in the way which mattered. She had no of the clans magical weapons. The grenades would just be to powerful and the throwing dagger she'd picked up would not be powerful enough. The holy water perhaps, she'd used it to do battle whit the dendroid and that creature-bat. Then she made her decision. The holy water would have to do. "Wait! Just wait." It was her small fairy, it had stead inside the lamp on her belt for so long that she'd almost forget about it. But now it did flew out of the lamp and flouted right in front of her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I have forgot your name little one."" The fays colour changed to a charming red. "You don't know my name since I haven't told you it. The name is Marcia and don't forget it." She smiled toward the tiny entity of a creature. "Of course I wont forget. But what was it that you wanted us to know about?" The fayrie's colour changed into a calm blue. "There's something big and alive inside that wall. It send to me that I must tell you to find her." She nodded and grabbed inside her backpack. "Watch out everyone!" She shouted as she did drew the splint and threw the grenade at the wall. Then she did jump and roll to get away from the blow. That was when it happened. She landed and discovered that she'd lost her glasses. She looked around whit a frighten look upon her face. "My glasses!" She called. "I can't see a thing without my glasses." A blurry entitly came toward her face. "It's me, Marcia." Her fay called to her. "Do yoy see my glasses?" She called out toward her. Then a hand grabbed hers and helped her to stand. "Here." Another hand did place her glasses on her nouse and she saw Adrian smile toward her. "Thank's Adrian. Once again you turne out to be the perfect friend." The estranged son of Dracula just shook his head. "Look." He calmly said and she did as he said. Behind the damaged wall, they saw the frozen form of a golden dragon and many other statues. It was mostly humans, dressed like workers, or like administrators in suits and ties. And some woman of the same clothing as the for-mentioned friends. But there was also many najads there, but the strangest thing, was walking corpses dressed in black and brown Nazi uniforms. Not to mention a vampire whit the same uniform and one metal hand. "Those where servants of Dracula." She exclaimed. "What're they doing here in a frozen graveyard?" Then that question did completely leave her mind, she did neamly recognice the golden dragon. "Oh no. It's Ursula!" Adrian nodded. "We must have to call for Torah or Saria to melt the ice and free our unfortunate companion." She nodded and was about to turn when another voice cut her off. "Just forget it. You are not to foil the plan of lord Maeglin." The voice sounded strange, like it was many voices which spoke at the same time. "This is not good." She whispered as she saw that from the only clean pool of water, placed in the middle of the room, a strange creature rouse to face them. From the mid-section and up, it looked just like a light-blonde, blue-eyes girl, showing forms no real girl should show, but if it had been just that, she would had paid it no mind. But, from her mid-section and down, a ring of wolf-heads snarled toward them as did a nest of monstrous snakes, growing from the neck of the wolf-heads, hissed against them. "It is a Scylla. A sea-creature monster which serve my father." Adrian said, bringing out his sword and shield. She nodded and brought out the chain-whip, along whit her belt of grenades and vial-belt whit holy water, tieing them across her body. Together they did move at the Sclla and the evil creature merely laughed at them. She didn't care what the evil creature thought about them. In her heart she called out to God to help them. Then she did crack the whip.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A. D.
They stood waiting, Edward and Victor had gone further down the corridor to scaut. She looked down the tunnel and let her hand run over the object Edward had given her. In her mind, her thought drifted back to when he'd given it to her.

Flashback.

He was getting redressed, she blussed a little, not that he'd taken of that much of them. But that hadn't been necessary. She was finished whit the ties on her tunic and did bring her belt on, making sure she hadn't lost any of her arrows. She picked up the poncho Torah had given her and brought it on. Since they entered the cave, she had given the article of clothing back to its owner, but after whoever it was that froze the cave did do so, she had gotten it back. She then started looking for her bow and found it near one of the dead were-fox es. She took a deep breath. That had been a close one, but Torah had been there to save her, cutting the beast into pieces whit her razor-rings. She picked it up and hung it over her shoulder. "That's a good weapon." She turned around, finding Edward looking on her. She smiled at his comment, it truly was a good weapon. She had gotten it as one of her name-day present from her cousin on her grand-mother's side. She'd said it was a family hairloom and was used by the founder of their colony to destroy the evil ghost who'd haunted the forest on that time. "But I saw what happened when the enemies came closing in. You need a striking weapon of your own. That is why I give you this." From his belt he drew a dagger. It looked old and was of the mark she'd learned to recognice as a Bowie. "It once belonged to Quincy P. Morris, who helped Dr. Van Helsing, Jonathan Harker and some other gentlemen destroy Dracula in 1897. It is also said that bought John Morris, who did deliver Dracula the final blow in 1917, and Lecarde Morris, who did the same in 1946 also owned it." A brief smile went over the former mailman's face. "What I know for sure is that Jonathan Belmont, who hunted the dark lord together whit James Morris in 1969 did own it. Now I want you to bear it in this campaign. I know it's not much but I want you to give it back, if you can, when this is over so it may stay in my family, if it'll ever continue on." She nodded, even though she didn't understand all he said. But she could understand what he felt about the thing, she felt the same thing about the bow and the bracklet her mother had given to her before she did leave the clan. She softly took it from his hand and tied it to her belt. Then she gave him a kiss. HE did hold her for a moment, before he let go of her again. Then they turned to check in on the others.

End of flashback.

"What is that thing?" Torah's question brought her back to present time. "Oh, it's just a momento from Edward. He's a very good man you know that?" Her half-sister nodded. "I know. A little odd perhaps, but still… You're right." They where cut short as Victor and Edward came running down the tunne. "It's happening girls!" Victor shouted. "Alicia and Adrian are in combat whit a monster further down the corridor." Edard complemented the report. "Then we have to help them." Torah lifted her hands, which already shone whit magical energy. She nodded and drew the Bowie from her belt. She saw Edward cast the dagger a glance, then he smiled and she returned it. "Come on!" Victor ried. "We don't have time to hang around here all night." He grought out his axe and started running. Without a word, Edward drew his sword and followed the DaNasty clansman, preppearing herself for battle, she and Torah followed the two down the tunnel. And, soon after, they came out in a small but surprisingly tall cave. But it was the chaos beyond that cave which interested her. She put back the dagger. Here long-range weapons would be to a greater help than hand-to-hand combat. She would have to time this really careful.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
She threw a vial of holy water at one of the snake-head tentacles. The female upper-half screamed words at her which made her blush in shame. She then cracked the whip at one of the snake-heads, this time it burst into fire. But, as she'd noticed before, it just grew back out. It wasn't as a Hydra or something, but they just grew out after being cut off. Adrian had tried to burn the flesh from where she'd cut them of whit his fire, but nothing had happened. "Try to cut off all the snake heads at the same time!" Adrian cried to her. "I think it might work!" She grumbled. "Easy for him to say." Then she brought out her own dagger and threw it at the Scylla. She was again able to make it split into three. Had she just been able to threw out some more the snake-heads would've been finished, but she wasn't that lucky and that she knew. She grabed for a grenade, although she knew it would be to late. Then a bolt of electric power hit her and she was thrown far back. Fortunatly enough the grenade didn't go, but she was now sent looking for her glasses again. "Over here!" A tiny voice called out and she saw the shining figure of a fairy shine on the ground. She let her hand go at it and tutched something she knew was her glasses. She put them back on her nouse and blinked. The snake-heads where all gone, the Scylla was about to descend back into the water, one of the four wolf-head wounded by an arrow. "Curse you! Curse you All!" The Scylla fired again and again, bolts of strange yellow lightning shone forth and struck down so Adrian and her other friends was sent running for cover. She then noticed one other thing, her dagger was lying on the ground just some few metres away. And better yet, so did the grenade. Ithout thinking further about it, she drew out the splint and thre the little explosive at the foul monster. The Scylla hit the grenade whit one of her lightning-bolts, but that she'd almost expected, so she'd planed a secondary attack just in case. She jumped at the dagger and then threw it at the heart of the female, seemingly controlling the put-together beast. The result was extraordinary. The wolf-heads howled before they just became wolfs and run out behind them. But she didn't care about them, the maiden, blood oozing from her lover portions, screamed like she would never stop. Then legs grew from where now had been, she looked away just for a moment, when she looked again, the woman stood looking upon them. Then the light-blonde girl threw her head back and started laughing. "You are so good. The white one did warn me about you and I did not lissen." The strange female then spread her arms and a heavy black cloak did appear on her body and shoes on her feet. A golden chain appeared in her hear, holding a black jewel right in between her eyes. Then at last a long golden staf appeared in her left hand. "If not Maeglin watch out he would be destroyed. So be it. I look forward to see you again." The witch, there was no other thing she could be, swung her wand and was gone. "That was interesting." Adrian put his hand around his chin. "What was that all about?" Victor asked. She felt happy seing him alive and unwounded, but she was also interested in hearing Adrian's answer, if he had one. "That was a witch." Adrian told them. "A very powerful one I suppose, since she could take on the form of a Scylla. But if what she said was true, she is not one of Maeglin's, whoever he is, servants." She nodded. It was in these dark creatures nature to plan plots against each-other in hope of inheriting their fallen commander's mantle of power." Whit a firm thud, Edward put his sword back in his belt. His face then softened. "I'm sorry for not helping you any sooner, but I needed that beast to be completely concentrated on something else to cut of the three remaining heads." "I understand " She softly said, gripping the hand he presented to her. "But you may help us solve another problem. We need to…" She was cut of when they all heard a cracking sound from behind. The ice around Ursula and some of the other creatures behan to crack and they became free as they looked upon them. "Ich nicht verstehe." The man whit the metallic hand said, then he looked upon them and a look of fear and hatred went over his face. HE snarled and his fangs was exposed. "Verdante Belmont sweine!" The black-bierded man growled and brought out his gun from the holster which hand at his side. "Cut it out would you." Victor cried back. "Yeach, we did just save your life, death or wathever it is." Edward inquired. "How do I know you speak the truth?" He said, his eyes shining whit a hate-filled fire at them. "You cannot be sure I am afraid." Adrian said in his usual formal tone, as he did return the burning look of the vampire whit a cold one of himself. "Ich verstehe." The vampire finaly said, shrugging as he let the gun fall back into its holster. "I will let you go this time, my lord Dracula has summoned me and even though Maeglin has or has not betrayed me, I must go to the castle." He then, almost on instinct lifted his hand in a strange Nazi-like salute. "Hail der Graf!" He then turned into a vampire and then flew off. She didn't care. She went over to where Torah and Saria was helping the few surviving wsorkers of the power-plant to their feet. She noticed that the two did what they could to not look strange and she did hope non of the men didn't hear her male ringlet as she walked against them. Victor had taken off his strange nat-cap-looking hat, or perhaps he'd lost it, but he couldn't hide his tunic. Although Edward looked just as ordinary as she did, she noticed that Adrian was dressed in a simple black suit and coat. She blinked, then shrugged. Most likely he'd cast some sort of spell over himself. She did also notice that Ursula had brought on her human form, dressed now in a simple administrator of a simple dress and coat. She smiled a little, before she heard what the leader of the worker told Saria. "We was locked in her by those bastard were-foxes, but they at least gave us food and didn't harm us. But then the place started going cold and even some of those Nazi-zombies you see over there grew worried. The next thing we notice is us being here, inside a frozen cave whit most of our friends dead." One of the other, a graying man in a simple shirt and overall, did lift his hand as to silece him, and one of the other said. "Keep it quiet Frek, who know? They maybe enemies too." Fred merely shrugged. "Take it easy Ken, I can see just as good as you, Thom and Joseph together. And now I see a cross around the neck of that girl. When did you ever see something like that around any of those bastard's necks?" Ken lifted his hands in a defensive gesture. "Ok, ok. Easy on it Fred, I'm just afraid." Fred did clap his shoulder. "Me too mate, me too." She smiled, this was real worker alright. "Do any of you know if there's another way out from here than that rolling-stair?" She asked them. "Of course there is, but I don't think you'll want to try that." One of the other workers said. "Who're you big one, and before you answer, don't ever be rude at Alicia again. She's a Belmont and she's a good person." The worker staggered backward by seeing the shining fay. "I thought we let them go?" Victor said, looking a little mystified on the little creature. She shrugged. "I don't know, but she refused to leave and I don't mind. She's a nive fairy and a good friend." The worker looked upon them, then he merely shrugged. "So much strange has happen so seeing a fairy don't surprise me anymore. My name is Joseph and before those kreep came I was second-man worker on this observation deck." He presented his hand and he grabbed it. "But you spoke of a hidden exit or something?" Edward asked. "Oh, it isn't exactly that." Victor shrugged. "You know about this place?" Fred asked. Then the last of the workers, Thom she thought the others had called him, hit himself on the head. "I know I've seen you before. You're Victor Grant aren't you?" Victor nodded and the two men shook hands as old friends. He then turned towards them. "What he must mean, is the main elevator between the observation decks." Thom nodded. "The only problem is that a hole horde of those bastards have made camp up there. They will let anyone by, just not to where you would go. They just send people deeper into the mountain. And there's not been anyone who's ever returned to tell what's inside there." Now Ursula broke into the conversation. "They send them into my cousins nest to be killed. But that's impossible. The house of ice has been known for their friendly approach to strangers." Thom shook his head. "There's long been rumours that deep down in this place, there live strange things, but this is the first time I ever see some of them." She smiled by Ursula's confused look, the workers must have seen her transformation from dragon into human. Then the dragon merely shrugged and moved back to talk whit Edward and the two girls. "But can you tell me who that witch was? At first it looked like she served whoever it is who rule this place, then she turned out as an enemy of that ruler? I know that Adrian is right about the plotting of this creatures, but do you know anything?" Fred dry-washed his hands. "Well, it's a long tale, but it all started three years ago when the ice first came here. Then it was just a heavy winter, but it soon turned out to be something more. The nation understood the importance of this power-plant and water-delivery station and did sent so many men they could spear to work here and protect the old skeleton-crew." Joeseph shrugged. "What we've seen the latest time is more of a "skeleton-crew" than we ever was." Fred nodded, then continued his story. "IT wasn't before this year that the monsters came. They did attack the outer parts first and we didn't have weapons that worked on most of them and they where just too many. They did kill most of us, but kept most of us old gays alive to work the power-plant. They did however continue deeper into the mountain and only left a few troops up here. Pluss a good supply of troops who where sent deeper down and beyond us to protect the lower spring. It was a few weeks ago the others came. That officer you saw, that gay Maeglin and the Nazis came. They did remove us all from the power-plant and imprisoned us down here. I don't know if they knew about it, but soon that witch came up from that pool and started to feed on us or turn us into ice. Most likely she just wanted to make spooky on the other troops or just our souls. But either way, we have been down here for mostly a week now and hadn't you come we would most likely been frozen do death by now. We don't want to get involved in the war, but we shall show you the elevator and if you realy manage to free the plant, we shall work it for you and save the people out there in need of water and power." She nodded. She'd hoped for more, but these men was tired of war and death and just wanted to live a normal life again. She could understand that. She also looked back at her life as a serving-girl in her family's inn, but she had to do this, there where no other to do it. "Show us the way," she said.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
They said good-bay to the workers in the huge cave who before had been the lower observation deck. Beyond the chamber where they had been held imprisoned, they'd found a rich supply of bought fuel and food for the men to live on. They would make it out, at least for a long time. He hoped that they would managed the same. His hand once again went over the hilt of his sword. If the servants of Dracula had found a way to hypnotize a dragon to obedience, then they would have a really good reason for fearing this lord Maeglin. Ursula said she didn't felt anything like that, but how could she be sure? Whit the combined strength of them all, they managed to push aside the huge boulder that blocked the entrance to the elevator. He smiled, Ursula could've easily destroyed it whit one swing of her tale or by one breath of fire, but that would most likely destroyed the elevator too. They then entered the elevator and he and Victor went over to the control-console. "This seam to be no problem. We need to go one floor up, and since there just four floors inside the mountain, we shall one floor up." "What is there on the fourth floor?" Adrian asked them. Victor shrugged. "Just the main-observation and administration deck. I have never been up there myself, but people who'd been there, tells me it a clean NASA up there." He nodded, hed' seen on television when they'd sent up pieces of the new science-station on the moon Europe of Jupiter. It was impressing that humanity at least had developed technology for survival in such cold atmospheres, but that was beside the point now. Victor pushed the needed switch and they was on moving. As they went on, he pondered what Ursula had told him when Alicia nad Victor had spoke whit the workers when they first freed them.

Flashback.

"Do you really love the dryad?" He was taken aback by the question, then he thought further about it and nodded nod. "I can't be sure, but I think so. She's small, but so beautiful. And so nice to me." Ursula smiled, but he could see that it wasn't from the heart. "You've saved her life and she has saved yours. Not only by what you did back there, but before that by what I have seen." He shook his head. "What is it Ursula? What are you trying to tell me?" To his surprise he saw tears on her face. "I try to tell you why I run away when you volunteered to give her of your magnetism." She then turned away, he almost didn't hear hef last words, but he heard them and almost blushed. "My race permit a male to have two females."

End of flashback.

Why was it that all by a sudden was nearly all the women in the group crawling over him? Some of the female workers on the post-office had truly said that he was a nice person and all, but first he'd thought himself to be in love whit Alicia, who he'd only seened one time. He'd been so sad that they where in so close family and now… It was incredible. Two non-humans loved him, bought on the same time. He himself thought he liked Saria, but he was far from sure. Perhaps her friendliness around him was merely her nature. But on the other hand, she'd been so grateful that it was he would saved her. He did like Ursula too, but until now he'd just thought it was mere friendship from her and he'd never thought about her in that way before. Then the elevator stopped and they stepped out.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
Fred and his friends hadn't been wrong, there really was a little army up here. The chamber they stood in was perhaps a little smaller than the cave they've left, but it was still humongous. The turbines who gave the power-plant its power, could bee seen around a huge circle-shaped dish in the far end of the cave, its water coming from another huge tunnel which stretched further into the mountain. And everywhere they saw troops from Dracula's army. Raptors and frost-warg, he called them that since they where all white and not grey and white like those he'd seen in Carmilla's graveyard, was feeding side by side. While blue and white furded were-foxes went along in their usual outfits. Lizard-men and goat-men was equally packed in their own part of the camp, together whit walking corpses in black robes, helmets and body-armours and whit seemingly countless numbers of bone-soldiers. He heard Saria mumbled something behind him, most like because of the small numbers of dark-dryads and dendroids walking about. As they did escend from the elevator, two or even three hundred, which was nearly the entire camp, rushed to block the tunnel to their left. He there also saw a small contingent of Nazi-zombies, as the workers had called them, armed whit rifles and MG. "Let me do the talking." Adrian said. He shrugged and merely continued whit caressing the hilt of his axe. "Not this time Adrian." Alicia said. "Let them face a Belmont and see what happen." Adrian looked like he wanted to pbject, but now the blonde girl was already moving at the little group who did stay in the camp. "I know you have been ordered to hinder all who comes here to go out that way." She started in a gentle nearly girlish tone, then whit one swift motion she cracked the whip and called in a proud voice. "I am Alicia Schneider of the Belmont clan. I challenge your commander to a duel, two of us against any of your twisted masters." The group, consisting of a walking corpse in a ragged robe, sash and hat, two white fured where-foxes and a goat-man in a gold-plated armour, traded glances, then they all laughed at their friend. He brought out his axe and was preparing to do a dash on them, when Edward stopped him. "Wait, let's see what happen." Whit a groan he put back the axe. "Very well young Belmont." The goat-man finaly said. "Let's see how you do it against our water-amobe. But if you fail, I'll have you first." The foul creature licked his lips in a meaning gesture and he decided to kill him first. "Who would be your ally?" One of the were-foxes asked. Alicia looked upon her friends. HE could see that bought Adrian and Saria wanted to come along. He did to if he would to be honest, but this was something she'd started, now she would have to end it herself. "Torah, do you want to do battle together whit me?" The young sorceres first looked a little taken aback, then she smiled. "If only Thomas had been her now, it would've been just as in the old tales." The little half-dryad said. The duo did prepare their weapons, then nearly all the other troops who'd blocked the exit came to look on. They followed them over to where the huge dish was and he now saw that it was still filled whit water, although the most of the water was frozen solid. "That isn't normal water over there." It was Marcia, Alicia's little fairy who cracked the information. And as she said it, he noticed she was right. The water was eerie blue and looked slimy in some strange way. He hoped Alicia hadn't started something she couldn't handle.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
It had been a surprise for her that the Belmont had choosen her, but then again, she was a Fernandez and she was a Schneider. They where the perfect pair. Or so it was told in the family chronicle said. She put down her razor-rings in her backpack and gave it over to Saria, who gave her a worried look. She smiled reassuringly and then prepared some of the most powerful spells she knew. Then she walked over to where Alicia stood and looked down in the strange murky liquid. "How are we supposed to do battle whit this creature?" Alicia thoughtfully said. "That spell you used to freeze the armour, do you think you could…" She was cut short as something oily, see-through tentacle-like thing, came out from the pool. It swung at them and they bought had to jump and roll to the side to avoid getting hit. The soldiers of Dracula shouted and applauded the water-amoeba. They didn't have reason to celebrate long. She spread her hands and executed the spell. A hurricane of small crystals, too small to be sean by the eye alone, shot from her and the water froze in matter of seconds. The tentacle burst into pieces, but it was just taken up into the water again. Alicia then cracked her wings at something she couldn't see and the water, screamed. She couldn't describe it in any other way, she then executed yet another spell. A set of lightning bolts came blasting from her hands and made the water explode. But now the strange creature had regrouped, if it could say that, and it just consumed the magical energy without any problem. Then one of the murky tentacles hit her and knocked her into the water-like liquid. She pushed her mouth shut, judging that the water wasn't good to swallow. She then cast another of the spells, according to the legends from 1497, that Sypha had customized. A massive orb of flames came blasting from her hands and this time she hit something. It looked like a bobble-encapsulated brain-like something, somewhere in the murky liquid further away. She then flet a hand tightened around her neck and was dragged out of the water, if it truly was water. It was Alicia's whip and it was in the nip of time. She breathed in huge gasped in huge breaths of cold air as if it was the best she'd ever tasted. And in this moment, it really was. "Thank you, I really needed that." Alicia smiled. "No need to thank me. But if you could make more lightning that brain-thing make be exposed again." She nodded and started concentrating again, but before she could execute the spell, Alicia was whipped into the water. Whit a snarl on her face, she jumped into the murky liquid. She couldn't and wouldn't let her friend die, it would be a catastrophe, for them all.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
She tried to hold her breath as she tried to whip the brain-like cell inside the bobble in the distance. But she missed it and now the whip and the other weapons where dragging her down. Then more water came flooding in and she felt how fresh oxygen embrace her. She looked around, expecting to see Marina somewhere around, but it wasn't the little naiad who came swimming toward her, it was Torah. She blinked, she hadn't known that she could these types of magic. But it helped her to breath and she brought out a vial of holy water and sprinkled it on the water around her. The water burst into flames and the strange liquid roared and she was thrown out of place and when she could see again, Torah was beside her. She was again surrounded by the strange oxygen-rich water. She waved her hands, she understood the motions and started swimming. As her head broke the water, she felt how arrows came lying from the shore. But soon the arrows subsided as Adrian, Victor, Ursula and Saria took care of the few bone-soldiers and lizard-men who'd dared fire at them. But that wasn't her problem. She'd again lost her glasses and couldn't see anything. "Blast it." She mumbled. "If only the technology had been good enough to help cure my eye-problems." Then she shook her head, she had to concentrate on finding them. "Hey, over here!" She looked around, if she could call it that and saw a blurry shining entity in the water. "I'll get them." Torah said and jumped into the water. She knelt and prayed a short prayer of gratitude. She almost felt she didn't deserve having so many good friends around her. Then the young Fernandez came walking back to her whit her glasses in her small hands. "Thank you Torah." She put the glasses back on her face and smiled toward her. "No need to thank me. Should I forget that you've saved my life several times before?" They traded a quick embrace before they again turned against the water-amoeba. "We'll have to go in on a double attack. I'll try to lure out the cell, then you'll take it out whit your magic." Torah nodded and she brought out her holy water and did a sign of the cross. "Let's do it." She said and Torah nodded.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
He stood tightly pushed against some blue-furred were-foxes and foul-smelling goat-men. After he and the others had destroyed the few deal-breaking bone-soldiers, dark-dryads and lizard-men who'd fired some arrows at their duellers, the other troops had decided to pack themselves so tightly around them that they couldn't help their friends is something should happen or if any other of them should try something fishy again. But it seamed like his friend was getting atop of things. They'd been successful in wounding the cell several times, but if what he remembered from his father was true, these amoebas could outlive even the greatest of damaged as long as it stayed underwater. He'd told it to the other members of the group, but although they had tried to call for their friends, the numerous soldier's cries and calling had outnumbered them. Then something struck him. He concentrated and called upon his fairy familiar. "What do my master demands?" The tiny creature asked, but he now noticed the warmth and friendly tone in her voice, something he'd bean deaf to hear before. He smiled to the little fay. "Alicia Schneider has earned the service of your kind, I now want you to go and tell her fairy of my information about this water-amoeba." He quickly gave her the information and she darted away. He could only pray the dark soldiers wouldn't see her.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
She darted over from her master and was looking for Marcia. She'd been so long whit her master that she now longer had her own name anymore, but she hoped Marcia would learn to keep her name although she'd gotten into service of one of the great ones. She saw the shining form of her race-sister glowing over where Alicia stood and threw vials of holy water at the evil water-creature. "Marcia, Marcia! I have information from my master to your master!" Marcia turned her tiny face toward her and she saw that the creature who she'd thought to be a familiar like herself, was truly a traveller and no slave. She could see it because of her more shining colour and her way of attitude against the one she'd decided to follow. "What is it?" Marcia asked her, just as she flew to mark where she could feel the cell coming out from its liquid-like body. "Here it is!" The fairy called, she flew after her as fast as she could and was near to be hit by the human's whip. "The amoeba is nearly impossible to defeat!" She called. "What do you say?" Marcia called as she flew out of the way for a ball of flames thrown by the smaller human. "You need to freeze the water so that it has no way of retreat or so Master told me." She said, Marcia shrugged. "I shall tell them and fairy, don't you sometimes dream of being just an ordinary fey again?" She smiled. "Why should you ask me that question when you're becoming a familiar too?" Marcia shook her head. "I'm no familiar. They asked me and some other to help them light their way. And when this strange light came on they let us go. I only came along because I like this way of life and these humans." She nodded, then she flew back toward her master. In her mind, for the first time in a very long while, she thought about asking her master to give her back her freedom.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
That was a thought one. Marcia had told them to freexe the entire amoeba, but could they do that? She knew that Leon Belmont, according to the legend, had bean able to summon eight of the elements who did create the circle of balance. But she didn't have such power and that she knew. Perhaps if she'd taken one of those crystals who according to another legend should rest inside the evil masters Dracula chose as rulers for his servants, but so far she hadn't seen something like that. They would have to trust on their own means of magic. "I saw the spell you used on the knight didn't work on the amoeba, but perhaps if you tried again you could at least lure the cell out from its containing water?" She asked Torah. The young Fernandez gave her a perplexed look. "You really trust in my powers, don't you?" The little child asked. And for the first time during their long haunt, she understood that she was just that. And even though the soldiers of Dracula hoed and screamed around them, she lay her hands on the younger girl's shoulders. "I do. I always have and I always will. You're a Fernandez, you're a sorceress. I trust you, let's do this and show them that also our God has the power and will to help those who believe in him." Torah nodded and she stepped away from her and prepared her whip. The little sorceress knelt and she felt silence and so did the audience. She focused her eyes on the waater below her and waited.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
She did seek down in her, concentrating on her source of magic as her grandmother had learned her to do. Although she'd broken through her inner barrier, she knew she still hadn't reached her full power yet. The songs she'd learned while in prayer or in so-called "breed trance" as it was called was now fully in her control, but none of them would be of help now. The minuet of the four seasons would only melt ice and the sonnet of the nutcrackers would only help to secure the ice and… Then it clicked and she smiled. "Thank you God." She smiled and rouse to her feet. She then drunk deep from her inner source and spread her hands. A wave of almost invisible ice-particles flew at the amoeba's watery substance. The water froze and before it could crack, she begun to sing the tones of the ice-concealing sonnet. "God deliver us from evil and forgive us of our sins!" Alicia did the sign of the cross and cracked the whip right at the brain-like cell. A flash of blue-coloured light shone from the whip and the cell shattered into pieces. She smiled and shook her head, it was strange that Alicia had been able to manifest the power of ice into her whip who, as she'd thought it, a weapon forged by fire. Then again, she was a Belmont. Then it kicked in, the soldiers who'd looked upon them had gone silence. "This doesn't change anything." The goat-man, the walking corpse and the two were-foxes forced their way toward them. "We will not let you bay." She shrugged, she hadn't waited anything else, but at least, they could see that they wasn't mere victims who could be haunted, but worriers whit a good, careing and powerful God. But as she thought so, her friends gathered around her. She smiled and did the same sign as Alicia did. The sign of the cross.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
He stood whit his hands folded at his middle, observing the holo-map table in the middle of the room. "You should have ordered them to kill them." "I am in control of this operation now. Reich was a fool who did only place troops at the entrance and main observation-deck. I have other plans for them, my dear Gylldraphe." The only answer was a snarl from the other. That was also the only warning he got, but that was enough. He gathered his powers and combined spirit, thought and darkness in a complex pattern and teleported from his former place toward the huge control-chair at the end of the hall. Just then a throwing-star flew through where he'd previously bean. One of the white-fured guards at the door did run to capture it before it could be destroyed. The guard then ran over and gave the star back to its owner. Gylldraphe, who until now had stood hidden in the shadows at the corridor leading to the living-quarters in the head control-room, did now step into the light. The guard did went back toward his post, as the silver-furred were-fox hid the throwing-star into her flowing robe. "They must be killed." She demanded as she swung her long burning-read hair. He gleefully smiled. "Silraphe was your lover, was she not?" Her brown eyes burned whit rage as she looked upon him. He was sure she was drawing one of those trio-bladed daggers which the silver-furred were-foxes did like so much. Although the red, white and silver were-foxes where close in bought culture and look, but there was some differences. The silver ones, was ruled by a counsel of elders, while the white ones where governed by a trio of wizards while his own race was ruled by a monarchy who ruled through skill in warcraft and wizardry. But even so, he still trusted his own race's one-handed Katana blades in favour of their weapons. He smiled. "As you might see, I have planned it so that they will run into one group of soldiers and defeat it, just to run into a dead-end of other troops." The smile became even broader. "And if they should brake through, what I have placed in the entrance-chamber and the dragon's nest chamber will take care of them if nothing else can." The moon-light shining through the huge observation-windows behind his chair, but the view didn't interest him as Gylldraphe was now merely some metres away. "Patience my young friend. You know you cannot defeat me." He lifted his hand and an eerie blue orb of energy blasted from it and made the young female were-fox to fall shivering to the floor. Ice appeared on her face and arms and let the Sai-dagger fall from her head. He did blink his eyes. Ice? He hadn't used… "You used the Jadis-spell my lord." The other guard said. "What do you mean?" He demanded to know. "I was present three years ago when the seal did crack and Shaft did gather the servants." The guard said. "It was during one of the bitter blizzard who for-shadowed the coming of the ice. The dark priest had gather a hole circle of 123 mages and sorceresses of all kinds. They did execute the spell of Jadis, who made the ice developed more quickly than it would have. They did die, by the magnitude of the spell I think, except for the priest who Lord Dracula had given eternal life." He nodded and cursed. But what was, was. It was nothing he could do about it. Then the hologram of the holo-table changed. A really bizarre creature did appear, whit a three-pointed hat on his head and the banks of a black wig of the 16th centaury, hang around its face as a huge black cape hung around its body. Black gloves hid the knuckle-like hands and a white scarf hung around its neck, hiding the white bones. The grim skull looked on them without moving. "My lord." The pirate-skeleton said. "The cell-group has reported that the enemy has gone into my territory. I await your command my lord." The smile reappeared on his face. "No command my dear friend. Let them tire themselves on the troops I have placed under your command. You have my permission to leave." The hologram of the caves readout reappeared. "As you see my young friend, all has transpired as I have planned it." Gylldraphe dried of her cloak and mumbled something before she left the room. He felt how a laugh escaped his lips. All was indeed as he had planned it. Soon he would be able to present his lord Dracula whit his enemies. It would give him a supreme rank in the new order, perhaps even being granted permission to take a seat in the circle of blood. In the meanwhile, he would have to take care of another little detail which would, used as he intended to do, double his power many-fold. "Guards. I want you to get me a group of were-foxes to help me complete a little mission I have for them." The guard did obey, as he knew they would. The smile on his face became even larger. If Gylldraphe had sean it, she would have felt real fear. Everything was turning out as he'd foreseen it.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
"I do not know it, but did you noticed something particular about the small cluster of servants we meat back there?" Adrian asked in his usual cold gallantry tone. He smiled, but it wasn't from the heart. "It was no creature bats among them." Alicia said. He felt Saria's little hand tutch his own. "Of course not." Victor shrugged. "They'd came from the observation-gallery on the far wall. I only hope they don't have found their way up here." He shook his head. Although he'd seen the map just as many times as Adrian and the other in his group had seen it, but he still didn't understand it. "It's all rubbish either way." Alicia said, looking around on the dark eerie-still tunnel. He was about to nod, when he heard the sound. The cracking of bones, of dry cracking bones, a chill fealing of dread went through his body. For a moment, Saria's hand felt like the only warmth in his body. "No more bone-soldiers." Victor mumbled. "That is no bone-soldiers." Adrian said. "I know." Alicia said. "They're to cold." He nodded and drew his sword. But it was Torah who was attacked first. She jumped forward through the shadows, but was then thrown to the floor as something huge and cracking fell down over her. "Sister!" Saria cried and threw one of the throwing daggers they'd found inside one of the strange candle-stands they found here and there in the cave. It hit something but didn't destroy it. But before they could help her more, Torah raised her hands and the creature burst into frozen particles in front of their eyes. "Not bad." He mumbled as he looked around for more enemies. But before he could say anything more, more of the bulky skeletons fell from the sealing. "Be watchful." Adrian called at them. "Bone-troopers is not to be taken lithely." "I see." He snarled as one of the huge bone-troopers, a huge broad-shouldered skeleton in a simple body-armour, breask-plate and shoulder-plates, did swing it's huge axe at him. Heavy spiked shell-armour on legs and for-arms, was swung at him and would've crushed his skull if he hadn't rolled to the side. He did catch his hat on the return before the bone-trooper's heavy boot could destroy it. His sword did dug through its breastplate, just as the Bowie he'd loaned to Saria, cut into the leg of the huge skeleton. The bleak skull, under-neath the open helmet which protected its head, snarled against them as it burst into flames. "Nice catch." He smiled, before he threw his boomerang-cross at yet another bone-trooper who was about to attack them. The power of faith which the holy symbol represented was so overwhelming that the bulky undead burst into flames and even destroyed another who was coming to its aid. But by now he'd totally lost the overview of the battle and all he noticed was the bone-trooper who was right in front of him. Saria was allways at his side, and so was Torah, watching his back as best she could. He saw how Adrian and Ursula, Alicia and Victor fought in the same manner as he did. Sweat was running from his brow and from under his arms as he swung his blade again and again, then it was over, just as quickly as it had begun. "That was indeed interesting." Adrian sounded like he wasn't aware of the sweat which did make his own hair stand on end, but did look around him in his usual aristocratic manner. A cold wind did blew down the corridor, making the dust of the bone-troopers scatter and be spread all over. "May God forgive them of their sins." Alicia said, doing the sign of the cross over the fallen souls which had possessed the bone-troopers. "There is no God here." A voice said, just then, all light went out. "Blast it" He cursed. "Here it goes again."

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
At first she did feel a chilling power-stealing fear go through her, then she saw a small golden light flouth up to where her face was. "Do not fear." Marcia whispered. "Fear is what gives the shadow-dancers their power." "Shadow-dancers?" She asked in a confused tone. She'd never heard of such creatures before. "Shadow-dancers my dear Belmont," Adrian's cold aristocratic voice sounded. "are silver-furred were-foxes trained in the powers of the dark arts of wizardry. They dress like old Turkish assassins and feed upon the fear of their wictims. Not since Christopher Belmont battled whit my father for his son's soul in 1591 have these terrible servants of darkness bean seen by a Belmont." She swung her whip right out into nothing and felt it hit something inside the darkness. She got a quick glance of a were-fox shrouded in dark glothing and whit a small turban and wail in front of their faces, before the creature again was absorbed by darkness. She reached out whit the Belmont's power to see what was behind the obvious and did again crack her whip at where she felt the strange unpleasant feeling. Then another light shone forth and then another. Adrian had summoned his fairy familiar, just as Torah had lighted one of her strange energy-balls. But as they did it, it was like the darkness just pressed even harder on them, as if it wanted to swallow all the light they'd manifested. Then she saw something else, just behind Saria. "Behind you!" She managed to scream before a hard hand locked itself around her neck. "I would have loved to do more." A hoarse voice whispered in her ear as she felt another hand move over her left breast. "But orders are orders." "May God forgive you of your sins." She did manage to grunt out between the hand which was about to strange her. Then Marcia attacked. She flew right at the assassin's eyes with her tiny arms spread like needles. The shadow-dancer screamed as the fey's arms dug into his eyes and blinded him. She turned around and swung her whip right at the evil were-fox. Then she saw another three-bladed dagger, the same which she'd seen be used when one of these twisted beasts attacked Saria. This time it was stabbed at her and had she not had her breastplate on her, she was sure she would've bean dead. She threw one of her vials of holy water and the darkness was lit up whit a sudden explotion which let her see the stabber burn away in silvery flames. Then Saria was at her side, firing star-coloured arrows into the darkness, making similar-looking explotion light up the shadowy corridor. She did lean on the wall. This last fight had nearly completely drained her of her energy. "This is how it was meant to be." Edward, looking just as tired as she felt, came walking over to her. "None of these creature was able to kill us and that they knew. But that's the hole point." She nodded. By looking on the problem from his direction, it all made sence. "They want our energy to be low so that something they'd plan to kill us have the best chance to actually do what it's set to do." She concluded the meaning. The Morris nodded and one of his hands went over his face, concealing his eyes as he said. "If I should guess, those bastards is starting to get it just as they want it to be." "Don't give up." She softly whispered. "Dracula have used the same metode on many of the Belmonts and failed. We must just carry on and have faith." Edward nodded and straightened his pose. "I think we may get a new douse." Victor said. "Or don't you hear that blasted music?" As she thought about it, she'd heard it already when they entered this tunnel, but this was the first time she really thought about it. "It sounds like a harp." Adrian said. "But there's something wrong about it." Torah said. "It's to many notes on the same times. It's like someone whit four arms or even more, is sitting there playing the object." She felt how a shudder went down her spine, but whit a shook of her head she did regain composure. She'd seen so many strange things already so someone whit six arms wouldn't be that much of a surprise. "Do any of you remember the tales of the Naga?" Th her surprise, another little thing over the one she'd just discovered, it was Torah who asked them the question. She shook her head, then something got to her mind. She remembered something from when the priest did lectured the children in her village. "If I remember correctly," She said. "the Naga was wice snake-people who did guard the sutras of Buddha's teaching." Torah nodded. "They where, but as whit so many among the older people did the shadow of darkness fall over them. Grandmother Yoko said that some of the Nagas began to think thought who didn't sounded good together whit what the rest of them thought. These few saw the weakness of our race and thought we didn't deserved to learn more of the celestial secrets. Some of the Nagas, who feared the new-thinkers, did run away, taking so many of the sacred scrolls whit them as they could in fear of that the dark ones should destroy them. Later, when their elders did cast out the dark ones, they did also manage to capture some of the sutras. That is why so few sutras have been given to humanity as it is. I don't know why God sent Buddha to the world and to India where he did appear, but he knew very much about the dark powers and warned us about them and tried to tell us things that we needed to know before He came, but what the plan really was, I don't know. Grandmother Yoko did never tell me how she knew these things, but the point is. What if some of these dark Nagas have joined Dracula?" Adrian tiredly shrugged. "It would not have surprised me." The youthful-looking vampire said. "My father call upon all which is dark and twisted in nature and try to gather them all under his rule." She shook her head and prepared her whip. "Let's go and find out the truth." Edward grimly said, testing the sharpness of his blade. She and Saria did join up at his side and they started walking.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
She stretched out whit her mind in hope of finding her race-sister and to her surprise it was no interference on the telekinetic pattern. "Why have you contacted me?" The only reason for the quickness for the contact to be established, was that the fairy familiar was trying to make contact whit her. "How do you know your way is the right way?" The familiar asked her. "My master cares about me and I have all which I could ever desire." "You're wrong." She said. "He don't care about you, like Alicia do about me. He care for you, that is great difference. In his mind, you're a mere pet, or servant. Which is useful and have therefore a right to be taken good care of." "How do you know this?" She smiled. "Your master forbids you to read his mind, nobody has demanded that of me so I know what's in their mind. That is why I know that Alicia sees me as a friend and companion. I have also read the other's minds and seen that Ursula has tried to tell your master the truth, but failed." It became silent for a moment, then it was like she felt a sudden shiver in the bound. "Marcia," The familiar said. "when you contact me in the future…" Again the familiar fell silent and she waited for what her race-sister would then say. "Call me Arnica." When the familiar, no. When Arnica said those words, she felt a nearly unimaginable pain in the link. It was as if she'd broken through something which had allways before kept her back. "What are you two talking about?" It was Adrian who at last had felt something and broke in to check what was going on. She was then shot back into her own mind whit a force which almost made her scream. No, it actually made her scream. "What is it Marcia? Is anything wrong?" Alicia had finally brook out from her own thoughts and judging by the tone in her voice, she was afraid something had attacked them. "Nothing." She reassured the human. "It's just Adrian and his fairy who has a little dispute." Alicia smiled a short smile. "I hope she wins it." She nodded and returned the smile. "I hope so too."

Caverns, Warakiya. The 6th of December 2098 A.D.
She gave her hair an irritated look. One side-effect of not being a human, was that it made her hair take on the colour of the feelings in her heart. Dark-blonde when she was in what she called "rest temper", burning-red when she was in battle or in discussion. And now it was black, mirroring her inner feel of fear. If what Torah said was ture, then they could wait to face one creature who had some of the One's knowledge and how could they hope to defeat something of that magnitude. She then heard something else which made her stop dead in her track. "You are here. Thank the one you are finally here." It was the call of her cousin, she'd known they was closing in on the nest, but she hadn't expected them to be this close. "Watch it." Edward said and she concentrated on the cave which was right before them. It was huge, but compared to the two observation-decks, it was nothing. From a hole in the wall high above them, the water ran from a crack. Or rather, should've ran if it wasn't for the fact that is was frozen. That meant, that the exit to her cousin's nest, which lay beyond the waterfall, was blocked. But that wasn't their gratest problem for the moment. In the middle of the chamber, where the water normally would've run into a small sets of ponds, the Naga stood playing. By what Torah had told them, she'd expected to find a hideous repulsive snake-creature, like the Lind-wyrms, her own dark cousins, but it was nothing like that at all. Banks of shining silver hair hang loose around a face of a normal human woman. The rest of her upper-body belonged to a slender yet muscular ebony-skinned woman. Her breasts covered by a well-designed breastplate and so was her neck. The lover portion of the Naga, consisted of a red, blue, green and gold scalled snake, but that she'd expected since Torah told her their enemy was of snake origin. It was the arms, six luxurious and elegant hands whit gold-coloured wrist-protectors around them, which made her eyes grew wide. As they came in, the Naga put down her harp and placed it inside a leather casket, which she gave to one of her servants, which she first now discovered. The servants consisted of perhaps three to five bow and arrow armed gorgons, dressed just like their mistress, although in leather and cloth where she had gold and jewels to decorate herself. Even dough they did all have rich living colours on bought face and skin, she knew they where true harbingers of death for all who looked them in their eyes. Not that the Naga was out of the game, she'd now drove two daggers, two curved short-swords and two one-handed battle-swords. "This is going to be most interesting." Adrian said, casting off his cloak and already whit sword and shield in hands. "I'm right beside you old friend." Edward stood beside the youthful-looking campire, looking a little strange whit hat and coat still in place, but whit sword and shield in hand just like his friend. "Where did you get that shield from?" Alicia asked. Edward merely shrugged. "I took it from one of those bone-troopers. He didn't have more use for it after I crushed his ribs whit my sword." The human girl nodded and did then face the gorgons, being sure not to look them in the eyes. "Creature bats coming in!" This time it was Victor who called the warning. From one of the other of the many tunnels who entered this hall, came two creature bats flying toward them. "This time it's my turne." The former hunter said, smiling to Alicia as he and the two girls faced the genetic freaks. She herself brought out her magical rods and went over to where Alicia was already whipping arrows into oblicion as the gorgons shot them at her. Before she could even fire, Marcia, Alicia's little fairy-friend, cast a spell over one of the gorgons which made it fall into sleep. She did fire a beam from the rod whit the brown jewel on it and turned one of the other gorgons into stone. "That was for me and Adrian being turned into stone by two of your race-sisters." She mumbled as she rolled to avoide being looked in the eyes by one of the other gorgons. As Edward used to say, here goes nothing.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
It was incredible. She cast a look on the clock just to be entirely sure, they'd now been inside the mountain for four days. "Watch it!" Ursula's cry made her drop to the floor just as one of the gorgons tried to look her in her eyes. She jumped to her feet and whipped the gorgon right in the face, getting a load of poisonous liquid in return for the favour. These gorgons was, set aside from the dendroid and the creature bat, the most powerful enemies she'd faced so far. They was alive, just as the were-foxes and so had to be killed like living creatures had to be killed. Their holy weapons would wound them, since they where the result of sins, but nothing more than that. She could've used her grenades and so could Edward. But it was to great a risk to use them. They could damage not only themselves but also their friends by hurling explosives around like that. "Dragon breath!" Ursual roared and fired a massive wave of flames at the gorgon she'd just whipped and it did fell dead to the ground. That they was alive just like they where alive did also mean they where just as weak toward magic as they where. As she jumped to get away from another venomous load from another gorgon, she thanked Marcia for the little spell she'd cast over her glasses. Now she could feel where they landed and didn't have to wave around whit her hands on the floor to find them. She threw one of her daggers and then made it split into three as they dug into the last of the gorgons. She then leaned on the wall as she regained her breath. She looked out over the corpses. Wait, one of them, which Marcia cast one of her sleep-spell over was still alive. She grasped inside her jacked, inside her inside-pocket, she had a weapon none of the dark servants could resist. "Corpus Christi." She said, doing the sign of the cross as she brought out a little envelope which contained the few pieces of the host the priest in her village had bean willing to give her. She went over to where the gorgon lay and knelt down. "In the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Ghost," She opened the prayer. "may all good Saints hear my prayer and give it power. By the power my God has given me as one of his worriers, I pray for the forgiveness of sins for this poor soul who have gone astray and done thing to awaiken Your holy wraith. Forgive her now as she is and grant her peace by Your Son's holy name, amen." She signed the prayer whit the sign of the cross and was utterly shocked when the gorgon, who by now had woken, doing the same gesture. "It can't be!" She uttered. "You can't… You don't…" This was all rubbish, she tok a hold on herself and looked down upon the gorgon. "In the name of Christ himself, where have you learned things like that?" The brown-haired gorgon looked back up at her without blinking. The shock she felt about not being turned into stone was just a little less powerful then by seeing an enemy doing the holy symbol of the cross. "He who seek shall find, who prays shall be granted." Hearing words from the Bible from one like this made her almost fall over. Then the words meaning hit her. "Have you searched for another master?" She softly asked. "My people decided to join the vampires when mother Medusa ordered us to do so. It was just fine whit me, until I met Hector in 1500, three years after your forefather Trevor defeated lord Dracula. His wish to live a life of his own made me think and I started reading things which the old man in the library keeps hidden for nearly all servants.." She looked upon the gorgon whit even more shoked eyes after hearing this. She knew that Trevor, twenty years after Sonia Belmont defeated Dracula, did the same and that he did battle against this strange Hector three years later. But that this gorgon had bean there and seen it all… First now she understood the full meaning of eternal life. "Do you want to help us then?" Ursula asked. "I can't." The gorgon said. "The other will kill me if they know what we're talking about. Even if they just sees us talking they'll kill us. I'll meat up with you later on if I can. Now, if your fairy could cast her spell on me again so they don't suspect anything." She nodded and Marcia who'd hear it all, was not slow in doing as the gorgon suggested. "Let's help our friends." She said, putting the host back in her pocket. Ursula nodded and was back on her feet just as she prepared her whip for more battle. "It seems like the bone-troopers are coming." She said as she cracked her whip at the nearest one. Ursula nodded just as she blasted yet another whit her rods.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
She snarled as the creature bat did swing its claws at her and swung the Bowie at it. A quick smile went over her face. The elders would've fainted if they'd seen her now. They did allways speak of calm and peace. And judging by their age they really had the time to do so. But she didn't regretted her choice. This battle was important and Torah still needed her help in controlling her powers. The creature bat cried and she was stunned right in place. "Not today your bastard!" Victor snarled even wilder than she could ever do as he dug his axe into the shoulder of the genetic freak. The creature bat screamed but Victor didn't become stunned and the foul creature shot a small spread-shot of fireballs and Victor had to let his axe stay in the body of the creature as he rolled to the side to avoid being hit. She sung a short tune and this time it was the creature bat who became stunned. She smiled. The bolero of a forgotten love did allways work on those who never had loved anyone. "Sorry sis." Torah said as she came jumping in from the side and blasted the creature bat whit one of her magical orbs. "No need to. He was no creature of natural life." She called to her half-sister as she picked the axe from the ground. "Here you have your axe Victor." She said as she gave the weapon to the former hunter, who saluted her and then jumped to avoid a new set of fireballs shot out by the second creature bat. She took a moment to breath and noticed that the most was over. But that view nearly got her killed. The heavy battle-axe of a bone-trooper swung at her and she just had time to roll aside as the blade dug itself into the wall. As she saw what happened, she couldn't stop a short giggle from escaping her. Then she got serious as two other bone-troopers came to aid the first one in the attack on her. She brought out her bow and quickly shot at the bone-troopers. Her two shots made one of the bulky skeletons burst into flames, but the other one managed to avoid her entirely and helped his firend in getting his axe free from the wall. "Not good." She mumbled as she let go of the bow and instead threw one of her tiny daggers at the one who'd gotten his axe stuck in the wall and she noticed that the blow made it stagger, but it wasn't destroyed and now they where really closing in on her. She threw another dagger, this time hitting the other bone-trooper who did also stagger. Then she brought out her Bowie and prepared herself for the attack. The first one swung her axe at her in a powerful blow. She dropped herself to the floor and did then dug her own dagger into the leg of the skeleton who still was off balance. The bone-trooper fall to the ground and lost its axe, but she didn't have time to see what he did next. The other bone-trooper swung the axe and drove blood from her back although she did roll as quick she could to avoid his blow. She sprang to her feet and threw another dagger at the bone-trooper who in its effort to kill her had planted the axe into the floor this time. The dagger hit home and the bulky skeleton burst into flames. She smiled and, almost on instinct, dropped herself to the floor. The last of the trio who'd attacked her swung its blade right where she'd bean merely seconds ago. She swung her own blade and this time she hit the bone-trooper's mid-section. The evil creature broke into pieces of bones and metal parts. But her joy didn't lasted long. The bones and pieces build themselves back together and soon she found herself once again face to face whit the evil bone-troopers. Before it could attack her however, she jumped at her bow and drew one of her arrows from the quiver. "Now it's your turn your blody devilo." She mumbled, half-way shocked by her own words. "Star-bow!" She executed the spell and the magical-energized arrow flew through the air and made the skeleton explode. It was no other word for it. She took a deep breath, then she fell to her knees, totally worn out. "I'm coming sis!" She looked up, Torah, Ursula and the other who wasn't involved in battle, came running over to her. She smiled. The enemy's plan had worked itself out on her. She closed her eyes before she smiled as she felt her sister's arms around her. "No need for magnetism." She said as she weakly roused back to her feet. Then she noticed something, Marcia was flouting about her and silvery dust rained down over her, giving her new energy. "Dream flowers." She smiled. "Thank you Marcia." Torah let go of her and she gave Alicia and the dragon each a thankful look. Then something else came to her mind. "My arrows, I must find them." She started walking to where the last bone-trooper had died and was utterly astonished as she found a hole lot of arrows. She softly put them down in her quiver, noticing that they all looked like the one she still had. She looked at her sister who, whit a little smile on her face, did the sign of the cross. She nodded and did the same gesture. This truly was a miracle. She looked around and saw that Victor still was battling the last creature bat and that Adrian and Edward still duelled the Naga.Taking a deep breath, she went over to help Victor, who looked like he could need some help. The other did the same, but as she did so, the bone-troopers who hadn't been utterly destroyed, started to rebuild again. She only had time to give them a reassuring look before she drew her Bowie and swung at the creature bat.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
It wasn't funny, that was the least he could say. Every time he swung his blade, he would either have to turn the blow into a defence pose or blodk the Naga's blow whit his shield. And although Adrian was a much better fencer than he was, the vampire had the same problems. So far, all they'd manage was to knock one of the curved short-swords and one of the daggers from her hands. But even without those blades, she was far their mach in brute strength and perhaps also a worthy combatant for Adrian's skill whit the sword. She swung at him whit her left-hand's dagger and battle-sword. He brought out his shield and although it became utterly splintered by the blow, he was able to knock the dagger out of her hand when she brought it up in a upward trust at his belly. But to be honest, it was merely because of the mail he wore under his jacket. He was just able to enjoy that little victory for some seconds as she attacked him whit a set of swift trusts whit the battle-sword. Just then, Adrian came on the offence on her right side and swung her blade right at the hand which held the battle-sword on that side. He heard her scream as she lost the blade and blood ran from the palm of the hand. HE did also go on the offence and she did blok the attack. She then continued the battle whit the left side's battle-sword and whit one curwed short-sword on the other side. But the other hands wasn't left useless. The Naga started manifesting small balls of energy which she sent flying at them in difficult angles. And although the strange origin of the blade made him able to destroy the onslaught as they came, it made him force on other targets than defeating her in direct combat. She managed to land a blow whit the battle-sword on one of his shoulders which made him loose one of the energy balls who blasted him clear across the room. It felt like being hit by electricity. He blinked his eyes and saw Torah stand before him. "Hold on." The little sorceress merely said as she tuched him where he'd bean hit. He felt a surge of pain go through him and then disappear. "Thank you." He said, before he jumped to his feet, picking up the blade and dashed right back toward where he'd left it. There was no Naga in the world who should make him step out from a battle. But before he could do anything, the six-armed snake-creature cast her curved short-sword at him, making him drop to the floor. He growled as the wind took his hat and made it flew away from him. That was the one thing which would make him step out. That was a heirloom of Abraham Van Helsing and although he didn't know if he really believed in that, he wouldn't loose it for anything in the world. Then he took a deep breath, his friend's lives where more important than all the hats in the world. Unsure of what to do, he looked somewhat on the hat, somewhat on Adrian. Then he jumped at the Naga and hoped that his friends would find it. Now the Naga was left whit only one blade left, not that it hindered her from wounding bought him and Adrian several times. Not so much whit the blade as whit her magical orbs. Adrian did jump back and opene his cape. "Balls of destruction!" The vampire snarled and sent three balls of blue bat-inhabited fire at the Naga. The vile creature countered by fireing a little hurricane of those orbs, but that gave him the chance to attack. While she was busy whit Adrian, he landed a blow at her belly. He felt an urge to throw up as he saw her inner orgas becoming exposed by the blow, but, taking a hold on himself, he again swung his sword and this time right through the Naga's throat and the Naga was dead before she reached the floor. The he turned his head to the side and threw up like a pig. "Here, drink this." Saria was beside him, and she had his hat in her hand. He took the wooden cup she gave him and took some deep mouthfuls of the liquid inside. It taisted like water, but it was something about it, a taste or spice, he didn't know. It made him remember the good days in his village, before his family was destroyed, before the ice was merely long and cold winters. He took some deep breaths and looked down at the tiny dryad. "What is this?" He asked. "Never before have I tasted something like it, but it would've bean nice knowing what it is." Saria smiled, as if she'd already tasted the strange liquid. "It's forest water. Water from my own forest, the forest I live in." He nodded and did then drink some more without saying anything. "Thank's." HE then merely said. "For everything." Saria nodded and she gave him his hat. He plased it on his head and again felt like the man who'd set out with his friends to look for food for his village. "How are you Saria?" Torah, who had seen her take care of the other's wounds and was now going over her half-sister's damage. "There, there is my cousin's nest." Ursula said, pointing at a point on the wall which the ice now covered. "Watch out. Dragon breath!" She blasted away the ice whit one of her breath and he started running, knowing that the fire-spell wouldn't keep the ice away for long. He was so the first to go through, but he was soon joined by Adrian and Alicia. "It's clear!" He called out to his friends and then Saria, Victor and Torah came running through. This time it was Saria alone who sung the song so that Ursula herself could get through. "Wait for me!" Another, strange voice called. And before Saria could finish the tone, a gorgon came darting right at them and did manage to get through to them. "Stop!" Alicia called as he and Adrian lifted their swords at the snake-woman. "She's one of us." As he listened to Alicia's and the gorgon's story, he felt how heis mouth fall open. Te tok a hold on himself and presented her hand to her. "My name is Edward Morris." HE said. "Sithris, of the house of Medusa." She said, grasping his hand in her own. He stepped back and the others greated her in their own manners. He leaned on the wall. They where inside the dragon's nest, but if what they'd faced outside was a taste of what they would have to face inside here, he could only pray for God to aid them.

(A.N. It wasn't my meaning to make this chapter this long, but I hope you like it. The Scylla was just to good a boss to use at this early state so I instead wanted to give you a for-shadowing of what is to come. And about the collection of enemies in here, I'm a fan of the legend of Zelda and don't feel ashamed by it. And another thing, Edward is no paedophile or something, Saria is just small like all dryads, like a human would be in its 14 or 15 years of age. Until next time, have a nice holyday, what's left of it.)

Chapter 7: The Story Continues | Back to Chapter 5