Castlevania: Darkness Never Dies

Fan Fiction

Continued...

Part 1. Gathering darkness.

"The Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of the sinners, to whipping humiliation and to death, but on the third day he shall reamerge for the forgiveness of sins."

Mathew 16. 21.

Chapter 7: Offence and defence.
Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
He cast a glance over his little army. Saria was at his side, as she allways was after they'd… He blushed and continued on the list. Some distance away, Torah stood, with Victor guarding her back. To begin whit it had surprised him how good friends the Fernandz and the former hunter had become friends, but now he merely smiled. And finally, Adrian and Ursula, he still didn't know what to think of her proposal or whatever it was. Alicia and their newest member in their group, Sithish, stood in their own corner, speaking silently together. That would get them in total four shooters, Saria, Torah, Ursula and Sithish, and four hand-to-hand fighters. Including himself, Alicia, Adrian and Victor. Then it was Marcia of course, but he wasn't sure if he could call her a shooter or a hand-to-hand fighter. But, although she hadn't said so, he knew they would have to say good-bay to the dragon when they'd freed her cousin. She would, as Marina had already gone to do, that it would be wice to gather the dragons who would fight against Dracula. He did shake his head. It was the meaning that he should scout and tell the other what lay beyond this small tunnel. He turned to the ones who'd volunteered to go whit him. "OK, Victor, Sithish, are you ready?" The DaNasty clansman swung his axe and nodded that he was all clear. The gorgon tested the bow-string in her bow before setting an arrow against it. "I'm ready." She said. He felt how a shudder went through his body but he then got a hold on himself. He would have to get used to the hissing sound in the gorgon's voice, that's all. "Then let's go." He said and brought out his sword. He saluted the other in the way Adrian had learned him and then started walking.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
Even though she tried to hide it, she felt worried as she saw Edward walk down the corridor with only two other to guard his back. Although she'd seen Victor in battle before, she was unsure on their new companion. She did trust her in the way which mattered to her heart, Alicia had done that all clear, but she still hadn't seen the gorgon in battle and that's what worried her. "Don't be afraid." She focused her attention and saw Alicia's little companion flout before her. "You can read peoples minds." A little smile went over her face. "I almost forgot that you could that." The little fey's aura turned from gold and into a slight red colour. "It wasn't my meaning to sneak on your thoughts. But you looked so lonely that I decided to come and try cheer you up." Her smile was now gone, but so was her worried thoughts, at least for now. "Thank you little sister." She said, the little fairy's glow lit up and she did a little dance in the air. "Allways my pleasure." The little fey joked and darted back to where Alicia and Adrian now was involved in conversation with Ursula. She smiled again, then continued to look down the corridor in which Edward had vanished. "Don't be afraid sister." Torah put a hand upon her shoulder, giving her a smile. "I'm more than 40 years in human years." She told her. "But among dryads, I'm just a few years older than you're now." Torah looked upon her, taken a little aback. "Sorry." She said. "Then it's you who should be acting as a big-sister for me and not the way I've put it." Now it was she who smiled. "Don't feel bad about it, you are after all big for your age and is a little taller than me. Just act as you want, I love you either way." Her smile then become a sly one. "I'll tell you if I think you act childish." Torah smiled and she did too.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
The ice cracked and small pieces of the frozen water fell down over them like tiny crystals. The tunnel hadn't changed much since they left the power-plant, they where still icy and whit a cold wind blowing in their faces. She slightly shivered. Even though her lover portion was cold-blooded and didn't become cold, she was merely dressed in a simple cloth-piece which covered her breasts. And although the human-males seamed to have the same problem in higher or lesser grades, they couldn't lend her any of their clothing. As long as the caverns had bean unfrozen, it hadn't bean a problem but now it was one. Then she noticed something laying on the floor, a corpse. What interested her, was that it was dressed in a heavy brown jacket and a simple white T-shirt. She bent down and started taking off the clothing, she tried as best as she could not noticing the disapproving looks of the two males as she did so. That could've bean the reason she was the first who noticed the moving shadows on the sealing as she fixed her hair after she'd put on the T-shirt. She snapped the bow from where she'd lay it when taking on the shirt and quickly fired an arrow up at the sealing. "What's…" Edward asked, but was cut off as something dropped from the floor and dragged him with it. "Nosferatu!" Victor cried as he ran at his friend with his axe at the ready. "Wait!" She shouted. "There may be more of them!" Just then another body fell from the sealing and nearly hit the former hunter in the head. "They're mere corpses." Edward said as he got back on his feet. "But someone must've dropped them at us." She opened her mouth to warn him, but didn't have the time as another body fell from above. This time it was no body, and, which was more important, it wasn't alone. One of them, a male in a worker's overall jumped at Edward just as he brought out his sword. "May God forgive you of your sins." The Morris calmly said as he swung the blade and beheaded the vampire. More bodys where falling from the sealing and she didn't have time to look further about her friends. Although she didn't have blood the vampires could drain power from, they noticed she was a traitor and that filled them whit a rage that made them even more dangerous. She brought out the dagger and battle-sword she'd bean wice enough to take from the Naga's corpse and was doing as best as she could. She didn't want to use her stoning gaze nor her poisonous spit in fear she might hit her friends. "Balls of destruction!" Three balls of blue bat-inhabited fire came blasting past her, just as two shining orbs of green energy blasted into the head and torso of the vampire right in front of her. " Golden icicles!" A wave of cold air blew past her and made her shudder, but she continued to swing her sword and soon the last of the vampires where burning into nothingness or falling into dust. She curled into a pose on the floor, her snake-part did at least, to get a better resting-position. She then got to her feet, or she would if she had bean a human, and started looking for more clothing. Among the remains of the vampires she soon found bought a jacket, the first one did burn away whit the owner who'd rouse to defend its friends, a scarf and some gloves. She'd hoped to find something to cover her ears, but found nothing. She noticed that the other who'd felt cold, did search among the remains, picking up bought scarfs and gloves to protect themselves from the cold. But before they put them into use, Alicia insisted she would bless them so that no evil power could sneak in and possess them. She even brought off her T-shirt to let the young female to bless it, and after the little ceremony was over, it felt good taking on good warm clothing. "This didn't went quite as we planned it." Edward said in a dry tone. "But perhaps this is the best way after all. Now we can protect each other way better and we also don't have to use time in going back and forth between each group." Adrian shrugged, or at least he come as close to one as he was capable of. "I may be so, but I still consider my theory the best solution." She brought out her bow ad fired an arrow right into the throat of one of the approaching frost-warg. "What in the name of the Saints is that?" Alicia asked, looking upon the strange white-furred wolf-like creature. "That is a frost-ward." Adrian said. "They are another of the ancient beasts my father have summoned from their hiding-places." She shook her head. Adrian was good to explain things, but he didn't explain anything just the same. "They're demons who lookes like wargs." She said. "The polar were-foxes use to ride on them but they can do a well enough job on their own too." As to add more strength to her words, another of the frost-wargs howled and the howling turned into a wave of frozen energy. "Nice." Victor said, bringing out his axe. "Let's hunt some wargs gays." "Watch out for their howling!" She called after him, but it was too late, the former hunter was already involved in battle. She put the bow back on her shoulder and then drew out her sword and dagger and followed as she and Alicia dashed at their enemies.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
She looked out over the little battlefield. The few surviving wargs was running into the cave, but they'd suffered much damage by their attacks. She ended the song of the four seasons and Victor became freed from the ice in which he'd been frozen into. She'd lended the laurels to Saria so that she could help the others get their wounds healed. Sithish had a painful but not to serious wound in her snake-part, most likely by the biting of the wargs. While Alicia had some serious frost-damages from the enemies howl. Marcia helped as best she could and so did the fairy familiar, who looked to be very worried about her master's welfare. She and Marcia seamed to have a fierce discussion about something, but she was to involved in her song to pay it attention. Ursula helped her in heating the former hunter up by breathing a very low-held fire close to him and that seamed to help. "Thank's Draco." He said as he dusted of the last pieces of ice. "Now I owe you one." She smiled, but the best would more likely bean a hot soup of cup of tea or something. She went over to where Saria stood healing Edward of some minor bite-marks on his legs and arms, when her sister was done, she gave her back the holy laurels. "I hope the ones who escaped don't alarm the rest of the rat-nest." Victor said, coming over to them with Ursula light behind him. "Don't say things like that." The dragon said. "Before this was the home of my family and friends." Alicia put an arm on her shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll find the one responsible for this and help you free your cousin." Ursual shrugged, or rather tried to. "I'm not so worried about my cousin as I am about her eggs. Last time I was here she said they would soon hatch." She blinked her eyes. Ursula hadn't said anything about eggs before. But now she really hoped they would save her. She'd bean part of the war because of a promise to her dead grandmother and because they needed a Fernandez to help them. But she was more than sure on that this was no place for children. "I don't think so." Edward said as he was checking the rifts in his clothing the wargs had made. He was now busy with making them with some repair-treads and a needle he'd found from his backpack. "It's most likely just another step in the plan of letting us tire ourselves so we'll be easier to kill." "Master." It was the fairy familiar who broke in. Adrian and Sithish had bean coming toward them without her noticing it. "I must again pray that you get out of this business. It only get you into danger." "Enough." Adrian hissed and brought out a card from one of his pockets he'd hidden inside his cape. "It's a good question you know." Marcia agreed with her race-sister. "Why don't you answer her properly?" Adrian took a deep breath. "Because there is something that is worth risking your life and soul for. " "And that is?" The familiar asked, still on the offensive. A smile crept over the youthful looking vamprie's face. "Spiritual freedom and a God who loved the world so much that He gave His only Son to deliver us from our sins. There is also the people you see around you. They have given me their friendship without being repulsed by the fact that I am a vampire. Faith and friendship, represented by the crests of silver and sapphire, is worth risking all and everything for." The familiar, seemingly overwhelmed with her master's replay, vanished into the card. "I quite agree with you." Marcia said and darted back to Alicia. "Thank you Adrian." She said, smiling up at the dark-haired vampire. "No need to thank me little one. That is what is in my heart, even though it is an udead one." "I don't think it is." She softly said. Then, to her surpise, Adrian knelt and brought her hand to his lips. "Thank thee my lady, for thy kindness I am thou humble servant." He then smiled, his language still as cold and formal as ever, but it was now in the modern Romanian dialect. "I mean that and will stay by it." He rouse to his feet and saluted her. She returned the favour. They where broken of when Victor called at tehm. "I think it's best you come and see this." She ran at the former hunter, who seamed to have found the exit. Then she saw it, and she understood the somewhat shocked tone in the former hunter's voice.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
"This place is just clean monstrous!" Victor let one of his hands go through his hair, almost not believing what he saw. The cavern they'd just entered was perhaps not as huge as the one with that undergroung lake, but that didn't matter when looking upon this place. Towering pillars went higher than any of them could see and dragon-statues in natural size stood here and there in frightening alive. The floor was patterned in white and black and on the walls they saw huge paintings of dragons and men fighting other men and dragons. Golden torches hung here and there in thick golden changes and gave the grotto a soft almost friendly light. "It's beautiful." He said, almost breathless by the view that met him. "I did tell the truth." Ursula said in a soft yet a what-did-I-say tone. "This is the home of dragons who knew God and was friendly toward the few humans who ever came here." "Of course." Alicia mumbled. "Before the ice came, very few human actually culd see you since they didn't believe in you." He didn't care. He was still looking on the decorations, later, he almost whished he hadn't. The entire far end of the cave lit up with flickering green and blue flames, which almost seamed to laugh at them. "So, that is what this has bean all about." Adrian said, bringing out his sword. He nodded and withdraw his battle-axe, unsure if this was an enemy they could defeat with martial weapons alone. Then, from above, nets of burning-grey colour fell and trapped bought Torah, Saria and Edward, trapping them. A roar of evil laugher boomed through the hall and he was almost sent off balance as a powerful gust of winds came at them. Alicia wasn't that lucky and was sent smashing into the wall. He grunted as he heard the cracking of bones as the poor girl smashed into the wall and fell into a heap on the ground. "Pokolh!" Adrian said, it was the first time he'd heard the vampire curse. "Not yet there, young master." The voice again boomed, a mooching tone in it this time. "Show yourself!" He demanded and again the unseen enemy laughed at them. "Are you sure you want me too?" The booming voice asked. "Yes." Adrian calmly said. "As you whish then." The voice boomed. Then, from within the faire, came a cloaked and hooded creature walking toward tehm. The creature then slowly lifted its arms and brought off the cloak. He felt how his cheeks became warm, as the creature showed off most of her body. It was a lioness, with the same luxurious forms as that countess Bartley had. They where covered, if he could call it that, by some strange pieces of armour covering her breast and mid-sections. "Is that all?" He asked. She was tempting, although he didn't cared about women in that way he felt her attractive power draw at him. "Be warned." Adrian said. "This is a Buer, a demon from far Africa. She controls the elements just as easy as I can do it and, judging by her dress and attitude, she may be just as good a swordswoman as the Naga was. Or perhaps even better." The Buer laughed at them once again. And although the booming echo was gone, he recognised it. "Go help the others." The vampire said. "This is a battle you cannot win." He was to protest, then again looked upon the creature before them. "I shall go and get us some help. You can't win alone either, no matter how old you are." Adrian first glared knives at him, then he broke up in a smile. "You truly are a DaNasty. I remember when I, Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades and your forefather did battle my father in 1496. He was one of the few who have made me laugh." "Like being of service." He returned the smile. "But I thought you battle Dracula in 1497, not in 1496?" Adrian shook his head. "Some of the Belmont descendants have miscalculated it since Trevor said he did fulfil his vampire-hunting destiny twenty years after his mother, Sonia Belmont." For a moment, the youthful looking vampire's eyes became glazed with memories, then he smiled and continued his tale. "He did merely use round numbers. Sonia battled my father in 1476 quite correct, but Trevor did not face the dark lord before twenty years later. The miscalculation comes from that he wrote that his battle did take place "over two decades later" as he put it." They where cut off by the Buer who by now was tired of being ignored. She pointed her slightly curved blade, which she'd drawn from a scabbard on her back, and a huge blast of ring-shaped fire hitt the floor and made them run for cover. "It that is settled," The Buer cried, again with that strange booming sound in her voice. "I think it's time to get down to business." "I quite agree." Adrian said. "Ready?" He said as he drew his blade. The Buer smiled and saluted him. "Ready." He ran to aid his friends, more so that there now was bizarre-looking spider-women falling from the sealing, going for his friends. He ran to aid them.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
Steel struck against steel. The Buer's body and blade moved as one. Her bronze fur shone like metal as she swung her curved blade with sleek elegance and nearly perfect elegance. He turned into a swarm of bats and then reapered somewhere else. "Crimson lightning! Balls of Destruction!" Parallel bolts of crimson lightning struck down all around her as a blaze of blue bat-inhabited fireballs came flying from his opened cloak. "Roaring wraith!" The Buer screamed and a roar of green fire washed around her and practically absorbed his spells. "Blue wargs! Crimson worm!" A running flock of energy-created blue wargs dashed at her just as the head of a giant snake appeared between his hands and spewed a crushing wave of crimson plasma. "Storm of Vengeance! Roaring wraith!" She countered his energy and used the opportunity to attack him with a wall of small green sonic-waves. He turned into mist and again reappeared somewhere else. He brought out two of his cards. "Demon familiar! Sword familiar! I summon thee to do thy duty!" He called and in a flash of light, the familiars he'd summoned came to him. "Fire and plasma attack, V pattern." He commanded the domon. "Sword, attack with me and kill her if possible." The repulsive deomon roared and breathed a double wave of fireballs and plasma-blasts which made the Buer spread her own defence to properly counter the fire. "Fire at will!" He ordered as he and the sword familiar trust himself into battle. To face them bought, she drew out another curved blade, a dagger, and then she ran to intercept them. Blue bolts of lightning struck all around tehm as their blades made contact. He snarled at her as he understood that she, like him, had summoned magical energy into her blade to give it more power. "I am here master." The sword familiar whispered as it did a clever down-trust at the Buer so she was forced to jump back to net get her stomach pierced. "Storm of Vengeance!" The counter attack forced him to turn into mist to not be blown sky-high by the sonic explosions. "Master!" The sword familiar screamed and then threw itself into a fierce hand-to-hand battle with the Buer. The demon familiar blasted a wall of tiny fireballs and orbs of magma which forced the lioness-like creature even further back. "Roarign wraith!" She screamed, but not this time, if he'd still bean in human form he would've snarled. He darted right at the sword familiar and by surrounding it with his own power, the familiar wasn't even warm by the fire. "Thank you master." The strange creature whispered. He then retook his human form and again indulged in sword-play. "Watch out master." The demon familiar snarl as it fire a new wave of fireballs and plasma-blasts. He quickly turned into a swarm of bats and screamed as some of the bats became destroyed. But he didn't have time for that now. He turned into his wolf-form and then into his human-like form. "Crimson blades!" He opened his cape and shot a spread-shot of daggers became blasted at the Buer. "Roaring…" The lioness cried, but the spell was cut short as the sword familiar dashed right at her and pierced her body. "wraith!" Blood came oozing from her mouth as she tried to cast the spell. She looked up at him as she staggered backward, but then regained her composure. "Final death." She looked upon him as she cast the final spell. "Get away!" He called out to his familiars and to Victor, who was now coming at him, having defeated the spider-women and freed his friends. He turned into a swarm of bats as the Buer blast into a green bomb-like explosion. "Rest in peace." He said, saluting her with his sword, before he did the sign of the cross. "Adrian!" Edward shouted. "Come over here. Alicia is wounded, hardly wounded." He made the familiars disappear and walked over to where the others where gathered.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
She did threw the laurels back in her backpack. "They don't seam to work on such damage." She said and threw the backpack aside. "What is wrong with her?" Adrian asked, looking down on her. "Her head," She sorrowfully said. "her skull is crushed. Although she isn't dead, but something inside her head is dmaged and she won't wake up." The youthful-looking vampire nodded. "If only we had one of those crystals Dracula lend to his chosen servants, whe may could have cured her." The cold formal tone for once got her on the nerves. But never the less, he was right. "I think I might have a solution." She turned around, looking at Sithish. "If you could infuse her with some of your blood, you could use one of your purification crystals to heal her before it gets to far." Adrian slowly nodded. "I could always do so, but it would take more than three days. Not to mention great care not to fail in meeting the correct time." "Wait a moment." She broke in, but it was Edward who spoke their worry. "We can't carry her around, and if you plan on giving her some of your cursed blood, I hold you personally responsible for it if anything goes wrong." The vampire nodded. "I promised Sonia to help the Belmont clan if they should ever need me." She gave him a short smile. Grandmother Yoko had always blushed a little when she told about him and she could understand why. He was aristocratic and sophisticated, a gentleman and well-educated man to be sure. She shook her head. Here there was more important things at stake. "Then I will stay here and protect her." She said, taking a stance in the case. "I'll sty here to protect you, in Adrian's place." Sithish said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Saria gave her a thoughtful look, but she shook her head. "Marica, will you stay here?" The fairy, who until now had flew around Alicia's head, nodded. But she saw that she was deeply involved in thoughts that she almost didn't hear what they said. Adrian did open a wain in his wrist and pushed it at the Schneider's lips. She helped the unconscious girl to drink the foul liquid. Alicia moaned in her sleep, but then she fell back into normal unconscious sleep again. "Then, we will have to wait until three days have passed. Ten minutes before full time, you must place this," Adrian gave her one of the crystals he carried in his belt. "on her heart and pray for the delivery of her soul. But be sure you do not miss the correct time." "You bet I will." She said, putting her hands around the little crystal. "I shall." She said. "And good luck. God protect you all." They nodded, having the unmoving calm faces of men and women who was afraid. She'd seen it before, when Amy's sister told her about the Cancer her friend was hit by. "Thank you." Saria said. She smiled and waved as they left her. "All will go good." Sithish said. She nodded, but she saw the same fear in Marcia's face as was in her heart. What if this didn't work? She picked up Alicia's hand and prayed in her heart that the gorgon would not be wrong.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
He did peek around the corner and quickly jumped backward. "Watch out." He whispered. "Three bone-soldiers armed with bows. I also saw two mace-knights." He drew out his axe and tested its sharpness. "But what worries me more is the polar were-foxes and tramp-zombies. Those we battled when that dark dryad." Edward nodded and checked how many crystals he'd left, bringing out his throwing-cross. "We must be cautious. I and Edward will take them on while you, Ursula and Saria make up the rear. I will…" He cut off the vampire. "Relax. This is our department." He said as he dashed through the door crushing the helmet and skull of the first bone-soldier. Edward was at his side, again having one of the round shields of the bone-soldiers, blocking the strike of one of the mace-knights. "One of these days…" He heard the Morris say as he threw the throwing-cross. He smiled, he knew Edward didn't like these dash-attacks of his, but he also knew that he would never leave him alone to face the consequences. Then he didn't have time to think anymore, as he stood face to face with two of the polar were-foxes. "This is madness." One of them said. "Maeglin is in command, we must do as he command." The other one said, bringing her blade, if it was a she, right at him. The blade cracked against the shells of his tunic and made him moan in pain as they where pressed against his ribs. "Star bow!" Saria's arrow came flying through the air as the second one moved in for the kill. It buried itself into the breast of the were-fox and she was sent snarling to the ground. The second one swing the long twin-handed Katana sword at him and he did swing the axe to defend himself. A quick set of slashes followed and he nearly tripped on the stairs behind him. It was lucky for them that the huge square-shaped pilar in which the stair was built on, was not a broad one. The dark troops hadn't enough space to attack them on. The blade of his enemy cracked against the helmet he'd taken from one of the vampires, half-way blinded by the blurriness in front of his eyes, he swung the axe and a gash opened in the were-fox's arm. "Balls of Destruction!" Adrian was now involved in battle, his fireballs was now going criss-cross among them, taking out bone-soldiers and tramp-zombies as they went along. The were-fox before him cursed and then turned around and ran down the stairs and out view at the next corner. He did dry the swet of his brow. Just as they'd left the access-chamber, the ice was being less and less present and instead, it had became warmer. Now it was like the summers he hadn't felt in years was over him. He shook his head and dropped to the ground as one of the bone pillars, sitting upon pillars placed on the wall. "Crimson lightning!" Adrian did throwing gests with his hands and parallel bolts of lightning blasted down and crushed the bony cannon into oblivion. "Ball of darkness!" "Watch out!" Ursula cried as one of the strange wraith-like wizards appeared and two gloved hands came out from the black cloak covering the bizarre entity and a ball of concrete blackness came blasting at them. "Dragon breath!" Ursula blasted at the creature with one of her flaming breaths. The wraith was to quick, it was gone before the fire could reach it. "That gay is beginning to annoy me." He grumbled as he put the axe back in its holster. Edward nodded, caressing the hilt of his Bowie. Saria had given it back to hm as she'd taken one of the short-swords from one of the tramp-zombies. He did reload the rifle, a weapon the Morris had afforded him with. "I hope it would be no more platforms." He said, Saria smiled at him as she used the strange laurels, healing the wound in his head. "Look!" Adrian said. "See the lower dept of the Ravenberg nest." The vampire was right. For a moment, the steam drifting in the chimney-like cave lifted and he saw the tunnel below them. "Lava." Edward softly said. "That's where the warmth is coming from." Adrian nodded. "Not even with the spell our enemy have cast, he cannot freeze the core of the world. Even though the white dragons do not like the warmth down here, they like the company of other creatures, so they will do their best to decorate even this place as luxurious as any other place in their nest." He did brake him off. "So that's why there's a carpet, cave-paintings and statues all around?" Adrian did clear his voice, but then merely nodded. "Wraith coming in!" Ursula cried. "Star bow!" "Ball of darkness!" The two spells hit each-other and made a huge explosion appear. "Crimson lightning!" Again the wraith-like creature vanished before it could be attacked. "Run!" Saria said. "Run, before he comes back." Taking her note, he ran down the stairs and around the new corner and right into the face of another bone pillar. "Twisted!" He dropped to the ground as the childish dragon-skulls started blasting him with a swift row of tiny fireballs. "Ball of darkness!" "Dragon breath!" "Balls of destruction!" Adrian blasted the pillar away as Ursula took care of the wraith. This time, she reached it and the creature was sent screaming into nothingness. A swarm of bats came flapping at them, starting to form into one of those phantom-bats he'd heard about in his father's stories. "Run!" Saria shouted and he didn't stay around to protest about it. It was just three flights of stairs left, but at every corner there was a new pillar of bones or group of bone-soldiers and tramp-zombies. It felt good finally reaching the floor, here it was at least no more evils running around. Then he saw "them" and started screaming.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
She knew they weren't real, or rather, not real here where they should not be. She felt how tears rolled down her cheeks seeing that some of "them" would come to her, here.

Realm of dreams. The 7th of December 2098 A.D. It was two of them, the first one looking like a 12-year old boy with light-blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in white and with a golden necklace, containing a crest she couldn't describe. The other one was also blonde, also had blue eyes, but looked like he was at least 15 or 16 years old. The only real difference was hid dressing, a blue robe and a crest of blue sapphires around his neck. She smiled, grateful that they'd taken on her own hair and eye-colour. "Your soul is in danger." The oldest one said, looking down on her with a grave look in his eyes. "Your friends did this to you so you should not die." The other one said, looking like he was trying to cheer her up. "In your state, you could not enter neither the temple of yellow gold nor the temple of sapphires. That is why we come to you here." The old one said. "Then it's ture then?" She asked. "Do God really placed eighteen guardians to protect the elements of the world?" The youngest smiled, but they didn't answer her question. "There is only one true God, in Heaven and on Earth." The older one said. "The reason we have come." The youngest continued. "Is to give you this." The two did open their hands. In them, there lay one simple orb, coloured in yellow gold and in sapphire blue. "Elemental enchantments for my whip?" She said, hearing the shock in her voice. "But why?" She didn't expected them to answer her this time either, but they actually did. "So that what was meant to be, shall be." The old one said. "The orb meant for you is to be found by another, but you also need them." She nodded and the celestial duo smiled at her. "God be with you my child." The oldest said. "Go and serve the Lord with joy Alicia. Sleep well until the time comes." Then they were gone.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
She again felt herself glide down into the deeper realms of sleep. "I will." She smiled, then all became dark again. The last thing she knew, was that she wasn't afraid anymore.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
It made him afraid. He'd never heard him scream before. "Calm down your idiot." He said, slapping the former hunter on his face. "It's just beholders. They're not that dangerous. Calm down, we need you." Victor slowly got to his séances and after having looked him in the eyes, being sure he'd got a grip on himself, he turned away and brought out his throwing-axe. "Eddie," The DaNasty clansman said, making him turn back to him. "Thanks." He flashed a quick smile, then dropped as one of the nasty creatures slashed at him with the tentacles growing from the cluster of evil eyes. "Star bow!" Saria fired at the phantom-bat wich had followed them down all the stairs and was now breathing balls of blue fire at them. The dryad's shot made the bat break into a swarm of smaller bats and fly away, reforming somewhere else. He threw the axe at the beholder who'd slashed at him and looked upon in grim satisfaction as it burned away. But there where more of them, pluss some bone pillars who where aiding the phantom-bat in its effort to blast them. "Crimson lightning!" Adrian fired, but with all the moist in here, caused by the molten river of lava, all the vampire got was some small bursts of electricity. Victor, now up and ready, had gone on a wild attack on the pillar of bones and had actually made some of them crumble into flames. "Star bow!" Again Saria attacked the phantom-bat, making it again split into a multitude of bats. He again threw the axe and made another beholder burst into flames. "Watch it Edward! Dragon breath!" Ursula had clearly become more powerful by going down here. Now she blasted a wave of tiny magma-balls in stead of clean fire. Although it was the phantom-bat she was firing at, some of the tiny orbs got loose from the hoarde and went wild. "Crimson inferno!" Adrian made a powerful explosion blast a group of tramp-zombies who where coming running down the stairs to aid their friends. He didn't have time to look. Two of the remaining beholders where firing bursts of telekinetic energy at him, making it difficult to get in hits on them. "Now it's my turn to help you." Victor came crashing from behind, hacking the firing beholders into pieces by his axe. "Thanks, I needed that." He said. "Fire in the hold!" Ursula screamed and he dropped himself to the floor and rolled out of reach as a new group of tramp-zombies fired a wave of arrows at them. "Balls of destruction!" Adrian's counter-strike destroyed several of the projectiles, but now more beholders where coming drifting down the other corridor, making the vampire more busy with saving his own non-life. "This is not good." He mumbled. "That bastard now how to plan a battle." He brought out his throwing-cross and thew it at the approaching beholders and then ran to help Adrian with the other treath, the groups of tramp-zombies. "God help us!" Victor said and then he rouse tha axe into the air. Lightning struck down and hit the phantom-bat dead on, making it burst into a multitude of bats. "That was really impressing." Adrian said. He did nod, to dumbfounded by what'd happen to say anything. "A little advice from my father." Victor said blushingly. "He told me that the axe contained magical powers. Now I just wanted to help you gays and prayed God to help us." He clasped him on the shoulder, not caring what others would think. "Watch out!" It was Ursula again. They did all take cover as more loose magma-blasts running wild came their way. "Star bow!" Again the tiny dryad fired at the phantom-bat, making it break up into a horde of smaller bats. "It are the smaller bats who need to be destroyed!" Adrian shouted. "Balls of destruction!" The balls of blue bat-inhabited fireballs blasted one of the last beholder into oblivion. "Just at it!" He shouted and threw his boomerang-cross at the cluster of bats, killing some of them in the process. He then ducked as one of the bone pillars, who stood a good distance away, blasted a set of smaller fireballs. "I thought you got rid of those things?" He said as he threw his throwing-axe at the phantom-bat, but missed. "Watch out where you throw those things." Victor said, picking up the blade who'd nearly pierced his skull. "Give back my rifle and you got to keep that thing." He said. "I'm not good at throwing them either way." "I can agree on that." The former hunter grinned and handed him the rifle. "Now it's my turn." He mumbled to himself as he reloded the firearm with a set of silver-bullets. He then fired a shot at the cluster of bats who hadn't reformed yet. The shot resulted in that some of the bats burst into flames, the one he'd taken out, taking more with it in the following explosion. But now the bat had reformed. And although it was smaller than before, it started blasting them all with huge blue fireballs. "Shield of bats!" Adrian's shield countered against the fire so that all who was destroyed was the few remaining beholders and tramp-zombies. Again he fired a silver bullet and again the bat exploded. But the battle wasn't over, three smaller bats, who together was as big as the phantom-bat, did fly out of the cluster. "An unexpected move." Adrian said. "I have not heard about anything like this before." "I have." He said. "During Simon Belmont's adventure into the castle in 1688, he did battle against a strange bat consisting of mere gold and jewels. It did break-up like this after he'd destroyed it." "Then we're better to get going." Victor said, throwing the throwing-axe at one of the bats. The creature did part into thre even smaller bats. "God's death!" It was the first time he'd heard Adrian curse. "It is a phantom-bat. A mother-bat. Be careful, they are very dangerous." He nodded. "Star bow!" Saria was again by his side, firing arrows at the continuing splitting bat. "Dragon…" Ursula began, but Adrian put a hand on her shoulder. "No good idea, my fried. We have enough trouble without you firing of wild fireballs." He didn't have time to hear the replay, he threw the boomerang-cross at one cluster of bats, just as he threw the Bowie with at another cluster.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 7th of December 2098 A.D.
She did walk down the corridor. She was in the living-quarters of the highest deck. She saw how polar were-foxes where gathered around tables, speaking or eating. But it wasn't they she was looking for. She'd cut her flowing red hair so it just was a small pony-tail left of her beautiful flaming hair. She'd also taken off all her jewellery, except for one tight-fitting evil-star symbol around her neck, and her flowing multicoloured robe. She was now dressed in a simple yellow shirt and black tunic, with leather wrist-protectors and boots. Her throwing-stars and trio-bladed daggers where also gone, replaced with one-bladed daggers hidden in her boots and other places on her body. At last, she found the one she was looking for. "Justin, I want to talk to you." Justin, one of the blue-furred were-fox males, looked up from his meal, then he merely shrugged, waving his hand at the other two beast-riders in the room. "Andrea, Solander, get lost." They gave him a look, then rouse and left the room. "Thanks gays." He said as they left, the female gave him a smile why the male one just shrugged, as his superior had. "Now, what's going on? Why have you shed the fancy clothing?" She sat down where the one he'd called Solander had bean and gazed him. "I want you to train me." She finally said. "Train you?" He blinked. "But you're one of the best assassins I've ever met." She smiled. "Thanks, but it seams like the art of my race isn't enough for the one I'm after." She got herself a dring from the barrel in the corner, before she continued the conversation. "I know how to use these daggers, but I want you to train me how to use a sword and the bow. I want you to train me in the arts you have bean trained in as a soldier." He gave her a look. "That will take weeks. The swords we use isn't like the little toys you gays usually uses." He waved his hand, seeing the wrinkles on her brow. "No offence, but even though they're good weapons, the swords and bows we use is much heavier than you're used to." She took a sip of her cup, then shook her head. "I don't care how long it takes. I "tricked" your captain into giving you spear-time to train me." She stroked her body as she said so and Justin laughed. "I understand. But you don't have to "trick" me. I have a girl already." He then shook his head. "No, just forget that I said that. What I mean is, I'll train you and I don't expect to get anything left for it. You could tell my captain how good an under-officer I am, but no bother. He already knows that." She returned the smile. "Thank you." He shook his head. "Don't thank me yet. It's going to be a long way." She nodded and they finished the meal in silence.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 8th of December 2098 A.D.
"Is there something more then?" He asked, sitting with his back leaned against the fence of one of the bridges leading over the lava-lake. "I do not think so." Adrian said, letting his hand go through his hair, a gest he'd picked up from him. "Ursula is done forth, Victor is resting comfortly, Saria is taking care of his burns and they seams to heal as they shall." He nodded waving himself with his hat. "You know that without her it's going to be hard finding her cousin." The vampire nodded. Although his fairy familiar had healed him, he still looked bleaker and more tired than he'd ever seen him. "Edward." Saria came over to him. "Ursula want to speak with you." He nodded and got to his feet. He should've expected it, he didn't looked forward to this. He'd failed her completely during the battle with the flame-lizard. As he walked over to the dying dragon, his thoughts drifted back to that battle.

Flashback.

The phantom-bat was finally dead. He cast a look on his watch, noticing it was already long on the night. He'd lost contact with time being so long underneath the ground. He gathered the weapons and reorganized them. He had his family sword, boomerang-cross, Bowie and rifle, wich he'd put together and placed in his backpack together with the grenades John and Ursula had given him. Victor had his battle-axe, throwing-axe and had also gotten the set of throwing-daggers Saria had found. While Saria and Ursula had each some of the magical rods the dragon had found in Adrian's tomb. Saria, of course, still had her bow and arrows. Ursula and Adrian's arsenal was for the most part as it had bean. "Well, if all is clear, let's go." He said, having his sword and Bowie at the ready. "I don't like this." Victor mumbled afther they'd walked a while. "It's too silence. We did shout and make a good piece of other sounds over there. You should think someone would've heard us." Adrian nodded and he did also come to a halt, forcing himself to just hear. "All I hear is the bubbling of the lava. And that dosen't seams to…" He was cut off in mid-sentence as something huge and monstrous popped its head down from the ceiling and fell down on the solid square in the middle of the lake so that he felt the stone shudder underneath his feet. "What in Hell is that thing!?" He yelled as the huge monster rouse up on its back legs and the front legs, looking like monstrous arms with sharp claws at the end, did claw at them. "That's a fire lizard." Ursula said. "But that is impossible." Adrian commented. "There should not be any of those down here. We are not low enough." He shrugged, What was and what wasn't was a relative thing near the castle of Dracula. He put back the Bowie, it wouldn't be to any help against this monster, and instead brought out his belt with grenades. "It doesn't matter." Ursula said, mirroring his thoughts. "It's here and it's best we prepare for a really though battle." "Really?" Victor said. "I wouldn't known if you hadn't told me that." "Quit the sarcasm and get ready." He barked at the former hunter. "Yes sir." He shook his head, then did a back-flip as that monstrous lizard was at him. "Balls of destruction!" Adrian opened his cape and fired his spell. "Dragon breath!" The spells washed over the lizard, but when the smoke clared, the creature merely looked upon them, blinking its eight eyes. Then it roared and opened its moath. "Watch out!" Ursula called as a spread-shot of magma-balls came flying at them. "Victor!" He cried as the former hunter run about the magma and threw the throwing-axe right into the mouth of the creature. "Blast it! Not you to Ursula!" The Lizard screamed, withdrew and blasted a new wave of magma blobs. He saw how she was charging up her spell, the monster waved it claws and almost ripped her into pieces. He threw up and almost fell to his knees. Then he rushed at her, the boomerang-cross in his hand and the Bowie in the other, throwing them right into the open mouth of the creature. Why he didn't know, but he was too late. She was already lying bleeding on the ground. The lizard again roared and withdrew another few steps. "Continue!" Adrian shouted. "It is on withdrawing front. Crimson lightning!" The vampire fired a set of parallel bolts of lightning, trying to hit it in the eyes, some of them. The only result was that the diabolical lizard withdrew even further. "Continue!" He now had gotten a plan. "Make it fall into the lava, perhaps that'll kill it!" "I quite agree." Adrian said, a smile on his face. "Crimson lightning! Balls of destruction!" Again the attacks went right into the open mouth of the lizard. "Not you too!" He called as Victor was hit by one of the vile creature's magma-blods. "I'll help!" Saria called as she threw aside the rod she held and ran over to the fallen form of the DaNasty clansman. He threw the throwing-cross, doing an item-crush as he went along. A wave of crosses appeared as his lone weapon split into many and did go right at the monster. Again it surprised him how he weapon returned to him, even though he'd seen it go right into the mouth of the lizard. "Balls of destruction!" Adrian cast the spell and then had to break up into a swarm of bats as the flame lizard spewed a wave of small magma-blobs. He did dropp himself to the ground, avoiding the burning orbs. He then again brought out the throwing-cross and threw it at the huge lizard-like creature. "Checkmate!" He shouted as he saw the lizard stagger backward and out on the final bridge, leading to the other side of the lava-lake. As the flame lizard stumbled out on the bridge, the tiny bows of rock collapsed and the vile monster fell into the melthed stone. "God in Heaven!" He said, utterly shocked as he witneshed how the meat on its body melted away and the creature screamed as it boiled into death. "It didn't deserve that." Saria said. Adrian nodded, doing a sign of the cross as he did so. He didn't do anything but falling to his knees and throw-up like a pig.

End of flashback.

He took a deap breath as he knelt down beside the cooling body of his friend. "I'm so sorry." He said, feeling how tairs ran down his face. "I know it's type of a cliché, but that doesn't stop me from fealin how I feal." She stopped him by weakly open her mouth and speaking. He saw how it moved in her hand, most likely to lift it and place a finger on his mouth. "I don't blame you anything." She said. "I wasn't you who called on me to help rescue your children." She fell silent for a moment. "I would have loved you if you had given me permission to. But that's not important, dragon hasn't allowed to love anyone else than dragons. You're a more wiser than I am. Farewell, heart-friend. Take good care of Saria. Stay back. When a dragon die…" She was never able to finish and hadn't Adrian grabbed him when he did, he might as well faced the same destiny as the still boiling corpse of the fire lizard. Ursula's eyes closed and then it happened. She changed back into her dragon form and then flew up into the air. He looked on with a open mouth. In that moment, she looked so beautiful. "Amen." He said, kneeling down, doing the sign of the cross. "We must go." Adrian said. "We must find another way around." He nodded, then turned to Saria. "Can you wake Victor?" She nodded and walked over to the sleeping hunter. They would have to go all the way back to where Alicia slept. But that was alright. He gathered his weapons and then walked over to the others. He promised himself one thing. He would free her cousins and her children, or die trying to fulfil the promise.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 8th of December 2098 A.D.
They was walking up the stair, the healing Saira had given him was helping but he was still a little dazed. "Pray tell me something?" Edward asked Adrian. "How so?" The vampire asked. "How is the build-up for Dracula's army?" Adrian smiled, but it was without humour. "I was wondering when you would ask med that question." He seamed to think for a moment, then again spoke. "The dark lord's army is parted into three organizations. First we have the scientist's wing and I think you already know what there work is. The other branch, is the concrete military, parted into two wings. We have the devil cells, local military groups like the ones we did face on the lower decks. Then there is the regular army. It is combined by the soldiers the castle provides and the ones who are drawn there by the castle's dark glow of power. You might noticed that the troops who hindered us from leaving this complex was far better trained and better equipped than the others?" The Morris descendant nodded. "The troops in here must then be of the same origin." His friend commented. "Quite right." Adrian said. "Do you know who the leaders are?" "It sometimes differ." Adrian said. "But as far as I know. The scientists are led by my father's old friend, Victor Frankenstein." He felt how a snarl went over his face by hearing that. Then he shrugged. "The leaders for the army," Adrian continued. "is a arch-admiral and one supreme-warlord. I do not know their names, but I think…" "You said there where three groups," He cut into conversation. "who's the third one?" He could never guess, but he could've sworn that a shudder went over the vampire's face. "SS." He said. "SS?" He said. "I thought that was the name of Hitler's bodyguard?" The vampire nodded. "The name is from the German Furher, but my father was the one behind the idea long before he was borne." Edward shook his head. "Can you tell us anything about Dracula's SS?" "As you please." Adrian said, looking like he didn't want to. "It consist of three branches. The first one, wafen SS, is the backbone, if I could use such a word in this connection. They are part of every military group that is forged. The other branch, Gemeimilche polezeigeheit SS, travel around to take care of those in the army who plot against my father or each-other." Again he fell silent. "I know the commander of these two groups of this time is a vampire called Stern. He was an Austrian officer during the first World War, but…" Again he cut into conversation. "I know it's difficult for you telling this, although I don't get why. But go on, tell us about the last branch." Edward gave him a warming look, but he didn't care. He wanted to get to the bottom of why Adrian, who he never seen afraid before was so scared of SS. "They are called Tothen befelnung SS. They have pledged direct directly to my father. They are is personal fist of destruction-bringing troops. They are his red and black armoured royal guard. They did nearly kill me, when I battled my father in 1792." He nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry pal, didn't want to make you think about your own death." The vampire gave him a cold unfeeling look. "I am already dead. I have bean so since I gave a promise to never rest until my father's soul was freed." "Sorry." He said. There was nothing else he could think about saying. "I'm an idot." He added. "No." Adrian said, a smile creeping over his face. "I mere fell into darkness sometimes. I will pass." He nodded, taking back his hand. "I guess." "Gays, I might think you want to see this." Edward's voice brought them out of their thoughts and they ran the last few steps up to where Edward and Saria was standing. It was the door leading out to the hall where Adrian had fought the Buer. Now it was all frozen over and it wasn't just the statues and wall who where so, bone-troopers, Nazi-zombies and a few mace-knights where all frozen and lay in pieces on the floor. "Who could've done this?" He asked. The others merely shook their heads. "Only a dryad and a nayad in combined song could've done something so powerful like this." "It was no naiad." A low shivering voice said. "I killed them, froze them all to death just by singing. All because of that orb the Buer left behind." They turned around, facing Torah who looked upon them with fear in her eyes.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 8th of December 2098 A.D.
She looked upon them, unable to say anything more. They'd come to take her, Sithish and Alicia. She'd sat with that strange orb in her hands, then it came to her. She'd opened her mouth and then it had just came out of her. "You're not mad." Saria was suddenly at her side, arms around her, comforting her. "Siihish couldn't stop them all alone and Alicia was out. I had to do something. But not this, not this." She cried, she didn't want to, but couldn't hinder it. "What's this all about?" Victor asked. "The Buer must have had an elemental-orb." Adrian said. "That is the only conclusion to why her power should flower this swift." She saw that he tried to make his voice less cold and emotionless, but failed. "Do, do that mean…" She had to take a hold on herself before she could finish. "Does that mean that this is a mere development of my powers?" Saria held her hand tightly as she waited for the replay. "I do not know." Adrian finnaly said. "Since I does not know your talents in magic, I cannot tell if it is merely a result of absorbing that orb or if it has stroken a cord in your aura." "See." Her sister said. "It's just your powers that making noise. Nothing's wrong with you." She looked up into her face. "Are you sure?" She nodded. She saw her eyes fill with confidence and she cracked a smile. "Sorry for all this." She said, trying to dry her tears. "Sometimes I just don't know what to believe anymore." "Understandable." Victor said, giving her a smile of his own. Then she noticed something with made her worry grow again. "Where's Urdula?" She asked. As their faces grew grave, she already knew it. "She's dead? Isn't she?" Adrian nodded as Edward drew his hand over his eyes. "It was a fire lizard." Saria said. "It nearly killed Victor too." This time it was she who squeezed her sister's hand. "Speaking of which," Edward said, trying to change subject. "where's Sithish?" She surprised them, she didn't care what they thought, by throwing up. "It was a frost-elemental." She began.

Flashback.

"What in the name of God is that thing?!" She asked, terror boiling in her. The towering giant laughed, it sounded like the howling wind blowing outside the mountain. Blue energy shoned and sparked all around it, frost shined from its lance and became reflected by the ice-sculptures she'd created of his troops. "That's a frost-elemental." Sithish said, she saw the same fear as her own in the gorgon's eyes. "Torah, we don't have weapons to defeat him with." She got a hold on herself. The enemy had a name, it was something. She'd read the tales of her family chronicles, now she only hoped she could manage to do the same as they'd done so long ago. She sunk into herself, drifted through all the planes of her being and found her inner source of power. She smiled, she knew which it was, because she knew who she was. "I'm a Fernandez." She stood tall, proudly declaring her defiance. "In the name of all good saints, I'll defeat you." "Is that a challenge?" The elemental demon shouted. "Orbs of sorcery!" Was her only answer. Three or perhaps four, she wasn't sure, golden balls of energy blasted from her hands. "Spirit!?" The frost-elemental shouted in surprise. "How it is possible?" But then, before she could hit him, he countered. "Winter's lance!" He slashed his lance and a three-way wave of freezing blue energy blasted at her. "Wall of Gold!" "Wings of Heaven!" She didn't knew half the spell she cast, but they gave results. The wall of golden energy blocked the frozen energy and the wing-shaped blast made a spread-shot of frost explode from the elemental demon. "Cold, so cold!" The scream came from Sithish, who where rolling on the ground, trying to warm herself. But that wasn't all, her arm had bean frozen, just like the knight she'd defeated in the power-plant. The wound at her shoulder, was luckily closed by the cold, she wouldn't bleed herself out, but that was hardly good knews. "Continue!" The gorgon never the less urged her on. "I'll protect Alicia. You must destroy that elemental!" "Heart of ice!" The frost elemental held out his palm and a block of solid ice manifested into his hand and was blasted outward. "Orbs of sorcery!" She commanded and the ice was blasted into oblicion. She was already on the move. She dashed at the foul elemental demon and attacked it with her racor-rings. "Frost spread-shot!" The counter-attack was meant to freeze her. But since she still was filled with magic, she was just thrown backward. She did as she was bean learned on her dance-classes and used her momentum to jump right back on her feet. "Wings of Heaven!" She fired the attack right at his head, making blasts of elemental energy spread all around them in the form of sparks and tiny lightning-bolts. "Winter's lance! Heart of ice!" The combined attack of the the three-way wave and the blocks of ice made her run for cover. If she'd bean just a little slower, she'd bean frozen in place there and then. "First sunrise!" She didn't know where she got that from, but a wave of fire burst from her hands.

End of flashback.

"I know you cannot show us that orb," Adrian said, breaking her long solo-speech. "but could you pray tell us wich colours there was inside that orb you found?" She nodded, concentrating her mind. "Yellow gold." She began. "A nice ice-blue and a strange orange glow." The vampire nodded. "That explain it." Edward gave their friend a strange look. "How so?" He asked, taking the words out of her mouth. "The orb is powerful tools the chaotic glow of the castle summon. However strong the orb is, it allways contain the power of three elementals." He gave her a smile who actually made his face come alive in a way she'd never thought she would see. "The case is, that they cannot be used by somebody who do not have these elementals in their spiritual gift in the first place." She nodded, returning the smile. "So you mean that fire, ice and spirit is my natural talents?" Adrian bowed before her. "Precisely my lady, but continue your tale." The smile faded from her face as she continued the story.

Continued flashback.

The sun-shaped wave flew right at the frost-elemental. This would be the pay-off, she was sure of it. "Breath of frost!" The elemental opened his mouth and fired a long-lasting mist of such cold that she could feel it even from where she was. The fire hit home and burst into thousand pieces of shining frost. "Nice try!" The elemental snarled, showing a row of teeth, looking like pointed icicles. "Now it's my turn. Frost spread-shot!" A solid explosion of chilling blue energy blasted from his hands and became spread all around, forming tiny ice-blocks on the floor. "Orbs of sorcery!" The counter-strike hindered him from making her into a giant ice-cube, but it didn't make any damage come to the elemental himself. "First sunrise!" She shouted as she jumped out from behind the dragon-statue she'd taken shelter behind. As the spell came blasting, she made a dash, running right into the elemental as her spell blasted him. She cut into him, if these creatures did have genders, with her racor-rings and didn't stop as she felt him scream. She felt how his icy magic tried to drive her off, but this time she just continued to blast him with magic fire. "I surrender!" She didn't believe what he said at first. Then she saw him rise his arms into the air. She did jump back, being prepared if he should try anything fishy, but he didn't. But that was the real trick, because he didn't do anything. He just looked upon her with stunned eyes. "You, you speared me?" He said, his voice sounding as he was shocked. "That I did." She said, still on guard. "I don't believe it." He said. "You don't plan to have me become your familiar or anything?" He asked. She shook her head. "If you insist on doing anything, you could take Sithish to the medical centre, if you have anything like that, so she can get her arm checked." The elemental gave her a surprised look. "You're a human, aren't you?" He asked. She nodded. "That I am." He again looked a little strange, then he nodded. "I shall try. But if she's already noted as a traitor there's nothing I can do." She nodded. "Do the best you can. May God be with you." The elemental rouse his arms as if waithing for a strike, but when nothing happen, he let them down. "Thank." He shakly said. Then it looked like the frosty nimbus became reduced and he picked up Sithish.

End of flashback.

Victor shook his head. "Did you really let a enemy, a demon, take that poor gorgon away?" She straightened her pose. "I did what I thought was best." Then she looked down as her cheeks reddened. "And if I was going crazy it would be best for her to go away from me." Again she felt how Saria's hand gripped around hers. "Do not be so sure." Adrian darkly said. "The medicals in the dark army are not as the one you know." "Don'd frighten her." Edward said. "She was one of them, she must be used to their form of treatment." She nodded, but Adrian's words still rung in her ears.

Caverns, medical wing, Warakiya. The 8th of December 2098 A.D.
The doctor, a lizardman in black cloak and hood took some step back. His aid, another lizardman, dressed the same as his master, activated the mechanism. "How do you feel?" The lizard asked in a whispering hoarse voice. She did open and close her hand, looking down upon the new mechanical arm. It was shaped like the arm of a skeleton, black and controlled through an implantation in her brain. "Perfect." She said, giving the lizards a smile. "We also have some other mechanics for you." The doctor said. "To protect it, use this electromagnetic puls-regulator." The aid, plus another lizard dressed like the two others, helped her bind a nearly shell-armour-like piece of machinery around her over-arm. "It help your body feel better with the new weight. And this," The aids bound a shoulder-plate-like instrument to her shoulder. "is a wain-calculator. It helps the blood to avoid the joint at the shoulder. It keeps the wound closed, I guarantee it'll function." She nodded, but the smile she gave him wasn't from the heart. She knew, like they did, that this was mere prototype technology and that she was one of the first who would bring it into use. "The chest-controls," The doctor said, pointing at the controls over her bely, implanted in a body-armour, shaped bought to fit in with the new arm and to help with the complex machinery that would help her live and fight without pain. "will control your blood-warmth and pressure, so that they don't bring the machinery of balance. You will be able to see the statistics on these meters." This he said as the aids did fasten a near wrist-protector-like instrument around the wrist of her mechanical arm. "On it you will also be able to watch the status of the implanta in your brain. The sensor is inside this neck-piece." She was able to place it around her neck without any help from the others. "To give all this the proper power," The lizardman said. "we used smaller variations of the dark lord's elemental-orbs. They are inside this belt-generator. The instruments will be fitt into use when you push these bucle-buton. Running on empty, as you are doing now, will keep the instruments functional for only three hours. But we had to be sure our instruments fit your size and shape." She nodded and did as she was instructed, feeling much better as she did so. "You are of course free to have your other arm free, but since we didn't know how you wanted it, we made sure to armour it with a fitting wrist, shoulder and shell-armour of the proper state." She flashed a smile. "No problem." She said. "It's just fine." The lizard bowed, before he continued his lecture. "Make sure to turn of the dicial instruments before having any intimate contact with a lover or when going to the latrine. Be sure to wash your hands and other organic parts of yourself afterward." "I'm okay with that." She said. "Where's my weapons?" The doctor lowered his head. "Since your new state include that you are moved over to our part of the military, we took the chance to equip you with some new weapons." She nodded, grinning her teeth. She would be gone from here as soon she could, but it wouldn't harm getting some new weapons before she did so. "First," The doctor said. "Your right shoulder's shoulder-plate contains an 25-35 wat plasma thrower. Controll it with the instruments we have put into the wrist-protector of your right hand. Then there is one of the swords-crystals, contained inside your belt. Pul the other controls on your belt to let it loose. There is one in reserve on the left side in case you would need anyone." She nodded, she was one of those who would use bought hands in battle anyway, but it was good knowing these things. "What about the frost-elemental who brought me here?" She asked. The lizardman shook his head. "He admitted he'd attacked you and was then executed by two of my aids, the same two who's helping you now." The killer of the one her friend had trusted smiled at her. She had to force herself to return it, but she did and the two aids took some steps away. "I further suggest," The doctor said. "That you go back to your guard in the nest, and get something to eat." She gave him an astonished look. He shrugged. "I knew by your ID that you where among the guards of the nest-troop. We don't need you, but we wait you to return when we call upon you." She opened her mouth, but he answered her question before she could utter it. "The light on your belts will begin flashing black when we contact you, have a good health." She thanked him and then walked out. Walking around the medical wing, seeing the technicians and aids helping wounded and sic troopers, or doing experiments who should help them further their couse, where everywhere. Before this had bean a wing she'd liked to be in, but now it only made her feel sic. All this just had one target for its hardships, helping to hold up the rule of a creature who should never existed. However, she managed to walk her way out of the wing, if she could call her gliding crawl a "walk", she smiled. She did set a look of buyness on her face and those who wanted to talk to her, stepped aside and let her by. She didn't care, even though these creatures used to be her friends. She went over to the elevator, to get transport down to the lover deck and then get back to her real friends.

Caverns, Warakiya. The 8th of December 2098 A.D.
Alicia was still sleeping, looking better than she'd done before. But something was different. She had always bean nice and cute, but now she looked almost attractive, although he couldn't say why. "Don't look." Edward said. "You're just affected by the vampire's charm." He nodded, taking a hold on himself. It was a real shock. He, who'd always bean worried about his sexuality and that he was interested in boys, had bean taken in so easily. He blushed in shame, then Torah stroke his arm. "Don't be ashamed, she's affecting me too. She makes me think," The little sorceress blushed in turn. "strange things. Things I shouldn't think about and I had to force myself to not look on her." "That is a problem we must handle and control." Adrian said. "There is still two more days before we can safely use the purification crystal on her. But this is something to really think further about. If some of us go to seek for another path to the nest, the other will be in danger while watching her." He nodded, so did Edward and Saria. Torah said that she understood and became even redder afther telling that. "I think," Edward finally said. "that you Adrian stay here." Adrian lifted his hand in protest, but Edward drowe over him. "I know what that means. You're the one with the most knowledge about our enemy and one of our best fighters, But we have no choice." The vampire gave him a cold near arrogant look. "I presume you think the same as I do." He said. "That this magician has statoned something even more terrible than we have already faced inside the nest-chamber?" He couldn't help it, he felt how a shudder went through his body. He knew he should've expected it, but he hand't. The shear thought about that possibility made him go cold with fear. Edward did take a deep breath, but beside that he merely nodded. "I know that. That's why we're not going into the nest. We're only going to check if there is a way around that broken bridge." He then looked around. "Is there anyone who volunteer to keep Adrian company?" It was a brilliant question, now he hadn't ordered anybody to stay or to go with him. They could do as they wanted, but his choice was clear. He would rather stay here with a girl who could make even him stare than going blind onto the nest of a monster more terrible than they'd already faced. And although it would just be a moments break for something he would have to do sooner or later, but he would get at least a moments peace. "I'll stay here." He said, hoping nobody saw his red cheeks. "At least until Sithish get back." If she ever come back. Torah did think to well about these monsters, some of them was friends, but what about those who weren't? Torah did also rise her hand, but she'd bean through a lot of pressure these last days so that was understandable. "Then it looks like it's just you and I to go then." He saw an almost praying look in the Morris's eyes. He was also afraid, first now he understood it. But Edward was brave enough to face his fear, although he felt the need for company. It made him want to look away as Saria gave him a smile and said she would go with him. Then the dryad and the former mailman prepared themselves for what was to come. Adrian gave them some purification crystals if they should need them and he did give them some of his stakes. "Thanks." His friend said. "When the time comes, we'll stand side by side." The last words was said sow silent that only he heard them. He waved them fear-well, just as the others did. Except for Adrian of course, de did salute Edward with his sword and knelt before Saria to kiss her hand. Then, with some last encouraging words, they were off. As he saw them leave, he hoped Edward wasn't wrong

Castlevania, Warakiya. The 10th of December 2098 A.D.
She met Gilled outside his chambers, Death and Rowdain where also there. She bowed deepley before them all. "Are you going to the master?" Death whispered inside her skull. She felt a chill go down her spine, but she faced him never the less. "I'm about to meet with Lord Dracula." She said, finishing her bow. "I warn you." Gilles said. "He is in his melancholy corner this night." She nodded. "Of course boyar De Reis. I shall try not to disturb him." The two were-foxes at the door opened the gate to her lord's private hideout and she walked in. Inside all the walls, even the one with the door, was covered with books. The only exception, was the wall with the fire-place, where a glass-case with an armour and a huge grandfather-clock ocqupied the space. Over the self of the fire-place and enlightened by two three-armed golden chandeliers was a painting of one man, two women and a little boy. She'd bean told that it was the only painting on which Lord Dracula, his son, his wife and his mistress where all together. From the sealing hung more gold-candelabras, she could see a ceiling-paint of the dragon and the four riders of the Apocalypse. In front of the fire-place, a long-backed Victorian arm-chair stood, draped with the fur of a wolf and standing upon another fur, this one from a bear. She knew her master was siting in it, shapeless or nor shapeless, this was his personal hideout and the place he went to when he wanted to be left alone. Upon a large table, seated to the right of the room, lay a small collection of objects. A ring with a crimson stone upon it. A necklace with an ebony stone. A copy of the Necromonicon and the black book. A leather bag with, that she was sure of, thirty pieces of silver and a dagger with golden intarsia and with crimson and ebony stone upon the hilt. A golden goblet with a crimson liquid, he still needed blood to balance his magnetism. The portrait of a young Japanese woman, why he kept that thin he'd never told anybody. Mina Hakuba, or so she and the other servants thought. A memory from when he'd bean alive in another body. But it was the tiny clinging tones of a playing-box which dominated the room. It was sculptured like a woman, dressed in a flowing with dress from his own time. Flowing brown hair was cast behind her head and her arm where spread out behind her. It was the shape of Elizabetha Corvinis, Lord Dracula's second wife, which looked upon her in sutch a small shape. But she could see that she must have bean a beautiful and with a strong character. "Have I failed?" The voice came from the chair, brought her out of her thoughts. "All I love have left me, all because of Him." No dark soul could stand the image of Him, but if there'd bean one, her master would most likely had gone through it just to destroy it. "I know master." She said, trying her best to be soft and caring in her voice. "Do you?" Dracula said. "Elizabetha killed herself in 1462 when vengeful Turks shoot an arrow into the castle, bringing a lay that I was dead. His priests denied her a burial. One year later, his children killed Lisa in a fit of rage after His priests told them she was a witch. He did influence her to make my son go against me and sent His hunters to destroy me." She was silent, not knowing what to say. "His hunters…" Lord Dracula mumbled. "They have destroyed me." "No!" She screamed. "No master. They haven't destroyed you. You have defeated them. You have broken their pitiful shield and your powers have returned to you. You are alive!" "Alive." The word was a mere whisper from the chair. Then, before she could get away, a towering cloaked figure flew from the chair and grabed her around the neck and hand. "Do you feel any heartbeats?" Lord Dracula snarled, forcing her hand toward his chest. "Do you feel the desire to take you?" He forced her to take him where his manhood would've bean. "Alive." He again hissed, then he let go of her and she fell onto the floor and lay there as a shivering heap. "I am not alive. I died in 1476 when my son and his whore Sonia Belmont destroyed me." Slowly she got back up on her feet, dusting off her simple crimson-sleeved black cloak. Her hand almost automatically went down toward her belt made of golden treads, where she'd hidden scrolls containing magical spells of unice power, she stopped herself. This was Lord Dracula. She fell down before him and didn't move again. But now it looked like the dark lord had gotten his emotions under control. "Get up." He commanded. She was quick to oblige. "Why did you come here to disturb me?" She licked her lips, her hands fingering with the simple evil-star symbol around her neck. "My lord I…" She dry-washed her hands before she continued. "My lord, general Reich is here, as per your command. I thought you might want to talk to him?" The dark lord nodded. "He might have better news than the other servants." He said, almost talking to himself. "What the necromancer and boyar Wold told me was not as I have demanded." His hood turned to her. "Have you sent the SS to investigate his doings in this matter?" "Of course my lord." She said. "What you command, I shall execute." He nodded, then she felt something, she couldn't set her finger on it, but it was something. She almost felt how he smiled. "Bring him before me at once." He commanded. "Then, I want you and another nearly as powerful female were-fox to come to me. I think my desire is not as dead as I thought." She shuddered, but only knelt lover before him. "You are my lord, I will do anything you ask." It would be another night with his cold spiritual hands upon her. His twisted desire would once again taint her and drain her of power. But at the same time, she looked forward to it. She was to important for him to kill and he didn't like to kill in bed. It disturbed the pleshure. "I live to serve." She said and got to her feet. "Hail der Graff." She saluted and left him. Once again outside, she found that Gilles and Rowdain where gone, but that Death still drifted through the corridor. "I feel you managed to cheer him up." The fallen angel whispered, a dark amusement in his voice. "I did." She said. "But if you pardon me, I have commands to execute for the dark lord." "Of course." The grim reaper said, drifting right through the door she'd just came out from and was gone. She shook her head and then walked down the corridor to the entrance-hall of Lord Dracula's apartment. The room was huge, made out of marble and with marbling wall-tapestries of the Basraq-dragon. Tables, sofas and chairs in Rococo-style lined the hall and black and crimson armoured final guards and were-fox or vampire royal guards where omni-present and ready to protect their master. There where even some axe-lords and spear-guards here and there, picked by herself from the SS death-command to protect him. On one of the chairs sat general Reinhardt Reich Van Der Hawk, leader of the small army the dark lord has sent to take care of his "recruitment campaign". He was speaking with Gilles, about what she couldn't say. French and German where languages she'd never used time learning. "He want to see you general Reich." He nodded and rouse, as he did it, two of the royal guards, vampires she noticed, over to escort them. Gilles lifted his hand, but remained where he was. As they entered into her master's study, the guards leaving them at the door, they where greated by bought Lord Dracula and the grim reaper. The fallen angel sat in the chair at the other end of the table with his scythe on the table, sharpening one of his hand-scycles. They knelt before the dark lord how now sat with his face toward the door, the eerie light behind him casting an evil glow over his shrouded spirit. "Who did cast the Jadis-formula?" The dark lord asked without caring their salutes. "I do not know my lord." Reich said. "I was on my way to you when I was frozen in ice just as the rest of the power-plant." "Then why have not my dragons arrived?" The dark lord's voice was now soft as the silk in his voice, a dangerous sign. "I do not know." The German vampire whispered, grey in his face. "You do not know?" Lord Dracula said, his voice all oil and silk. Then he struck. Before she knew anything else. The grim reaper was right beside her, his hand-scythe pressed against Reich's throat. "Then what do you know?" The master asked, his voice still as soft as ever. "The mother has summoned help." Reich almost babbled. "It was another dragon who saved me from the ice. I also saw a blond girl with a whip." She didn't saw Lord Dracula move, but now his hand was around the general's neck, holding him as he'd held her. "A girl with a whip?" He snarled. "Are you completely sure?" The fear in his face held no lies and without mercy his grip started to tighten. "It is your second-in-command who betrayed us." The dark lord said. His voice made her shiver in a fear she hoped she wouldn't feel soon again. "I know it, Shaft know who he learned that spell to and he is no traitor. You are to return to Ravenberg power-plant and return to me with his head and the dragons as my slaves. Do I have to repeat myself?" "No my lord." The vampire said. As he did so, Lord Dracula opened his hand and let go of him. "What about the girl with the whip?" She was almost afraid of asking, but she had to. "She," The dark lord smiled. "Have already entered the doors to my reign. Soon, she will be a vampire and I will have a new toy to play with." Death picked up Reich and teleported away just then and they where alone. "There is only one thing." The dark lord said. "I know who have infused her and he would never do that to someone like her. But no matter, she will become one now or she will become one later." As he spoke, he let go of his cloak and he again stood before her in his true spiritual form. "Dress of yourself." He commanded. "Who need another one when he can have the princess of the were-foxes? And who needs a bed when he has a nice carpet who do the service?" "I live to serve." She said and then executed his will.

(A.N: This chapter may seam a little short, but it's meant as the build-up towards the final chapters inside the power-plant/dragon nest. Soon we'll follow the clashes of swords and the casting of spells as our heroes faces the boss called "the dragon zombies" and beyond that, the chilling evil of Maeglin the wizard.)

Chapter 8: The Story Continues | Back to Chapter 6