Alcingeria Volume One

Date Started: November 23, 2014

Alcingeria Volume One

A Novel By Ryan David Henderson

PROLOGUE: The year is 1690 In the land of Alcingeria. Alcingeria (pronounced Al-sin-jair-ee-ah) is divided into five provinces, or factions, as they’re commonly known. Someone who does not belong to, or has deserted their home faction is called an outsider, or a deserter. Each of the five provinces is approximately the same size, this fact was gathered by the greatest mathematicians in the land, each of the five rulers of the five factions requested that they have their land measured, and each faction received relatively the same amount of land, this was done to appease the five rulers. The first faction is called Relin. (Pronounced Re-lin.) The faction of Relin is ruled by Queen Mycta. (Pronounced Mis-ta) She is a great and fair leader, she was elected and put into her position by her subjects. The second faction is called Fel. (Pronounced Fell.) The faction of Fel is ruled by King Bunsen. (Pronounced Bun-sen.) King Bunsen is a good leader, he was elected as king by his subjects, but he is known to have a short temper, and punishes outlaws, criminals and things of the like accordingly, and sometimes a little to excessively. The third faction is called Yutsa. (Pronounced Yoo-t-sa.) Yutsa is ruled by King Desmond. (Pronounced Dez-mond.) King Desmond was elected to be king by his subjects. He is a leader noble to his people, and is very weary of outsiders. He will do what is right, no matter the cost to himself, or others. The fourth faction is called Vulrock. (Pronounced Vul-rock.) Vulrock is ruled by Queen Yuka. (Pronounced Yoo-ka.) Queen Yuka is a tyrant. She uses fear to control her subjects rather than using trust. Queen Yuka is known to be a fearful, malevolent person. The fifth faction is called Delron. (Pronounced Del-rawn.) Delron is ruled by King Lucias. (Pronounced Loo-sh-us.) King Lucias is a tyrant, much like Queen Yuka. King Lucias always gets what he wants, whatever, or whoever that might be.

Chapter One The Scorpions: The year is 1690. My name is Redmond Bradford and I inhabit the land of Alcingeria. I’m seventeen years old and I was born and raised in the province of Fel. I have brown hair, brown eyes, my skin tone is fairly tan, it’s a color between bronze and olive, a little more olive. I don’t have what one would call a handsome face, for my facial features are rough, but consistent. I always have a trace of stubble on my face, no matter how much I shave. I have a semi muscular build, and I’m fairly tall, standing at around 6’. I’m very quick and light on my feet, and I have a good sense of humor. I’m often times a little sarcastic. I’m not what you would call an honest man. I’m a deserter to my faction and I’m part of a marauding criminal group called The Scorpions. You can probably guess why I left Fel. I, along with the three other men part of The Scorpions are deserters of our factions. We’re all criminals, and we’re all wanted men in our factions, that’s why we left.

I committed my first crime when I was fourteen, my family was very poor, and we had almost no money because of a certain criminal group called Tempest. The members of Tempest would come by my family’s shop, and demand that they receive eighty percent of our profits. Otherwise they would destroy the shop, and our home. They had said that if we told anyone about their crimes, they would kill my family and I. We had no choice but to submit to Tempest and meet their demands. After a few weeks, we had almost no money, and business had been slow for a few days. I resulted to thievery and tried to steal from other stores. I was successful for a while, I stole food, money, water and anything else that I could get my hands on, but one day, I was caught and turned in to the law enforcement officers. I was lucky enough to be underestimated and I escaped custody before my trial, where I would surely would have been sentenced to death.

Shortly after my escape from custody, I fled Fel and entered the surrounding wilderness, never to return again to my home faction. Not long after I left, I stumbled across the three other members of The Scorpions in the woods. They captured me, thinking I was some kind of spy for King Bunsen. As it turns out, they were all wanted men who had escaped custody just before their trials as well. I explained my story and they asked me if I would like to join their criminal group. Seeing as I had nowhere else to go, no money and no food or water, I gladly accepted their offer. Ever since that day, I have been traveling with those same three men. We pulled off heists for the majority of the time I was with The Scorpions, but more recently we have been working as mercenaries for hire. The three men and I had aliases to call each other by during a heist or during some other criminal activity, since keeping the secrecy of our names was our primary goal, next to the objective of our mission, of course. During our criminal activities, we all have different roles. The three men’s names and roles are as follows:

First, there is Donovan Sterling. We just call him Don. Don is from the province of Yutsa. He’s sixteen years old and stands at 5’5”. He has black hair, blue eyes, a tan skin tone and he has a pretty muscular build. His facial features are consistent and clean, he has high cheekbones and slightly sunken eyes. He likes to keep a clean shaven face with no stubble. He’s a funny young man, very much capable of cracking a joke even in some of the most intense moments. He can attract women like a magnet attracts metal. Whenever we’re in a different province, Don can often be seen flirting with a girl, which always gets a laugh out of the rest of us later. It’s almost as though it’s Don’s nature to flirt with every girl he meets. The other members of The Scorpions and I sometimes tease Don about it. He always takes it well and laughs it off. Don is also a very patient young man. His alias is Shadow. We call him this because he’s like a shadow; always existing, but no one takes notice of him. That makes him great at his role. Don is our scout. He goes ahead and watches our objective. If we’re to steal from a building later that day or the day after, Don will go forward and observe the location from a distance, gathering all sorts of information about it. Information he normally gathers is patrol routes for guards, the location of the object we’re to steal, the layout of the building, our access point, our escape route, and our escape means. He’s a very useful member of our criminal group and is well liked among us.

Next, there is Macalister Reese. Macalister is from the province of Vulrock. He’s seventeen years old, stands at 6’6”. Macalister has dark blond hair, green eyes and ivory skin. He has a rough, uneven face that’s littered with scars. Most of these scars are from when he fights guards that have daggers and if Macalister has no weapon at the time, he will take them on with his fists. As expected, he receives more than a few cuts and scars from those guards that he opposes. His facial features are all quite large, especially his mouth and nose. His face looks rugged and is almost always peppered with stubble. He has a build similar to that of a brick wall. He is very muscular, but not very… Attractive. Macalister enjoys it when he wins a fight, and he often laughs when he is able to easily subdue his opponent. His alias is Troll, we call him this because trolls are said to be menacing, strong, and ugly creatures. Macalister is our fighter. Being at the height he is and being as muscular as he is, he is an intimidating man. On our heists, I have seen him easily best three men at once in a fist fight on more than one occasion. He is more than capable of taking on multiple opponents, but no one stands a chance against him in a one on one fight. His role is pretty straight forward: Kill or incapacitate anyone in our way. Macalister isn’t very bright, but he is as strong as a bull, and we can rely on him to clear the way of guards for us on a heist, day or night.

Now, there is Robert Lowell. Robert is from the province of Delron. He is eighteen years old and stands at 5’6”. Robert has light brown hair, blue eyes, and a skin tone that’s a little pale, but has small traces of a tan throughout. His facial features are smooth and rounded. His face is always stubble free, for Robert shaves constantly and hates stubble, much like Don. Robert has low cheekbones and his nose is slightly crooked on the left side. He has a little bit of a muscular build, but isn’t a fighter. Robert isn’t very charismatic and is hard to like at first. Robert makes the occasionally joke, but is most often cool and composed. He handles bad news and stress surprisingly well. He almost always keeps a level head. His alias is Rapier. We call him this because he is short, sharp, and to the point. His role within The Scorpions is the leader. He is the man with the plan, he tells us what to do when we’re engaging in criminal activity, such as a heist. He devises his plans from the information Don gives him, and he makes a few adjustments where he sees fit. We can always rely on Robert to get us out of a pinch. He may not be very strong or much of a fighter, but he is more courageous than any one of us and he would take a bullet for any one of us any day.

Then there is me. You already know about my appearance, my sense of humor and my other traits. My alias within The Scorpions is Kid. Robert, Macalister and Don call me this because whenever you think of a thief, the stereotype is a kid stealing a pie off of a windowsill, or at least, that’s what the stereotype is for a thief in Alcingeria. My role within The Scorpions is the thief. Since I’m quick, light on my feet and good at evading people, this makes me the perfect one out of the four members of The Scorpions to steal the objective. The others can count on me to be cunning and swift enough to not get caught on a heist.

Don, Macalister, Robert and I get along almost all of the time. We all swore an oath to always watch each other’s backs. We swore to do whatever it takes to protect each other, to keep each other safe from the law enforcement officers, we swore to protect each other from the factions that we all deserted. We swore that if one of us is captured, we would always go back for our captured comrade. We swore that if all fails and it’s impossible to free our captured comrade, then whoever it was that was captured won’t tell the law enforcement officers where the rest of us are, or what we have done. We’re men on the run from the law, but we’re fiercely loyal to each other.

Chapter Two The Plan:

Monday June 21st 1690

Don, Macalister, Robert and I are in our hideout. We’re camped in the woodlands just outside of Relin. We planned on moving to a different location sometime in the near future, but the people of Relin are more situated and have more money than people in the other four provinces. This is probably because since Queen Mycta is a fair leader, and gives everyone a job, no matter how big or small. Our hideout is a humble one, merely an abandoned hunter’s cabin about two kilometers from where the province of Relin owns the land. Right now, we are technically still in the province of Delron. The geography of the provinces is as follows:

Relin is to the far North, Fel is to the East, Yutsa is to the Southeast, Vulrock is to the Southwest, and Delron is to the West.

In our hideout, Robert, Macalister, Don and I sat at a large round, wooden table in the middle of the cabin. Robert sat across from me. Robert looked all three of us in the eye before speaking.

“Gentlemen, I’ve gathered you here for a meeting. I sent Don out on a scouting mission, and he and I put together a plan to steal a rather large sum of money from a nobleman in Relin.” Said Robert.

“How much money are we going to steal?” Asked Macalister, cracking his knuckles.

Robert looked to Don with a question in his eyes. After a few seconds, Don nodded and Robert turned his attention back to the Macalister and I.

“Well, I won’t lie to you. It’s a hefty total of approximately fifty thousand dollars.” Robert said.

Excitement blazed inside of me. Fifty thousand dollars was a lot of money, it could buy almost anything we wished! Don smiled, Macalister chuckled. Robert looked expectantly at me.

“That’s… a lot of money. Is it too good to be true?” I asked.

“No, it’s not too good to be true. It’s very much the truth, and if we execute the plan that Don and I devised flawlessly, we could be bathing in gold by this time tomorrow.” Robert said, scratching his chin.

“Tell us, what’s this plan of yours?” Asked Macalister.

“I’ll explain.” Don volunteered.

We all looked at him expectantly. Don cleared his throat.

“The estate of which we’re to steal the money is located in the North end of Arc. I assume you all know it’s the capitol of Relin?” Don asked.

We all nodded.

“The estate is owned by Jonathan Haywood, a wealthy nobleman. Incidentally, the place is known as the Haywood estate. This heist should be simple, seeing as Arc is the closest city to the Relin-Delron border.” Robert added.

“Well, I’m afraid that the heist won’t be as easy as one may think.” Don said, shaking his head.

“Why is that?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.

“Well, Arc is the closest city to Relin’s border with Delron, I’ll give you that. The estate is, however in the northern most sector of Arc, where the palace is. The palace houses Queen Mycta, and Queen Mycta has guards stationed at every angle of the palace twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. That means that there is a possibility that we’ll be spotted by the palace guard before we so much as lay eyes on the Haywood estate.” Don countered.

“We can go under the cover of darkness, where the guard’s visibility is poor.” I suggested.

“No need.” Said Don, shaking his head.

“What? Are you mad? We can’t off this heist in the light of day!” Macalister objected.

“We’ll go into Relin, it’s not a long walk from here. When the border guards stop us, we kill them and take their firearms. When we’re past the border, we’ll travel to Arc, which shouldn’t take long at all. We’ll then travel to the Haywood estate and, order everyone out into the common room. We’ll order them to stay on the ground with their heads down so they won’t be able to stop us. Two of us will stand guard to make sure that the occupants of the estate don’t rise against us. That should be Macalister and Robert, while Redmond and I go for the money. When we have it, we’ll make our escape.” Don explained.

“What will be our means of escape, Don?” Asked Macalister, shaking his head and frowning.

“I overheard Jonathan Haywood making a deal with a trader. Jonathan promised the trader five gold pieces to act as a delivery service between him and some other trader. Jonathan has a shipment of goods coming from that trader at noon today coming in on a horse drawn carriage. That’s why we can’t pull this heist off at nightfall. We’ll wait until the carriage arrives at the Haywood estate, then we run out with the money, hijack the carriage, and make our way towards Yutsa. We’ll then hide the carriage ten kilometers from Yutsa, and walk another five kilometers towards the border. There, in the wilderness outside of Yutsa is where we set up camp. Then we’ll go to the province of Yutsa the next day and sell what we stole.” Don explained further.

We all sat there, awed at the elaborate and brilliant plan that was presented.

“No one will see it coming.” Robert said with a grin.

“It’s brilliant!” Macalister exclaimed.

“I have a question.” I stated.

“What is it, Redmond?” Asked Don.

“I think that it would be a bad idea to go to Yutsa after the heist.” I told him.

“Why?” Asked Don.

“Well, King Desmond is wary of outsiders. If word gets out that the Haywood estate was robbed and King Desmond finds out that new people entered his province that very next day, he’s going to suspect that we were the ones who robbed the Haywood estate.” I said.

Just then, Don walked around the table and stood behind me. He clapped me on the shoulder.

“Not to worry, Redmond. We’ll sneak into Yutsa. King Desmond will never know we’re there.” Don said.

“When you put it in those words, it does sound like a perfect plan.” I said with a grin.

“I know. Robert and I worked out every single detail. There’s no way this plan can go wrong.” Don boasted.

“Alright, when do we commence?” I asked, putting an end to Don’s boasting for the time being.

“Right now. Are you all ready?” Asked Robert.

“I’m ready.” I said.

“As am I.” Said Macalister.

Robert and Don were no doubt prepared. Anticipation was building inside of me. Robert walked across the room and grabbed a burlap sack from a shelf, presumably to keep the money in.

“Does everyone have their daggers? They’re a crucial component of this mission.” Said Robert.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my dagger. It had a simple wooden handle with a blade that was around twenty centimeters long. I put it back in my pocket. I saw the other three at the table repeat the same process as I had a moment ago. Robert got up and went to the door. He opened it and stepped through.

“Shall we?” He asked with a wry grin and a sweep of his arm in the direction of outside.

Chapter Three The Heist:

Monday June 21st 1690

There was the quiet murmur of our voices as we filed out of the door. Robert and Don took the lead while Macalister and I walked behind them.

“Are you all clear on the plan?” Asked Don.

“Yes.” I said with a nod.

“Yes.” Macalister said blandly, although I could almost hear the anticipation in his voice.

We continued walking through the woodlands, our destination set for Relin. I rehearsed the plan in my head: Get to the border, kill the guards, take their firearms, go to the nobleman’s house, order everyone in the house into the common room, have Robert and Macalister guard the people in the common room, I would go with Don and grab the money, then we would meet up with Robert and Macalister in the common room. At that point, the carriage carrying the nobleman’s goods should arrive, and we would hijack the carriage and head towards Yutsa, hid it ten kilometers from Yutsa, get the money, walk five more kilometers and make camp.

I looked ahead after the plan played itself out in my head and I saw Robert hold his hand up, signaling for us to halt. We all stopped walking and waited for Robert to give us an order. Robert then thrust his hand forward, pointing at something. I looked over his shoulder and saw the border guards through the trees. There were four of them sitting at the opening to a great wall that wound itself around the province of Relin. All of the big cities had walls around them, but there was a grand forest that was in between all of the provinces, in the middle of all of them. This grand forest spread for a few squared kilometers.

“Ready?” Asked Robert.

Everyone was silent with anticipation. The guards were fifteen feet away, through the break in the trees. We could charge them and be over halfway to them before they even realized what was happening.

“On the count of three.” Robert cautioned.

Robert waited a few seconds.

“One.” He said.

I could feel everyone’s anticipation building.

“Two.” Robert said quietly.

I could see the border guards walking around their posts.

“Three!” Robert shouted.

With that, the four of us charged out of the thicket. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my dagger. As I predicted, we were around seven feet in to our charge when the guards turned to face us. They saw that we were hostile and they all took defensive positions, readying their lances.

When we arrived within attacking distance of the guards’ lances, which was about two meters, the guards thrusted at us. The four of us each took on one of the guards. When I got to the one that started to attack me, he stabbed at me with his lance. I ducked underneath it. The guard’s missed attack caused him to lose his balance a little and because the lance was long and heavy he couldn’t pull it back in time. This gave me a chance to plunge my dagger into his gut. I heard the squelch of tearing skin and muscle as the steel blade of my knife sank into the man’s stomach. I heard the man yell out on pain. I twisted the dagger, forcing the man to double over. The man collapsed and blood was spilling from his open wound. The man was either dead or about to die. I felt no remorse for killing him, he was an obstacle in the way of our objective and he had to be removed. I had ’removed’ plenty of obstacles in the way of an objective before, I was used to it.

I looked over and saw that the other three men had already killed their guards.

“Great work, now take the guard’s firearms and dispose of the bodies.” Ordered Robert.

I bent down and searched the guard’s belt. Sure enough, I found a flintlock pistol in a holster attacked to his belt. I unbuckled the holster to remove it from his belt, took it and buckled the holster to my own belt. I searched his pockets and found three gold coins, a flask of gunpowder, and a few bullets for the flintlock, I counted seven in all. I unlatched the holster and checked the hammer at the back of the pistol, it was pulled back. That meant that I had eight total shots. I put the gold coins, the flask of gunpowder and the extra bullets in my pocket.

“What did you find?” I asked, turning my attention to Macalister, Robert and Don.

“I found a flintlock and five bullets, counting the one that’s loaded into the chamber.” Said Robert.

“A flintlock, two gold coins, and seven flintlock bullets, counting the one loaded into the chamber.” Said Don.

“I found a flintlock, a gold coin, and six flintlock bullets, counting the one in the chamber.” Said Macalister.

“Great, I found three gold coins, eight flintlock bullets and a flintlock.” I said.

“Excellent! We shall be victorious in our heist!” Exclaimed Robert.

This earned a cheer from all four of us.

“We need to hide the bodies.” Said Don.

With that, Macalister, Don, Robert and I grabbed the guards we had killed, and we dragged them into the thicket that we were in a few minutes ago, the guard’s corpses were now out of sight. We all then put the flintlocks that we had takin in the holsters on our belts.

“Now, my friends, onwards to Arc!” Shouted Robert loud enough so as to be inspiring, but not loud enough to allow the people inside Relin’s walls to hear us. So far, the murder of the four border guards had gone unnoticed.

Macalister, Robert, Don and I walked through the main gate of Relin. The province was huge, but the city of Arc was also very large. Seeing as it was the capitol of Relin, it seemed only fitting that it’s a large city. Small, modest dwellings could be seen all over, packed together tighter than food at a general store after a fresh shipment arrives.

“Which way is the house?” Asked Macalister.

Don led us through the streets of Arc. On either side of the cobblestone road, vendors selling various goods could be heard shouting about their offers to attract customers.

“This way.” Don said, adjusting our route when we came to a crossroads.

We turned right and were greeted by more vendors. The dwellings that seemed humble and modest eventually gave way to larger, more upper class dwellings. The houses here had at least two floors, whereas the ones back by the main gate had only one floor.

“The house is at the northern end of the city, by the palace. We must make our way there before noon.” Don said.

I cast my glance upwards. I saw that the sun was almost reaching its apex in the azure sky. I estimated that we had around thirty minutes to get to the house, take the money, and leave on the carriage.

Done led us down another street at a crossroads. It was a left turn. We followed that road for a few minutes. When the next crossroads came, we took a right turn. The two floor houses soon gave way to three floor houses, the three floor houses had ornate patterns on the walls and roof, making them seem new and inviting. Finally, in the distance loomed Queen Mycta’s palace. Don led us down the road that led to the palace. We were walking along, when something caught my eye. Without stopping, I turned to my left to see what it was. It was four sheets of brown parchment paper attached to a grey wall. The color change is what caught my attention. Upon closer examination, I saw what they were.

Fear and excitement filled me. The four pieces of parchment paper were wanted posters of Macalister, Robert, Don and I. The posters didn’t have our names, or even our aliases, which was good. They did, however, have our pictures and descriptions. I stopped.

“Look!” I said, beckoning the other three men over to the wanted posters.

The others walked over.

“Come on! That just isn’t fair!” Don complained.

We all looked to him.

“After all these years that we’ve been criminals, they still can’t get my hairline right.” Don joked, pointing to the poorly drawn hairline in his poster.

We all laughed. After a minute or two, Robert stopped laughing.

“Alright lads, we need to get to the Haywood estate. The second the occupants of the house see us, they’re going to know who we’re. We need to get in and get out. The carriage should be at the Haywood estate in fifteen minutes. We need to get to the house in at least five minutes. That will leave us with ten minutes to grab the money and get out.” Robert said.

“Do we know where the money is?” I asked.

Don fidgeted with his hands for a second.

“Well, not exactly, but I have a good idea where the money might be.” Don said.

“Well, good enough for me. You’ve never steered us wrong before, aye?” I said.

At this, Don smiled and laughed. He continued leading us down the cobblestone road that led to the palace, from there, I trust that Don could find the Haywood estate. After a few minutes of walking, the palace drew nearer and nearer. When we were within a hundred feet of the palace, Don turned right, going down a short path. In a minute, we saw a house that was around a hundred feet from the palace. I looked back at the palace and saw that there were a few guards standing sentinel atop the roof. One of them pointed us out to his comrade, and they just starred at us. I turned back around so as not to draw their attention further.

“This is the place.” Don said.

“Not a moment too soon.” Robert added.

I regarded the Haywood estate. We were coming up on a house of immense proportions. Sprawled out in front of the house on the opposite side that we were on was a vast lawn that rolled on like a calm green ocean. The entire estate was surrounded by a thick treeline, except for a portion of the perimeter with the walkway, which was where we were. We all walked silently towards the front door of the house. I saw Robert draw his flintlock from his holster. I followed his lead, as did Macalister and Don. A second later, Robert opened the door quickly. We all rushed inside.

“Everyone who is in this house, come out and gather in the common room! Now!” Robert yelled menacingly.

A few seconds later, a man who looked around the age of forty stepped out of a room across from us. He had deep brown hair, blue eyes, and was fairly tall, around 5’5”. A woman who looked about the same age, presumably his wife, followed him. She had golden blonde hair, brown eyes and was around the same height as the man.

“What the devil is going on?” Asked the man.

“What the devil do you think is going on?” Said Don, mocking him.

“Is there anyone else in the house?” I demanded.

“No! It’s just my husband and I! Please don’t hurt us!” The woman yelled.

This earned a chuckle from Macalister.

“Troll, Rapier, watch them.” Don ordered.

Macalister and Robert did as they were told and watched the man and woman. Macalister aimed his flintlock on the man, Robert aimed his flintlock at the woman.

“Try anything funny, and you’ll regret it.” Macalister warned.

Don took my arm and led me down the hall to a study. He started looking around at the walls, the floor and the ceiling.

“You think it’s in here?” I asked him.

“Yes, I think it’s in here. A study is a private room in the house, there is usually nothing in a study other than books and papers, nothing a thief would want. That makes it the perfect room to hide money and valuables.” Don explained.

I nodded, and helped Don look around. I looked at the floor, there was a rug and a desk on the floor. The walls were adjourned with paintings and a bookshelf.

“Move the bookshelf and paintings, I’ll move the desk and the rug!” Said Don.

I nodded and did as I was told. I picked the paintings off of the walls one by one. I pulled off all three paintings, nothing was behind them. I went over to the bookshelf. I went to the side of it and began to push. I felt the bookshelf giving way and about to topple over.

“There’s nothing underneath the desk, and underneath the rug is normal as well!” Said Don.

“Try… Looking in the… Desk…!” I said through my teeth. My voice was strained from the effort it took to move the bookshelf.

With a yell of triumph, I pushed the bookshelf over! It hit the wooden floorboards with a loud whack! Behind the bookshelf was a square cut into the wall. It was a square of wood, but there was a seam between the cut out wood and the wall. I knocked on it. It sounded like it was hollow! Don then stepped up and inserted the blade of his dagger in the seam between the square of wood and the wall. He wiggled his dagger for a few seconds, and he eventually eased the block of wood out of its place in the wall!

“Got it!” Shouted Don.

He found that the wooden box had a lid on it. He removed the lid and looked inside the box. Inside was a sight to behold! Inside that box was more gold coins than I have ever seen in my entire life!

Just then, we heard a sound coming from outside. It was the sound of hooves on cobblestone.

“Right on time.” Don said with a wide grin.

He ran out to the common room. I followed him.

“Troll! Rapier! We got it! Let’s go!” He shouted without stopping.

Macalister and Robert looked to each other, turned to the man and his wife, and they each simultaneously shot the person who they had their flintlocks aimed at. Blood flew everywhere a split second after the two gunshots sounded. Macalister and Robert then followed Don and I as we ran out the door. We ran to where the sound of hooves on cobblestone was coming from, and we saw a horse drawn carriage, just like Don had said. Macalister stepped in the way of the carriage, aiming his flintlock at the driver. The driver’s face became filled with fear as he realized what Macalister was pointing at him, and he dove off of the horse and ran in the opposite direction, towards the palace.

“We can’t let him tell Queen Mycta of our presence here!” Yelled Robert.

Without thinking, I reached for my flintlock. I took aim on the driver, looking down the barrel of the pistol and lining up a shot. I pulled the trigger. The resulting gunshot created an almost deafening sound, and the pistol kicked in my hand. The driver fell to the ground, a pool of blood was quickly pooling on the ground beneath him.

“There’s no time to hide the bodies! Just get on that carriage!” I yelled, my adrenaline was spiked.

A second later, all four of us were climbing onto the carriage. Robert hopped on the horse’s back where there was a saddle. Macalister, Don and I entered the carriage that the horse was pulling. Inside the carriage, there were barrels of dried food. This must have been the shipment of goods that Jonathan Haywood was expecting. A few seconds later, I heard Robert yell.

“Yah!”

I then felt the carriage lurch, and the sound of hooves pounding against the cobblestone filled the air. We began making a swift escape from the Haywood estate.

Chapter Four The Escape:

Monday June 21st 1690

“Woo-hoo!” Shouted Don, clapping Macalister and I on the shoulder.

“We did it! Fifty thousand dollars is ours!” Macalister yelled.

“Yes, we did it! Thanks to the masterful planning, Don.” I said, happiness raised the pitch of my voice slightly.

“Well, the plan was pretty perfect.” Don admitted.

“Oh, stop being so modest!” I joked.

Macalister laughed. Just then, a deafening gunshot sounded, and a split second later, a bullet ripped through the rear of the carriage, narrowly missing Don’s head.

“Woa!” Don exclaimed, ducking down, out of sight of our mystery attacker.

I peeked up through the rearward window and saw a dismaying sight; behind us, all on horseback welding flintlocks and swords, were five palace guards! Queen Mycta must have heard our gunshots and sent a few guards to investigate! She probably also saw the three dead bodies within the city; the man, his wife, and the carriage driver. I doubted that the four bodies of the border guards were noticed yet. I saw one of the palace guards aim at the window with his flintlock. I ducked down with Don and Macalister just as a gunshot sounded, sending a bullet flying through the wood next to me. Fear filled me, and I ducked even lower down, hoping not to get shot through the wood. I looked down to my flintlock. I had to reload it, because I had shot the carriage driver. I reached into my pocket, picked up the flask of gunpowder and poured it into the barrel. I then lifted put the flask back in my pocket, retrieved one of the bullets, and put it in the barrel the same way I had put the gunpowder in.

“Take as many of them down as you can.” I instructed Macalister and Don.

They both nodded and reloaded their flintlocks the same way I had loaded mine. When they were both finished, I peeked up through the window. I took aim, looking down the barrel and lining up a shot. I placed one of Queen Mycta’s guards in the center of the sight, and pulled the trigger. The resulting gunshot was almost deafening, and the flintlock kicked back in my hand. I saw blood shoot into the air as the bullet connected with the palace guard. I ducked back down and reloaded.

“Good work, Redmond!” Don shouted as he fired his flintlock.

“Did you get one?” I asked.

“I did, they’re down to three men now!” Don shouted triumphantly.

I saw Macalister peek up and line up a shot, but the carriage took an abrupt turn and it threw off Macalister’s aim. It was a good thing Macalister hadn’t fired his weapon yet.

“Sorry about that!” I heard Robert call over the thundering sound of hooves and the wooden wheels across the ground.

Macalister peeked up again, by now Don and I had reloaded our flintlocks and we peeked up again. I placed a palace guard in my sights, but the carriage took another abrupt turn. I looked out the window to see that we were now out of the walls of Relin, and we were now in the surrounding wilderness. Despite the fact that we were no longer in the province of Relin, Queen Mycta’s guards kept chasing us. The terrain here was rocky and bumpy, so it was harder to line up a shot on the guards. When we stopped turning for more than two seconds, I peeked up again, but the carriage took another turn.

“Would you mind holding this thing steady?” Yelled Don.

“Yes, in fact, I do! Unless you want to crash into a tree!” Called Robert from the back of the horse that was pulling the carriage.

I heard a gunshot come from one of Queen Mycta’s guards. A split second later, our carriage lurched. Robert took another turn.

“They hit a wheel!” Shouted Robert.

“That’s just perfect!” Don growled with angry sarcasm.

Macalister peeked up to the rear window. I saw him line up a shot, his hand was vibrating up and down due to all the little rocks that littered the forest floor that we were driving over. Macalister held his hand as steady as he could and pulled the trigger. I heard a cry of anguish directly after Macalister’s gunshot. Macalister ducked back down and reloaded.

“I just grazed him, he fell off of his horse! They’re down to two men now!” Macalister declared.

“Fine work, Macalister.” I told him.

***

An hour or two passed before the palace guards’ next gunshot came. The shot went through the wood beside Macalister. Robert swerved our carriage to the right. Robert had been swerving our carriage during the last hour, so it was impossible to line up a shot on the guards behind us. While Robert was swerving, Queen Mycta’s guards couldn’t get a shot in on us, either.

“I’m surprised those guards haven’t given up yet!” Exclaimed Macalister.

“I wonder what Queen Mycta is offering them for our capture?” I wondered.

“Well, she’s probably offering them a lot of money. How much did those wanted posters say we were worth?” Asked Don.

“I don’t think it had an amount on it, at least I didn’t see one. Did any of you?” I asked.

Macalister and Don both shook their heads.

“Don, can I see the money?” Asked Macalister.

Don handed Macalister the wooden box that we had pulled out of the wall in the nobleman’s study. Macalister opened it and his eyes widened.

“Wow.” Macalister gasped in awe.

I leaned over his shoulder. My eyes widened as well. Inside that box, I saw countless gold pieces.

“Wow.” I said, also gasping in awe.

Robert served the carriage again. Macalister grabbed the box tightly before it tumbled across the carriage floor.

“Nice save!” Remarked Don.

Another gunshot from Queen Mycta’s guards ripped through the air, and the carriage lurched again.

“They got the wheel again! We can’t keep taking hits like that! Keep their heads down!” Shouted Robert from the horse’s back in front of the carriage.

I peeked up to get a view of where the guards were now. They hadn’t changed positions, but they swerved their horses, so it was hard to get a shot on them. I aimed down the sights, looking down the barrel and placed a guard in my sights. I aimed at one of the two guards who remained and pulled the trigger. A thundering gunshot sounded, the pistol kicked back in my hand, and a spray of blood, accompanied by a cry of pain from the guard followed, and he fell off his horse.

“Yes! I got him!” I shouted.

I then reloaded my flintlock.

“They’re down to their last man, let’s kill him and get out of here!” Shouted Macalister.

Don then peeked up. He aimed his pistol, I then heard a gunshot, but it wasn’t Don’s. It was the gunshot from the only remaining palace guard. In another second, the carriage lurched forward. Robert then swerved the carriage to the left very quickly, but we didn’t make the turn! Instead, I heard the crack of wood snapping.

Due to the sudden turn, the carriage was thrown off balance, and we tipped over, and we gathered momentum from the strength of the turn. The carriage kept rolling. The glass from the window shattered, raining down on Don, Macalister and I. glass shards fell across my face, slicing open my forehead and my arms. I felt the stabbing pain and the warmth of my own blood where the glass had fallen. I then realized that the snapping wood sound that I heard was the sound of the wheel snapping off. We were doing barrel rolls for about a minute.

We were tossed about inside the carriage. I felt the angle of the flipping carriage adjust, and we were rolling even faster now. To my horror, we were now tumbling down a steep hill! I tried to picture where Robert was right now, whenever the front window came in to view, I didn’t see him or the horse in front of us. Could he have cut the horse free from the carriage? I then saw the amount light in the carriage given by the dim sunlight.

The front window was now pointing skyward, and I could see that it had become overcast. The font window pointed skyward for all of one second and then crashed to the ground again. We completed six more rotations after that, and then the carriage stopped rolling with a jolt. The wall of the carriage to my right snapped and gave way. The snapped wood had a jagged, sharp edge, and the momentum of the carriage tumbling, and the sudden halt of the momentum threw me into the jagged, sharp edge of the broken wood. I hit the jagged edge with my chest, I felt a series of stabbing points of pain, and I felt warm blood saturate my shirt.

I cried out in my and pulled myself off of the stake-like edges of the broken wood. I gasped in pain as I pulled myself off of the broken wood, for that made the wounds on my chest burn with pain.

“Come on! The guard is coming!” Yelled Macalister, how picked himself up from the carriage floor and was trying to help me up.

Macalister’s efforts to drag me up by my arm only intensified my pain, and I resisted him.

“I’ll get up myself, you’re hurting me!” I protested. I stood up slowly.

The glass had cut me on my arms and my forehead, and the broken wood stabbed me in the chest, I was going to need medical attention as soon as possible, but we had to escape first!

When I stood up, I found that the carriage was on its side, with the door facing the sky. Macalister, being the tallest of the group, reached up, unlatched the door and pushed it open. He climbed out, then remained up on the outside of the carriage to help Don and I out. He reached for Don, when Don was out on top of the carriage with Macalister, Macalister reached down for me.

“Take my hand.” Said Macalister.

I reached up to grab his hand, but my arms burned with pain. I fell back into the carriage.

“Come on! The guard is almost on us!” Don yelled.

I reached up for Macalister again, my arms burned with pain as Macalister pulled me up and out of the carriage. The pain receded when I was on top of the carriage. I heard the sound of hooves pounding against the forest floor. I looked up, hoping that it was Robert, but I saw only a palace guard riding towards us. At his flank were eleven other palace guards. They all wore the same white tunic and white trousers with the red crest on the tunic, it was the red crest of the province of Relin. There were twelve of Queen Mycta’s palace guards all together. My heart sank as I knew what would happen to us soon after we were captured; we would be killed. Charged with murder, treason, thievery and probably some other charges that I couldn’t think of at the moment. I noticed that the light wasn’t very good here, underneath the forest canopy with an overcast sky. I didn’t know why I noticed this above all other things at this time.

“You’re The Scorpions?” Laughed one of the guards.

“Indeed we are, and who might you be? The royal court jesters?” Jeered Don.

This earned a laugh from Macalister and I. One of the palace guards laughed as well.

“Funny. It’s a shame that your sense of humor will go to waste, seeing as you’ll be dead by this evening.” One of the guards said ominously.

“Say, weren’t there four of you?” Asked one of the other guards, looking around with a furrowed brown.

I then heard a horse galloping, its hooves pounding the forest floor. I then heard a thunderous gunshot, followed by a cry of pain by one of the guards.

“Looking for someone?” Asked Robert with his signature cocky attitude.

Chapter Five Ignacio:

Monday June 21st 1690

Macalister, Robert, Don and I knew we didn’t stand a chance against the twelve remaining guards.

“Run!” Robert yelled.

I looked around, and after a fraction of a second, the wreckage of the carriage caught my eye.

“There!” I yelled, pointing to where the carriage had slammed into the tree.

Lifting my arm sent a jolt of pain up it, I cried out in pain and made a break for the wrecked carriage. Every step was painful, but a flintlock bullet to the back would be even more so. With that in mind, I pushed past the pain and retreated the short distance between me and the rear of the carriage. Don and Macalister were already there.

“Where’s Robert?” I asked.

Don pointed to Robert, still on horseback, who was riding away from the guards.

“Don’t let him escape!” barked one of the guards.

As soon as the guard said that, six guards rode on horseback after Robert. I knew what Robert was doing, he was leading some of the guards away from us!

“Go! Go! Escape while you still can!” I heard Robert shout over his shoulder to Don, Macalister and I.

“Good on you, Rapier!” Cried Don, thrusting a fist in the air.

I heard a gunshot, followed by a cry of pain. Macalister had shot one of the guards!

“Nice work, Troll!” I said.

The palace guards were now down for four men, with the other six chasing Robert, this gave us a better chance of survival.

I leaned around the corner, hoping to get a shot in on one of the palace guards, but it hurt too much to lean.

“I can’t lean around the corner!” I shouted in frustration.

Don’s eye fell of the blood that saturated my shirt.

“Not to worry, Kid! Troll and I have you covered!” Don exclaimed.

I leaned against the wreck of the carriage. My chest, forehead and arms were hurting badly from the carriage wreck. I saw that Macalister and Don were bleeding, but they only had a few cuts on their arms and foreheads, nothing too serious.

I heard the guards returning fire from the other side of the carriage, and they sounded like they were close. We couldn’t hide behind here much longer! How were we going to get out of this?

“How many bullets do you have?” Don asked me.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out four bullets, plus the one I had in the flintlock.

“Five total.” I replied.

“Six.” Don said after counting his bullets.

“Three.” Macalister sighed with dismay.

I reached into my pocket again and pulled out my four bullets. I gave two to Don and two to Macalister.

“Make them count.” I said.

Don and Macalister both grinned.

“Aye.” Don acknowledged.

The pain in my chest didn’t recede, and the cuts on my forehead and my arms were starting to bleed again. The wounds on my chest from the broken wood of the carriage still leaked blood. I was starting to feel a little light headed, I had lost quite an amount of blood. There was gunfire all around me. I was starting to feel tired. My limbs felt numb and useless, my mind grew foggy. My eyes began an unstoppable descent downwards…

“Kid! Kid! Wake up!” I heard Don shout.

With a start, my eyes flew open. I found that Don was shaking me awake, we were still behind the carriage, and gunfire was still audible. Fear spread through me as I realized that I had almost passed out.

“How long was I out?” I asked.

“A few seconds.” Replied Don.

I sighed with relief.

“You need a doctor.” Remarked Macalister, who had just ducked back behind the carriage after shooting another guard.

“I know.” I said.

“They’re down to three!” Yelled Macalister.

Don peeked upwards to get a shot in on the guards. A gunshot rang out, and I heard a cry of agony. That cry of agony didn’t belong to one of the guards, it came from Don!

Don cried out in agony as the flintlock bullet tore through his shoulder, sending blood flying across the nearby trees and forest floor.

“Shadow!” Yelled Macalister.

“Don’t worry about me! Take my bullets!” Wheezed Don, reaching into his pocket and handing Macalister his eight bullets.

“And take my extra gunpowder.” I said, handing Macalister my flask of gunpowder.

Macalister took Don’s bullets and my gunpowder.

“I won’t disappoint The Scorpions!” Macalister declared.

While Macalister peeked up to get a shot on the guards, I focused on keeping Don and myself awake. If we passed out here, there is no telling where we would wake up. In a prison compound, most likely.

“Shadow, we need to keep talking, we can’t let each other pass out.” I said, my voice wavering.

“Alright, so how-“

I was cut off by a gunshot, then a scream of agony. My heart sank as I realized whose agonized scream it was is. It belonged to Macalister.

“Troll!” I yelled.

One of the three remaining guards laughed in triumph.

“So! The mighty Scorpions have fallen at the hands of Relin’s Royal Guard. I suppose you lot aren’t as cunning as you thought you were.” The guard jeered.

Queen Mycta’s guards were walking around the corner of the carriage wreck. My heart sank further, it felt like it was beating against my spine.

“You won’t… Take us alive…” Don muttered in defiance.

“I certainly wouldn’t mind taking you dead.” One of the other guards remarked.

“Well, why do we not take them dead?” Asked the other guard.

“I’m sure Queen Mycta won’t mind it if we didn’t capture you alive.” Said the guard who said that we were not as cunning as we thought.

With that, he raised his flintlock to Don.

“Don’t burden me with your last words, Scorpion.” The guard said with venom in his voice.

I had to admire Don’s courage. He stared death right in the eye and didn’t weep, he was going to face his demise without giving his executioner the chance to enjoy taking his live.

I saw the guard’s finger tense on the trigger. My mind was getting very foggy now. My limbs still felt numb, and I couldn’t stand up. I remained leaning against the carriage wreck. I knew that I would meet my demise shortly after Don met his. Sadness invaded my foggy thoughts.

“Stop!” Yelled an unfamiliar voice.

The voice belonged to a man. Whoever this man was, he was my new best friend.

I saw the three guards in front of us stopped. Who could this man be? I heard light, quick footsteps approaching our direction.

“Stop this at once.” The man demanded.

I heard the palace guards laugh.

“Oh, and what makes you think you can-“ the guard stopped talking as he turned to face the man who had spoken out.

“You! You’re one of them!” The guard exclaimed.

“Oh, so you’re familiar with what I am? Then you know I can easily kill all three of you. Do as I say and I won’t harm you.” The man said.

I saw the guards look to each other.

“Yes, we’re very familiar with what you are.” The guard who had his flintlock aimed at Don said with a shaky voice.

Confusion washed through my cloudy mind. What was going on? This man was intimidating Queen Mycta’s palace guards, and they weren’t shooting him for interfering with an arrest. What did that guard mean when he said ‘you’re one of them’?

“If you so much as set foot in Relin, I’ll personally have you handed over to Queen Mycta. She has a bounty on the heads of your kind.” The guard practically spat the last word out.

What did the guard mean by ‘kind’? What was going on?

With that, the three remaining palace guards mounted and rode away on their horses.

Relief spread through me. Who was this man? How could he intimidate Queen Mycta’s guards like that? What did the guard mean when he said that Queen Mycta has a bounty on the heads of this man’s ‘kind’? Why had this helped us? So many questions filled my mind. I heard the man walking over to me. He arrived at my spot by the carriage wreck and he grabbed my shoulders. He then laid me down on my back. I saw the overcast sky through the canopy, the clouds and the forest canopy blocked out a lot of sunlight, making it dark and gloomy.

From here, I had a good look at this man. He was around 5’10”. He wore a pitch black cloak that had a hood. A few strands of black hair fell from inside his hood. His lips were a pale pink color, he had pale, almost pure white skin. Was he sick? He looked to be around seventeen. I couldn’t get a good look at his eye color because the hood that he wore obscured the upper half of his face.

“I need to get you to a doctor.” The man said.

It had just struck me now how soft his voice was. It had almost a calming effect on my mind.

I was about to pass out. Now that the tension with the guards was over and Macalister, Don and I were safe, I was going to pass out. I could feel my mind going foggy and my eyelids drooping. One last sentence escaped my lips.

“What’s your name?” I asked the man.

“Ignacio.” Came his reply. (Pronounced ee-g-nah-see-oh)

His voice had the faintest hint of an accent that I didn’t know.

That’s when everything went dark.

Chapter Six Ignacio’s Offer:

Tuesday June 22nd 1690

WhenI came back to consciousness, I felt sore and I could still feel the pain of the wounds I had gotten in the carriage crash; my chest was as painful as ever, and my forehead and arms burned with pain. How long had it been since the crash? I hadn’t yet opened my eyes. I slowly opened them, desiring to get a look at where I was. When they swam into focus. I was laying down in a bed and across the room sitting on a chair was Ignacio. He was still wearing the same cloak with the hood from when he rescued me. The upper half of his face was still hidden. From here, I could see that he had a lean build. How had he intimidated Queen Mycta’s guards? This man wasn’t what I would call intimidating. I saw that he was staring at my bloodstained shirt. The questions I had thought of earlier returned to me. I slowly sat up from my reclined position, and Ignacio averted his eyes from my shirt immediately.

“You’re awake.” He stated.

His voice still carried a faint hint of that unknown accent that I noticed before I blacked out. He rolled his “r” slightly and the “oo” in ‘you’ was cut short and almost sounded like “ee.”

“Yes, thank you for rescuing my friends and I, Ignacio.” I said.

“You’re welcome. I have treated your injuries. You shall be well in one around day’s time.” Ignacio said.

I looked around the room. There wasn’t much to see; there was a brown tapestry with an orange flame insignia on it on the other end of the room. There were three doors that were all side by side across from my bed a few feet away. The ceiling was around seven or eight feet tall, and the room was around twenty feet from end to end. I also noticed that there were no windows in this room. The light in the room came from candles that were mounted on the walls. They provided adequate illumination.

A question came to my mind.

“Why did you save us?” I asked.

Ignacio stared at me thoughtfully.

“Well, I don’t know. I saw some people in need, and I helped them. Is that not what people do?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Well, I don’t know of anyone who would help a few strangers in need.” I said.

“Then perhaps you shouldn’t keep a gang of thieves as company.” Ignacio said.

I stared at him, bewildered.

“Yes, I know of you, The Scorpions is what you call yourselves, correct?” Ignacio asked.

Worry pooled in my gut. This conversation was taking a bad turn.

“Well, yes. That’s what we call ourselves.” I said numbly, still surprised that he knew who we were.

How did he know? He couldn’t have heard Macalister say that he wouldn’t disappoint The Scorpions. Ignacio couldn’t have heard that, he would have been too far away.

“So did you only save us so that you could turn us over to the law enforcement officers yourself?” I asked grimly.

“Well, that depends.” Ignacio said in a tone that was almost teasing.

“On what?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“On whether or not you will give me the contents of this box.” Ignacio said, holding up the wooden box that Don and I had pulled out of the wall at the nobleman’s house back in Relin.

Dismay settled over me. Was Ignacio blackmailing me?

“So you’re saying that if I give you the contents of that box, you won’t turn my friends and I in to the law enforcement officers?” I asked.

Ignacio nodded.

“That’s correct. Do we have a deal?” Ignacio asked.

I thought for a moment.

“May I speak with my friends about it?” I asked.

Ignacio nodded.

“Yes, I shall allow it. Stand up if you can, your friends’ rooms are just down the hall.” Ignacio said.

I was already sitting up, so I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Underneath my shirt, I could feel bandages. I probably had a few slivers of wood in my chest when I first got the wound, but Ignacio said he had treated my friends and I. My feet hit the floor, and I stood up with the support of the wall to my right. I was still stiff and sore, but my wounds were already less painful. I walked across the room and down the hallway. It was there that I found two rooms. I entered the one to my right. In a bed with a bloodstained bandage on his shoulder was Don.

“Hey Shadow. I need to talk to you.” I said.

Don looked at me with a questioning look, he was wondering why I used his alias.

“What is it, Kid?” He asked.

He had decided to trust me. It was bad enough that Ignacio knew what thief group we belonged to, if he found out our names, there is no telling what he would do.

“Shadow, Ignacio knows that we belong to The Scorpions. He wants to make a deal. He says that if we hand over the fifty thousand dollars to him, then he won’t turn us in to the law enforcement officers.” I told him.

Don layed back in his bed, letting out a disappointed sigh.

“We were so close.” He said with a clenched fist.

“I know.” I told him.

“So what are we going to do?” He asked.

“I think that we should do it. The money would be of no use to us in prison.” I said.

“As much as I don’t want to do this, I think it’s the right thing to do. You’re right.” Don said.

I nodded in understanding.

“I’ll go ask Troll and see what he thinks.” I said.

I turned to leave.

“Wait.” Don called.

I turned back around.

“Have you seen Rapier? Is he in that other room with you?” Don asked.

Worry shot through me.

“No, he’s not.” I said.

“Then he’s still out there.” Don added, looking out the window.

I turned away from Don and opened his door. I stepped out into the hall and closed Don’s door. I walked over to Macalister’s door. I opened it, stepped through and shut it.

“Troll, we need to talk.” I said.

Macalister had a bloodied bandage on his arm. That was probably where he was shot. His cuts that he got from the broken glass of the carriage had almost healed, as had Don’s, now that I think of it.

“What do you need to talk about, Kid?” Macalister asked.

“Ignacio knows that we belong to The Scorpions. He said that he won’t turn us over to the law enforcement officers if we give him the fifty thousand dollars.” I told him.

Macalister groaned and closed his eyes.

“We were so close, if not for him, we would be rich!” Macalister said.

“Yes, but if not for him, we would also be dead.” I pointed out.

“Then I suppose that we do owe him. That much is true.” Macalister said.

“Yes, but he wants all of the money, not just a portion.” I told him.

“Well then. I don’t know what we should do. If we don’t give him the money, we’ll either be killed or imprisoned. If we do, we’re free to go. I would love to be rich, but it doesn’t sound like it should be a difficult decision. We must give Ignacio the money.” Macalister said.

“Then it’s settled. Shadow is in agreement. I’ll go tell Ignacio of our acceptance to the deal.” I said.

“Kid, where’s Rapier?” Asked Macalister.

“He’s still out there somewhere.” I told him, repeating the words that Don had used with me.

I then exited Macalister’s room. I walked back to the room I woke up in and saw Ignacio sitting on the chair, his hood was still down, covering the upper half of his face.

“Ignacio. My friends and I accept your offer.” I told him.

“Wonderful. When you and your friends are well, you may leave.” Ignacio said.

I leaned in close to him, the anger of being blackmailed gathered in my gut.

“If you even think of double crossing us, I’ll kill you. No matter how long it takes me, no matter where you choose to hide, I’ll hunt you down and I’ll kill you. Do you understand me?” I seethed.

“Noted. However be advised, young thief. I’ll do the same if you even think of double crossing me.” Ignacio added with fierce intensity.

“Noted, by the way, have you seen my other friend, by any chance?” I asked.

Ignacio frowned and shook his head.

“No, I only found you and the other two out there by the guards. What did you do to earn the attention of Queen Mycta’s guards, anyhow?” Asked Ignacio

I shook my head, frowning.

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it another time. Do you have anything to eat and drink? I’m famished, and I think my friends are as well.” I said.

“Of course, there is food and water down the hall. I’ll take you there.” Ignacio said, getting up from his sitting position.

He then walked across the room to one of the three doors that was near my bed. He stopped at the door that was on the far left and waited for me. When I was behind him, he opened the door and led me through.

Chapter Seven Ignacio’s Secret:

Tuesday June 22nd 1690

The door that I followed Ignacio through led out into a small hallway. It was only about four or five feet wide, and about fifteen feet long. There were no windows in here, either. Instead, there were candles mounted on the wall every few feet. The candles rested on bronze holders that had been pegged into the walls. The dreary glow of the candles cast dark shadows that flickered along with the flames of the candles. Our footsteps were short and blunt in the small space that we were in. Ignacio was a few feet in front of me, leading me to the food and water. I peeked out from over his shoulder and saw a small cupboard at the end of the little corridor. I also noticed the hood that Ignacio had been wearing since he rescued my friends and I still hadn’t come off, it still obscured the upper half of his face. Why was that?

“Ignacio?” I asked.

He turned to look at me, his hood still obscuring half of his face.

“Yes?” He asked.

“Why do you have your hood down over half of your face?” I asked.

Ignacio turned away, continuing to lead me to the food and water.

“Are you going to answer my question?” I called after him.

“No.” He said flatly over his shoulder.

I shrugged and followed him down the hall. I suppose that he had a right to privacy. I’ll respect that.

Ignacio and I reached the end of the hallway. Ignacio reached out to the small cupboard that I had noticed earlier, withdrawing a loaf of bread and a small flask of water.

“There. I’ll bring your friends their food and drink. Why don’t you go and sit down somewhere else while you eat? The front door is just right here.” Ignacio said, passing me the bread and water and gesturing to a door on our left. It was partially concealed due to the shadows that the candles cast.

“Thank you, Ignacio.” I said.

He nodded to me, pulling out two more loaves of bread and two more flasks of water. Ignacio walked back down the corridor.

I decided to walk around outside, to get a look around at where we were. I looked to the door that Ignacio had indicated, reached out and turned the knob. I pushed the door open and stepped through. I closed it behind me, still carrying the bread and water. I walked away from the house. When I was around twenty feet away from it, I turned and looked back at it. It was a small cabin in the middle of the forest. The carriage wreck was nowhere to be seen. How far did Ignacio carry Don, Macalister and I? It couldn’t have been far. After all, Ignacio didn’t look like a strong man. He looked pretty thin and almost frail. Coming to this realisation raised another question: Where were we?

Feeling my stomach grumble, I held up the piece of bread. It looked fine, it had no mold on it, but it was cold. That was fine. I raised it to my mouth and took a bite of it. The bread was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, just as bread should be. I took another bite of the bread, and another. Pretty soon, I had satisfied my hunger by eating the whole loaf. I was now thirsty due to the dry bread, so I raised the flask of water to my lips and took a drink. I downed the entire flask in a few swigs. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I thought about going back to Ignacio’s house, but I decided to walk a little while longer to get a bearing and try to find out where I was. I walked through the forest that Ignacio’s house was located in. My feet crunched down the dead leaves that littered the forest floor. The canopy above was dense and blocked out a lot of sunlight. The dim light let in by the canopy reminded me of the dim light that was around me when Ignacio rescued my friends and I.

Remembering the carriage wreck, remembering Queen Mycta’s guards advancing, made me remember Robert’s brave venture to buy Macalister, Don and I some time. He had made six of the twelve guards follow him. I looked out into the surrounding forest, wondering where Robert is, and wondering if I would ever see him again.

I then felt something. It was a feeling similar to the one I had when I was about to pass out when Ignacio rescued my friends and I; my head was becoming cloudy! My vision blurred at irregular intervals, my heart rate increased dramatically. Fear shot through me. What was happening? My knees went weak and I collapsed. My thoughts were slow and almost incoherent. My vision was almost nothing now, as if I was surrounded by fog. My vision began to darken, and then everything faded to blackness.

***

I awoke to find myself in a dimly lit room. The floor was wood. The air was cool and musty. It smelled old and damp. I looked around. I saw shelves stocked with jars of dark red liquid. The ceiling was around seven feet high, and I was sitting on the wooden floor. What was this place?

I forced myself to stand. A jolt of pain was sent through my chest. I clutched where the pain was present on instinct. Instead of feeling my tattered, bloodstained shirt, I felt a clean, new one. My bandages were still on, but I could tell they had been changed. What happened to me? Who changed my bandages? Was it Ignacio? Why had I passed out in the forest? My arms still hurt a little, but they seemed to have healed since I got the wounds from the broken glass in the carriage wreck. How did I get here? Was it possible that Ignacio drugged the bread or the water that he gave me? It’s the only logical explanation…

“Kid! You’re awake!” I heard a familiar voice call.

“Shadow?” I asked, deciding to follow Don’s lead in calling each other by our aliases.

“The one and only. Listen, Rapier is down here! Follow my voice, Troll is here with me as well!” Don called.

“Why are we calling each other by our aliases?” I asked.

“If that man finds out our real names, he could report us and turn us over to the law enforcement officers, regardless of our deal.” Came Don’s reply.

I decided to trust him, after all, it was a reasonable fear.

I followed the sound of his voice, stumbling through the dark room that I now found myself in. I stopped moving when I heard Don breathing in front of me.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“We’re in that man’s cellar!” Macalister said with fury.

Confusion settled over me.

“Why would Ignacio put us in his cellar?” I asked.

There was a moment of silence.

Light then flooded the room. I looked at the light, and saw Ignacio’s silhouette against the bright light.

“Ignacio?” I asked, trying to see if it was actually him.

“Yes?” Asked Ignacio.

Ignacio then closed the door, bathing the room in darkness once more.

“Why are we in your cellar? Why did you put us here? How did you make me pass out in the forest? How did you carry Shadow, Troll and I all the way from the carriage wreck?” I asked in a flurry of words.

I heard Ignacio chuckle.

“Well, seeing as there is no point in trying to deceive you anymore, and seeing as I’ll eventually kill you, I may as well tell the truth.” Ignacio said casually.

Ignacio reached over to one of the shelves and pulled off a jar of dark red liquid. He unscrewed the lid from it, raised the jar to his lips, and began drinking the dark red contents of the jar.

“What’s that?” I asked him in disgust.

“It’s something very delicious. Something very common, and the only thing that keeps me alive.” Came Ignacio’s reply.

“What might that be?” Asked Don.

“Blood.” Ignacio explained.

I stood dumbfounded at Ignacio. Surely he was joking? What kind of person drinks blood? He must joking.

“Very funny. Now tell us what it actually is. Or don’t, it doesn’t matter.” Don said.

“Oh, so you want proof that I drink blood?” Ignacio challenged.

“Yes, why not?” Don taunted, obviously merely humoring Ignacio.

Ignacio nodded.

“Just know that you asked for what comes next.” Ignacio warned.

Don just laughed.

“And what comes-“ All of a sudden Don started screaming.

“Shadow! Shadow! What’s happening?” I asked in a panic.

I couldn’t see anything past a foot in front of me ever since Ignacio closed the cellar door.

During the next few seconds, a slurping, gulping sound filled the air, as well as Don’s screaming. Confusion settled in my thoughts, as well as fear. Why was Don screaming? What was that slurping sound?

After a few seconds, Don’s screaming stopped, and I heard a dull thud. Then I heard Don start to weep.

“Shadow! What happened?” I asked urgently.

“He… He…” Don stuttered through sobs.

“What did you do to him?” I asked, directing my question at Ignacio.

“I proved to him that I drink blood, just like he wanted me to.” Ignacio replied.

“You mean you…?” I started, unable to finish the sentence.

“Yes. I mean that I drank your friend’s blood. I sank my fangs into his soft, supple neck, and I sucked the blood right out of him. Blood does always taste better fresh, it tastes stale when jarred for too long.” Ignacio continued.

“Fangs? What are you going on about? You’re mad! Absolutely mad!” I yelled at Ignacio.

I looked around in disgust at all of the jars of blood stacked on all of the shelves.

“You mean those jars are actually filled with…?” Macalister trailed off.

“Yes.” Ignacio confirmed.

Fear, disgust and confusion filled me.

“What are you?” I asked, my voice wavering.

“I’m a vampire, and you four are my prisoners.” Ignacio replied evilly.

Chapter Eight An Unfortunate Fate:

Tuesday June 22nd 1690

I was stunned.

“What?” I asked in utter dis-belief.

Upon hearing the word ‘vampire’ I automatically thought back to when I had seen Ignacio staring at my bloodstained shirt when I first woke up in this house, I also thought of the lack of windows in this house and how there were candles instead. In the horror stories about vampires that my father told me as a young boy, vampires hated sunlight. Could it be true that vampires actually exist? No, the thought was insane! I then looked around to the jars of blood that lined the shelves around the room. I started to have second thoughts. A grim sensation created a pit in my stomach.

“You heard me. I’m a vampire.” Ignacio said.

There was a brief silence.

“Ask your friend here. He’ll tell you the truth… From a firsthand experience.” Ignacio said that last part with a smirk.

“Ignacio… Why did you save us if you’re a bloodthirsty vampire?” Macalister asked, fear was audible in his voice.

“Oh, my kind sir, I believe that the answer to your question lies within the question.” Ignacio teased.

What did he mean by that? A silence occurred that lasted a few seconds.

“Anyone? No? Well then, I shall tell you the real reason that I saved you four; I saved you because I wanted your blood. It’s what I do, you see. I come across strangers in the forest who need help, I take them in, earn their trust, feed them the poisoned food and drink, render them unconscious, bring them down here, and kill them for their blood. Of course, the fact that you four were carrying a rather large sum of money was merely a coincidence. A pleasant one.” Ignacio explained.

Robert, Macalister, Don and I stared at Ignacio in utter bewilderment.

“What are you going to do with us?” I asked, fearing that I already knew the answer.

“I already told you. Thanks to your friend, my thirst is satisfied… For now. When the urge for blood hits me next, I’ll kill you all, one by one and I’ll feast upon your blood.” Ignacio said.

My fear was confirmed.

“Until then.” Ignacio said with a slight wave.

He then turned around, walked through the cellar door and closed it, then locked it behind himself. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness by now and I could see Don still on the ground, blood was dripping down his shoulder and onto his chest from the bite mark on his neck.

“Shadow, are you alright?” I asked, kneeling down to help him up.

“Yes, I’m fine, I just feel a little faint.” Don said.

“I can’t believe it, vampires are real!” Macalister said in awe.

“I know. Ignacio drank my blood quite a few times during the last few days.” Robert said. He sounded like he just woke up, which he probably did. Seeing as he has been bitten by Ignacio ‘quite a few times’ he must have passed out.

“So what’s the plan here?” I asked.

There was a moment of silence.

“Well, we have until Ignacio’s thirst returns, and then he’ll kill us all one by one. I would say that the plan is quite simple.” Don said.

“So what is the plan?” Asked Macalister.

“We kill Ignacio and escape.” Don said.

“That much is obvious, but how do you kill a vampire?” I asked them.

“Well, in the stories my father told me as a boy, you need a wooden stake, you need to stab it through the heart.” Robert told us.

“Right, and Ignacio is just going to leave a wooden stake laying around for us. No, we need to make one.” I told them.

“What do we make a wooden stake out of?” Asked Don.

I looked around for anything wooden. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness now, so I could see the shelves lined with jars of blood that I had seen earlier. That gave me an idea.

“We could rip off one of those shelves’ support beams, snap it, and it will be jagged. We can then stake Ignacio through the heart and escape.” I said, keeping my voice low so Ignacio wouldn’t hear us.

“That plan is foolproof, except for one thing.” Macalister said.

“What might that be?” I asked him.

“How do we know the stories are true? How do we know that wooden stake will actually kill a vampire?” Macalister asked me.

I shook my head.

“I don’t know, but that’s the only plan we have. Other than wooden stakes, we know of no other way to kill vampires. This plan needs to work or we’re doomed.” I told him.

“We must be certain. We can’t execute this plan without knowing if it’s guaranteed to work.” Macalister said.

“We may not have a choice. If Ignacio is true to his word, we’ll be dead in the next few days. If worse comes to worst, we need to act on Kid’s plan. Any objections?” Asked Robert.

There was silence.

“Good. I expect us to be free after a few days. Good luck, gentlemen.” Robert said.

Just then, Macalister gasped.

“Oh, my lord.” Macalister gasped in awe.

“What is it, Troll?” Asked Robert.

“I just thought that, you know. Ignacio bit you and…” Macalister trailed off.

“What? What is it?” Asked Robert.

“Well, since Ignacio bit you, will you… Turn into a… Vampire?” Macalister asked.

There was a stunned silence.

“Oh, lord! That was what happened in the vampire stories that my father told me! I recall him recited a passage from a book of stories he once read to me when I was young.” Robert exclaimed.

“What was the passage? What did it say?” Asked Don, joining the conversation.

Robert spoke, his voice was heavy with sadness and nostalgia;

“I recall the passage saying this: ‘For those who cross paths with the Midnight Wraith, what awaits them is an unfortunate fate.’”

Chapter Nine The Scorpions’ Uncertainty:

Tuesday June 22nd 1690

“’The Midnight Wraith’ meaning Vampire, correct?” I asked Robert.

“Yes.” Robert said with sadness layering his voice.

“What happens when you’re bitten by a vampire? What is the ‘unfortunate fate’ that your father told you of?” I asked with worry in my voice.

“Well, in the horror stories that my father told me as a boy… If you’re bitten by a vampire… You turn in to a vampire.” Robert said.

My heart sank. Both Robert and Don had been bitten by Ignacio!

“Wait, how do we know that story is true? How do we know that’s what will happen to us? After all, I was bitten, too. I feel fine.” Said Don, remaining hopeful.

“What if we do turn, Shadow?” Asked Robert, there was worry, fear and anger in his voice.

“I don’t want to think about that.” Don admitted.

“We need to get out of this cellar. That should be our main goal. Our secondary goal is to kill Ignacio. From there, we’ll escape from this cabin. We can then go to Yutsa. We can follow the original plan.” I suggested.

“There’s a problem.” Robert told us.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Well, if either Don or myself, or if both of us turn into vampires, that will complicate things. Don’t you think so?” Robert asked.

My heart sank at the thought again. I refused to give up hope.

“Maybe it won’t come to that? Maybe all of those stories aren’t true, like Don suggested?” I said.

“That’s a possibility. In any case, I believe that we should spend our time focusing on the present, rather than on a future that may not even exist.” Robert said hopefully.

“Right then. So we’ll follow the original plan, like I said.” I told everyone.

“What about the fifty thousand dollars?” Asked Macalister.

“I hate to say it, but we may need to leave the money behind.” I reluctantly said.

“I think that you’re right. As much as I hate to do it as well, we must first escape with our lives. The money won’t matter if we’re all dead.” Don told me.

“We’ll discuss that matter later. Right now, we need to think of a way to escape.” Robert ordered.

“Right, do you have a plan?” I asked.

“No.” Robert admitted.

“Unless we want to be stuck down here until Ignacio’s thirst returns, we need to think.” Macalister stated.

“Besides, when have we not been able to think of a plan before?” Asked Robert with a grin.

I had to admit, he was right there. We always had a plan. Always.

“Ignacio stole our flintlocks. We have no weapons, but Kid suggested that we improvise a stake out of the shelves’ supports. Is that our only plan?” Asked Don.

“Right now, yes.” Macalister confirmed.

“Very well. Gentlemen, it appears that we have come up with our course of action. Let’s sleep now, and in the morning we’ll put our plan to action. Any objections?” Asked Robert.

There was silence.

“Right then. I bid you all good night.” Robert said.

“Good night.” Macalister moaned, sitting back against the wall.

“Good night.” Don said, yawning.

“Good night.” I said, reclining back against the hard, stone wall of the cellar.

I thought over our plan for tomorrow morning. I let it play out in my head: We would wake up, take the blood filled jars off of a shelf so we could break off the support without making a lot of noise. We would then wait for Ignacio to come to the cellar. We would stake him and run away in to the surrounding wilderness and make our way towards Yutsa. With the plan circulating inside my head, I let my eyelids droop.

***

Wednesday June 23rd 1690

I awoke feeling as though I had never gone to sleep.

“Rise and shine, Kid.” Robert said to me when I woke up.

I looked over to him. There was light coming into the cellar from very small window above us. Around me I could see Don, Macalister and Robert all sitting together about ten feet in front of me. All around me, there were jars of blood stacked high on each shelf. There were shelves on each of the four walls of the cellar. Across the room to my left, there was the door that Ignacio used to enter last night. It was the only point of entrance or exit in the whole room. The window that provided light was much too small to climb through, being at only twelve centimeters by twelve centimeters.

“Is everyone ready?” Asked Don.

“Yes, I’m ready to take back our freedom.” Robert said with venom in his voice.

“I’m ready to kill that vampire and escape. Now, we must discuss whether or not we leave the money behind.” Macalister said.

“Yes, right.” Robert said, recalling the fact that he told us we would discuss the matter of the money later.

“Well, we don’t know if a wooden stake to the heart will kill Ignacio. If he survives our attack and we’re still in this cabin searching for our money, we’ll be in trouble. I say that we leave the money behind and escape with our lives while we can.” I suggested.

“I say that we should leave the money and come back for it later. We should continue to Yutsa as planned, but come back to this cabin in the future.” Macalister suggested.

“I agree with Kid. If we come back for the money, Ignacio could still be here, waiting for us. It’s too large of a risk.” Don said.

Robert was silent for a few more seconds. He was most likely contemplating what he thinks we should do.

“I think Kid’s right.” He finally said with a nod.

I looked to Macalister.

“Troll, listen. I’m sorry, but we can’t come back for the money, it’s simply too much to risk. It goes against all common sense to return to this cabin, please understand.” I told him.

Macalister nodded. I think that he understood the situation now.

“Yes, yes I understand the situation now. I let my greed get the better of me. I now know that we can’t come back for it.” Macalister said.

“I’m glad that you see things our way. Now we have no difference in opinion, and no objections to the plan. Right?” Said Robert.

“Right.” I said.

“Yes, the plan is a clever one. I have no objections.” Don said.

I could see Macalister look around nervously. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it soon after.

“Y-yes. No objections.” Macalister said.

“Good. Now, on with the plan. Kid and Troll, start removing the jars of blood from the shelves so they won’t break when you tip the shelf over. Make sure you make four stakes, just in case we need them. Shadow and I’ll watch the door and warn you if Ignacio comes. To your positions! Quickly now!” Robert ordered.

I followed Macalister over to a nearby shelf. My heart was pounding in anticipation and fear. It was time to put the plan in action. We were going to face off against a vampire and escape from this cabin in the woods.

Chapter Ten A Daring Plan:

Wednesday June 23rd 1690

“Alright. I’m going to hand you the jars of blood. I need you to put them on the ground somewhere out of the way so we can tip the shelf over and break the legs off. Do you think you can do that?” Asked Macalister.

I grinned at Macalister.

“Troll, I’m an experienced thief, not a butter fingered child.” I told him.

Macalister laughed quietly.

“Well, we don’t call you ‘Kid’ for nothing.” Macalister teased with a grin.

“Yes, yes. I understand; my alias suits me. Now, let’s do our job and get out of here!” I said.

“Right then, time to move this stuff out of our way.” Macalister said.

Macalister reached up to the shelf and started grabbing jars of blood from the uppermost part of the shelf. He took two jars in each hand each time and handed them to me. I took the jars of blood from his hands one at a time. Once I had a jar in each hand, I turned around and set the jars on the ground behind me so that they were out of the way.

“How’s it going?” Asked Don quietly from across the room.

Macalister stopped passing me jars of blood and turned to talk to Don.

“Good, we’ve almost cleared the shelf out. Is there any sign of Ignacio?” Asked Macalister in a whisper.

“Not even a footstep. He must be asleep.” Don replied quietly.

“That’s good, we need to finish up quickly, in case Ignacio wakes up and finds us trying to escape.” Macalister softly called over to Don.

He then resumed passing me the jars of blood and I placed them behind me. Each time I looked at the viscous red liquid within the jars, my stomach turned.

“This is disgusting!” I whispered to Macalister.

“I know. Don’t worry, we’re almost done.” Macalister whispered back.

Macalister then handed me a single jar of blood.

“Alright, this is the last one.” Macalister whispered.

“Finally!” I said, keeping my voice under control.

I reached out and hastily grabbed the jar of blood from Macalister, but in the dim light of the room I misjudged my reach and my fingertip hit the jar. Feeling that I had touched it, Macalister let go, thinking I’d grabbed it. The jar began falling towards the floor.

“No!” I said in a fierce whisper.

I scrambled to grab the falling jar, but it was of no use. A second later, the jar hit the floor of the cellar and smashed, sending glass fragments and blood everywhere while producing the piercing sound of glass shattering. Fear spread throughout my mind and seemed to paralyze my limbs. I didn’t dare to even breathe. I heard no footsteps above. Perhaps Ignacio didn’t hear it?

“No one move!” Robert quietly ordered from across the room.

Just then, the sound of shattering wood filled the air, light flooded in and Don and Robert were sent sailing across the room. They both hit the ground and stood up when they were on the ground at the other end of the room.

“It’s Ignacio!” Don shouted.

I looked to Ignacio, his cloak was still on and his hood still obscured the upper half of his face.

“Yes, it is I. You’re trying to escape, aren’t you?” Asked Ignacio.

“Why wouldn’t we? You said yourself that you’re going to kill us!” I yelled defensively to Ignacio, fear creeped into my voice.

Ignacio was silent for a second or two. It was as if he was pondering something.

“Well, now that you mention it my thirst is returning. Which one of you wishes to die first?” Asked Ignacio.

“It’ll be you who dies first!” Shouted Macalister.

“Well, it seems as though I must kill you all by force. So be it.” Ignacio said with mock regret.

“Come on, lads! Ignacio isn’t going to claim any lives today! Let’s give him all we’ve got!” Robert shouted to motivate us all.

“You. I’ll claim your life first, seeing as you think you can stop me. I’ll make an example of you, and then I’ll kill your friends. I’ll enjoy drinking your blood.” Ignacio said as he stepped closer to Robert.

“Hey! Stay back! I’m warning you!” Robert said to Ignacio

I looked over to Robert and saw that Ignacio was quickly backing him up against the wall of the cellar. Robert was running out of time!

“Suck on this, Ignacio!” Macalister shouted.

With that, he bent down to the ground and scooped up one of the jars of blood from behind me. He stood back up and reeled his arm back, aiming a throw at Ignacio. After a second he hurled the jar of blood at him. The jar hit Ignacio on the side of the head, shattering and sending blood across his cheeks, lips and chest. Ignacio yelled in pain and I saw that the glass had cut the side of his head where it had shattered. Robert took Ignacio’s pain to his advantage and ran back to Don, who was already running to regroup with Macalister and I. In a few more seconds Don, Macalister, Robert and I all stood together, ready to oppose Ignacio. In less than another second, Ignacio whirled around to face us. I saw that his hood was now completely off, so I could see what he looked like. His shoulder length black hair billowed out behind him as he whirled around, his pale skin seemed to shine in the light. I then noticed something that erased any doubts from my mind that said Ignacio wasn’t a vampire: I noticed his luminous blood colored eyes in the darkness. He avoided the patch of sunlight let in by the small window above. His facial features were smooth. I also saw that the cuts on the side of his head that had been caused by the shattering glass earlier had almost vanished. His tongue darted out of his mouth and licked the blood off of his lips and cheek. As he did this, the wounds on the side of his head rapidly healed. In the stories that my father told me as a boy, vampires could heal quickly if they drank blood.

“Troll, get that shelf on its side and break the legs off! We need stakes! The rest of us will hold off Ignacio!” Robert said.

Macalister ran over to the shelf that we had cleared of the blood jars and he pushed it onto its side. I turned my attention back to Ignacio, who was already re-composing himself.

Chapter Eleven Ignacio’s True Motives:

Wednesday June 23rd 1690

“Kid, grab a jar of blood and throw it at him! It will distract him for a few seconds!” Don shouted.

Doing as he said, I reached down behind myself and palmed a jar of blood. I reeled my arm back, ready to throw the jar at Ignacio. Ignacio darted forward quickly, this surprised me and threw my concentration off. He was now heading straight for us! Thankfully Don was quick and made a perfectly aimed throw, causing the jar of blood to hit Ignacio in the face and shatter. Ignacio screamed in pain and what I could only assume to be bloodlust. His tongue darted out of his mouth to lick the blood off of his face.

“Take that! You pathetic leach!” Don shouted with a laugh.

Ignacio growled.

“You arrogant mortal! I’ll show you a fate so painful that you’ll beg me to kill you!” Ignacio shouted at Don.

Don laughed with his natural cockiness.

“I would love to see you try, you wretched blood-sucker!” Don taunted.

Ignacio lunged for Don, desiring to teach him a lesson. I aimed a throw at Ignacio and tossed the jar of blood that I still had in my hand at him. The jar broke on his shoulder, sending glass shards and blood across his skin. Ignacio screamed in pain and bloodlust and fell to the side.

I looked over to Macalister, who was behind Don, Robert and I.

“Troll, hurry up with those stakes! We’re almost out of time!” I yelled.

I saw that Macalister was stomping on the leg of the shelf, trying to break it off as the shelf was now on its side thanks to Macalister.

“I almost have the support off! I need a little more time!” Macalister yelled.

“Kid! Look out!” Robert yelled.

I turned my attention to him, only to see that Ignacio was running at me! I yelled in fear.

“Help me!” I yelled.

“Hold on, Kid!” Robert shouted at me.

I then saw something flying through the air. That must have been another jar of blood. It was about to hit Ignacio, but he easily doubled his speed and the jar of blood that was going to hit him was now behind him! Ignacio kept running at me and in seconds he slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. He was now on top of me. He had my arms pinned to the ground.

“Get off of me!” I shouted at him, struggling against the hold that he had on me.

Ignacio’s blood colored eyes bore into mine. His eyes then shifted from mine and down to my neck. He spread his lips and opened his mouth, revealing two razor sharp fangs that were each about two centimeters long.

“I have the stake!” I heard Macalister shout from behind me.

I heard Macalister running at Ignacio. Ignacio released his hold on me and sprang backwards with lightning speed. I stood up and got behind Macalister, who had a stake about four feet long in his hands. He had the end that was jagged from being broken off of the shelf directed at Ignacio. Macalister stepped forward towards Ignacio cautiously. Ignacio took an instinctive step backwards. His back hit the far wall. There was about twelve feet between Ignacio and Macalister. I heard Macalister chuckle.

“Now before I kill you, I want you to tell me something.” Macalister said.

Ignacio’s head inclined towards Macalister.

“What might that be?” Asked Ignacio.

Macalister tightened his grip on the stake.

“I want you to tell me the real reason that you captured us. It can’t be merely because you desired our blood. Was there anything more? What were your other motives?” Asked Macalister.

Macalister’s tone sent the message that he wasn’t joking around. He wanted answers. Ignacio raised his hands. He didn’t seem afraid of the stake in Macalister’s hands at the moment, but the fact that he backed up when Macalister started to advance upon him with the stake suggested that he was afraid.

“Yes, I understand your confusion. I’ll tell you the real reason that I captured you.” Ignacio said.

Macalister growled.

“Go on.” Macalister said impatiently.

“You see, what I said before wasn’t exactly a lie; I do come across strangers in the forest and I bring them in, poison them and kill them for their blood. However this wasn’t the case with you four.” Ignacio said.

There was a moment of silence. Macalister gestured to Ignacio with the stake threateningly.

“Are you going to tell us what was the case?” Macalister said, his impatience growing.

Ignacio cleared his throat.

“Yes, but first I require some blood. Would one of you pass one of those jars over to me? The wounds that you gave me haven’t entirely healed and are becoming quite painful.” Ignacio said.

I sighed and picked up a jar of blood from beside me, placed it on the floor and slid it over to Ignacio. Ignacio picked the jar up, removed the lid and raised the jar to his lips. In seconds, the blood contained within the jar had disappeared. Ignacio set the jar down and looked up to us.

“Thank you. Now I’ll resume my explanation. Where was I? Oh yes. I was saying that I do kill strangers for their blood, but with you four, I have been following you ever since you left your hideout to commence your heist on the Haywood estate.” Ignacio continued.

“Why were you following us?” Macalister asked angrily.

“I was following you because King Lucias asked me to.” Ignacio said.

I was shocked. What would the king of Delron want with four outlaws like us?

“What are you talking about? Why did King Lucias tell you to follow us?” Asked Macalister.

“Troll, can you not see what he’s doing? He is merely spouting nonsense in order to prolong his own life! He is telling us such nonsense to act as a diversion, so he may escape when you’re distracted.” Don advised.

Macalister didn’t take his eyes off of Ignacio.

“Is what my friend says true? Is this merely a diversion created to prolong your own life?” Macalister asked Ignacio angrily.

Ignacio shook his head fiercly.

“No! No, it’s not a diversion! I shall explain why King Lucias told me to hunt you down and kill you!” Ignacio said.

Macalister nodded.

“Very well, I’ll hear out your explanation.” Macalister told Ignacio.

“Thank you very much!” Ignacio said with sincere happiness.

“Well? Get on with it, otherwise I’ll kill you where you stand.” Macalister threatened.

Ignacio attempted to back up further, but his back was already up against the cellar wall.

“Yes, very well. Queen Mycta, King Bunsen, King Desmond, Queen Yuka and King Lucias all know of the existence of the vampire race, but keep it secret from their people. They do this because if the knowledge of the vampire race becomes known to the people of Alcingeria, it shall cause panic and chaos. This is why only a select few know of the existence of vampires.” Ignacio began.

“Who knows of the existence of vampires?” Asked Robert.

Ignacio closed his eyes and nodded slowly, as if trying to remember something.

“I’m forbidden to tell of all who know of the existence of the vampire race, but I shall tell you what I’m permitted. Queen Mycta, King Bunsen, King Desmond, Queen Yuka and King Lucias all know of the existence of the vampire race. Within the five provinces ruled by those five rulers, there are a handful of commoners who know of the existence of the vampire race. Most of these commoners are vampire hunters, but a very small fraction of these commoners are not vampire hunters. The vampire hunters are the sworn enemies of the vampires, but they don’t tell others of the existence of the vampires, as they know what can happen if the word gets out that vampires exist. The commoners who are not vampire hunters, however pose a particular threat to us vampires. They know not of the consequences that will ensue if the word of the existence of the vampire race gets out. As a race as a whole, vampires kill the people who can’t keep our secret. We track down as many as we can, however it’s nearly impossible to track down all who know of the vampire race’s existence.” Ignacio continued.

There was a moment of silence as my friends and I took in this information. It was Macalister who spoke first.

“Is that all who know of the vampire race?” Macalister asked Ignacio.

Ignacio shook his head.

“No, not at all. The humans of Alcingeria make up only a small fraction of those who know of the vampire race.” Ignacio said.

What did he mean by ‘the humans of Alcingeria make up only a small fraction of those who know of the vampire race’? We now knew that there were races other than human, plant and animal in Alcingeria, there were vampires, too. Surely that’s what he meant?

“Are you going to tell us who the rest of the people who know of the vampire race’s existence are?” I asked.

Ignacio shook his head.

“No, no. You see I’m forbidden to share information of that sort. My apologies.” Ignacio said.

“That does not explain why King Lucias sent you to kill us.” Macalister said.

“Yes, my apologies. I’m getting to that. Now, King Bunsen, King Desmond, Queen Yuka and King Lucias all use vampires to hunt down criminals and criminal groups that become too numerous or too dangerous for humans to handle. You, The Scorpions, have been on the threat lists of King Bunsen, King Desmond, Queen Yuka and King Lucias for quite some time now. The aforementioned threat lists are quite small, but enlisting the help of a vampire is only ever used as a last resort, as the price for enlisting the help of a vampire is quite… Steep. It’s for this reason that you four remained alive for so long.” Ignacio said.

“Why does Queen Mycta not use vampires to hunt down dangerous criminals?” I asked.

“Queen Mycta is a kind, gentle woman. She says that using vampires to track down dangerous criminals is too cruel a fate for said criminals, as being hunted by a vampire means that you’ll die very quickly. However vampires don’t always kill someone quickly or painlessly. Being killed by a vampire almost always means being drained of blood. A horrible way to die if you ask me.” Ignacio explained.

“So why didn’t you kill us back at the Haywood estate?” Robert asked Ignacio.

Ignacio looked past Macalister and at Robert.

“I overheard your plan to rob the Haywood estate back in your hideout. I wanted to let you rob Jonathan Haywood of the fifty thousand dollars, then I would kill you and take the money, and then I would take your corpses to King Lucias because he offered ten thousand dollars to me for your capture dead or alive, but my plan went astray when your carriage crashed. I took that as an opportunity to rescue you to earn your trust so that you would let your guard down, and I could kill you easier.” Ignacio said.

“If all of that was part of your elaborate plot to get rich, why didn’t you leave us to die back at the carriage wreck, take the fifty thousand dollars, take our corpses to King Lucias and get the additional ten thousand dollars?” Robert said.

“You see, I haven’t been a vampire for very long, merely a few months. I showed hesitation in killing you because I hadn’t killed many humans before. The strangers in the woods that I come across are not plentiful, so I had some hesitation at the thought of killing humans, seeing as I was one a few months ago.” Ignacio explained.

“Then why were you going to kill us here, in your cellar?” I asked him.

“I was going to kill you for your blood, but also for the reward of ten thousand dollars that King Lucias offered me for your capture.” Ignacio said.

“Well, why didn’t you kill us when you had the chance?” Robert asked.

“As I explained to you before, killing humans is a fairly new concept for me. I don’t need to feed on human blood very often, and I have all of the blood that I need in this cellar because I kill strangers in the woods and steal their blood to jar it and store it for later use. I store blood so I won’t need to kill humans very often.” Ignacio said.

There was a moment of silence as we all took this new information in.

“So what you’re saying is that King Bunsen, King Desmond, Queen Yuka and King Lucias all use vampires to track down criminals that are too dangerous for humans to handle, we, The Scorpions, became too dangerous and are on the threat lists of King Bunsen, King Desmond, Queen Yuka and King Lucias, they sent you after us, you knew about our plan to rob the Haywood Estate and steal fifty thousand dollars, you let us steal the money, you let Queen Mycta’s guards destroy our carriage, you warded off Queen Mycta’s guards, took us in and treated our wounds to earn our trust, then when we let our guards down, you poisoned us to render us unconscious, you threw us down here, you were going to kill us down here but we formulated a plan and the tables have now turned. Does that all sound correct?” Macalister asked Ignacio.

“Yes. That sounds correct.” Ignacio said.

“Very well. You have outlived your usefulness. I’ll slay you now, vampire.” Macalister said.

Ignacio’s posture straightened.

“My deepest apologies old boy, but I don’t intend to stay in this cellar any longer. I don’t plan on letting you kill me, either.” Ignacio said.

“I’m going to kill you! No one picks a fight with The Scorpions and gets away with it!” Macalister said.

Macalister then lunged for Ignacio, but Ignacio bolted out of the way at lightning speed and reached the cellar doorway in an instant. There was no longer a door, as Ignacio had broken through it when he heard the glass jar break. The one that I had dropped.

“Sadly, I won’t earn the respect of King Lucias, or the ten thousand dollars for that matter. Your fifty thousand dollars, however will more than suffice as a consolation prize!” Ignacio said wickedly.

He then bolted up the stairs and into the house above. I could hear him rummaging around above.

“Quick lads! After him!” Robert ordered.

Macalister started running for the staircase with the stake in his hand. Robert, Don and I all followed him.

Chapter Twelve The Pursuit:

Wednesday June 23rd 1690

Robert, Don, Macalister and I all clambered up the rickety wooden staircase that led up into Ignacio’s home. We quickly ascended the staircase and made it to the top. Macalister went out first because he had the stake. Robert, Don and I all followed closely behind him. The sound of Ignacio rummaging around up here had stopped and all was eerily silent. I looked around at the familiar scenery of the house that I had stayed in only a day or two ago. We had emerged from an entryway with no door. We were now at the end of a hallway that I didn’t recognize. At the other end of the hallway was a door that was ajar. Other than the dim light let in by the space between the door and the doorframe, it was almost pitch black. Macalister walked over to the door, holding the stake out in front of him so he could fight Ignacio if he ambushed him. Macalister reached out and pushed the door open. This resulted in an eerie creak sound from the door. Macalister stepped through the doorway when the door was open wide enough to permit his entry. Macalister stopped when he was just outside the door and he looked left and right quickly. I looked out over Macalister’s shoulder. I saw the room that I had woken up in. I saw the bed that I was laying in when I saw Ignacio staring at my bloodstained shirt, and I saw the chair that he had been sitting in. The chair had moved a foot or so towards the back of the room, and the bed wasn’t made.

“Let’s find Ignacio and kill him before he does the same to us.” Whispered Macalister.

“Aye, we’re right behind you.” I told Macalister.

Macalister walked out into the room after looking left and right one last time. Macalister walked to the center of the room. Don, Robert and I followed him and stood behind him.

“This is the room that I woke up in after the carriage wreck.” I told everyone.

“When you woke up, did you walk around the house and get a look at the layout of the place?” Asked Robert.

“Not really. I know where the front door is, where the poisoned food and water is kept, and I know where the rooms are that Don and Macalister woke up in. that’s all.” I told Robert.

“That’s a shame. We’ll need to look for Ignacio in this house when we don’t know the layout of it. Ignacio has the advantage.” Robert said.

I looked back to the door that we had come out of. It was in the far corner of the room, the opposite side of the room that the bed I woke up in was in. I also noticed two hooks above the door and that there was a tapestry cast to the ground. It was the very same brown tapestry with the orange flame insignia on it that I had noticed when I woke up here after the carriage crash. That tapestry was concealing the door to the cellar! It must have been covered up to prevent Don, Macalister or myself from finding it, because in that cellar are all of those jars of blood on the shelves. If anyone who didn’t know about vampires found that, it would raise some questions that would be difficult for Ignacio to answer.

I then heard something unusual. It was quiet and unrecognizable at first, but the sound eventually grew louder and I was able to identify it. It was the sound of heavy breathing. It was coming from Robert! I looked back to him. I saw him standing behind me about a foot away. I watched him for a few seconds. I saw multiple beads of sweat accumulate on his brow. After a few seconds more, he dropped to his knees. His hands went to his throat. His breathing intensified. A shocked expression was on his face.

“Robert! What’s wrong?” I asked in a whisper.

Seeing as Robert was only about a foot behind me, I could speak to him without being too loud.

“It’s my throat! It feels very… Dry! I have a raging thirst that’s like a fire in my throat!” Robert said, barley keeping his voice to a whisper.

I looked to my front to tell Macalister and Don to stop, but they already had halted.

“Maybe you just need water? It has been a day or two since Ignacio gave us the poisoned water.” Macalister suggested.

“I’m not thirsty just yet.” I commented.

“Neither am I.” Macalister admitted. Confusion was in his voice.

“I’m starting to feel the thirst as well. It’s weak as of yet, but ever since it has been noticeable, it has grown stronger.” Don said worriedly.

“When did you first notice the thirst?” Asked Macalister.

“I noticed it an hour or two before Ignacio came into the cellar when he heard the glass jar break.” Don said.

I thought about this for a few seconds. It only took a few seconds for me to piece together what was happening. A cold, hard pit of fear formed in my gut.

“Dear lord! Don and Robert, you’re turning into vampires!” I exclaimed.

The words sounded foolish and insane coming out of my mouth, but I forced myself to see the evidence; the thirst must have been the thirst for blood. Both Don and Robert had been bitten by Ignacio. Robert had been bitten more often by Ignacio, so his thirst struck first. Don was only bitten once, so his thirst struck later, but was still approaching. This also explained why Macalister and I didn’t feel the thirst; because the thirst that Don and Robert felt wasn’t a thirst for water, but a thirst for blood.

“No, no! It can’t be!” Robert exclaimed in dismay, still clutching his throat.

“What do we do?” Asked Macalister in a panic.

“Robert, can you hold off the thirst?” Don asked.

Robert frowned, but after a few seconds he nodded his head.

“I’ll do my best. However I don’t think this is a natural thirst for water. If what Kid says is true, then it’s a thirst for blood.” Robert said grimly.

“How do you know? How can we be certain?” Asked Macalister intently.

“Think about it! Shadow and I were both bitten by Ignacio, you can Kid were not. Shadow and I both feel a thirst, you and Kid don’t. I don’t wish to admit it, but I believe that Shadow and I are turning into vampires.” Robert said, a tear forming in his eye.

Sadness overtook me. A lump formed in my throat and I felt a tear form in my eye. It sounded completely insane, but there was solid evidence stating that it was true; Don and Robert were turning into vampires.

I then heard footsteps coming from in front of us. I took my gaze off of Don and Robert, as did Macalister. Macalister and I looked in the direction of the footsteps. They were coming closer. Worry, anger and fear all battled for control over my mind. It had to be Ignacio, it couldn’t have been anyone else. We were in the room with the bed that I woke up in after the carriage wreck, and the footsteps were coming from behind one of the three doors near the bed. I had an idea. An idea that gave me hope. I turned to Don and Robert.

“You two, stay here and try to resist the thirst. Macalister and I’ll go and confront Ignacio. We’ll ask him if there is a way to revert the transformation from human to vampire. We’ll do whatever it takes to get the information out of him.” I told them with anger in my voice.

Don grinned.

“Good on you, friend! You must go quickly now, I’ll remain here with Rapier. You and Troll confront Ignacio!” Don said in a whisper.

I heard Macalister start to walk across the room. I turned to face him, and he turned back around to face me.

“What are you waiting for? Come on.” Macalister whispered.

I nodded and silently walked over to him. Macalister went first and we walked over to the door that we heard the footsteps behind. It was the door on the right side of the three doors. Macalister held the stake out in front of him with one hand and opened the door with the other. He pushed the door open and quickly grasped the stake with both hands again. We stepped through the door. The door led into a windowless room. Candles were mounted on the walls every few feet, held up by bronze candle holders. The candles didn’t provide very much light, so it was hard to see across to the other side of the room. The room was square in shape, and the room was about thirty feet across. There were bookshelves on the walls that ran the perimeter of the room. The bookshelves were made of pine planks and they were all filled to the brim with books that were bound in leather of all colors. These colors ranged from green, red, yellow, bronze, azure, and orange. Each bookshelf was around six feet tall, and the height of the room was about ten feet. The floor of the room was made of solid brown oak boards that didn’t so much as creak under my weight. The walls were made of the same solid brown oak planks. The walls and the floor of the room seemed to join with each other seamlessly. I didn’t even see a juncture. The room was silent for a few moments more.

“Ignacio! Show yourself at once!” Macalister called.

There was silence for a few seconds more, and then the sound of something wooden being dropped filled the air.

“Hello, Kid and Troll of The Scorpions. Where are your other two friends? Oh yes, I know exactly where they’re. They’re currently battling off the thirst for blood. Am I not correct?” I heard Ignacio’s taunting voice call from the shadows.

Ignacio was hiding somewhere in this room, we couldn’t see him yet. Macalister growled in anger.

“You idiotic parasite! Of course they’re battling the thirst for blood! You changed them into vampires!” Macalister shouted in rage.

Ignacio made a sound signaling remembrance.

“Yes, I do remember how I bit your friend many times. Rapier is what you call him I believe. As for your other friend, Shadow, I bit him because he wanted proof that I drink blood.” Ignacio said.

“Is there a way to revert the transformation?” I asked Ignacio intently.

Ignacio was silent for a moment. He then spoke.

“When a human is bitten by a vampire, they slowly transform into a vampire. The transformation time varies from person to person. By the sounds of your friends out there, they may not have very much time left as humans.” Ignacio said.

He was still somewhere in the shadows, concealing himself. I looked around, attempting to locate Ignacio. I saw only shadows.

“That does not answer my question.” I said, abandoning my attempt at locating Ignacio.

Ignacio chuckled.

“Well, there is a way to revert the transformation from human to vampire. Would you care to strike a bargain?” Ignacio said temptingly.

Chapter Thirteen The Bargain to Save Don and Robert:

Wednesday June 23rd 1690

My heart leapt with hope upon hearing Ignacio’s words.

“Yes! We’ll give anything to save the lives of our friends!” I said eagerly.

Macalister held his hand up.

“Wait a moment. What is it that you want, exactly?” Asked Macalister.

I heard Ignacio chuckle from within the shadows.

“I’m glad that you asked. You see, I desire your fifty thousand dollars. I have the box in my hand right now, but you’re blocking the only exit of this room. I know that if I fight you and attempt to take the fifty thousand dollars now, you’ll kill me with that stake. I’ll agree to save your friends on the condition that you spare my life, give me the money and let me go with it.” Ignacio said.

I heard Macalister growl in anger. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it.

“Do we have a deal?” Asked Ignacio.

“Troll, think about it. We must give Ignacio the money if Rapier and Shadow stand a chance of staying human. Surely their lives are worth more to you than fifty thousand dollars?” I asked Macalister.

Macalister hung his head in defeat.

“Alright Ignacio, you win. Stop my friends’ transformations into vampires and we’ll let you have the money.” Macalister said.

I heard Ignacio chuckle once again.

“Wise choice. Bring your friends in here, and I’ll revert their transformations.” Ignacio said.

I nodded and looked to Macalister.

“Troll, you stay here and guard the door. Make sure Ignacio does not escape before his end of the bargain is fulfilled. I’ll go and fetch Shadow and Rapier.” I said.

Macalister nodded.

“Yes. I won’t let him pass until he has done as he promised.” Macalister said.

I heard Ignacio clear his throat.

“One more thing.” Ignacio said.

“What is it?” Macalister asked.

“Don’t even think about killing me prematurely. If I die, your friends’ hopes of having their transformation reverted dies with me. Do you understand?” Ignacio asked.

I couldn’t tell if Ignacio was being truthful, or merely attempting to safeguard his own life. Regardless, it was too large a risk to take. We had to trust Ignacio.

“Yes. We understand.” Macalister said.

With that being said, I turned and exited the room. I head Macalister walk over and stand guard at the door when I left the room, so as to prevent Ignacio from escaping if he decided to swindle us and leave with the money prematurely. When I exited the room, I found myself in the room with the bed that I woke up in after the carriage wreck. I looked over to the brown tapestry with the orange flame insignia on it that had been cast to the ground and found Don and Robert there. Both of them were sweating like pigs on a hot summer’s day. They were both on their knees, clutching their throats and panting. Don looked to me and his expression brightened. He stood up from his kneeled stance.

“Kid! Thank the lord! Have you got a way to revert the transformation?” He asked through clenched teeth. His hands didn’t leave his throat.

“Yes, I have a way to revert your transformation! Follow me and you’ll stay human! Come one, quickly now!” I said, beckoning Don and Robert to the room that Ignacio and Macalister were in.

Don’s expression brightened even further.

“We have not a second to spare! Rapier! Get up! We must go, for salvation awaits us!” Don said to Robert.

I looked over to Robert. Robert hadn’t acknowledged my presence and we still heavily sweating, kneeling on the ground and holding his throat. I could tell by the amount of tension in his jaw muscles that he was clenching his teeth very tightly.

“Rapier! Come on!” I called to Robert.

Robert looked to me, still kneeling on the ground. His eyes full of tension, worry, fear and hatred.

“Kid, the thirst is too much!” Robert shouted.

Don walked over to him. I could see that Don was supressing pain, for his facial muscles were tense and almost contorting in pain. Don placed his hands on Robert’s shoulders.

“Rapier, listen to me! I won’t let you throw away your only chance of salvation. Do you hear me?” Don asked.

As Don spoke to Robert, he wrung Robert’s shoulders. Robert’s facial muscles were strained and his eyes were full of pain.

“The thirst… It’s too much! If I push myself too hard and the thirst becomes too strong, I could end up murdering anyone that’s in this house tight now!” Robert shouted in fear and anger.

Don’s grip on Robert’s shoulders tightened, and Don shook Robert’s shoulders violently as he spoke to him.

“Rapier! Do you hear me!? You need to move right now or you will be a vampire forever! If you’re worried about killing one of us today, think about how much harder it will be to resist the thirst as a full-fledged vampire! If you come with me right now, you can escape that fate!” Don shouted at Robert.

My heart was starting to sink deep in my chest. Was it possible that Robert wouldn’t get up? Was it possible that he had already accepted his fate as a vampire?

“Rapier! You need to move right now!” I shouted fiercly at him.

Robert just glared at me. His eyes seemed to burn a hole right down to my soul. His eyes looked dark and empty. His eyes looked unforgiving and sad. His eyes were those of a killer.

“Rapier, you leave me no choice!” Don shouted.

Don then grabbed both of Robert’s arms from their undersides and began to drag him towards me.

“Kid, which door is Ignacio behind?” Don asked through clenched teeth.

Don wasn’t only resisting his thirst for blood, but he was also putting himself through a physically taxing task; dragging Robert to his salvation. I was about to tell Don to let me drag Robert, but he had already made considerable progress on his own and I didn’t want to get in the way.

“The door farthest to the right, near the bed!” I said frantically.

Don nodded and dragged Robert towards the door I had indicated. I ran ahead of him and opened the door. Don approached the door seconds later with Robert in his arms and he was able to drag Robert through the door. Macalister moved aside so that Don could drag Robert through. Macalister had an expectant look on his face.

“Kid! It’s about time, what took you?” Asked Macalister.

I opened my mouth to answer, but Macalister raised his hand and turned away from me.

“Never mind, it’s not important! We must hurry and revert the vampire transformation of Rapier and Shadow!” Macalister said frantically.

I nodded briskly.

“Right!” I said.

I heard a thud behind me, and I looked over to see that Robert had collapsed. His face was contorted in pain and his teeth were clenched. His hands were at his throat and he began shouting.

“You said you could revert the vampire transformation, Ignacio! Now would be a good time to do so!” Robert said, his voice was filled with frustration and expectance.

I looked around when Robert mentioned Ignacio. I still didn’t see him anywhere. I heard him chuckle. I heard footsteps across the room. They were drawing closer. Slowly, little by little Ignacio’s form was relinquished from the shadows and it became visible. He was still wearing his black cloak, but the hood was down, allowing me to see his face. I was able to make out features that I was unable to see in the cellar when we fought him recently. Ignacio had red eyes that were slightly almond shaped, he had pale skin, black hair that fell down past his shoulders, and he had a perfectly aligned, perfectly proportioned face without the slightest trace of any stubble. Needless to say, he was a handsome man. His lips were upturned, smirking and enjoying the position he had in the situation. The box containing the fifty thousand dollars was on a small table next to him.

“Well, I suppose I shall hold up my end of the bargain.” Ignacio said.

After he said that, he reached into his clock pocket and pulled out a knife that had a short blade. He raised it to his wrist and slit his skin open. After a second or two, blood started flowing out of his wound and onto the floor.

“Why the devil are you doing that? This is no time to fool around!” Macalister said angrily.

Ignacio then put the knife back into his pocket and pulled out two small glass vials. He held his bleeding wrist over them and filled them to the brim He then set the two vials on a nearby bookshelf, reached into his pocket again and withdrew two small corks for the vials. He fastened each cork into the opening of both the vials tightly and threw the vials to Macalister. Macalister caught them both in one hand expertly while still managing to keep hold of the wooden stake.

“What am I supposed to do with these?” Asked Macalister with one eyebrow cocked upwards.

“What’s contained within those two vials is going to save your friends. If they drink those vials until nothing remains, it will revert the vampire transformation.” Ignacio said.

“How does your blood revert the transformation?” Asked Macalister.

“Well, it’s not my blood specifically that reverts the transformation. You see, in order to revert the transformation from human to vampire, you must drink the blood of the vampire that bit you while the vampire that bit you is still alive. If you drink the blood of the vampire that bit you when it’s dead, it won’t revert the transformation. Now, I advise that you give your friends those vials, otherwise they’ll surely turn into vampires very soon.” Ignacio said.

Macalister’s eyes widened and he ran gave the vials to me, refusing to leave his guard post at the door. That was smart, considering that if Ignacio’s blood didn’t revert the transformation and he left, Don and Robert would surely turn into vampires. I took the vials from Macalister and I gave them to both Don and Robert. They both gasped as soon as the blood touched their lips. They almost coughed the blood up and back to the vials, but they choked it down. When both Don and Robert’s vials were depleted of the blood within, Don and Robert both put them on the ground next to themselves. Both of them looked relaxed after drinking Ignacio’s blood. Their faces drained of tension and they both were silent.

“As you can see, your friends already look better. They won’t transform into vampires. May I leave now?” Asked Ignacio.

I was thinking about it. What is this was some kind of illusion? A trick Ignacio will use to save himself. Did he really are what happened to Don and Robert? I was going to ask Macalister what he thought, but I heard Don stir.

“Ignacio’s blood worked! I no longer feel the burning thirst! I no longer feel the urge to drink blood! I’m saved!” Don shouted with relief.

I heard Robert stir as well.

“I feel better already! It’s a miracle! Such a burning, raging thirst can be tamed with merely a small dose of Ignacio’s blood!” Robert exclaimed.

I turned to Ignacio.

“Yes, you may leave now. Take your fifty thousand dollars and go. Thank you for what you have done. We’ll never forget what you did for us today. We owe you one for this.” I sincerely said to Ignacio.

Ignacio smirked.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Well, until we meet again. Farewell, thieves.” Ignacio said.

He then took the box containing the fifty thousand dollars off of the small table next to him and he walked across the room with it. When he reached Macalister, who was still guarding the door with the stake in his hand, Macalister stepped out of the way. Ignacio walked through the door and turned around the corner, disappearing from sight. I heard his footsteps fade into silence as he got farther and farther away. I heard a door open and shut, and Ignacio was gone. I followed the route that he had taken through the house and found the front door. From the space between the bottom of the door and the floor, I could see a little ray of sunshine streaming in. Wait a minute, how was Ignacio walking in the sunlight? He’s a vampire! I opened the door and saw a figure in the distance, the figure was draped in a black cloak. It was definitely Ignacio. He had the black cloak wrapped around his entire body, concealing every inch of his skin from the sunlight. In his hands was the wooden box that held the money we stole from the Haywood estate. I heard footsteps behind me, and Don, Robert and Macalister joined me in watching Ignacio walk off into the distance.

Chapter Fourteen The Scorpions’ Path Forward:

Wednesday June 23rd 1690

Macalister sighed.

“There goes our money.” He said with dismay.

I patted Macalister on the shoulder.

“It’s alright, my friend. We saved the lives of Robert and Don. In the end, it’s not the money that matters. It’s our unity as friends, our unity as criminals.” I told him.

Macalister nodded.

“Yes, you’re right. I’m happy that this madness is finally over.” Macalister said with a sigh of relief.

Don shifted nervously on the spot.

“The madness isn’t over. Far from it.” Don said.

Macalister cocked his head and looked to Don in confusion.

“Macalister, you can’t possibly think that the madness is over! There are vampires in this world, vampires are real!” Don exclaimed.

“Don is right, and we must not tell anyone of the existence of the vampire race. It’s as Ignacio said. He told us that vampires kill those who can’t keep their existence a secret.” Robert pitched in.

“That’s why we must not tell anyone that we know of the vampire race’s existence. It’s a dark, dangerous secret that we can’t let anyone know that we have knowledge of it. Does everyone understand?” Robert asked.

“Yes.” I said.

“Aye.” Macalister declared.

“Yes, I understand.” Don said.

Robert nodded.

“Good. Now, we must discuss our path forward.” Robert said.

“Yes, I thought that we had agreed that we’re to go to Yutsa?” I said.

“Yes, I thought that we were to go to Yutsa as well. Was that not what we discussed?” Asked Don.

Robert cleared his throat.

“Well yes, but in case none of you have noticed, we don’t know where we’re.” Robert said.

I had realized that we didn’t know where we were when I stepped outside this cabin, just before I was rendered unconscious by Ignacio’s poisoned food. I had completely forgotten that we didn’t know where we were until now.

“You’re right, Robert. We don’t know where we’re.” I said.

“What are we to do?” Asked Macalister.

There was a moment of silence. We were all contemplating a plan.

“I have an idea.” Don said.

We all looked to Don expectantly.

“Since we don’t know where we’re, we have no way of finding our way to Yutsa specifically, but the chance of us finding a town before sundown is very high. From there, we can find out where we’re.” Don said.

Robert cleared his throat.

“I just had a thought. Even if we were to find Yutsa, we can’t sneak into the province.” Robert said.

I looked to him with confusion.

“Why not?” I asked.

“We can’t sneak in because now that we know there are vampires roaming around, we could be ambushed at any given time. If we’re out of sight from people, out of sight of witnesses, we would be easy targets for vampires.” Robert said.

“So what you’re saying is that we can’t go to Yutsa because King Desmond is weary of outsiders. If we go through the main gates to Yutsa, we’ll be questioned and eventually exposed as criminals. If we sneak in out of sight, we could be killed by vampires.” I said to Robert.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” He replied.

“So what do we do now?” Asked Macalister.

“I say that we follow Don’s plan. We have a high chance of finding a town if we venture in a single direction. From the nearest town we can find out where we’re.” I told him.

“I agree. We didn’t need to go to Yutsa specifically, but I just thought that there would be less of a watch for us in Yutsa because it’s the farthest province from Relin.” Don said.

“Aye that’s clever, Don. Can we venture out now? I’m getting hungry and would like a meal before dark.” Macalister said.

Don shook his head.

“No, we can’t venture out yet. We must find the flintlocks that we stole from Queen Mycta’s guards back in Relin, in case we run into any trouble in the future.” Don said.

“We must also find our daggers. When we were captured by Ignacio, we only had a few bullets left for them. Flintlock bullets are expensive.” I added.

“Speaking of expenses, how much gold do we have now that the fifty thousand dollars is gone?” Asked Robert.

I reached into my pocket. My fingers brushed three cold metallic coins. I pulled them out of my pocket. Ignacio hadn’t taken the three gold coins that I had stolen from Relin’s border guards. I inspected the three gold pieces. I knew what gold looked like, I could draw out the entire coin in fine detail if so I wished. However, I loved holding gold in my hand and looking at it. It made me feel like I wasn’t completely broke. The gold coin was about three centimeters in diameter, it had the number “1” in the center of the coin and around the upper perimeter of the coin was the inscription: One Dollar.

“I have three gold coins.” I said.

Macalister, Don and Robert all reached into their pockets and found their coins.

“I have one gold coin.” Macalister said.

“I have two gold coins.” Don announced.

“I didn’t find any gold coins on Relin’s border guards.” Said Robert disappointedly.

Macalister put his gold in his pocket and held his hands up and closed them both. He then slowly extended eight fingers, one at a time.

“That makes… Eight gold pieces!” Macalister said.

Don shot him a confused look.

“Six.” Don corrected.

Macalister looked down confusedly at his hands and lowered two of his fingers.

“Oh.” He said in embarrassment.

“Never mind that! We must find our flintlocks and daggers!” Robert said urgently.

“Split up and search, we have a better chance of finding them if we split up.” I suggested.

“Fine idea, Redmond.” Macalister said.

Macalister walked towards one of the doors by the bed, it was the only door we hadn’t been through yet; the door in the middle. He opened it and stepped through, shutting the door behind him. Don went into the door by the bed farthest to the right. It was the room that Ignacio had been hiding in the shadows in. He opened the door, stepped through and shut it behind him. Robert turned around and walked through the door on the far left by the bed. He shut it behind him. I was now alone in the room. I looked around the room, searching for a place to begin searching for our daggers and flintlocks. I found the entrance to the cellar that was once concealed by the tapestry with the orange flame on it. I knew that Ignacio wouldn’t have hid our weapons where we were imprisoned, no one would have. I looked around the room and found a door that was partly concealed in the shadows that the candles threw across the walls. I didn’t like this house, there were too many shadows and they made me nervous. I began walking to the door. I hadn’t noticed it before. I reached out and turned the doorknob. I opened the door, stepped through and shut the door behind me. Candles riddled the walls, casting even more shadows across the room. I really, really hated this house. I watched the shadows carefully, half expecting something to jump out at me. I told myself that I was merely being excessively paranoid. I looked around the room. The walls, floor and ceiling were all made out of the same dark oak boards. The walls were bare with the exception of the candles. At the end of the room, there was a small desk that was only a meter or so long and half a meter wide. Atop this desk were a few pieces of parchment. One of the pieces of parchment looked like a letter. I walked over to the desk and picked up the letter. It read:

Recipient: Ignacio (Surname Unknown)

You’re to capture the four members of the marauding criminal group known as The Scorpions. Bring them to me dead or alive. If you bring them to me dead, I’ll pay you the agreed sum of ten thousand dollars. If you bring them to me alive, I shall Pay you the ten thousand dollars as well as allow you to choose three people from my court whom you may do as you will with. Turn them into vampires, kill them, drink their blood, the choice is yours. However, this is only if you bring me The Scorpions alive. After you bring me The Scorpions, this deal is terminated and may not be used as bargaining leverage to gain my favor in the future. I wish you the best of luck in fulfilling this deal and I thank you for assisting King Bunsen, King Desmond, Queen Yuka and I in ridding Alcingeria of the criminals that have become too dangerous for humans to kill.

~ Barnabas Lucias

I put the letter in my pocket. I didn’t know why I wanted to keep it, but I did. That letter was sent by King Lucias to Ignacio to confirm their deal to capture Macalister, Don, Robert and I. Two things on this letter were new to me; the fact that King Lucias would give three people from his court to Ignacio for capturing us alive. This thought sickened me. I had ended the lives of many men, but no women. I only kill people when I need to, such as if they’re a witness who could identify and report Don, Robert, Macalister and I, but the thought of being killed by a vampire was an unpleasant one. You would be drained of blood, you would feel your life slipping away from you along with each drop of blood that the vampire takes out of you, you would get dizzy and you would pass out and never wake up again. It was a scary thought. The second thing that was new to me was King Lucias’s first name. Barnabas. I had never heard his first name before, it sounded odd. Barnabas Lucias. It didn’t flow off of the tongue, it sounded a little awkward coming out of your mouth. I then flicked my gaze to the other pieces of parchment on the desk. There were four others. They were all pictures of Don, Robert, Macalister and I. They were like wanted posters but they didn’t have the reward on them, just the drawings of us, The Scorpions. I looked around on the desk, there were no more pieces of parchment and there were no drawers. I exited the room and went back to the room where I had previously been. It was the room with the orange flame tapestry and the bed. I saw that Don had finished searching, he stood with his back to me. He heard me coming and turned around.

“Did you find anything?” Asked Don.

I nodded and extracted the letter from my pocket. I handed it to Don. Don took it from my hands and read it. He took a few moments to read it. When he finished reading, he started laughing. He handed the letter back to me, still laughing. I took it and put it back in my pocket.

“Barnabas? That’s King Lucias’s first name?” Don laughed.

A grin cracked my lips and I nodded.

“I know, it doesn’t flow off of the tongue, now does it?” I asked him.

Don shook his head, frowning.

“Quite odd, really. Most peoples’ first and last names go well together and flow well. Barnabas Lucias does not.” Don said.

He had finally stopped laughing.

“I know. Anyway, that’s not important. I wonder how much luck Robert and Macalister are having?” I said.

Don frowned and shook his head.

“Only time will tell. I had no luck myself.” He said.

“I suppose that you’re right.” I said.

Don cleared his throat and spoke to me in a serious tone.

“Redmond, I need to ask you something.” Don said.

This sparked my interest.

“What is it, Don?” I asked him.

“I have been thinking. Something that Ignacio said does not make sense.” Don said.

I thought back on what Ignacio had said previously. Everything he said made sense. Some of it made sense in a twisted way, but it made some sense at least.

“What does not make sense?” I asked, puzzled.

“Do you remember when Ignacio said ‘the humans of Alcingeria make up only a small fraction of those who know of the vampire race’?” Don asked me.

I remembered him saying that. I had puzzled over it briefly when he said it. He said that the humans of Alcingeria make up only a small fraction of those who know of the vampire race. What other species could know of vampires? Could there be other supernatural creatures in Alcingeria?

“Yes, why?” I asked.

“Do you think that there are other supernatural creatures in Alcingeria besides vampires?” Don asked.

Wonder filled Don’s eyes. His eyes widened as he spoke. I shrugged my shoulders in response to his question.

“I don’t know. After all, only two days ago we didn’t know about vampires. I suppose that it’s possible that other supernatural creatures exist in Alcingeria.” I told him.

“What kind of other strange creatures do you think exist without our knowledge?” Asked Don in wonder.

My mind went back to when my father used to tell me stories of supernatural creatures. The stories he used to tell me contained angels, demons, vampires, fairies, sorcerers and all sorts of others. Could it be that those stories are true? Were only the vampire stories true?

“My father used to tell me stories of all kinds of strange creatures. In his stories there were angels, demons, vampires, fairies, sorcerers and many other things. Do you think that they could all be real?” I asked.

Don nodded.

“After just seeing a legitimate vampire, I don’t think that the other supernatural creatures are not so unbelievable.” Don said.

I heard footsteps in the room. I turned to look to them and saw Robert and Macalister walking across the room towards us. In Macalister’s hands were four daggers and in Robert’s hands were four flintlocks.

“What were you two talking about?” Robert asked.

“We were discussing the stories that our fathers told us about supernatural creatures. We think that other supernatural creatures besides vampires could exist in Alcingeria.” Don said.

“Well, after seeing a vampire, I don’t think that other paranormal creatures seem very make belief.” Robert remarked.

Robert handed Don and I our flintlocks and Macalister handed us our daggers. Robert passed me the small flask of gunpowder that I had found on one of Relin’s border guard. I poured the gunpowder down the barrel of the flintlock and I put a bullet into the barrel after the gunpowder. I put the remaining ammunition and my dagger in my pocket. I kept my flintlock in my hand. Robert pulled all the remaining flintlock ammunition from his pocket and handed Don and I four bullets each and gave four to Macalister. He kept four for himself. That meant we had sixteen bullets in total. Robert gave Macalister a flintlock. Macalister passed a dagger to Robert. I passed the flask of gunpowder around to everyone else and they reloaded their flintlocks. They passed the flask of gunpowder back to me. I put it in my pocket.

“Right then, lads. Are we ready?” Asked Robert.

“Ready. I’m hungry, too.” Macalister said.

“I’m ready.” Don said.

“I’m ready. Macalister is right. We need to get some food soon.” I said.

“I agree with you lot. We need to eat something. We’ll use the gold that we got from the border guards at Relin.” Robert said.

I started walking for the front door. When I reached it, I turned the knob, pushed it open and stepped through. I held it open for Don, Robert and Macalister. Macalister had to duck beneath the top of the doorway to avoid hitting his head.

Chapter Fifteen Departure:

Wednesday June 23rd 1690

When all four of us were outside Ignacio’s cabin, we took in the scenery around us. We were in a forest. Trees were very common and they were densely packed together in most areas. The sound of crickets and other insects filled the air and the smell of moss and wet leaves hung on the air. I spotted the place where I had been standing when I passed out from Ignacio’s poisoned food and water.

“Which way do we go?” Macalister asked.

We all looked around. There was nothing to give us an incentive as to where we were, so we had to go on a hunch.

“Anyone care to take a wild guess?” Asked Robert.

Don raised his hand and pointed a finger to our left.

“I suppose that way is as good as any.” Don pointed out.

Don began walking in the direction that he indicated. I walked after him. Robert followed me and Macalister brought up the rear. I looked up to the sun. It was past its apex in the sky and was starting to descend towards the horizon. I estimated that it was at least four hours past noon. The trees passed in a slow haze of green as we walked by them.

“Let’s hope that luck is with us. If we don’t find a town before dark, we’ll go another night hungry.” Macalister said.

“Yes. We can get a meal in the next town and we can find out where we’re, like we already said. From there we can decide what to do next.” Robert told him.

Upon another mention of food, I noticed that my stomach was aching with hunger. Macalister was right. We had to find a town before dark.

“Redmond, you and Don were talking about the stories that your fathers told you as children. You also said that there could be other supernatural creatures in Alcingeria.” Robert said.

“Well, yes. Why?” I asked.

“What other creatures do you think could be in the world?” Asked Robert.

I recited what I said to Don earlier.

“Well, in the stories my father told me there were angels, demons, vampires, fairies, sorcerers and all sorts of other creatures.” I said.

“Yes, my father told me of similar creatures when I was a boy.” Macalister said.

Don look to Robert.

“Did your father ever tell you stories?” Don asked.

Robert’s shoulders sagged.

“Not commonly, no. He would sometimes tell me a bedtime story, but I can’t recall most of them. The ones that I can remember included lycans.” Robert said.

Lycans? The word seemed familiar. Perhaps my father told me of such stories as well?

“What are lycans?” Macalister asked.

“Well, lycans are creatures who have the appearance of a man, but during the full moon they assume the forms of large wolves.” Robert explained.

“That sounds like a load of crap to me.” Macalister remarked.

“Well, vampires would have seemed like a load of crap to you a few days ago. Now that you have seen one and know that they’re real, your opinion has changed, correct?” Robert asked.

“Yes, of course my opinion has changed.” Macalister said.

“Well since vampires are real, that could mean that the other supernatural creatures of Alcingeria are real, too.” Robert said.

Macalister nodded slowly.

“I understand. We can’t look at the world the same way that we once did. We must open our eyes and see what we failed to before.” Macalister said.

Wow. Those were surprisingly wise words for someone of Macalister’s… Intelligence level.

“Well, I’m impressed. Those are wise words.” Don said.

Macalister smiled in appreciation.

“He’s right. We can’t view the world as normal people. We must keep an eye out for vampires and whatever else is out there.” I said.

“We don’t know what else is out there, how will we keep an eye out for something that we have no knowledge of?” Macalister asked.

“We must always be on guard and on the lookout for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. If we stay sharp, we’re bound to find something eventually.” Robert told us.

Upon hearing Robert say ‘stay sharp’ I instinctively looked around. The forest that we were in grew thicker as we walked on. As we walked deeper and deeper we had to swerve more and more often to avoid hitting trees. I looked up at the sun. It had sunk towards the horizon more since we started talking. The sky took on the color of the early stages of twilight. Just then, I heard a voice. It belonged to a male and the voice was quite loud. I could make out the words;

“Hey! I got one!” The male voice said.

There was a thud sound as well as the sound of boots crunching over leaves.

“Would you keep it down! What if there are people nearby?” Asked a second male voice in a quieter tone.

“Are you mad? No one would be out in this part of the forest. We’re only a kilometer or two from that vampire’s cabin!” The first voice said.

“It doesn’t matter. We have what we came for so let’s go back to Vulrock. Queen Yuka will have our heads if we don’t have this brought to her by nightfall.” The second voice said anxiously.

I looked to the others. They had their heads inclined towards the voices as well.

“What should we do?” I asked.

“We should ask them if they can lead us to Vulrock. There will be food at Vulrock.” Macalister said.

“I agree with Macalister. We have no idea where we’re and we need food.” Don said.

“Very well.” Robert said.

Don began walking towards the place where the voices were coming from. I followed Don while Robert and Macalister stayed put. After walking a few feet I saw them. There were two men, both burly and muscular looking and they were both over six feet tall. They both wore matching brown leather sleeveless shirts. One of them was slightly taller than the other. The taller one had a musket slung over his shoulder with a leather strap. They both had their backs to us, looking at a small burlap sack that was tied shut at their feet. They were about fifteen feet away from Don and I. I decided to call out.

“Excuse me!” I called out.

In a flash, the taller man got the musket off of his shoulder, spun around and aimed the musket at Don and I. His friend turned around to face us as well.

“Who are you?” Called the taller man, the one with the musket.

Don and I put out hands to the sky, my flintlock was still in my hand.

“Relax! We’re not hostile. We merely wish to accompany you to Vulrock. We’re lost and don’t know where we’re.” Don called.

I saw the taller man lower the musket slightly. He seemed a little more relaxed than he had been a few seconds ago. Good thing Don was very charismatic.

The taller man leaned over slightly to talk to his friend, his eyes didn’t leave Don and I. After a few seconds, the taller man brought his full attention to Don and I.

“You may not accompany us to Vulrock!” He called out.

Confusion and dismay set in. Why would he not let us accompany them to Vulrock?

“What? Why not?” Don called out.

Just then, the burlap sack at the men’s feet that I had noticed earlier moved.

“What’s in the bag?” I asked, gesturing to the burlap sack with my chin while keeping my hands up.

The taller man with the musket snapped his gaze downward to the bag. It moved as he did so. He kicked the bag and it stopped moving.

“None of your business! Go back the way you came or I’ll shoot!” The taller man said, aiming his musket at us.

“Hey, hey! There is no need for aggression! All we want is to find our way back to civilization. If we can’t follow you to Vulrock, can you direct us there?” Don asked.

The taller man looked to his friend. He turned his gaze back to Don and I and his friend whispered something in his ear. When he was done, the taller man looked back to us.

“Very well. The border of Vulrock is a few kilometers away from here. To get there you head straight in this direction.” The man gestured behind him.

“You’ll come to Vulrock eventually. However after my friend and I have gone, you must wait half an hour after we have vanished from sight or you will be shot, understand?” The man said.

“We’ll be shot? How come?” I asked, a little bit of fear showed in my voice.

The taller man shrugged.

“It’s nothing personal, see. We don’t know you so we can’t trust you to get close to our score.” The shorter man said while pointing to the burlap sack that lay on the ground.

What could possibly be inside that burlap sack that’s so important to them? It had moved earlier. Could it have been an animal? Were those men poachers? I didn’t hear a gunshot from the man’s musket go off so he didn’t shoot an animal. They had caught it in that bag. If they were out here to capture animals in bags and not shoot them, what did they need the musket for?

“I understand. Thank you!” Don called.

“Be careful, aye? These woods are dangerous come nightfall!” The shorter man called.

With that said, the taller man grabbed the burlap sack from the ground, turned around and started walking in the direction that he said Vulrock was. His friend followed him. Pretty soon they had vanished from sight.

“What do you think the man meant when he said ‘these woods are dangerous come nightfall’?” Don asked.

“I don’t know. Perhaps they know of vampires as well?” I asked.

“Possibly. Anyway, let’s go find Macalister and Robert. We must wait half an hour before we may continue.” Don said.

Don then walked back to where we left Macalister and Robert. We found them standing with dumbfounded expressions. Don explained what had happened.

Chapter Sixteen Vulrock:

Wednesday June 23rd 1690

“So when Redmond and I went out there, there were these two men. One was tall and the other shorter. The taller one had a musket. They had captured something in a burlap sack. We asked them what was in it and they told us that it was none of our business. They directed us to Vulrock, but the taller man threatened to shoot us if we went to Vulrock with them. He told us to wait half an hour before heading there. When we asked why, the man with the musket said that they didn’t want us getting close to their score. When he said that he pointed to the burlap sack.” Don explained.

Robert’s expression assumed a confused look.

“Why would they threaten to shoot you?” Robert asked.

Don shrugged.

“That’s beyond me. Whatever the reason, he seemed pretty bloody protective of that burlap sack.” Don said.

“What could be in it? Why would they want to protect it so desperately?” Macalister asked.

“Who knows? Maybe they’re poachers?” Don said.

I thought of the question I had earlier. I decided to voice it.

“Well, I had a thought. They had a musket with them, right? If they were just going to capture something in a burlap sack and not use the musket to shoot it first, then what did they need the musket for in the first place?” I asked.

There was a moment of silent contemplation. Don spoke first.

“Perhaps they were poachers, but they didn’t need the musket for hunting the animals. Perhaps they needed the musket to shoot anyone who would get too close to their ‘score’?” Don asked.

Robert shook his head in confusion. He was frowning.

“That does not make sense. Who in their right mind would shoot someone over an animal?” He said.

“That raises Macalister’s question; what could have been in that burlap sack and why did they want to protect it so desperately?” Don added.

“Well I saw the bag move so it must have been an animal.” I said.

“Yes, but what animal in the world is worth shooting someone over?” Robert asked.

“I don’t know. Since they’re most likely poachers, would they not be worried about being reported to law enforcement officers? Perhaps that’s why they threatened to shoot us if we followed them to Vulrock. They may have been worried that we would report them to the border guards for poaching.” I suggested.

“One thing does not add up.” Don said.

“What is it? I’m confused.” Macalister admitted.

“I heard one of them say that Queen Yuka would have their heads if they didn’t have whatever was in their burlap sack brought to her by nightfall. If they’re worried about being reported for poaching, why are they doing it on Queen Yuka’s demand?” Don asked.

That was a very confusing thought.

“Why would Queen Yuka order people to poach animals for her?” Macalister asked.

“That’s beyond me.” Robert admitted.

“We must find out what it’s that Queen Yuka wants. If a man was willing to shoot us over it, then it must be something big.” I said.

“I have a feeling that Alcingeria’s rulers are not as they seem.” Macalister said.

“Well, we know that they’re not. Ignacio said himself that four out of five of Alcingeria’s rulers use vampires to hunt down dangerous criminals. To our knowledge only Queen Mycta is normal. She knows of vampires, but that’s all.” Don said.

“To our knowledge.” Robert added.

“Yes. So if Queen Yuka uses vampires to hunt dangerous criminals, what would she want with some animal?” Don asked.

“Maybe the animal is a lycan!” Macalister exclaimed.

Don looked to Macalister.

“No. Lycan are large wolves. The burlap sack that the men had with them was small. Too small to fit a wolf, let alone a lycan.” Don said.

“Well, what else could it be?” I asked in frustration.

Robert shook his head.

“We’ll discuss this at a later time. I believe that it has been half an hour. Let’s go in the direction that the two men told us to go. Don, which way was that?” Robert asked.

Don turned around to face the direction that the two men told us was headed to Vulrock.

“This way.” Don said as he began walking.

Robert Macalister and I followed Don. I looked up to the sky. The sun was almost setting. We had around an hour to an hour and a half of daylight left before it started to get dark. I looked ahead of us. The forest was getting denser and denser as we walked onwards. I kept expecting to see the gates of Vulrock appear in the distance but they didn’t. I looked to my left and right. All I saw were trees, boulders and fallen logs. The sound of leaves crunching beneath our feet filled the air. Somewhere in the distance a wolf howled. A series of howls called in return.

“Do you think those are lycan?” Macalister asked.

Robert laughed.

“Could be, but I don’t want to be out here long enough to find out.” He said.

“Me neither. I want to go to Vulrock. There will be food there.” Macalister said eagerly.

Don laughed.

“Is that all you think about?” Don asked.

Macalister shrugged.

“I’m hungry.” He said defensively.

“We should be coming up on Vulrock pretty soon. Then we’ll all get something to eat.” I told everyone.

“Let us hope you’re right.” Macalister said with a laugh.

Talking about food made the ache in my gut more and more painful. My stomach grumbled and I put a hand over it. My throat was dry as well. I estimated that we had enough gold between the four of us to buy ourselves a good meal. I looked ahead of us. Finally after walking for some time more, a large pale grey stone wall loomed in the distance. From here we could make out the gate and a few guards stationed at the gate.

“Everyone, put your weapons away. The last thing we need is being arrested for brandishing our weapons around the guards.” Robert said with a laugh.

I put my flintlock in my pocket along with the flask of gunpowder and the dagger. When my hand bumped against the flask of gunpowder the flask didn’t seem very heavy. This told me that it was almost empty. I looked ahead once more. We were now within a hundred feet of the gate. The stone wall was almost twenty feet high. The four of us approached the guards at the gate slowly. There were five guards at the gate. They were carrying flintlocks in holsters on their hips and they each had a musket slung over their shoulders. They noticed us as we drew near. They all turned to face us.

“Halt!” Called out a guard.

The guard who had spoken was the tallest of the five. He had a clean shaven face and a sturdy build. He looked strong.

We did as we were told and stopped walking.

“State your business!” Called out the tallest guard.

Don cleared his throat.

“We’re travelers looking to sell our wares here in Vulrock!” Don called out.

It was a clever lie. We could never tell the guards the truth about why we were actually here.

The tallest guard looked us over.

“Very well. Approach the gate slowly. We’ll open it when you’re near.” The tallest guard said.

We did as we were told and we approached the gate slowly. When we were about ten feet away the gate began to raise as the sound of pulleys rotating filled the air. When the gate eight feet off the ground we stepped through. We came to a narrow passage way that was around twelve feet long. The walls were all made of grey stone. At the end of the passage way there was the sound of people chattering and horse hooves against cobblestone. The faint sound of gold pieces clanking together was also audible. We walked through the passage way and came to the exit. I looked around. It was almost dark out. The sky was turning a faint blue as darkness was beginning its descent. There was a cobblestone street that led to a decorative fountain that spewed water into intricate patterns through the air. The sound of rushing water was now audible. From the fountain branched off many cobblestone pathways that led every which way. Dark smooth stone pathways lined the sides of the streets as sidewalks. There were people everywhere talking to one another. Their voices mixed and began one big jumble of nonsense. I looked left and right. On the sides of the roads there were buildings every few feet. Some had signs that read; Rest Your Head! Two Dollars Per Room! And Arm Yourself Today! And Need Protection? Get Your Armor Here! And Medicine Is Sold Here! The signs signified different shops like inns, weapon and armor shops and medicine shops. I looked around even farther but didn’t find a food shop.

“I don’t see a shop that sells food.” Macalister said.

“We should go farther into the city to look for a food shop. There does not appear to be one in the town square.” Don said.

Don began walking towards the fountain in front of us and the rest of us followed him. We walked past the fountain and began following a cobblestone pathway that led farther into the city. There were people packed very tightly here but we managed to weave through the crowd. There were residential buildings all around us lining the streets. Cloths lines were hung from building to building overhead. Each one was filled with cloths of all colors; red, green, magenta and blue.

“There!” Don exclaimed, pointing to a red stone building.

Over the doorway was a sign that read Hot Meals Inside! I exhaled in relief and we all began making our way through the crowd of people and towards the red stone building. We all finally reached the door and we opened it and stepped through. Macalister had to duck under the doorway to avoid hitting his head. He was the last one in so he shut the door. Oddly the shop was empty. Good thing, too. The shop interior was small and wouldn’t fit a lot of people. There were tables around the perimeter of the room. The walls had windows every few feet that let in light. The floor, ceiling and walls were all the made of the same red stone as the exterior of the building. Across the room from us was a young man with blue eyes and pale blond hair. He was shorter than me but had a nice and soft smile.

“Hello! You four look like you’re travellers.” The young man greeted us.

“We are, and we’re hungry too.” Don said with a grin.

“Very good! What can I get you?” The young man asked with a smile.

“Anything that will feed the four of us and is under six dollars.” Don said.

The young man’s face acquired a thoughtful frown.

“Let me see what I have in the back.” The young man said.

He turned and walked through a door that was behind him. After he stepped through, he closed it behind himself. We could hear him walking around in there. We could hear boxes being shifted. The door opened a few seconds later.

“Lucky for you lads we have some bread in stock. It’s very cheap.” The young man said.

“How cheap?” Don asked.

“One dollar for two loaves.” The young man replied.

“How much is water?” Don asked.

“Water is the same price. One dollar for two flasks.” The young man said.

Don looked to us all and grinned.

“We’ll take four loaves of bread and four flasks of water please.” Don said.

“Very well. That will be four dollars please.” The young man said.

Don looked to us.

“I need some money, lads.” Don said.

I knew that Don had two gold pieces on him, so I reached into my pocket and fished out two gold pieces, leaving myself with one left. I gave Don the two gold pieces. He took them and strode over to the counter. He dropped the four gold pieces on the counter and the young man smiled again.

“Be right back. Let me just fetch your order.” He said.

He went to the back room and came back with four loaves of bread and four flasks of water. He set them on the counter and took the four gold pieces off of the counter.

“Thank you for your business!” The young man said.

Don grabbed our order off of the counter and brought it back to us. We walked through the door and out on to the busy streets again. The sound of people chattering was very loud.

“Well we got our food and water. That should tide us over until we get some more money.” Don said as he handed us each our bread and water.

I grabbed my bread and water hastily and bit into the bread instantly. It was a little dry but it was fresh. I took a few bites out of the loaf and swallowed them hungrily. I looked over to Macalister to find that he was just finishing off his loaf of bread.

“Macalister! You ate your whole loaf already?” Don said with a laugh.

Macalister looked at his empty hands.

“Yes, I did.” He said.

I started eating my loaf of bread again. I finished it in a few more bites. It was delicious! I drank my flask of water in a few gulps. I put the empty flask in my pocket. I looked over to the others. They were almost finished their bread.

“So, what do we do now that we’re in Vulrock?” I asked.

Robert looked around.

“It’s too crowded here. We must go somewhere with less listeners to discuss our further plans.” Robert said.

Robert walked through the crowd. The others and I followed him. We wove our way around the many people that crowded the streets. We walked to the other side of the street and began walking in the opposite direction of the town square. Up ahead I could see the crowd thinning.

Chapter Seventeen Further Plans:

Wednesday June 23rd 1690

We made our way to where we saw the crowd thinning. As we walked away from the town square the crowds got thinner and thinner. We walked along on the sidewalk until there was almost no one around us. Robert waked into an alley way between two shops and stopped. We walked into the alley after him. On either side of us was a grey stone wall. There were no windows on the walls in the alley. It was beginning to get dark. The sky above was turning a pale blue. It would soon be nightfall.

“So what’s our plan? What are we going to do next?” Don asked.

“Yes, and what about the mystery of what was in the two men’s burlap sack in the forest?” I asked.

Robert scratched his chin.

“Well, we can’t find out what was in the burlap sack in the forest. We must keep our eyes out for any clues that could tell us what it may have been. Maybe we can find a poster that says a certain animal pelt went up in price? I don’t know.” Robert says.

“Alright, so what do we do next?” Don repeated.

“Well, we could stay in Vulrock for a while. We can’t risk walking around in the forest because of the vampires and whatever else is out there. We’re a little short on money so we’ll need to steal some things and sell them, or we could steal some money. That way we can afford rooms at an inn.” Robert said.

Don nodded.

“That’s a smart plan. So once we get rooms at an inn it’s business as usual?” Macalister asked.

I knew that ‘business as usual’ meant that we would just resume our criminal activities here in Vulrock.

“Well it will be business as usual, except for the fact that we need to watch our backs for witnesses as well as vampires and whatever else is out there.” Robert said.

“Yes, I would like to avoid any future run-ins with vampires.” Don said, rubbing his neck.

“Yes. How are your necks, Don and Robert?” I asked.

Robert pulled down the collar on his shirt to reveal his neck.

“How does it look?” He asked.

I took a look at his neck. I could see pairs of fang marks that were just over two centimeters apart. I could see the faint outlines of Ignacio’s other teeth as well. There were about seven bite marks in total. I shuddered. The bite marks were turning white.

“Well it doesn’t look too bad, but it looks like it may scar.” I told him.

Robert nodded in understanding.

“What about mine?” Don asked.

He pulled down his shirt collar and I turned to look at his neck. His bite mark looked the same as Robert’s.

“The same as Robert. It looks fine but it may scar.” I told him.

“I really don’t like vampires much.” Don said as he crossed his arms.

Robert laughed.

“I would drink to that, but I have no bottle.” Robert chuckled.

“How does it feel? To be bitten by a vampire, I mean.” Macalister asked curiously.

Robert looked to Don. Don looked to Macalister.

“It feels like two white hot needles have impaled your neck, and then you feel your blood leaving your body. Then you get dizzy and you feel like you’re going to pass out. The burning sensation doesn’t stop for a few seconds even after the vampire has removed its fangs from your neck.” Don explained.

His expression was sad as he reflected on his torment.

“Ouch.” Macalister said.

“Ouch is right.” Robert chuckled.

I clapped my hands together.

“Alright. It’s almost nightfall and I don’t wish to sleep in a gutter tonight. Shall we steal some money to buy rooms at an inn, lads?” I asked.

This earned grins from everyone.

“Yes, indeed we shall.” Robert said with a grin.

Macalister looked around.

“Who are we going to steal from?” He asked.

“Well, we can’t steal from a shop. That would raise too much alarm. We could rob someone, someone who is away from crowds.” Robert said.

“That’s smart. Let’s go find someone then.” I said.

I peeked out of the alley way that we were in. We didn’t see anyone here, the crowd had moved in the direction of the town square. I could hear chatter coming in the direction of the square.

“We shouldn’t go in the direction of the town square. It sounds like there are a lot of people there.” I said, eyeing the road that we had just came down.

“I agree. Come on.” Robert said, walking in the opposite direction.

I followed him and I could hear Macalister and Don follow me. Robert walked casually down the road and I did the same. We stuck to the sidewalk where there were shadows of the surrounding buildings cast by the setting sun. I looked over Robert’s shoulder and saw a lone man standing on the sidewalk. His back was to us. He was on the other side of the street about thirty feet away. I stopped walking.

“How do you want to do this?” I asked.

Robert stopped walking, as did Don and Macalister.

“If we’re quiet we can sneak up behind up nice and quiet. If he does not see us, we won’t have to kill him.” Robert said.

“We can’t risk the attention that a gunshot will attract.” Don added.

“Alright lads, follow my lead. Remember; be quiet.” Robert said.

Robert began to walk quietly and cross the road. I did the same. I could hear Don and Macalister right behind me. Robert dropped to a crouch position and stuck to the shadows. I followed his lead. I looked around above us. I saw three story residential buildings all around us. There were balconies on most of them but they were empty. That meant that no one would spot us from above. I looked over Robert’s shoulder again. We were approaching the man. Robert was now about five feet away from him. After a few more silent steps Robert lunged forward and put the man in a headlock, clamping one hand over his mouth and one hand over his eyes. The man began to scream and flail around in Robert’s grip but the man’s screams were lost in Robert’s hand. Robert held firm and the man’s struggling reduced slightly. I ran forward and began to search the man’s pockets. I reached into his left pants pocket and pulled out a handful of gold pieces. I counted eight in total. I heard Macalister arrive behind me. He helped Robert in restraining the man. I reached into the man’s right pants pocket but found nothing. I searched the man’s shirt pocket but came up empty.

“We have what we need! We need to go!” I said to Robert in a quiet voice.

Robert leaned in close to the man’s ear and whispered something;

“If you turn around in the next five minutes, we’ll shoot you. If you tell anyone about this, we’ll find you. Understand?” Robert said.

The man realised his hopeless situation and his shoulders sagged. His head bobbed up and down once, signaling that he understood. Robert and Macalister both released the man.

“Your five minute countdown starts now.” Don said cockily.

With that, we turn and ran in the opposite direction, towards the town square. It was getting darker by the minute. I looked over my shoulder to see if the man had turned around. He hadn’t. I turned my attention back to my front. We turned a corner in the road so that we were out of sight of the man if he turned around. We decreased to a walk.

“What did you get?” Robert asked.

“Eight gold pieces.” I said, reaching into my pocket and holding them out.

Robert examined them.

“Nice work, Redmond.” He said.

The chattering that hung on the air became louder and louder as we approached the town square. The fountain came into view and the sound of rushing water became audible. A crowd of people was gathered in the town square. Some of the people retired to their homes for the night. I saw a few walk out of the mass of people and enter residential buildings.

“Shall we find an inn?” Don asked.

Macalister nodded eagerly.

“I’m tired.” He said with a yawn.

I looked past the crowd that lingered in the town square. I saw signs that marked a blacksmith, armor shops, weapon shops, general stores, eateries and other shops. I finally found the familiar sign that read; Rest Your Head! Two Dollars Per Room! It was hung over the doorway of a grey stone building. I had seen this sign on our way into Vulrock.

“There!” I said, indicating the inn.

I began walking towards the inn and the others followed me. I made my way through the gradually thinning crowd of people in the square and I found myself at the doorstep of the inn in no time. I pushed the door open and stepped through, holding it open for the other three. To our right was a counter with a middle aged man behind it. The room that we found ourselves in, the lobby, had windows all over the walls. It was getting dark outside but candles flickered in holders along the walls. There were tables around the lobby. A few of them were occupied but the room was quiet.

“Hello! What can I do for you folks?” Asked the middle aged man behind the counter.

I looked over to him and saw that he was talking to us.

“We would like four rooms, please.” Don said.

The man behind the counter nodded.

“The rooms are two dollars each. Will you be staying?” The man asked.

I reached into my pocket and withdrew the eight gold pieces I had stolen from the man on the street a while ago. He had eight gold pieces; just enough to cover the cost of four rooms for us. That certainly was lucky. I put the gold pieces on the counter.

“Yes, we’ll be staying.” I said with a smile.

The man took the gold pieces and put them into his pocket.

“Alright, let me get your room keys.” The man said.

He then walked out of sight and I heard a door opening and then closing a few seconds later. The man walked back into sight holding four keys. He laid them on the counter. They hit the counter with a clink as they hit against one another. Each key was about four centimeters long and each was brass in color.

“Thank you very much.” I said with a nod.

“Thank you for your business. All of your rooms are down that hall.” The man said, pointing to the entrance to a hallway that was at the back of the room.

I reached out and grabbed a room key. On the key was a number: 210. This must have been the room number that the key was assigned to. The other three grabbed their keys.

I then had a thought. It was a question that had been in the back of my mind since we got here.

“What’s this village called?” I asked the man behind the counter.

The man looked to me.

“Riverguard.” The man replied.

“Thank you.” I said to him.

The man smiled and nodded to me.

“I’m going to go to my room now. I’ll see you all in the morning.” I said to the others

“Good night, Redmond.” Robert said.

I nodded to him and located the entrance to the hallway that the man had indicated. I walked over to it and entered the passage. I glanced at the room numbers that were on the doors. I had to walk for another minute to pass the rooms between one hundred and two hundred. I arrived at the door marked by two hundred and I walked down a few more doors.

“Two hundred eight, two hundred nine, two hundred ten.” I counted aloud.

When I reached my room I inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it to the right. I heard a click and I opened the door and stepped inside. I shut the door behind me and put the key in my pocket. The room was dimly lit by the light of the setting sun. There were no candles around, which was fine because I wouldn’t be staying awake very long. There was a simple bed in the far corner of the room. There was a window to the right of the bed. The floor was made of light colored oak wood that was sturdy and creaked slightly as I walked across it. The ceiling and walls were made of the same sturdy oak wood. There was a small desk to my left complete with a quill, an ink well and a stool. There was a rug about a meter in diameter in the middle of the room. A shelf that was about my height was next to the desk. The ceiling was about six feet high. I laughed as I pictured Macalister needing to duck to avoid hitting his head, as he was 6’6”. There was a room to my left that appeared to be a bathroom. It contained a toilet, a wash basin and a mirror. I was feeling fatigued and stiff from being Ignacio’s captive. I walked over to the bed, layed down and pulled the blankets over my head. My mind replayed the events of the last few days;

Don Robert Macalister and I were going on a heist to steal fifty thousand dollars from Jonathan Haywood at his estate. We managed to steal the money and make off with it but we had attracted Queen Mycta’s palace guards. They chased us through the woods for a long time and eventually caused us to crash by shooting our wheels with their flintlocks. We were thrown around inside the carriage and Don, Macalister and I were injured. Robert, who was driving the carriage had gotten away on the horse. As Queen Mycta’s guards closed in on us, Robert drew a few of them away. After a short gun fight Macalister and Don were both shot by Queen Mycta’s guards and I was too injured from the carriage crash to continue fighting. When everything looked like it had gone completely downhill, we were rescued by a mysterious man named Ignacio. Although he didn’t save us out of the kindness of his heart. He turned out to be a vampire who was under orders from King Lucias to apprehend Don Robert Macalister and I dead or alive. However he held us in his cellar to harvest us for our blood for a while. He would then bring us to King Lucias and collect his promised reward. Ignacio told us that four of Alcingeria’s leaders, King Lucias, Queen Yuka, King Bunsen and King Desmond all use vampires to catch criminals who became too dangerous for Humans to kill or apprehend. Upon hearing this, we deemed it possible that other supernatural creatures from stories that we heard could be real. We devised a plan to escape from Ignacio’s cellar, but Ignacio bit Don and Robert when we were in his cellar and they began to turn into vampires. Ignacio offered us a cure to revert the vampire transformation in exchange for the fifty thousand dollars that we stole from Jonathan Haywood. We accepted the deal and the cure turned out to be Ignacio’s blood. Ignacio took the money and fled immediately. Since we had no idea where we were, the four of us began to make our way in a single direction until we came across a village. Along the way we met two men in the woods who had a burlap sack with something inside it. We asked them if we could accompany them to the nearest province which happened to be Vulrock. They told us the way to Vulrock but told us to wait thirty minutes before following them because they didn’t want us to get close to their ‘score’ which was what was inside the burlap sack. The men said that they would shoot us if we were caught following them before thirty minutes had passed. Whatever was inside that burlap sack, they really didn’t want us finding out what it was. After thirty minutes passed we headed towards Vulrock and came to the village of Riverguard. We bought rooms at this inn.

Once I was finished recalling the last few days I realized how insane that it all sounded. I felt my eyelids droop and they soon closed all the way.

***

Chapter Eighteen A New Day:

Thursday June 24th 1690

I could feel warm golden sunlight on my face that streamed in through the window next to me. I opened my eyes and rubbed them. The sun was well into the sky. It was almost noon! I got out of bed and walked over to the door. I opened it and stepped into the hallway. I made my way to the lobby and found Macalister Don and Robert sitting at a table in the far corner of the room. They were all talking. As I got closer I could hear what they were saying.

“That thing that was in the burlap sack in the forest, I still don’t know what it could have been.” Robert said, puzzled.

They heard me approaching and looked at me.

“Good morning sunshine! Ugly as ever, you’re.” Don said mockingly.

This earned a chuckle from the others.

“I can see the term ‘beauty sleep’ does not apply to you either.” I said wittily.

Don laughed.

“Alright, Alright. We were just talking about that thing that the two men had in the woods. The thing in the burlap sack. Please, join us.” Don said.

I sat down with them.

“We theorized that the thing in the burlap sack was an animal. That’s a logical answer, right?” Don asked.

I nodded.

“Yes, I suppose.” I said.

“Well, we know that vampires are real and we have speculated that other supernatural creatures are real as well, right?” Don asked.

“Where is this leading?” I asked.

“I had a theory last night. The burlap sack was too small to hold an animal that would actually be worth the effort to poach, and any animal that small wouldn’t fetch a hefty price either. Judging by the looks of the two men, they’re not poor so they don’t need to hunt to survive.” Don continued.

“What are you saying?” I asked.

Robert and Macalister remained silent but their faces bore the looks of anticipation. I got the feeling that Don had already told them his theory and they wanted me to hear it.

“I think that those two men had a fairy in that burlap sack.” Don said quietly.

That caught me off guard.

“A… Fairy?” I asked.

Don nodded.

“Yes. As insane and fictitious as it sounds it’s the only other theory that makes sense. We have thought of several non-supernatural theories and we have come up empty. However if we look at the supernatural side of things it does not seem so unrealistic. After all, we have seen for ourselves that vampires exist. Who is to say that other supernatural creatures don’t exist?” Don asked.

My face assumed a confused look.

“Think about it. Queen Yuka ordered two men to go out and catch something for her in the wilderness. She threatened to have those two men’s heads if they didn’t bring it to her by nightfall. It couldn’t have been an animal. Like I said before; an animal that size wouldn’t be worth the effort to catch and it wouldn’t be worth much. If it was a fairy it would make more sense because a fairy would be worth the effort to catch.” Don said.

It took me a minute to process this. It did make sense. What would Queen Yuka want with a fairy?

“I admit. The theory sounds crazy, but crazier things have happened in the past. Take Ignacio for example; he was under orders by King Lucias to catch us. King Lucias has a dark secret, as do King Bunsen, King Desmond and Queen Yuka. They all use vampires to hunt dangerous criminals. If Queen Yuka is willing to make deals with blood sucking monsters, who knows what she will do with the magical power harnessed from a fairy?” Don asked.

“Wait a minute. We don’t know for sure if it’s a fairy that those men in the forest had, however we must assume that it was a fairy. It’s the only explanation that we have so far and it very well may be correct.” I said.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but look at the clues; we came across two men in the woods who had a small creature in their burlap sack. They were very protective of that sack. They threatened to shoot us over it. They said that they were working for Queen Yuka. Queen Yuka may use vampires and who knows what else to catch criminals and do who knows what else, but she’s a Queen, and Queens don’t break laws. There is no way that Queen Yuka is a criminal. There is no way that she would order men to poach her an animal and even if she did, it wouldn’t have been an animal that small. It has to have been a fairy. Plus we found it in the woods. Is that not where fairies reside?” Don said.

I took that all in. I nodded.

“Don, I think you’re right.” I told him.

“Macalister and I believe that Don’s theory is correct.” Robert said.

“So how should we play this?” I asked.

Robert cleared his throat.

“Well if Queen Yuka somehow finds out that we know about what she does with vampires or fairies she could have us punished. She’s a tyrant after all.” Robert said.

“Yes, but Queen Yuka does not attack anyone unless she suspects any disloyalty or anything else that’s suspicious. That’s when she lashes out.” Macalister said.

“How do you know?” Don asked.

“I’m from Vulrock. I was born and raised in Straf. Someone made a public scene of disobeying Queen Yuka. He was taken away and never heard from again.” Macalister said.

“Oh yes. I do recall you telling us that.” Don said with a laugh.

“I’m hungry. Can we afford breakfast?” Robert asked.

I reached into my pocket searching for gold but found none. I had spent all of the gold I had buying the inn rooms.

“I’m broke. How about you all?” I asked.

Everyone came up empty except for Macalister, who had one gold piece.

“We need more money.” I said.

Macalister put the gold piece back into his pocket. Robert looked around for listeners. The lobby was nearly empty except for a woman sitting at a table on the other end of the room.

“We need to steal some more money.” Robert said quietly.

“Agreed.” Don said.

Robert got up from his seat and walked over to the innkeeper’s desk. He withdrew his room key from his pocket and placed it on the desk. He then turned around and headed for the door. He walked outside. Don Macalister and I did the same. We followed Robert outside. As soon as the door opened the sound of rushing water and the chatter of the ever present crowd of people filled the air.

“Follow me!” Robert called over the chattering of the crowd.

Robert altered his direction and began walking down a road that branched off from the fountain in the town square. We hadn’t been down this road before. I looked left and right. There were no shops lining the streets. There were only residential areas. The crowd wasn’t dense back here and the father we walked the smaller the crowd became. This was probably because there were no shops back here, only houses. There were still a few people around us, maybe twenty. I then heard Don shuffle his feet nervously.

“Robert, the money can wait.” Don said nervously.

Robert turned to Don.

“What? Why is that? What are you talking about?” Robert asked.

Don pointed to two men ahead of us. Those two men looked oddly familiar. The longer I looked at them, the more familiar they became. They had their backs to us, but from here I could see that one was taller than the other. Could it be?

“Don, do you know those men?” Robert asked.

I then figured out who they were. There was no doubt about it. They were the men in the forest with the burlap sack.

“Yes, I do.” Don said.

“I do as well.” I said.

“Well, who are they?” Robert asked urgently.

“They’re the men who threatened to shoot us if we followed them to Vulrock.” Don said.

“The men with the fairy?” Macalister asked.

I nodded.

“Yes.” I told Macalister.

Chapter Nineteen Answers:

Thursday June 24th 1690

“How are we going to do this?” I asked.

“We need to get some answers. It’s pure luck that we saw them here. We can’t pass up a chance like this. We need to ask them about what was in that burlap sack.” Don said.

“Agreed. Move through the crowd and blend in as best you can. We need to get close to those men.” Robert said.

Robert turned around to see that the two men were still in sight.

“Alright lads. We must move.” Robert said.

Robert began walking casually through the crowd towards the two men. The others and I followed his lead. We wove our way through the crowd. The crowd wasn’t very dense so it was no trouble at all. We approached the two men.

“Excuse me lads, but I have a few questions for you.” Don said.

The two men snapped around. Their faces acquired looks of confusion. In about two seconds the confusion faded to recognition. In another second they turned around and bolted.

“Quick lads, after them!” Robert shouted.

I sprang forward and was sprinting after the two men before Robert even gave the order to pursue them. The two men were sprinting even harder than I was and they were speeding out of sight.

“Wait! We just want to talk!” Don called after them.

“There is no where they can hide! It’s broad daylight. Don’t lose sight of them!” Robert called.

I could hear Macalister wheezing. He’s a strong man, but he isn’t cut out for athletics. After a few more wheezes from Macalister he began to fall behind.

“I’ll… wait for you all here then!” Macalister said, panting.

I looked back and saw that he was doubled over in the street. The few people that were around us were staring. I turned my attention back to my front. I saw that the two men were getting away and I sped up. I ran past staring strangers at full speed.

“What are they doing?” Cried a man.

“What’s going on?” Cried a woman.

I saw that the two men were starting to slow down a little. They were getting tired and so was I. I looked to my left and right and saw that Don and Robert were still with me. The two men ran to the left and ran into an alleyway.

“We have them now!” Robert shouted.

I looked ahead into the alleyway. I ran in after the two men. The two men didn’t slow down. They were going to run right into that stone wall at the end! I ran after them, suspecting that they were up to something.

“What are they doing?” don yelled.

We got our answer moments later. When the two men were a few feet from the wall when they jumped and used their momentum to their advantage. They pressed off against the wall while we were still chasing them. They flew over our heads and landed on the ground behind us. They turned around and faced us. Our backs were now to the wall. Just like the tables had turned. Now I got a look at them that was better than the look I got at them last night in the gloomy, dark forest.

The shorter man had an unshaven, weather-beaten face with brown eyes and short, wavy black hair that didn’t come down past his ears. He had a strong build but he looked small compared to his friend. He looked to be about forty or fifty years old. It was hard to tell.

The taller man had blond hair that came down to his shoulders. He had blue eyes and a clean shaven face. He was just slightly taller than his friend and he looked a lot stronger than him. This man looked to be around forty.

“What do you want from us?” The shorter man asked nervously.

“What was in that bag in the forest last night?” Don asked without any sign of fear in his voice.

Upon Don mentioning the bag, the shorter man reached under brown leather coat and withdrew a flintlock pistol.

“Take it easy!” I said, my heart leapt upon seeing his gun.

I had my own flintlock in my pocket. I needed to wait until he was distracted so I could pull it out without being shot by this man first.

“What’s your interest in that bag, boy?” Asked the shorter man.

Don raised his hands to the sky.

“I was only curious. After all, you threatened to shoot us over the contents of that bag.” Don explained.

“Aye, and I shall make my threats true if you continue to mention that bag!” The shorter man said threateningly.

“All I want to know is what was in that bag!” Don said.

“The same goes for me. Just tell us what was in the bag!” Robert said.

I don’t know what made me say this. Maybe it was the heat and pressure of the moment mixed with my curiosity, or if I just wanted to ask the question to get it over with, but the words came out of my mouth unstoppably.

“Was it a fairy?” I asked.

The two men looked at each other. There was a moment of stunned silence. The two men spoke at the same time, but they said two different things.

“A fairy? Have you lost your mind?” The shorter man said.

“How did you know?” The taller man said at the exact same time.

The short man’s gaze snapped to the taller man.

“You bloody clod! Queen Yuka will hang us both if word got out that there were fairies in existence!” The shorter man shouted.

He said the word ‘fairies’ in a quieter voice, as there were listeners nearby, but they remained out of sight.

“You mean that it was a fairy?” Don asked.

The shorter man sighed and put his flintlock back under his coat.

“Yes. Fairies exist. Queen Yuka is using the fairies for something.” The shorter man said.

“What does she need them for?” I asked.

“She won’t tell anyone except those who are within her inner circle.” The shorter man replied.

The taller man stayed silent.

“Do you know what Queen Yuka does to dangerous criminals?” Asked the shorter man.

I nodded.

“Yes. She uses vampires to catch criminals who are too dangerous for humans to catch.” I said.

The shorter man nodded.

“It looks like you’re aware of her little secret then. My friend and I already know of the existence of vampires and we know that King Bunsen, King Lucias and King Desmond all use vampires to hunt dangerous criminals like Queen Yuka does.” The shorter man said.

“What are your names?” Robert asked.

The shorter man shrugged.

“My name is Ceberus Cole and my friend’s name is William Tansey.” The shorter man said.

“Hello.” William said.

Just then, I heard footsteps coming into the alley. I turned to see Macalister run into the alley.

“Are these men friendly?” Macalister asked.

“Yes. This is Ceberus and William. It was a fairy that they had in their bag last night.” Robert said.

“What are your names?” William asked.

Robert shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

“With all due respect Ceberus, it’s not a good idea to reveal our names.” Robert explained.

“Come now. Why not? Are you criminals?” William asked.

I looked around nervously.

“I know the answer to that. They indeed are.” Ceberus said.

I was now confused. How did they know we were criminals?

“I have seen wanted posters of you lot around Vulrock. You’re The Scorpions. You’re a very dangerous criminal group. I would say too dangerous for humans to catch. Am I correct in saying so?” Ceberus asked.

Robert’s head dropped and his shoulders stooped in defeat.

“Yes. We’re The Scorpions. You’re also correct in saying that we’re too dangerous for humans to catch. Queen Lucias sent a vampire after us a few days ago. His name was Ignacio and he has a cabin in the forest a few kilometers away from here.” Robert explained.

“The vampire cabin? You escaped from there? How?” William asked in amazement.

“We had bargaining leverage over Ignacio. We were able to strike a deal with him to let us go.” I explained.

“How did you do it?” Ceberus asked.

“We had acquired fifty thousand dollars and were caught by Ignacio as we attempted to escape with it. He captured us and we gave him the money to get him to spare us.” Don explained.

“So you bribed one of Barnabas’s vampiric servants? Smart.” Ceberus said.

Don began laughing hysterically.

“Barnabas! It’s still funny!” Don said.

Ceberus looked to Don.

“What’s the matter with him?” He asked.

“If only we knew.” Robert said wittily.

There was a moment of silence.

“Ceberus and I are on the run from the law as well. We have a group of other men here in Vulrock and we have a bunkhouse within the walls of Riverguard. If you wish we can take you there and get you all some food and water. We could use a few men of your statures if you’re interested in joining us.” William offered.

“Wait a minute. As kind and generous as your offer is, I have one question for you both.” Don said.

“What is it?” Asked William.

“If you two are on the run from the law, why are you working for Queen Yuka?” Don asked.

“Well, we’re still on the run from the law. You see, Queen Yuka caught us robbing a store here in Riverguard. We were sentenced to a few years in prison. We were also presented with another choice; we would either go to prison for a few years or we could work in Queen Yuka’s court as her servants. Obviously we chose to be her servants. We gained Queen Yuka’s trust over time. William and I are double agents. We take information from Queen Yuka and we report it to our group when we can. William and I were slowly let in on the secret of supernatural beings existing in Alcingeria. So far we know only of vampires and fairies but we’re assuming that all of the stories we heard as children are true.” Ceberus explained.

“That’s what we’re doing! We’re also assuming that the stories we heard as children are true.” Macalister said.

“As for your offer, we would love to accompany you back to your bunkhouse. What is your criminal group called?” I asked.

“We call ourselves The Vipers. I’ll lead you to our bunkhouse.” Ceberus answered.

Chapter Twenty The Vipers:

Thursday June 24th 1690

“Do The Vipers know of the existence of supernatural creatures?” I asked.

Ceberus nodded.

“Yes. We have come across numerous fairies in the forest outside of the walls of Riverguard in the past. They’re easy to find if you know what to look for. Only very recently has Queen Yuka started to look for them. I wonder what she wants with them.” Ceberus said.

“I wonder that as well. I believe that the answer will be revealed to us in due time.” Robert said.

“What about vampires? Do The Vipers know about vampires?” Macalister asked.

“Yes. Vampires and quite numerous. They have a human appearance so they can hide in plain sight.” Ceberus said.

“Yes, we know that about vampires.” Don said with a laugh.

There was no doubt that Don was talking about how Ignacio fooled us into thinking he was human when he first ‘rescued’ us from Queen Mycta’s guards in the forest.

“Now as promised. Follow me and I’ll take you to the bunkhouse of The Vipers.” Ceberus said as he walked out of the alleyway and onto the empty street.

I followed after him. I heard William, Robert Don and Macalister all follow me.

“The house isn’t far from here. Just a few minutes.” Ceberus said with his back to me.

We resumed walking through the street. The residential buildings went from two stories to one story as we walked on. The street was made of grey stone here, like in the town square. Ceberus took us down a left turn ahead. I made the turn behind him. I looked ahead and saw that there was only one building. It was about a kilometer away. Surrounding the house was farmland that was dotted with green crops. About three kilometers away I could see the wall of Riverguard. I could see a few men and women tending the fields. Did all this farmland belong to The Vipers? There was a path that led from this road to the house ahead. It went straight through the field of crops but was only about two feet wide. Ceberus lead us down this path and we made our way to the house. As we approached I could see that the people tending the fields all turned to look at us.

“Good afternoon, Ceberus!” A man called over his shoulder as he resumed to hoe the field.

“Good morning, Raymond.” Ceberus greeted him.

We were close to the house now. No more people greeted us. All we received were suspicious looks. We finally approached the house and Ceberus opened the door. He stepped in and the rest of us stepped in after him. The house was a long, rectangular log cabin. There was a door on the other end of the room which was about two hundred feet away. The house was about two hundred feet long and twenty feet wide. The walls were made of sturdy dark brown oak wood. The ceiling was made of the same wooden logs. The floor was made of the same wood but it was comprised of planks and not logs. Sunlight streamed into the house through the many windows that lined the walls. The part of the house that we entered had a little kitchen to our right complete with a wash basin, a counter, kitchen knives in a holder on the countertop and the counter had a series of drawers on either side. Cupboards were in perfect alignment on the wall above the counter. To our left was a room with a few sofas as well as a table with about seven chairs around it. A few cards were on the table. A sign of an unfinished game. Ahead of us to the left and right were bunk beds that were built into the walls.

A woman came through the door at the other end of the room. She was about 5’ 5” and she wore a simple brown shirt along with simple brown pants. Her hair was a dark blonde and her eyes were a very light blue.

“Ceberus, who are these men? Everyone out in the field wants to know.” The woman said in a sweet voice.

“It’s alright, Martha. These men are The Scorpions. They’re on the run from the law just like us.” Ceberus explained.

“Will they be staying?” Asked Martha.

Ceberus cast a questioning glance at me. I looked to Robert.

“We have no money and no place to sleep for tonight. We can’t buy any food, either. I think it would be smart to stay here until we get some money.” I told him.

“Yes, we’ll be staying. Is that alright with you?” Robert asked Ceberus.

Ceberus grinned.

“By all means! Stay as long as you like. We have plenty of food and drink. We have the fields around us and a well out around back. Besides, we would be honored to have a couple professional thieves like yourselves with us for a little while.” Ceberus said.

“Thank you!” I said sincerely.

“I have an offer for you all.” Ceberus said.

“Yes, what is it?” Robert asked curiously.

“We’re short on good men. Anyone out in the field past nightfall usually dies. The vampires get them. We have lost many men and women like this. A few of us have been apprehended and convicted by Queen Yuka’s law enforcement officers. A few of those were sent to prison but most were executed. Would you four… Be willing to join The Vipers?” Ceberus asked.

Robert’s expression turned to shock.

“W-what? You want us to join you?” Robert asked in astonishment.

Ceberus nodded.

“Yes. I’ll give you all a moment to think it over.” Ceberus said.

“Thank you. We appreciate it.” Don said.

“Martha, follow me outside and give these men some privacy, would you?” Ceberus ordered.

“Of course, Ceberus.” Martha replied.

Ceberus began walking outside and Martha followed him. When the door closed, Robert began speaking.

“What do you all think?” He asked.

“Well, if we join The Vipers, we won’t be suspected by Queen Yuka’s law enforcement officers very easily when we’re out in public because they’ll be looking for the four of us, not a group.” Don began.

“We may also find out more about the supernatural side of Alcingeria.” Macalister said.

“They’re also giving us a place to sleep, and they’re giving us meals.” I added.

“I figure that we can at least help these people. Go on a few heists with them and train them a little at the very least.” Don pointed out.

Robert took a deep breath.

“Very well. I suppose it can only turn out in our favor if we stay with The Vipers.” Robert said.

“Ceberus! We have made our decision!” Don called out.

Ceberus came into the room on the other end of the house with Martha and they walked across the house to us.

“What have you decided on?” Ceberus asked.

“We have decided that we’ll stay with you.” Robert said.

Ceberus held out his hand to shake.

“I’m glad that you all decided on this. I never did catch your names.” Ceberus said.

We hadn’t told him our names, he was right.

“Well, you seem to be trustworthy. The name is Robert. This is Macalister, Don and Redmond.” Robert said, gesturing to each of us respectively.

Ceberus shook all of our hands.

“Martha, fetch these folks something to eat, please.” Ceberus asked.

“Certainly.” Martha said.

She walked off to the kitchen and began preparing us a meal.

“Martha is my wife. A darling, is she not?” Ceberus asked.

“Yes, she seems very nice.” Robert said.

“I love her more than anything.” Ceberus said in a dreamy voice.

He shook his head as if coming out of a daydream.

“Please, sit down.” Ceberus said with a smile, gesturing to the table with the cards on it.

He walked over before we got there and cleared the table of the cards, setting them on a small wooden table nearby. We all took a seat at the table.

“So, I’m curious. You all look like an interesting lot. Tell me, what roles do you all play in your criminal activities?” Ceberus asked.

Robert spoke first.

“Well Ceberus, I’m the leader. I come up with the plans and I always get us out of a tight spot. Don here scouts out places we’re targeting. He acquires information such as the patrol lengths and routes the guards take, where the objective is, our means of arrival and escape, that sort of thing. Macalister is our muscle. He isn’t bright, but he is easily twice as strong as any one of us individually. He does most of our fighting. Last but not least there is Redmond. He’s our master thief. He has a soft touch and he’s stealthy. He goes for the objective and he has never been caught once in all of our heists.” Robert explained.

Ceberus nodded, impressed. I heard Martha walk up behind me and she set a little metal tray on the table in front of us. There was a selection of vegetables such as carrots, spinach, cabbage and peas. We all dug in. I popped a carrot into my mouth and chewed it.

“My, my gentlemen. I’m impressed. It seems that you have quite an elaborate setup.” Ceberus said.

“Indeed we do. Tell us, what roles do people play in the Vipers?” Robert asked.

“You’ll get to meet everyone at dinner. I’ll introduce them all and tell what their roles are when they’re all here.” Ceberus explained.

“That sounds good.” Robert said.

I swallowed my carrot and picked up another one. I saw that the others were eating as well.

“What do you all specialize in?” Ceberus asked.

“Well, we specialize in heists. We have the most experience in heists but we have worked as mercenaries for hire in the past.” Robert explained.

“I see.” Ceberus said.

“What do The Vipers specialize in?” Asked Don.

“We get most of our money from robbing stores and estates stealthily.” Ceberus explained.

“Where does the rest of the money come from?” I asked.

“Well, William and I are double agents as we told you. We work for Queen Yuka and acquire classified information and we give it to The Vipers. However there are also people out there who are willing to pay us for the information. For example Queen Yuka informs us the locations of the vampires that are currently hunting criminals. William and I sell the information to vampire hunters and they pay us handsomely. We only do this every so often, to avoid suspicion.” Ceberus said.

“That’s very clever. So you and William are espionages?” Don asked.

“Precisely.” Ceberus said.

I bit a piece off of my carrot and chewed it. I swallowed soon after. I finished my carrot and realised that there was no more food on the tray.

“That’s interesting. I have never actually met an espionage before.” Don said.

“Well, the most important rule of being an espionage is to keep your identity a secret, so in case you’re caught, your captors can’t tie you to anyone else such as family, friends or criminal organizations.” Ceberus said.

“That makes sense.” Macalister said.

“Indeed. Now, dinner won’t be ready for a while. Will you four go outside and help the others tend the fields? It would be a big help.” Ceberus said.

Robert nodded.

“Certainly.” Robert said.

He got up and motioned for us to follow him. We walked out the nearest door. Ceberus followed us outside. The sun was beginning to dip towards the horizon. I estimated that it was about three hours past noon. Ceberus pointed to a man that was close to us. He was harvesting a crop. It was the same man who had greeted Ceberus on our way in.

“Raymond, could you show these men how to work the fields? They’ll be staying with us for the next little while and we’re short on workers.” Ceberus explained.

Raymond was a dark skinned man who was almost as tall as Macalister. He fell short a few inches but he looked just as muscular. He had dark brown eyes and he had black hair.

“Certainly, Ceberus.” Raymond said.

“Thanks a lot.” Ceberus said as he walked back into the house.

Raymond turned his attention to us.

“Alright. I have no clue who you four are, but I have a feeling that I’ll find out at dinner. Ceberus usually introduces our guests in front of everyone.” Raymond said.

The four of us remained silent.

“So, tending the field is very simple. Go through the field and pick out any weeds-“ Raymond kneeled down and showed us the green, prickly weedy plants.

“Harvest any crops that look like this-“ Raymond said, showing us a carrot that had deep green leaves and a bright orange crop.

“We have peas, carrots, potatoes, cabbage and spinach in this field, so just pick whatever looks ripe. You won’t need a hoe for this kind of work.” Raymond finished.

“Alright. We’ll get right to it.” I said.

“That’s what I like to hear!” Raymond said happily.

I began walking across the field with my eyes cast downwards, scanning the ground for any weeds or ripe crops. I found a weed plant that Raymond had shown us and I reached down and pulled it out. It wasn’t prickly. It was actually quite fuzzy. I held onto the weed. I would get rid of it later. I wasn’t given a basket so I would have to make do without one. I continued to walk along, my shoes made wet squelch noises in the moist, fertile soil. The soil sucked at my shoes but they stayed on. I saw a ripe carrot and I reached down and picked it. I removed it from the soil with ease, pulling it up by the green part. The orange crop was dirty from being in the soil. I held onto it and I carried on walking.

“Pardon me, but are you one of the four men who Ceberus brought in earlier today?” I heard a man’s voice call me.

I turned around and saw a man with deep brown hair and fair hazel eyes. His skin tone was pasty white, but there was no way that he was a vampire. He had normal eyes and he was standing in sunlight. He was about my height as well.

“Yes, I’m.” I answered him.

“If you don’t mind my asking, why did Ceberus bring you in? Who are you?” The man asked.

I suppose that there was no harm in telling the man my name. After all, he was a criminal as well.

“My name is Redmond. I’m a member of The Scorpions. We, Ceberus and William had a run in recently concerning fairies that he and William were capturing for Queen Yuka. We met again a day after the run in and Ceberus took us in. We were low on money and needed food, water and a place to sleep. Ceberus is a life saver.” I explained.

“My name is Francella. I’m aware of the existence of fairies and I’m aware that William and Ceberus are double agents for Queen Yuka. I’m certain that all members of The Vipers know of this. Anyhow, I wonder what Queen Yuka wants with the fairies?” Francella said.

(Francella is pronounced Fran-chell-ah)

“I was wondering the same thing. I just found out about the existence of vampires recently and am quite baffled. I just found out that fairies exist, too. The world is a strange place, no?” I asked.

Francella laughed.

“Tell me about it. Who knows what else could be out there?” Francella asked.

“The possibilities are restricted only to the imagination.” I answered.

“Well, it was nice meeting you. I believe that we’ll meet again at dinner and you and your friends will be introduced to everyone. I should get back to work now.” Francella said.

“Yes, it was nice meeting you too.” I said, getting back to work.

I wonder what role Francella played in The Vipers. I suppose that I would find out at dinner. I continued to work again, going through the field and gathering the weeds and the ripe crops.

***

Chapter Twenty One Meeting The Vipers:

Thursday June 24th 1690

Before I knew it I could hear the distant clink! Clink! Of a dinner bell. A few hours had passed since I began working in the fields and I had worked my way across the field collecting ripe crops and weeds. A woman came a few minutes ago and took my ripe crops and weeds and put them in two separate baskets. I saw all of the field workers begin making their ways back to the house for what I assumed to be dinner. It had gotten darker in the last few hours and it was now twilight. The golden sun cast its last hours of light on the land for that day. It would soon be nightfall and judging by what Ceberus said about ‘anyone who is in the field past nightfall usually dies’ I certainly didn’t want to be in the field after dark. I made my way to the house along with the other workers. I spotted Don, Macalister and Robert among the workers. I would see them inside. On the porch of the house I could see Martha ringing a dinner bell. She stopped ringing it when she saw everyone beginning to make their way towards the house.

“What’s for dinner tonight, Martha?” I heard a Francella ask.

“Just you wait and see, Francella. You’ll like it. I promise.” Martha said with a sly smile and a wink.

“I’m sure I will.” Francella said with a smile.

“Oh, Francella you certainly are sweet.” Martha said happily.

“Good evening, Martha. I simply can’t wait for dinner.” I heard Raymond say.

“I’m glad you’re so eager to eat. Working in the fields builds an appetite, no?” Martha asked.

“Indeed it does.” Said Raymond, stepping into the house.

I walked behind the other men and women who were walking to the house. People filed into the house, some asked Martha how she was and what dinner was going to be tonight. She ushered them all inside the house. When all who remained outside were Macalister, Don Robert and I Martha smiled.

“Oh, the new boys! How did you all like working in the fields?” Martha asked.

“It was good, nothing too hard. It certainly builds an appetite.” I said, repeating Francella’s words.

“Go on inside and get yourselves washed up. Dinner will be on the table in just a few minutes.” Martha added with a smile.

I stepped into the house. The other three followed. I walked into the kitchen and found a washbasin filled with water. There was soap on the counter as well. I used the soap and dipped my hands into the water and I scrubbed them until all the dirt was gone. I then walked across the room and found the table that once had cards on it had a few chairs pulled up around it. I saw Raymond, Francella, William and Ceberus as well as a few other men and women that I didn’t know. They were all talking. Martha wasn’t in sight and Macalister, Don and Robert were all washing their hands in the kitchen.

“Redmond, please sit down!” Ceberus called to me with a smile.

Ceberus offered me an empty chair next to him. There were four empty chairs here. They must be for us, The Scorpions. I grinned and took a seat next to him. There was no food on the table just yet. I assumed that Martha was preparing it somewhere in the house. Macalister, Don and Robert all finished washing their hands and they sat at the other empty chairs next to Ceberus and I. I heard Footsteps behind me. I turned to look to see who it was. It was Martha! She was carrying a steaming silver platter in each hand. They each had a slab of meat as well as some vegetables. She set them on the table.

“Eat up, boys!” Martha said cheerily.

“Thank you very much, Martha.” Ceberus said.

Ceberus turned to the rest of the men at the table.

“She is just the sweetest!” Ceberus said with a smile.

I looked over to Martha, who had taken a seat next to Ceberus on his opposite side and I saw that she was blushing.

“Oh, come now Martha! No need to be so red in the face!” Teased Francella.

“Oh stop that you, or no dessert!” Martha jokingly threatened.

The rest of the men and women gasped in mock horror. Francella raised his hands and laughed.

“Alright, alright I’m sorry!” Francella said while laughing.

The others seated at the table all laughed heartily.

“Now, now. Eat now, before it gets cold!” Ceberus said.

With that being said all of the men and women seated around the table reached out and cut slabs of meat off of the piece that was on the trays. I reached out and grabbed a fork and knife. I cut a piece of meat off of the slab and I put it on my plate. I reached out and stabbed a few steamed carrots with my fork and put them on my plate. I grabbed the wooden cup of water that was in front of me and I took a few swigs from it, emptying it.

“My heavens, where are my manners? Ladies and gentlemen I would like you to meet The Scorpions. Lads, why not introduce yourselves?” Ceberus asked.

I stood up.

“Hello everyone. My name is Redmond Bradford.” I said.

“Come on! Tell us a little about yourself!” Ceberus encouraged.

I smiled and nodded.

“Alright, well I’m seventeen years old and I was born and raised in the province of Fel. When I was fourteen, a criminal group called Tempest came to my family’s shop and demanded that they receive eighty percent of our profits. Otherwise they would destroy the shop, and our home. They had said that if we told anyone about their crimes, they would kill my family and I. We had no choice but to submit to Tempest and meet their demands. After a few weeks, we had almost no money, and business had been slow for a few days. I resulted to thievery and tried to steal from other stores. I was successful for a while. I stole food, money, water and anything else that I could get my hands on, but one day I was caught and turned in to the law enforcement officers. I was lucky enough to be underestimated because I was so young and I escaped custody before my trial, where I would surely would have been sentenced to death. Shortly after my escape from custody, I fled Fel and entered the surrounding wilderness, never to return again to my home faction. Not long after I left, I stumbled across the three other members of The Scorpions in the woods. They captured me, thinking I was some kind of spy for King Bunsen. As it turns out, they were all wanted men who had escaped custody just before their trials as well. I explained my story and they asked me if I would like to join their criminal group. Seeing as I had nowhere else to go, no money and no food or water, I gladly accepted their offer. Within the Scorpions I’m the master thief. I’m the one who steals the objective because I can do it without being seen.” I explained.

There was a stunned silence.

“My, my you have quite the interesting backstory!” Francella said.

I laughed.

“That I do.” I said, sitting back down into my chair.

“Who is next?” Asked Ceberus, glancing at Robert Don and Macalister.

Robert stood up. I quickly reached down to my plate and popped a carrot into my mouth. I chewed it carefully and swallowed.

“My name is Robert Lowell. I’m from the province of Delron. I’m eighteen years old. I’m an only child and my father was an abusive drunkard. He was hated by the local men and women of my home village and I often spent my time at a friend’s house to escape my father. My mother ran off when I was young and has not been heard from since. I founded The Scorpions and these three men and I have been through a lot together. All of our strife and hardship has brought us close together and we trust each other one hundred percent. I’m the leader of The Scorpions and I’m the man with the plan.” Robert said.

“Well, I’m sorry to hear about your father and mother. It seems as though you had no real family, but you have the next best thing right here!” Ceberus said.

“Thank you, Ceberus.” Robert said, sitting back down.

I looked down to my plate and eyed the meat. I cut a piece off using my knife and fork and I put it into my mouth. The meat was tender and juicy, cooked to perfection! I swallowed the meat and took another bite.

“Alright. Which one of you will be next?” Ceberus asked Don and Macalister.

Don rose from his seat.

“Hello everyone. My name is Donovan Sterling.” He said with a smile that blazed with charisma.

“Hello, Don.” Almost everyone in the room said in unison.

“I’m sixteen years old and I grew up in Yutsa. I don’t remember much of my parents. I spent almost no time with them as a kid because they were almost never home. I don’t know why. I had to learn to fend for myself. I learned to take care of myself and I learned to not trust anyone easily. I was the second member of The Scorpions and I learned that I can trust these men with anything. Including my life. I’m The Scorpions’ scout. I give Robert information so he can make plans.” Don said.

He sat back down.

“That leaves only you, Macalister.” Ceberus said.

Before Macalister stood back up, I cut off another piece of meat off of the one from my plate and put it into my mouth, chewing it and then swallowing it.

Macalister stood up to his intimidating full height. Some of the women in the room sank down in their seats slightly.

“Hello everyone. I’m Macalister Reese. I have one brother, but I don’t remember his name. I only knew him when I was two years old, and then he went off and joined Queen Yuka’s army when he was eighteen. I’m seventeen and I’m from here in Vulrock. I grew up in Straf. My parents cared for me much and I can’t say anything bad about them. They were good parents. However I disappointed them when I got into some trouble with a bank robbery. I was tricked into doing it by some mean men that I knew from my village. They made off with the money and framed me. I was about to be captured by Queen Yuka’s guards but I overpowered them with my surprising strength. I escaped into the forest and Don and Robert found me. They offered to allow me to join The Scorpions. Within the Scorpions I act as the fighter.” Macalister finished.

“Don’t worry, Macalister. We’ll protect you from Queen Yuka’s guards. We have done the same for some of our men and women in the past.” Ceberus said.

“Did Queen Yuka’s guards ever catch them?” Macalister asked.

Ceberus scratched his chin.

“Well no. The vampires have killed most of our men and women, including the ones we were protecting from Queen Yuka’s guards.” Ceberus said.

“Ceberus, may we introduce ourselves?” Asked a woman.

“Yes, yes go ahead.” Ceberus said.

The woman who asked if they could introduce themselves stood up. I ate another carrot before she began speaking.

“Hello. My name is Stella Hannigan. I won’t bore you with my past, but I’m sixteen and a new member of the Vipers. I’m the infiltrator. I get into where we want to steal from stealthily and I collect information from the inhabitants that could help achieve our objective. I’m not much of a thief, but sneaking past people is my specialty. My alias is Widow, because I’m just like a widow spider; I can be in the room, listening in on your conversation and you would have no idea I’m there.” Stella said with a grin.

Stella had long blonde hair that came down to her shoulder blades and blue eyes. She was taller than me, but shorter than Macalister. She was slim and didn’t look very muscular. I could tell that she wasn’t much of a fighter. Her skin tone was a light color. A dark shade of white. She wore a white tunic with white pants. The tunic was short sleeved, showing off her flawless dark white skin, and the pants were long. The tunic had a high leather collar, presumably to ward off vampire attacks to the neck. She was also wearing simple white leather slip on shoes that came up to her ankles.

Stella sat down and Francella stood up. I looked down to my plate and ate the remainder of my meat.

“My name is Francella Tanner. I too won’t bore you with my past. I haven’t been with The Vipers for very long. I’m seventeen years old and I’m the runner. This means that if there is an area in a heist where speed is key, I’m the man for the job. I’m no fighter but I can outrun anyone. My alias is Sprint because… Well you can guess why.” Francella said.

Francella had deep brown hair, hazel eyes and his skin tone was pasty white. He was also about my height. I noticed this when he greeted me in the field before dinner. He was wearing a simple brown tunic similar to the design of Stella’s white one. His was also short sleeved and it had the high leather collar. His pants were also brown and he was wearing simple brown lace up leather boots that came up to his calves.

Francella sat down and Raymond stood up.

“Hello all. My name is Raymond Marley. I prefer not to share my… past with anyone. I’ll keep this introduction short. There isn’t really much to tell about me. I’m nineteen years old and I don’t help out on the heists, I don’t have the required skills. Instead I merely stay here and tend the fields while everyone is out doing the fun stuff.” Raymond said.

Raymond was a dark skinned man who was almost as tall as Macalister. He fell short a few inches but he looked just as muscular. He had dark brown eyes and he had black hair. He was wearing a red tunic with the high leather collar and red pants. He was wearing red leather slip on shoes that came up to his ankles.

Raymond sat down. A woman stood up.

“Hello. My name is Erin McDowell. I’m sixteen years old and I have been with The Vipers for a few years now. I help out whenever I can, which isn’t often. I’m a language enthusiast. I have devoted my life to languages. I find them fascinating. I can speak, read and write numerous languages including ancient languages. Whenever I can’t help on heists I stay and tend the fields. On the rare occasion where I do take part in a heist, which usually involves translating text off of an object such as a vase to determine its value based on how old the language is, my alias is Cipher, because I can decipher languages that no one else can.” Erin said.

Erin had short, black hair and brown eyes. Her facial features were smooth and round. You could see the curves of her cheekbones quite clearly. Her eyes had a spark of intelligence to them like I had never seen before. Erin was wearing a dark green tunic with the high leather collar. Her tunic had sleeves. She had green pants and calf high green lace up boots.

“Why is your alias not Decipher?” Don asked.

“Because Cipher sounds cooler.” Erin replied with a grin.

Ceberus cleared his throat.

“Well, now you have met everyone. You already know about William and I and about how we’re espionages for the group.” Ceberus said.

“What about Martha? What does she do?” I asked.

Martha looked to me.

“Well, I don’t help out on heists. I only tend the fields and prepare meals for everyone else.” Martha explained.

I nodded, taking in the information. I then realized that everyone had given their ages except for William, Ceberus and Martha.

“How old are you, Martha and William?” I asked.

“I’m forty seven.” Ceberus answered.

“I’m forty three.” William answered.

“I’m forty seven as well.” Martha replied.

I nodded while looking down to my plate and finishing off my vegetables. I could see that most people at the table were finishing their meal.

“So, what’s the purpose of The Vipers?” Don asked out of curiosity.

“I’m glad you asked. You see, I first formed The Vipers with a few of my friends. We had gotten into some trouble with the law, you see and we wanted to start a little group. It wasn’t meant to be serious at first, just a group for us to belong to. Everyone who I founded the group with was killed recently by vampires. Although Erin has been with us for quite some time. I continue to manage this group because in a way, it’s all that I have left of my friends who were killed by vampires. I accept criminals who are on the run from the law because they remind me of how my friends and I were when we were your age. This group now stands as a sanctuary for criminals on the run from the law. It gives them a fighting chance against those law enforcement officers. Together we can accomplish anything. We must stick together no matter what. That includes the fact that no matter how many supernatural creatures prove to be existent in Alcingeria, we’ll always stick together.” Ceberus explained.

I sat back in my chair. That certainly was a sad, yet grand tale.

“I’m sorry for your friends.” I said.

Ceberus nodded sadly.

“Thank you.” He said.

Martha began rubbing his shoulder, bearing a concerned look.

“Well, I think that this would be a good time to head to your bunks. We’ll be seeing you all bright and early in the fields.” Martha said.

Francella rose from his seat.

“I agree, Martha. Thank you so much for dinner. It was delicious.” He said.

“Oh, thank you Francella. Good night.” Martha said.

“Thank you for dinner Martha. Good night.” Raymond said.

“Sleep well, Raymond.” Martha replied.

“I’m going to sleep. Dinner was a treat. Thank you!” Stella said sweetly.

“It’s no trouble, Stella. Sweet dreams.” Martha said.

“Martha, dinner was delectable. Thank you so much! Good night.” Erin said in a sincere and kind tone.

“Any time, dear. Good night.” Martha replied.

Everyone who had bid Martha good night now headed to their bunks across the house. That left only Ceberus, Martha, William, Don, Robert, Macalister and I at the table.

“I think that we’re going to turn in as well. Dinner was certainly tasty, Martha.” Robert said.

“Thank you. You all can feel free to take any unoccupied bunk over there. A lot of them are free due to the recent deaths of The Vipers members.” Martha replied.

“Thank you. Dinner was incredible.” Don said.

“Thank you, Don. Good night.” Martha said.

“Martha, Dinner was very good. I’ll see you in the morning.” Macalister said.

“Good night, Macalister.” Martha replied.

“Thank you for dinner, Martha. It truly was a delight.” I said.

Martha smiled.

“Why, thank you. Have a nice sleep.” Martha replied.

With that, we all followed the direction that the others went to the bunks.

Chapter Twenty Two Witch Hunt:

Thursday June 24th 1690

We walked across the bunks to where the others were getting into their bunks. There certainly were a lot of bunks here, most of them were empty. There had to be at least thirty or forty. Were there really this many members of The Vipers before the vampire attacks? There were about fifteen or twenty on each side of the room mounted on the walls. Don walked over to the bunks on the right side and Macalister, Robert and I went to the left side. Don climbed into an empty bunk and closed his eyes. I did the same and found an empty bunk. I climbed in, crawled beneath the blankets and closed my eyes.

“You! What do you think you’re doing?” I heard a voice on the other side of the room say.

It sounded like Erin. I opened my eyes and turned my attention to where she had spoken. She was standing in front of Don’s bunk with one hand on her hip and the other pointing right in Don’s face. Stella was next to Erin, bearing much the same posture. Don looked confused.

“What? What are you talking about?” Don asked.

“This is the girls’ side of the room, silly!” Erin said with a giggle.

Don sat bolt upright and looked around, finding Erin and Stella standing over him. Don’s face went red.

“Oh! S-sorry ladies!” Don said while hastily climbing out of bed.

In his haste he tripped on the blankets and fell on his face onto the wooden floor. Erin and Stella burst out laughing. Don stood up and brushed himself off like nothing happened, trying to regain his cool composure. His face was still bright red. He casually strode over to an empty bunk beside me and crawled beneath the blankets.

“Good night, clumsy!” Teased Stella.

Don groaned and pulled the blankets over his head further. I saw Stella and Erin both climb into their beds. They were giggling quietly. I closed my eyes, ready to get some sleep. My back was a little sore from working in the fields before dinner for a few hours. Sleep found mw before I knew it and I was unconscious within minutes.

***

Friday June 25th 1690

I awoke to the sound of men yelling. Puzzled, I opened my eyes, but found everyone in the bunk room looking just as puzzled as I was.

“What’s going on?” Asked Erin while rubbing her eyes and yawning.

Erin got out of her bed and went over to the window. I got out of my bed, as did everyone else. We saw an orange glow outside to our left, it hadn’t come into full view yet. The sound of men yelling still filled the air. In another few seconds, we could hear the sound of footsteps. There were a lot of them. There had to be at least thirty people out there! What did they want? The orange glow was now in full view and I saw that there were indeed about thirty men outside. Almost all of them had torches in one hand. The few who didn’t have torches carried muskets. I counted three men with muskets in total. The men who had torches in one hand also held farming tools in the other; pitchforks, shovels, hoes and even farming sickles. What were they doing? I heard footsteps behind me in the house. I looked back and I saw Ceberus along with Martha and William running across the room towards us. Ceberus held a musket in both his hands.

“Ceberus, what’s going on?” I asked.

Ceberus hurried over to the window and looked at all of the men. His eyes narrowed.

“A witch hunt.” Ceberus said with narrowed eyes.

That took me by surprise.

“Did I hear you correctly? Did you say ‘witch hunt’?” Don asked.

“Indeed I did. For the last few nights, men like these ones come around here and hunt witches. It seems as though they’re on the trail of one right now.” Ceberus said.

We had been in Ignacio’s cabin for the last few days so we had no knowledge of these witch hunts.

“Are you meaning to tell us that witches are real?” Don asked.

Ceberus nodded.

“Yes. I have never seen one myself, but the men that have been going out there the last few nights come back early in the morning. Come morning, there is always the smell of ashes on the air. I believe that they have been catching witches and burning them at the stake.” Ceberus said.

“Oh no! We need to help the witch!” Stella said worriedly.

“Is that really a good idea? If it really is a witch, aren’t witches said to be evil? What if she... casts a spell on us… or something?” I asked in bewilderment.

“We can’t just sit idly by while a witch is to be burned at the stake! Witch or not, it’s a horrible fate for anyone to meet!” Stella said, her voice full of compassion for the witch.

“I think that we should help the witch, too.” Erin said.

“I think it’s a gamble, but who knows? Helping the witch could turn out in our favor.” Francella said.

“Very well. I’ll aid you all with my musket.” Ceberus said.

“I suppose we should go save that witch before it’s too late.” Raymond stated.

I looked to Don, Macalister and Robert. They looked to me with confused expressions. I looked to Stella and Erin and saw that they looked at us expectantly, as if our verdict decided the fate of the witch. In a way I suppose it did.

“Very well. Macalister, Don, Redmond, we’re going to aid that witch.” Robert said.

I looked over to Stella and Erin. They smiled at each other and looked to us.

“I’m glad to know that you’re not cold and heartless men.” Stella said with a smile.

Don smiled.

“Why, thank you.” He said.

Stella giggled.

“You do know that I was also talking to your friends, right?” She asked.

Don’s smirk dropped from his face. I could practically hear it hit the floor.

“Right then, let’s go help that witch!” He said while thrusting a fist in the air.

Don began walking for the door. Robert, Macalister and I followed him. Ceberus, Martha, Stella, Francella, Raymond and Erin followed close behind us. We all reached the door and filed out one by one. The orange glow of the torches and the mens’ voices were receding into the distance.

“If we run, we’ll be able to catch up with them!” Francella said urgently.

“You’ll be able to outrun all of us. You will be there first. If those men see you, run back here and we’ll be right behind you. We’ll assist you if things go awry.” Ceberus said.

“Thank you.” Francella said.

With that, Francella took off running in the direction of the receding torchlight.

“The rest of you, follow me and we’ll make our way towards the witch.” Ceberus said while taking off after Francella.

The others and I ran after Ceberus. For an older man, he was quick on his feet! I was fast enough so I could run side by side with him. Ahead I could see Francella sprinting towards the torchlight, which grew brighter and closer with every step we took. The mens’ voices grew louder as well. Just then a woman’s scream pierced the air.

“We have to hurry!” I said.

I sped up. I was now at the front of our group. I was about ten feet away from Francella. We were fast approaching the torchlight, which was now brighter than ever. We were around twenty or thirty feet from the men. Another scream from the witch tore through the air. Francella decreased his speed and I slowed down as well. The others behind me slowed down, too.

“How should we do this? Should we wait in the shadows and see what happens and wait for the right time to rescue the witch, or should we charge in, demanding the witch?” Francella asked.

“Judging by the witch’s screams, I don’t think that she will be alive for much longer. If we’re going to rescue her, we need to do it quickly.” Ceberus said.

“I agree.” Don said.

“We only have Ceberus’s musket! We don’t have enough fire power!” Stella said frustrated.

Don smirked and raised an eyebrow at Stella.

“Well, Stella. My friends and I happen to be carrying weapons ourselves.” He said, pulling his flintlock out of his pocket.

I pulled my flintlock out of my pocket and Macalister and Robert revealed their weapons as well.

Both Stella’s and Erin’s eyes went wide at the sight of our weapons. Francella grinned and laughed.

“Did no one search them before they let these men into our home?” He said.

“Well, I don’t see how it matters now. Their weapons will help us rescue this witch.” Ceberus said.

The witch let out a scream, this one was the loudest of all.

“Please! Don’t do this!” She cried.

Francella looked frantically to us.

“It’s now or never, come on!” Francella said anxiously.

He began running and the rest of us were behind him in an instant. After a few seconds of running across the field, the men came into sight. I could make out what they were doing now. I could see them all gathered on one side of a cross. The cross was six or seven feet tall and about three or four feet at its widest point. The men were all gathered in front of it and there was a girl tied tightly to the cross. There was wood, bark, parchment and other flammable substances all around the cross. They were not yet lit.

“Please! You don’t have to do this!” The witch yelled.

“Repent for all your crimes! Show penitence for your sins!” A man called out to her.

“I haven’t committed any crimes and I haven’t sinned! Please! Give me a trial!” The witch begged.

“Little lady, this is your trial. We’re the judges and the jury and these embers are the executioners!” A man yelled.

He then took the torch in his hand and threw it onto the flammable substances that surrounded the cross.

“No! Please!” The witch begged as the flames consumed the flammable substances.

The flames grew and came closer and closer to the witch with every passing second.

“There is no time to negotiate. Target the men with the muskets first! The other men will have no firearms and they’ll most likely flee.” Ceberus said while he took aim with his musket.

He lined up a shot on one of the men with muskets in the crowd. He pulled the trigger and a thunderous gunshot rang through the air. The mussel of the musket flared and the man he was aiming at let out a cry of pain as blood spray from the gunshot wound on his shoulder. Ceberus reloaded his musket quickly. The man dropped his musket and he fell to the ground. I quickly aimed with my flintlock and shot one of the other men who had a musket. Don was quick and he shot the last man who had a musket a second after I shot my own target. By now all of the men had taken their gazes off of the witch being burned at the stake and they were all now focused on us. Expressions of horror and confusion were on their faces, illuminated by their torches. I reloaded my flintlock and Don did the same.

“Anyone who picks up one of those muskets will die!” Ceberus said.

“Who are you?” Asked a man from the crowd.

“That’s none of your concern, but we’re saving this witch!” Stella shouted.

“Queen Yuka will never allow that!” Another man in the crowd shouted.

“Why is that?” Don asked.

“Queen Yuka is ordering the capture of all witches, but any witch who is too much trouble and is uncooperative like this one here is to be burned at the stake!” A man shouted.

“Why does Queen Yuka want that?” Erin called out.

“She didn’t say! All we know is that we’re getting paid!” A man shouted.

“Your payment isn’t to be received, we’re going to free this witch!” Stella repeated.

“You all have two choices! You can foolishly stand and fight or you can walk away breathing! What will it be? We have already killed three of your men and have no problem killing the rest of you!” Ceberus shouted to the men.

“You’re all mad! Queen Yuka will have all of your heads for this!” A man shouted as he began to retreat.

Gradually, every man in that crowd followed him. In seconds there were no witch hunters left in the field.

“Help me! Please!” The witch screamed.

“Quickly, we need to get that witch off of her pyre!” Stella shouted.

“We have no water! How will we put out the fire?” Raymond asked.

I saw Don looking at the fire. It was beginning to rage and it would eventually consume the witch.

“The fire is reaching its strongest point! It hasn’t reached it yet. I could run through quickly and grab the witch!” Don yelled.

“You’re crazy!” Raymond yelled.

“I have a dagger so I can cut the witches bonds!” Don continued, pretending not to hear Raymond.

“That’s impossible! Your clothes would catch fire and you would soon meet the same fate as that witch if you went in there!” Robert said.

“Not if you all take off your tunics and give them to me. I can wear the extra clothing to protect myself from the fire! Whenever a layer catches fire, I can simply remove that layer and keep going.” Don said.

There was a few seconds of silence.

“If that’s our only plan, we need to hurry if that witch is to live!” Ceberus said while removing his tunic.

The other members of The Vipers removed their tunics and Robert, Macalister and I did the same. We handed them to Don and Don didn’t put them all on, but he draped them other himself like a bunch of shawls so he could remove them easily. When he was finished he held up his dagger.

“I’m going in! Wish me luck!” Don shouted bravely.

Don ran off towards the burning pyre. As I watched him run off to his potential death, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was only doing this to impress Stella and Erin. Don ran and ran until he was at the foot of the pyre. He paused for only a moment and he ran in, disappearing in the inferno. We lost sight of him. My heart pounded in my chest. The life of my friend hung in the balance and all I could do was sit back and watch. At this point that was all anyone could do. I waited a few minutes. The only sounds that broke the otherwise silent night was the sound of my racing heartbeat, the sound of our breathing and the sound of the roaring inferno before us. The fire was now raging and it was at its fullest height. I hadn’t heard the witch say anything and I hadn’t heard Don say anything, either. Were they both dead already? No. I forced myself to hold onto the hope that they were still alive. I could tell that the others were holding onto whatever hope was left because I could feel suspense weighing on the air. It has now been about a minute since Don disappeared into the inferno. My heart began to sink. Why was Don not out of there yet? Was he dead? I began to lose hope. My eyes fell to the ground. I was near tears. Just then, I heard Don let out an adrenaline and fear fueled scream. After a second Don’s body flew out of the inferno engulfed in flames. In his arms he held a young woman. When Don’s body hit the ground, he dropped the young woman and rolled across the ground, effectively extinguishing the flames that threatened to kill him. Smoke rose from his cloths and a hiss! Sound filled the air. Don’s face was severely burned and his hands also had burns all over them. His dagger protruded out of his pocket. He let out a sound that was somewhere between a cough and a laugh.

“That was… A bad idea…” Don said as a grin cracked his lips.

I laughed with relief. Everyone sighed collectively in relief that Don was safe. Just then, Don’s eyes went wide and he sat bolt upright.

“The witch!” He said as if remembering that he had just saved her life.

He crawled across the ground and reached the young witch. Everyone else followed him, including me. I looked at the witch.

The witch looked to be about fifteen or sixteen. She was slim. She was about 5’ 7” and was wearing a black waistcoat with forest green trim. She wore a skirt that wasn’t filly or loose and it came down to her knees. The skirt was also black with forest green trim. The witch also wore black lace up calf high boots with green trim. She was wearing a hat with a point on it. That point was about a foot high. The hat was like the hat that witches were said to have worn. Her skin was white, but not pale or pasty. Her clothes were burned and tattered from the fire and smoke could be seen coming off of them. Small embers glowed on her clothing. Her legs were littered with burns due to her skirt coming only to her knees. Her hands were covered in burns as well. Clutched in her hand was a mahogany staff. It was about three centimeters thick and five feet high. At the very top there was a circular emerald gemstone embedded in it. Her eyes were open, but remained unblinking. Her eyes were a rich brown and her hair was a dark burgundy color. Her facial features were smooth and defined. Needless to say, she was beautiful.

“What’s with the staff?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Even as she was being burned at the stake, she held on to that staff like her life depended on it. I tried to pry it from her grip, but she wouldn’t let go.” Don said.

“Wasn’t she unconscious?” I asked.

Don nodded, frowning.

“Yes, she was.” He said confusedly.

Just then, the young witch’s eyes snapped open. She let out a gasp. She sat up and her rich brown eyes went wide with surprise. She looked at her burned legs and burned hands. She inspected her burned and tattered clothing. Her eyes shifted to all of us.

“Am I… Dead…?” She asked nervously.

Her voice was smooth and innocent. Her voice made me instantly want to trust her, but my survival instincts told me to keep my guard up.

“Thanks to Don, no.” I said, pointing to Don.

Don was kneeled over the witch, looking at her.

“You rescued me from my pyre?” The witch asked.

Don smiled and nodded.

“Yes, I did.” He told her.

“Thank you so, so much! I would have surely died if not for you and your bravery!” The witch said gratefully.

The witch examined Don’s face, and her eyes looked him up and down. Her mouth opened and she gasped.

“Your burns!” She said while raising a hand to her mouth in surprise.

“Your burns are worse! We must get you to a doctor!” Don insisted.

The witch shook her head.

“No, please allow me to heal you! It’s the least that I can do to repay you for saving my life!” The witch said.

Don looked at her confusedly.

“Heal me? How?” Don asked.

The witch giggled.

“I’m a witch, boy. That means I can use magic.” The witch said.

The witch stood up slowly, leaning on her staff for support. When she was able to stand, she took her weight off of her staff and stood up straight, holding the staff over Don.

“Hold still.” The witch ordered.

Don did as he was told. The witch closed her eyes and said two words;

“Healing Gaze!”

Instantly the emerald that was mounted in the top of the witch’s staff lit up and produced a blinding green light. Don shielded his eyes with his hand.

“What are you doing…?” Don asked, trailing off in awe and wonder.

The green light bathed Don and lasted only a few seconds. When the light receded back into the emerald on the witches staff I saw that Don’s burns were completely gone! Don inspected his body in wonder.

“How did you do that?” Don asked.

The witch didn’t answer at first. She held her staff on the ground vertically at an arm’s distance away. She gazed into the emerald on her staff and repeated the same two words as before;

“Healing Gaze!”

The same thing that happened to Don happened to the witch. After a few seconds, the green light receded back into the emerald. All of her burns were healed.

“Magic.” The witch said with a grin, answering Don’s question.

“What’s your name?” Don asked.

The witch did a little twirl, her skirt billowed out slightly as she did so. After her twirl, she stood to face Don, placing one hand on her hip and the other was holding her staff while it rested on the ground.

“I’m Tabatha. Tabatha the witch.” She said with a smile.

Chapter Twenty Three Tabatha:

Friday June 25th 1690

“What’s your last name?” Robert asked.

“I’m Tabatha Crawforde.” She replied.

“It’s nice to meet you, Tabatha. I’m Erin and this is Stella, Ceberus, William, Martha, Francella, Raymond, Redmond, Macalister, Robert and Don.” Erin said.

Tabatha looked at Don.

“Don, you’re the one who saved me. I won’t forget that.” Tabatha said.

Don let out a small smile that was barely visible.

“It’s nice to meet all of you, and I thank you all for chasing those men away.” Tabatha said sincerely.

“We should get you back to the house, where can get a nice hot meal into you.” Martha said with concern.

“And get you some new clothes.” Ceberus said.

“Oh, don’t worry about my clothes. I’ll fix that right now.” Tabatha said.

She held her staff out while resting it on the ground vertically at arm’s distance, much like she did when she healed herself.

“Seamstress!” Tabatha cried out.

The familiar bright green light bathed her and I watched as her clothing that had holes in it from the fire knitted itself back together. After a few seconds her outfit was in pristine condition.

We all looked at her in awe, unsure of what had just happened.

“Can you repair my clothing as well?” Don asked, staring at her like she was a bomb about to explode.

Tabatha smiled.

“Certainly.” She said.

She held her staff up to Don.

“Seamstress!” She cried out.

The bright green light enveloped Don and within seconds his clothing was restored to pristine condition. Tabatha took a deep breath.

“That’s amazing!” Stella cried.

“Thank you, now may we go to your house now? I’m starved and would love to take you up on the offer for a hot meal.” Tabatha said while rubbing her stomach.

“Of course, dear.” Martha said.

With that being said, we all began walking in the direction of the house. In a few minutes we were all gathered at the front door and filing in one by one.

“I’ll go and prepare some food for Tabatha. Are you all hungry, too?” Martha asked.

Ceberus looked at us all. We all shook our heads when he shifted his gaze to us.

“No, dear. The others aren’t hungry. Please prepare Tabatha some food.” Ceberus told his wife. Martha walked across the room and disappeared into a back room.

There was a moment of silence. After a solid minute, Ceberus spoke.

“Everyone, please take a seat.” He said, ushering us over to the table that we had all eaten dinner at earlier that night.

Tabatha went first towards the table and sat down. Everyone hesitated for a moment. I’m willing to bet that they were all considering whether or not they wanted to sit next to a witch. Tabatha looked at us, wondering why we weren’t coming over. So as not to hurt her feelings, I went and sat beside her. I could almost hear a sigh of relief from someone. Stella sat on the other side of Tabatha. Everyone else took a seat around the table. Tabatha was looking across the table at Erin. I looked at Tabatha. Now that I had a better look at her than I did in the field, I could confirm that she certainly was beautiful. Her gaze snapped from Erin to me. A grin spread across her face.

“You’re staring. Is something wrong?” She asked in a teasing tone.

I could feel my face heating up.

“No, no. I didn’t mean to stare.” I apologized.

Tabatha’s grin widened. She made an ‘mm hmm.’ Sound and looked away from me.

“So, Tabatha. Would you like to tell us about yourself?” Ceberus asked.

“Well, you already know my name, and the fact that I’m a witch. I suppose I’ll start by telling you what kind of witch I am.” Tabatha said.

“There are types of witches?” William asked.

Tabatha nodded.

“Yes. I’m a healing witch. I do have spells that I can use for self-defence if I must, but most of the spells that I know are meant to repair what has been broken; flesh, clothing, muscle tissue, I can even repair bonds between people. For example if two people were once friends, I can restore that friendship. I can’t create bonds between people, so that means I can’t make people fall in love.” Tabatha explained.

“Is that why you have an emerald on your staff? Does green signify healing, nature and goodness?” William asked.

“That’s exactly why it’s an emerald in particular on my staff. Good eye, my friend.” Tabatha said.

“Is there anything else you would like to know about me?” Tabatha asked.

Just then, Martha came in from the back room with a tray of meat and vegetables for Tabatha.

“There you are, dear.” Martha said with a smile.

“Thank you very much.” Tabatha said sweetly as she cut the meat using her knife and fork.

“What about your past?” Raymond asked in answer to Tabatha’s recent question.

Tabatha turned her eyes downward, and I could see her lips thin to a straight line. She leaned her staff against the chair beside her and placed her hands on the table palms down, answering with a tone bearing sadness, hatred, and anger.

“My past is something that I don’t share openly, however I feel as though I owe you all this much. I used to be a criminal. I didn’t kill anyone. That’s where I drew the line. I worked with a man named Dimitri and I pulled off heists with him quite often. I was a little distrustful of him at first, but he gained my trust over time. One day we decided to pull off the ultimate heist. We were in Relin at the time and were planning to rob Felix Reynolds, a rich nobleman. We were going to steal five hundred thousand dollars from him. The heist went off without a hitch, until we actually got our hands on the money. Dimitri was first to the money. He held the box that contained the money in his hands, then looked up at me and told me that King Lucias had ordered him to kill me because I was a witch. I was too shocked to react at first, for Dimitri was my good friend. He would never kill me! Or so I thought. He grabbed a nearby candle and threw it onto the floor, igniting the carpet. I jumped backwards, trying to avoid the fire, but it just raged and raged within the house until almost everything was consumed by it. It happened so quickly. Dimitri turned to go, and I looked desperately at him. I couldn’t jump through the flames, or else I would be burned alive. Just before he took off with the money, he turned back to me and I could see his red eyes and his fangs. In the past I wondered why he never spoke and always had a hood over his eyes. I used my magic to extinguish the fire and heal my burns. That was before I knew of vampires. I now know that they exist and I have been trying to find Dimitri and exact my revenge ever since he betrayed me at the Reynolds Estate.” Tabatha explained.

Everyone gaped at her. Tabatha’s eyes clouded over in silent rage, but her eyes soon brightened again and she looked more relaxed than before.

“There, now you know my past.” Tabatha said in a relaxed tone.

She reached her fork down onto her plate and stabbed a few vegetables, popping them into her mouth.

“Well, we’re a criminal group called The Vipers, but we’ll do all that we can to help a fellow criminal escape the law.” Ceberus said.

“Thank you very much for that. I’ll help you out all that I can. It’s the least I can do.” Tabatha said.

“Tabatha, I have a question.” Don said.

Tabatha inclined her head toward him.

“Yes?” She asked with a smile.

“Are all witches as beautiful as you?” Don asked with a flirtatious grin.

Tabatha quickly grabbed her staff in one hand and held it over the table, pointed at Don.

“Levitate!” Tabatha said.

She angled her staff upwards and Don began floating out of his chair. He looked at the ground and his expression became a look of surprised horror. Tabatha brought her staff closer to herself and Don floated through the air until he was nose to nose with Tabatha.

“Just because you saved my life, doesn’t mean that I have any romantic feelings for you.” Tabatha said with a little grin.

Don just stared horrified into Tabatha’s rich brown eyes.

“That’s what you think this is going on, no?” Tabatha asked with a slight smirk.

“No! No, it’s not like that at all!” Don said quickly.

“Well then, I’m glad that we understand each other.” Tabatha said with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

She angled her staff to point at Don’s chair and she lowered it as soon as Don was over it, effectively placing him back in his seat. I saw Erin and Stella covering their mouths. They were giggling. Tabatha pointed her staff to the remainder of the meat on her plate and used her levitation spell to put it into her mouth without touching it. She chewed the meat slowly and swallowed.

“I’m going to bed.” Don said.

His face was beginning to go red from embarrassment. I felt sorry for him.

“Go to bed on the correct side of the room this time!” Stella teased.

“And don’t fall on your face!” Erin added teasingly.

Erin and Stella began laughing together.

“’And don’t fall on your face’? Did I miss something?” Tabatha asked, confused.

Stella nodded while laughing.

“Yes, you should have seen it! Earlier, Don went to sleep on the girls’ side of the room. Then when we told him to move to the boys’ side, he scrambled out of bed and fell on his face.” Stella explained.

Tabatha giggled.

“Oh, I get it.” She said.

“So, Tabatha. Will you be spending the night?” Ceberus asked.

Tabatha nodded eagerly.

“Oh, yes please! I have nowhere else to go, and with Queen Yuka and who knows whoever else hunting me, I can’t feel safe anywhere.” Tabatha said.

“Well, you’re safe here, and you’re welcome to the beds here. Stella and Erin will tell you where to sleep.” Martha said.

“Certainly! Follow us, Tabatha. We’ll show you where your bed is.” Stella said eagerly.

Stella and Erin took Tabatha by the hand and led her into the bunk room. I stood up from my seat.

“I suppose that I should be getting to bed.” I said.

Macalister and Robert stood up as well.

“Me, too.” Macalister said.

“And I.” Robert said.

“Sleep well.” Martha told us.

Robert, Macalister and I went to the bunk room. Before we went inside, Robert pulled the two of us aside.

“Listen, I don’t trust this new girl, Tabatha. Something just… Doesn’t feel right about her.” He said.

I nodded taking in his opinion.

“I understand your suspicion, I mean, she’s a witch that we just saved from being burned at the stake, even so, see what she did to Don? Even if she was just teasing him, she has the power to use magic. Who knows what she could do in the future?” I asked.

“I know that she seems suspicious, but I like her. She is funny and hasn’t yet shown any signs of real hostility. I don’t think that she’s a threat.” Macalister added.

“Anyway, I just wanted to let you two know where I stand with this girl. I’m going to bed. Good night.” Robert said, walking into the bunk room.

Macalister and I followed him. As we got closer, we could hear Stella, Erin and Tabatha talking.

“This is where you’ll sleep. Any bed on this wall except for mine and Stella’s is free for you to sleep in.” Erin said, gesturing to the girls’ side of the room.

I walked to the bunk that I was sleeping in before the witch hunt and I crawled beneath the blankets. Macalister and Robert returned to their bunks as well.

“I’m so happy to have another girl in the group!” Stella said as she embraced Tabatha.

“Thank you. I would like to get some sleep now, so if you don’t mind…” Tabatha said, trailing off as she attempted to pry Stella off of her.

Stella let go of Tabatha and crawled beneath the blankets of her own bed. Erin did the same. I let my eyelids droop. Before I drifted off, I laughed quietly to myself as I remembered the embarrassment Don went through in the last few hours. He was definitely not as smooth as he usually was, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, Don’s flirting skills were not working, not on these girls.

***

Friday June 25th 1690

I awoke to the sound of chatter in the kitchen. The sun was up high in the sky and I could feel it warming my face. I remembered Martha saying ‘I’ll be seeing you bright and early’ last night. I wonder what happened to that. Maybe since we rescued Tabatha, Martha is letting us sleep in? Whatever the reason, I didn’t question it. I didn’t feel tired at all, which was nice. I got out of bed, stood up and stretched. I looked at everyone else’s beds and found them to be empty. Everyone else must have already been awake. I walked out to the kitchen where I heard the chatter coming from. I smelled vegetables being cooked, I also smelled them raw. I looked to the table to see that everyone with the exception of Martha was sitting down. Tabatha looked over to me.

“Good morning, Redmond!” Tabatha greeted me with a warm smile.

I smiled back.

“Good morning, Tabatha.” I said while walking over to the table and pulling up an empty chair next to Erin and Don.

I noticed that Don was sitting directly across from Tabatha, as far away as he can be while remaining seated at the table. I wondered if this was coincidental or intentional.

“What, no ugly jokes this morning?” I cockily asked Don.

Don shook his head.

“Not this time, Redmond. Maybe tomorrow morning.” Don said with a laugh.

“Is something wrong, Don?” I asked in a low voice.

Don leaned in close to my ear and spoke in a low voice.

“I’m just feeling off my game, that’s all.” He said.

I knew what he met. The theory that I had before going to sleep last night was true. I heard a door open. I looked behind me to where the sound came from and I saw Martha carrying a plate of raw vegetables.

“I have some steamed vegetables in the back room if anyone would like them.” Martha offered.

Martha sat down with us. I reached out and grabbed a leaf of cabbage and a few carrots. I bit down on the cabbage leaf and put some carrots in my mouth as well. I chewed them all up and swallowed.

“What those men said last night, how they said that Queen Yuka would have all of your heads for rescuing me. I’m worried that they were serious.” Tabatha said worriedly.

“Don’t worry, Tabatha. If Queen Yuka’s guards show up here, we’ll give them a run for their money!” Don said enthusiastically.

“No offense Don, but we can’t do much with one musket, four flintlocks, farming tools and a healing witch.” Tabatha said.

“Oh, I forgot that you’re only a healing witch.” Don teased in a tone that made it sound like he was disappointed in Tabatha.

Tabatha leaned over the table, leaning in close to Don to intimidate him. It worked and Don sunk into his seat slightly.

“I’m a healing witch, but I do have some offensive spells. That means that I can knock a few heads if I have to.” Tabatha said with a grin.

She was jokingly threatening him.

“Then how come you couldn’t defend yourself against those men last night?” Don asked with a teasing tone and a raised eyebrow.

“There were thirty of them! Plus they came up behind me. They took me by surprise and I had no time to react.” Tabatha said defensively.

Her tone told me that she didn’t like having her magical abilities doubted. As Tabatha ate her breakfast, Robert leaned over to me.

“I don’t like the way that she’s threatening Don.” He said in a low voice.

“I know, she is only joking, though.” I said.

“Still, I don’t like it. I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something shady about that girl.” Robert said.

“What? Other than the fact that she’s a witch?” I asked sarcastically.

I heard Tabatha tap the table with her finger. She cleared her throat to get our attention.

“Are you two done?” She asked.

I looked to Robert, he looked to me with a nervous expression.

“What is it, Robert? Are you suspicious of little old me?” Tabatha asked innocently.

Robert’s eyes widened.

“Well… Um… Yes.” Robert stammered.

Tabatha laughed.

“There’s no need. I may be a witch, but I’m not evil as the stereotype suggests.” Tabatha said.

Robert nodded, although I could tell that he didn’t truly believe her.

“You’ll warm up to the idea.” Tabatha assured him.

William cleared his throat.

“So, Tabatha. Since you’re a witch, do you have a… broomstick or something?” He asked in an attempt to ease the tension.

Tabatha looked slightly annoyed.

“If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that…” She trailed off.

I laughed, so did Francella. No one else did and Tabatha gave us both stern looks which promptly shut us up.

“Tabatha, you said that you’re a healing witch. You also said that there are different types of witches. Do you know all of the types?” William asked.

Tabatha nodded, seeming happy that the topic was off of stereotypical witches.

“Yes. There are different types of witches as I said. There are male witches, but they’re known as warlocks. There are pure witches and there are impure witches. The same goes for warlocks. A pure witch or warlock is more powerful in their magic abilities than impure ones. Even if you’re not one hundred percent pure, the closer you are to being pure, the more powerful you are in your magical abilities. This means that since most of my family is comprised of healing witches or warlocks, I’m most powerful in my healing abilities. When witches or warlocks are only one type and only one type of magic runs throughout their family, they’re pure. This means that both of the witch’s or the warlock’s parents must be the same type as each other, as well as the same type as their parents. For example, if my mother was a healing witch and my father was a healing warlock, and my grandmother was a healing witch and my grandfather was a healing warlock, and so on and so forth it would mean that I would be a pure witch. Alas I’m not.” Tabatha explained.

“I understand.” Macalister said.

“What about the different magic types? You’re a healing witch, but surely healing isn’t the only magic out there?” William asked.

Tabatha shook her head.

“Oh, certainly not. Allow me to explain that. There are different disciplines of magic, healing being one of them, and the magic that a witch can use is determined by the type of magic that its parents can use. For example, my mother was a healing witch and my father was a manipulation warlock, but my grandfather on my father’s side was a healing warlock, and my grandmother on my father’s side was a manipulation witch. This means that I can use healing magic as well as manipulation magic, but my healing magic is stronger because most of my family are healing witches or warlocks. A few of my distant relatives can use manipulation magic. That’s why I can use it.” Tabatha explained.

“What other magic types are there? How do they work?” William asked.

Tabatha giggled.

“You’re a curious one, aren’t you?” She asked.

She continued speaking after a moment of silence.

“There are a few magic disciplines. There is healing magic, which deals with the repair of things as I already told you. A few healing spells are Seamstress, Healing Gaze, Friendship and Drain. There is manipulation magic, which allows you to manipulate the things around you. I have already used manipulation magic on Don before. Levitation is an example of manipulation magic. You remember that, do you not?” Tabatha asked a small smile and a gaze directed at Don.

Don averted his eyes from Tabatha. He looked angry. After a laugh from Tabatha, she continued.

“There is illusion magic, which deals with tricking someone’s mind. I had a friend who could use illusion magic. It was hilarious to watch her play tricks on people. She used to make people hallucinate and scare the living daylights out of them. A few illusion spells would be Hellish Nightmare, Paranoia and Fog. Sadly, I can’t use illusion magic. Otherwise I would have a lot more fun.” Tabatha said with a quick sly look to everyone in the room.

“That’s… An unnerving thought.” Stella said slowly.

Tabatha laughed.

“Indeed. There is also influential magic, which allows you to influence someone’s mind. That means that you can control their decisions as well as their actions. Basically you can turn someone into your puppet. Some spells are Influence, Puppet and Relinquish.” Tabatha said.

“That’s a scary idea.” I said.

“Next, there is protection magic. The spells in protection magic are designed to shield the user or anyone the user casts the spell on from whatever the spell shields from. For example, a protection witch can cast a spell on one of her friends that shields them from an illusion magic spell. The duration of the shield spell is determined by how pure the witch’s protection magic is. A pure protection witch could easily shield someone from a spell and the shield could be attacked by the spell it’s protecting someone from five times before breaking. Possibly more. However an impure protection witch couldn’t sustain a shield spell on someone for very long. The shield would probably only last for two attacks. After a shield spell is broken, the shield becomes useless and the spell must be cast again for it to regain full effect. Some protection spells include Illusion Ward, Influential Shield and Destruction Dispel. Some magic types such as healing and manipulation can’t be blocked by protection magic.” Tabatha said.

“Are there any other disciplines of magic?” William asked.

Tabatha nodded.

“Yes. There is enchantment magic, which is the magic used to imbue an object with magical properties. For example, my staff is enchanted to increase my magical power. I can still use magic without my staff, but it wouldn’t be as powerful. Some enchantment spells would be Strengthen, Harden and Magical Affinity.” Tabatha said.

“That’s amazing!” Macalister remarked.

“Well, things get even more interesting. Listen to this. There is curse magic, which is the magic used to place a curse on someone or something. Curse magic is a very simple magic discipline, or so I have heard at least. Some spells are Enchant Block, Death Hex and Bad Luck.” Tabatha said.

“Curses? Hexes? Spells? The world’s gone mad.” Robert said with a laugh.

“Magic sounds interesting.” Macalister remarked.

“Destruction magic also exists. It’s the opposite of healing magic. It deals with destructive forces such as fire and explosions. Users of destruction magic are capable of blowing up buildings or causing fires. Destruction magic is meant for combat. Some destruction spells include Combustion, Fireball and Windstorm.” Tabatha explained.

“There is also summon magic, which deals with the summoning of various entities to help a witch or warlock in combat. Some summon spells are Summon Fairy, Vampiric Minion and Summon Lost Soul. The creatures summoned can’t be people like witches or warlocks, but they can be other creatures that are not of this world like fairies, vampires and lost souls.” Tabatha said.

“Anything else?” William asked.

Tabatha’s gaze darted to the left. Her eyes acquired a strained look. There was something that she wasn’t telling us.

“What is it, Tabatha?” William asked.

“I-it’s nothing. I just… The next magic type is the scariest of all.” Tabatha said ominously.

Tabatha closed her eyes and composed herself a little and then spoke.

“The last magic type is dark magic. Impure dark magic users have the power to render other magic types useless for a short period of time, but it’s rumored that pure dark magic users have the ability to take away someone’s magic forever. Dark magic is a very rare magic type, so there are almost no dark magic witches or warlocks. However there are those who can use it. I have seen it before. Very little is known about dark magic, but I know of a few spells only because I watched as someone was killed by dark magic. The spells that I know of are Death’s Choice, Penitence and Retribution.” Tabatha said.

“That does sound fearful.” Erin said in feared awe.

“Who was killed by dark magic that you knew?” William asked.

Tabatha’s eyes sank to the floor and her eyebrows dropped in depression.

“My best friend Mary-Anne was killed in an accident involving dark magic several years ago. I prefer not to speak of it.” Tabatha said.

“I understand. Sorry.” William said.

“No, it’s alright. You didn’t know.” Tabatha told him.

We all remained silent for a few minutes. Depression hung on the air and I could almost feel Tabatha’s sadness.

Chapter Twenty Four Hunting With Ceberus:

Friday June 25th 1690

It was Martha who broke the silence.

“Oh, dear me! I just remembered that I used the last of our meat in Tabatha’s meal last night. Could you and Ceberus go out to the forest and bring back some game?” Martha asked me.

I was surprised that she had chosen me. The request was unexpected as well, but if she did need more meat I would have thought that she would choose someone from The Vipers. Before answering, I had the fleeting thought that she only requested this because she wanted to break the sadness induced silence. Regardless, I answered.

“Sure thing, Martha.” I told her.

“I’ll get my gun.” Ceberus said as he got up and walked out of sight.

“Mine is ready. I’ll wait outside.” I called after him.

I got up and walked to the door.

“Good luck, you two! Sorry for eating the last of the meat…” Tabatha said.

“It’s quite alright dearie.” Martha said.

I opened the door and stepped through. There was no one working the fields yet. Everyone else was eating breakfast inside. Or was it lunch? I looked up to the azure sky and found that the sun was almost at its apex in the sky. It was just before noon. The sky had only a few clouds and it was warm out. The sea of green crops that splayed out before me gave the atmosphere a cozy feel when mixed in with the warm weather and the perfect azure sky. The only obstruction to this was the grey stone wall that could be seen a few kilometers away. Beyond that I could see green trees. That was the forest that Ceberus and I had to go to in order to hunt. I heard the door open and shut behind me.

“Are you ready to go?” Asked Ceberus.

I turned to look at him. I saw that he was dressed in a beige leather coat in spite of the warm weather with brown pants and beige shoes. He had his musket on a strap slung over his right shoulder and he had a burlap sack slung over his left from another strap.

“Yes.” I told him, showing my flintlock.

“Very well. We’ll head out now. We’ll travel to the gate of Riverguard and go to the forest from there.” Ceberus said.

I began walking up the walkway that went from the fields to town. Ceberus followed me. We traversed the pathway quickly and made it to town. We walked past the various shops and inns that lined the grey stone street. We made it to the town square and crossed it, walking passed the fountain. We came to the gate. A guard stopped us.

“Halt! What is your business on the outside?” He asked.

“We’re hunting. My family has run out of meat.” Ceberus said.

The guard nodded and called to his friends;

“Open the gate!” He shouted.

The gate began to open and slowly reveal the forest outside the wall. When it was fully opened, we walked through.

“Stay safe! There have been hunters not unlike yourselves who have recently disappeared in this forest.” Called a guard.

There have been disappearances? If people went missing in the forest, I couldn’t help but wonder if Ignacio was back at his cabin abducting people, harvesting them for their blood. I shuddered at the thought.

“We’ll, thank you.” I told him.

Ceberus and I walked to the treeline where the forest began. Dead leaves crunched beneath our shoes as we walked along. I looked around for game. There had to be something around here; a squirrel, a rabbit, a fox, a boar or maybe even a dear. My stomach grumbled as I imagined the meaty, succulent taste and of roast dear.

“So, what do you think of Tabatha?” Ceberus asked suddenly as we walked along.

The question caught me off guard.

“Oh, she’s, um… She’s alright, I suppose. I mean, the fact that she’s a witch is sort of off putting and it made me wonder if she could be trusted. She seems trustworthy now, though. Why do you ask?” I asked.

Ceberus shook his head.

“It’s nothing, I just… I don’t know what it is about her. Something just isn’t right. You know?” He asked me.

I nodded, understanding.

“I know. My survival instincts told me to keep my guard up, regardless of how innocent she looked or sounded, but she seems to be trustworthy.” I repeated.

“I suppose that it was my own survival instinct that told me to be suspicious of Tabatha. After all, she is a witch.” Ceberus said with a laugh.

“I think that we should give Tabatha a little more credit. She is a witch, but that isn’t to say that she can’t be trusted. I mean, she can’t help the fact that she is a witch.” I said.

“I suppose I should drop my suspicions. Like you said, she seems trustworthy.”

There was a few more minutes of silence as we walked along the forest floor, looking around for game. I decided to ask Ceberus a question of my own.

“What do you think about us, The Scorpions, Ceberus?” I asked.

Ceberus showed no hesitation in answering.

“You four look like a nice group of men. Well, nice from a criminal’s standpoint at least. I can’t see any of you doing anything to hurt The Vipers. In other words, I trust you.” He said.

That was good to hear that he wasn’t suspicious of us.

“What do you think of us, The Vipers?” Asked Ceberus.

“Well, I think that you’re all nice. I have had more fun with The Vipers so far than most times with The Scorpions. I mean, come on! Stella and Erin teasing Don about going to bed on the girls’ side of the room and falling out of bed, it’s hilarious!” I said.

Ceberus smiled.

“Yes. Call me crazy, but I think that Don has been trying to impress Stella, Erin and Tabatha since he met them.” Ceberus said with a laugh.

I laughed in return.

“I think so too! He can usually make a girl fall for him within minutes of talking to her, but not with those three! It’s quite amusing to watch his usually razor sharp skills not work on the ladies for a change.” I said.

“Do you think that Don only ran onto that burning pyre to save Tabatha to impress Stella and Erin?” Ceberus asked.

I nodded, laughing.

“Yes! The thought had crossed my mind. I think that Don is getting desperate to make a good impression.” I said.

Ceberus’s grin widened.

“I agree with you there, but I think that Don is scared of Tabatha now.” Ceberus said.

I thought back to when I had seen Don sitting directly across from Tabatha, which is the farthest he can be from her while sitting at the table.

“Yes, but in all fairness Tabatha used her manipulation magic to make Don levitate. She was in complete control of the situation. I don’t think Don liked that.” I said.

Ceberus nodded in understanding.

“Fair enough.” He said.

I looked around as we spoke and walked along. After a few minutes of looking, I saw a flutter of movement in the brush to my right about fifty feet away. Whatever it was disappeared into the treeline.

“There!” I said, pointing out the spot.

Ceberus turned with his musket raised. He aimed down his sights and steadied his aim, waiting for whatever had moved to show itself again.

“What the- that’s not an animal!” Ceberus said, lowering his musket.

Confusion hit me. Not an animal? What else could it be?

“It’s alright, Walden. It’s me, Ceberus.” Ceberus said.

Who was he talking to? I got my answer a few seconds later when a small, winged creature that was no more than fifteen centimeters tall emerged from the bushes. His wings, clothes and hair were dark green. His wings beat like a humming bird’s as he flew out of the bushes slowly. Of course! It was a fairy!

“Ceberus… Ceberus…” The fairy, Walden said.

Walden’s voice was high pitched, but not a screechy pitch. He said Ceberus’s name as if he was trying to remember where he had heard it before.

“Ceberus… Oh! Right! You’re the man that I saved from Queen Yuka’s guards! You still owe me one, by the way.” Walden said with a grin.

“Yes, I know, but it was over a year ago. Do you ever forget anything?” Ceberus asked.

Walden let out a laugh.

“No sir. I’ll never forget that night. The guards were closing in on you, and then I used my manipulation magic and made you invisible. You didn’t even know you were invisible, either.” Walden braggingly said.

“Ceberus, you were saved by a fairy?” I asked.

“Yes. Regretfully it was this fairy, but I would rather be indebted to Walden than rotting in Queen Yuka’s prison.” Ceberus said.

“What do you owe Walden, Exactly?” I asked.

“Anything I want.” Walden answered.

“Within reason.” Ceberus added.

Walden laughed.

“Funny, I don’t remember that being part of the deal.” Walden said cockily.

“Whatever. Have you even decided what you want?” Ceberus asked.

Walden shook his head.

“No sir, but when that day comes you’ll be the one that I call.” Walden said.

“Great…” Ceberus mumbled.

I cleared my throat.

“So eh… Walden. Who are you, exactly?” I asked.

Walden chuckled.

“Eh? Where’re my manners? Name’s Walden O’Leary. Who might you be?” Walden asked.

“Redmond. Redmond Bradford.” I said.

“Nice ta meet ya.” Walden said.

I had a feeling that this conversation was just about over.

“Walden, have you seen any wildlife big enough to feed a few people around here?” I asked.

Walden made an angry face and crossed his little arms over his little chest.

“What? You think that just because I’m a fairy that I keep tabs on all of the wildlife in this forest?” Walden said, sounding offended.

“What? No! I…” I stammered.

Walden broke out laughing.

“Relax, I’m just yanking your chain, buddy. Yes, I saw a pack of wild boars and some deer go by here in the last hour, but there’s no telling where they are now.” Walden said.

Ceberus nodded.

“Thank you, Walden. We should be going now. Martha ran out of meat last night and Redmond and I are out getting more.” Ceberus said.

Walden nodded.

“Need to run errands for the missus. Welp, I understand. Goodbye Ceberus and Raymond.”Walden said.

“Farewell, Walden.” Ceberus replied.

Ceberus and I turned and walked away.

“Return to Riverguard by nightfall! Vampires are all over these woods when the sun goes down!” I heard Walden call out to us.

Ceberus didn’t answer. We both pressed on, in search of the animals that Walden told us about.

“Walden seems…” I began but trailed off.

“Annoying? Yes.” Ceberus said.

I nodded.

“Well, yes. He also seems full of himself.” I said.

Ceberus nodded.

“Oh, yes he is. He thinks that merely because he saved my life of his own accord he’s so great.” Ceberus said with a laugh.

I heard a twig snap somewhere in the forest. I turned towards the sound. In the distance about a hundred feet away, I saw our prize; three wild boars.

“There.” I whispered to Ceberus, indicating the animals.

“Good eye, Redmond.” Ceberus said as he took aim with his musket.

“Can you hit that?” I asked, looking at the hundred foot span between us and the wild boars.

Ceberus held his breath and steadied his aim. In a few seconds I saw his finger tensing on the trigger. After a few more seconds a thunderous boom! Ripped its way through the air. I looked over to the boar. Instantaneously it dropped to the ground with a cry of pain and an array of blood. The gunshot alerted the other two boars and they bolted in separate directions. Before I could think, I had my flintlock up and I zeroed in on a retreating boar. The boar was squealing in fear. I lined up the shot and pulled the trigger slowly. The flintlock kicked in my hand and the muzzle flashed, sending out the projectile. The boar dropped with a high pitched squeal as blood sprayed across the green grass. I reloaded my flintlock.

“Nice shot!” Ceberus said with a grin as he reloaded his musket.

“Thanks.” I said, putting my flintlock in my pocket.

“Those boars won’t fit in this bag.” He said.

“No kidding.” I said with a laugh.

“We may as well collect those boars and call it quits for today. It’s almost twilight and we need to get back to Riverguard with as much time to spare as possible.” Ceberus told me.

“Agreed.” I said.

Ceberus put his musket back on his shoulder by the strap and we both walked over to the boars.

“Alright, now just pick up the boars and carry them on your back, like this.” Ceberus said as he slung a wild boar carcass over his shoulder.

He grabbed the one that he shot. I bent down and grabbed the one that I shot. It was a lot heavier than it looked! Ceberus made it look easy to carry. The guy must have been really strong! I picked up the boar and eased it across my shoulders, effectively slinging it across both of my shoulders. I walked after Ceberus and he waited for me.

“These things are heavy!” I said, straining under the weight of the wild boar.

“Heavy or not, these are too good of a score to just leave out here! Just imagine how these things will taste tonight!” Ceberus told me.

I salivated and my stomach grumbled at the thought of tender boar meat cooked to perfection by Martha. Ceberus and I walked along the forest floor heading back the way we came. The weight of the wild boars slowed us down, but we were both able to carry our game. After a few minutes we reached the spot where we met Walden. There was no sign of him around anymore. We walked past the spot and kept going. After a few more minutes, my back, legs and arms were starting to get really sore.

“Just a little… further!” Ceberus said while straining under the weight of his boar.

I laughed.

“It’s good to know that you’re human! I didn’t think you would ever get tired!” I joked.

“How are you holding up?” Ceberus asked me.

“Is it just me, or do these things seem to just get heavier?” I asked.

“Great, you noticed it, too.” Ceberus joked back.

After a few more minutes of walking, the walls of Riverguard came into sight! We were getting slower and slower as we walked on. Twilight was now descending on the forest. This reminded me how late it actually was and it urged Ceberus and I to move faster. Not that we could, but we moved with more urgency than before.

“It’s getting late.” I said.

“We’ll be home before dark, don’t worry.” Ceberus reassured me.

We walked towards the walls of Riverguard. They got closer with each step, but the twilight gave our trek an edge of excitement. We finally arrived at the gate after another ten minutes of walking.

“You’re back!” Exclaimed the same guard who let us out of the city hours earlier.

“Yes. We were successful while hunting.” Ceberus said with a smile.

“I see.” The guard said with an impressed smile.

He looked to his friends who operated the gate control.

“Open the gate!” He shouted.

The gate began to slowly open. When it did, we stepped through and walked through the town square. Ceberus led us down a road that branched from the fountain and we continued on. The street that we were on became familiar as we walked down it. We eventually saw the pathway that led from the road through the field and to the house. We walked down the pathway and saw everyone else tending the fields. They all stopped to look at us, impressed by the boars that we carried on our backs. When we got to the house, Martha held the front door open for us.

“Oh my! You boys have really outdone yourselves!” She exclaimed.

“Thank you, dear. Where do you want these?” Asked Ceberus.

“Just put them in the back room. I’ll skin them and prepare them for dinner.” Martha said as she walked ahead and opened a door that led to the back room.

Ceberus stepped through and I followed him. The room was small, only large enough for about five or six people. There was a wash basin and a fireplace with a cooking pot above it. Inside the cooking pot was water. Steam rose off of it as the temperature increased.

“Just put them on the table. Thank you.” Martha said, indicating a table to my right.

I turned and eased the boar off of my shoulders and onto the table. I could stand up straight now and the pain on my back, legs and arms eased. I sighed in relief.

“Much better.” I said.

Ceberus put his boar on the table as well.

“You can say that again.” Ceberus said with a grin.

“Thank you very much, you two. You can both go out to the field and work until dinner or you can wait in the house. The choice is yours.” Martha said.

“I think I’ll go and help in the field.” I said.

I turned and exited the back room. I walked towards the front door. No one seemed to be in the house as I walked by all of the rooms. I made my way to the front door and I opened it, stepped through and closed it. The twilight had darkened and it would soon be dusk.

Chapter Twenty Five Another Safe Night:

Friday June 25th 1690

“Redmond! Are you out here to help?” Raymond asked.

I looked over to him and nodded.

“I sure am.” I said.

He grinned.

“Great! Can you go through and collect all of the ripe crops that you can, as well as the weeds?” It would be a big help!” Raymond said.

“No problem.” I said.

“Thank you so much! Here, take this basket.” Raymond told me, handing me a basket.

I took the basket from his hands and began looking through the rows of crops, casting my gaze downwards as I had done the first night that Robert, Macalister Don and I arrived at the bunkhouse. I spotted a ripe carrot and I reached down, picked it from the ground and put it in the basket. I moved on, keeping my gaze downwards and I bumped into someone.

“Oh, sorry!” I said, looking up to see who it was.

It was Stella, beside her was Erin. They were looking ahead of themselves. I bumped into Stella’s back.

“It’s alright, Redmond.” She said.

I looked to see what they were looking at. About twenty feet away standing in the field I saw Tabatha and Don. Tabatha’s pointed hat was silhouetted in the late twilight and Don was holding a basket with both hands in front of him, and Tabatha had her staff. She was using manipulation magic and causing the vegetables to levitate and float over to Don’s basket. She used her staff to manipulate their movement through the air.

“It’s fascinating, is it not?” Erin asked.

“Yes, it’s.” I said, still looking at Tabatha.

I saw her put a few more vegetables in Don’s basket using manipulation magic. After a few more, Tabatha accidentally ended her levitation spell too early and the vegetable missed Don’s basket by about a foot.

“Nice miss!” Don taunted.

Instead of making a witty comeback of her own, Tabatha lifted another vegetable, a carrot, out of the ground using her manipulation magic and she brought it in close to Don’s basket. She moved it slowly until it was about two feet from Don’s basket. I saw Tabatha jerk her staff forward slightly as she held it. This caused the carrot to fly towards Don at quite a speed, hitting him right in the face! Don let out a yelp of pain.

“What was that for?” He asked while holding his face with one hand.

Tabatha giggled and turned her back to Don.

“Oops, my mistake. It must have slipped…” She said playfully.

“Well, in that case your manipulation magic could use a little more work.” Don said with a smug expression.

“If you don’t want another vegetable to meet your face, I suggest you take that back.” Tabatha said with a grin.

“Not a chance!” Don said teasingly as he turned and ran across the field, careful not to step on any crops.

Right as it seemed as though Don was going to make it back to the house, Tabatha used her manipulation magic to make a carrot levitate out of the ground. She held her staff out, controlling the carrot in the air with the staff’s movements. She wound back with her staff and swung it in the direction of Don. The staff remained in her hands, but the carrot was sent hurdling towards Don at high speed. In a few seconds, the carrot hit Don in the back of the head, sending him crashing to the ground. I broke out laughing and so did Tabatha, Erin and Stella. Across the field I could see Macalister and Robert pointing at Don, holding their stomachs. They were out of earshot but I can be positive that they were laughing themselves to death. I could hear Raymond laughing as well. Francella came up behind me and took notice of the situation. He burst out laughing.

“I’m starting to really like Tabatha.” Francella said.

“I think that the same can be said for everyone. Well, everyone except for Don that’s.” Stella said.

I could see that Don was now picking himself up. He raised a hand to the back of his head where the carrot struck him. He cast a glance at Tabatha, only to find her doubled over, laughing twice as hard as before.

“I told you! I told you to take it back!” Tabatha said, regaining some of her composure.

Don said nothing. He just turned and walked to the house. I couldn’t tell if he was angry, sad, embarrassed or all three. Most likely all three. I felt bad for him. He was getting embarrassed a lot more than usual since we started staying with The Vipers. In all fairness, Tabatha warned him to take the comment about her magic back and he didn’t, so I suppose that he got what he deserved. Still I couldn’t help but feel bad for him. I went back to work, turning my attention to the ground once more. I spotted a carrot that looked ripe and I plucked it from the ground, shaking the dirt off of the crop and placing it in my basket. I saw a ripe cabbage and placed it in the basket as well.

“Hey, Redmond. Can I talk to you?” I heard a familiar voice call.

I looked up to see Francella.

“Francella, how can I help you?” I asked.

Francella fidgeted his fingers slightly. Was he nervous?

“I wanted to ask you, what do you think about what those men said the night that Don rescued Tabatha?” Francella asked.

“What? About how they said that Queen Yuka will have our heads?” I asked.

Francella nodded grimly.

“Yes.” He said.

I shrugged.

“Well, I think that it’s a serious threat. Queen Yuka is quite malevolent and it’s not wise to trifle with what she desires.” Francella said.

“Are you saying that you regret helping to save Tabatha?” I asked.

Francella shook his head with a frown.

“No, no it’s not like that. See, I think that we should keep someone out on watch at night, just in case those men come back.” Francella said.

I shrugged again.

“It could be a waste of time. I mean, if the men haven’t come yet, what makes you think that they’ll come at all?” I asked him.

“That’s what I’m worried about. They haven’t come yet, so I’m thinking that they’re getting ready to make an attack on us.” Francella said.

“Have you told Ceberus?” I asked.

“No, I don’t want him or anyone else to think I’m paranoid.” Francella said.

“Well, that may be all it is. Look at it this way; we stole a witch from those men and they shouted that Queen Yuka would have our heads. I don’t think that they were serious. After all, Queen Yuka has vampires under her control that she uses to hunt dangerous criminals, she has fairies for who knows what, and she wants to capture witches and burn any who resist or make too much trouble. Tabatha resisted, so my guess is that Queen Yuka does not want Tabatha anyway. Ceberus said that those men come by at night and capture witches and they burn a few of them. They may hunt witches during the day and burn the ones that don’t cooperate. Tabatha is among those that didn’t cooperate, so Queen Yuka probably thinks that she’s dead, and if the men tell her that they let a witch be rescued, chances are that Queen Yuka will punish them. We have nothing to worry about.” I said in order to calm Francella down.

Francella’s nervous fidget went away and he smiled and nodded.

“When you put it like that, it does seem as though we have nothing to worry about. Thank you.” He said.

“No problem.” I said.

Just then, I heard the dinner bell ringing. I looked back at the house to see Martha standing in the doorway ringing a dinner bell.

“Oh, boy! Dinner is ready!” Francella said as he began walking to the house.

I saw everyone else in the field make their way to the house. Martha stopped ringing the dinner bell and disappeared inside the house. I arrived at the house with everyone else and we walked through the door. The light coming in through the windows indicated the end of twilight and the beginning of dusk. I walked over to the table, sitting next to Don and Raymond. Don looked a little depressed. Probably about what happened earlier. There was a cup of water at everyone’s seat. The smell of freshly cooked meat hung on the air. I could hear the back room door opening and Martha walked out carrying two trays of meat and vegetables.

“A very special thanks to Ceberus and Redmond for hunting these boars in the forest. This meal couldn’t have happened without them.” Martha said.

“Redmond, you shot a boar?” Robert asked.

“Shot it while it was running away, he did.” Ceberus said.

“That’s quite impressive! Way to go!” Erin said.

“Thank you.” I told her.

“Ceberus, Redmond, you dish yourselves out first.” Martha said.

I obliged. I grabbed my knife and fork and cut a piece of wild boar off of the slab that was on the tray and put it on my plate. I scooped some vegetables up with my fork and I put it on my plate.

“Thank you, dear.” Ceberus said when he was finished dishing himself out.

I used my fork to scoop up some vegetables from my plate and I put them in my mouth, chewing them. Ceberus finished dishing himself out and the others began serving themselves. They all finished after a few moments. Ceberus cleared his throat.

“Everyone, William and I won’t be here for the majority of tomorrow. We may not even be back for a few days.” He said.

“Why not?” Asked Tabatha.

“Well, William and I work as espionages. We work for Queen Yuka and she trusts us. We take information from Queen Yuka and we relay it to the rest of The Vipers. In order for Queen Yuka to keep trusting us, we need to venture out to her castle, just so she does not get suspicious of William and I for not showing up for a while.” Ceberus said.

“That’s interesting! Alas, it’s a very risky job, no? I mean, one slip up and you’ll be sent to the guillotine.” Tabatha said.

William nodded grimly.

“Yes, I have thought about that one fact for quite some time. I would be lying if I said the thought didn’t keep me up at night.” He said.

Tabatha nodded slowly.

“I see.” She said.

“Anyway, William and I will most likely be gone before dawn. We need to head out as soon as possible.” Ceberus said.

“Where is Queen Yuka’s castle? I haven’t seen it around here.” I asked Ceberus.

“Oh, the castle can’t be seen from here. It’s towards the center of Vulrock. We’re just on the border. By horse it won’t take us long at all to get to Queen Yuka’s castle. William and I will rent horses in town tomorrow morning.” Ceberus said.

“Oh, okay.” I said.

I cut the boar on my plate with my fork and knife and I put some of the meat in my mouth. It tasted pretty good. It had a very strong flavor that was thick and meaty. There was no sauce or anything on it. I cut another piece and I put it into my mouth, chewing and swallowing it. I took a swig from the cup of water that was next to my plate.

“Very good, Martha.” I said once I was done chewing my boar.

“Thank you, Redmond.” She replied.

“Hey, I can’t help but notice that we haven’t played cards after dinner in a while. Anyone want to play?” Francella asked.

The idea did sound appealing. I haven’t played games in a long time.

“Sure, I’m in.” I said.

“I haven’t played in years, but sure. I’ll play. I think I still remember how to play poker.” Robert said.

“Cards… Yes. I’ll play.” Macalister said.

Don looked around at everyone.

“I think I’ll pass. Thanks though.” Don said.

Tabatha looked at Don with raised eyebrows.

“Why? Are you scared I’ll beat you?” She asked.

Don shook his head.

“What? No! I-“ Don started.

“Everyone, Don’s scared of losing to a girl!” Tabatha said to everyone at the table.

Don started laughing.

“Alright, fine. You’re on.” He said.

“Okay. The rest of you, are you in?” Tabatha asked.

“Sure, I’ll play.” Raymond said.

“It sounds like fun.” Stella agreed.

“Why not? I’m no good at cards, but it sounds like fun.” Erin said with a shrug of her shoulders.

“I’m not going to play. William and I need to get our sleep if we want to leave early in the morning.” Ceberus said.

“Me too. I’m not going to play either.” William said.

“Good night you two. Have a safe trip tomorrow morning.” Martha said.

“We will, dear. Thank you.” Ceberus said as he and William walked off to the bunk area.

When Ceberus and William were out of the room, Tabatha looked to everyone.

“Is everyone done eating?” She asked.

Everyone nodded. Their plates were all empty, as were their water goblets. Tabatha stood up from her seat and pointed her staff at the table.

“Levitate!” Tabatha said.

She raised her staff a little and the plates, forks, knives and cups all rose above the table a few centimeters. Tabatha turned around and pointed her staff to the kitchen sink. The plates, forks, knives and cups followed where she moved her staff and when the plates, cups and cutlery were over the wash basin, she ended the spell and everything fell into it.

“Well, that makes my job a little easier.” Martha said in awe.

“No problem, Martha.” Tabatha said.

“Tabatha, do you always have to say the name of the spell in order to cast it?” Francella asked.

“Well, not exactly. I can cast spells without verbally activating them, but it is more difficult to cast the spell without activating it verbally. If I say the name of the spell in my mind I can still cast the spell as if I said the name out loud.” Tabatha said.

“That’s fascinating.” Erin said.

“I have to admit, being a witch does have its moments.” Tabatha told her.

“Being hunted and burned at the stake isn’t one of those moments, I’d take it?” I asked.

Tabatha laughed.

“No. I am very grateful to you all for saving my life that night. Thank you all so much.” Tabatha said.

“It’s no problem. We’re just happy that you’re alright.” Stella said.

“Well, thanks to you all and my magic I am.” Tabatha said.

“I suppose I have your magic to thank for my wellbeing as well.” Don said.

Tabatha looked to him.

“Yes, you do. Magic does come in very handy… For a lot of things.” Tabatha said with a grin.

“Oh, like hurling vegetables at people from forty feet away?” Don asked.

Tabatha sighed and hung her head for a moment. Then she looked up at Don with her deep brown eyes.

“Look, I’m sorry about what happened in the field before dinner. That was un-called for. I was out of line.” Tabatha said.

Don didn’t say anything for a moment. I think that he was stunned by the fact that Tabatha apologized. Frankly, so was I. Tabatha was cocky and playful… and a little full of herself.

“Thanks, Tabatha. It means a lot.” Don said with a small smile.

“It doesn’t mean I’ll stop teasing you, though I do admit that what I did in the field was over the line.” Tabatha said with a giggle.

“I’d expect nothing less.” Don said condescendingly.

“Don’t patronize me, boy.” Tabatha warned.

Don laughed, but turned away from Tabatha.

“Where are the cards?” Don asked.

Tabatha closed her eyes for a moment, then pointed her staff at the deck of cards, which was still on the table that Ceberus had put them on when we first came here. Tabatha angled her staff upwards and the deck of cards levitated off of the table. She directed the deck of cards to land on the table. She ended the spell and the deck of cards fell onto the table.

“See? I don’t need to verbally activate a spell in order to cast it.” Tabatha said.

“Who wants to deal?” Robert asked.

“Allow me.” Tabatha said with a grin.

While keeping her staff on the ground, she pointed it towards the deck of cards.

“Levitate.” She said.

She then flicked her staff slightly in the direction of each one of us and a card landed in front of each of us. She did this until we all had five cards.

Robert looked at the cards like they were diseased.

“What’s the matter, Robert? They won’t bite.” Tabatha teased.

Robert cautiously picked up the cards. I suppose he still didn’t trust Tabatha. I was starting to, she seemed like a nice girl on the inside.

“What are we playing?” Tabatha asked.

“Well, we normally just play ‘best hand wins’.” Francela said.

“Five cards?” Tabatha asked.

Francella nodded.

“Okay then.” Tabatha said as she placed her staff behind her chair.

We all turned our attention to our cards. I picked mine up and fanned them out. I had a two of diamonds, a jack of spades, a jack of diamonds, a ten of hearts and a seven of clubs. Not a bad hand. I saw Don smile.

“Don, don’t you know what ‘poker face’ means?” Robert asked.

“Well I do, but what’s the fun in gambling if you can’t let everyone know that you’re going to win?” Don asked.

“No, you think you’re going to win. This is why you’re so bad at gambling.” Robert told him with a laugh.

“Everyone ready to lay down their cards?” Francella asked.

“I sure am.” Raymond said as he laid down his cards.

He had a ten of clubs, a ten of spades, a three of hearts, a jack of clubs and a king of diamonds.

“Sorry to tell you Raymond, but I beat you.” I said as I layed my hand down.

Raymond leaned forward in his seat to inspect my cards.

“Wow, nice hand. That’s going to be pretty tough to beat!” Raymond said.

“Well, you beat me.” Francella said as he laid down his Queen of hearts, king of clubs, five of diamonds, six of clubs and ace of hearts.

“I’m afraid the same can be said for me, Redmond.” He said.

He put his cards down. He had a four of diamonds, a ten of diamonds, a nine of clubs, a two of hearts and a king if hearts.

“Did I win?” Macalister asked as he layed his cards down.

I looked at his cards. He had a five of clubs, a nine of diamonds, an eight of spades, an ace of clubs and a seven of hearts. Robert raised an eyebrow.

“Not even close, Macalister.” He said with a laugh.

“Tonight’s game just got interesting.” Stella said with a knowing grin as she laid down her cards.

Her hand consisted of a Queen of diamonds, a Queen of spades, a Queen of clubs, a six of diamonds and a six of hearts.

“A full house.” Raymond said with awe.

“Anyone feel like folding?” Stella asked.

“You beat me, Stella.” Erin said with a laugh.

She laid down her hand. She had a two of clubs, a two of spades, a three of clubs, a three of diamonds and a three of spades.

“Another full house.” Robert said.

“Mine wins.” Stella said.

“No need to brag, Stella.” Erin chastised.

I looked to the only remaining people who hadn’t laid their cards down yet; Tabatha and Don. They were looking into each other’s eyes, trying to read each other’s minds. Each of them wore a hard, unreadable poker face. They were silent, as if closed off in their own world.

“This is intense.” Francella said.

“Yes, but the only question is, will Don win, or will he lose to Tabatha?” Robert asked with a grin.

“My money’s on Don.” Macalister said.

Macalister reached in to his pocket, pulled out his one remaining gold piece and set it on the table.

“Macalister, you do know that’s only a figure of speech, right?” Robert asked.

Macalister put the gold coin back in his pocket.

“Of course I knew that.” Macalister said.

Robert laughed but didn’t say anything. Just then, Tabatha’s poker face melted away into a knowing grin.

“Are you ready to lose, boy?”

Don scoffed.

“What’s with the ‘boy’ thing? How old are you, anyway? I certainly look older than you.” Don said.

Tabatha giggled.

“That’s a question for another time. Right now is game time. Now, are you ready to lose?” Tabatha asked.

Don grinned.

“No, but I think you are.” He said as he laid down his hand.

Down sat back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head, shooting a cocky grin at Tabatha. Don’s hand consisted of a four of spades, a four of hearts, a four of clubs, a five of hearts and a five of spades. Tabatha stared at his hand and raised her eyebrows.

“A full house.” She said.

Don’s cocky grin did not fall from his face.

“Indeed.” He said.

Tabatha stared into Don’s eyes. I could tell she was building dramatic tension. She raised her hand of cards and slowly set them on the table face up. I looked at her cards. She had an ace of spades, an ace of diamonds, a nine of hearts, a nine of spades and… A jack of hearts.

There was a moment of stunned silence. We all looked to one another.

“Well, it looks like Stella wins.” Francella said with a laugh.

“Followed by Don in close second.” Stella said.

“In third was Erin.” Raymond said.

“In fourth was Tabatha.” I added.

“Everyone else had bad cards. Myself included.” Robert said with a grin.

Robert looked at Tabatha.

“Are you sure you can’t use curse magic? I think you put a bad luck curse on my hand.” He joked.

Tabatha giggled.

“No, you just aren’t good at cards.” She said.

“Well, good game, Don. Well played.” Tabatha said with a grin as she reached over the table to give him a handshake.

Don reached out and shook her hand.

“Thanks. You played a good game yourself. You had me sweating there for a minute.” Don said.

“Well, I don’t know about you all, but I’m going to bed. See you all in the morning.” Tabatha said as she walked to the bunk section of the house.

“I’m going to turn in, too.” I said, walking after Tabatha.

“Good game, everyone!” Francella said.

“Indeed it was.” Raymond said to Francella.

Raymond clapped him on the back as he walked towards the bunk room.

“I’m tired. I can’t stay up for more than another few minutes.” Stella said as she yawned.

“Me, too.” Erin said as she staggered off towards the bunk area.

I reached the bunks and I went to the one I usually sleep in. I laid down in it and crawled beneath the blankets.

“Tabatha? Can you teach me to use magic?” Macalister asked.

Tabatha burst out laughing, thrashing around in her bed.

“Are you a warlock?” She asked through her laughter.

Macalister paused for a moment.

“No.” He said.

“Then I can’t teach you. Good night, Macalister.” Tabatha said, still laughing.

There was a brief silence.

“Oh, Tabatha?” Don asked.

“I’m trying to sleep.” She replied, turning over in her bed.

“Tabatha, please?” Don asked.

“What is it?” She asked in return.

“You never answered my question. How old are you?” Don asked.

“I’m sixteen. How old are you?” Tabatha asked.

“I’m sixteen, too.” Don said.

“What month were you born in?” Tabatha asked.

“February.” Don replied.

“Me too. What day were you born?” Tabatha asked.

“February 30th, 1674.” Don said.

Tabatha giggled.

“I was born February 7th, 1674.” Tabatha said.

“You’re older than me.” Don said in disbelief.

“Yes. Now, go to sleep before I use manipulation magic on you and put you outside with the vampires.” Tabatha giggled.

“Good night, Tabatha.” Don said.

“Good night.” Tabatha replied.

Chapter Twenty Six A Day In The Forest

Saturday June 26th 1690

I awoke to the sound of footsteps in the kitchen. The sound of both wooden and metal pots clanging against things was also in the air. I looked over to the other bunks. Don was still sleeping, so was Stella. The rest of the bunks were empty. I got out of bed and walked to the kitchen. My footsteps were marked by a thud against the wooden floorboards. I stepped into the kitchen. The smell of vegetables and cinnamon filled the air. I saw Martha making breakfast, moving plates and platters around as she needed to. Tabatha was across the room by the door. She had a wooden broom in her hands and she was sweeping the floor. Her staff was leaning against the back of her chair at the table.

“Good morning, Redmond.” Robert said.

I looked over to him. He was sitting at the table with Francella, Raymond, Macalister and Erin.

“Good morning.” I said, walking over to sit down with the others.

I pulled up a chair and sat down between Robert and Erin.

“Have Ceberus and William left yet?” I asked.

“They left early this morning. They woke me up.” Robert said.

“Oh, well I hope they’ll be alright.” I said.

“I’m sure they will be. Ceberus took his musket with him. Those two are more than capable of handling themselves out there.” Martha said with absolute confidence.

I heard footsteps coming from the bunk room. In a few seconds Don emerged from the bunk area. He stretched, yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“Good morning everyone.” He said while he was rubbing his eyes.

When he removed his hands from his eyes, he found himself looking right at Tabatha. Tabatha looked back at Don. Don eyed her broom.

“Heading out somewhere?” He asked.

“Ha ha, very funny.” Came Tabatha’s sarcastic remark.

“Can you fly on a broomstick?” Macalister asked.

Tabatha glared at him.

“Of course not! What do you take me for?” Tabatha snapped.

“A witch.” Macalister said blankly.

Tabatha just scowled and shook her head.

“Hey Robert, do you trust me yet?” She asked.

Robert shook his head.

“No, not quite.” He said.

Don smirked to himself as he sat down at the table with us. Robert, Macalister and I grinned widely at Don in appreciation for his witty remark. He sat next to Francella and Raymond. We heard footsteps and soon Stella poked her head into the kitchen.

“Oh, Martha! Something smells good!” She said excitedly.

“We’re having cold vegetables and cinnamon buns. Although I’m going to need a few of you to run into town later today and pick up some groceries.” Martha said.

“I can go, Martha.” Tabatha volunteered.

“Me, too!” Stella said enthusiastically.

“I’ll go as well.” Erin said.

Martha nodded.

“Thank you, girls. Do any of you boys want to go in to town with them?” Martha asked.

Everyone remained silent. I would have thought that Don would volunteer to go, but then again, he probably didn’t want to get embarrassed.

“Suit yourselves.” Martha said.

“Well, it’s best you boys don’t come along. We’ll probably be looking at stores that wouldn’t be... Suitable for you.” Stella said with a giggle.

Tabatha and Erin were silent for a moment, but then they understood the joke and giggled as well.

“I’m not even going to ask.” Don said.

“Anyway, if you’re coming with us, Tabatha, you are going to need a change of clothes. That witch getup will attract witch hunters like a light attracts moths. We need to get you something you can wear in to town.” Erin said.

“Oh! I know, she can wear one of my dresses!” Stella suggested.

“Good idea.” Erin said.

Tabatha looked to Don with a sly smile.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you Don?” She asked.

I could see Don’s face begin to go red.

“I… What? No!” Don stammered.

Tabatha giggled.

“Just kidding.” She said as she looked away.

Don looked at me with an arched eyebrow. Robert grinned at him, Macalister chuckled and clapped Don on the shoulder. I just shrugged. Stella ran to the back of the house somewhere and disappeared. She came back momentarily with a long bright red dress. It wasn’t fancy or anything, but it sure would make Tabatha blend in when she was in town.

“Thanks, I’ll return it when we get back.” Tabatha said.

“Change into it now, we’ll leave shortly.” Stella said, handing her the dress.

Tabatha took it and walked to the same room that Stella went to when she got the dress.

“Here’s some money. Don’t spend too much of it.” Martha warned as she gave the money to Erin.

“Hey, I’m not the one you need to lecture about money.” Erin said as she shot a look to Stella.

“What? Are you saying that I spend too much money?” Stella asked in a hurt tone.

“Yes. Whenever we give you the money you always go out and buy an expensive dress, or expensive jewelry, or expensive anything.” Erin said.

“But they’re nice!” Stella objected.

“And expensive.” Erin added.

“Whatever.” Stella told her.

Robert and Don chuckled, Macalister just stood there, giving Stella a blank stare. Who knew what he was thinking?

Tabatha then came out from the room wearing the red dress. On her head was her black with green trim witch hat and in her hands she held her witch garments. It was long and just barely avoided dragging across the ground as she walked. Tabatha shuffled uncomfortably.

“As soon as we get back I’m changing back in to my other clothes…” Tabatha said.

“Tabatha, the hat.” Stella said.

Tabatha reached up and took off her witch hat.

“Right. Sorry.” Tabatha said as she laid her hat and her garments on her bunk.

“Okay, are we ready to go?” Stella asked.

Tabatha, Stella and Erin all headed for the door. Tabatha grabbed her staff from where it leaned against her chair.

“Okay, let’s go.” Tabatha said as she walked out the door.

“Uh, Tabatha! The staff!” Stella called nervously.

“The staff stays!” Tabatha said with finality over her shoulder.

Erin and Stella looked to each other, shrugged and walked out after Tabatha.

“We’ll be back in a while!” Erin said over her shoulder.

When the three girls vanished from sight, Francella cleared his throat.

“So, what do you all want to do?” He asked.

“Well, we have enough crops in stock for now, so we can afford a day off of working in the fields.” Raymond suggested.

“We can’t go to town though, it wouldn’t be cool if we followed the girls.” Don said.

“We could go out of the city and into the forest, who knows what we might see in there?” Macalister said.

Everyone thought about that.

“Macalister, I think that’s the first good idea you’ve had in a long time.” Robert said.

“I think that it would be a good idea to go out into the forest. After all, vampires can’t come out until after sundown, so we’d be safe from them.” Raymond said.

“Are there any other dangerous supernatural creatures out there that you know about?” Don asked.

“Well, no. Of course, we have all heard stories of demons and whatnot as children, but we have never seen demons or anything of the like before. Chances are that they don’t exist.” Raymond said.

“I don’t think any of us can say for sure what does and doesn’t exist.” Robert said with a chuckle.

“On the off chance that we do run into trouble, Robert, Macalister, Redmond and I all have our flintlocks.” Don said.

“Just make sure you’re all back before sundown.” Martha warned.

“We will be, don’t worry.” Raymond said.

I started walking towards the door.

“Be careful out there!” Martha called.

“Stop worrying, Martha. We’ll be back before sundown with time to spare.” Francella said.

“It’s my job to worry about you all. Ceberus and William are gone to Queen Yuka’s castle, Tabatha, Stella and Erin are all in town, and now all of you are going out into the forest.” Martha said frantically.

“Martha, listen to me. You’re overreacting. Calm down, pour yourself a tea and don’t think about it.” Raymond said.

Martha closed her eyes and nodded.

“Yes, I suppose I’m overeating. I’m just so worried about Ceberus and William out there. I’m stressed.” Martha admitted.

“It’s okay. Just pour yourself a tea and try to calm down.” Raymond advised.

Martha nodded.

“Okay. Well, you boys have fun.” She said, her voice had a little less tension in it than before.

“You’re the best, Martha.” Francella said with a wide grin.

I walked out the door. The others all followed me.

“Martha is going through too much stress. I feel bad for her.” Francella said.

“I know. Her husband and his best friend are heading to Queen Yuka’s castle, where they need to keep their cover as her loyal servants or they will be decapitated. If I were her I’d be pretty worried, too.” Raymond told him.

We began walking down the path that crossed through the fields and towards town. When we reached the area where the field ends and the town begins, we heard two people shouting at each other. We all walked towards the sound. When I peered around the corner, I saw two men. One of them was wearing the uniform that all of Queen Yuka’s guards and law enforcers wear. It was a light leather tunic that was black in color with red letters stitched onto the chest: Vulrock Law Enforcement. The uniform was all too familiar to any criminal. That included us, The Scorpions. The other man was even younger than me. He couldn’t have been older than fifteen. The law enforcement officer had a tight grip on him and he was struggling to get free.

“I only stole a loaf of bread! My family is starving! Please, just let me go and I promise I won’t commit another crime!” The man pleaded.

“Plead all you want, kid. A crime is a crime, no matter the condition or the motives. You broke the law, now you must face your trial.” The law enforcement officer said as he strained to get the kid under control.

“Have mercy! Please!” The kid yelled.

“No! You broke the law, and now you need to face justice!” The law enforcement officer said.

The law enforcement officer finally got the kid under control and dragged him down the street before anyone could do anything. Civilians gathered in a mass and watched with horror as the scene unfolded before them. As the kid was being dragged away, he kept shouting his pleas at the guard. Unfortunately, his pleas fell on deaf ears.

“What do you make of that?” I asked everyone.

“It seems that Queen Yuka has really cracked down on crime. I mean, the kid stole a loaf of bread for his starving family! That isn’t grounds for him to face a trial!” Francella said.

“There isn’t anything we can do about it. Come on, let’s go.” Robert said as he began walking towards the gate of Riverguard.

The others and I followed him. We walked down a stone pathway until we reached the town square with the fountain. As usual there was a large crowd. The sound of chatter filled the air. We weaved our way around the people and made it to the gate. A guard stopped us.

“What business do you have on the outside?” He asked.

It was the same guard who stopped Ceberus and I when we went hunting.

“We’re just going out into the forest for a walk.” Francella said.

The guard nodded.

“Very well. Stay safe and be back here before dark.” The guard said.

“We will.” Robert assured him.

The guard looked to his friends and nodded. The gate began opening and when it was fully opened, we stepped through. We walked through the narrow stone corridor and came to the forest. The chatter of the crowd in Riverguard’s town square was quieter now and birds could be heard chirping along with the insects. The smell of dead wood and rotting vegetation filled my nostrils. The sun cast its beams down upon the thick forest canopy. Most parts were too thick for sunlight to penetrate it, but in some areas that were thinner sunlight came down in broad shafts, illuminating the forest.

“What are you all waiting for? Let’s go!” Francella said as he began running off into the forest.

“Wait up!” Don shouted as he ran after him.

“You snooze, you lose Don!” Robert said, running right behind him.

The rest of us ran after them as well. I was pretty excited. After all, we could find a fairy or who knows what else? As we have already found out, the world is not as it seems. Our boots crunched against the twigs and leaves that littered the forest floor. The wind whipped at our hair as we ran through the forest. Francella’s deep brown hair swayed wildly behind him. He was obviously the fastest of anyone here and he was at least twenty feet ahead of everyone else. I can see how he earned his alias ‘sprint’. Just then, I caught a flicker of movement to my right.

“Oi! Where’s the fire boys?” I heard a familiar voice call.

I turned around and found Walden. His wings were beating repeatedly and he was floating a foot off of the ground. Everyone else stopped running and looked to Walden.

“Hey, I remember you. Redmond, right? You were hunting with Ceberus a while ago. Good to see ya again.” Walden said.

“Thanks, Walden. Same here.” I said.

“Where y’off to, fellas?” Walden asked.

“Is that a… fairy?” Macalister asked.

“Nah pal, I’m a vampire.” Walden said sarcastically.

“You’re a small vampire.” Macalister said, squinting at him.

Walden shoved his hand into his forehead and closed his eyes in frustration. After a moment, he looked to me.

“He aint bright, is he?” He asked.

I shook my head. Robert chuckled.

“Anyway, where ya’ll off to?” Walden repeated his question.

“We have enough crops in stock back at the bunkhouse so we don’t need to work the fields today, so we’re just out here, taking a walk, looking for a little fun.” Francella said.

“Ah, I see. Well, if you’re looking for a little fun, then continue prancing around the forest like a bunch of kids. However, if you desire some adventure I may just be able to help you out.” Walden said temptingly.

That sparked my attention.

“Adventure?” Don asked, intrigued.

“I’m up for an adventure.” Robert added.

“Yeah buddy. See, there are these ruins of old villages and castles throughout the forest, all old and forgotten. The castles and villages used to stand tall, but wars and such knocked them all down. The village ruins are nothing special, but the castle ruins have underground areas to them, like dungeons and other underground stuff you’d find in a castle. Although people don’t go anywhere near ‘em ‘cause vampires and other evil creatures of the night take up residence there. They either capture or kill anyone who goes there, but you just might be able to find some cool stuff at the ruins.” Walden said.

“Walden, is this another one of your tall tales?” Francella asked, annoyed.

“Heck no, buddy! These ruins are real. Been to ‘em myself, I have. Here, I’ll even show you what I found in one of the old castle dungeons.” Walden said.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a gold ring that was encrusted with rubies. My eyes widened. That thing could be worth a fortune! If that was just one thing he found in the ruins, my mind jumped to anything else we could find.

“Yeah, it looks pricey, eh?” Walden said as he put the ring back into his pocket.

“No kidding.” Robert said.

“That is all I managed to grab before a vampire chased me outta there.” Walden said.

“That ring is pretty cool.” Macalister said.

“Yup. The price aint even the best part, get this; I can feel some kinda magical energy comin’ from that ring. It’s enchanted. I don’t know what the enchantment is. I intend to take it to a witch, but they’re all being hunted. Haven’t seen any witches since Queen Yuka ordered their captures.” Walden said.

Francella looked to us with a grin. I knew what he was thinking. He was thinking about taking the ring to show Tabatha.

“Walden, I’ll make you a deal.” Francella said.

Walden looked at him, interest was all over his face.

“A deal? I’m all ears.” He said.

“We have a witch with us. We can take your ring to her on one condition.” Francella said.

“There’s a condition? Well, let’s hear it.” Walden said somewhat reluctantly.

“See, if we’re going into those ruins, there is a chance that we’ll find a vampire or some other creature that’ll want to kill us, right?” Francella asked.

“Yeah.” Walden said.

“Well, I know that you’re more than a little handy with magic, so we will take your ring to our witch if you accompany us into the ruins and help us fight any monsters we may find.” Francella said.

Walden raised his little hand to scratch his chin. Walden may have only been about fifteen centimeters tall, but if Francella said he was good with magic, then I had no doubt that he was. After all, he turned Ceberus invisible to hide him from Queen Yuka’s men.

“You got a deal, buddy.” Walden exclaimed.

“Which way are the ruins?” I asked.

Walden looked up at the sun, turned a little to the left and flew off in that direction.

“Follow me fellas, adventure awaits!” He called over his shoulder.

Chapter Twenty Seven Into The Ruins:

Saturday June 26th 1690

We all ran after Walden. He wasn't flying very fast, so it wasn't hard to catch up with him.

"So Walden. What kind of magic can you use?" I asked him.

"I can use manipulation magic as well as destruction magic. You mentioned that you have a witch with you, so I assume you know what all the magic types are and how they work." Walden said.

"Yes, it was explained to all of us." I said.

"Yeah, fairy magic and witch magic are very similar. Well, except for the fact that fairy magic is cooler. Anyway, like witches, there are pure and impure fairies as well. Also, like witches, a fairy's magic is determined by the magic types of their parents, their grandparents, and so on and so forth." Walden explained.

"That's neat." Macalister said.

"Darn right it is. My destruction magic will come in handy down in those ruins." Walden said.

"Maybe we'll find some treasure!" Macalister said.

"I sure hope so." Robert added.

"So where are these ruins?" Raymond asked.

"Not too much farther. The one that we're going to is the biggest one of them all. Should be interesting, eh?" Walden asked.

"Yes, but like we said, we need you to help us fight the monsters down there." Francella reminded.

Walden scoffed and swatted his hand in the air.

"Yeah, yeah I got it." He said dismissively.

After a few minutes of running through the forest, the sunlight faded. I looked up and saw that the canopy here was thick, thick enough to block out most of the sunlight.

"Alright fellas, we're here." Walden said.

"About time..." Robert muttered under his breath.

I looked around. All I saw were rocks sticking out of the ground and fallen trees everywhere.

"Where's the entrance?" I asked.

Walden looked around.

"Hmm, not sure... oh! Here it is!" Walden exclaimed.

He walked over to a mass of fallen trees. I walked closer to Walden. I heard the others behind me as well. I looked through the cracks between the entangled limbs of the trees and saw that there was a stone staircase leading down into blackness. The entrance was covered by a few fallen trees. The trees were big, too.

"Can you clear this?" I asked Walden.

Walden laughed in his high pitched fairy voice.

"No problem, pal. Stand back." Walden instructed.

We all did as we were told and we took a few paces back. Walden rubbed his hands together dramatically.

"Here we go." Walden drawled, mostly to himself.

There was a moment of silence as Walden concentrated. He looked to the ground. After a few moments, Walden looked back up at the fallen trees and held out his hand.

"Windstorm!" Walden cried out.

Instantly, the trees flew through the air as if hit by a huge wave of air. They soared through the air at a high speed and they crashed to the ground twenty feet away. The staircase was now cleared and we could go in.

"That was impressive." Macalister said in awe.

Walden chuckled.

"Thanks pal. Now, any volunteers to go first?" Walden asked.

Francella shot him an 'are you kidding me' look.

"Alright, geez I'll go first." Walden said as he flew down the staircase slowly.

I walked down after Walden. I looked back at the others.

"Come on, you aren't scared, are you?" I asked teasingly.

"I'm not scared." Francella said as he walked down the staircase.

Raymond silently accompanied him.

"Let's do this!" Robert said confidently as he walked down the staircase after us.

"I'm not afraid of anyone. Or anything." Macalister said, cracking his knuckles and walking down the staircase after us.

"Good on you, Macalister!" Robert said.

That left only Don at the top of the staircase.

"Buddy, you comin'?" Asked Walden.

Don hesitated for a moment.

"Don, if you don't come down here, I'll tell Tabatha that you were scared." Francella teased.

Don's face started turning red.

"I'm coming." He said quickly as he started down the staircase.

"'Atta boy!" Walden praised.

We all started walking down the staircase. Walden led us and I was right behind him. After we descended about ten meters, it began to get very dark.

"It's dark down here." Macalister observed blankly.

I heard Walden mutter something under his breath, and light engulfed us, illuminating an area of about ten feet in all directions. Past that was blackness. Walden was holding a fireball in his hand. It was the source of the light. I looked around. We were surrounded moss covered cracked stone walls. The moss was moist and we could hear water dripping somewhere within the depths of the ruins. In front of us I saw a doorway. Laying on the floor in front of the doorway was a metal grating that was bent and crumpled as if it were parchment. That grating must have covered that door at one point in time.

"Any idea what happened here?" Walden asked, pointing to the metal grating.

"A vampire attack?" Don suggested.

"Bah, doesn't matter now. Let's go." Walden said as he flew into the doorway.

I followed him slowly. I could hear the others walking behind me. Walden flew slowly as well. We looked around but saw only the cracked, moss covered stone on the ceiling, walls and floor and the corridor in front of us could have stretched ten feet or a kilometer. Since anything past ten feet was shrouded in blackness, it was hard to tell.

"It doesn't look like anyone's been here in a long time." Macalister said.

"Don't let your guard down, Mac. There could be anyone or anything lying in the shadows." Walden cautioned.

We walked along in the dank, narrow corridor. Over the sound of our footsteps, I heard a wet, squelching noise.

"Everyone stop." I ordered, straining my ears.

"What is it?" Robert asked.

Everyone stopped walking. The sound was still there. It was coming from somewhere off to our right.

"Walden, can you throw a fireball down to our right?" I asked.

"Sure." Walden agreed, reeling his hand back.

He hurled a fireball to our right. For a few seconds it illuminated the corridor as it moved down it. Just then, the light cast from the fireball revealed a male vampire kneeled down with his back to us. In his hands was a small animal. A mouse or a vole. The vampire was drinking from it. After a few seconds, he was finished with the animal and he sighed in relief, discarding the crumpled rodent corpse to the floor. The fireball then passed the vampire, leaving him in darkness once more. I readied my flintlock. Walden muttered something under his breath again and an area of about ten feet around us was bathed in light yet again. He was holding another fireball. Just then, I heard footsteps coming from the corridor to our right. It had to be the vampire.

"Buddy, you friendly?" Walden called out.

The footsteps quickened, and the vampire charged out of the shadows, entering our circle of light. He had his fangs barred and his red eyes were wild with bloodlust and they flashed in the firelight. He jumped at us, going for Don.

"Don, look out!" Robert shouted.

Before either Don or Robert could get their flintlocks up, Walden hurled the fireball at the vampire. The vampire was engulfed in flames and began screaming. It fell to the floor in front of Don, thrashing around. In seconds it was still and the flames crackled on the corpse of the vampire.

"Guess not." Walden said with a shrug.

Macalister laughed.

"Serves him right." He said.

"Let's keep moving. There's no telling how big this place is." Robert told us.

We walked along for another few seconds, and all of a sudden the walls on either side of us started to get farther apart quite rapidly. As we walked on, the walls could no longer be seen in the darkness. We must have entered a larger room. We kept walking. Everyone was looking around in wonder.

"What is this room?" Macalister asked.

"Beats me, Mac." Walden said.

I looked ahead. I saw an object come into view as we walked along. I walked up to it and examined it. It was a wooden cube. The cube was pretty damaged and had dents and other marks all over it. There was a metal lock on the front of it, but it was rusted and almost nonexistent. I picked it up and found it to be lightweight. I turned it over and found hinges on the upper part of the backside. It was a wooden chest!

"Watcha find, Redmond?" Walden asked.

"It's a chest!" I called over my shoulder.

I opened the box. I looked inside and found a small rusted knife. Inscribed on the side of the blade were letters that I didn't understand.

"That's a fancy looking knife." Francella remarked.

"We should take it to Erin and see if she knows what those letters mean." Suggested Robert.

I looked in the chest for anything else, but it was empty. I took the knife and put it in my pocket.

"We should move on and see if there's anything else in these ruins." Don said.

"Righto." Walden exclaimed as he flew ahead, leading the way once more.I followed Walden close behind.

The others trailed after me.

"That knife was a pretty good find." Walden told me.

"Thanks, how much-" I was cut off by a metal grate falling from the ceiling, landing directly in front of me.

In the bottom were rusty but sharp spikes that landed in a seam in the floor between two bricks in the floor. I looked down and realized that I had stepped on a tripwire. Walden flew over it, but since I was behind him, I set it off. We were now separated from Walden.

"Whoa! What happened?" Walden asked in shock.

"I set off a tripwire." I explained apologetically.

"Why would there be traps set here? These ruins were abandoned years ago!" Walden shouted.

"Maybe a vampire is defending his home?" Francella asked.

"No. A vampire couldn't have made this, the metalwork is too rough. A vampire could have made this flawlessly. This was definitely the work of a human." Walden said as he examined the grating.

"Do you think you can get this thing down... I mean up?" Macalister asked.

Walden laughed his high pitched fairy laugh.

"Mac, who do you think you're talking to?" Walden asked.

"Um..." Macalister trailed off.

"Don't answer that. Stand back, boys!" Walden ordered.

We all took a few steps backwards.

"A little farther." Walden called.

We all backed up about ten paces each.

"Combustion!" Walden shouted.

An explosion ripped through the air. I heard the sound of metal straining and contorting. In the light provided by Walden's fireball, I could see the metal grate flying at us. It lost its momentum and clattered to the ground, rolling and rolling until it lay at our feet. The metal was smoking and dented as well as contorted. I looked up to see Walden looking at us. He had his arms crossed over his chest and a smug smile on his face.

"Not bad, eh?" He asked.

Don laughed and walked towards him.

"Not bad at all." He commended.

We all walked after Don and Walden.

"Watch where you all step!" Walden called over his shoulder.

We continued walking on. I heard a high pitched squeaking sound, and a couple of bats flew overhead, retreating the way we had come.

"This place is creepy." Macalister remarked.

As we walked on, I saw that the walls were coming closer together. We were entering another narrow corridor. We walked for a few seconds and we reached a turn. There was a fork in the tunnel. We stopped.

"Left or right?" Walden asked.

There was a moment of silence.

"I suppose left is as good a choice as any." Francella shrugged.

"Left it is." Walden announced as he flew down the tunnel on the left.

We all followed him once more. After a few more minutes of walking, the walls began getting farther apart again. We were entering a large room. Walden looked back at us while flying backwards.

"You guys, what do you think we'll-" he was cut off as he slammed into a wall.

As he hit it, a hollow bang! Sound rang out. He fell to the ground with a pained oof. He got back up and began flying once more.

"What the?" Walden asked, mostly to himself.

He examined the wall he bumped in to. He tapped on it and it made a hollow bang! Noise.

"It's metal!" He exclaimed.

He held his fireball closer to get a better visual on the door. As he moved his fireball, more of the door was revealed. I saw a square hole in the door that was about ten centimeters by ten centimeters. The door had thick, rusted hinges on the left side.

"Stand back, I'm gonna blow this thing sky high." Walden said.

We all stepped back about twenty paces.

"Combustion!" Walden shouted. An explosion sounded, but I didn't hear metal bending or contorting. All I heard was a loud metallic clang! Walden looked at the door in bewilderment.

"What the heck is this?" Walden asked.

"That, my friend, is a very thick door." Don answered.

"Well, we aint getin' though this thing any time soon. We may as well move on." Walden said.

"Actually, moving on wouldn't be smart." Francella said.

"I agree. We need to be out of here by nightfall, or else we will be either stranded down here until daybreak or killed by vampires trying to make our way back to Riverguard." Raymond agreed.

"Oh yeah, it is getting' a bit late. I suppose we should go back to your place. Don't forget, you gotta honor our deal." Walden said.

"We know. We'll take you to see our witch. We need to leave right now, though." Francella told him.

"Aye, aye, captain." Walden retorted sarcastically as he turned back the way we came.

"We can come back another day. We'll bring torches and other supplies down with us." Robert said.

"Good idea, Robert." Macalister said.

Walden led us back the way we came and we soon found ourselves at the bottom of the staircase that we came though, looking up at the rapidly descending twilight. We ascended the staircase and made it out into the forest again.

"I'll cover the entrance back up so no one else goes down there." Walden said as he got on the other side of the fallen trees that he had forced out of the way. He held out us hand.

"Windstorm!" He cried out.

The trees flew back to their previous position; blocking the staircase.

"Good thinking, Walden." Don said.

"Thanks, bud." Walden replied.

"Let's get back to Riverguard before dark." Raymond suggested.

"I'll lead the way." Francella announced.

Francella started walking off in the direction of Riverguard. We all followed him.

"So, Francella. What's your witch's name?" Walden asked.

"Tabatha." Francella answered.

"I'm curious as to how you have a witch with you. Last I checked Queen Yuka was huntin' 'em all down." Walden said.

"Well, she is, but we saved Tabatha from being burned at the stake. She lives with us now." Francella explained.

"Righto, I see. So is she... Eh... Any good with magic?" Walden asked curiously.

Robert broke out laughing.

"Why don't you ask Don?" He asked.

Don looked away, his face going red. Walden regarded him with a strange look.

"Geez, what's his deal?" He asked.

Robert waved a hand in the air.

"Never mind." He said dismissively.

"Eh, alrighty then." Walden said, confused.

After a few more minutes of walking, the walls of Riverguard came into sight. Twilight was fading quickly into dusk. As we approached the gate of Riverguard, Walden muttered something under his breath and disappeared. He was invisible so the guards wouldn't see him. The guard looked at us.

"I'm glad you all made it back safely." He told us.

"Thanks." I replied.

He looked to his friends and nodded. The gate began opening and we walked through. The gate closed behind us and we found ourselves in the town square amid a mass of people. Francella led us down the familiar pathway that branched off the fountain and led to The Viper's bunkhouse. We walked down the street and we came across the path that led through the field and to the bunkhouse. We ran down the pathway and we made it to the door. I looked over and saw that Walden was now visible again. Francella opened the door and we stepped inside. Walden hid himself behind me. The girls were all back from town and they were sitting at the table, playing cards. Tabatha was back in her witch clothes. They all looked to us with relieved faces.

"Oh, boys! Thank heavens you're all safe!" Martha said as she strode out of the kitchen.

"What happened? Where were you? What took you all so long?" Tabatha asked.

Don chuckled.

"It's okay, mom. I'll explain everything." He said with a small grin.

Everyone began laughing, including me. Tabatha glared at Don playfully. She raised her staff and Don's smirk instantly fell from his face and he took a step back.

"That's what I thought." Tabatha said with a smirk of her own.

We all began laughing even harder, all of us except for Don.

"Just when we thought the tables were turning..." Robert trailed off.

I chuckled at his remark.

"Alright boys, enough. You all tease poor Don too much." Martha scolded.

"I think that she's the one you should be calling 'mom'." Tabatha said with a grin.

Everyone in the room broke out into huge belly laughs. Don just glared at Tabatha and Martha covered her mouth, trying not to chuckle at Tabatha's swift comeback.

"Alright, alright let's just settle down. We have a few things for you girls." Francella said.

The girls looked to each other and giggled. They whispered to each other and I heard the word 'engagement'.

"Not those kinds of things!" Francella snapped.

I reached into my pocket and withdrew the knife. Walden flew out from behind me, holding the ring. All of the girls looked at him with adored faces.

"Awe! Who is this cute little guy?" Stella asked, getting up, walking over and kneeling down in front of Walden.

Walden backed away and Stella stood up to her full height. Walden flew up so he was at eye level with Stella.

"Look lady, I aint cute!" Walden snapped.

Stella backed up, shocked at Walden's outburst. Erin and Stella started giggling.

"Whatever. Look, all I need is your witch to appraise this here ring." Walden said in an annoyed tone.

"I'm not 'witch', I'm Tabatha." Tabatha told Walden threateningly.

Walden's annoyance seemed to be taken down a notch when he heard Tabatha's threat.

"Sorry, Tabatha. Now, Francella told me you'd take a look at this ring since I helped him and his friends with something." Walden explained.

"A ring? Let me see." Tabatha said, taking the ring from him. As soon as Tabatha touched it, her rich brown eyes went wide.

"W-where did you get this ring?" Tabatha stammered.

"I found it in some old ruins underground. It's where we all just were." Walden explained.

"That ring is imbued with dark magic. There isn't a lot in there. There isn't enough in there to harm anyone, so you should be fine to hang on to it." Tabatha said.

Tabatha handed Walden the ring and Walden took it back, putting it in his pocket.

"Gee, thanks lady, I mean, Tabatha." Walden said.

"You're welcome...?" Tabatha trailed off.

"Walden." Walden said.

"Nice to meet you, Walden." Tabatha told him.

"Likewise." Walden replied.

Erin's gaze fell on the knife in my hand. She flipped her short black hair and her brown eyes narrowed on the knife.

"What do you have there, Redmond?" She asked.

"Well, I was wondering if you could tell me what is inscribed on the knife." I said.

Erin's brown eyes brightened.

"Finally! It's been a while since I've translated anything! Give the knife to me." Erin said.

I passed her the knife. She examined it carefully. She squinted as she muttered unintelligible things under her breath. She looked up from the knife.

"It's too rusted, I can't read it. I'm sorry." She said.

Tabatha looked at Erin.

"That's no problem." Tabatha boasted, taking the knife.

She laid the knife on the table, stood up, grabbed her staff and held her staff over the knife.

"Repair!" She called out.

A warm green glow enveloped the dagger. I saw the knife's rust slowly melt away into non-existence and when the green glow vanished, the knife was in pristine condition.

"Wow, Tabatha! You're pretty good at healing magic!" Walden praised.

"Thanks. What kind of magic can you use?" Tabatha asked.

"Manipulation and destruction magic." Walden answered.

"I can use manipulation and healing magic." Tabatha replied.

I looked over to see Erin studying the knife. She was muttering strange things under her breath. She looked up to me and handed me the knife.

"The inscription on the knife translates perfectly from old Alcingerian to English as 'no battle is over until it is lost'." Erin announced.

I took the knife back from her and put it in my pocket. That was an interesting inscription. I wonder who it belonged to?

"Thanks, Erin." said.

"No problem, I'm always glad to help out whenever I can." Erin told me with a smile.

After a moment of silence, Walden spoke.

"Welp, I'd best get goin'. I'll see ya'll sometime soon, yeah?" Walden asked.

"Sounds good, Walden." I laughed.

"Well, until we meet again!" Walden exclaimed with a wave of his hand as he flew out the window.

We all sat watching Walden fly out into the fast approaching night.

"Now, who's hungry?" Martha asked with a clap of her hands.

Chapter Twenty Eight Dinner Guest:

Saturday June 26th 1690

We all raised our hands in response to Martha’s question.

“Good, because I prepared dinner while you all were gone.” Martha said with a sly smile as she disappeared into the back room.

All us boys went to the kitchen to wash our hands. When we were finished, Martha came out momentarily with a steaming tray of meat and vegetables. We sat down at the table. The table was already set. Martha set the tray of food on the table and sat down with us. Everyone reached forward and took a chunk of meat and some vegetables for themselves. I served myself and bit into the meat. I recognized the taste as boar. This must have been leftovers from the boars Ceberus and I shot. I scooped some vegetables up and shoveled them into my mouth with my spoon. I took a swig of water from the cup in front of me.

“Thanks a lot, Martha. Dinner is good tonight!” Francella said.

“I second that.” Raymond mumbled through a mouthful of boar meat.

“You’re welcome, boys.” Martha said.

I ate the rest of my boar and I finished my vegetables. I ended the meal with a swig of water from my cup.

“Hey who wants to see a trick?” Tabatha asked.

Macalister raised his hand.

“Of course you do, Macalister.” Tabatha said with a chuckle.

I smiled in anticipation of what it might be. It was always something with Tabatha.

“A trick?” Don asked.

“Please, show us.” Robert said.

Tabatha pointed her finger at her cup full of water, angled her finger upwards and the cup levitated a few feet off the table. She shot a mischievous look to Don along with a sly smile. She pointed her finger at Don and the water cup levitated over his head. Don looked up in fear. Just then, something about Tabatha changed. Her eyes acquired a slight flicker of doubt. She then levitated the cup back down to the table. Tabatha looked at Don, still sporting a sly smile.

“Just kidding. I’m not that mean.” She said.

Don exhaled in relief. I think that those two are actually capable of getting along now.

“Oh, look! Tabatha has a heart!” Robert exclaimed in feigned shock.

“Unless you wanna get soaked, I think you oughta keep your mouth shut, pal.” Said a familiar, high pitched voice.

Walden then floated out from behind Tabatha’s chair.

“Walden!” I exclaimed.

I liked Walden. As annoying as he seemed at first, he’s pretty cool.

“Miss me already, bud?” Walden asked with a smug grin.

“Well, maybe a little.” I said with a laugh.

“Ha, good to hear.” Walden chuckled.

Martha bore a look of slight annoyance.

“Walden, why did you come back?” She asked, attempting in vein to sound polite.

“Well ya see madam, I was goin’ back to the forest, but I saw a vampire. Scared the daylights outta me, it did, so I high tailed it back here where I’d be safe. That’s alright, isn’t it?” Walden asked.

Martha’s eyes went wide in surprise. She forced herself not to scowl. I had the feeling that she wasn’t fond of Walden. I could tell that Martha was fighting back the urge to say something.

“Ah, come on Martha! If you let me stay here we can all be best friends for a night! Whaddya say?” Walden asked, leaning in towards Martha.

“Please Martha? Can we keep him?” Don asked jokingly.

Walden snapped around to face Don.

“I aint some kinda dog ya found on the street!” Walden exploded.

“It’s getting mad.” Macalister said, pointing a finger to Walden.

“I aint an ‘it’, I’m a ‘he’!” Walden objected angrily.

“Okay, I’m sorry.” Macalister said, bowing his head.

“Hey, no hard feelings, Mac.” Walden said.

There was a moment of silence. Eventually, Martha chuckled.

“Alright, alright. You can stay, Walden.” She said.

Walden flew over and hugged Martha as best he could. His short arms and tiny body didn’t really allow him to wrap his arms fully around her.

“Thank you very much, mademoiselle.” Walden said with a bow.

He turned towards the table. His eyes fell on the food.

“Boar, huh? I uh… I love boar.” Walden said, slowly inching his way to the meat.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Have a seat.” Tabatha said, pulling up a spare chair and placing it next to her.

Walden smiled and flew over. He sat on the chair. His chin was resting on the table because he was short, but he made do.

“Thanks, Tabatha.” Walden said.

Tabatha smiled.

“No problem.” She said.

Walden reached out and used manipulation magic to levitate a small piece of boar meat onto his plate. Tabatha regarded him with an impressed expression.

“Impressive. Of course, I’m better though.” Tabatha said with a playful yet challenging tone.

Walden took a bite of his boar meat and looked slowly to Tabatha.

“Is that a challenge?” He asked.

Tabatha giggled.

“I suppose it is.” She said.

“You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?” Walden asked.

Tabatha glared at him, a smile cracked her lips.

“Magic contest?” She asked.

Walden returned a smile of his own.

“Yeah.” He said.

Martha walked up behind and placed a hand on Tabatha’s shoulder.

“Please, if you’re doing a magic contest, do it outside.” She said.

“Martha! The vampires are outside!” Walden objected.

Martha chuckled.

“Well, seeing as you two can both use magic, a vampire wouldn’t be much of a chore.” She said.

Walden nodded slowly.

“Alright, you’re right. C’mon Tabatha, let’s go.” Walden said, flying towards the door.

Tabatha adjusted her witch hat and grabbed her staff. She stood up and strode after Walden.

“Well, do you all want to watch?” I asked.

“Well, it sure does promise to be interesting. Why not?” Raymond asked.

I got up and went for the door. Raymond got up and followed me.

“I would pay money to see Tabatha’s ego get taken down a notch. Now I get to see it for free, it must be my lucky day.” Don chuckled as he got up and walked over to us.

Francella, Erin, Macalister, Stella and Robert all got up and walked to the door. I reached out and opened the door, stepping through and holding the door open for the others. Once they were all through, I let the door close and I turned to look at the field. Tabatha and Walden both stood in the field, they were talking to each other. We all began walking towards them. As we drew nearer, we could hear their words.

“So, how do you wanna do this? What are the rules?” Walden asked.

“I have an idea.” Tabatha said.

“Shoot.” Walden told her.

“As for the rules, we can use any type of magic that we can. No restrictions. Since we have a lot of crops in stock in the house, we could stand apart from each other, say fifty feet away, and we use our manipulation magic to levitate crops out of the ground and we hurl them at each other. Last woman standing wins.” Tabatha said with total confidence.

Walden scoffed.

“’Last woman standing’ huh? I think it’s obvious who’s gonna be winning this.” Walden boasted.

Tabatha arched an eyebrow.

“Oh? Care to put a wager on it?” She asked.

Walden arched his own eyebrow, interested.

“A wager? Continue.” Walden said, scratching his chin.

“I got it. Whoever loses must admit to the winner how great she is at magic.” Tabatha said with a wicked smile.

Walden laughed, clutching his stomach with one hand and pointing at Tabatha with the other.

“You really think you’re gonna win, don’t you?” Walden said.

Tabatha shook her head.

“No, I know that I’m going to win.” She shot back.

“Alright then. Let’s begin. May the best man win.” Walden said, holding out his hand to Tabatha.

Tabatha crossed her arms over her chest, still holding her staff.

“I think you mean ‘may the best woman win.’” She replied, her rich brown eyes flashing in the moonlight.

“Yeah, whatever.” Walden scoffed, already flying in the opposite direction as Tabatha.

Tabatha began walking away from Walden. They were about to start. When they were both about fifty meters away from each other, they turned around and began shouting spells.

“Windstorm!” Walden shouted as he waved his hand at Tabatha.

Tabatha attempted to dodge the spell, but the shockwave hit her and she was knocked to the ground. She got back up immediately.

“Levitate!” She shouted, using her staff to magically hurl a carrot at Walden.

The carrot travelled at a high speed and it beaned Walden right in the chest. He grunted but didn’t fall down.

“Geez lady, you’re pretty good.” Walden shouted.

From here I could see Tabatha grin in the moonlight.

“I know!” She called.

“Levitate!” Walden cried out, magically throwing a carrot at Tabatha.

Tabatha swiftly dodged, spun around and wordlessly threw a carrot at Walden using her magic. Again, she hit Walden square in the chest. He grunted and clutched his stomach, but didn’t give up.

“Gust!” Walden shouted, summoning a powerful, noisy wind from his wand.

The wind travelled to Tabatha. She couldn’t keep her footing and she fell on her butt.

“You little winged midget! You got my dress dirty!” Tabatha called.

“Gee, sorry lady!” Walden shouted with a mock apologetic tone.

“You’re going to pay for that!” Tabatha shouted.

“Then make me pay! I’m not exactly feelin’ the heat from you!” Walden taunted.

Tabatha swung her staff and sent a carrot flying Walden’s way. Walden dodged just in time, but instead of letting the carrot hit the ground, he reached out and grabbed it in a magical grip and used its own momentum to hurl it at Tabatha twice as fast as it was going when she threw it at him. It hit Tabatha in the head. She was knocked to the ground. She groaned and sat up slowly. She raised a hand to her head. I could see her blood glint in the moonlight. Concern filled me.

“Tabatha! Are you okay?” Walden shouted, flying quickly over to her.

I ran over to Tabatha. The others were close behind.

“I’m fine. It-it barely even hurt.” Tabatha said, not removing her hand from her head.

“Uh huh. Sure. You should heal yourself.” Walden said.

Tabatha grabbed her staff and used it as a support to stand up. She held her staff at arm’s length while resting it on the ground.

“Healing Gaze!” She shouted.

She was bathed in a green glow and I could see her blood disappearing and her wound on her head sealing. The light receded and Tabatha was once again unharmed.

“Good fight, Walden. You’re pretty handy with magic.” Tabatha said.

Walden blushed, looking away from her.

“Eh, thanks Tabatha.” He said.

Tabatha giggled and put a hand on Walden’s shoulder, spinning him around to face her.

“Are you blushing?” Tabatha asked with a grin.

Walden shrugged Tabatha’s hand off of his shoulder and quickly turned away, heading for the house.

“No!” Walden said quickly once his back was turned to Tabatha.

Tabatha giggled cutely, following Walden to the house. Walden stepped through the door, followed by Tabatha and the rest of us. When we were all inside, Walden looked to Tabatha.

“Look, I’m… I’m real sorry for hurting you.” He said, scratching the back of his head.

Tabatha put a hand on his shoulder, kneeling down so she was at eye level with Walden.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m fine, see?” Tabatha said, brushing her burgundy bangs aside to reveal the spot that the wound had been. Sure enough, there was no trace of the wound.

Walden eyed her forehead guiltily.

“You’re one heck of a healer, I gotta admit.” Walden muttered.

“Thanks.” Tabatha said.

Walden flew over to the bunk room, picking a top bunk.

“I’m goin’ to bed. G’night.” He said, sadness and guilt tainted his voice.

Tabatha walked over to his bunk and looked at Walden.

“Walden, don’t worry about it. I’m fine, and it was an accident, wasn’t it? Because if it wasn’t, I’ll put you outside with the vampires.” Tabatha said, her voice was now angry.

Why was she angry all of a sudden? She was just telling Walden not to worry. Walden scooted back in his bed, his back hitting the wall.

“Y-yes! It was an accident! I’m sorry!” Walden said.

Tabatha laughed, her laughter died down and it reached a quiet giggle.

“I’m just kidding, Walden. I’m not mad at all. One of us was going to get hurt after all, right? It was inevitable.” Tabatha said to comfort Walden.

Walden nodded slowly.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Thanks, Tabatha.” Walden said.

“Don’t mention it.” She replied as she got into her bunk.

I walked over to my own bunk and slipped beneath the blankets. The others did the same.

I was closing my eyes, but I heard Walden speak.

“Tabatha?” Walden asked.

“Yes?” Tabatha replied.

“You wouldn’t actually put me outside with the vampires, would you?” Walden asked.

Tabatha laughed quietly.

“Of course not! I’m not that mean!” She said.

She used the same words at dinner with Don. I was really starting to like Tabatha. She could joke around, but she also knew when to stop.

“Heh, yeah...” Walden said, trailing off.

“Tabatha?” Macalister asked.

“What is it, Macalister?” She asked.

“Will you cook up some witch’s brew in the morning?” He asked.

“No. Go to sleep.” Tabatha said bluntly.

I heard Robert laugh at Tabatha and Macalister’s little exchange.

“Do you trust me yet, Robert?” Tabatha asked.

“I’m getting there.” He replied.

I closed my eyes once more and I fell asleep.

***

Chapter Twenty Nine The Return:

Sunday June 27th 1690

I woke up and opened my eyes a crack. I could see sunlight streaming in from a nearby window. I got out of bed and inspected the other bunks. Everyone else was up. I went into the kitchen to find everyone sitting at the table with the exception of Martha, who was preparing breakfast.

“G’mornin’ pal.” Walden said to me.

“Good morning.” I said in return.

I went and sat down next to Macalister, Robert and Don.

“What’s the matter, Don? I haven’t heard you crack a joke at Tabatha today.” I joked.

“You’ve been up all of two minutes.” Don pointed out.

“Yes, but I’m still surprised you haven’t done it yet.” I told him.

Don leaned in close to me and whispered in my ear.

“Well, she’s really coming around. She’s not so mean anymore. She’s actually kind of nice.” Don said in a low voice.

“I heard that, boy!” Tabatha joked.

“Can you stop calling me boy?” Don asked hopefully.

“Oh, not a chance.” Tabatha replied with a smirk.

Macalister started laughing.

“Don’s a boy.” He said to himself.

“I am not!” Don snapped.

Walden began chuckling, so did Tabatha.

“She older than you?” Walden asked Don, pointing to Tabatha.

Don’s head sagged.

“Yes.” He mumbled.

Walden cackled and clutched his stomach.

“Oh, man that’s too funny.” He said.

Tabatha giggled. Don sighed just as Martha brought a platter of food out from the kitchen and set it on the table.

“Eat up!” Martha said with a smile.

I examined the carrots, cabbage and peas that were on the platter. I grabbed a few spinach leaves, some carrots and some peas. I popped a few peas into my mouth along with the spinach. I ate the carrots last.

“So, I was thinking about the inscription that’s on your knife, Redmond.” Erin said.

“What do you think it means?” I asked her.

“Given the inscription, it could have belonged to a general or some other army personnel.” Erin said.

I nodded. It made sense.

“Well, whoever it belonged to died long ago. The knife was rusted to heck when we found it.” I said with a laugh.

“What is it with you and old stuff, Erin?” Stella asked.

Erin rolled her eyes.

“Old things are very interesting. The fact that I can read and understand most languages means that I can read inscriptions that are on various things. That just makes them cooler.” Erin said with a grin.

It was Stella’s turn to roll her eyes. She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder.

“I really don’t get you. Why would you waste your time learning languages and reading when you can go shopping?” Stella asked.

“I don’t like shopping.” Erin said flatly.

“Hmmph.” Stella while looking away from Erin.

Just then, the sound of galloping horses filled the air. It was faint at first, but it grew more and more audible.

“Could that be Ceberus and William?” Martha asked, looking out the window.

The galloping horses then came down the path that lead from Riverguard to the bunkhouse. Riding them were Ceberus and William. I noticed that Ceberus had a leather bag with him.

“It’s them!” Francella said excitedly.

“What’s that Ceberus has? A bag?” Raymond asked.

Martha began running for the door. She opened it and ran out just as Ceberus and William were dismounting their horses in front of the bunkhouse. Martha threw herself into Ceberus’s arms. Ceberus caught her and kissed her.

“I missed you, Ceberus!” Martha cried.

Ceberus chuckled.

“We were only gone a few days.” He said.

“I’m just glad you and William are safe.” Martha said.

Martha pulled away from Ceberus and took him by the hand.

“Come inside, you two. Breakfast is on the table.” She said, leading them both to the house.

They all came inside.

“William! Ceberus! Great to see ya!” Walden cried.

Ceberus regarded Walden with an irritated look.

“Oh, Walden. I didn’t know you’d be here.” He said.

“Yeah, I saw a vampire last night and Martha said I could sleep here, where I’d be safe.” Walden said.

Ceberus just shrugged and laid his bag on the table next to the platter of food.

“William and I have news from Queen Yuka.” Ceberus said.

“Indeed. Queen Yuka informed us of what she has been doing in the last two weeks.” William said.

“Well, go on! Tell us!” Francella said excitedly.

“Alright. Queen Yuka has spies all over Vulrock that feed her information constantly. Her spies recently gave word that there is Vampire Mafia on the rise in Vulrock. This can lead us to speculate that the same thing is happening in the other provinces. Queen Yuka is cracking down on crime, hoping to increase her odds of apprehending Vampire Mafia members.” William said.

Martha gasped.

“Vampire Mafia? Oh dear!” She said.

“Yes. She has also managed to capture a few witches and a few warlocks, whom are now part of her court and act as her servants. To keep their behavior in check, she says that if they act out of line, they will be tortured and then slowly killed.” William said with a shudder.

A chill ran down my spine. Gruesome images came to mind when I pictured Queen Yuka having someone tortured.

“She is also capturing fairies at a frightening rate. We don’t yet know what she wants to do with the fairies, witches and the warlocks. She didn’t tell us.” William added.

I scratched my chin, thinking about what she might want fairies, witches and warlocks for.

“Any ideas on why she needs all those magical creatures?” Raymond asked.

“Well, to our knowledge she does not have a lot of magical creatures at her disposal, but honestly we have no idea what she’d do if she assembled more magical creatures.” Ceberus said.

My eyes fell on the bag that Ceberus had set on the table.

“What’s in the bag?” I asked.

Ceberus picked up the bag, reached in and pulled out a stone object. It was about two feet long and ten centimeters wide. The shaft was square, but near the top of the shaft it had two prongs that were a few centimeters thick branching off to either side.

“What is that?” Macalister asked.

William scratched his head.

“We actually don’t know. Queen Yuka gave it to us before we left. She told us that we needed to find where this ‘fits’. I don’t even think that she knows where it goes or what it is.” William said.

I eyed the object. Something about the shape of the square seemed oddly familiar. The measurements, the size, where had I seen it before? Just then, something in my brain clicked. I knew where that thing went. The door in the ruins. The hole in the door had the same measurements as the square shaft. The object must be a key, and the prongs at the top of the shaft must be used for turning it!

“I know where it goes!” I exclaimed.

Ceberus eyed me strangely, looking for an answer.

“Yesterday, Walden and the rest of us men went to some old castle ruins. We discovered an underground portion of the ruins and found a thick door at the end that even Walden’s destruction magic couldn’t blast through. There was a hole in the door that was the same shape and had the same measurements as the square shaft of that object!” I said.

Ceberus’s eyes went wide.

“Really?” He asked.

“Yup. There’s a door down there that looks like it would take that as a key.” Walden said.

“Well, we should get down there as soon as possible.” William said.

“Is there any other information that you got from Queen Yuka?” I asked.

“Well, only that she really, really wants to find where this key ‘fits’.” William said.

“What could be behind that door?” Don asked.

“Only one way to find out.” Walden said with an adventurous grin stretching across his lips.

“If we are going back down there, we need torches. We may as well bring some food and water as well.” Raymond said.

“Are we actually going down into some old castle ruins?” Stella asked.

Erin nodded excitedly.

“Yes! Just imagine all of the lost and forgotten culture buried down there!” Erin said eagerly.

Stella groaned.

“Erin, why can’t you just be a normal girl?” She asked.

Erin just chuckled, but didn’t say anything.

“Which way are the ruins, Walden?” Ceberus asked.

“Oh, no ya don’t. I aint gonna tell ya the directions to the ruins ‘cause you’re probably gonna leave without me. I’m comin’ with ya.” Walden said.

Ceberus groaned.

“Fine. You can lead the way.” He said.

“That’s what I like to hear!” Walden said enthusiastically.

“Okay, let me pack some food and supplies for you. You all should get your gear ready.” Martha said.

“Aint you comin’, Martha?” Walden said.

Martha scoffed.

“I wouldn’t last five minutes in those ruins, let alone however long you are all staying. Besides, someone needs to watch the house, right?” She asked.

“Well, I suppose. Suit yourself.” Walden said.

I reached into my pocket and made sure that I had my dagger, the knife with the inscription, my flintlock, my gunpowder and my ammunition. When I felt the flask of gunpowder, I remembered that it was almost empty.

“Do you have any gunpowder around here?” I asked William.

William nodded.

“I have a few flasks in my room. I’ll go get some for you.” He said, walking into a room.

He came out momentarily holding a flask of gunpowder that was larger than my other one. I took the smaller one out of my pocket and set it on the table, I grabbed the one William had and I stuck it in my pocket. The flask was full.

“Thanks, William.” I said.

“Any time.” He replied.

I didn’t really have anything else that I needed, so I was ready to go. I just sat at the table and waited for the others. Martha was in the kitchen, packing us food for the trip. It was a good idea. Who knows how long we’d be down there? Thinking of the ruins made me wonder what could be behind that door. Queen Yuka obviously wants it, but what could it be?

“Are you thinking about the ruins?” Erin asked as she walked into the room with a backpack on her shoulders and a holstered knife on her hip.

Her words took me out of my thoughts and brought me to reality. I nodded.

“Me too. I’m excited to see all of the lost culture buried down there, but what worries me is what else may be down there.” Erin said.

“When we were down there, we saw a vampire. It attacked us but Walden killed it quickly. There could be more of them down there, so we should be careful.” I said.

Erin shivered.

“I know. I’ve seen the some of the now deceased members of The Vipers be killed by vampires, but I’ve been curious about something.” Erin said.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I know that if you run into a vampire, without the proper weapons you will certainly die. However if a vampire bit you and chose not to drain your body of blood, what happens?” She asked.

My mind was warped back to the horrible day when Don and Robert were bitten by Ignacio back at his cabin. I knew the answer to Erin’s question, alright.

“If a vampire bites you but doesn’t drain you of blood, you slowly are transformed into a vampire. The transformation can be fast or slow, depending on how many times you were bitten.” I replied.

Erin gasped, her eyes wide.

“That’s horrible! Is there a way to revert the transformation?” She asked.

I nodded.

“Yes. You must drink the blood of the vampire who bit you while the vampire is still alive.” I told her.

Erin looked relieved.

“Well, at least there’s a cure. If you don’t mind me asking… How do you know this?” Erin asked.

I decided to tell her everything. Why not? She was our friend after all. She deserved the truth.

“A while ago, Don, Macalister, Robert and I stole fifty thousand dollars from Jonathan Haywood in Relin. We were on, and probably still are on, King Lucias’s list of dangerous criminals. He sent a vampire named Ignacio to hunt us down. Ignacio captured us and was going to harvest some of our blood and then turn us in to King Lucias. Ignacio bit Don and Robert, but we managed to get a stake and we scared him off. Ignacio went for our money and he told us that if we let him have the fifty thousand dollars, he would cure Don and Robert and let us go. He did so and he made off with the money. We haven’t seen him since.” I said.

Erin’s eyes were wide.

“That must have been horrible!” She cried.

“It was, but we pulled through it together. It was Ceberus and William that directed us here to Riverguard. We saw them a day later and they offered to take us here.” I said.

Just then, Francella and Raymond came out of the bunk room. They both had backpacks and knives in holsters attached to their hips much like Erin.

“We’re ready to go. How about you all?” Raymond asked with a grin.

“We’re ready. Who else are we waiting on?” I asked.

“Don, Robert, Macalister, Tabatha, Stella, Ceberus, William and Walden.” Raymond replied.

A few seconds later, Don, Robert and Macalister came out of the bunk room.

“We had to grab our flintlocks and daggers.” Robert explained.

I nodded quickly and looked to the entrance to the bunk room. Tabatha and Stella were walking out. Tabatha was carrying her staff and had no backup weapon. I noticed that she was also wearing a simple black tunic along with a black skirt. She kept her witch boots, but her hat was gone. Stella had a knife in a holster on her hip. They both had backpacks.

“We’re ready to go!” Tabatha exclaimed.

“Tabatha, you changed out of your witch clothes so you won’t be noticed in town, right?” Don asked.

“Yes, why?” Tabatha asked.

“Well, if you don’t want people thinking you’re a witch, shouldn’t you lose the staff?” Don asked.

“The staff stays.” Tabatha said with finality.

Walden was right behind the girls. He was flapping his wings and flying a few feet off the ground and he was right beside Tabatha.

“Yeah, we’re just ‘bout ready to roll.” Walden said.

Martha came out of the kitchen carrying a burlap sack full of food in one hand and several canteens full of water in the other. She set them on the table. I reached out, took a canteen and stuck it in my pocket. The others did the same. I heard footsteps coming from one of the back rooms and I saw Ceberus and William emerge from a room. Ceberus had his musket on his shoulder and a knife in his pocket. William had a flintlock and a knife. They too had backpacks. William grabbed the sack of food.

“We’re ready.” William said as he and Ceberus both reached out and took a canteen for themselves.

They both put their canteens in their backpacks.

“Alright Walden, lead the way.” Ceberus said, gesturing to the door.

“Good luck!” Martha said.

Ceberus leaned over and kissed his wife.

“Thanks, love. We won’t be gone long. I promise.” He said.

Walden grinned and flew out the door. We all followed him. He led us up the stone path that led to town and we passed by the usual mass of people. No one screamed or shouted at us, and I saw that Walden made himself invisible. We made it to the gate.

“Halt! Why are you going out of Riverguard?” The guard asked.

“We are going hunting.” Ceberus lied.

It was a good lie, it would explain the guns that we had on us. The guard nodded.

“Very well.” He said.

Just then, the gate began to open. When it was fully opened, we stepped through and continued walking through the forest. When we were heading into a dense collection of trees, Walden made himself visible again.

“Alright fellas, the ruins are this way!” He said, flying ahead.

We all ran after Walden.

“Do you have the key, Ceberus?” Macalister asked.

“Of course I have it.” Ceberus said.

We ran on through the forest, ducking low hanging branches and jumping over the occasional fallen tree. As soon as I began recognizing the scenery, we broke into the area that had the fallen trees concealing the staircase.

“Windstorm!” Walden cried, directing his hand at the fallen trees.

The trees flew out of the way and Walden flew down the staircase quickly. The rest of us followed without hesitation. As we journeyed deeper underground, it got dark. We went a little deeper in and Walden said something under his breath. The familiar fireball sprang to life in his hand, illuminating the area around us within about ten feet.

“That’s a cool spell, Walden.” Tabatha said.

“Thanks. It’s only Fireball. Standard Destruction Magic spell.” Walden said modestly.

Walden began flying forward and we followed him.

“We forgot torches, didn’t we?” Francella asked.

“Too late now, I guess.” Stella said with a shrug.

Erin looked around in fascination. Her eyes were full of wonder.

“Just imagine how old this place is! I wonder what treasures we’ll find down here.” She said in awe.

“Y’know, I never thought a dame like you would have been interested in this kinda stuff.” Walden said to Erin.

Erin’s eyes went wide with surprise and she scoffed.

“I’ve dedicated my life to learning languages and I simply adore old things as well as foreign cultures!” She blurted.

Walden chuckled.

“How ‘bout you? You like it down here?” Walden asked, turning to Stella.

Stella shook her head violently and made a disgusted face.

“Ew! No! It’s gross down here and it’s all dirty! The only upside is the adventure.” Stella said.

Walden laughed. No, not a laugh. A hearty cackle.

“That’s more like how a dame should react to this place.” He said.

“That cackle, fairies aren’t supposed to cackle. That’s what witches do.” Macalister said.

“Watch it, buddy.” Tabatha said without looking at him.

Macalister shot a frightened glance to Tabatha and leaned over to me without taking his eyes off her.

“She scares me.” He whispered.

I almost laughed, but held it in. Macalister probably would have broken my neck otherwise. A big, strong guy like him afraid of a witch that was probably half his size. It was funny. Just then, I heard something. The others must have heard it too, because they stopped.

“Does anyone else hear that?” Macalister asked.

Robert shot him a look that clearly said ‘shut up, you fool!’ We all looked around for the source of the sound. We heard rapid footsteps come from nowhere for about two seconds, they stopped and a female vampire threw herself into our little circle of light. Before anyone could react, it grabbed hold of Erin and pulled her close. Erin let out a terrified scream.

“Erin!” Francella cried as he reached for her.

The female vampire laughed and backed away. Erin struggled against the vampire, but it held a firm grip on her. The vampire brushed Erin’s short black hair aside with her hand, exposing her neck. The vampire pulled her fangs back over her teeth and went straight for Erin’s throat!

Crack!

A thunderous gunshot sounded. The vampire’s head snapped back as blood sprayed across the ancient stone walls. It fell to the floor, not moving. Erin screamed and ran back to us. I looked to see that the vampire had a bullet between her eyes. I looked back to our group to find Ceberus standing in a shooter’s stance holding his musket, pointing it at the vampire. The muzzle of the rifle was smoking.

“Nice shot!” Walden shouted.

“I’ll s-say.” Erin stammered, looking nervously at the vampire.

“Are you okay Erin?” Tabatha asked.

Erin nodded distantly. She was scared, but she’d get over it.

“C’mon, let’s go before more come.” Walden said, flying ahead of us.

Everyone else turned away. I don’t know what made me do it, but I stayed a little longer than the others did. I bent down, surveying the vampire.

“Hello? Anyone home? Let’s go!” Walden called anxiously.

Before I got a chance to answer, the vampire suddenly jerked to life! I let out a scream of fear as it lurched at me, catching me by surprise and pining me to the ground. It expertly held my hands down by my wrists, pinning them on either side of my head on the ground.

“Redmond!” Robert yelled with concern.

I could hear him running after me. I was feeling relieved that I would soon be rescued, but also terrified that if he didn’t hurry, I’d die in seconds. I then heard something that crushed any hope I had left. It was the sound of metal clanging against stone. Robert swore. I snuck a quick glance over while trying to fight off the vampire and saw that a metal grate had fallen from the ceiling and landed in front of Robert, preventing him from reaching me. I turned my gaze back to the vampire. She was baring her fangs, her red eyes locked on my neck.

Chapter Thirty Enigma:

Sunday June 27th 1690

“What happened?” I heard Walden shout in a panic.

“I don’t know! We must have avoided setting it off when we walked by it!” Robert shouted in return.

I heard Walden grunting with effort, however I didn’t risk a look.

“I can’t squeeze through! Sorry pal, you’re on your own!” Walden called to me.

I saw the vampire dart downwards for my neck. The sight sent a jolt of adrenaline through me that gave me extra strength. I frantically swerved my body to the right, narrowly avoiding being bitten. My new position gave me better leverage against the vampire and I struggled against the hold that it had on me. I could feel the vampires lowly backing off involuntarily. That meant that I was slowly gaining the upper hand. The vampire must not have drank blood for a while. It was weak, but still strong enough to subdue me if I wasn’t careful.

“C’mon, pal! You got this!” Walden called from behind the grate.

“Come on, Redmond! Pretend it’s Ignacio!” Robert shouted.

“Show him how to die!” Macalister called.

“If you die, I’ll kill you!” Don yelled.

“Smarten up, you fool! He could die!” Robert scolded.

I pushed against the vampire’s strength. I pushed it off of me little by little. It was hard, but it was happening.

“You… Aren’t… Getting… A… Bite… Out… Of… me!” I said through clenched teeth.

“You’re almost there! Come on!” Don shouted desperately.

“Almost there!” Tabatha urged.

On that last word, I managed to throw the beast off of me. The others erupted into cheers from behind the grate. The vampire rolled backwards and stood up. It wasn’t over yet. I considered reaching for my flintlock, but if I missed… I’d be in trouble. I pulled out my dagger instead. The vampire’s eyes fell on the dagger and for the first time, it spoke.

“Your blood is mine!” She screamed as she leaped at me.

“Cut her heart out!” Macalister shouted at me.

“Just a little more!” Francella called, starting to panic.

I swiftly dodged. The vampire’s leap was uneasy and when she hit the ground, she almost fell over. She turned on me and ran at me. She didn’t run that quickly, either. She still ran faster than a human, but not much faster than that. I held my knife at the ready. She ran at me, her hands were out at throat level. She didn’t seem to see the dagger and ran at me like I didn’t have it. When she was close enough, I swung at her, the dagger hit her on the arm and blood spilled across the floor, glinting in the light from Walden’s fireball. The vampire was only fazed for a few seconds, but came at me again. I thrusted my dagger into her chest. She made a choked, gurgling sound and clutched my knife where it was embedded in her chest. She fell to the ground.

“Is it dead?” Raymond called from behind the grate.

“I think so, but I don’t want to stick around to find out! Get this grate open, and fast!” I shouted.

I didn’t take my eyes off the vampire. If she got the better of me and surprised me again, I wasn’t sure if I’d survive.

“Let me use my magic on it.” Tabatha suggested.

“You couldn’t have tried that earlier?” Macalister asked.

“Well, I didn’t exactly hear you coming up with anything brilliant, either.” Tabatha shot back.

“Just shut up and get the grate up!” Robert shouted.

After a few seconds, I heard Tabatha again.

“Levitate!” She cried.

I heard the groaning of metal, and finally the sound of metal moving.

“Someone help me! I can’t hold it much longer!” Tabatha said in a strained voice.

I risked a glance over and saw that Tabatha held the grate a foot off the ground using her magic. Don, Robert and Macalister rushed to help her and lift the grate open. Once they did so, I ran for it.

“Lemme take care of the vampire.” Walden said as he threw a fireball at the vampire.

The vampire became engulfed in flames and was reduced to ash in seconds. I heard the click! Of metal and I saw that there was a latch above the grate that held it in place if it was lifted high enough.

“Trust me yet?” Tabatha asked, shooting a glance to Robert.

Robert looked her in the eye.

“Truthfully, yes. I trust you. You’ve done nothing to hurt anyone here, and you just saved my friend’s life. I’d say you earned my trust.” Robert told her with a grin.

“Geez man, are you okay?” Walden asked me.

“I’m fine. How’s Erin?” I asked.

“I’m fine. I wasn’t bitten.” She said, her voice was still a little shaky.

“That’s good. We should keep going and look for that door.” I suggested.

“Good plan. Let’s go.” Walden said, flying ahead of us.

Don, Robert and Macalister clapped me on the shoulder.

“Nicely done.” Don said in appreciation.

“You almost killed it on your own. Good job!” Macalister praised.

“You are truly a worthy fighter. I think you may have to challenge Macalister here for the title, though.” Robert said, elbowing Macalister in the gut.

I laughed nervously.

“No thanks.” I said.

After I was done talking with Robert and Macalister, we all followed Walden. I guess we all wanted to get the heck out of there.

“Well, how’s the adventure so far?” Francella asked happily.

“Shut up.” Raymond said with a laugh.

“Only trying to lighten things up. Sorry.” Francella said with a shrug.

“What do we do when we reach the door?” Macalister asked.

“We open it and find out what it is that Queen Yuka wants so bad.” Robert replied.

William nodded.

“Yes, whatever is behind that door, Queen Yuka seemed to think that it was of utmost importance.” He told us.

“What could it be though?” Stella asked.

Just then, Walden halted us. When we stopped walking and stopped talking, I could hear multiple footsteps and there was the sound of wet squelching in the air. I knew that sound. I feared that sound.

“Eh, I’m afraid that there’s no time for speculation. There are a group of vampires ahead!” Walden cried.

As if in response, the footsteps and squelching stopped. Ceberus reloaded his musket and readied it. Don, Robert, Macalister and I all pulled our flintlocks. The others drew their knifes. A male vampire came running at us and became enveloped in our radius of light. I heard Stella scream.

“Levitate!” Tabatha yelled.

I looked to her and saw that she had her staff pointed at the vampire. She angled her staff upwards and the vampire floated off the ground. He kicked and yelled and looked around frantically.

“Let me go! Put me down!” He ordered.

Apart from his ability to speak, he seemed more animal than human. Since he was a vampire and he was down here, he may not have had blood for a while. Is that what lack of blood did to vampires? Made them savage? It didn’t matter right now. Tabatha grinned and thrusted her staff at the vampire who was now suspended about four feet off the ground. He flew backwards and collided with another male vampire just as it began running at us.

“Nice one, Tabatha!” Erin said.

Don looked at the two vampires.

“I’m glad I’m on your good side.” He said, clapping Tabatha on the shoulder.

“If you want to keep it that way, don’t touch me.” Tabatha said without looking at him.

Don quickly withdrew his hand from her shoulder. Macalister chuckled.

“I’m only kidding, geez, lighten up.” Tabatha said with a grin.

Both the vampires were down, but they were regaining their composure.

“Walden, torch them!” William cried.

“You got it!” Walden replied, hurling his fireball at the two vampires who Tabatha had floored.

They caught fire and were reduced to ash in seconds. Vampires sure were flammable. Or maybe they were dehydrated from lack of blood and caught fire easier? Walden create a new fireball and hurled it at an oncoming vampire. He burst into flames and became nothing more than a pile of ashes in seconds. Walden created another fireball.

“’Ow many are there?” He yelled.

Another vampire ran at Walden. He instantly torched her. He created another fireball. I then heard the sound of footsteps retreating. It was hard to tell how many vampires were running away, but I estimated there were about three pairs of footsteps retreating.

“We get ‘em all?” Walden asked.

“I don’t know, but we should keep trying to find the door.” Francella said.

“Agreed.” Don added.

Walden started flying down the corridor once more. I began walking after him, and something crunched beneath my foot. A second later, an arrow flew out of the wall with a thwip! It nailed me in the arm and fiery pain flared where the arrow had landed. I cried out in pain.

“Redmond! Hold still, okay?” Tabatha said, rushing to my side.

Everyone else stayed back, giving Tabatha room. I nodded my understanding.

“It needs to come out, but I can heal it and make the pain go away right after. Are you ready?” Tabatha asked sincerely.

I clenched my teeth against the pain and nodded.

“Okay, one, two, three!” On three, Tabatha pulled the arrow out of my arm.

Pain flared where the arrow had been. She threw the arrow aside and grabbed her staff. She held it over my arm.

“Healing Gaze!” She cried out.

The familiar green light bathed me, and I felt a strange sensation that was my wound being magically sealed. After a few seconds, the green light receded back into Tabatha’s staff and my arm was free of any injury. The pain was also gone. Only my shirt was torn. Catching my eye, Tabatha held her staff over my torn shirt sleeve.

“Seamstress!” She cried.

The green light washed over me and my shirt sleeve was magically sewed back together.

“Thanks, Tabatha.” I said after the green light receded back into her staff.

“No worries.” Tabatha said with a smile.

“Alright, let’s get moving.” I told everyone.

Walden resumed flying down the tunnel. We all followed him. Thankfully, no one else set off any arrow traps.

“I’m hungry.” Macalister said after a few more minutes of walking down the tunnel.

“I’m a little hungry myself.” Tabatha admitted.

“Alright then, let’s take a break and see what Martha packed for us.” William said, putting down the back of food and opening it.

“There’s bread, dried fruit and some nuts.” William said while digging through the bag.

“I’ll take some bread.” I said.

William passed me a loaf of bread. I took it and bit down on it, chewing and swallowing a few bites. After a few more minutes, everyone had their food and we all sat down and ate. As I ate my bread, Tabatha walked over and sat down next to me holding a loaf of bread in one hand and her staff in the other.

“How’s your arm? Does it hurt?” She asked.

I moved my arm to demonstrate that it didn’t hurt.

“No, it’s fine. You did a great job.” I told her.

Tabatha smiled.

“Thanks.” She replied.

She bit into her bread. She chewed her bite and swallowed, brushing the crumbs off of her skirt.

“You and Don have been getting along surprisingly well.” I remarked after a few seconds of silence.

Tabatha chewed off another bite and swallowed before speaking.

“As much as I like teasing and embarrassing him, I don’t want him to think that I’m mean. I’m not. I did some things to him that were un-called for and I apologized for them. We’re all friends here, there is no need for extra tension. Besides, I kind of like Don. He’s funny and considerate of others.” Tabatha said.

I shot her a strange look.

“But back at the bunkhouse after Don saved you, you told him to his face that you didn’t have romantic feelings for him. Correction, you told him that while you were levitating him. I think you scared him.” I told her.

Tabatha nodded.

“I know what I did. I just… At first I thought he only saved me because he wanted to impress either me or those other girls we have with us, but as I grew to know him, I think that he saved me because he actually cares for others. Like I said, I kind of like him.” Tabatha said that last part with her head down, she almost mumbled the words.

I smiled and was about to say something witty to embarrass her, but she leaned in close to me, her rich brown eyes gleamed in Walden’s firelight. We were practically nose to nose.

“If you tell him any of that, I will kill you. Understand?” Tabatha asked.

I knew she wasn’t serious about the killing part, but she would probably get me back somehow if I told Don what she said, so I just nodded quickly.

“Yes, I understand.” I said.

Tabatha leaned backwards so she was out of my face. She took a bite of her bread and swallowed.

“Good.” She said.

Erin then walked over to Tabatha and I.

“What’s going on over here?” She asked.

“Nothing.” Tabatha and I said in unison.

Erin eyed us both strangely.

“Okay then. Well, the rest of us are ready to move out, how about you two?” She asked.

Tabatha and I both ate the remainder of our bread.

“We’re ready.” I said.

Erin smiled and nodded.

“Good. Now we can finally find that door that everyone is talking about.” She said eagerly.

“Sounds good.” Tabatha said as she stood up.

I stood up as well. Tabatha, Erin and I walked and rejoined the others.

“Swell, now we can get a move on.” Walden said.

He began flying down the corridor once more. The rest of us followed him. As we walked, Tabatha’s words rolled around in my mind. It was obvious that Tabatha liked Don, she had said it herself, but is it possible that she actually had feelings for him? I certainly was no expert in romance or anything of the like, but I thought that Tabatha and Don would be cute together. Who knows? Maybe Don secretly has feelings for Tabatha. Just then, I saw that the walls on either side of me were spreading out, indicating that we were entering a large room. We walked on for another few seconds and we came upon a huge metal door.

“This is it.” Walden said.

I examined the door and found the spot where Walden tried to blast through. The spot was indicated by a black scorch mark.

“Alright, time to put the key in.” Erin said.

Ceberus reached into his bag and grabbed the strangely shaped key from it. He walked over to the familiar square hole and inserted the key.

“It’s a perfect fit!” I called over his shoulder to us.

“I suppose that luck is on our side.” Macalister remarked.

“Luck, or destiny?” Robert asked him.

Macalister was silent, Don fell into silent consideration as well.

He reached up to the prongs and he began turning the key. The key revolved with some effort from Ceberus and the sound of stone on stone filled the room.

“Someone help me open the door!” Ceberus said after a few more rotations of the key.

I rushed over to help him, so did Macalister and Raymond. Together, we pulled the door and it came open slowly. When we pulled it open, we were greeted by a rush of cold air. Beyond the door was nothing but blackness. Vast, empty blackness. I heard Tabatha gasp. I turned to her.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I can sense the presence of dark magic down there.” She said, pointing to the newly opened tunnel.

Chapter Thirty One The Secret Of The Ruins:

Sunday June 27th 1690

We all stared into the void that stood before us. None of us knew what was down there, but we were going to find out. Walden led the way with his light, the rest of us followed closely.

“Be on your guard, if there is dark magic down here, there is no telling what we may find.” Tabatha said cautiously.

“Alright, I believe you.” Macalister said.

“Good. Fighting is your domain, magic is mine.” Tabatha told him.

Walden slowly led us into the dark recesses of the room. We all looked around, expecting to see a vampire or some other beast jump out at us.

“I can sense the energy from the dark magic, we’re getting closer.” Tabatha said.

“You’re proving to be quite useful… and trustworthy.” Robert told Tabatha.

“Thanks. Geez, it’s about time you said that.” Tabatha said with a laugh.

We appeared to be in a single, large room. There were no intersections of corridors or anything. Walden’s fireball illuminated the room to an extent, there was no telling how big the room was. We looked around, trying to find a clue as to what we may find at the end of this room.

“The energy from the dark magic is very, very close.” Tabatha said, worrying.

“What do we do? See what it is?” William asked.

“We need to see what it is Queen Yuka wants. I think that we need to go to the source of the dark magic and see what it is. Maybe if we knew what Queen Yuka is after, we can predict what she wants to do with it.” Ceberus said.

In front of us at the edge of Walden’s fire’s light, we saw almost rotten wooden crates. There were about six of them in total, they were all horizontal, strewn across the floor. The contents remained inside the crates.

“This is it, this is definitely where the dark magic is coming from.” Tabatha said, pointing to the crates with her staff.

Walden flew forward first, lighting the way. I was right behind him, everyone else trailed behind.

“I’ll open the first box.” I volunteered

I stepped forward, and reached for the lid of the nearest crate. I pulled the rotted lid off of it and I looked inside. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Inside I saw jewelry. I’m serious. Jewlery. Rings, necklaces, ear rings, everything.

“You guys might want to see this.” I said over my shoulder.

Everyone walked to the crate and peered in.

“Holy cow!” Francella exclaimed.

Ceberus’s eyebrows raised.

“Indeed, but what would Queen Yuka want with a bunch of old jewelry?” He asked.

“The jewelry is imbued with dark magic, just like Walden’s ring. Why does Queen Yuka want the jewelry?” Tabatha asked.

“I don’t know. Is there anything that Queen Yuka could do with the dark magic within the jewelry?” William asked.

“No, she can’t do anything without a dark magic witch. She doesn’t have one, does she?” Tabatha asked.

William shook his head.

“No, she didn’t mention anything about a dark magic witch when she was talking about the ones she has in her court. It appears that she has almost every witch type in her court with the exception of a dark magic witch.” William answered.

Tabatha exhaled in relief.

“Then we have nothing to fear. Dark magic witches are very rare, and they would not give themselves up to Queen Yuka easily. If she did manage to find one, it would kill anyone she sent after it.” Tabatha said.

“Then it’s settled, we bring Queen Yuka her jewelry.” Don said.

“We have no choice, anyhow. Queen Yuka knows that there is something down here that she wants, if William and I don’t return with it, she’ll get suspicious and investigate. If that happens, she will find out that we are associated with all of you and we will all be either taken as servants to her like William and I, or you will be executed.” Ceberus said grimly.

“Then it’s definitely settled. We bring Queen Yuka her jewelry. We may as well stay in her good books.” Robert answered.

“Let’s grab the stuff and go.” Macalister added.

With that, the others began opening and putting the jewelry in their backpacks.

“Look on the bright side, maybe Queen Yuka doesn’t even know that the jewelry is imbued with dark magic. Maybe this is just some deposit of riches that she somehow found out about.” Francella said.

“It’s a possibility, but whether we like it or not we need to bring this stuff to her. Not doing that would mean our doom. Besides, what are we going to do with all of this, anyway?” Robert asked.

“Sell it?” Macalister asked.

“No, we can’t sell this! If it fell into the wrong hands… I don’t even want to think about that.” Tabatha said.

Then there was silence with the exception of the clink! Of the jewelry being put into the backpacks.

“Look at how old these things are? I can read the inscriptions, too!” Erin said with glee.

“Oh yeah? What’s this one say?” Walden asked, holding up a necklace to Erin.

Erin examined it closely.

“It says ‘be one with your soul’.” Erin said.

“Ooohhh, cryptic.” Walden said with a chuckle.

Just then, Robert gasped.

“What is it?” Macalister asked.

“I just had an idea.” Robert said.

“Spit it out, man!” Walden encouraged.

Robert cleared his throat.

“I was just thinking, instead of Ceberus and William bringing the jewelry to Queen Yuka themselves, the rest of us could go with them to her castle. I’d bet that she’d want to meet the people who found the jewelry for her. Maybe she’d give us some kind of reward.” Robert said.

There was a moment of silence as we took that in.

“Wow Robert. That’s actually a good plan. Great thinking.” Tabatha commended.

“It’s a win-win situation for us. We don’t get turned into servants or executed, we don’t get exposed as the criminals that we are, we stay on Queen Yuka’s good side and we could get a reward. I say we do it.” Raymond added.

“Yeah! It sounds like a plan.” Walden said.

“It’s a smart plan.” Ceberus remarked.

It only took about ten minutes longer for the others to load their backpacks full of the jewelry. When we collected every last piece, we set out of the room. We reached the other side of the door and Ceberus pulled the key out and I helped him close the door. It shut with a loud clang! And when it was closed, we all followed Walden towards the exit to the ruins. We weaved our way through the familiar tunnels and thankfully didn’t come across any vampires and didn’t set off any traps. We finally saw natural light pouring in from the staircase that lead to the surface. Walden extinguished his flame as we ascended the stairs. When we reached the top and were all in the forest once again, we looked around. It was an hour or two before twilight.

“We need to make our way back to Riverguard to buy horses. From there we can travel to Queen Yuka’s castle. If we hurry, we will be there by early nightfall.” Ceberus said.

“Righto!” Walden said.

Ceberus lead us in the direction of Riverguard. We ran through the forest together. I could hear the jewelry clanking around in backpacks.

“If there is a chance that Queen Yuka is offering a reward, I want Martha to be there, too. We need to stop at the bunkhouse anyway to get some money. I’ll do that, you guys wait on the pathway by the bunkhouse, alright?” Ceberus asked.

No one said anything, but we all understood the plan. Excitement burned in my gut as I anticipated meeting Queen Yuka. We were all criminals, but we were going to bring her the jewelry that she wanted so badly. Would that be enough to get her to overlook that? I thought so, or at least I hoped so. Before long, the walls of Riverguard appeared through a break in the trees up ahead. We ran through the trees and ran to the gate. Walden made himself invisible. The guard recognized us.

“Open the gate!” He yelled to his friends.

The gate opened and we stepped through to the town square, not slowing down. We headed for the bunkhouse. We walked down the familiar road that branched off from the fountain and we came across the path that lead to the bunkhouse in no time.

“Wait here.” Ceberus said as he ran down the pathway to get Martha and the money.

We all waited in town at the start of the path, waiting for Ceberus to return. In minutes, Ceberus was carrying a small bag. Martha was right behind him.

“You found what in the ruins?” Martha asked, surprised.

“We found jewelry imbued with dark magic. Queen Yuka wants it, but we don’t know for sure if she knows about the dark magic. We are bringing it to her. Robert thinks that she’ll give us a reward of some sort.” Ceberus explained to Martha.

“That’s certainly something!” Martha exclaimed.

Ceberus and Martha reached us and Ceberus lead us into town.

“We need to buy horses in town to make the journey to Queen Yuka’s castle with good time.” Ceberus said.

“Yes, the man you and William bought the other horses off of came and collected them at the house while you were gone.” Martha explained.

“Yes, I told him he’d find the horses there.” Ceberus told her.

We all walked down the street until we reached the far wall of Riverguard. We saw a gate nearby. There was a little stable just inside the wall. There were multiple horses in stalls as well as a man sitting behind a makeshift wooden counter near the stable. The man had short brown hair, blue eyes and he was short, around 5’3”. He looked to be around thirty.

“Ceberus! ‘Ow can I help ya t’day?” The man asked with a smile that was missing a few teeth.

“Hello, Timothy. I need six horses. Can you do that?” Ceberus asked.

There were twelve of us, six horses. That meant two to a horse. Timothy whistled in an impressed manor.

“Sure can, but it’ll cost ya. ‘Round fifty gold pieces. Can ya sport it?” Timothy asked.

Ceberus handed Timothy a fistful of coins from his bag. The man counted each coin.

“That’s fifty three.” Timothy said, handing back three coins.

Ceberus held up his hand, refusing them.

“Keep them. You need the money more than I do.” Ceberus said.

Timothy smiled his gap-toothed grin.

“Thank ya very much, Ceberus.” He said.

“No problem, Timothy.” Ceberus replied.

“Take your horses. Ya bought ‘em, they’re yours now.” Timothy said.

Timothy led us to the stable where all the horses were kept. I saw multiple horses of all different colors. From jet black to light brown, from solid colored to spotted. I saw one that had light brown fur on the body, but from its tail to its head was black fur. Just above the hooves on its calves was black as well. The horse was in good shape, too.

“I’ll take this one.” I said, pointing to it.

“Very well.” Timothy said, walking over and leading it to me using a rope that was tied to the brown saddle.

“Does it have a name?” I asked.

“Nope. You can name it yourself or leave it nameless. Don’t matter to me.” Timothy said.

The others pointed out their horses. Timothy led us out near the gate.

“Who is riding with who?” Ceberus asked.

“I’ll ride with Macalister.” Don said.

I then glimpsed Tabatha standing by her horse. She was looking at Don. I decided to make a bold move.

“You can’t.” I said.

“Why not?” Don asked.

I had to think fast.

“Because… I’m riding with Macalister.” I said.

Don shrugged.

“I’ll ride with Robert then.” He said.

Just then, Francella’s gaze met mine.

“But I’m riding with Robert.” He said, giving me a sly wink.

Francella knew what was going on. I think that he picked up on the fact that Tabatha may have feelings for Don. Did he pick up on it, or did he overhear Tabatha and I back at the ruins? Don looked around.

“Don, there’s a spot on my horse if you want it.” Tabatha called with a small smile.

I saw doubt in Don’s eyes, but he agreed.

“Thanks, Tabatha.” He said with a little uncertainty.

Macalister came over and stood next to me. I mounted up on the front of the horse and Macalister went to the rear. Ceberus and Martha shared a white horse, Stella and Erin shared a black one, Robert and Francella shared a horse that was dark grey with black spots. Don and Tabatha shared a horse that was brown with black spots, and William and Raymond shared a horse that was brown with white spots.

“Thanks, Timothy!” Ceberus called.

Just then, the gate near us began to open. The guards must have saw us buy our horses and thought that we weren’t going out to do anything illegal. They also knew that we didn’t steal the horses. I eased my horse forward and we all rode through the gate and made it out into the surrounding forest. The forest on this side of Riverguard was thicker than the one on the other side. This made it harder to weave our horses through the trees. We had to move slowly to avoid hitting them, but eventually the trees thinned and we could gallop.

“Ya!” I shouted as I kicked my horse in the ribs.

The horse reared up, whinnying and took off sprinting as soon as its front feet hit the ground. Everyone else did the same and we were off. The wind blasted into my face, but I forced myself to look forward. I saw a tree and swerved to avoid it. We were galloping through sparse woodlands. As we continued through the forest, the trees became less and less dense. After a few more minutes of riding, we came to a large clearing. We kept riding. I looked over to the others to see huge grins of excitement on all their faces. I looked over to Tabatha and Don, who were about twenty feet away from me. As they rode along, I could hear them talking to each other, but the wind in my ears prevented me from hearing them.

“This is awesome!” Shouted Walden, who was riding on William and Raymond’s horse, now visible.

“The last time I rode a horse, I was driving these three away from Queen Mycta’s guards!” Robert shouted in excitement, gesturing to Don, Macalister and I.

“Indeed, what a time that was!” Don shouted back.

I saw William close his eyes and sigh.

“What’s the matter, bucko? This is gonna be fun!” Walden said with excitement.

William didn’t say anything. I didn’t know why Ceberus, William and Martha didn’t like Walden. I thought he was a little full of himself and annoying at first, but I grew to like him.

“Do you really think Queen Yuka will give us a reward?” Macalister asked.

“She might. After all, we are bringing her something that she wants. She may feel inclined to reward us.” I said.

“It would be good if she did.” Macalister said, looking off into the distance.

Macalister, on the other hand can be pretty annoying. He isn’t smart, as you already know, but Don, Robert and I have been through a lot with Macalister. Although he isn’t smart, he knows what and what not to do, which is very helpful given some of the situations we have gotten into in the past.

“Everyone, I think that we should have our stories straight in case Queen Yuka asks!” Ceberus shouted so everyone could hear him.

“What is our story?” Raymond asked.

“Everyone listen up! Our stories need to match up with one another, just in case Queen Yuka questions us separately. This is our story; we, with the exception of William and I, are merely simple farm workers. You all are the friends of William and I who we trust greatly. We will tell Queen Yuka that William and I shared the information of the key with you all and you all helped gather the jewelry. That is our story. It is all truthful, except for the simple farm workers. Do not tell Queen Yuka of any of your talents, in case she decides to put you to use. Understood?” Ceberus asked.

We all looked to him and nodded.

“Good.” Ceberus said, turning his attention back to riding.

I looked around. The grassland that we were riding through was flat, and the way we sped by made it seem like a vast sea of green. Twilight was just starting to descend upon the land, bathing the scenery in an orange glow. I looked into the far distance to see huge black stone walls looming in the distance.

“What’s that?” I asked Ceberus, pointing the black walls out.

Ceberus looked to them and looked at me.

“That’s the city of Valgate, where Queen Yuka’s castle is located.” Ceberus answered.

I didn’t know the name of the town that housed Queen Yuka’s castle, I only knew that it was a large city. As we rode on, I noticed that ahead, the trees started again, but I saw quite a few stumps. They weren’t rotted away, either. They were cut by something sharp, like a saw. I suppose that this was evidence of the high demand for houses and other things within Valgate. We were moving very quickly, and the city of Valgate was rapidly drawing nearer.

“I thought you said that it would take until early nightfall to get here.” Don told Ceberus.

“Timothy must have given us his best horses, we don’t usually get here this fast.” Ceberus said.

“Good on ya, Timothy!” Walden exclaimed, thrusting one of his small fist into the air.

As we neared the city, we saw a massive gate, it was made of stone, not wood like the ones in Riverguard. There were about twenty guards stationed at the gate. They must have improved security here as oppose to Riverguard, and why not? This is where the Queen of Vulrock resides. Just then, I saw Walden turn invisible.

“Halt! That’s far enough!” One of the guards called when we were about fifty feet away.

“Whoa!” I called, halting my horse.

The other’s shouted the same word and stopped their horses.

“What do you seek inside Valgate?” Asked one of the guards.

“We come bearing a gift for Queen Yuka!” Ceberus called out.

The head guard looked skeptical.

“Yeah, and I’m the Grim Reaper. I’d need to see it to believe it, pal.” The guard said.

“By all means, if you allow me to dismount my horse, I will show you the gift!” Ceberus called.

“Very well then, dismount your horse slowly, and no sudden moves. You are outnumbered, so don’t try anything!” Said the guard.

He seemed to be the leader. The nineteen other guards just watched and waited. Ceberus slowly got off his horse.

“Pass me your bags.” Ceberus ordered everyone.

Everyone who had backpacks slipped them off and handed them to Ceberus. He took multiple bags in each hand. He walked slowly over to the guards. When he was about ten feet away, the guard held a hand out to halt him. Ceberus stopped moving.

“Slide the bags over.” The guard commanded.

Ceberus did as he was told and slid the bags over to the guard. The guard opened the first one, saw the contents and his eyes went wide.

“Sweet merry mother of God.” He muttered, his eyes going wide.

The guard checked the other bags and found them stuffed with the jewelry.

“This is all for Queen Yuka?” The guard asked.

Ceberus nodded.

“Yes, every last bit of it.” He responded.

The guard nodded and slid the bags back over to Ceberus, who gave them back to who he got them from.

“I don’t know any of you, I don’t know who you are and I definitely don’t know your stories, but whatever you did, I’m sure that Queen Yuka will pardon you if you give her all of this.” The guard told Ceberus.

“That’s not what we came here for. We are not criminals.” Ceberus lied.

The guard nodded slowly.

“It is of no business of mine. Proceed through the gates.” The guard said.

“But please, allow us to take your horses to the royal stables. They’l be well cared for and ready when you want to leave.” Another guard said.

We all dismounted our horses and left them with the guards.

“Thank you.” Ceberus said.

On cue, the massive, heavy looking stone gate opened. We were let through. We all coaxed our horses through the gate and rode into the city to get our first glimpse of Valgate.

Chapter Thirty Two Queen Yuka:

Sunday June 27th 1690

Valgate was huge. There was a huge circular space that housed various shops, inns and other buildings like that. The whole place was about two kilometers in diameter. Instead of having multiple roads leading off from the town square like Riverguard did, there was one big cobblestone road that branched off from the town square, and I could see that it branched off into multiple smaller roads when it got away from the town square. Lining that main street were residential houses that only had one story. These must have been for the lower class citizens. Arc had much the same setup; the closer you got to the castle, the higher class the living quarters and scenery became. The cobblestone here looked new, it must be well maintained. The buildings all looked new as well. I suppose people wanted the city to look good for their Queen… Who happened to be an evil tyrant. Ahead of us about a kilometer or two I saw that the land elevated. I saw a road going up the hill and I saw an imposing black stone castle looming atop it. All around the castle was a high black stone wall. All of what I saw within Valgate, everything, was all surrounded by the high black stone walls. On top of those walls I could see guards stationed.

“So this is what Queen Yuka’s city looks like.” Don said, looking around in awe.

“Pretty impressive, no?” William asked, taking in the sights.

“Come on, we need to get moving.” Ceberus said, heading in the direction of the huge castle.

There was a thick mass of people, much like what we were used to encountering in Riverguard. We followed Ceberus up the main street. We passed shops, as well as vendors in booths selling whatever it was that they were selling. We ignored the vendors and pressed on towards the castle. We began climbing the hill that the castle was built on, still following the road that lead up. We came to the gate of the wall that surrounded the castle, there were about twenty guards stationed outside the gate, just like on the entrance to Valgate.

“Halt! Do you have business with Queen Yuka?” The guard asked.

“Yes, in fact we do.” Ceberus said, getting the backpacks from the others and sliding them across the ground to the guards.

The guard’s reaction was much like the one of the guard at the gate.

“They are gifts for Queen Yuka.” Ceberus explained.

The guard’s eyes went wide as he slid the bags back to Ceberus. He have the bags back to who he got them from.

“Very well, you may enter the castle so long as you lay down your weapons. Don’t worry, they will not be confiscated. They will be returned to you at the proper time.” The guard instructed.

I took my flintlock out and laid it on the ground. I did the same with my dagger and knife. I kicked my weapons over to the guards. I saw the others do the same. A guard broke off from the main group and patted us all down, just to make sure that we all gave up all of our weapons. Thankfully, we all did.

“Good, you may proceed to the castle.” The guard who patted us all down said when he finished.

The massive gate started opening and we stepped through. Inside the outer wall of the castle, there was a majestic, magnificent looking garden that was well cared for and was rid of any weeds. The grass and other vegetation was completely organized and trimmed to perfection. I saw a lot of different kinds and colors of flowers, but I noticed a surplus of roses. There were white ones as well as red ones. They were everywhere! Their sweet, subtle scent filled the air. As we walked through the garden to the castle entrance, another twenty guards blocked our way.

“Someone really must like roses.” Don remarked, eyeing the red and white roses all around us.

“What was your first clue?” Tabatha asked sarcastically.

“It’s alright! Let them pass.” One of the other guards from the gate said when we reached the next set of guards.

The guards on the castle entrance looked at us skeptically, then stepped aside and let us pass. We walked through the entrance archway of the castle and I was stunned at how high class the place looked. The floors were polished white marble. About thirty feet in front of us was a twin staircase that led to a second floor around sixty feet up. Between the two staircases was a door, with a brilliant pure red carpet leading from where we all now stood to the step of the door. The carpet branched out from left to right of that door, disappearing behind both of the staircases. That suggested that there were more doors than just the one that we saw. I also noticed that the red carpet we were standing on split up and followed both the staircases up, branching left and right, out of sight from here. I looked up and noticed a grand golden chandelier that bore more candles than I could count, each one flickered brightly in its holder. The candles cast an orange glow to the room. Twilight streamed in through the numerous stained glass windows. Ceberus began walking down the red carpet towards the door that was between the two staircases.

“The castle is quite… Elegant.” Robert remarked.

“This is something straight out of a story book…” Stella said, trailing off.

“It looks like it was chiseled from a huge block of marble.” Francella said.

“By an angel.” Raymond remarked.

“Kind of ironic, given who the place belongs to.” Tabatha added.

“Indeed. The throne room is this way.” Ceberus said.

His tone suggested that he was not fond of our admiration of the castle. We all followed him. We reached the door and pushed it open. We were now in a corridor that was about thirty feet long. There were multiple doors on either side of us. Between each door on either side was a pedestal. Upon each pedestal was a rose. Why were there so many roses? The red carpet continued on to a big, ornate door that was red with gold trim. Ceberus led us to that.

“This leads to Queen Yuka’s throne room. Remember the story; you are all simple farmers who William and I brought along to help with retrieving the jewelry.” Ceberus said.

We all nodded, too nervous to say anything. A hard pit of fear was forming in my gut. Fear and anticipation. Not a good mix.

“Oh, and don’t make eye contact with Queen Yuka. Don’t make eye contact with the guards. Don’t make eye contact with anyone. Bow when William and I do, and most importantly, don’t make eye contact with anyone. Got it?” Ceberus asked.

We all looked at him and nodded again. My anticipation and fear were building.

“Good. Here we go.” Ceberus and as he pushed open the doors.

Ceberus stepped through with William right next to him. They both walked with absolute confidence. I mimicked them, trying not to look as afraid as I was. I admired the room. There were various paintings on the walls, but one of them stood out to me; it was a giant painting of a red rose. What was with all of the roses? The floor was polished white marble, the red carpet ended a few feet ahead of us. I looked around the room. I saw no guards, but I was sure that there was some kind of security force hidden somewhere in the room, ready to spring if we made a wrong move. I looked past the end of the carpet and saw two thrones; one was slightly larger than the other. The smaller one was empty, but atop the larger one was a woman. Atop her head was a golden crown. She had a lavish robe on that was red with gold trim. Dangling from her ears were earrings in the shape of blue diamonds. The woman had light skin, black hair that fell down to her shoulders. Her bangs were combed back. Near the top of her head, I saw two black pins with small black marble like orbs on top of them. They must have kept her bangs back. She had slate grey eyes. There was something about her eyes that didn’t seem right. Her eyes shifted to me. When she did, her lips turned downwards into a thoughtful frown. I didn’t like the way she looked at me. She had an average build, and she was fairly tall, around 6’. She looked to be around thirty. This had to be Queen Yuka.

When we got to the end of the red carpet, Ceberus and William both dropped to a knee and bowed their heads. The rest of us kneeled down and did the same as them. Just then, a girl dressed in witch clothes emerged from behind Queen Yuka’s throne. The girl looked to be around sixteen or seventeen.

“Your majesty. They have a witch with them, as well as a fairy.” The witch said to Queen Yuka.

Queen Yuka just looked at us.

“Which one is the witch?” Queen Yuka asked.

“That one, and the fairy is right behind her.” Said the witch, pointing to Tabatha.

Queen Yuka nodded thoughtfully as Walden made himself visible. He then kneeled like the rest of us and bowed his head.

“The witch poses no threat. If she attacked, guards would be on her faster than she could utter the name of a spell. Even if she did, the protection spells that are on me should stop any magical attack. The same goes for the fairy.” Queen Yuka told her witch in a low voice.

I couldn’t tell if she was actually reassuring her witch that there was no threat, or just trying to discourage Tabatha and Walden from attacking, not that they would attack.

“Ceberus, William, please rise. Tell me, who are these people that you have brought into my castle?” Queen Yuka asked.

Her voice was not exactly soft or smooth, but it was full of authority. Ceberus and William both stood up.

“Your majesty, we have good reason for bringing these people to your grand castle. We found the door that could be opened with the key you gave us. Beyond that door, we found this.” Ceberus explained.

He then gestured to the others. They all slipped off their packs and slid them over to Queen Yuka. Queen Yuka snapped her fingers twice.

“Someone, open those bags.” She said.

Just then, a young boy who was probably only twelve or thirteen opened each of the bags. His eyes went wide, as did Queen Yuka’s.

“Oh my, you did it. You found it!” Queen Yuka exclaimed.

William and Ceberus bowed their heads. The young boy stood next to Queen Yuka’s throne. He stood up straight and bowed his head.

“Yes, but we could not have done it without these people.” William said, gesturing to us.

Queen Yuka thoughtfully looked to us.

“It would also be my pleasure to offer accommodations to you all for your services, and because you did so well, I will assign you each a personal servant for as long as you stay here. Consider it a reward for a job well done.” Queen Yuka said with a slight smile.

“Thank you very much, your majesty.” William said with a bow.

“I must say, I am quite impressed by the fact that you got your hands on the jewelry. As you know, I am not impressed easily. The jewelry was in the ruins of a castle, correct?” Queen Yuka asked Ceberus.

“Yes, your majesty.” Ceberus answered.

“I knew that there was something of value behind that door, but I never thought it would be jewelry.” Queen Yuka said.

There was a moment where no one spoke.

“So, what is your story?” Queen Yuka asked.

Thankfully, we were prepared for this question.

“They are all simple farmers. They are friends of mine and Wiliam’s. When you gave us the key to the door in the ruins, we sought out their help, knowing that we would need help down in the ruins, your majesty.” Ceberus answered.

Queen Yuka nodded thoughtfully.

“Very well. You all may choose any rooms that are on the East side of the castle, they are all uninhabited. Shortly after you choose your rooms, a servant will come to each of your rooms. You may all be dismissed.” Queen Yuka said.

Ceberus and William stood up, bowed, turned around and went back the way we came. The rest of us mirrored what Ceberus and William did. We followed them back through the door. When the throne room door shut behind us, I exhaled in relief.

“That went well.” I said.

“I agree, but don’t get too comfortable seeing Queen Yuka like that. We made her happy, if you are not in her good will… Needless to say, you should be afraid.” Ceberus said.

“Have you ever been outside of her good will?” Macalister asked.

“No, but I know people who have.” Ceberus answered.

“Who?” Macalister asked.

“Well, it hardly matters now. They’re dead.” Ceberus said with finality.

Macalister was silent, probably thinking of how not to get on Queen Yuka’s bad side.

“I noticed a smaller throne in there, who does it belong to?” Stella asked.

“It belongs to Queen Yuka’s daughter, Estaire.” William answered.

Wait a minute, I didn’t know Queen Yuka had a daughter!

“What? She has a daughter?” I asked in disbelief.

Ceberus nodded slowly.

“Yes. It isn’t exactly common knowledge, though.” Ceberus said.

I shrugged. The Queen had a daughter, that was news, but it was hardly important.

“Man, that witch could see me, but how?” Walden asked, speaking for the first time since we arrived in Valgate.

“She’s a witch, she may have been able to sense your magical energy. That’s probably how she knew that I was a witch, too.” Tabatha told him.

“Well, your staff didn’t do much to hide your… Witchiness.” Stella said.

Stella was about to say something else, but Tabatha shot her a stern look and she silently looked away.

“We should get to our rooms.” Francella suggested.

“Right, Queen Yuka said that we could choose any rooms on the East side of the castle. I’ll take you all there.” Ceberus said.

“And in case he makes a wrong turn, I’ll follow.” William joked.

Ceberus just grunted and walked towards the East side of the castle.

“Ceberus, lighten up.” William called after him.

Ceberus turned around, his face was full of tension. He grasped both of William’s arms and stared intensely into his eyes.

“I can’t relax! I can’t lighten up! Queen Yuka is now in possession of jewelry imbued with dark magic. Worst of all, we had no choice but to give it to her. Whether she knows about it or not, I don’t know, but if she does and she uses a dark magic witch to siphon it from the jewelry, who knows what she’ll do? She’s a power hungry tyrant! That, and we just finished lying to her. If she looks into who the others are, we could be charged with aiding and harboring criminals. Do you know where we’d be after that? Dead. We’d be dead, William. Am I the only one who sees that?” Ceberus said in an intense, strained whisper.

Ceberus was shaking, he was losing his composure. Martha came over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Ceberus released his grip on William and William stepped back. Martha looked into Ceberus’s eyes.

“Ceberus, honey, you’re going to be fine. We are going to be fine. We have our cover story, it’s believable, plus we just gave her a small fortune in jewelry. The chances that she knows about the dark magic are slim, and the possibility that she has a dark magic witch is even more so.” Martha said, attempting to calm Ceberus down.

Martha then leaned in and kissed him. Ceberus became less shaky, the wild look in his eye faded and the tension in his face receded. He pulled away from Martha, nodded and continued walking to the East end of the castle. We trailed behind him and when he stepped out of the door to the foyer, we found ourselves in the room with the two staircases. We followed Ceberus as he walked to and ascended the far staircase and walked down the hall.

“Alright, any of these rooms should be empty.” Ceberus said, his voice still had some nervous energy.

Ceberus entered a room to his right, Martha followed him inside and William chose the room down the hall, right next to Ceberus’s room.

“We each get our own rooms. This beats the bunks back home!” Stella said excitedly.

“But I like the bunks back home…” Erin muttered.

By now, I had definitely realized that Stella was the girly girl and Erin… Wasn’t.

“They were comfy but they weren’t very… Private.” Tabatha added.

“Are we really talking about this?” Raymond asked with a laugh.

Everyone sank into a thoughtful silence.

“I guess it’s the nervous energy talking. I mean, we’re in the evil Queen Yuka’s castle for crying out loud.” Francella said.

“I don’t like Queen Yuka… She scares me.” Macalister said.

Walden chuckled.

“What happened to ‘I’m not afraid of anyone or anything’?” Walden asked, quoting what Macalister said back at the ruins.

Macalister growled at Walden.

“Okay, okay buddy! Geez…” Walden trailed off.

“Anyway, I’m going to bed. Good night.” Erin said, walking off to a room.

“Me, too.” Stella said, trailing behind Erin and picking the room next to hers.

“I guess I’m headin’ off to bed too. G’night fellas.” Walden said, flipping his short green hair and flying to a room.

Raymond and Francella found each their own rooms down the hall, slipping away silently, leaving just Macalister, Robert, Don, Tabatha and I standing in the hallway.

“Well, I’m going to bed too. I enjoyed riding with you, Don. I hope you sleep well.” Tabatha said with a smile, turning to go.

She turned back to Don, opened her mouth to say something, but turned back around, thinking better of it. She walked off to a room and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her.

“Well then, good night gentlemen.” Don said, clapping Robert on the shoulder as he walked off to a room.

“I’ll see you all in the morning.” Macalister said with a grin as he stomped off to find an unoccupied room.

I turned to Robert, about to say good night, but he spoke first.

“How are you feeling about all of this?” He asked.

I thought about an acceptable answer.

“Well, I’m scared. Scared for our safety, and scared to think of what happens if Queen Yuka knows about the dark magic in the jewelry, and even more scared to think of what happens if she had a dark magic witch. Until we know for sure if she knows about the dark magic or if she has a dark magic witch, we have a believable cover story. We’re safe for the time being. All of us.” I told him.

He nodded.

“Okay, but if our cover as simple farmers is blown, then what?” Robert asked, starting to panic.

I put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. I looked him in the eye.

“Listen, if we’re smart, we’ll stay safe. All we have to do is keep our heads down and not draw attention to ourselves. Remember the cover story and stick with it. We’ll be fine.” I said.

Robert nodded.

“But Redmond, just know that if things hit the fan, I’ll do what’s best for the group. Even if it means killing anyone who stands between us and survival.” Robert said with a grin, the candle light glinted in his eye.

I grinned at him.

“I know you will. I’m going to bed. Good night.” I said, walking off to an unoccupied room.

“Good night.” Robert said.

I opened the door, looked in and found no one inside. There was a large bed in the far corner. It had big, cushy blankets and pillows and the sheets were white. It was suspended off the floor with a mahogany bedframe. The floor was white marble and there was a mirror across from the bed held in an oak frame. There was a bathroom to my right and past the bed on the far side of the room was a balcony that looked out onto a huge, green forest. It was now dusk outside. I walked over the bed, ready to lay down on it when I noticed something; a red rose was sitting on the pillow. What was with all the roses? Did Queen Yuka adore roses enough to put them in her gardens as well as all throughout the castle? I picked the rose up and put it on the nightstand. I crawled under the blankets and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

***

Chapter Thirty Three The Servants:

Monday June 28th 1690

I awoke to sunlight streaming in through my window. I saw my weapons laying at the foot of the bed. From here I could see a note written on a piece of paper resting on top of them. I read it.

Here are your weapons. Try anything and you will die before you harm anyone.

Wow. Short, sweet and to the point. I was about to go back to sleep. Turning on my side, I saw a person standing across the room! Giving a slight cry of fear, I stared at the man.

“What the- who are you?” I asked in surprise.

The person was a male, he didn’t look much older than me, so he was about sixteen or seventeen. He was dressed a formal black and white tuxedo complete with white gloves and a bowtie. In his tuxedo pocket was a red rose. He had short orange hair and pale, freckled skin. He had hazel eyes and he was a little shorter than me, standing at around 5’10” and had a thin build, it didn’t look like he had much muscle. He carried himself in a self-respected, sophisticated manor. He had one hand behind his back and one hand over his heart. He bowed from his waist.

“Hello sir Redmond. My name is Lawrence. I have been assigned by Queen Yuka to be your personal servant during your time here at the castle.” Lawrence told me, even his tone was formal.

Oh, this guy was my servant.

“Hi, Lawrence. You can stop bowing now.” I said.

Lawrence stood back up, adjusting his tuxedo and straightening his gloves.

“Of course. Very good sir.” Lawrence said, his tone still formal.

My stomach grumbled quietly, but Lawrence heard it.

“All of your friends are downstairs in the dining hall, would you care to join them, sir?” Lawrence asked.

I nodded and grinned.

“Yes, can you take me there?” I asked.

“But of course.” Lawrence announced, opening the door, stepping out and holding it open for me.

I walked out and he shut the door behind me.

“Right this way.” Lawrence said, walking towards the two staircases.

I followed him. When we reached the staircase, we descended and found ourselves in the grand entryway of the castle. I passed all of the roses and rose paintings, the roses’ scent filled the air. I was going to ask Lawrence about the roses, but I was too hungry to care right now. My stomach grumbled again. Lawrence led me in between the staircases and turned left, entering another hallway with a door on the end. On either side of the hallway, there were roses on pedestals. We came to the door at the end and Lawrence held it open for me.

“After you, sir.” He said, gesturing inside.

I nodded to him and walked through the door. I saw all of my friends sitting at a grand wooden table that was probably about thirty feet long and five feet wide. Everyone was eating and talking and laughing. Each of the others had their own butler standing behind them. The boys of the group had male servants, the girls of the group had female servants. The male servants all worse the same black and white tuxedo with the rose in the pocket that Lawrence wore, the girls wore dresses of different colors. The dresses weren’t elegant, but they were fancy. The others looked like they were having a great time. On the table was a wide variety of foods. There were vegetables, breads, cheeses, fruits and goblets of water. I walked over and joined my friends, sitting next to Robert and Don. Down the table a bit was Macalister, eating his bread. Don gave me a huge grin.

“We’re being treated like royalty! Can you believe it?” Don exclaimed.

I grinned in return.

“Not really, no.” I said.

Robert put a hand on my shoulder and a hand on Don’s. He pulled us close so he could whisper in our ears.

“Don’t get too comfortable. Remember the risk we took by giving Queen Yuka the jewelry? Remember how we lied to her? All of this could go up in smoke if we’re not careful, so stay sharp. I had the same talk with Macalister earlier, so he knows the risk we are putting ourselves at.” He told us.

I nodded. He made sense. One small slip up and we could all be executed. My stomach growled, my hunger took away the fear of being caught. I turned my attention to my plate to find that Lawrence had already put food on it while Robert spoke to Don and I. Robert spoke low enough so Lawrence couldn’t overhear, which was good. The plate consisted of apples, carrots, cucumber, celery, pears, bread and a small selection of cheese. There was no meat, but it was breakfast. Meat would come later at lunch and dinner.

“Thanks, Lawrence.” I said.

He gave a silent nod. I ate some carrots and celery. When I was finished with them, I moved onto the cucumber and pear. I ate some of the cheese with the vegetables. I could tell that it was old cheese, it had a slightly sour but sweet taste to it. I ate more of the cheese, this time eating some bread along with it.

“So, Redmond. What’s your servant’s name?” Don asked.

“My name is Lawrence.” Lawrence said.

Don’s servant stepped forward. He was a male who looked about fifteen. He had much the same build as Lawrence. He had brown eyes and shoulder length brown hair. His skin tone was light. I also noticed that he wore a silver ring on his middle finger on his right hand.

“I am Milton.” He said in a formal tone.

Robert’s servant also came forward. He was a boy who looked about seventeen. He had blond hair that came down to his neck and caramel colored eyes. He too had a thin, non-muscular build. He had a red handkerchief in his tuxedo shirt pocket.

“My name is Xavier. Nice to meet you all.” Robert’s servant said with a bow.

Macalister’s servant walked over. He had short black hair, hazel eyes, a thin build and he looked about sixteen. I noticed a gold pocket watch on a chain partially exposed in his pocket.

“I am Graham. Enjoy your meal, everyone.” Macalister’s servant said.

Ceberus’s servant stepped up. He had long light brown hair and light grey eyes. He had a slim build and looked about Ceberus’s age, give or take a year. I noticed that the man had a wedding ring on.

“My name is Wolfe. Good day.” Ceberus’s servant said with a slight wave of his hand.

William’s servant was next, he had very short hair that was turning grey and faded blue eyes. He was about William’s age, but the guy had wrinkles on his face as well as a small grey mustache. He also had the slim build that all the servants seemed to have. I saw an odd thing in his tuxedo shirt pocket. It was an ace of spades playing card. Why would he have that?

“Reginald.” Willaim’s servant said.

Raymond’s servant stepped forward. He was a boy who looked to be about seventeen. He had hazel eyes, auburn hair that was down to his ears and of course, a thin build. In his pants pocket was a small flask of what I assumed to be alchohol.

“My name is Victor.” He said.

Francella’s servant introduced himself. He had shoulder length black hair, pale gold eyes, a thin build and he looked about sixteen. In his shirt pocket was a small white dove feather.

“My name is Preston. Hello all.” He said.

Next, Walden’s servant walked out into view. He had pale green eyes and short, very dark orange hair. He looked to be about fifteen. Like all the servants, he had a slim build. He was also wearing a black top hat with white trim.

“My name is Percival.” He said.

All of the boy’s servants had some unique belonging with them. Did the girl’s servants have any unique belongings?

I looked up to see Martha’s servant step forward. She was about Martha’s age. She had shoulder length hair that was going grey and she had bright hazel eyes. She didn’t have as slim a build as the boys did, but she was still thin. She wore a red dress with black trim. She also had a small ruby necklace around her neck.

“My name is Merrietta.” She said with a smile.

Stella’s servant stepped forward. She looked about seventeen. She had short, cream colored hair that came down to the base of her neck and dark cerulean eyes. She had the familiar slim build. She also had a white ribbon tied in her hair on the right side. She wore a dark blue dress with black trim.

“I am Juliet.” Stella’s servant said.

Erin’s servant had short, well combed chocolate brown hair, light blue eyes, a slim build and she looked about seventeen. She had a cross that hung from a chain on her neck that was dull silver in color. She wore a blue dress with pink trim.

“My name is Jane.” Erin’s Servant said with touching her cross.

Finally, Tabatha’s servant stepped forward. She had short light brown hair, beige eyes and a slim build. She looked about seventeen and she had a pair of earrings that held one small sapphire each. She also wore a black dress with white trim.

“My name is Nattallie. Pleased to meet you all.” She said with a bow.

All of the girls did have their own unique belongings. I wonder what all of these possessions meant to all of them? All of the servants stepped back behind who they were assigned to. I leaned over to Lawrence, who was behind me.

“Why does everyone have something unique with them?” I asked.

Lawrence looked around at the other servants.

“Ah, yes. You see, a few years ago Queen Yuka sent her men to my home village of Riverguard. They abducted people, tore them away from their families to bring them here to work as servants. All the servants in this room are from Riverguard as well. They were allowed to take one thing from home, so long as it was not a weapon. Everyone’s item is different. I have my father’s white gloves, for example.” Lawrence said, holding up his hands.

“Queen Yuka took people away from their families… Just so they could act as servants? That’s horrible!” I said in a strained whisper.

Lawrence just closed his eyes and nodded. I turned away from Lawrence. When I turned around, I saw Tabatha levitating her bread with her finger. After making it levitate through the air briefly, she brought it to her mouth and ate it.

“Tabatha, you shouldn’t play with you food.” Don playfully scolded.

Tabatha looked like she wanted to say something, but she probably didn’t want to ruin the mood. She just kept silent and ate her bread.

“How was the food, sir?” Lawrence asked, breaking the silence.

“It was great, thanks.” I told him.

I looked to my friends and saw that they were all just finishing up their food.

“Is there dessert?” Macalister asked.

Graham chuckled.

“Certainly sir. I shall return momentarily.” He said while looking at his pocket watch.

He then walked off, heading for a door near the rear of the room. When he opened the door I saw chefs and other kitchen personnel running from place to place, preparing food. Graham returned pushing a cart loaded with desserts, sporting a grin and flipping his black hair. He parked the cart right beside the table and returned to his place behind Macalister just as multiple other males wearing the same black and white tuxedo with the rose in the pocket exited the kitchen wheeling carts loaded with sweets. They all parked them around the table. Macalister’s eyes widened at the sight of the dessert and he grabbed a few small cakes and pastries in his hands, putting them on his plate and quickly eating them.

“Thanks, Graham.” I told him.

“Yeah, thanks!” Walden exclaimed.

Everyone else was too busy eating to do anything else. I grabbed some pastries that had icing on top and put them on my plate. I ate them one by one, enjoying the sweet, sugary taste.

“These are so good!” Stella said, wiping a spot of white icing from her lower lip.

“Yes, they are quite delectable.” Erin said with a smile, neatly eating her pastry.

I looked over to Macalister to see his plate littered with crumbs and his mouth coated in icing. He was still chewing.

“Macalister.” Robert said to get his attention.

Macalister grunted and looked his way.

“Wipe your face.” Robert said with a grin.

Macalister took his napkin and wiped it across his mouth.

“There you go!” Don sarcastically praised.

Macalister growled.

“Poke the bear and ya get eaten pal.” Walden chuckled.

The girls giggled along with Walden. Macalister grinned at Don.

“What’re you smiling about?” Don snapped at him.

Macalister’s grin fell from his face and he grabbed a few more pastries from the cart. He began to eat them quickly. There was an uncertain silence. We couldn’t discuss our worries about Queen Yuka or about what to do next with the servants around.

“Did everyone get their weapons back?” Robert asked.

Everyone nodded.

“A guard told me that we may possess them as long as we don’t use them inside the castle, although he said that we were free to go outdoors on castle grounds and practice.” Raymond said.

“I think I may practice my combat skills, they do need sharpening.” Erin said.

“I’ll second that.” Stella mumbled.

“What was that?” Erin snapped.

“Nothing, I was just saying that your combat skills could use some work.” Stella explained.

Tabatha tapped them both on the shoulders. They turned to face her and saw that she had a grin on her face.

“Both your combat skills need work.” She teased.

“You may be a better fighter, but I’m so prettier than you.” Stella said with an arched eyebrow.

Tabatha’s mouth dropped open in surprise. She shut her mouth and pulled both Stella and Erin close, so that all three of their heads were only a centimeter or so apart. Tabatha looked at Don, so did Stella and Erin.

“Don, who do you think is prettier?” Tabatha asked him.

Woah. That was a little forward, even for Tabatha. I looked to see Don’s face starting to go red.

“I’m not getting in the middle of this one!” Don said in surprise.

Stella frowned.

“Oh, come on! Just tell us.” Stella said.

“Stella, he really doesn’t have to…” Erin said.

“Come on, Don. Who is it? Who’s prettier?” Tabatha asked with a smirk.

Just then, Milton walked up behind Don, leaned down and whispered something in his ear. Don whipped around, gave him a funny look and turned back around to face Stella, Erin and Tabatha.

“Girls, you’re making him blush. He’s embarrassed.” Erin protested.

Tabatha’s smirk faded.

“Alright, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” She said, letting go of Erin and Stella.

I could almost hear Don sigh with relief. He went back to eating his pastries, so did the girls. There was a silence as we all ate our dessert. Occasionally one of the other servants would walk up behind who they were assigned to and whisper something in their ear. The person would either shake their head or nod silently. After a few more minutes we were all stuffed and we stopped eating.

“All finished?” Percival asked.

We all gave nods while holding our stomachs. Percival grinned, adjusting his top hat.

“Very good.” He said as he went around the table collecting the plates.

When he was done collecting the plates, he disappeared into the kitchen. I sat back in my chair, absolutely stuffed.

Chapter Thirty Four Training Day:

Monday June 28th 1690

“Are you enjoying your stay at the castle so far?” Lawrence asked.

I grinned and nodded. I looked at the table. Other servants had entered while I was looking at Lawrence and they were clearing the table.

“Would you like to take a walk? I would be most happy to escort you anywhere you desire. Within my ability of course.” Lawrence said.

I thought back to what Raymond said about being allowed to train on the castle grounds. I figured that there could be no harm in practicing my combat skills.

“Yes please. Can I go back to my room and get my weapons? I’d like to practice my fighting skills outside.” I said.

Lawrence bowed at the waist.

“Yes, sir. I will escort you to your room.” Lawrence said.

I stood up to walk out of the dining hall. As soon as I walked beside Lawrence, he started walking, too. As we exited the dining hall, I noticed the subtle scent of roses in the air left by… well, all of the freakin’ roses. I decided that it wasn’t worth asking about. We began climbing the staircase that lead to my room. I opened my door and Lawrence waited outside. I grabbed my knife with the inscription as well as my dagger. I didn’t take my flintlock because it would make too much noise. The last thing I wanted to do was draw unnecessary attention. When I had my two weapons, I put them in my pocket and walked to the door. I opened it and stepped through.

“Shall we go?” Lawrence asked me.

“Yes, I’m ready.” I told him.

Lawrence led me down the corridor that the rooms were in. Before we rounded the corner, I looked to him to say something, but slammed into someone coming around the corner at the same time as I did. We both fell to the ground. I saw an object topple to the ground from the person’s arms.

I looked up to see a girl who looked to be about fourteen. She had very dark, short black hair with a red rose pinned in it, light violet eyes and a pink dress with white trim the dress came down to her ankles. She was fairly thin, but not scrawny. Her facial features we smooth and delicate looking. She was blushing ever so slightly.

Recollecting my wits, I hastily stood up.

“I’m so sorry, miss!” I exclaimed, holding out my hand to help her up.

The girl looked on the ground for a second or two and her eyes fell on a book bound in worn, brown leather. She reached out and grabbed it. That must have been the object that fell from her arms when I bumped into her. Once the girl had her book, she reached out and took my hand. I pulled her to her feet with minimal effort.

“I’m sorry!” I exclaimed again.

The girl giggled, as if amused at my frantic apologies.

“It’s alright, don’t worry. Thanks for helping me up.” The girl said.

“It was uh… No problem. Are you okay?” I asked.

“Well, I think I have a little bruise, but I’m okay.” She said.

There was a brief silence. Before things got awkward, I decided to break it.

“I’m Redmond Bradford.” I said with an apologetic smile, holding out my hand to shake.

The girl smiled and took my hand, shaking it with a grip that was stronger than I would have thought.

“Estaire Yuka. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The girl said.

Something about the name seemed familiar. It took me a second or two to realize who I had just bumped into. My smile fell from my face.

“Is something wrong?” Estaire asked.

“You-you’re Queen Yuka’s daughter! I’m sorry I knocked you down!” I said frantically, fearing what Queen Yuka would do to me if she found out that I injured her daughter. I also feared what Estaire would do to me. If she took after her mother, it wouldn’t be anything good.

Estaire giggled once more.

“I told you, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you, and I won’t tell my mother. Calm down, okay?” Estaire said.

Wait, Queen Yuka’s daughter wasn’t evil?

“I abhor my mother’s sadistic and cruel nature. I don’t take after her in the slightest. You have nothing to fear from me.” Estaire said in a calming tone.

I exhaled in relief. At least I wasn’t going to die today.

“Lucky you, huh?” Estaire asked.

I laughed and nodded.

“Well, I suppose I should be going now. Since you have a servant, I assume you’ll be staying at the castle for a while?”

“I’m not sure for how long, but I’ll be staying.” I told her.

“Well, it seems that we’ll meet again. Until then, Redmond.” Estaire said, turning on her heel and walking down the adjacent corridor.

As she was leaving, my eye fell on her book.

“Estaire!” I called after her.

She turned around.

“What’s in that book?” I asked.

Estaire looked down at her book.

“Oh, it’s uh… It’s nothing.” Estaire stammered, turning around and walking the other way with the book hugged to her chest.

She disappeared around a corner just ahead of her. I turned to Lawrence.

“Do you know what’s in her book?” I asked, curious.

Lawrence shook his head.

“Not to sound mysterious, but no one does. She always keeps that book with her and I have never seen her share its contents with anyone.” Lawrence answered.

Queen Yuka’s daughter has a mysterious book and no one knows what’s in it. Could it be her diary?

“You are quite lucky that Estaire does not take after her mother in her ways. If she did, you would most likely be punished by now.” Lawrence said.

I laughed in relief.

“I know. Anyway, let’s get going. I have to train, remember?” I asked Lawrence.

“Of course. “He said as he walked ahead.

I matched his pace and we were once again walking side by side. We descended the staircase and exited the castle the way that we came in. The guards didn’t stop us.

“I know a perfect place for you to train.” Lawrence said as he led me through the garden.

I took note of all of the roses. There were a few other kinds of flowers, but it was mostly roses. Lawrence led me through the garden until we came to a bend. We followed the bend and came to a little circular clearing that was about ten feet across. The clearing was grass, a patch of green among all of the red and white roses.

“Well, this place looks nice, but how will it help me train? I don’t see any targets or anything set up here.” I told Lawrence.

Lawrence chuckled.

“There is no need for a target. I see that you have two weapons. I will be your opponent.” Lawrence said.

I shrugged, pulling out my dagger and handing it to him. He took it. I pulled out the knife with the inscription that I found in the ruins.

“Now, stand on the other side of the clearing.” Lawrence instructed as he moved to his edge of it.

I did as I was told.

“Just to be clear, we are not trying to kill each other. We are sparing. Nothing more. Each of us is to land a light touch on the other. That is the objective. Do you understand?” Lawrence asked.

I nodded.

“Good. Now, begin.” Lawrence said, immediately assuming a fighting stance.

Lawrence crouched down low, keeping his body turned away from me at an angle. He held the dagger in the hand that was closest to me. He slowly advanced. I did the same, mirroring him. When he was within range, Lawrence thrust his dagger at me. Not hard enough to impale me, but hard enough to give me a cut. I dodged it without breaking my fighting stance.

“Is that all you got?” I taunted.

Lawrence chuckled.

“Not by a longshot.” He said as he thrust his dagger forward, hitting my arm.

I yelped in pain and jumped back. Lawrence grinned.

“Be more careful.” He told me.

I thrust my knife at him. He struck with his dagger and our weapons hit each other with a metallic clang! I didn’t leave our weapons in contact for more than a second or two. I thrust forward, taking a step to break the defensive guard he had when our blades locked. To avoid being hit, Lawrence stepped backward but stumbled and fell on his butt. I walked over and stood over him, holding my knife over his throat. I gently pricked his throat with the knife, drawing a small dot of blood. Lawrence laughed.

“Well done, Redmond. I underestimated your strength.” Lawrence congratulated.

I grinned and offered him a hand. He took it and I pulled him to his feet.

“We’ll both need to see Tabatha after we’re done.” I said, examining my arm and his throat.

“Who is Tabatha?” Lawrence asked.

“She’s the witch that’s travelling with us.” I replied.

Lawrence nodded.

“I see.” He said.

“Well? You aren’t done yet are you?” I asked with a grin.

“Not a chance.” Lawrence said, returning the grin.

“Alright then, let’s go again.” I said, walking back to my end of the clearing.

Lawrence walked back to his and we both sized each other up. I began to walk towards Lawrence with my knees bent, ready to spring at him or out of the way at a moment’s notice. Lawrence bent down, holding the dagger up at his chest, ready to attack or defend. When I was within distance, Lawrence lashed out at me. I stepped back quickly and let him follow through with his missed swing. While he was still recovering, I stabbed at him lightly. He stepped backwards as well and brought the dagger back to his chest. He came at me with a thrust. I blocked his thrust with my own. Our blades collided with a loud clang! I pulled back before Lawrence could do what I did last time. Thankfully I did, because he tried it and he wasn’t expecting that I’d move so soon. He stumble forwards and landed on his chest. He scrambled to get up but I pinned him down by placing my foot on his lower back. I touched my knife to his back.

“You win again, sir. Nicely done.” Lawrence congratulated.

I took my foot off his back and he got up.

“I think that I am done sparing for now. You are very good with that knife.” Lawrence said, wiping my blood off of his dagger and handing it back to me.

I wiped his blood off of my knife and took the dagger back, putting my knife and dagger back in my pocket.

“I’m done too.” I said.

“Well then. Shall we go and see your witch?” Lawrence asked.

“Let’s go.” I said.

Lawrence and I went back into the castle to find Tabatha’s room. We entered through the castle’s entrance and walked across the big entry room to the staircase. We ascended it and passed where I bumped into Estaire. We came to the section of the castle where our rooms were. I walked up to the room I saw Tabatha go into last night and knocked. I heard footsteps coming to the door on the other side. The door opened, revealing Nattallie, Tabatha’s servant.

“May I help you?” She asked, her beige eyes flashed with curiosity.

“Yes, we’re here to see Tabatha.” I said.

Nattallie nodded, closed the door and walked back into the room.

“Miss Crawforde, you have visitors.” Nattallie said to Tabatha on the other side of the door.

“Okay. Thanks Nattallie.” Tabatha said.

She walked to the door and opened it. Her brow furrowed.

“Oh, hi Redmond. Do you need something?” She asked.

“You sound disappointed, Tabatha. Expecting someone else?” I asked with a grin.

Tabatha gave me a slug on the arm.

“Shut up. Now, did you need something, or are you just here to harass a witch? That’s a big mistake, by the way.” Tabatha said with a grin.

I rubbed my sore arm.

“No, no. You see, Lawrence and I were sparing and… well… we need to be healed.” I said.

Tabatha then caught sight of the blood on our clothes.

“Oh! Well, okay. Come in.” Tabatha said, stepping aside to let us in.

We entered her room. It looked much like mine. I noticed that there were a set of witch clothes on her dresser. There was a hat and a dress with a skirt that was black with green trim, and there was a pair of black boots. Her staff leaned against the clothes. Didn’t she leave her witch clothes behind at the bunkhouse in Riverguard?

“Courtesy of Queen Yuka’s witches.” Tabatha explained.

She walked over and grabbed her staff.

“Alright you two, hold still.” She said.

She walked over to us and held her staff out in front of her.

“I’ve never tried healing two people at once, but I need to start somewhere. Here goes nothing.” Tabatha said with a grin.

Lawrence looked a little scared. Maybe he never saw a witch in action before.

“Healing Gaze!” Tabatha cried.

Warm green light enveloped Lawrence and I. I felt my wounds stitching back together. It was a strange, tickling feeling. After a few seconds, the warm green light receded back into Tabatha’s staff.

“No matter how many times I see a witch’s magic in use, it never fails to amaze me.” Nattallie said in awe.

Tabatha chuckled.

“With me around, you’ll see plenty of magic Nattallie.” Tabatha said.

Nattallie grinned.

“Thanks for healing us, Tabatha.” I said.

“Hey, no problem.” Tabatha said.

She then strode across the room and grabbed me by my shirt collar. Her rich brown eyes turned serious. She met my gaze.

“Hey!” I protested.

Tabatha was stronger than she looked.

“And remember, don’t say anything to Don about our little conversation. Okay?” Tabatha asked.

I nodded slowly.

“Okay, okay, you got it Tabatha.” I said.

She let go of me. I rubbed my neck where the collar had restricted my breathing. I saw Nattallie giggling.

“Come now, sir.” Lawrence said, ushering me out of the room.

I went with him. He shut the door behind us when we were in the hallway.

“What is she to you, sir?” Lawrence asked.

I laughed. How do I describe the relationship between Tabatha and I?

“Um… She’s my friend. She comes on as hostile at first, but when you get to know her, she lightens up. She’s a good person.” I explained.

Lawrence laughed.

“I could tell. Anyhow, what do you want to do?” Lawrence asked.

I thought about it. What else was there to do?

“Anything you want to know, anything you want to do, just tell me. I will do my best to be of service to you.” Lawrence told me.

I nodded, thinking of one thing I did want to ask him.

“Lawrence, there is one thing I want to know.” I said.

“What is it?” He asked.

“Do you know what types of witches and warlocks Queen Yuka has?” I asked.

Lawrence nodded.

“Sadly, no. Why do you ask, sir?” He asked.

“I’m just curious is all.” I lied.

I really wanted to learn if Queen Yuka had a dark magic witch or warlock on her side. I also wanted to know what we would be up against if our cover was blown.

“Well, you could ask her yourself if you really wanted to know. Other than her, you could ask members of her court. Perhaps they would know?” Lawrence asked.

I shook my head.

“No, I’m fine. Thanks anyway.” I said.

“I would do it myself, but it is not my place to ask.” Lawrence explained.

So there was still a chance that Queen Yuka had a dark magic witch or warlock with her. Not good. Not good at all.

Chapter Thirty Five The Grand Tour:

Monday June 28th 1690

It was about three in the afternoon right now. Just as I was wondering what to do, Lawrence turned to me.

“Would you like me to give you a tour of the castle, sir?” He asked.

That could be good. It would give me an idea of the layout of the whole castle without me needing to snoop around.

“That’d be great, thanks Lawrence.” I said.

He smiled at me.

“Very well then. Follow me.” Lawrence said.

Lawrence led me down the hallway that our rooms as well as a few other unoccupied rooms were located.

“This is the residential wing, where lower class visitors stay. It’s on the East side of the castle.” Lawrence explained.

I nodded. It was kind of obvious where this was, but I figured it was part of the tour. We came to the twin staircases that led up from the doorway. The huge room smelled of roses, like pretty much every room in the castle.

“This is the grand entryway.” Lawrence said with his arms spread out, gesturing to the whole room.

“Impressive.” I remarked.

“Indeed.” Lawrence said.

He led me across the walkway that the two staircases met at. We walked down that hallway.

“This is the West side of the castle. This is another residential wing, however it is reserved for upper class visitors.” Lawrence explained.

I noticed that there were fancy paintings on the walls here as well as roses on pedestals. I looked around the hallway for a little longer, then Lawrence walked downstairs. I followed. We walked across the grand entryway’s marble flooring and went to the hallway that led to the throne room. There were many doors on either side of us that lined the hallway. There were roses on pedestals between them, just like before. Lawrence turned left and entered the closest door. Inside I heard the clatter of metal pans, people shouting and the hiss! Of sizzling food.

“This is the Queen’s personal kitchen. Open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. For the Queen, of course.” Lawrence said.

He quickly led me back out into the hallway so as not to disturb the cooks. We went to the door across the hall. I heard the sound of metal hitting metal. The room was about fifteen square feet. There was a huge skylight open high above. All around me I saw men working away at forges and anvils. They were blacksmiths. Their forges spewed black and grey smoke that floated up and out of the room through the open skylight.

“This is the blacksmith room. These men manufacture weapons for the Queen’s army. They each have a weekly quota to meet. If there is a surplus of their products, we ship them throughout Alcingeria for extra profit.” Lawrence explained.

“What if the weekly quota is not met?” I asked.

Lawrence was silent for a moment.

“Whoever does not meet the weekly quota… Is executed.” Lawrence said grimly.

“What?! On what charges?” I asked, surprised and scared by his answer.

Lawrence shook his head.

“No charges. If Queen Yuka says that someone is to be executed, they will be executed. No questions asked.” Lawrence said, even more grimly than before.

I looked at all the men. Upon closer examination, I saw that not all of them were men. There were boys here. Some no older than fourteen.

“Why are there people so young working here?” I asked Lawrence.

“You see, if someone breaks Queen Yuka’s laws, they would normally be executed on the spot. However if she believes that they show promise in one skill or another, she sentences them to a life of hard labor in that line of work.” Lawrence said.

“Do they get paid?” I asked.

“Their payment is the fact that they get to live to see tomorrow.” Lawrence said.

“I want out of here.” I said, feeling sick to my stomach.

“I understand, sir.” Lawrence told me, putting a hand on my shoulder and leading me out of the room.

We were now out in the hallway.

“How can she do something like that? That’s… That’s… Inhumane!” I exclaimed.

Lawrence put a finger to his lips.

“Quiet sir! Someone will hear you!” He cautioned, looked around.

Thankfully there was no one else in the corridor with us. Lawrence led me to the second door on the left hand side. I saw people sparing with each other using mock staves, I saw weapons on racks, and there were archery targets set up. There was a guard by the door, probably so that no one would take weapons from here.

“This is the training room.” Lawrence said.

“Why didn’t we just come here when we were sparing?” I asked.

Lawrence shrugged.

“It is quieter outside. Plus, it smells of roses. I have grown quite fond of that scent during my time here.” Lawrence said with a small smile.

I looked around the room, taking note of its place in the corridor so I could come back here sometime. Lawrence led me back out into the hall and shut the door to the training room. He led me to the second door on the right side of the corridor. He opened it and I saw plenty of weapons. They were all on racks. There were several guards watching the door and guarding the racks. They glared at us for a second as we came in, but they were laid at ease seeing Lawrence there.

“What’s a servant like you doing in here?” Asked a guard.

“I am giving a tour of the castle.” Lawrence explained.

“Very well.” The guard replied.

Lawrence cleared his throat.

“This is the weapon storeroom. This is where the weapons manufactured by the blacksmiths go.” Lawrence explained.

He let me looked around for a few seconds. There were swords, maces, battleaxes, halberds, shields and all other kinds of things you would need if you went to war. Lawrence led me out into the hallway again. He shut the door of the weapon storeroom.

“The rest of the rooms in this hallway are being repurposed ad are unfortunately closed. However there is one more room I would like to show you.” Lawrence said, leading me back in between the two staircases.

Beneath each staircase was a hallway with a door at the end. To the left was the dining hall, to the right was another door. Lawrence led me down the right hallway and opened the door at the end. Inside I saw elegant streamers on the walls. There were tables that were bare at the moment all around the room. Each table had a few chairs. The walls and floor were made of flawless white marble. The walls had intricate archways as decorations. There were stained glass windows that had very complex designs. They were all sorts of colors, too. Golden chandeliers with dozens of candles on them hung from the ceiling, illuminating the large space. The walls above were lined with many balconies that ran almost up until they touches the high ceiling. I imagined they were for spectators who wanted to watch the scene from above. The place looked pretty fancy.

“Last but not least is the ballroom. Queen Yuka hosts balls here whenever the occasion arises. The guests vary, depending on the occasion.” Lawrence told me.

“Pretty fancy.” I remarked.

“Yes, quite. That is the idea, no?” Lawrence asked.

“I guess, but then again I wouldn’t really know. I’ve never been to one of these things before.” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

“What? You have never been to a ball?” Lawrence exclaimed with wide eyes.

“Look, I didn’t exactly have noble upbringings.” I told him, sort of irritated at his tone.

He sounded like a snooty rich kid.

“Oh, my apologies sir.” Lawrence said.

Just then, we heard the sound of loud footsteps coming from the entryway just outside of the ballroom.

“Let me go!” Shouted a man.

I turned to Lawrence with a questioning look. He just shrugged and walked to the door of the ballroom, opening it and peeking out. I walked up behind him and did the same. I saw four guards who had the black tunics on. They all had swords in scabbards at their hips. The black tunics had red lettering stitched to the front; ‘Vulrock Law Enforcement’. Two of the law enforcement officers had a man’s arms. The man’s hands were also tied behind his back with rope. The other two guards stood back with their hands on their swords in case the guy broke free. The guy didn’t look very strong. He had blond hair and brown eyes and he was about my height. He looked to be about thirty.

“Let me go!” The man pleaded again, struggling against the guards.

The guard who had his left arm gripped it very tightly and pulled him close.

“You have been found aiding and abetting the Vampire Mafia here in Valgate. Now, if you’re co-operative, we can apprehend the members of the Valgate mafia, vampire or not. If you aren’t, Queen Yuka will have you executed on the spot.” The guard seethed.

The man struggled against the guards, but they held firm.

“You don’t understand! Even if I do help you and you leave me alive and release me back into the city, I’ll be lynched by someone else with mafia connections!” The man exclaimed.

The guard on his left chuckled.

“You’ve gotten yourself into quite the predicament.” He said.

The man said nothing. He just struggled against the guards in an angry frenzy.

“Well, I suppose this ends the grand tour.” Lawrence remarked.

The grand tour had indeed come to an end. Things just got serious.

Chapter Thirty Six Florence Escar:

Monday June 28th 1690

Lawrence and I watched as the law enforcement officers dragged the man towards the hallway that led to Queen Yuka’s thrown room. I made a snap decision. Curious, I crept out of the ballroom after the guards passed the door.

“Sir! What are you doing!?” Lawrence said in a strained whisper.

I gave no explanation. They opened the door that led into the hallway and I slipped inside right as it shut, leaving the door between Lawrence and I. I silently crept along the side of the hallway. If those guards turned around, I’d be a dead man. I stayed quiet. Thankfully, the guards were so focused on subduing the man’s struggles that they didn’t notice me. They reached the door on the end of the hall. The door that led to Queen Yuka’s throne room. They opened it and pushed the man through, following him. I stayed behind one of the guards so that Queen Yuka or anyone else in the room wouldn’t be able to see me. I moved to the side of the hallway right as the throne room doors shut. I was now able to listen in on the conversation without being seen.

“Bow, you rat!” One of the guards said roughly.

“Your majesty, this man has been convicted of aiding and abetting the Vampire Mafia in Valgate.” One of the other guards said.

There was a brief silence as Queen Yuka took this in.

“The Vampire Mafia? We have been working to apprehend them for nearly a week.” Queen Yuka stated.

“Indeed, your majesty. With the knowledge that this man possesses, we will be able to apprehend and execute the Vampire Mafia of Valgate.” One of the guards said.

“Boy, what is your name?” Queen Yuka asked.

“Florence. Florence Escar.” The man said quickly.

Queen Yuka chuckled quietly.

“Florence. I will put forth a proposition. You may retain the information at the cost of your own life, or you can share it with us and you will be allowed to live.” Queen Yuka said.

“Y-your majesty, you don’t understand!” Florence protested.

“I don’t understand what exactly?” She asked.

“If I tell you who I know is in the mafia and you allow me to live and return me to the city, I’ll be lynched by someone who I don’t know is with the mafia! I’ve been told that countless human civilians here in Valgate have mafia connections, I’ve been told countless vampires across Vulrock have mafia connections, and I’ve even met some of the members of the mafia here in Valgate. I was never told the identities of the highly ranked mafia members!” Florence said.

“Mister Escar, I’m afraid that it is your problem. Now, tell me all you know of the Vampire Mafia and I’ll let you live.” Queen Yuka persisted.

“You don’t understand! I’ll die either way!” Florence protested.

“You are in quite the predicament, Mister Escar. Now, what do you choose?” Queen Yuka asked.

There was a moment of silence as Florence weighed his options.

“I’ll tell you nothing.” He said.

Queen Yuka just laughed.

“Very well then, Mister Escar. Although you are only prolonging the inevitable. We will find out who is in the Vampire Mafia. We will unearth every mafia root in this city, and soon in the rest of Vulrock.” Queen Yuka said.

Florence said nothing. Queen Yuka snapped.

“Guards, kill this man!” Queen Yuka ordered.

I heard the metallic shing! Of a sword being drawn from its sheath. I heard slow footsteps, probably belonging to the executioner. A few more seconds passed by. With each passing moment, I anticipated a horrific squelch! Indicating the beheading of Florence Escar. Another second passed by…

“Wait! I’ll tell you!” Florence said in a panic.

Queen Yuka chuckled with satisfaction.

“Now then. That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Queen Yuka asked.

Florence was silent.

“Guards, take this man to the interrogation room. If he attempts to escape, kill him.” Queen Yuka ordered.

I heard the guard sheath his sword. I could hear Florence being dragged to his feet. The conversation was now over. It was time for me to scram. I ran back to the door I came in from, opened it, stepped through and shut it as quietly as possible. I ran back to the ballroom where Lawrence was waiting for me. I shut the door as I stepped through, leaning on it and sighing in relief. His hazel eyes brightened in surprise when he saw me.

“Sir! What happened? I thought that you were captured!” Lawrence exclaimed.

“The man’s being taken to an interrogation room. He knows some people who are in the Vampire Mafia, and Queen Yuka wants to know who those people are.” I explained.

“Did he say anything while he was in the throne room?” Lawrence asked.

I shook my head.

“Nothing that you didn’t already hear when he was in the entryway.” I told him.

“Did anyone see you?” He asked.

I shook my head.

“No, I snuck in. No one saw me.” I told him.

“Good. Queen Yuka does not take kindly to spies. Unless they are hers.” Lawrence said.

Hearing the word ‘spies’ made me think of Ceberus and William. I made a note to tell Robert and the others about Florence Escar.

“Sir, would you like to go to your room?” Lawrence asked.

It wasn’t late yet. It was probably only five in the evening. There was nothing else to do, so I nodded.

“Yes, please.” I said.

Lawrence led me out of the ballroom and back up the staircase to the East of the castle. I found my room without a problem. Just as I was about to open the door, I heard a door shut down the hall. I turned to see Robert walking down the hallway.

“Oh, Robert. Can I have a word with you?” I asked.

Robert looked puzzled, but nodded.

“Yes, what is it?” He asked.

I walked over to him.

“Robert, Queen Yuka’s guards just brought a guy in. His name was Florence Escar. The guards said that he was aiding and abetting the Vampire Mafia here in Valgate. Queen Yuka ordered the guards to interrogate him. She wants to find out who is in the Vampire Mafia here in Valgate, and soon in the rest of Vulrock.” I explained.

Robert took this in. He frowned.

“Alright. That’s hardly anything out of the ordinary. A criminal network has surfaced throughout Vulrock and Queen Yuka wants to expose them. She’d do it to any other criminal organization. Thank you for telling me, though. I’ll tell the others.” Robert said.

“Thanks, Robert.” I said.

“Any time, Redmond. Just keep your eyes out for anything strange. I’ve told the others to do the same. Stella’s talent should come in handy here.” Robert chuckled.

Stella’s talent was sneaking past people and listening in on conversations. The perfect talent for this job.

“Any sign of dark magic witches or warlocks?” I asked in a low voice.

Robert shook his head.

“No. I think that we may be in the clear. If Queen Yuka had a dark magic user in her court, she would have used it by now. If she did, there’d be chaos.” Robert said hopefully.

I started to get hopeful as well. If Queen Yuka didn’t have a dark magic user, everything was fine.

“Well, we’re in the clear except for one thing.” I said.

“What’s that?” Robert asked.

“We’ll all be killed if Queen Yuka finds out who we really are.” I said in a voice low enough for Lawrence not to hear.

Robert nodded.

“Just stay sharp and stick to the cover story. We’ll be fine.” Robert assured me.

“Alright, you’re right. It’ll all be fine. I’m going to my room now.” I said.

I turned off to go back to my room.

“I will see you in the morning, sir.” Lawrence said.

I nodded to him and entered my room, shutting the door behind me. I sat down on the bed, putting my dagger and my knife on the bedside table.

“What a day.” I said out loud.

I wondered what was happening with Florence Escar. Was he still alive? Thoughts of him brought on thoughts of the Vampire Mafia. I wondered who they were, what they wanted. It was all kind of confusing. We were here at first to get a reward for delivering jewelry to Queen Yuka. We were sort of forced to, but we got the reward. Then our job was to see if Queen Yuka had a dark magic user or even knew about the dark magic within the jewelry. That job looked to be just about over. Now what? There was the matter of not letting my cover slip, but I have that under control. Aside from that, I suppose I should just enjoy the good treatment my friends and I got here. Since we arrived at the castle, I didn’t see much of them. What were they all doing? I made a note to check in on the others tomorrow. I decided to get some sleep. After all, the bed was pretty comfortable. It was warm in here, too. I sat back, closed my eyes and got comfortable.

***

Chapter Thirty Seven Preparations:

Tuesday June 29th 1690

I woke up to the sound of clinking metal. I looked to where the sound was coming from and saw Lawrence standing behind a little trolley loaded with tea and biscuits. He had a cup of tea in his hand and was stirring it with a little metal spoon.

“Would you like some tea, sir?” Lawrence asked.

I grinned. Lawrence was the greatest.

“That’d be great, thanks Lawrence.” I said.

Lawrence handed me the tea. It was still warm. I raised the cup to my lips and sipped the warm herbal tea. I took a few more sips.

“You must have been comfortable. You slept on top of the blankets.” Lawrence remarked.

I nodded.

“Yes, the bed here’s very comfortable.” I said.

“Do you like your tea?” Lawrence asked.

I nodded, taking another sip of the tea.

“Yes, it’s great. What kind is it?” I asked.

“It is green tea made from fresh herbs. Coincidentally, it is Princess Estaire’s favorite.” Lawrence said.

I nodded. I liked the same tea as Princess Estaire. Cool.

“That reminds me. Estaire has informed me that preparations for her fifteenth birthday have begun. There will be a ball in two days and Princess Estaire has personally invited you. She also mentioned that you were allowed to bring your friends. Would you like to attend, sir?” Lawrence asked.

I grinned even wider. I was invited to Princess Estaire’s birthday ball. I was even allowed to bring the others!

“I’d certainly like to attend.” I said through my grin.

Lawrence bowed.

“Very well sir. I shall inform the servants that are assigned to your friends that they are permitted to go to the ball. They will get your friends proper attire. I shall do the same for you, sir.” Lawrence said.

“Thank you so much, Lawrence.” I said sincerily.

“It is my job to serve you as best I can.” Lawrence said humbly.

Lawrence walked out of the room. I decided to go to the dining hall and get something to eat. I walked out of my room and went down the stairs, passing through the main entryway. I reached the area between the two sets of stairs. I looked down to the ballroom and saw various people standing outside the ballroom, decorating the entrance with roses and red streamers. They were probably getting ready for Estaire’s birthday ball. I turned around and turned left to the dining hall. I walked through the door to see that Lawrence was already talking to the other servants. Man, this guy was good. As I sat down, I also noticed that Tabatha was back in her witch clothes. Her hat, tunic and skirt were black with green trim. The other servants walked away from Lawrence and whispered into their assignments’ ears. Stella clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes lit up with joy. I sat down at the table.

“Redmond! You got us invited to a ball! Thank you so much!” Stella said, barely able to contain her joy.

I chuckled.

“It wasn’t me, it was Princess Estaire. She invited me and she allowed me to take you all with me.” I said modestly.

“You managed to charm the Princess. Nicely done.” Ceberus said jokingly.

I scoffed.

“Please. I bumped into her and knocked her down. Plus she’s a little young for me.” I said with a laugh.

“Smooth.” Don shot back.

“I afterwards was a gentleman and helped her up.” I said, glaring at Don.

Don just grinned.

“Anyhow, thanks Redmond.” Francella said with a grin.

“Oh lord, what will I possibly wear?” Raymond asked in mock panic.

We all laughed heartily at his joke. The mood was significantly lighter than yesterday and the day before. Robert must have informed everyone that there was no longer any danger. Well, other than the fact that we could all be executed if Queen Yuka looked into who we were, but we were in her good will and chances were she wouldn’t.

“I wonder if I’ll get executed if I dump champagne on some snooty rich guy.” Tabatha said jokingly.

“That depends, will you use magic to do it?” Don asked.

“What do you think?” Tabatha said with a smirk.

Don just laughed.

“You’ll get executed either way, Tabatha.” Erin said with a smirk.

I laughed. It felt good to be with my friends after not speaking with them much for the last few days. I turned my attention to breakfast. While my friends were talking, Lawrence set me a plate loaded with cinnamon buns. There was also a large goblet of water in front of me.

“These cinnamon buns are delicious! You know, Martha doesn’t even make them as good as this.” William said with a grin.

“Well, I’ll certainly make a note of that for next time you ask for cinnamon buns.” Martha said, feigning offense.

I took a bite out of one of my cinnamon buns. William was right, these are delicious!

“Robert, what do you want to do today?” Macalister asked.

Robert thought for a moment.

“You know, I might go to the training room today.” He replied.

“Did Xavier give you the grand tour?” I asked him.

“He did. What about Lawrence? Did he give you the tour?” He asked.

I nodded.

“Nattallie gave me the grand tour, too.” Tabatha said.

“I think everyone’s had it.” Stella added.

Looking around the table, I noticed one person I haven’t heard speak in a few days.

“Where’s Walden?” I asked.

“Oh, he took a walk, well, fly in the garden early this morning.” Tabatha said.

I had the fleeting suspicion that Queen Yuka took him, but I batted it aside. After all, we were her guests here. Fairy or not, so was Walden.

“Oh, okay.” I said, still a little suspicious of Queen Yuka.

“Is something wrong, sir?” Lawrence asked.

I shook my head.

“It’s nothing.” I told him.

It went quiet as we all enjoyed our breakfast.

“Jane, can you get me more water, please?” Erin asked, handing her servant the empty goblet.

“Certainly.” Jane replied with a smile.

She took the goblet and went to the kitchen.

“What did you do last night, Redmond? I didn’t see you at all.” Don asked.

“Oh, Lawrence was giving me the tour. I went to bed shortly after. What’d you do?” I asked.

“I was in the guest lounge. I was playing cards with a warlock named Jesse. Pretty sure he was a dirty cheater.” Don said.

“A guest lounge?” I asked, intrigued.

“Didn’t Lawrence show you it on the tour? It’s great! It is new though, it was just finished yesterday.” Don said.

“Oh, dear me. That must have been in one of the rooms that was being repurposed. My apologies, sir. No one told me it was ready.” Lawrence said.

“It’s no trouble, Lawrence.” I told him kindly.

“Hey, I have an idea. Since we all haven’t seen much of each other lately, we could all go to the lounge together.” Erin suggested.

“That’s a great idea, Erin.” Robert said.

Just then, the doors to the dining hall opened. Walden and Percival waltzed in. Percival was sporting his top hat as usual.

“Hey fellas! What’d I miss?” Walden asked with a grin, taking a seat at the table.

I saw Martha, Ceberus and William slightly wilt in their seats.

“Oh, not much. We were all planning on going to the lounge after breakfast. Do you want to come?” Tabatha asked.

Walden laughed.

“The lounge? Yeah! Sounds like a nifty place.” Walden replied.

“Great! I’m interested in checking it out, too.” Tabatha said.

“It’s got cards, a bar, chess, checkers, arm wrestling and a few other games. There’s even live music!” Don said enthusiastically.

“Sounds neat.” Walden remarked.

Stella grinned.

“Does anyone want to play cards with me?” Stella asked.

Everyone groaned.

“Oh, why not? Is it because I kicked all of your butts last time?” Stella asked, still grinning.

Raymond laughed.

“That’s exactly why I don’t want to play.” He said.

“Well, that’s a shame.” Stella said.

I ate more of my cinnamon buns and took a swig from my water goblet.

“What kind of music does the lounge have, Don?” Macalister asked.

“Oh, they had a pianist when I was there, but there was a band with string instruments playing when I left.” Don replied.

“Sounds pretty cool.” Robert remarked.

I finished eating my cinnamon buns and downed my goblet of water. After a few more minutes, I saw that everyone else was finished eating, too.

“Alright, let’s go!” Stella said enthusiastically.

Chapter Thirty Eight The Lounge:

Tuesday June 29th 1690

We all stood up to leave for the lounge.

“Don, can you lead the way?” Robert asked.

“Sure. I can’t wait to show you guys the lounge. We’re treated like honored guests there. It’s almost like the staff are servants. All you need to do is ask for something and they’ll do their best to serve you.” Don replied as he took the lead.

I saw that Lawrence started to follow me.

“Lawrence, since I’m going to be at the lounge, your services won’t be needed seeing as the staff will be serving us. Plus, it’ll be a little crowded in there with us plus all of you servants. How about you take some time off?” I suggested.

Lawrence grinned.

“Thank you, sir.” He said, bowing low and walking away.

My friends looked to each other, then turned to their servants and gave them time off while we were at the lounge. As I started to fallow the others, I noticed Tabatha falling behind the group a little. I walked up to her.

“Hey, Tabatha. How are things going with you and Don?” I asked in a low voice.

She turned to face me, her brow furrowed.

“I don’t know! Boys are so confusing! I can’t tell if he likes me, I can’t even tell if he knows I like him!” Tabatha said in a frustrated, strained whisper.

I chuckled to ease her stress.

“Hey, don’t worry so much about it. Just don’t come on too strong. That’s almost never a good idea. Just play it slowly, let him know you’re not going to… I don’t know… Magically hurl a carrot at his head from forty feet away.” I said with a smirk.

Tabatha gave me a playful shove.

“Hey, come on! You know things were different back then.” Tabatha protested.

“Okay, okay I know.” I said with a small grin.

Tabatha brushed her burgundy hair out of her eyes.

“Redmond, I just want you to know that you’re a good friend. No one really cares about me quite like you do. Are you sure you don’t have feelings for me?” Tabatha teased.

I certainly didn’t have feelings for Tabatha! Regardless I could feel my face heating up. I was starting to blush.

“What? No! That’s crazy, Tabatha!” I objected.

Tabatha giggled.

“Your face says otherwise, lover boy!” Tabatha teased again.

“Hey! I just think of you as a friend, okay?” I asked, smiling despite my embarrassment.

“Okay, okay. I’m just teasing you.” Tabatha said with a grin.

“’Ey! What’re you two schoolgirls gabbin’ about?” Walden joined in.

I just shook my head.

“It’s nothing, Walden.” I said.

“Pal, you’re blushin’. Ya got the hots for the witch, don’t ya?” Walden asked.

I looked at him strangely and scoffed.

“No I don’t!” I protested.

Tabatha started giggling girlishly. Walden leaned in close and spoke in a whisper.

“It’s okay buddy, I don’t blame ya.” He said.

I just laughed him off.

“What? Somethin’ I said?” Walden asked.

Walden just shrugged and flew to the front of the group.

“Hey, we’re here!” Don announced.

We all started filing in through the door of the lounge. When I stepped through the door, I noticed a bar to my right, there were a few stools in front of it. Some of them were occupied. There were some tables behind the stools, a few of them had people sitting at them. To the left was a table with a card game going on. Across the room from the door was a dart board with wooden darts that had metal tips to be thrown onto the board for points. Beside the dart board about fifteen feet was a small stage with a band performing. They played string instruments. Their notes were mostly high pitched and sweet. There were a few lower notes that complemented the piece quite nicely. There were also a series of longer notes playing in the background. I’m not particular about my music, but I know a good tune when I hear one.

“Oh, and did I mention the best part?” Don asked us all.

“What’s that?” Francella asked.

“Everything here’s free.” Don said with a grin.

I looked around again, impressed by the setup.

“Donovan, my friend! Here for a rematch to our game?” A male voice called out to Don.

I turned to the voice. I saw a man who looked to be about sixteen. He had black hair and blue eyes like Don, but his eyes were darker, colder than Don’s. He carried himself with more confidence. He was a little bigger than Don, too.

“Fat chance, Jesse! I’m just showing my friends the lounge.” Don shot back.

Jesse chuckled.

“Very well. Another time then?” Jesse asked in a challenging tone.

“Are you going to use magic to win the game?” Don asked.

“Probably.” Came Jesse’s reply.

Tabatha perked up.

“You can use magic?” She asked, interested.

“Indeed I can. I’m a warlock, and judging by your getup I’d take it you’re a witch.” Jesse said.

Tabatha nodded.

“You got it.” She said with a smirk.

Jesse reached down to Tabatha’s right hand and took it in his own. I could see Tabatha stiffen.

“And you are?” Jesse asked, pecking her hand.

Tabatha quickly reached her left hand to the side, used her manipulation magic to grab a mug of ale off of a nearby table and she angled a fingertip towards Jesse’s head. Sure enough, the glass hit him square in the left side of the head. Pretty hard, too. Jesse let out a pained oof! And fell to the ground, clutching his head, the mug lay on the ground next to his head, still intact.

“Creep.” Tabatha muttered, looking down at him.

Jesse just clutched his head. He looked up to Tabatha sheepishly. Tabatha just scowled down at him. Jesse scurried away on his butt, standing up and running off, out of the lounge. No one noticed the little scene between Tabatha and Jesse, although he earned some strange looks as he dashed out of the lounge. I chuckled at Tabatha.

“Tabatha, that was hilarious!” I told her.

“He was a creep. He got what he deserved.” Tabatha said plainly.

Don just stood with wide eyes, staring at Tabatha. He soon regained his composure.

“Good shot, Tabatha.” He said with a grin.

“Thanks.” Tabatha replied.

I could tell she was a little nervous. I still had a little trouble gripping the fact that she liked Don.

“Congratulations, Tabatha! You’ve been in the lounge five minutes and a guy’s already hit on ya. Better step up your game, Redmond!” Walden joked.

I scowled at Walden.

“Come on Walden! Tabatha and I? Can you honestly see us together?” I asked.

Walden eyed us both.

“Ya know what? I can’t.” He said.

I exhaled in relief. At least Walden’s teasing was put to rest.

“Alright, let’s actually do something.” Stella suggested.

“Hey Redmond! Betcha can’t beat me at darts!” Walden challenged.

“You’re on!” I replied.

Walden flew over to the dart board and grabbed three darts for himself and three for me. I walked over and he handed me the darts.

“Alright pal. I usually start at a mutually agreed upon score and the goal is to reach zero, but I’ve also played versions where you start at zero and work your way up to a mutually agreed upon score. What’ll it be?” Walden asked.

“Let’s start at zero and work our way too… Five hundred?” I asked.

“Yeah, let’s do it.” Walden replied.

“I’ll go first.” I said.

I threw my first dart. It landed on double eight. I threw my second dart. It soared through the air and landed on six. I threw my third dart and it landed on one. That gave me twenty three points.

“Alright pal, my turn.” Walden told me, flying up to me.

I stepped aside and let him stand in the shooters’ spot. He picked up his dart, which was pretty big compared to him.

“Watch’n learn.” Walden taunted, throwing his first dart.

It landed on the bull’s eye.

“No way!” I shouted.

Walden smiled and nodded cockily.

“Yes way.” He retorted.

He through his second dart. It landed in the outer ring surrounding the bull’s eye. He through his third dart and it hit the triple twenty mark.

“That gives me one hundred thirty five points.” Walden boasted.

We both stepped up to get our darts. When we had them, we both stepped back to where we were shooting. I noticed that a few people looked up from their drinks to watch our game. I took aim and threw my dart. It landed on triple seventeen! That gave me fifty one points.

“Beginner’s luck, buddy.” Walden said.

I took aim and hit the twenty mark. Seventy one points. I threw my next dart and hit just outside the outer ring of the bull’s eye! It landed on the eleven sector of the board. Eighty two points.

“Eighty two points, Walden.” I bragged.

“The little guy’s gonna win!” Shouted someone from across the lounge.

“Don’t count on it!” Challenged someone else.

Walden stepped up to the shooter’s position. He took aim with his dart… And missed the board! The dart embedded itself in the wall just beneath the board. This was followed by a series of boos and cheers.

“Just warmin’ up fellas!” Walden said with a nervous laugh.

He then threw another and it hit the black area, out of play.

“What’s wrong here?” Walden asked himself.

Something was wrong. Unless Walden had an amazing burst of luck, something was wrong. Walden lined up his shot and threw his dart, hitting the twenty mark.

“Twenty points.” Walden said.

I stepped up. I threw my dart. I saw that it was going to hit the twenty mark, but it somehow changed course and landed in the outer ring of the bull’s eye! I threw my next one and much the same thing happened. It landed directly in the center of the board. I threw my next one and it hit the bull’s eye as well!

“One hundred twenty five points.” I said, still not understanding what was happening.

Walden stepped up to the shooter’s position and threw all three of his darts. They all hit the black out of play area.

“What’s goin’ on?” Walden asked me.

I gave him a smug smile and shrugged. I didn’t know what was going on either, but I liked it. I threw all three of my darts. One landed in the center of the board, one landed in the triple twenty zone, one landed in the outer ring of the bull’s eye.

“One hundred thirty five points.” I stated.

“Yeah? Watch this.” Walden said confidently.

He threw one dart after another, seemingly not taking aim. All of his darts hit the outer ring of the bull’s eye.

“Yeah! Seventy five points!” Walden said, thrusting his fists in the air.

I stepped up to the shooter’s position. I needed one hundred thirty five points to win. Getting cocky, I threw all three of my darts at once. I watched in amazement as they all nailed a target. I counted it up. It was a perfect one hundred thirty five points. One landed in the triple twenty, one landed in the bull’s eye and one landed on the outer ring of the bull’s eye. Walden stood there, his mouth agape. Several people cheered in my victory.

“Yeah! The big guy wins!” A man shouted.

“Good game, pal. Not sure how ya won though. I know ya can’t use magic, ya must’ve gotten real lucky.” Walden said suspiciously.

“Hey, I don’t know either.” I told him.

“Alright, see ya ‘round buddy.” Walden said.

He then flew off to another location in the lounge. I looked around, looking for something else to do. I caught a faint glimpse of a woman’s figure peeking out from behind a corner about ten feet to my left. The woman had witch clothes. On. They weren’t just any witch clothes. They were black with green trim. Tabatha. I met her gaze and she gave me a smirk, fully emerging from her hiding place.

“Tabatha! Was that you?” I asked her.

Her answer came in the form of a smug smile.

“Alright. I helped you out, now you need to help me.” She said with a mischievous grin.

I was about to object, but she did help me beat Walden and take his arrogance down a notch. I guess I owed her a small favor.

“Fine what is it?” I asked.

Her shoulders sagged in what looked to be defeat.

“Redmond, I’ve tried giving Don hints, but he just doesn’t get it! I need help. Please, help me out.” Tabatha said sincerely.

I nodded in understanding.

“Okay. In my opinion, it’d be a mistake to come right out and tell him how you feel this early. Knowing him as long as I have, I know that he’d be intimidated by you. Well, he sort of already is. Anyway, just keep giving him hints, but make them a little less subtle. Not obvious, just less subtle.” I told her.

She nodded slowly then grinned.

“Thanks, Redmond. You’re a true friend. Not only are you heling me, but you’re also doing something else.” She said.

“What else am I doing?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.

“By helping me get close to your best friend, you’re proving that you don’t have a crush on me.” She said with a playful smirk.

I gave her a playful shove.

“Come on Tabatha! Give me a break.” I said.

“Alright, alright. Thanks for the advice though, really.” She said, her rich brown eyes sparkling in the light.

I nodded.

“Any time, Tabatha. I’m your friend, remember?” I teased.

“I remember. Anyway, I’m going to talk to Don. Wish me luck.” She said with a confident smile.

She turned on the heel of her boot and walked towards where Don was playing cards with a young man.

“Good luck.” I said under my breath.

I saw Tabatha talking to Don, but I was too far away and there was too much chatter in the room to make out what she was saying. Don nodded and Tabatha grabbed a chair and pulled in up next to Don. I grinned. It looked like Don was starting to warm up to her.

Chapter Thirty Nine Reacquainting:

Tuesday June 29th 1690

Feeling thirsty, I walked over to the bar. Almost instantly, a young man walked over to me dressed in a black and white tuxedo with a black bowtie.

“Hello, what would you like?” He asked in a friendly tone.

“Water would be great, thanks.” I replied.

“Coming right up.” He replied, grabbing a glass from beneath the counter and filling it up with a basin that was also beneath the counter.

He handed it to me.

“Thanks.” I said, taking the glass from him.

I took a few swigs of it and eventually finished it.I set the empty mug on the counter. I looked around the room. There were people all over the place. Some were dancing to the band’s music, some were at the bar with me, others played darts and there were people who sat at the tables and played cards.I saw Robert talking to Macalister across the room. I got up and went over to them.

“Hey Redmond. Enjoying yourself?” Robert asked with a grin.

“The place is pretty great! It’s got a lot of things to do here.” Macalister said.

“I know, the place is a lot of fun!” I said enthusiastically.

Robert put a hand on my shoulder and turned me towards the table that Don and Tabatha sat at. The young man Don was playing cards with was gone. Only Tabatha and Don sat at the table now. They sat across from each other. They were about fifteen feet away from us.

“See that?” Robert asked.

“What, Don and Tabatha?” I asked.

“Yes.” Robert replied.

“What about them?” I asked.

“I bet Robert that Don would strike out with Tabatha.” Macalister said, holding up his one remaining gold piece.

I laughed at him. After all this time he still had it.

“You made two mistakes here, Macalister.” I pointed out.

“What mistakes did I make, Redmond?” Macalister asked.

I chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You underestimated Don, and you underestimated Tabatha.” I told him.

Macalister pondered this for a moment. I turned away from him and faced Tabatha and Don. We were too far away to hear what they were saying. I could see that Tabatha had a playful grin on and that Don was laughing. I grinned. I was happy for both of them. They made a good couple… In an odd way.

“Redmond!” Stella called from across the room.

I walked over to her.

“Hey Stella.” I greeted her.

“Look! Don’t you see that? Don and Tabatha are right over there, and they’re flirting!” Stella said with girlish enthusiasm.

“Flirting? Really?” I asked, casting a glance at Don and Tabatha.

Stella nodded eagerly.

“Yes! Hard to believe, isn’t it?” Stella asked.

“I know. Remember a few weeks ago when they couldn’t even be in the same room as each other?” I asked with a chuckle.

“They really have come a long way. Any idea who had feelings for who first?” Stella asked.

“Nope.” I lied.

“Okay then. Anyway, I think that they’re cute together.” Stella said with more girlish enthusiasm.

I saw Erin walk over to us. She was carrying three drinks.

“They certainly are an odd couple, aren’t they?” She asked, looking at Don and Tabatha and setting the drinks on a nearby, vacant table and sitting down at it.

“Come on, let’s sit down.” Stella said, taking a seat at the vacant table.

I shrugged and sat down with them.

“So Redmond, how’ve you been doing lately?” Erin asked.

“I’ve been pretty well. Lawrence is tending to my every need, so I can just relax.” I said.

Erin laughed with joy.

“I know, I barely have to do anything! It’s great.” She said.

“You said it.” Stella added.

I heard footsteps approaching us. I looked up to see Martha, Ceberus and William.

“Hey guys, mind if we join you?” Martha asked.

“Not at all, Martha.” Erin said sweetly.

Martha, Ceberus and William all pulled up empty chairs and slid them to our table and sat down.

“How great is this?” William asked, gesturing to the room.

“It’s amazing.” Erin remarked.

Martha looked over at Tabatha and Don.

“We take our eyes off them for a few days and now look at them. When they first met they couldn’t even be in the same vicinity. Now look at them.” Martha said happily.

“It reminds me of us when we were young.” Ceberus told Martha.

Martha laughed and hugged Ceberus, kissing his cheek.

“Yes, yes it does.” She said.

“I hope things work out for them.” Erin said.

“Alright, enough spying on them, they deserve some privacy.” I said with a chuckle.

“Well, there’s nothing else to do!” Stella objected.

“It is getting a little late. We should go to bed soon.” Erin said.

“Plus, we have Princess Estaire’s ball to look forward to. It’s in two days!” Stella said while clapping her hands in joy.

“Yes, Jane told me that she’d get me a nice dress for the occasion!” Erin said happily.

I reached forward and took one of the drinks that Erin brought over and took a swig from it. Stella yawned.

“I’m going to go to bed. See you all in the morning.” She said, getting up and leaving the table and walking out the door.

Martha looked to me.

“So Redmond, how have you been entertaining yourself?” She asked.

“Well, Lawrence has shown me around the castle and he’s kept me busy doing this and that. How about you and Ceberus?” I asked.

“Ceberus, William and I have been admiring the sights of Valgate. Of course we have been checking in with the rest of the group. They’re all doing fine.” She replied.

“Especially Raymond and Francella. They are really enjoying this.” William chuckled.

“Who wouldn’t be?” Ceberus added.

Erin grinned, looking at Martha.

“Yes, the art in the castle is very old. I love the culture that it represents. The language is quite fascinating as well.” She said enthusiastically.

“You and your love of foreign languages and cultures.” William laughed.

“Hey! They intrigue me!” Erin protested, sitting up in her seat.

She reached forward and took a swig from her drink. I took a sip of my drink as well. The mug was almost empty. I noticed that the band had changed from their music with high pitched, sweet notes. They were now playing up beat, and the notes were long and droning, but were very diverse in pitch. The tune was light and melodic.

“Want to dance?” Ceberus asked Martha.

I looked around to see that other people had gotten up and started dancing.

“Certainly.” Martha replied with a wink.

Ceberus and Martha both got up and walked hand in hand off to the dance floor. Erin and I sat alone at the table. She scratched her head, running a hand through her black hair.

“The music is great here!” She said.

I grinned and nodded.

“Yes, I like it.” I said.

Erin had her lips pressed together in a hard line. She looked around the room. I saw Tabatha and Don walk over to us along with Francella and Raymond.

“Hey guys! How are you all doing?” Raymond asked cheerily.

“Great! How have you been?” I replied.

“Oh you know, this and that. Nothing big.” He casually replied.

“I’ve been going for runs in the garden recently.” Francella added.

“You certainly love running, don’t you Francella?” Erin asked.

“Only about as much as you love your foreign languages.” He shot back.

Erin sighed but said nothing in return.

“So, are you all going to Princess Estaire’s ball?” Raymond asked.

“What kind of question is that? Of course we’re all going!” Erin said with a grin.

“I am reluctant to wear a dress. I would much rather wear my witch clothes…” Tabatha muttered.

“Oh, be quiet Tabatha! Why are girls so worried about what they’re going to wear?” Don teased.

“Why are boys always so worried about how tough they are?” Tabatha shot right back.

Don had nothing to say to that. We all laughed at them. They were always going at each other, even now. From the looks of it, Don doesn’t know how Tabatha feels about him just yet.

“Alright, enough with the gender defender you two!” Francella joked.

“He started it.” Tabatha muttered under her breath.

“Are you guys excited for the ball?” Francella asked.

“Of course!” Erin replied.

“I’m excited.” I told him with a grin.

“So am I.” Don said.

“Me too!” Tabatha said.

“I’ve never actually been to a formal party, so this should be interesting.” Raymond said with a furrowed brow.

I yawned. The musicians had changed to a very slow song with lots of long low pitched notes. The song made me think of an elegant ballroom. I sat back in my chair, finishing my drink.

“I’m getting tired.” Francella said with a yawn.

“Me too.” I replied.

“You know, I might have a spell to fix that.” Tabatha said with an adventurous smirk.

Francella shook his head.

“No thanks Tabatha. I don’t like the idea of you altering the way my mind works.” He said.

Tabatha chuckled.

“Okay, I get it.” She said.

“I’m going to bed. Good night everyone.” He said.

“Good night Francella.” I said.

He walked out of the lounge.

“I’m going to turn in too. See you all in the morning.” Raymond said.

“Alright, see you later Raymond.” Don said.

Raymond walked out after Francella.

“I think I’m going to hit the sack too.” I said.

“Okay then. Good night Redmond. See you in the morning.” Tabatha said.

“Good night.” I said to everyone.

I walked out of the lounge and came into the familiar corridor that housed the many rooms. I walked out the door and came into the grand entryway. I walked up the stairs leading to the wing that my friends and I were staying in. I walked up to my room and opened the door. I saw a pile of neatly folded black and white clothes as well as a pair of black shoes on my bed. Upon closer examination I found the clothes to be nice black pants and a black and white tuxedo complete with a bowtie. There was a note attached to the tuxedo;

For Princess Estaire’s ball.

~Lawrence

I grinned as I put the clothes and shoes on the bedside table. I layed down on the bed and crawled beneath the blankets. I closed my eyes and sleep eventually found me.

***

Chapter Forty Anticipation:

Wednesday June 30th 1690

I opened my eyes to find the sun streaming through my window, giving the room a warm and inviting glow. Princess Estaire’s birthday ball is tomorrow. I looked across the room to find Lawrence standing behind a trolley stirring a cup of tea silently.

“Good morning sir, how did you sleep?” He asked.

“Fine thanks, you?” I asked.

“I did not.” He chuckled, handing me the cup of tea.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I did not sleep. We servants are not allowed to sleep very often. We are only permitted to sleep once every two days, however we all get a little nap in when we can. Granted, we cannot let anyone see us.” He said.

“Who says you’re not allowed to sleep every day?” I asked him.

“Queen Yuka.” Came his reply.

“Queen Yuka forbids you to sleep every day!?” I exclaimed.

He nodded.

“Yes, we cannot disobey the Queen. The punishments are quite… Severe.” He stated.

I yawned and stretched. I felt bad for Lawrence and the other servants. They couldn’t go to sleep every night, only every other night. How terrible was that?

“Would you like something to eat, sir?” Lawrence asked.

I sipped my tea as my stomach rumbled.

“Yes please.” I replied.

“Very well. You slept passed breakfast, but lunch should be started by now.” Lawrence said.

“I slept passed breakfast? What time is it?” I asked, surprised I slept so long.

“Oh, about noon.” Lawrence said.

I nodded and got out of bed. My eyes fell on the clothes on my nightstand. I quickly finished by cup of tea and set it on Lawrence’s trolley.

“Thanks for the tuxedo by the way.” I said.

“You are welcome, sir.” He said.

I walked over to the door and Lawrence opened it for me. I walked out and he followed. I walked down the stairs to the corridor with the dining hall with Lawrence trailing behind me. I cast a look at the door to the ballroom. It was lined with red and blue streamers that were studded with red roses. Above the streamers hung a banner with the words “Happy Fifteenth Birthday Estaire Yuka!” I grinned. The ball promised to be entertaining. I turned back to the dining hall and Lawrence rushed forward and to open the door for me.

“Thanks Lawrence.” I acknowledged.

He just nodded his head. I stepped through into the dining hall and saw all of my friends sitting at the table, accompanied by their servants behind them.

“Mornin’ pal!” Walden called when he saw me.

“Where’ve you been? We missed you at breakfast.” Robert asked.

“I overslept.” I explained, walking over and taking a seat next to Robert and Macalister.

I looked around the table and saw Tabatha and Don sitting next to each other, talking and laughing. I saw Raymond talking to Francella right next to Don and Tabatha. Francella looked to Don and snickered.

“How’d you sleep?” Macalister asked me.

“Good, you?” I asked.

“Good. I think I’ll go to the lounge today.” Macalister replied.

“I’ll go with you, make sure you stay out of trouble.” Robert told him.

“I don’t think I’ll go to the lounge for a bit. I think I’ll take a walk in the garden or something.” I said.

“Nattalie told me that she is friends with one of the witches in Queen Yuka’s court. She said that her friend would help me practice magic today!” Tabatha said with joy.

“That’s great Tabatha, but don’t you think you’re good enough at magic already?” Don asked.

Tabatha scoffed.

“No! I have barely scratched the surface of my ability as a witch. To be honest I only know a few spells.” Tabatha told him.

“Hey guys, Princess Estaire’s birthday ball is tomorrow!” Stella reminded us excitedly.

“I know, it should be fun!” Raymond said.

“We can act all rich and snooty and no one will judge us!” Francella joked.

Raymond chuckled at his friend’s joke. My stomach rumbled.

“So what’s for lunch?” I asked.

“They haven’t brought it out yet.” William answered, pushing his blond hair out of his eyes.

“The cooks should be bringing the meal out momentarily.” Victor, Raymond’s servant added.

Victor then took a swig from his flask. Sure enough, numerous cooks dressed in the same black and white tuxedos and bowties emerged from the kitchen, pushing metal trolleys loaded with food. They rattled as they were pushed across the floor.

“There they are.” Jane, Erin’s Servant said, smoothing out a wrinkle in her blue dress.

I noticed that the girls’ servants wore different colors while the boys’ servants wore only black and white. While I waited for a trolley to reach me, I looked to Lawrence.

“Why are the female servants wearing different colors while the male servants only wear black and white?” I asked in a low voice.

Lawrence expression turned bitter for the first time since I met him.

“Queen Yuka favors the girls over the boys. She gives them more freedom with everything. I would even go so far as to say that she dislikes boys.” Lawrence said, his tone as bitter as his expression.

The trolley arrived at my place at the table, pushed by a young boy wearing the black and white servant uniform.

“What would you like mister? We have steamed vegetables, wild boar and chicken.” He said.

“I’ll take a little of everything please.” I said.

“Coming right up!” The boy replied, reaching a low shelf on the trolley and grabbing a plate.

He loaded the plate with a little of everything he listed. While he did so, a servant filled a glass with water and set it in front of me. The boy put my plate in front of me as well.

“Enjoy.” He said, adjusting his bowtie.

“Thanks.” I said with a grin.

I started eating the boar meat that was on my plate. The familiar thick, meaty taste filled my mouth.

“Sweet! I love boar!” Walden exclaimed from his seat, digging into his boar meat.

I washed the taste of the boar down with some of the water in front of me.

“My compliments to the chef!” Ceberus exclaimed.

“Indeed.” William chuckled, taking another bite of his meat.

I ate some of my steamed vegetables as well as some chicken.

“Do you like the meal?” Xavier, Robert’s servant asked, briefly scratching his head and slightly displacing his blond hair.

“It’s perfect, thanks Xavier.” Robert replied.

I saw Merrietta, Martha’s servant lean down and whisper something in Martha’s ear.

“No thank you, Merrietta.” Martha replied kindly.

The room went silent as we all continued eating lunch. I ate more of my boar, savoring the thick and meaty taste. I finished the boar and soon finished the chicken. I took a drink of water.

“Hey, that’s a nice necklace Merrietta.” Stella said.

Merrietta placed a hand on her necklace.

“Oh, why thank you.” She said, as if surprised that she was addressed by someone other than Martha.

I finished eating my vegetables and downed the rest of the water.

“Well, I should be going now to practice my magic. If you’ll excuse me…” Tabatha trailed off, getting up and leaving the room with Nattallie in tow.

“Graham, that’s a nice watch.” Macalister said, eyeing his servant’s pocket watch.

“Thank you, Macalister.” He said with a grin.

Don got up, his chair squeaked across the floor as he did so.

“I’m going to the lounge again. Robert, Macalister, Redmond? You coming?” Don asked.

I shook my head.

“I’ll come later. Go have fun.” I said.

“I’m coming, wait up.” Robert said, getting up and joining Don.

Macalister trailed silently after them. The three of them left the room. Their servants left the room to do something else because they weren’t needed at the lounge.

“I suppose I’ll go find something to do.” I said, getting up.

“Okay. See you later Redmond.” Francella said.

I lifted my hand in a small wave and turned around. I walked across the room and walked through the door. Lawrence was already walking behind me.

“What would you like to do, sir?” Lawrence asked me.

“Well, I have a few hours to kill until I go to sleep, then tomorrow is Princess Estaire’s birthday ball.” I said casually.

Lawrence snapped his fingers in frustration.

“Shoot! I forgot my gloves in the servants’ quarters. I will return momentarily.” Lawrence said, walking back towards the corridor that held all of the rooms including the lounge and the blacksmith shop.

I laughed quietly to myself. I hadn’t seen Lawrence screw anything up since I’ve known him. I heard the clicking of heels behind me. They were quiet at first but got louder as they grew closer.

“Oh, Mister Bradford!” I heard a familiar voice exclaim.

Right as I turned around I saw Princess Estaire quickly tuck a book bound in worn, brown leather behind her back.

“Please, call me Redmond.” I said.

“Okay, Redmond. Sorry.” She said quickly.

She seemed to be flustered or stressed about something.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

Estaire ran her hands through her short, black hair, widening her eyes.

“Yes, yes everything’s fine. It’s just those birthday planners. It’s annoying to have someone in my face everywhere I turn, asking me what color I want this, or where I want that. It’s just so… Annoying!” Estaire said.

She took a breath and calmed down a little.

“I just stepped out for some quiet. Anyway, will I be seeing you and your friends at my ball tomorrow?” Estaire asked.

I grinned and nodded.

“Yes, definitely. All my friends and I are all very excited. Thanks for inviting us.” I said gratefully.

“Oh, it was the least I could do. You were a gentleman and I wanted to repay you for it.” Estaire replied with a smile.

“Well, thanks.” I said.

“Estaire! Can you come here please?” I heard a man call.

Estaire’s shoulder’s sagged and she groaned.

“I’m needed once again. I suppose I should be getting back.” She said in disappointment.

She turned away from me. As she did so I notice that when her back was to me, she quickly transferred her book to her front so I couldn’t see it.

“Er… Estaire!” I called.

She stopped and looked over her shoulder.

“What’s in that book?” I asked in curiosity.

She flashed a small smile.

“Oh, this? It’s nothing.” She said. Estaire turned and walked back to the ballroom where she was needed.

I didn’t ask any further questions, but I was more than a little curious. She acted strange whenever I asked about it and she always made an attempt to hide it around people. I then heard Lawrence walking back towards me. I turned to see that he had his white gloves on.

“Here we are. Who were you talking to?” He asked.

“Princess Estaire.” I replied.

“Really?” He asked.

“Yes, she just came out of the ballroom for some peace and quiet. She said that she was being overwhelmed by the party planners.” I said.

“Interesting… Anyhow I-“ Lawrence was cut off my a group of ten men all wearing the Vulrock Law Enforcement uniform. Each of them was pushing a restrained prisoner along.

“Looks like Escar was good for his word!” A guard exclaimed.

One of the guard’s glance snapped to Lawrence and I.

“Move along. Nothing to see here.” He barked.

The prisoners that the guards brought in didn’t put up a fight. There was a mix of men and women at a range of ages from late teenager to early adult.

“Florence Escar… That was the name of the man that Queen Yuka’s guards brought in the other day!” Lawrence whispered to me.

“I know. These prisoners are probably the people that Queen Yuka forced Florence to rat out.” I said as I watched the guards shove their prisoners towards the throne room.

“Realistically speaking, there are probably more to come.” Lawrence said as the guards pushed their prisoners through the corridor door and out of sight.

I shuddered as I imagined the fate that awaited them beyond those doors.

Chapter Forty One Passing The Time:

Wednesday June 30th 1690

“Sir, do you want to take a walk in the garden?” Lawrence asked.

I nodded. I wanted to be somewhere else when those mafia members were killed. I followed Lawrence out the door of the castle and we emerged in the garden. I inhaled the fresh, cool afternoon air. The scent of roses was always noticeable in the castle, but out here it was very present on the air. It was a nice day, the sun was shining brightly and it further enhanced the brilliant colors that the flowers gave the garden. I then heard the sound of a frustrated cry.

“That’s not fair, Antoinette!” I heard Tabatha yell.

“All is fair when sparing with magic.” I heard a girl’s voice respond.

The voices came from around the corner. I walked around the bend in the garden and saw Tabatha and another girl, presumably Antoinette, standing in the clearing that Lawrence and I spared in the other day.

Antoinette was dressed in witch clothes. She also wore a witch hat. Her clothes and hat were brown with gold trim. She looked about sixteen, maybe fifteen. Her eyes were emerald green like Lawrence’s and her hair was black like Erin’s or Estaire’s. Instead of a staff, she held a wand that was just over a foot long. The wand’s shaft was royal blue and a small citrine crystal was mounted at the end of the wand.

Tabatha was doubled over, her hands resting on her knees, her staff was on the ground next to her. When she saw Lawrence and I approaching she scooped up her staff and stood up straight.

“Redmond!” She said in surprise.

“Hi.” I replied.

“Hello, Redmond.” Antoinette said.

I waved at her in response.

“We’re just sparing, but Antoinette holds an unfair advantage.” Tabatha complained.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Illusion magic.” Tabatha said while casting a competitive glare at Antoinette.

I raised an eyebrow.

“Can she use any other magic types?” I asked.

Tabatha shook her head.

“No. I’m a pure illusion magic witch.” Antoinette said with a grin.

My eyes widened. Tabatha had described pure witches to be very powerful. Having one messing with my mind and altering my thoughts didn’t appeal to me.

“Observe.” Antoinette said with a mischievous smile.

She turned to face Tabatha, expertly spinning her wand in her hand. She pointed it at Tabatha.

“Ghosts of the past.” She muttered.

Right after she finished saying the name of the spell, the citrine crystal at the end of Antoinette’s wand began to glow. Tabatha’s eyes widened and she looked around in a panic.

“No! No! Stop!” She begged.

Her head snapped left and right, looking at things that only she could see.

“Okay, okay.” Antoinette said, lowering her wand from Tabatha.

The citrine crystal stopped glowing and Tabatha’s fearful look eased. She no longer looked around in panic. She just glared at Antoinette.

“Antoinette…! I hate you!” she yelled.

Tabatha sounded like she was angry, but not fully. It sound like she was having fun, but got angry at Antoinette.

“Hey, I have my magic and you have yours.” Antoinette replied with a shrug.

“Well, your magic is annoying!” Tabatha complained.

“Hey, if you want to become a better witch, you need to learn to resist the different magic types.” Antoinette said.

Tabatha closed her eyes and took a breath. She calmed herself.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. Let’s get on with this.” Tabatha said once she opened her eyes.

Antoinette flashed a small grin and raised her wand to Tabatha.

“Insanity!” Antoinette cried out.

Instantly the citrine started to glow. Tabatha clenched her teeth, glaring intently at Antoinette. She gripped her staff so hard that her knuckles were white. I then saw her gaze shift to her left, then her right. Panic became present on her face. Antoinette lowered her wand and the citrine stopped glowing.

“Okay Tabatha, it’s only an illusion. It’s okay. I ended the spell. Try to keep your head clear when I cast my spells. It’ll help you resist the hallucinations.” Antoinette said in a calm voice.

Tabatha’s face was filled with tension, but she nodded.

“I’m impressed, Tabatha. Most witches wouldn’t have the guts to make it this far. Nice work.” Antoinette congratulated.

“Thanks.” Tabatha replied.

I decided to leave the two witches to their… Witchiness. I turned around and Lawrence followed me.

“Where to now, sir?” He asked.

“I don’t know. I want to kill some time.” I replied.

As we rounded the bend in the path, I heard footsteps coming from the main gate. There were quite a few of them. Instinctively I ducked and pulled Lawrence into a rose bush. The thorns pricked me, but I didn’t notice much.

“Sir…!” Lawrence said in surprise.

I raised a finger to my lips to silence him. The people who I heard seconds ago were now coming through the gate. I saw that there were about five men dressed in the Vulrock Law Enforcement uniform. Each of them were carrying a prisoner. There were three male prisoners and two female. The law enforcement officers were chuckling.

“These witches and warlocks will make a fine addition to Queen Yuka’s court.” Said one of the law enforcement officers.

“Hail the Queen!” One of the other officers shouted.

Queen Yuka was getting a new shipment of witches and warlocks! Was it possible that one of them could use dark magic? My stomach dropped as I imagined the possibilities. The prisoners were silent as they were dragged into the castle and out of our sight. When it was safe, I stood up, hauling Lawrence to his feet.

“Sorry about that.” I apologized.

“No problem, sir.” Lawrence said.

“Queen Yuka just got five new magic users.” I said, mostly to myself.

“Indeed.” Lawrence said as he gazed off into the sky.

I suppose I should go tell Robert about it. I went inside with Lawrence in tow.

“Where are you going, sir?” Lawrence asked.

“The lounge.” I replied.

I walked the familiar route to the guest lounge and opened the door. I scanned the room and found Robert, Don and Macalister all sitting at the bar, drinking from glass mugs. They were laughing and shouting and having a good time. Robert saw me and beckoned me over.

“Redmond! How are you?” He asked cheerily.

I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching, or listening. Lawrence had stayed outside the lounge.

“Robert, Queen Yuka just got a fresh shipment of five new magic users.” I said grimly.

Robert’s eyes widened.

“One of them could be a dark magic user!” Robert said in shock, but quiet enough so as not to be overheard.

“This isn’t good…” Macalister trailed off.

“Queen Yuka just got a few more fairies a while ago. When you were talking to the Princess some guards brought a burlap sack full of fairies through a back door to the castle.” Robert said in dismay.

I didn’t notice a back door. Then again, there may have been a secret passage leading to it. As absurd as it was, nothing was impossible anymore.

“Queen Yuka is gaining supernatural creatures alarmingly fast. Things have been quiet for a few days, but now…” Don trailed off.

“We need to keep our eyes out for anything strange. As long as Queen Yuka doesn’t have a dark magic user, everything’s fine, right?” Macalister asked.

“Right.” Robert confirmed.

“Okay, but how do we know if she has one or not? We can’t exactly ask her straight up.” Don said.

“We can’t do much at this point, we can only keep our eyes and ears open. I’ll tell Ceberus to tell The Vipers to stay on the alert.” Robert said.

I nodded.

“Okay, good.” I said.

“Robert, Queen Yuka isn’t going to hurt us is she?” Macalister asked.

“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Robert said gravely.

I turned and left the room. Lawrence was behind me in an instant. I looked outside and saw that the sun was beginning to sink in the sky. I spent the rest of the evening talking to the others. Stella mentioned that she overheard a conversation between two guards about some blacksmiths not meeting their quota. Besides that, everything was fine… Except that the possibility that Queen Yuka had a dark magic user was still present. When I was done catching up and talking with the others, the sky had turned black, dotted with sparkling white stars. I walked back to my room. Lawrence was already there. He had left me to talk with my friends while he tended to something.

“Sir, I just received word that Princess Estaire’s birthday ball will start first thing tomorrow morning.” Lawrence told me.

“What time does it end?” I asked.

Lawrence shrugged.

“Balls hosted by the Queen usually end when everyone leaves.” He replied.

I nodded, walking to my bed and slipping beneath the blankets.

“Good night, sir.” Lawrence said as he walked out of my room, shutting the door behind him.

I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

***

Chapter Forty Two The Ball:

Thursday July 1st 1690

I opened my eyes. Today was the day of Princess Estaire’s ball.

“Good morning.” Lawrence said cheerily from across the room.

“How can you be so cheery when you only sleep once every forty eight hours?” I asked with a laugh.

Lawrence shrugged.

“You get used to it.” He replied.

He had no trolley of tea this morning. Then again I suppose there would be food and drink at the ball.

“You should get changed into your ballroom clothes.” Lawrence said.

I nodded, grabbed the clothes and shoes off my nightstand and went to the bathroom to change. I slipped into the clothes and stepped out into the room again. I placed my old clothes on the nightstand.

“Not too shabby.” Lawrence said, sizing me up.

“Thanks.” I replied with a grin.

Lawrence motioned to the door.

“You really should be going.” He said.

I started walking to the door but stopped short.

“Wait, you’re not coming?” I asked him.

Lawrence shook his head.

“A servant cannot attend a ball as a guest, and the official list of servants for the ball has already been comprised. If I show up and I’m not on the list, I will be suspected of being a spy, or worse.” Lawrence stated grimly.

I nodded. I didn’t really understand, but to an extent I did. Maybe he was being paranoid, maybe he wasn’t. Regardless it wasn’t worth the risk.

“Okay then. I’ll see you later then.” I said with a wave as I stepped out the door.

“Indeed, sir.” Lawrence replied.

As soon as I stepped out of my room I heard the faint sound of music coming from below. I descended the staircase and came to the grand entrance. I saw people walking through the entryway. Some were old, some were young, but they all had one thing in common; their clothes. They all were dressed in formal attire. They must be here for the ball. I walked to the ballroom along with the other people. With each step towards the ball room the music grew louder. When I approached the door I saw the colorful banners studded with roses. The doors were open and inside I could see that more tables had been set up than when Lawrence and I were last in here. I walked inside and looked for a place to sit. I saw the others beckoning me over to a table. I walked towards them and took a seat.

"You’re just in time, Redmond.” Don said.

Just as the other people who were coming in behind me entered the room and were seated, someone closed the doors. In front of us was a stage surrounded by tables. There was a band playing fast, upbeat string music along with some percussion. They all had various instruments like violins, cellos and drums. There was even a piano! Behind us was a large dance floor and above us were balconies. In minutes the band stopped playing and stepped off stage. A man wearing a crisp black and white tuxedo stepped onto the stage.

“Good morning everyone! We are all gathered her today to celebrate the fifteenth birthday of our own Princess Estaire Yuka!” The man said proudly, as if he was Estaire’s father.

Everyone in the room applauded. I joined in. After a few seconds the man on stage raised his hands for silence.

“Now without further ado, I present Queen Yuka and Princess Estaire!” The man said as he stepped off stage.

Almost instantly, Princess Estaire and her mother stepped onto the stage from behind. Movement on one of the balconies above caught my eye. I subtly looked up to see three guards on a balcony. They were armed with bows and arrows. They must be the guys who ensure that someone doesn’t attack Estaire or her mother. Princess Estaire stepped forward. She was dressed in an elegant silk dress that was pink with white trim. There was a red rose pinned in her black hair. Her unusual light violet eyes flashed.

“Greetings to you all. I am honored that you all attended my birthday ball today.” Estaire said formally.

Her mother just stood behind her, looking as imposing and threatening as ever. I saw Estaire look around and I saw her starting to sweat.

“Anyhow, let’s get on with it shall we?” She asked with a slightly nervous smile.

She stepped off the stage and her mother followed her. The band got back on stage and started to play the upbeat music once again. A chatter arose from the guests as they got out of their seats.

“Well this should be fun!” Stella said enthusiastically.

For the first time I noticed what everyone else was wearing. All us men had our tuxedos and bowties on. The girls all wore elegant dresses in the same colors as their regular clothes. Erin wore a green dress, Stella wore a white one, Tabatha wore one that was black with green trim and Martha wore one that was beige.

“I’m hungry.” Macalister mumbled.

“There’s food over there. Help yourself.” Don said with a grin, pointing to the other side of the room where a series of tables sat with various foods on top of silver platters.

Servants walked around the room with similar platters held in one hand. They carried food and drink to the guests. Macalister stomped over to the food and began taking some for himself.

“Doesn’t fit in does ‘e?” Walden asked.

I turned around in surprise to see Walden behind me and laughed. He was wearing a black and white tuxedo. I wouldn’t have laughed… If it weren’t for the fact that he was a fairy who was fifteen centimeters tall wearing a miniature tuxedo. He looked ridiculous.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up pal.” Walden said with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Come on Walden, you look good.” Erin offered.

“Gee, thanks.” Walden said as if he were surprised that someone actually complemented him.

Macalister returned with a handful of small pastries. He shoved them into his mouth one by one. Don laughed at him.

“Buddy, show some manners! This is a ball!” Don mock scolded.

I noticed that people had started dancing to the band’s music. Men swung their women expertly around, guiding them through the dance. Walden whistled in appreciation.

“Man, if only I could do that.” He said.

“You’d need to be about five feet taller.” Don remarked.

“Shut up.” Walden snapped.

I then had a striking thought.

“Walden! You can’t be here! What if someone sees you?” I asked in a harsh whisper.

Walden scoffed.

“Keep your shirt on pal, I modified my invisibility spell so only you guys can see me. As far as anyone else knows, I don’t exist.” Walden said.

I exhaled in relief and nodded.

“Well, well Estaire! You’ve certainly grown up!” I heard a man say.

I turned around to see Estaire being greeted by her guests.

“Yes, I haven’t seen you since I was little, inspector.” She replied.

“Please, call me Francis!” The man scoffed.

Just then the band changed to a louder song so whatever was said behind me was drowned out. Stella began dancing on the spot in perfect time to the music. Erin joined her, but she was awkward and uncertain. She wasn’t as good as Stella. Tabatha began dancing a little too. Francella and Raymond looked to each other, shrugged and began dancing as well. Pretty soon we were all moving in time to the upbeat, loud music.

“This is fun!” Erin said with a smile.

“I’m glad you like it!” I heard a voice say over the music.

I turned around to see Estaire dressed in her elegant silk dress.

“Oh, hi Estaire.” I said.

I noticed that she didn’t have her strange book on her.

“I’ve been overwhelmed by guests. Like Inspector Francis Adams over there.” Estaire said, pointing to the man I saw greet her earlier.

“Are you okay? You seem nervous. You seemed nervous on stage as well.” I remarked.

“Oh, yes I’m fine. I just… I have a bad feeling. I know it’s silly, seeing as it’s my birthday ball. Regardless I just can’t seem to shake this feeling…” Estaire trailed off.

“Hey, it’s fine. The guards are here to protect you and your mother. Nothing’s going to happen.” I reassured her.

She nodded.

“I know, I know. I think I’m just a little overstressed. It’d be good for me to wind down a little here.” Estaire said.

“That sounds good.” I said.

“Well, I should probably finish greeting my guests. I’ll see you later.” Estaire said as she walked off to greet other guests.

I started to dance a little to the music.

“What does she mean that she has a bad feeling?” Erin asked.

I shrugged. It confused me as well.

“Who knows?” I asked.

Erin just shrugged herself and walked off.

“I see you get along quite nicely with the Princess.” Stella remarked.

“Well, I suppose.” I replied.

“It’s pretty cool though. Being friends with the Princess I mean.” Stella admitted.

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just stayed silent. Stella walked off. A few feet away I saw Don. Tabatha walked up to him.

“Hey Don. Do you… Uh… Want to dance?” She asked nervously.

Don’s eyes widened in surprise, but they quickly returned to normal and he flashed his trademark suave grin.

“Of course I do.” He said.

Tabatha smiled. I smiled too. It probably took a lot of courage for her to ask Don to dance. The band was playing a different, more upbeat song now and everyone was dancing and spinning around. Tabatha and Don joined without missing a beat. Don placed one hand in Tabatha’s and the other on her waist. They began to dance. Don spun Tabatha outward as soon as a long, droning note came on and he pulled her back as it ended. They both had huge grins on their faces. Don now held Tabatha close, took a step back in time to the music, spun Tabatha around and they were back to their starting position right as the song ended.

“Don! I didn’t know you could dance like that!” Tabatha exclaimed.

Don smiled and shrugged.

“It’s a gift.” He said.

“I… I had fun.” Tabatha said.

“So did I.” Don replied enthusiastically.

Raymond and Francella came back from the food table with little desserts.

“Don, that was amazing!” Francella said.

“I didn’t know you had it in you.” Raymond remarked.

Don started laughing and clapped Francella on the shoulder.

“What do you take me for?” He asked heartily.

“Apparently a great dancer.” Raymond chuckled.

I laughed. I was happy for Don and Tabatha. When they first met, I could never, ever see them having feelings for one another. I saw Don smiling and laughing along with the other guys. Tabatha was talking and giggling with Stella and Erin. Ceberus and Martha were still on the dance floor and William was over at the food table. Feeling hungry, I walked over to the table with the food and grabbed a plate, serving myself some vegetables and small pastries. When I had my plate filled, I grabbed some utensils and sat down at an unoccupied table. I began eating some vegetables. I looked up to the balconies above to see that even more guards were now stationed. Some women dressed in witch clothes, men dressed in armor and men dressed in casual clothes (who I assumed were warlocks) were present in the upper balconies. They just stood there, observing. I heard the clicking of heels in front of me and saw Princess Estaire walking towards me. I smiled politely.

“Hello, Princess.” I said respectfully.

“Please, just call me Estaire.” She said with a smile.

I nodded and Estaire adjusted the rose that was in her hair. At long last, I decided to ask about all the roses.

“Estaire?” I asked.

“Yes?” She replied.

“Do you know why there are so many roses around the castle? They’re numerous in the garden and they’re everywhere.” I said.

Estaire grinned widely and touched the rose in her black hair affectionately.

“I simply adore roses. Don’t you?” She asked.

“Um… Well… I don’t know.” I said.

“I love them so much, I had them planted in the garden, and placed all throughout the castle.” She explained.

I nodded in understanding as I looked to all the guests that were in the room.

“Who are all in here?” I asked casually.

“Oh, military officials, highly ranking law enforcement officers, detectives, nobles from Valgate and other people who have known me since I was a child.” She replied.

I looked around and couldn’t help but notice that there weren’t any kids Estaire’s age here.

“Are any of the guests your… Friends?” I asked.

Estaire looked to the ground and sadly shook her head.

“No. There are very few people my age that are of nobility.” Estaire said.

“Why does nobility matter?” I asked.

Estaire was silent for a moment, then continued.

“When I was young I had a friend named Hugo. He was a very nice boy. I was only nine years old when I knew him. We were good friends, but my mother forbade me to be his friend because of his commoner status.” Estaire said sadly.

I frowned. I felt bad for her. She didn’t have any friends her own age because her mother only allowed her to be friends with nobles.

“That’s terrible. I’m sorry.” I said.

Estaire nodded in appreciation. Her expression suddenly brightened.

“Well, enough doom and gloom. This is my birthday after all!” She exclaimed.

I grinned. It looked like she didn’t like to be sad or wallow in self-pity. That was good. After a few more minutes of talking, Estaire’s mother called her. Estaire looked over her shoulder and her shoulders sagged. She looked back to me.

“I’m sorry. My mother needs me for something. It’s been nice talking with you.” Estaire said with a grin.

“Likewise.” I replied.

Estaire walked off to her mother. Queen Yuka did not look happy. They were too far away for me to hear what was said, but the Queen pointed at me while frowning at her daughter. I could see Estaire saddening. I looked away.

I spent the next few hours dancing, laughing and joking around with my friends. Tabatha and Don laughed and danced together some more. I didn’t see a smile fade from either of their faces once. A few hours after talking to Estaire, I casually looked up to the balconies above to find that the guards, witches and warlocks weren’t there anymore. Where’d they go? I figured they were changing shifts or something and shrugged. Judging by the color of the light that was let in through the many windows in the ball room, I guessed that it was early evening. Time really flies when you’re having fun!

Chapter Forty Three First Strike:

Thursday July 1st 1690

I caught a glimpse of the young witch that I met earlier, Antoinette. She was wearing a dress that was the same color as her witch outfit; brown with gold trim.

“Oh my goodness Tabatha, you look so pretty!” She exclaimed when she saw her friend.

“Thanks Antoinette. You too.” Tabatha replied with a smile.

Just then, the band stopped playing. I looked to the band for an explanation. Curious chatter filled the air. The band members stood on stage holding their instruments. The one playing a drum looked to his friends and nodded. They all looked back at him and nodded themselves. They each reached behind them and pulled white fedoras out of the insides of their jackets. They put them on. The people playing violins reached inside their instruments and pulled out… Flintlocks! The drummer turned his drum upside down and retrieved a flintlock of his own from within. The other band members reached into their instruments and pulled their own flintlocks out as well. The guests in the room all started screaming. What was going on!? I saw panic shoot across Queen Yuka’s face.

“Guards! Guards!” She yelled at the top of her lungs.

I looked up to the balconies where I’d seen the guards earlier, only to see several men wearing white fedoras standing there instead of the guards. Who were these men? The drummer from the band raised his flintlock in the air and fired at the ceiling. This quieted everyone down. He quickly reloaded. He sported a nasty grin on his face.

“Good evening everyone. Enjoying the ball?” He asked, still grinning.

The drummer had light brown hair that came down to his neck. His eyes were pale hazel and his skin tone was pale and he was fairly tall. Maybe a little taller than me. He was thin, too. He wore a black and white tuxedo with a bowtie like every other man in the room.

There was only silence in the room. You could have heard a pin drop. The man cleared his throat and continued.

“I’m sure you’re all wondering who we are. To put it simply, we are with the mafia. Don’t even think about running. No guards will come to protect you. My associates and I have incapacitated any guards who were in the room, except for the guards surrounding Queen Yuka there. We have every entrance and exit covered, so don’t expect any help from outside.” The man said.

At last, Queen Yuka got the courage to speak.

“What is it that you want?” She asked, her voice almost shaking.

The drummer grinned, spinning his flintlock on his finger while walking towards the Queen. Any guests between him and Queen Yuka scattered. I didn’t blame them. This man and his associates took out all their pals and locked the place down. Who knew what other tricks they had up their sleeves?

“Indeed I do want something. That’s the sole reason you are still alive.” He said.

Queen Yuka was silent, waiting to hear his demands. I looked around desperately. I saw that Robert stood glaring at the men on stage, his fists clenched. The others looked afraid, so did everyone else in the room.

“We are going to take a select few people from this room. We have had operatives inside this castle for a while who have been watching everything, so we know exactly who we want. To ensure that no one interferes, we have planted explosive charges in this room throughout the course of the evening. If we see any sign of resistance, I will detonate them. If everyone is cooperative, I won’t. Understand?” The man asked.

Queen Yuka’s head sagged. There was nothing she could do. These men were willing to die for the Vampire Mafia! One question I had was this: How had the Vampire Mafia breached Queen Yuka’s defenses so easily? Then again, they had vampires with them. Killing guards would have been a piece of cake.

“I thought so. Men, begin the extractions.” The man ordered.

The rest of the band members stepped off stage. The other men who had taken out the guards on the balconies came down as well. They all picked their way through the room, taking men and women seemingly at random. One of the men came to my friends and I.

“Antoinette, Tabatha, Walden, come with me.” He ordered.

“What! Why?” Antoinette exclaimed.

“Because you can all use magic.” He said blankly.

The Vampire Mafia was collecting magic users! Who knew what they would do if they had enough? What did they want magic users for? This wasn’t good.

“No! I’m not letting you take Tabatha!” Don shouted, stepping protectively between the man and Tabatha.

The man just chuckled.

“You forget that we have explosive charges set up around the room. My boss warned you that he would detonate them if there was any resistance. Do you want to have the blood of all these people on your hands?” The man asked Don.

Don’s shoulders sagged.

“I’m sorry Tabatha.” He said as he stepped out of the way.

In that moment I was angry and sad. I didn’t want the men to take Tabatha, Antoinette or Walden, but the situation was absolutely hopeless. The Vampire Mafia held all the power in this situation. There was nothing anyone could do. Walden flew up to the man. Antoinette and Tabatha surrendered themselves. The man pulled two coils of rope from his back pocket and tied Antoinette and Tabatha up separately, each with their hands behind their backs. Lastly, he pulled some string out of his pocket and tied Walden’s hands behind his back tightly. I looked around the room to see that the men in the white fedoras had restrained many other men and women and were leading them out of the room. The man began to take Tabatha, Antoinette and Walden out of the room as well. Don reached out to stop the man, but Robert held him back. Don realized that he had to get his emotions in order and gave in. He closed his eyes and pursed his lips. He looked ready to cry. Tabatha and Walden cast one last look back to us just before they were taken out the door. Their faces held total misery. Don reached a hand out, as if he could pull them back into the room. When only five more men in fedoras remained in the room, the band’s drummer looked to them.

“You four, search the rest of the castle and round up any others that we may have missed.” He ordered.

The four men he spoke to left the room in a hurry. The drummer turned to the last remaining man.

“As for you. I want you to find that traitor, Florence Escar, and bring him to me. I have plans for him.” He said menacingly.

The man nodded and hurried out of the room as well. The drummer turned to address the rest of the room.

“On behalf of the mafia, I’d like to thank you all for your time.” He said with a sly wink at all the guests.

He then spun on his heel and faced the Queen.

“It was such a pleasure meeting you, Queen Yuka.” The man said with venomous sarcasm in his voice.

The Queen was fighting back the urge to say something.

“What is your name?” She asked.

The man chuckled and scratched his chin.

“The name’s Artemis Blaine.” He said.

The Queen leered at him angrily.

“Oh, and Queen Yuka?” He asked.

“What is it?” She snapped.

“May I give you a word of advice?” He asked.

Queen Yuka looked at him suspiciously.

“Go ahead.” She said.

“Never trust the word of a mafia member.” He said with a wink.

Just as I was wondering why he said that, he aimed his flintlock at a red curtain across the room. The curtain was translucent and I could see the outline of a shape behind it. I knew what it was. Without giving it a second thought, I grabbed the two people nearest me; Robert and Don and dragged them to the ground.

“Everyone get down!” I screamed.

The drummer began to run out the door of the ball room. He fired his flintlock over his shoulder and shot at whatever was behind the curtain. Just as the man left the room, a thunderous explosion sounded, shattering glass cups, splintering the wooden tables and sending everything that wasn’t secured to something flying across the room. Several more explosions sounded. He set off the explosive charges! Each explosion ripped its way through the air, sending tables, glass fragments, food, silver platters and other objects flying through the air. The explosions rattled me and I was nearly hit by a table that was thrown across the room on multiple occasions. Several more explosions sounded, they sounded more far off. I realized that there was only one explanation for explosions sounding farther off; the explosives were planted in the balconies high above us. They would blow the roof out! We would be crushed by the rubble if we didn’t get out of here!

“We need to get out of this ball room!” I shouted, getting to my feet and hauling Don and Robert up as well.

“She’s gone… They took her…” Don said distantly.

I grabbed Don’s shoulders and wrung them until his eyes focused on me.

“Don! Snap out of it! We’ll sort that out later, right now we need to move!” I shouted at him.

The distant look in his eyes faded and he snapped back to reality. He nodded.

“Okay, okay let’s get a move on.” He said.

Another explosion shook the room. This one sent a few large pieces of the ceiling down. Thankfully, no one was underneath it when it hit the ground. The guests started screaming and running to the door. Macalister and the others ran over to us.

“The roof is collapsing!” Ceberus shouted.

“We need to get everyone out of here!” William said urgently.

“I think they have that under control.” Macalister said, pointing to the countless guests who were running out the door.

“Let’s follow their lead!” Francella said nervously.

We took off running towards the door. I heard a gunshot. Another explosion sounded.

“That’s odd, the last few explosions have come at unusual intervals.” Ceberus observed.

“There must be another gunman setting off the explosives that weren’t triggered by the main blast.” William added.

“That gives us all the more motivation to get the heck out of here!” Erin urged.

We finally made it to the door. We started piling out, although it was difficult because all the guests were screaming and shoving each other around, trying to get out of the ball room first. I walked into the swarm of people, making sure that everyone else was right behind me. I broke through the crowd and out into the hallway. The others were all with me, except for Don. He was falling behind and was still in the ball room. No one else was with him. It looked like he had let everyone else out into the hall before he went himself. Just then, four things happened in a quick succession;

Don tripped, a flintlock shot sounded, followed by an explosion. This explosion knocked a section of the ceiling down that blocked the door! Don was now trapped in the ball room!

Chapter Forty Four Aftermath:

Thursday July 1st 1690

“We need to get Don out of there!” I shouted.

“How will we do that? There is at least three hundred pounds of fallen ceiling between us and Don!” Ceberus exclaimed.

“If we all work together, we can push it out of the way.” William suggested.

Macalister rolled up the sleeves of his tuxedo, revealing his bulging muscles.

“Let’s get Don out.” He said.

He then ran at the piece of fallen ceiling that blocked the door and began to push against it. The rest of us pushed as well. The piece of ceiling began to budge and it rolled out of the way after a few seconds.

“It’s a good thing we have you, Macalister.” Martha said.

Macalister grinned in appreciation. Don stood in the ball room alone. When he saw that we had moved the piece of ceiling, he ran out into the hall with us.

“Thanks, you guys.” He said, out of breath.

“Hey, it’s what we’re here for.” Robert laughed.

While we were all happy for our little reunion, Queen Yuka was furious. She was now surrounded by guards that were elsewhere in the castle at the time of the explosions. The gunman in the ballroom must have been long gone by now.

“I want everything we have on the mafia put to use! Every guard we can spare! Every piece of information! Every resource! We are going to bring down the mafia!” She shouted.

I noticed how she didn’t say ‘Vampire Mafia’ because she was in front of all her guests. Then again, the drummer didn’t say ‘Vampire Mafia’ either. He did a good job of hiding the fact that he was from the Vampire Mafia.

“Is there any way to identify the mafia members?” A guard asked.

“The only sort of uniform I saw was a white fedora. Each of the mafia members wore one.” Queen Yuka answered.

While Queen Yuka talked to her guards, Estaire walked over to my friends and I.

“I noticed they took some of your friends. Are you okay?” She asked me.

“It’s not me you should be asking.” I whispered, pointing to Don, who was sitting on the floor with his head in his hands.

Estaire nodded and walked over to him. She sat down and whispered in his ear. Don would nod or shake his head every few seconds. Shortly after Estaire got up and walked back to me.

“My feeling was right. Something bad did happen.” She said numbly.

I nodded, feeling just as numb as her.

“Listen, if there’s anything I can do to help, if you need someone to talk to, I’m here. All you need to do is ask.” Estaire offered.

I grinned. Estaire may be Queen Yuka’s daughter, but she certainly didn’t act like her mother.

“Thanks, Estaire.” I said.

“Any time. That’s what friends are for, right?” She asked.

I chuckled and nodded. Estaire left me and went across the hall to talk to someone. I saw Don clench his fists and stand up.

“We need to get them back.” He said.

We all knew who he was talking about.

“I know, but we can’t do that right now.” Robert said.

“And why not? I saw we march over there, kill every last person between us and our friends and we take them back!” Don shouted, thrusting a fist into the air.

“Don, be rational about this!” Robert urged.

“We can’t march into the mafia’s base for a number of reasons. One, we don’t have a clue as to where they are. Two, we’d be outnumbered and outgunned. Three, even if we did have more people to help us, they have magic users on their side. We’d be killed.” Ceberus reasoned.

Don nodded, his fists still clenched.

“They took our friends away from us. Doesn’t that make you mad?” Don asked, looking to everyone.

“Yes, it makes me mad. Heck, it makes me furious! But we can’t get them back now. We can and will get them back, but not now.” Erin said.

“I agree. We’ll get them back, but we’ll need help.” Raymond said.

“We can ask Queen Yuka to spare some of her guards. After all, the mafia took people from her as well.” Stella suggested.

William shook his head.

“We could do that, but we need to know where the mafia is hiding first. Once we know that, then we can get Queen Yuka’s support.” William said.

“The Queen should be sending a scouting party out fairly soon to try and track down the mafia. When they report back, we can go with the attack party that she’ll send. Then we’ll get our friends back.” Ceberus said with absolute certainty.

“Yes. As much as I dislike Walden, we can’t leave him in the custody of the mafia.” Martha said.

Hearing Martha say that made me remember a question that I had been waiting to ask for a while.

“Why is it that you don’t like Walden? You, Ceberus and William seem… Hostile towards him.” I asked.

Martha pursed her lips, ready to answer.

“Walden is annoying, obsessed with his magic, cocky and he puts people in danger. Plus, he can’t make up his mind about what he wants. I’m sure you’ve heard about the debt he owes Walden.” She quickly said.

“Yes, I’ve heard of the debt. Be that as it may, Walden is pretty funny, he’s good for more than a few jokes and he lightens the mood.” I argued.

Francella saw what was happening and stepped in.

“Guys, you have your difference in opinion about Walden. So what? There’s no need to argue. Things are tense enough already.”

Martha and I backed off from each other.

“You’re right, Francella.” She said.

Ceberus cleared his throat, by the sound of it he was very agitated by this.

“Anyhow, I’ll go to Queen Yuka right now to ask if there’s anything we can do to… Speed this up.” He said.

“I’ll go with you.” William volunteered.

Ceberus nodded.

“Thanks.” He said.

He and William got up and walked off in the direction of the throne room. The Queen had finished talking to the guards and was most likely there. As they both entered the hallway that led to the throne room, I turned to the others.

“Like Ceberus said. We’ll get our friends back soon enough.” I said.

“It’s just so unexpected! I mean, we heard about the mafia, but we didn’t expect them to attack!” Erin exclaimed.

“I know, they must have been planning that for a while.” Raymond said.

“By the sounds of it, they had inside help.” Francella added.

“But where did they get the explosives?” Macalister asked.

“Who knows? The black market, arms dealers, maybe they even made them.” Robert said.

“Now, what do they want with magic users?” Stella asked.

“I don’t know. Whatever it is, it can’t be good.” Erin said.

I ran my fingers through my brown hair and groaned.

“The Queen wants magic users, the Vampire Mafia wants magic users, we just don’t know why.” I said.

“I have a feeling that when we do find out, we’ll wish we didn’t.” Don said grimly.

Just then, Ceberus and William returned from the throne room.

“Good news. The Queen said that she’ll put us on the search party. She says that we can’t waste time sending a scouting party and an attack party separately, it would risk too many lives. Instead she is sending a search party that will take up arms against the mafia once they find them. The objective is to get our people out alive. The secondary objective is to kill as many mafia members as possible.” William announced.

“Good. When do we leave?” Don asked with urgency, standing up.

“Easy, not all of us can go.” Ceberus said.

“Why not?” Don asked, sounding thoroughly annoyed.

“Because we need some people here to keep an eye on things. Robert told me of the newest shipment of magic users that the Queen received. Maybe the mafia took them, maybe they didn’t. The point is that there could still be a dark magic user lurking around. We can’t let the mafia or the Queen get their hands on it.” William said.

Don nodded in understanding.

“I hate to do this, but I’ll be choosing who stays behind.” Ceberus said.

“We both agreed to only take those of you who have experience in dangerous situations like this.” William explained.

He paused for a moment.

“Martha, Erin, Raymond and Francella. You’ll all be staying here to monitor things.” He continued.

Before anyone could complain, Ceberus jumped in.

“We’re only doing this for your safety.” He said.

The people whose names he called didn’t complain.

“Stella, your ability to listen in on others’ conversations without being noticed will be invaluable. Robert, Don, Macalister and Redmond. It’s my understanding that you four have experience in things like this.” William said.

Robert nodded.

“Yes, indeed we do.” He said.

“With Ceberus and I the age that we are, we can’t move around or fight like we used to be able to. That’s why we’re sending you along with the search party.” William told us.

“We won’t let you down. We’ll make sure that everyone else is brought back safely.” Don said.

“I second that.” Stella said.

I couldn’t help but notice that Don seemed sad and angry that Tabatha was taken. Of course, who wouldn’t be? But Don seemed more affected by it than the rest of us. He also seemed more eager to rescue her and the others than the rest of us. Did he have feelings for Tabatha? She had danced with him at the ball and had even been building up their relationship for a while now. Did Don finally see it? Ceberus grinned.

“Good. I’m glad you four joined us in the first place. Good luck.” He said.

“When do we leave?” Don asked, all business.

“Queen Yuka is sending the search party into Valgate at first light. She says that the appropriate protective equipment such as weapons and anything else you may need will be supplied, but bringing your own supplies was permitted.” William told him.

“Great. We’ll be ready.” Don told him.

“Okay, you five should rest up. You have a big day tomorrow.” Martha said, sounding like a mother.

“Okay. Thanks Martha.” Stella said.

“We’re going to free the others tomorrow.” Macalister said to himself with a stupid grin.

After saying our good nights, Robert, Don Macalister, Stella and I went to our rooms. Lawrence was waiting for me in my room.

“Sir! Thank goodness you are alright! I heard the explosions. Apparently the mafia attacked!” He exclaimed.

“Yes, they did. They took some people out of the room and took them somewhere. They kidnapped some people who are very close to me. I’m on Queen Yuka’s search party and I’m leaving at first light to hunt down the mafia.” I said.

Lawrence nodded in understanding.

“You are very brave, sir. Just be careful. I understand that you need to go and why, but do not let your anger towards the mafia cloud your judgement.” He advised.

“I won’t, thanks.” I said.

Lawrence backed out of my room.

“Oh, Lawrence?” I called.

He reappeared in the doorway.

“Can you wake me up before dawn tomorrow?” I asked.

He nodded.

“Of course, sir.” He said.

He left the room. I layed back in my bed, crawling beneath the blankets. So many thoughts bounced around in my head. What did the mafia want? Why did they want magic users? What was their purpose? Their overall goal? Eventually I fell asleep, thinking that I’d find the answers to those questions soon enough.

***

Chapter Forty Five Search and Rescue:

Friday July 2nd 1690

I was awoken by someone shaking me by the shoulder.

“Wake up, sir.” Lawrence said quietly.

I nodded and got up, remembering my task of hunting down the Vampire Mafia.

“I overheard some of Queen Yuka’s guards talking to your friends. There is a meeting in the throne room for all members of the search party in ten minutes.” Lawrence said.

“Thanks.” I said tiredly.

I got up and grabbed my flintlock, the flask of gunpowder and my two remaining bullets. I then went over to where I kept my knife and dagger. I decided to take the knife with the inscription. It was cleaner, sharper and in better condition than my dagger. I turned for the door.

“Sir?” Lawrence asked.

I stopped short, but didn’t turn around. I needed to be at that meeting. I needed to rescue my friends.

“In case I don’t see you again…” Lawrence trailed off.

I turned around and looked him in his emerald green eyes.

“Don’t get all sentimental on me, Lawrence. I’ll come back. That’s a promise.” I assured him with a grin.

I said it with so much finality and certainty that I saw him relax a little.

“I have not a single doubt.” Lawrence said with renewed confidence.

“I should hope not. Good bye, Lawrence.” I said.

“Good bye.” He said, almost forlornly.

I walked out of the room and made my way to the throne room. I saw two guards positioned outside the door when I arrived. They both stepped aside and they each gave me a salute. I walked forward and pushed the door open. Inside I saw Queen Yuka and Princess Estaire both sitting on top of their thrones. Bowing before them were Stella, Robert, Don, Macalister and a few law enforcement officers. The law enforcement officers had swords in scabbards on their hips. On the far left side of the room was a pile of armor, weapons and other supplies. I went forward and bowed before the Queen and Princess. A few moments later, the Queen spoke.

“You may rise. Good morning to you all. You are gathered here today to form a search party, a task force if you will, to retrieve the people that the mafia stole from us.” She began.

We all rose and cheered and thrust our fists in the air. Queen Yuka’s slate grey eyes bore into us. After a few seconds, we stopped.

“Your task is to find the mafia’s base of operations, infiltrate it, free everyone who was taken and destroy the base.” The Queen said.

Everyone in the room except Queen Yuka and Estaire looked to each other. Some donned grins, others bore frowns of worry.

“We are now at war with the mafia, people. Might I just say that you are all very brave to oppose such a force. Now everyone, look to your left, then look to your right.” Queen Yuka ordered.

We all did so. I saw my friends, as well as the law enforcement officers. I saw worry, doubt and even passion in all of their eyes.

“Everyone you see here today may not survive this mission. Some of you may not see the day that you return here. The mafia is ruthless and will kill you without hesitation. I know not all of you are killers, but to remove any doubts it you may have; It’s you or them.” The Queen said.

I heard a few growls of approval, some whimpers of fear.

“To your left, you will see an array of supplies. Each and every item in that pile is available to you to take in this mission. Go now and arm yourselves. But to avoid attracting the mafia’s attention, you law enforcement officers must remove your uniforms.” The Queen ordered.

The law enforcement officers obeyed and removed their armor. We all went to the pile and I examined the supplies. There were multiple red sticks with fuses on the ends. They were tied tightly together in bundles of three. The words; Extremely Explosive were printed in black block letters on the shaft of each stick. These must be for destroying the mafia’s base. I saw everyone taking a bundle of explosives each, so I took one myself. I also grabbed a package of matches. I also saw flasks of gunpowder and a box of bullets. I took a few handfuls of bullets and stuck them in my pocket. I filled up on gunpowder. I saw a few swords, axes, pikes and other weapons of the kind. I didn’t know how to use any of them so I stuck with my knife and flintlock. I walked over to Queen Yuka and Princess Estaire. Everyone else finished and walked over as well.

“I see you are all in possession of the explosives. These are a fairly new innovation. We call it dynamite. Each stick is extremely explosive, so handle them with caution. Last night’s horror has confirmed that the mafia is in possession of dynamite as well, so tread carefully.” The Queen said.

“In conclusion, I wish you all the best of luck. You are all very brave and show unmatched courage by doing this. You all have my blessing on this mission.” Princess Estaire said.

“Yes, good luck to you all.” Queen Yuka told us.

The law enforcement officers all saluted the Queen and the Princess. My friends and I saluted as well. Then the officers walked to the door to the hallway. We all followed them silently. While we walked I noticed that Stella had a flintlock. I’d never seen her use one and she held it awkwardly. When we were in the hallway, one of the officers shut the door that led to the throne room. One of them, a man in his mid-twenties with black hair and brown/amber eyes stepped forward.

“Hello to you all. I’m Captain Gerald Baldwin and I’m in charge of this task force. You are required to follow any order given by myself or by my second in command, Edwin Wayde, while on this mission. Never go off on your own and try to rescue everyone. I speak for all of us when I say that the mafia stole someone from us. We will get them back, but only by being smart and working together.” Gerald said.

When he was introduced, another man in his mid-twenties with blond hair and mud colored eyes waved to us. We all nodded, acknowledging Gerald’s authority.

“Glad we’re all on the same page. Now that we’re all armed, we’re going to go into the city and look for the mafia base. Conceal your weapons and use them with caution. Civilian casualties and/or friendly fire will not be tolerated on this mission. Understood?” Gerald asked.

All the officers shouted ‘yes sir!’ My friends and I said those two words just as the officers stopped saying it.

“I see we have some newbies here. What are all your names?” Gerald asked.

My friends and I introduced ourselves briefly. Gerald nodded.

“Okay, good. I’m glad we have some courageous people outside the law enforcement department. That’s what I like to see.” Gerald praised.

“I’m Edward Finn. Nice to meet you all.” A man in his late teens with blue eyes and slicked back auburn hair said.

“Darwin Brown.” Said a man in his early twenties with orange hair and brown eyes said flatly.

I nodded, taking in their names and faces.

“Okay, now that introductions are out of the way, let’s make our way into the city.” Gerald said urgently, but still in control.

He led the way and we followed him out of the corridor, through the main entryway and out into the garden. We walked along the cobblestone path and passed the guards, who instantly opened the gate for us. They must have known that we were coming. The second gate opened just as fast. From our place I could see that the sun was just starting to rise over the horizon in the far distance. It was still dark out. We walked down the cobblestone pathway that gave way to the street.

“Stay sharp.” Gerald commanded, flipping his black bangs out of his eyes with a shake of his head.

“This is the financial district. Act natural.” Edwin said.

We made our way through town. There weren’t very many people out because it was so early. The streets were nearly deserted.

“What exactly are we looking for?” Stella asked.

“Keep your eye out for anything suspicious, anything out of the ordinary.” Darwin advised.

“And make sure you point out anyone wearing a white fedora.” Edward reminded.

“Got it.” Stella replied.

We walked passed various buildings like taverns, blacksmith shops, inns, weapon and armor shops, herbalist shops and medical supply stores. We found no place that could be used as the mafia’s base. We made it all the way to the other end of the financial district with no luck at all.

“Do you think we should go outside the gates? Maybe they have a camp out there.” Macalister asked.

“That’s unlikely. Even if they did, it’d take us ages to find. Let’s do another run of the city.” Edwin said.

Gerald nodded and led us to another part of the city.

“We just came out of the financial district of the city. We’re heading to the residential district now.” Gerald explained.

“Captain Baldwin?” Edward asked.

“What is it, Finn?” Gerald asked.

“Should we split up, cover more ground?” He asked.

“No. We can’t risk being picked off. We stay together.” Gerald said with finality.

Without another word, Edward walked on. We began seeing less stores and more houses. There were apartments as well as smaller, detached dwellings. I also saw a law enforcement headquarters building. There were probably more throughout the city. The buildings around us were very close together, but there were small alleys in between them.

“Watch those alleys. They could hold more than just trash and rats.” Gerald advised.

I cautiously peered down every alley we crossed until we exited the residential district. As the houses and apartments faded, I began to notice several larger buildings, as well as four smaller ones.

“What is this place?” Stella asked.

“The political district.” Edward replied.

“The larger buildings you see are for managing foreign relations. The four smaller buildings are the embassies for the other four provinces.” Darwin said.

I looked around and saw a few museums. I wasn’t sure if they were political museums or not, and I didn’t care to find out. We walked through the political district.

“Valgate is huge.” Don remarked, looking around in awe.

“You all fresh into the city?” Darwin asked.

“We just arrived several days ago.” Robert told him.

“I see. Well, it’s a shame you’re not here to sightsee.” Gerald chuckled.

We continued on through the political district but still found nothing out of the ordinary.

“Sir, should we retrace our steps back to where we began and search the other districts?” Edward asked.

“Yes, that’d be a good idea.” Gerald said with a nod.

“Finding the mafia’s base will be like finding a needle in a haystack.” Stella groaned.

“We’ll find where they’re hiding. We’ll get everyone back.” Macalister said with certainty.

“That’s what I like to hear!” Praised Gerald.

Gerald started to lead us back to the castle. We walked up the same roads we used to get here. No wonder either, the city was huge! As we were entering the financial district, I saw a mass of people gathering. In the town square. They were all surrounding a wooden cross about seven feet tall. They were all shouting things, but we were too far away to hear. My mind dreaded what this might be. As we came closer, I heard what the people were saying.

“Burn the witch!” One man said.

“Make her suffer!” A woman screamed.

I struggled to peer through the mass of people.

“You don’t need to do this!” A woman screamed.

The witch. This was a public execution. A witch was being burned at the stake.

“Your kind doesn’t belong here! They don’t belong anywhere!” A man yelled.

There was a roar of approval from the crowd. I then heard the sound of breaking glass. I jumped up and just barely saw over the heads of the crowd. They were throwing bottles of alcohol at the foot of the cross. They would soon ignite it and the witch would be killed.

“Please don’t kill me!” The witch begged.

“We have to help her!” Stella hissed in a low whisper.

Just then I caught sight of a lone figure walking up the road in front of us about two hundred feet away. I then noticed something peculiar about the figure. It was wearing a white fedora!

“Captain Baldwin! That person up there!” I said, pointing it out.

“It’s wearing a white fedora!” Edwin exclaimed.

“No! We can’t just let this witch die!” Stella objected.

This was a very difficult decision: Free an innocent witch at the expense of letting a guilty mafia member get away, or catch the mafia member at the expense of the young witch’s life.

“We saved one, we can save another.” Don said.

“We can’t afford to let this man get away!” Edwin said.

“Edwin! There is a life on the line!” Darwin said.

As if on cue, the witch screamed again.

“The life of a witch.” Edwin countered, regardless of the witch’s pleas for mercy.

“Listen, I know you aren’t fond of witches after… Your parents… but you need to put your prejudice aside!” Darwin told him firmly.

“If we let this witch die, we’ll catch the mafia member!” Edwin shouted.

“If we save this witch, we’ll have saved an innocent life and we’ll be able to find the mafia another day!” Darwin yelled at him.

“We can’t do both, and I vote that we catch the mafia member!” Edwin said.

“Edwin! What’s more important here? Catching the mafia member, or saving the life of a witch?” Robert asked.

“Catching the mafia member, now let’s go!” Edwin said coldly.

“Edwin, saving the witch is the humane thing to do. And besides, didn’t we swear to protect the innocent and convict the guilty?” Edward asked.

A cold, blank look came into Edwin’s eye.

“Fine. I’ll help you save that witch only because it would go against the code of honor otherwise. However if I find out that witch is guilty, she’ll wish she died on that pyre today.” He said viciously.

Chapter Forty Six Edwin’s Choice:

Friday July 2nd 1690

Edwin ran through the crowd, pushing and shoving people out of the way. We were all right behind him. When we broke to the front of the crowd, we saw that one of the men held a flintlock and had it aimed at the puddle of alcohol that now covered the foot of the cross and the surrounding area.

“Stop! Vulrock Law Enforcement! Who authorized this execution!?” Edwin shouted in rage.

I couldn’t tell if he was angry at the fact that he was forced to rescue the witch by his code of honor, or at the fact that he was actually doing it.

“We don’t need authorization! This is a witch! An abomination of nature!” A man shouted.

“Who said you don’t need authorization? On second thought, I don’t care. If anything like this ever happens again in the future, anyone responsible for the execution will be executed themselves! Understand?” Edwin seethed.

That thought hit home. All the spectators and the man with the flintlock broke into a run and scattered. The witch was the only one in sight.

The witch looked to be fifteen and was wearing witch clothes that were blue with white trim. She carried no wand or staff. Her hair was Dark, rich orange. Her eyes were sapphire blue. She was a little taller than me and her skin tone was pale, like Tabatha’s.

She was hyperventilating. She had her hands tied to the cross behind her back and she looked around frantically. She began sobbing, her shoulders heaving as she did so.

“Thank y-you so m-much!” She stuttered through sobs.

Edwin and Gerald walked over and untied her. She collapsed into Edwin’s arms, still sobbing.

“You take her.” He said to Gerald, barely keeping the disgust out of his voice.

He passed the witch to Gerald and he took her without complaint. They both walked back to us and Gerald put the witch on her feet.

“Are you alright?” Edward asked with concern.

The only reply we received her sobs. Stella came forward and kneeled down in front of the girl.

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe now, alright?” She said soothingly, gently embracing the witch.

The witch nodded, but continued sobbing.

“Do you want to tell me your name?” Stella asked kindly.

The witch looked up, tears soaked her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

“M-my name is Alice.” The witch said, starting to calm down.

“Alice, that’s a good name.” Stella said soothingly, rubbing Alice’s back and pushing her dark orange hair out of her face.

“We don’t have time for this!” Edwin spat.

Edward turned to him and looked him in the eye. He spoke in an even, level voice.

“Edwin, we can’t just leave her here. What if those people come back?” Edward asked.

Edwin shook his head and rubbed his temples.

“Alright, I get it.” He said.

He turned to Alice. He was working not to allow venom into his gaze.

“Why were those people trying to kill you?” Edwin asked.

“Because I’m a witch.” Came Alice’s flat answer.

“Really? You didn’t commit any crimes?” Edwin challenged.

“Edwin…” Gerald said warningly.

“No! What? Just because I’m a witch, you think I’m guilty of a crime? You’re no better than those people!” Alice shot back.

I saw Alice move towards Edwin threateningly. Thankfully, Gerald got between them.

“Okay, that’s enough. Darwin, Edward, escort Alice back to the castle. Make sure she’s treated well. We’ll wait for you here. When you come back we’ll see if we can pick up on the mafia’s trail.” Gerald said.

“It’s about time…” Edwin muttered.

“Yes sir!” Edward and Darwin said in unison.

They both saluted and took Alice back up the road to the castle.

“Thank you all for making the right choice.” Stella said.

“It was the humane choice. How could we not?” Robert asked.

“It’s too bad the mafia man got away.” Macalister fretted.

“We only had two choices there. We made the right one.” Don reassured Macalister.

Macalister nodded, but kept his eyes cast downward.

“We’ll get everyone back, Macalister. Don’t worry.” Gerald said.

“I know.” Macalister said.

“I wonder what type of magic she can use.” Don said.

I shrugged, thinking of the possibilities.

“She could be any combination of all the magic types.” I said.

“I don’t see how anyone can marvel over a witch.” Edwin spat.

“Why do you hate witches so much?” Macalister asked.

He must not have heard the bit about his parents. Edwin’s face grew dark. His eyes became sunken and dead looking.

“One night when I was a boy, my parents were playing with me outside. We lived in the country, so we had lots of room. It was dusk, just before sunset. A woman came up to our house. I can’t remember her face, but she was young, in her early teens. She claimed that she needed help. My parents and I took her in, gave her some food, medicine and water for her travels. She thanked us and turned away. She then turned back and attacked us. I don’t remember what spells she used exactly, but there was black light and dark swirls of magic everywhere. She killed my parents. I managed to escape. I ran as fast as I could, as far as I could. I made it all the way to the gates of Riverguard, which is where I collapsed from exhaustion. I was taken in by some relatives who lived in town. I’ve hated witches ever since.” Edwin explained.

We all stood in silence, stricken by his tale.

“I’m sorry Edwin.” Stella said, her blue eyes glistening with the hint of tears.

“What kind of witch has that kind of power?” Macalister asked.

“A dark magic witch. Remember? Tabatha explained how dark magic users can kill people easily.” Don said.

Edwin growled, snarling his lip.

“I don’t care what kind of witch it was. They’re all the same.” He said with fiery anger.

Just then, Edward and Darwin came walking back down the road. They made good time, too. They walked over to us.

“Hey everyone, Alice is safe. We made sure Queen Yuka will take good care of her. Are we ready to head out?” Edward asked.

“I want to get on the mafia’s trail as soon as possible.” Darwin added.

“Yes, good work men. Let’s go, we have a mafia base to find.” Gerald said with a grin.

Chapter Forty Seven Captured:

Friday July 2nd 1690

Tabatha, Antoinette and Walden sat in a cell together. They didn’t know where they were. Shortly after being kidnapped from Queen Yuka’s castle the night before during Princess Estaire’s ball, they were brought to a group of men wearing white fedoras at the front gates of the castle who put burlap sacks over their heads. The sacks were removed when they arrived at this place, which is assumed to be the mafia’s base. When they were taken here, they were brought before a witch. She put a spell on them that weakened their magic to a point where it was virtually useless. The witch explained that she was loyal to the mafia, and that the spell only allowed them to use magic when she wanted them to. She explained that the mafia would have uses for their magic. For this reason, every magic user was allowed to keep their wands, staffs and other magical items. All the other magic users had the same spell put on them as well. From what can be seen from the cell, they have seen that they are in a stone hallway lined with cells, each cell had witches, warlocks and fairies in them. The metal bars on the cells were too close together, so fairies couldn’t fit through. Torches hung on the walls. There was a lock on the outside of every cell. The cells were small, too. They could only fit a maximum of five people by the looks of it. In the corner of their cell, Antoinette sat in a corner, hugging her knees.

“What are we going to do?” She fretted.

“Geez, I don’t know. I mean, what can we do? We have almost no magic power thanks to that witch! And I can’t believe that mafia man saw through my invisibility spell back at the ball! How’d he do that?” Walden snapped.

“We already know the mafia has witches and possibly warlocks loyal to them. Maybe they had spells put on them so they could see fairies?” Antoinette asked, panicking.

“Everyone calm down, we can find a way out of this. Besides, I’m sure the others are looking for us. Queen Yuka may even send a search party out. After all, the mafia stole people from her, too.” Tabatha said.

“Tabatha, I’m sorry I couldn’t teach you any spells back at the castle, I could only teach you to resist illusion magic.” Antoinette sighed.

“Don’t sweat it, Antoinette. Like I said, Queen Yuka will probably send out a search party.” Tabatha said.

“Yeah. I’m sure your knight in shining armor will come and rescue you.” Walden joked.

They both knew who Walden was talking about. Antoinette was clueless.

“Knight in shining armor? Who’s he talking about, Tabatha?” Antoinette asked.

“It’s nobody.” She said, brushing her off.

“I’m talkin’ about her crush, Don.” Walden chuckled.

Tabatha shot him a glare. He shrank back into the far corner of the cell.

“Fine, I have feelings for someone. That’s not a crime.” Tabatha said while crossing her arms over her chest.

Walden just chuckled, Antoinette showed support.

“Good for you, Tabatha. Does he know?” She asked.

Tabatha nodded, scratching her head and ruffling her deep burgundy hair.

“I think he does. I’ve been dropping hints and I danced with him at the ball.” Tabatha explained.

“That’s really sweet, I’m happy for you.” Antoinette said sincerely, pushing her black hair back behind her neck.

“Fireball!” Walden suddenly called from his corner of the cell.

A few tiny sparks flew from his hands. They extinguished as soon as they hit the cool metal of the cell’s bars. Tabatha sighed.

“Walden, you’ve tried that a million times already! It’s not going to work!” She said in frustration.

“That witch used a powerful, complex spell. My illusion magic doesn’t work on the guards, and I’m a pure illusion magic witch!” Antoinette exclaimed.

“You’re a witch, can’t you use your witchiness to counter-witch the witch that put the spell on you?” Walden asked.

Antoinette chuckled, shaking her head and grinning slightly.

“It doesn’t work like that, Walden.” Antoinette said.

“You use magic, you should know that.” Tabatha said.

“Hey, I was joking. Geez.” Walden said while flying over to Tabatha.

“I wonder how the others are doing.” Tabatha said.

Just then, a very loud clang! Filed the air. The sound repeated five or six more times then stopped.

“Meal time! Proceed to the mess hall in an orderly fashion!” A man’s voice yelled.

Just then, several guards came down the hallway and unlocked all the cells, one by one. When the guard came to their cell, they saw that he had a short sword on his hip in a scabbard. Tabatha, Antoinette and Walden eyed him strangely.

“You guys are the new arrivals, huh?” He asked.

They all nodded but said nothing.

“Right. Follow me.” He said.

The guard lead them out into the hall and turned right. The guard was in front of them. Just as Tabatha was thinking of grabbing Antoinette and Walden and making a break for it, a guard appeared behind her. He carried a spear. They had stone walls beneath, above and on both sides of them with guards to their front and backs. They were trapped, with nothing to do but follow the guard in front of them. They looked around and saw other prisoners in much the same positions. Everyone was being lead to the mess hall. Soon enough, the narrow corridor that held the cells gave way to a large room. Torches hung from the walls to provide light. Tables dotted the floor. There was a small, circular stage in the center of the room and near the back of the room was a large counter that ran the length of the room. Several people stood being the counter and there was already a line forming. That must be where everyone got food. The guard shoved them into line and walked off. They noticed that guards wearing white fedoras were now standing around the perimeter of the room, probably to prevent an uprising or a riot during meal times.

Finally after waiting for a few minutes, Tabatha, Walden and Antoinette were next in line. They grabbed wooden plates from a nearby pile and they picked up some utensils. They walked over to one of the men serving food and held their plates up. The man scooped some vegetables and meat onto their plates. They moved down the line and received a cup of water each. They also were given muffins. The three walked over to an empty table and sat down. The sound of chatter filled the air.

“They captured us, but they aren’t treating us like total prisoners.” Antoinette observed.

“Yeah. You know, if you exclude the bit regarding the cells and whatnot.” Walden said joked.

“What’s going on? Why are we here?” Antoinette wondered aloud.

“I don’t know, but I’m pretty hungry.” Walden said as he bit into his muffin.

A strange expression came across his face as he swallowed.

“What’s wrong?” Tabatha asked.

“The muffin, it tastes funny.” Walden said, scrunching his nose.

Tabatha frowned skeptically and bit into her own muffin. Antoinette watched in curiosity.

“It does taste funny.” She said.

“It has that unnatural, sweet taste. Yet it’s also somehow bitter. It’s actually pretty good once you get past it.” Walden said in understanding.

Antoinette bit into her own muffin. No sooner did she do that, she spit it out.

“Antoinette! That’s gross!” Tabatha said scolding.

“Don’t eat any more!” Antoinette said, smacking away her friends’ muffins.

“Antoinette! What did you do that for?” Tabatha asked, irritated.

“Yeah! What gives?” Walden asked.

Antoinette’s expression was one of nervousness.

“The food, it’s cursed!” She blurted.

Thankfully no one else heard her. That would have started a riot for sure.

“What do you mean?” Tabatha asked, anxiety crept into her voice.

“The food, that strange taste is the taste of magical residue. I know the taste, my friends used to use the same spell on my food when I was a kid.” Antoinette said.

“What’re ya getting’ at here?” Walden asked.

“The food has a spell put on it to weaken the power of magic. The witch we were taken to, her spell only held off our magic for a short time so we couldn’t escape when we got here. Now they are feeding us food imbued with the same spell.” Antoinette explained.

Tabatha looked down to her food in horror.

“You mean… They’re feeding us food that’ll weaken our magic?” Tabatha asked.

“Yes.” Antoinette said grimly.

“It’s not like they’re gonna feed us normal food as long as we’re here. That means…” Walden trailed off.

“That means that our magic will be constantly weakened as long as we eat.” Antoinette answered.

Walden looked around frantically, he started hyperventilating.

“That… That’s horrible! What’re we gonna do!?” He asked in a panic, raking his hands through his green hair.

Tabatha looked at him, she was calm.

“Walden, calm down. We’ll figure this out. We have no choice but to eat the food, so we’ll just play along like we don’t know anything.” She said.

Walden started to calm down. He nodded slowly.

“Okay, okay. We’ll figure this out.” He said, repeating Tabatha’s words.

In the center of the room, they could see a man walk onto stage. They recognized the man. He raised his hand, signalling for silence. Everyone in the room went silent.

“Thank you all for your cooperation.” The man said.

There was silence. The man continued.

“I introduced myself to the Queen of Vulrock before you all were brought here, but for those of you who don’t know me my name is Artemis Blaine.” He said.

There was a slight unrest upon hearing his name. Walden looked nervously around the room and saw men glaring at him angrily, some of the women were, too.

“Now, you all may be wondering who, specifically speaking, I am. To answer that, I am a highly ranking member of the mafia. I was ordered to capture you. I can’t tell you why just yet, but believe me when I tell you that by being here today, voluntarily or not, you are about to be a part of something great.” Artemis said, pushing some of his light brown hair out of his face.

There was now a murmur of voices and whispers. Most people looked skeptical, some looked angry. Some just looked downright confused.

“I know that you all are wondering where you are. You are underground. Where, I can’t tell you. You are in an underground complex. There are people working around the clock to expand the complex, and it grows larger every day. We have guards posted on every exit, so don’t even think about trying to escape.” Artemis boasted.

“They have the place secluded underground and guarded, they must really not want us to leave.” Walden whispered.

“Well, that’s everything for now. You all will be notified when your skills are needed. Until then, enjoy your meal.” Artemis said as he walked off stage.

No guards accompanied him, but the ones around the room watched him and those around him closely. When he was halfway between the stage and the guards, a man ran at him. He was dressed in a robe, so he was most likely a warlock. He stopped running when we was about ten feet away from Artemis.

“You took me away from my friends!” The warlock yelled.

The guards started to run towards him, but Artemis held up his and. They stopped, but seemed reluctant. Artemis smirked.

“Indeed I did.” He said.

The warlock ran at him with a scream of rage. Artemis didn’t even flinch. He stood calm, spun around and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the warlock’s head. The warlock crumpled to the ground. Artemis motioned for the guards to pick him up. Two guards came and each took an arm.

“Make sure he learns.” Artemis instructed, his pale green eyes gleaming in the torchlight.

He turned to the people in the room.

“Let that be a lesson to all of you.” He said with a tip of his white fedora.

Artemis walked to the guards and they ushered him through a door on the far left side of the room. He disappeared through the door. Tabatha eyed her muffin, which was now on the ground thanks to Walden.

“I was going to eat that too…” She said.

“Well, the food’s got a curse put on it to lower our magical power, so I wouldn’t advise it.” Walden said.

“It’s either eat or starve.” Antoinette said forlornly.

“We have no choice.” Tabatha said grimly as she ate some of her meat.

Walden dug into his vegetables. A glum look fell upon his face.

“The vegies have that weird taste, too.” He said after he swallowed.

“So does the meat.” Tabatha said.

“That’s to be expected. I mean, they have us locked up underground, guarded and they have us cursed so we can barely even use our magic. If we’re being held here and we haven’t been burned at the stake yet, then they have plans for us.” Antoinette said, cleverly reading the situation.

“Yes, didn’t the witch that put the curse on us in the first place say that the mafia had uses for our magic?” Tabatha asked.

Walden and Antoinette thought for a moment.

“Yeah, yeah she did.” Walden said, remembering the witch and her words.

“What does the mafia need our magic for?” Antoinette wondered.

“I don’t know, but based on the fact that they infiltrated Queen Yuka’s castle and killed anyone in their way just to get us, it can’t be for anything good.” Tabatha said with dread.

“Why can’t anyone just leave witches alone? I’ve seen too many fellow witches burned at the stake! Why do the humans torment us?” Antoinette asked as she started to cry.

Antoinette put her head down on the table. Tabatha put a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“Hey, it’s okay. We’ve all seen our friends burned at the stake. I’ve seen both witches and warlocks killed that way. It’s a horrible fate to meet, but there are people who care about us, there are people who are pure of heart and will risk their lives to save us from our pyres.” Tabatha said soothingly.

Antoinette lifted her head up.

“Like who?” She asked.

Tabatha smiled slightly, remembering how she was rescued from her own pyre only a week before.

“Only a week ago, I was being burned at the stake. I was out walking at night in the village of Riverguard and was ambushed by a group of witch hunters. They chased me to the outskirts of the city. I saw a cross in the ground there and tried to run a different direction, but I was hit in the head from behind and stunned. Next thing I knew I was being dragged to the cross and tied to it. When the fire was light, the flames raced towards me. I heard commotion over the roaring flames, but thought nothing of it. I felt certain that I’d die there, so I looked up to the moon, thinking it would be my last glimpse at it. I passed out, believing it was the end. When I came to, I saw a few people standing over me. It was explained to me how a man named Don rescued me.” Tabatha said.

“Is Don the one you like?” Antoinette asked.

Tabatha smiled and nodded.

“Yes. We started out rough. I teased him with my magic and made fun of him. We sort of went back and forth. One day when I flung a carrot at him with my manipulation magic, he got really mad and stormed off. I then realized how mean I had been to him. I made amends and smoothed things out. Over time I grew to like him.” Tabatha said, still smiling and occasionally fiddling with her dark burgundy hair.

“That’s very sweet, Tabatha. What kind of magic can this ‘Don’ use?” Antoinette asked.

Tabatha laughed, shaking her head.

“He can’t use magic. He’s human.” She answered.

Antoinette’s dark green eyes went wide.

“You mean, you have feelings for a human?” She asked, almost laughing.

“What’s wrong with that?” Tabatha snapped.

Antoinette giggled.

“Nothing, nothing at all.” She said.

“Well, when ya think about it, it’s sorta… Odd.” Walden added.

“A witch falling in love with a human. Now that’s a new one.” Antoinette giggled.

“Hey, I wouldn’t say I love him, I… It’s complicated.” Tabatha said.

“I get it.” Antoinette told her in support.

The sound of metal banging against metal filled the air.

“Alright, everyone stand up! Don’t leave the room without a guard! We’re going to escort you to your duties!” A guard yelled from across the room.

Tabatha, Walden and Antoinette stood up.

“It looks like we’re finally gonna see what they want with us.” Walden said.

A guard came over to their table and motioned for them to follow him. They walked after him and found that everyone was being lead through a door to the rear of the room. The magic users were finally going to see why the mafia wanted them so bad…

Chapter Forty Eight Alice:

Friday July 2nd 1690

Ceberus, William, Martha, Erin, Francella and Raymond all stood in the garden of Queen Yuka’s castle. The scent of roses was heavy on the air, as usual.

“I hope the others are okay.” Martha worried.

“Don’t worry, dear. The Scorpions as well as Stella know how to handle themselves. They went with some law enforcement officers, they’ll be fine.” Ceberus assured her.

“As for whoever was captured by the mafia, we can’t be certain of their fate. Who knows what the mafia wants with them?” William asked.

“Beats me. When did things get so complicated?” Francella asked.

“Right about the time The Scorpions came into our lives.” Raymond joked.

“Hey, look!” Erin exclaimed.

They all looked to where Erin was pointing and saw two law enforcement officers carrying a girl.

The witch looked to be fifteen and was wearing witch clothes that were blue with white trim. She carried no wand or staff. Her hair was Dark, rich orange. Her eyes were sapphire blue. She was pretty tall and her skin tone was pale. The area around her eyes was red, she had been crying.

“It’s okay, you’re safe.” One of the law enforcement officers said calmly.

The witch nodded, fighting off tears.

“What did you say your name was?” The other officer asked.

“Alice.” The witch replied, her voice still shook form whatever she was crying over.

“Thank you for rescuing me. Thank you so much!” The witch said gratefully.

“It was no trouble.” The law enforcement officer assured her.

The two officers escorted the witch into the castle, out of sight.

“Did you see that?” Francella asked.

“Did Queen Yuka’s officers actually save a witch?” Raymond asked in disbelief.

“It appears so.” Erin said, sounding just as stunned.

“Do you think the witch, Alice, can use dark magic?” Francella asked.

Ceberus shook his head.

“Not likely. Queen Yuka’s law enforcement officers wouldn’t bring a witch into the castle without good reason. Who knows? Maybe Alice agreed to become a servant to Queen Yuka.” Ceberus said.

“Probably. Although I don’t see how it matters. The Queen just got all of her magic users taken away. Who would blame her for looking for more?” Francella asked.

Raymond chuckled.

“Anyone have any ideas on what to do? It’s so boring here at the castle. The others are either captured by the mafia or out hunting the mafia. We’re just stuck here.” Raymond complained.

“Stop your complaining, Raymond. At least we’re safe.” Erin scolded.

They then heard footsteps behind them. They all turned around to see Princess Estaire walking towards them.

“Hello everyone. How are you all holding up?” She asked with compassion.

“We’re doing fine, thanks.” Martha replied.

“Some guards just brought in a witch. She seems nice. She isn’t here as a servant, she’s here as a guest. The search party rescued her from being burned at the stake.” She explained.

“I’ll bet Stella had a hand in that.” Raymond whispered to Francella.

Estaire’s eyes then widened in remembrance.

“Oh, before I forget. Have any of you seen a book lying around somewhere? It is bound in brown leather. I think I lost it last night in the chaos…” Estaire trailed off.

“No, we haven’t seen it. If we do we’ll let you know.” William said.

“Thank you.” Estaire said kindly.

“What’s in the book?” Francella asked.

Estaire looked away from the group.

“It’s nothing. Just tell me when you find it, please?” She asked.

The group looked confused and curious, but nodded.

“Whatever you say, Princess.” Erin said.

Estaire nodded.

“Thanks. I hope your friends are safe.” She said, changing the subject.

“I hope so too.” Martha said.

“It was very brave of them to go up against such a force. I gave them my blessing on their mission. Hopefully they’ll return soon.” Estaire told everyone.

“Thank you for that.” Ceberus commented.

Just then, they heard footsteps behind them. The witch who the guards had just brought in, Alice, came into view.

“Hello, Princess.” Alice greeted.

“Hello, Alice. How are you doing?” Estaire asked with concern.

“Still a little shaken up to be honest. I almost died, after all.” She replied.

Estaire then turned to the group.

“Alice, these people are friends of the ones who saved your life.” Estaire introduced.

“Well, any friend of them is a friend of mine.” Alice said with a bright smile.

After a series of quick introductions, Alice now knows everyone’s names.

“Well, you all seem like a nice group of people. It’s nice to meet all of you.” Alice said.

Alice then took a deep breath through her nose.

“Oh, Estaire. I love the smell of roses.” She said.

Estaire’s expression brightened as she cracked a big grin.

“I love roses! The way they smell, the way they look, the way they feel, everything. I had them planted in the garden as well as put throughout the castle.” Estaire replied, her unusual light violet eyes flashed with passion.

“Estaire, I’ve been meaning to ask you…” Francella started.

“Ask me what?” Estaire asked.

“Why are your eyes… Violet?” He asked with uncertainty.

Estaire looked off into the distance.

“When she was pregnant with me, my mother was not in good condition. She had gotten sick, very sick. Of course if she died, I would have died. She had her best healing magic witches and warlocks tending to her. With the help of magic, she survived and I was born. My violet eyes are the result of all the magic that was used on my mother.” Estaire explained.

The group took in the new information, and awed at her explanation.

“Estaire, that’s fascinating!” Alice said.

A pudgy young man then came running out into the garden from the castle.

“Princess! Your mother wishes to speak with you.” The man panted.

Estaire looked rather annoyed, but turned around to the man with a smile.

“Okay, thank you Herman. I’ll be right there.” She said kindly.

Herman then ran back into the castle. Estaire turned to the group.

“Well, I’d best be going. Wouldn’t want to be beheaded.” She joked with a grin.

“Okay. We’ll be seeing you later then?” William asked.

“Of course. You’re all my friends after all.” Estaire replied.

She then walked into the castle.

“I think I’ll go to my room and rest up. I still need to recuperate…” Alice said.

“I don’t blame you. It was nice meeting you, Alice.” Erin said.

“Likewise.” Alice said.

She then turned and entered the castle. The group waited in silence for a few minutes.

“Who’s up for the guest lounge?” Francella asked with a grin.

“Sure thing!” Erin replied.

The rest of the group was grinning and they walked into the castle, headed for the guest lounge. About twenty feet from the doorway, there were two dead rats!

“Eeeeww!” Erin squealed.

Ceberus walked over to the rats, examining them.

“How’d they die, Ceberus?” Raymond asked.

Ceberus leaned in, examining them closer.

“That doesn’t make sense.” He muttered.

“What is it, dear?” Martha asked, walking up behind him.

“There are no wounds on these animals.” Ceberus said confusedly.

“They haven’t been dead long, there are no flies around them.” Francella observed.

“Estaire and Alice just came through here. Wouldn’t they have called a servant to clean them up?” Erin asked.

“I’ll go get one.” Francella said, running off to find a servant.

“How did they die? There isn’t any blood, not even a wound.” Ceberus asked.

“A disease?” Raymond suggested.

Ceberus shook his head, still in deep thought.

“No, the bodies would be more… disgusting if they died of disease.” Ceberus said.

Just then, Francella returned with a servant. The servant held a burlap sack, he donned a disgusted expression. Francella pointed him towards the dead rats. He put them in the sack and tied it shut. He walked out of the castle to dispose of them.

“Everyone, I think I know what did this to those rats.” Ceberus said.

“What was it?” William asked.

“Dark magic.” Ceberus said.

Everyone gasped collectively.

“Ceberus, listen to yourself!” Martha exclaimed.

“No, think about it! Estaire left only minutes before we discovered them! She mentioned how she lost her book. She told us what it looked like, but wouldn’t tell us what was inside! That has to be her spell book! And that story about how she got her violet eyes, I bet that was false. Her eyes are violet because she’s the dark magic witch!” Ceberus said in a hushed voice.

“Estaire? Are you crazy, Ceberus?” William asked.

“Estaire’s nice, kind hearted and caring. She can’t be the dark magic witch!” Erin said.

“Well, do you have any other suspects?” Ceberus asked defensively.

Everyone thought for a moment.

“How about Alice?” Erin said.

Everyone sat there and thought about it for a moment.

“Think about it. She shows up, what? Ten minutes before we find those dead rats? What if she’s the dark magic witch?” Erin countered.

“That’s impossible! Queen Yuka’s guards brought her in themselves! They wouldn’t bring a dark magic witch to the castle.” Ceberus argued.

“What if they did?” Erin shot back.

“Sure her timing is a little suspicious, but other than that you have no proof.” Ceberus said.

Erin sagged her shoulders, defeated.

“So what do we do?” Raymond asked.

“Simple. We spy on Estaire.” He replied.

“Spy on the Princess? Have you lost your mind?” William asked.

“All the clues point to her!” Ceberus argued.

Francella sighed.

“You’re right. To ensure the safety of the group and everyone in the castle, we need to get to the bottom of this. I’ll spy on Estaire.” He said.

“What? You’re not sneaky!” Erin said.

“No, but I’m quick. If anyone sees me I’ll be out of there faster than Tabatha can hit Don in the head with a vegetable from forty feet away.” He said with a grin.

“If only Stella was here…” Raymond said.

“Well she’s not and I’m the best man for the job.” Francella said.

Ceberus sighed.

“Francella, are you sure about this?” He asked.

Francella nodded.

“Definitely.” He said.

“We can’t save you if you get into trouble. That would put us all in danger. If things hit the fan, you need to get yourself out.” Ceberus warned.

“I know, and I won’t let you down.” Francella said with absolute certainty.

Ceberus nodded, closing his eyes.

“Okay, you can do this. I believe in you.” Ceberus said.

“Okay. But just remember, Ceberus. If Estaire is proven to be innocent, I get to say ‘I told you so’.” Erin said with a grin.

“Yes, yes. Very well.” Ceberus said.

With that, Francella was off. Is Estaire the dark magic witch? If so, does Queen Yuka know it? Why would she let Estaire into the castle, if she was a dark magic witch? Wouldn’t she have been banished? Burned at the stake? No, Estaire is Queen Yuka’s daughter, she wouldn’t dare to do that, would she? Given all of the Queen’s evil deeds, it is needless to say that she has done very horrible things, but she wouldn’t kill her own daughter. Would she?

Chapter Forty Nine On The Hunt:

Saturday July 3rd 1690

We searched for the mafia member for the remainder of yesterday, the day we freed Alice from her pyre. After searching for hours, we stopped at an inn to get some rest. The law enforcement officers got themselves and the rest of us free rooms. How great was that? In the morning, we all met back down in the lobby.

“Everyone ready to get back on the hunt?” Gerald asked.

“Any time, sir.” Darwin said enthusiastically.

“Right then. Let’s get on it.” He said as he walked out the door.

We all walked back out into Valgate. It was late morning.

“We overslept.” Edwin noted.

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s go.” Gerald said, brushing him off.

“Let’s hope we have better luck than yesterday.” Don said.

“We will, I’m sure of it.” Stella said optimistically.

“Don’t expect too much. The mafia has proven to be cunning and elusive.” Edwin said.

“Always the pessimist, eh?” Edward laughed.

“I’m just being logical.” Edwin countered.

“Alright ladies, enough gabbing. Focus.” Gerald said jokingly.

We walked down the street. There was already a crowd of people in the streets.

“We should check the street the mafia man was on when we saved Alice.” Macalister suggested.

Robert and Don regarded Macalister with surprised looks.

“Macalister, that’s actually a good plan.” Don said in shock.

“Yes, well done.” Robert commended.

Macalister grinned at the praise.

“That sounds like a good idea. Why did no one suggest that before?” Edwin asked, irritated.

Edwin seemed angry today. I think it was because he rescued Alice.

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s just go.” Edward urged.

Gerald led us to the familiar area where Alice was to have been killed yesterday. I looked around to get my bearings and found the street that the mafia man was walking away from us on.

“There.” I said, indicating the street.

We walked up the cobblestones that made up the street and we looked around for any place that the mafia could be using as a base. Just then, I caught a glimpse of white in the crowd.

“Sir, over there.” Edward said, pointing to the white thing in the crowd.

I looked closer and found that the white thing was actually a fedora! A man was wearing it. He was walking away from us!

“After him.” Gerald ordered.

We all walked along after the man, blending in with the crowd. The man strode casually into a tavern. I grinned.

“We have him now.” I said.

The crowd was a pain to get through, but we made it into the tavern about a minute after the mafia man did. We walked in, casually looking around. We saw no sign of the man with the white fedora.

“Where did he go?” Macalister asked.

“He’s in here somewhere. He couldn’t have disappeared.” Robert said, looking around.

We looked around the whole place, walking around. We scanned the stools at the bar, the tables around the room, even the coat closet. Nothing.

“Where the devil is he?” Gerald asked in confusion.

“Why don’t we ask the bartender? He had to have seen the man when he came in here. Maybe he saw us coming and walked out the back door?” Robert asked.

“I like the way you think, Robert.” Gerald said with a grin.

We strode over to the bartender. He looked up at us and smiled.

“Hello! What can I get you?” He asked kindly while cleaning a glass with a cloth.

“We aren’t here for drinks. A man came in here about two minutes ago. He was wearing a white fedora. Did you see where he went?” Don asked him.

The bartender furrowed his brow and shook his head.

“No, sorry. Didn’t see any man wearing a white fedora.” He replied.

“Are you sure?” Don asked.

“I’m positive. What is your interest in this man, exactly?” The bartender asked, leaning over the bar.

“He’s a member of the mafia. We saw him come in here. He just disappeared. You sure you didn’t see him come in here?” Don asked.

“I told you already, no man with a white fedora came in here.” The bartender said defensively.

Gerald stepped up to the bar.

“As the captain in charge of the search party responsible for the mafia’s arrest, you wouldn’t mind if I looked around here, would you?” He asked.

The bartender shrugged.

“I guess not. You won’t find anything here, though.” He said.

“We’ll see.” Gerald muttered.

Gerald walked across the room, re-inspecting all the people at the stools and the tables. He inspected the coat closet again, moving objects around, looking for the man. He came out, still looking around. He walked over to the bar.

“Well, it seems that everything here checks out.” He said.

The bartender looked unfazed.

“See? I told you.” He said.

“That is, except for one thing.” Gerald said, as if remembering something.

“What is that?” The bartender asked.

“Behind the counter.” Came Gerald’s flat reply.

The bartender looked a little uncomfortable. His eyes darted around the room. He then regained his composure.

“Yes, of course.” He said, walking over and opening the little gate that opened to behind the bar.

Gerald stepped through, checking the shelves behind the bar and walking across the wooden floor. He checked everything, leaving nothing unchecked. He had almost walked completely around the inside of the bar.

“See? Everything here’s fine.” The bartender said.

Gerald nodded, still looking around. He then took one last step to complete his circle around the inside of the bar. When his foot hit the wooden floor this time, it made a slightly different sound than before. The bartender visibly winced slightly. Confused, Gerald stomped his foot against the place in the floor that made the different sound.

“It’s hollow. What is this?” Gerald demanded.

“Why, it’s the cellar, of course. Where else would I store the liquor when it’s not on the shelf?” The bartender asked.

“Do you mind if I take a look down here?” Gerald asked.

The bartender looked conflicted, but agreed.

“I suppose not.” He said, stepping aside.

Gerald reached down, finding a metal O ring and he tugged on it. He pulled it up ever so slightly, then the bartender grabbed a nearby glass bottle and broke it over Gerald’s head, knocking him to the floor, unconscious!

“They know!” The bartender shouted.

We hadn’t noticed, but the men and women in the tavern had been watching us closely. They all got up. Some had daggers, some had little axes.

“I’m afraid you’ve seen some things that you shouldn’t have seen.” The bartender told us.

“What? What’s down there?” Stella demanded.

“Sadly for you, you won’t ever find out.” The bartender answered.

“What’s going on?” Macalister asked.

“”It’s a setup! The mafia man did come in here! Everyone here is with the mafia, beneath that trap door is their base!” Robert exclaimed.

The bartender slowly clapped, looking at us with amusement.

“Oh, bravo. You’ve figured it out. Although I don’t see how it matters, seeing as none of you will leave this building alive.” The bartender said.

He then snapped his fingers and the men and women from the tavern came closer to us, readying their weapons.

“There’re twenty of them!” Darwin said.

“And eight of us.” Edwin said, drawing his sword from its sheath on his hip.

Darwin, Edward and Edwin all drew their swords as well. I readied my dagger and so did the others. The oncoming men and women didn’t slow their attack and they were now on us. A man swung his axe at me. I quickly ducked to avoid his attack. While he was recovering from his missed attack, I reeled back and punched him in the nose. I heard a crack! And blood began spewing from his nose. He cried out and clutched it with one hand, wielding his axe in the other. I didn’t want to kill anyone here if I didn’t have to, so I didn’t use my dagger. He wound up to attack me with his axe. He swung but I backed up. I rushed him while he reeled up to hit me again and gave a hard kick to his gut. He fell over backwards and I turned to another opponent, who was already coming at me. She had a dagger much like mine. She thrusted it at me and I struck her weapon with my own, knocking her attack to the side with a loud clang! And a flash of sparks. I may have been a criminal, but I still had honor. I wouldn’t strike a woman. She came back at me with her dagger. I blocked her attack with ease. She then lashed out with her fist to hit me. I caught her attack in my free hand and forced her backwards, sending her stumbling to the ground. I heard someone coming up behind me. I whirled around and saw a burly man with an axe coming at me. He swung his axe down on me, I rolled across the floor, out of the way. He came at me again. I dodged his sideways axe attack and kicked him in the gut while he was reeling back to hit me again. It didn’t faze him. He laughed and punched me square in the face, sending me sprawling and I landed on my back. The man looked down at me, a nasty grin cracked his lips. He raised his axe to finish me off…

And that was when Macalister came up behind him, grabbed him in a headlock and threw him across the room!

“Are you alright?” Macalister asked, offering me a hand up.

I took it and he pulled me to my feet.

“Yes, thanks.” I said gratefully, although my face did sting a little bit.

I looked to the others to see that they were fighting the last remaining opponents. Multiple bodies were strewn across the floor. They were all unconscious, but none of them looked to be dead. After the others dispatched their opponents, the room was still.

“Find some ropes to tie these people up with. We’ll bring them to the Queen, then we’ll come back here and investigate that trap door.” Gerald said.

“Yes sir!” Darwin exclaimed as he searched the room for rope.

We all began our search. I checked the supply closet and found a coil there. I brought it to Gerald.

“Perfect.” He said as I handed it to him.

He used his sword to cut off manageable amounts and he tied some of the mafia members’ hands behind their backs.

“Found more rope, sir.” Darwin said as he handed it to Gerald.

Gerald took it and cut off more pieces. Eventually, we had all the mafia members tied up.

“Okay, we need to take these men to Queen Yuka’s castle.” Edwin said.

“Right. Let’s go.” Edward told everyone.

“Wait, I have an idea.” Robert began.

“What is it?” Gerald asked.

“As long as we’re going to be infiltrating the mafia’s base, we need to look the part.” Robert explained.

“What do you mean?” Gerald asked.

“I mean that we need to search the bodies for their white fedoras. If we march in there without them, they’ll lock the whole place down and we’ll all be killed.” Robert said.

Gerald nodded in understanding.

“Good thinking. Search the bodies.” Gerald ordered.

We all checked the people’s pockets but found nothing.

“Check under their coats, that’s where the mafia members at Estaire’s ball pulled their fedoras out of.” Stella said.

We all checked beneath their coats and sure enough, we found white fedoras. We stuck them under our jackets. Just then, the mafia members began to stir.

“Okay, let’s shove off.” Edwin said, eyeing the mafia members.

We all took two prisoners. Luckily, they were cooperative and didn’t resist, they knew they were beaten. Luckily, there were only eighteen. We marched them up to the Queen Yuka’s castle and we went through the main gates. We saw the others in the garden.

“You’re back!” Raymond exclaimed.

“Is that it? Is the mission over?” Erin asked excitedly.

Gerald shook his head.

“No miss, we just returned to take these mafia members to the Queen. Our mission is not yet complete.” Gerald said.

“What’s left to be done?” Ceberus asked.

“We found the mafia’s base, we need to get all of the people out and then destroy it.” Stella told him.

Ceberus nodded.

“Okay. Just, be careful.” He said.

“Hey, where’s Francella?” Robert asked, noticing his absence.

Ceberus looked around nervously.

“I’ll tell you later. Just go, complete your mission.” He said.

Robert’s face undertook an expression of confusion.

“It’s not important right now. Just go, rescue everyone and destroy the mafia base. Everything’s fine.” Martha assured them with a smile.

“Yes, and be quick about it. Martha here’s been worried sick.” William laughed.

Robert nodded.

“Okay then.” He said, still confused.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be back before you know it.” Don said with a grin.

The group nodded and waved at us. We turned and walked through the main entryway and through the throne room foyer. We walked in and forced our prisoners to kneel before the Queen. Princess Estaire wasn’t sitting in her throne. Queen Yuka’s eyes brightened.

“Your majesty, we have apprehended these eighteen mafia members.” Gerald stated proudly.

“Very well done, Captain Baldwin. These people will be executed for their crimes.” She said.

“I should hope so. I also have more good news.” Gerald said.

“What is it?” The Queen asked, intrigued.

“We have discovered the mafia’s base. We are going to get everyone out and destroy it.” He stated.

The Queen clapped, donning a grin.

“Excellent work! Go now, rescue our friends. Their lives are in your hands.” Queen Yuka said.

“Yes, your majesty!” Gerald said as he stood up and walked off.

We all followed him. I looked back to see Queen Yuka. She sat in her throne, looking into the fear filled eyes of the mafia members. I turned back to follow Gerald and the others. We reached the foyer and shut the throne room door.

“Now then, we must go. We rescue our friends today!” Gerald said, thrusting a fist in the air.

We all cheered and walked out of the castle. The others waved us good bye on our way out. We will soon have our friends back.

Chapter Fifty Magic For The Mafia:

Saturday July 3rd 1690

Tabatha sat slumped over the metal table that she was shackled to, feeling completely and utterly drained of any energy she had.

“Tabatha, get up!” Antoinette pleaded in a whisper.

Tabatha groaned, attempting to sit up but failed.

“Tabatha, if they see you…” Antoinette trailed off.

The thought of what the guards would do to her if she was caught resting, under any circumstances, was enough motivation to get up. She slowly and unsteadily sat up, shaking as if she were freezing.

“I… I can’t…” Tabatha stammered, falling back onto the table, still shaking.

“Tabatha, please! Keep going!” Antoinette pleaded.

The room that they were in was the mafia’s research facility. The whole room was full of metal tables that had witches and warlocks shackled to each of them. There was a huge furnace in the far corner of the room. A few destruction magic users were assigned to keep it burning hotter than any coal powered forge could. As a result the room was very, very hot. The mafia said that they needed a very hot fire to smelt large amounts of ores at a time. The mafia was getting ready for something, something big. They forced some of the magic users to dig in their mines, to gather the ore that was to be smelted here. The magic users who weren’t on the forge were given roles based on their magic types;

Healing magic users were to treat injuries, which were quite common. Manipulation magic users were assigned to pass supplies around the room. Illusion magic users were assigned as guards, Antoinette has not yet been assigned. Influential magic users are walking around the city, persuading law enforcement officers to let mafia members go if they are arrested, however the mafia doesn’t have a lot of influential magic users. Protection magic users are assigned to the highly ranking members of the mafia for protection. Enchantment magic users are assigned to enchant the mafia’s weapons. Curse magic users are assigned as guards. Destruction magic users are also assigned as guards. The mafia has no summon magic users yet and has no dark magic users yet.

“Hey!” A guard snapped as he kicked Tabatha’s chair out from under her, making her fall to the floor.

Tabatha cried out in pain as her rear end hit the floor.

“No sleeping on the job! Get back to work, and don’t let me catch you napping again!” The guard yelled at Tabatha.

Tabatha barely had the energy to get back up and place the chair back beneath her, but she made do. She just barely did so without collapsing. Just then, she heard a scream from the forge area.

“Get some water on that!” A witch shouted.

“There’s no time! It’s already burning!” Yelled another.

“Is there a healer in here?” A warlock asked urgently.

Tabatha raised a shaking arm, beckoning them over. Two witches brought a young warlock over to her table.

“Miss, you look to be in no condition to use magic! You look absolutely drained!” The warlock protested.

“No… I’m f-fine…” Tabatha said tiredly.

She then looked at the warlock a second time, and a third. His facial structure looked familiar, even under that huge coat of soot from the furnace. She recognized this man.

“Jesse?” She asked in disbelief.

The man responded to his name.

“How do you know me?” He asked in confusion.

“I… I sent that glass mug sailing into your head that day at the guest lounge.” She said.

Jesse did a double take.

“That was you?” He asked.

Tabatha nodded, donning an apologetic smile.

“Yes, sorry about that.” She said.

Jesse shook his head.

“It doesn’t matter. Can you heal my burn? You know, before it kills me?” Jesse asked.

Tabatha nodded, eyeing the huge, nasty red burn on his arm.

“I think so.” She said.

Tabatha grabbed her staff off the table. She held it over Jesse’s burn with a very shaky hand.

“Healing Gaze!” she cried out tiredly.

The green glow enveloped Jesse’s arm. In seconds, the green light receded into the emerald on Tabatha’s staff. Jesse’s arm was healed. Tabatha then fell to the table, feeling more drained now than ever.

“Tabatha, you need some rest.” Jesse said with concern.

“She was caught napping, the guard kicked her chair out from under her.” Antoinette explained.

Jesse nodded in sad understanding.

“I understand. I need to get back over to my post. Thanks for healing me…?” Jesse trailed off, looking for her name.

“Tabatha. You aren’t going to kiss my hand this time, are you?” She asked, some of her energy returning to her.

Jesse chuckled and shook his head.

“No, I’ve learned since then.” He replied.

He then walked back over to the furnace, sending a jet of flame into it.

“He’s handsome.” Antoinette remarked, regarding Jesse with dreamy eyes.

Tabatha looked to Jesse, she saw his dark black hair, his dark blue eyes. He had a muscular build and a rugged face. Tabatha didn’t find him handsome. She knew who she liked.

“I think you’re breathing in too much of those fumes, Antoinette.” Tabatha joked.

Antoinette just scoffed.

“Oh please Tabatha! Can’t you see? He’s handsome. Kind of cute too.” Antoinette retorted.

“Whatever.” Tabatha brushed her off.

Just then, Artemis Blaine walked into the room. He was holding an object that Tabatha had never seen before. He was also accompanied by a woman. Instantly, the fire jets supplied by the destruction magic users were extinguished, objects floating around the room fell to the ground. All magic just stopped. Tabatha then realised that she knew this woman; it was the witch who was responsible for the curse that weakened everyone’s magic!

“Now that I have your attention, I have something to present to you all!” He proclaimed.

We all listened, waiting for his presentation. Did it have something to do with that strange object he had?

“Magic users, behold!” He said, thrusting the object he had with him above his head.

“The offspring of science and magic!” He said, playing up the suspense.

A confused murmur came across the room.

“This is the greatness that we are all working towards! This is why you are all here! With the help of my brilliant engineers and of course, all of you, we have manufactured this! This is the future!” He shouted to everyone, thrusting the strange object higher over his head.

“Everyone behold! This is the first ever fully automatic firearm the world has ever seen!” Artemis shouted.

Everyone in the room gasped collectively.

“With the help of that superheated forge, we were able to make more metal than ever before! With the help of the enchantment magic users, we were able to make a bolt that snaps forwards and backwards as long as the trigger is held! We made a narrow vertical magazine that is enchanted to bring the bullets loaded in it into the chamber. Because of this, we were able to make this firearm set off multiple bullets in a rapid succession!” Artemis yelled.

As if sensing everyone’s doubt, he turned around and shot a burst of seven bullets into the far wall. The bullets each made a loud noise as they were set off by the mechanism within the firearm. They each hit the stone wall and severely chipped it. The bullets didn’t exactly land in a precise spread, but the fully automatic firearm was very, very impressive. The bullets ricocheted to the side. Everyone was in stunned awe.

“Thanks to the power of magic, and the knowledge of science, we were able to build the first ever prototype of the fully automatic firearm!” Artemis shouted.

Alcingeria had never seen anything like this before. No one had. This was the first of its kind. The first fully automatic firearm.

Chapter Fifty One Infiltration:

Saturday July 3rd 1690

We exited Queen Yuka’s castle. The mission wasn’t far from completion; get everyone out and destroy the mafia base. That was it. That was all we had to do. Easier said than done.

“Alright men, let’s get everyone back!” Gerald shouted.

We all cheered our approval to his plan. Gerald led us to the bar that had the mafia’s base beneath it. We put our white fedoras on as we stepped through the door.

“Stay focused. Anything can happen down there.” Gerald warned.

He walked over to the trap door, opened it and jumped through. We were right down after him. We came to a little stone passageway. The rock around us didn’t look like it had been dug, but blasted away. It was jagged and crude. Torches lit the walls. There was a door at the end of the corridor.

“How did the mafia build this?” Stella asked in wonder.

“They must’ve needed a lot of pickaxes.” Macalister remarked.

“Or a lot of magic users.” Don corrected.

I looked around at the blasted rock. Dynamite would’ve been too loud. Magic had to have been how the mafia built this.

“Alright, let’s go.” Gerald said quietly.

We crept up to the door. Gerald reached forward and opened it. Another stone corridor was layed out before us. Cells lined the walls. They were all empty.

“This must be the prison corridor.” Don said.

“Why are the cells empty?” Macalister asked.

“I don’t know, but let’s find out.” Edward said, walking through the corridor.

We reached a door at the end and we stepped through. We were in a large room with a counter at the back. Tables and chairs scattered the room.

“The mess hall.” I remarked.

“No one’s here, we need to keep looking.” Robert urged.

We looked around and found multiple doors on the far side of the room.

“Let’s go over there and check out all the doors.” Darwin suggested.

“Good idea.” Stela said.

We walked over to the door on the far left and walked through. All that was in it was jarred fruits and vegetables, bread and wine.

“Nothing.” Edwin said.

He was about to close the door, when Gerald held up his hand. He walked over to a small bottle of wine, inspected the label and nodded, impressed. He stuck it in his back pocket. He turned back to us. Edwin eyed him strangely.

“What? This is the good stuff!” Gerald protested.

“Nothing. Let’s just get a move on.” Edwin said.

We walked to the next door. There were swords, shields, spears and a few other types of weapons. There were also multiple Vulrock Law Enforcement uniforms in a pile.

“They must be the ones jumping our men in the city!” Darwin exclaimed.

We then heard what sounded like rapid gunshots. Of course, that was impossible.

“What’s that sound?” Stella asked.

“It sounds like gunshots.” Gerald said.

“That was a lot of gunshots.” Macalister said.

More rapid gunshots sounded. What was making that sound? No weapon in Alcingeria could fire that fast!

“The sound is coming from the room behind this door.” Don said, pointing to the next door.

We walked through that door. What we saw made our jaws drop. We saw a target range set up, no more than twenty feet between the shooter and the target. It was the weapon they were holding that was so shocking;

It had a metal and wood exterior. It had a stock that was braced against the shoot’s shoulder, like that of a musket. There was a sight on the weapon. There was a trigger as well as a vertical magazine. When the user fired the weapon, the bolt flew back and forth very quickly. Each time it came forward it set off a bullet, discharging it from the weapon. It tore the target to shreds in a matter of seconds. What in the world was this weapon? It was unlike anything anyone had ever seen! A fully automatic firearm!

“Quite impressive, isn’t it?” Asked a man who had come up behind them during the shooting.

We all turned around in shock.

“It’s amazing! How did we engineer this?” Gerald asked.

“Where were you ten minutes ago? Artemis gave an explanation. He said it was the ‘offspring of science and magic’. It’s enchanted so that when the user holds the trigger, the bolt flies back and forth, setting off bullets and discharging them faster than any weapon can. At the same time, bullets from the vertical magazine are being pushed into the chamber by the enchantment.” The man explained.

“Incredible.” Don murmured.

“Indeed. We only have one at the moment, as the prototype was just built an hour ago.” The man explained.

“Science and magic was used to create this weapon?” Darwin asked.

The man nodded, smiling.

“Yes. With the help of the magic users we stole from Queen Yuka and the help of our brilliant engineers, we designed the first fully automatic firearm.” The man said excitedly.

“Can you tell us where the magic users are?” Gerald asked.

“Certainly. They’re being held in the workshop. Go back to the mess hall and it’s two doors down from here.” The man said.

“Thank you.” Gerald said.

He led us out of the shooting range and into the workshop. As we walked through the door, we were hit by a blast of heated air. Wow! It was hot in here! There was a huge furnace in the room with witches and warlocks shooting jets of flames into it. There were tools floating around the room, people being treated for cuts and burns by healers and other magical things happening around the room.

“This is it.” Stella said.

We walked through the room, seeing if any of our friends were here. Everyone around here looked absolutely exhausted. Tables were scattered across the floor. They all had witches and warlocks shackled to them. The furnace also had witches and warlocks shackled to it as they sent jets of flame into it. I looked around and saw Don looking at a witch who was shackled to one of the tables. She had passed out from exhaustion. It was Tabatha! Her witch clothes that were black with green trim had faded considerably, probably due to this searing heat. I was starting to sweat. Don shook her shoulder. Tabatha’s head rolled to the side to look at Don.

“Please… Don’t hurt… m-me…” She whispered.

“Tabatha, I’m not going to hurt you.” Don said in a caring voice.

Tabatha’s rich brown eyes widened.

“Don…?” She whispered.

Don smiled and nodded. I walked over to Antoinette, who was shackled to the table next to Tabatha and found that she had passed out from exhaustion as well.

“Antoinette, wake up.” I said.

Her emerald eyes slowly fluttered open and swam into focus.

“R-Redmond?” She stammered in a confused whisper.

I caught sight of multiple guards in the room, nodded and raised a finger to my lips, telling her to be quiet.

“I’ll explain everything later. Right now you need to listen to me. There are too many guards around, but we’ll find a way to free everyone. Just hold out as long as you can.” I told her.

She lazily nodded, about to pass out again.

“Antoinette, stay with me.” I urged.

It was no use, her eyes closed again and she slumped against the table, unconscious. I looked to Tabatha and saw that she had passed out again as well. I spotted Walden over by the furnace, sending jets of flames into it.

“We can’t go over and talk to Walden, there are too many guards around. We need to get out of here and make a plan. Antoinette will tell Tabatha and Walden that we’re here to save them.” I said.

“That’s a good plan. Let’s go.” Gerald said.

We walked out of the workshop, glad to be out of the searing heat. We were all sweating.

“Man, it’s hot in there!” Don exclaimed.

“We need to think of a way to get everyone out.” I said.

“Agreed, but how?” Darwin asked.

“We’ll play it by ear. We need to know the guard’s routines, the prisoner’s routines and we’ll need a map of the place.” Edward said.

“Sounds good.” Stella said.

Just then, we heard the sound of metal hitting metal.

“Alright magic users! Your curfew draws near! Back to your cells!” A man yelled.

A minute later, there were witches, warlocks, fairies and guards piling out of the workshop. They were headed towards the prison corridor. I caught a glimpse of Antoinette, Tabatha and Walden in the crowd. Walden caught my eye and I gave him a wink. He grinned and followed the crowd.

“Until we have what we need, we won’t be rescuing anyone.” Edwin said.

“Right then, let’s get on it.” Gerald encouraged with a grin.

Chapter Fifty Two Suspicion:

Sunday July 4th 1690

Francella had spied on Estaire from a distance for the remainder of the previous day. He had found nothing suspicious, other than a few new magic users who were brought into the castle. He didn’t fear the possibility of them being able to use dark magic though. They already had a suspect and he didn’t want any unnecessary stress. He went to bed, ready to try again today. He was up bright and early. His servant, Preston, offered him breakfast. Francella looked into his pale gold eyes and politely refused, desiring to get a head start on his task. He gave Preston the day off.

“Is everything okay, sir? You gave me yesterday off as well. Is something wrong? You seem… Stressed.” Preston said.

That wasn’t even half of it. If he was caught spying on the Princess, no matter the reason, he would most likely be executed. On top of that he had to act normal so no one would suspect him. He didn’t do a very good job of that.

“No, everything’s fine. I just need to take care of a few things.” Francella reassured him.

“Sir, that is what you have me for. Sit back, enjoy yourself.” Preston persuaded.

“No Preston, it isn’t exactly the thing you can take care of. I need to do this on my own.” Francella told him.

“Well, what is it?” Preston asked, curious.

Francella thought on his feet, luckily he was prepared for this question.

“It’s… Eh… Woman troubles.” He lied.

Preston closed his eyes and nodded.

“I understand. Well, I suppose you should go. Good luck.” He said.

“Thanks, Preston.” Francella said.

Francella jogged out of his room. If Estaire was the dark magic witch, he couldn’t afford to waste any time. He jogged down to the throne room foyer and took the first left and went into the kitchen. He learned yesterday that cutting through the throne room when he went to spy on Estaire would be dangerous, as the Queen was almost always there. He found that the kitchen in the throne room foyer led off to a room located behind the throne. If he was careful like yesterday he could slip through and enter the door on the far right of the room that led to her room. He came through the door behind Queen Yuka’s throne and peeked out. Her saw the Queen sitting on her throne, speaking to a servant. He also saw that Estaire’s room was guarded. He managed to give the guards the slip yesterday, he must have not been up early enough today. He quietly crept back into the kitchen and through the foyer, arriving at the main entryway. He then wracked his brain for another way that would give him access to Estaire’s room. He then remembered something from all his walks in the garden; there was a window that overlooked the largest rose bush in the whole garden. It led to Estaire’s room. He grinned to himself and walked out into the garden. He walked down the path until he found the window he was looking for. Inside he heard singing, beautiful singing. It was Estaire.

“Here goes nothing.” Francella said to himself.

He walked over to the window, jumped, grabbed the windowsill and peeked into Estaire’s room. He saw her brushing her hair in front of her mirror. Thankfully her right side faced him, otherwise he would’ve been seen. She then grabbed a rose from her bedside table and pinned it into her dark black hair.

“Perfect!” She said, smiling to herself in the mirror.

He saw Estaire start to turn towards the window, so he dropped silently to the ground, out of sight. Above he saw Estaire looking out onto the garden from her window. She inhaled deeply through her nose. She walked back into her room. Francella jumped up and grabbed the windowsill again. He peeked inside… Only to see Estaire looking right at her bedroom window!

“Whoa!” Francella exclaimed in shock as he fell to the ground below.

Estaire rushed over to her window, looking down at Francella.

“Francella? Were you spying on me!?” Estaire asked in disbelief.

Francella’s heart raced. Would she use her dark magic on him? Would she call the guards to have him executed? Would she tell her mother?

“Um… Yes…” Francella admitted, not knowing what else to say.

“Francella, I am the Princess! How dare you invade my privacy like that!?” Estaire exploded.

“I’m sorry, Estaire!” Francella called up.

“Why were you spying on me?” Estaire asked, ignoring his apology.

Francella didn’t know how to answer this question. All that came out of his mouth was an intelligible stammer.

“Are you a peeping Tom?” Estaire asked.

“No! No!” Francella quickly denied.

“Well, then tell me why you were peeking into my room at this early hour!” Estaire shouted angrily.

Just then, an idea came to Francella. He forced himself to calm down so he wouldn’t sound like he was lying.

“Okay. I was just taking an early morning stroll in the garden, when I heard a beautiful singing voice coming from that window. I didn’t know it was you, so I just took a quick look, I was curious to see who had such a nice singing voice.” He lied smoothly.

Estaire seemed to calm down signifigantly. She nodded.

“Oh, you like my… Singing voice?” She asked.

“Yes.” Francella replied with a smile.

“Are you sure you didn’t peek into my room for anything else?” Estaire teased.

Francella laughed, glad that the tension was finally over.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done it and it won’t happen again.” Francella reassured her with a smile.

“Good. Now be gone, peasant!” Estaire joked.

Francella walked away. When we was out of earshot, he sighed in relief. That was close, really close. He hadn’t seen anything suspicious since he started spying on Estaire. He really didn’t want to believe that the nice, kind hearted Princess of Vulrock was a dark magic witch. Despite this, he couldn’t completely dismiss the suspicion until he had hard evidence that she isn’t the dark magic witch. He walked through the main entryway and saw something he didn’t believe. Lying on the floor was a dead male servant. He had no blood showing, no wound, no apparent cause of death. Francella ran over to the servant.

“Hey, are you okay? Hello?” He asked in a panic.

He tried shaking the man awake, but it was futile. Francella held a hand on the man’s chest but didn’t feel a heartbeat. He was most certainly dead.

“Ceberus!” Francella called.

A few seconds later, the older man ran into the main entryway. His eyes fell on the servant’s corpse.

“Estaire!” Ceberus spat.

Francella shook his head.

“No, Ceberus! It wasn’t Estaire!” He protested.

“How do you know?” Ceberus asked skeptically.

“I was just at Estaire’s room a minute ago. She couldn’t possibly have come all the way here, killed the servant and got away before I got here.” Francella explained.

Ceberus nodded, stroking his chin.

“I see. That proves Estaire innocent though, doesn’t it?” Ceberus asked.

“Yes. It does.” Francella replied with a grin.

Ceberus nodded, looking at the dead servant.

“This needs to be brought to Queen Yuka’s attention. The rats, too. She needs to hear about this.” Ceberus said.

“I agree. Let’s go to her now and tell her.” Francella suggested.

“Good idea. Let’s go.” Ceberus replied.

Ceberus picked up the dead servant and they both walked to Queen Yuka’s throne room. As they walked inside they saw that Estaire and Queen Yuka were both sitting on their thrones. Francella wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn he saw Estaire wink at him.

“Your majesty! We have very troubling news!” Ceberus exclaimed.

“Ceberus? What news do you have?” Asked the Queen.

“Francella found this servant dead in the main entrance. He has no blood showing and no wounds. He appears to have just… Died.” Ceberus explained.

The Queen scoffed, waving a hand in the air as if shoeing a fly.

“That’s preposterous! He had to have died somehow.” The Queen said.

Ceberus shook his head.

“I hate to contradict you, you majesty, but two days ago I found two dead rats in much the same situation; no blood showing, no wounds.” Ceberus told her.

“Your claim is hard to believe, but seeing as you have brought me the corpse of the servant, I believe you. Do you have any idea as to what killed the rats or this man?” Queen Yuka asked.

Ceberus nodded, his expression going grim.

“Yes, your majesty. I suspect that it is the work of dark magic.” He replied.

Queen Yuka’s slate grey eyes bore into Ceberus, searching for a clue as to whether or not he’s telling the truth or not.

“I will have a medical examiner have a look at the body. Perhaps a confirmed diagnosis can be reached. I’ll contact you when I have more information. I thank you for bringing this to my attention.” Queen Yuka said.

“It’s no trouble, your majesty.” Ceberus said with a bow.

With that, they left the corpse of the servant with Queen Yuka.

“This isn’t good, this isn’t good at all.” Ceberus worried.

“I know. We need to tell the others that Estaire is not the dark magic witch. They’re all most likely in the dining hall.” Francella said.

Ceberus nodded and walked to the dining hall with Francella. They found everyone sitting at the table, eating.

“Everyone, I have news. I must have a word with each of you without your servants.” Ceberus said.

Everyone nodded and left the table.

“What is it, Ceberus?” Martha asked.

“Princess Estaire isn’t the dark magic witch.” Ceberus began.

“I told you so!” Erin said excitedly.

“Do we have any other leads?” Raymond asked.

Ceberus shook his head sadly.

“As of yet, no. We need to stay sharp though. The dark magic witch is most likely residing here in the castle. Be on your guard. All of you.” Ceberus said.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be okay. We just have to be smart.” Francella said.

“I hope we catch this dark magic witch, and soon. I’m getting too old for this.” William chuckled.

Chapter Fifty Three Repercussions:

Monday July 5th 1690

Gerald, Edward, Edwin, Darwin, Robert, Don, Macalister, Stella and I all acted as guards for the remainder of yesterday. The other guards haven’t been suspicious of us, which is perfect. We don’t want to attract any unwanted attention. We slept in the guards’ quarters, which was located near the prison corridor. We were woken up by the head guard.

“Alright men, to your duties! Escort the prisoners to breakfast!” He barked.

“Yes sir!” We all shouted in unison.

We all piled out of the room, headed for the prison corridor. When we got there, I insisted on escorting Antoinette, Tabatha and Walden out of their cell. When they saw me they all cracked small, unnoticeable grins.

“We’re working on a way to bust everyone out. Just hold out for a little while longer.” I whispered.

They nodded but said nothing. I escorted the three of them to the mess hall. I escorted them through the mess line and back to a table. I noticed that the other guards sat at tables with the other prisoners, so I did the same. To avoid suspicion, the others sat at separate tables.

“Redmond, the food here has a curse on it. It keeps our magical power at the bare minimum. The only way we can use magic is if the witch who casted the spell wants us to.” Tabatha whispered.

I nodded in understanding. I felt dismayed, but didn’t dare show it for fear of blowing my cover. They ate the food, regardless of the curse on it. I guess it was eat or starve, right? Feeling hungry and thirsty, I helped myself to some of Walden’s food. It had a strange taste to it.

“Hey! Watch it buddy! Get your own!” He snapped.

I chuckled.

“I’ve missed you, Walden.” I said.

“Yeah, yeah. Me too pal.” He said.

As everyone was eating, the man who ordered everyone to be captured at Estaire’s birthday ball, Artemis Blaine, walked to the stage.

“Everyone, listen up!” He shouted.

Everyone quieted down, waiting to hear what he had to say.

“Eighteen of our guards have been captured! Because of this, our secret entrance was discovered and we have no doubt been infiltrated! The guilty party most likely stands among us in this very room!” Artemis shouted.

There was an excited jumble of voices, but Artemis raised his finger to his lips for silence.

“Here is a message to the guilty party; if you do not give yourselves up, I will burn one witch or warlock at the stake until you are found!” Artemis shouted.

A few screams of panic and a few please for mercy could be heard. Artemis smirked. I hated this guy.

“In fact, why don’t we start right now?” He asked, still smirking.

He looked around the room, pointing at random people with his finger. Eventually he stopped and pointed at a young warlock.

“You. You will be the first to die.” He said.

The warlock’s eyes grew wide.

“No! Please! I’ve done nothing wrong! I don’t deserve this!” He screamed.

Artemis chuckled, pacing towards the warlock.

“Your death will send a message to the guilty party. It is necessary.” Artemis said.

“No! Please!” The warlock pleaded.

“Guards, seize him! Set up a pyre in the mine and burn this warlock at the stake! And while you’re at it, make everyone watch.” Artemis said devilishly.

“Yes sir.” The guards said as they seized the warlock.

“Please! Don’t do this! Anything but this! Please don’t kill me!” The warlock begged.

My heart sank at this sad display. I wanted to help him, but I couldn’t risk blowing my cover, too many lives were at stake. I looked to Gerald with urgency. He just looked at me sadly and shook his head. I nodded in understanding. I saw Stella on the borderline of tears. We all watched as the warlock as taken away, towards the mine.

“You heard Artemis! You all get to watch!” The head guard shouted.

That was our cue. Guards all over the room began escorting prisoners to the mine. I did the same with Tabatha, Walden and Antoinette.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered.

“There isn’t anything you can do, it isn’t you fault.” Antoinette comforted.

As much as I wanted to believe her, I didn’t. That warlock’s blood would be on our hands. We reached the entrance to the mine in the far right corner of the mess hall. We all piled through and saw the guards pill some scrap wood around a support post for the mine. They grabbed some rope from a nearby mine car and a torch off the wall. The warlock struggled against the guards, but he was punched in the gut. He let out a cry of pain and he submitted to the guards. He began to cry. The guards tied him securely to the post. They eyed the warlock for a few more seconds.

“Guards?” Artemis asked.

They turned to him.

“Make sure you replace that post when you’re done.” He said coldly.

“Yes sir.” They replied.

The guards then dropped the torch onto the wood. The warlock’s tear glistening eyes grew wide with fear as he saw the fire raging towards him. He screamed out and cried some more. The rest of us either screamed or gasped. The warlock screamed for longer than I thought possible. He was finished begging for mercy, he was just screaming in agony now. The scene went on for around ten or twenty minutes. Half way through the warlock stopped screaming. I knew that he was almost dead at this point. After a while the pyre burned itself out, leaving only a pile of ashes. A pile of ashes that was once a human being.

“Let that be a message to the guilty party! This will happen every day until you are caught or give yourselves up!” Artemis shouted to the crowd.

‘What now, Artemis?” Asked a guard.

“Put them in the workshop, have them manufacture more fully automatic firearms.” Artemis ordered.

“About that, ‘fully automatic firearm’ is a little wordy. Can’t we call it something shorter?” The guard asked.

Artemis nodded, thinking.

“Well, since it’s automatic and it’s a gun, shouldn’t we call it a machine gun?” Artemis asked.

“Machine gun, eh? That has a nice ring to it.” The guard said.

The prisoners were all escorted to the hot, muggy workshop. I was asked to chain Tabatha and Antoinette to one of the metal workbenches and reluctantly did so. I was asked to chain Walden up to the furnace, which I also did reluctantly. When the destruction magic users were all chained up, they started sending jets of flame into the furnace. I saw a few manipulation magic users levitating large ore cares and dumping the contents into the furnace using magic. With the numbers and magic that the mafia had, they would be able to make machine guns at an alarming speed, and they’d be able to make a lot of them. What did they need these powerful new weapons for? I knew it was nothing good, but exactly what was their goal? How far were they willing to go to achieve it? As I watched the magic users work, my curiosity grew. Gradually, more and more of the magic users began to look worn down, then tired, then totally exhausted. The task force and I were assigned to stand guard there in the increasingly hot workshop. We didn’t complain, either. I walked around the room, examining the magic users. Already I saw that some of the smaller witches and warlocks who were chained to the tables had passed out from either dehydration or exhaustion. Some of the fairies had collapsed as well. As the hours ticked by, more and more magic users began passing out until there were so few that it would be pointless to work them any longer.

“Alright, that’s enough! Get them all out into the mess hall for another meal!” One of the guards shouted.

We all did as instructed. Antoinette had passed out and didn’t wake up when I unshackled her. I carried her out into the mess hall and let the others take Tabatha and Walden. I layed Antoinette on the table. Tabatha was carried out by Don, she was just barely hanging on to consciousness. Walden looked beaten down, be he was still able to fly. We all sat down at the table.

“Someone get some water for them.” Gerald ordered.

“I will.” Darwin volunteered as he ran off to get some.

“Antoinette, are you alright?” I asked.

She moaned, attempting to sit up, but failed and crashed back down to the table.

“Antoinette? Can you hear me?” I asked nervously.

Darwin returned with a bucket of water and some wooden cups. He passed one to Tabatha and one to Walden.

“Why do you even bother helping these witches?” Edwin asked, disgust was in his voice.

I then noticed that he had done nothing to help Tabatha, Walden or Antoinette.

“Because they’re our friends!” Stella said in a harsh whisper.

“Witches know nothing but deceit. Do you really think they care about you?” Edwin asked coldly.

Stella nodded quickly, glaring at Edwin.

“As a matter of fact I do.” Stella said with absolute finality.

I got a cup of water and held Antoinette’s head up, easing the cup to her lips and slowly tilting it upwards. I only poured a little into her mouth before stopping. I pulled the cup away. She swallowed and I gave her some more. She swallowed that. I was about to pull it away when her hand shot up, grabbed the cup and poured the remaining water down her throat.

“More…” She croaked as she layed back down.

Edwin scoffed as if in disgust. It sounded more like he was annoyed. Regardless of him, I gave Antoinette more water, she drank it down quickly. She put the cup down and sat up.

“Thanks Redmond.” She said gratefully.

“Don’t mention it.” I replied.

She took a seat at the table. Sometime around when we got them out of the workshop, Edward and Darwin had gotten up and got trays of food for everyone. They carried two trays each and went back to get two more, then two more. We all shared the food. The vegetables and meat I ate had the same strange taste that I noticed before. Just then, Artemis Blaine walked to the stage at the center of the room. Everyone quieted down.

“I have come here to discuss a few things with you all.” He began.

The room was silent, awaiting his speech.

“The matter regarding the warlock we executed earlier was totally necessary. We have been infiltrating and can’t risk being exposed, not after all we have done! I suppose you all are wondering why we have you working so diligently in that workshop manufacturing what we now call machine guns.” Artemis continued.

The whole room broke into unintelligible chatter.

“I would tell you, but I figure you all should hear it from someone even more significant than me. Ladies and gentlemen! I present to you… The big boss himself!” Artemis shouted with great enthusiasm.

Just then a man draped in a pitch black cloak walked towards Artemis from the right side of the room. The cloak concealed his body type and his face. He kept his head down.

“Thank you, Artemis.” He said in a strangely familiar voice.

Don leaned over and whispered in my ear.

“Does this guy’s voice sound familiar to you at all, or is it just me?” He asked.

I nodded quickly.

“It does sound familiar.” I agreed.

I then heard Robert gasp.

“No… It can’t be…” He muttered.

The man then threw off his cloak, letting it fall to the floor. The man who now stood before us was definitely familiar, and now I knew who it was.

“It… It can’t be!” Robert exclaimed in a whisper.

“It is!” Macalister hissed.

The man paced the length of the stage at the center of the room slowly, letting the dramatic tension build.

“Salutations. My name… Is Ignacio.” The man said.

My mid was in shock, I couldn’t process what I was seeing! I thought he was dead, yet here he stood before me. Ignacio, the vampire who had deceived and blackmailed us, Ignacio, the vampire who almost turned Don and Robert into vampires, Ignacio, the vampire who was assigned to turn us in to King Lucias, Ignacio, the vampire who stole our fifty thousand dollars, was standing right before our eyes. His blood colored eyes flashed across every face in the room. He didn’t appear to notice Don, Robert, Macalister or myself.

“His eyes!” Someone exclaimed.

“Indeed. My eyes are red. I am a vampire, as many of you, but apparently not all of you, have figured out. I am the head of the Vampire Mafia.” Ignacio said.

The room was filled with frightened chatter for a few seconds, then everyone quieted down.

“My associate, Artemis Blaine, has told you about how you will be part of something great. I will tell you what that something is. The evil Queen Yuka has brought nothing but pain and misery to your lives, correct?” He asked, his voice gaining tension and enthusiasm with each passing second.

A shout of approval rang through the crowd.

“With these machine guns, we will be able to strike down the evil tyrant! With these machine guns, we will be able to bring down the Queen!” Ignacio shouted, really letting he crowd have it.

Everyone cheered and began shouting.

“Down with the Queen! Down with the Queen!” Was the chant that echoed off of the stone walls.

I was absolutely stunned at this point. There was no doubt going to be a battle. Queen Yuka was evil, and because of her many evil deeds many people wanted to kill her. The Vampire Mafia probably a large portion of those people. They now had the most powerful, most advanced weapons Alcingeria has ever seen and they were going to use them against the Queen. I wasn’t a killer. My humanity was still very much intact. Because of this, I felt bad for Queen Yuka. Her and anyone in that castle would be slaughtered, and soon. One question hung in my brain, high above all the others; what side would I take? Both these forces were evil. They had both killed numerous people, they had both done unspeakable things. In a war that pitted evil against evil, was there a true good? Which side would I take? Should I go back with the others and warn the Queen to at least give her a fighting chance, or did we turn a blind eye and let the Queen and all her forces be annihilated by another evil force? Neither option was good. After the Queen was defeated, what would the Vampire Mafia do then?

Chapter Fifty Four Dark Magic:

Tuesday July 6th 1690

Queen Yuka’s medical examiner studied the body of the servant that Francella had found for a whole day. Francella and Ceberus were sent for, as they were in their rooms. A servant came to each of them as the Queen had asked and they were brought to her throne room. Beside her throne stood a young man with a scroll in his hand. This was probably the medical examiner. When Francella and Ceberus were ready, the man spoke.

“I tried to pin the servant’s condition on any disease or illness that fits the symptoms and description of the body, I didn’t want to believe that dark magic is involved. Alas, I have confirmed that it is indeed dark magic that caused the death of the servant.” The man said.

He opened his scroll and read from it.

“You see, the man was killed instantaneously. I found a bruise under his shirt on his side where he must have fallen on his arm. If we was killed by a disease, the illness would not have taken effect so quickly. This suggests that he was killed very, very quickly and dropped to the floor. I believe that since it was dark magic, he was dead before he even hit the floor.” The man said.

“This isn’t good, there is a dark magic witch roaming around and we have no idea who it is!” Ceberus shouted.

If Queen Yuka was stressed at all, she didn’t show it. She remained composed and turned to a servant who was standing behind her throne and was now in view.

“Send for the guards. I need a team to search every room in this castle. Tell them to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, anything odd. Tell them to be on their guards, too. We are dealing with a dark magic user and it will no doubt go down swinging if we try to kill it.” Queen Yuka said.

“Yes, your majesty.” The servant said as she walked quickly out of the throne room.

The Queen turned to face her audience.

“We are going to find that dark magic user and put a stop to the killings.” Queen Yuka said to everyone.

“I have no doubt. You have some very competent guards.” Francella said.

He couldn’t help but wonder as he said this at how easily he had evaded the guards while spying on Estaire.

“Indeed. You may go now. We will have the dark magic user found and executed. I thank you sincerely for your assistance.” Queen Yuka told Francella and Ceberus.

They both smiled in appreciation.

“You’re welcome, your majesty.” Francella said with a bow.

They then walked out of the throne room. They both breathed a sigh of relief.

“The guards have this under control now.” Ceberus said.

“Good thing, too. The sooner the dark magic user is caught, the better.” Francella said.

They walked out of the throne room foyer to see at least one hundred guards in total running back and forth in every which way, scattering to find the dark magic user. They went upstairs, where the sound of doors being opened, knocked on and closed could be heard. They went in the throne room foyer and began checking rooms there. The guards were searching all over the castle.

“It’s crowded in here, we don’t want to be in the way. Let’s go to the garden and wait for more news.” Ceberus said.

Francella nodded and they both walked off into the garden, where they found Erin, Martha, Raymond and William.

“There you two are! What are all those guards doing?” Erin asked.

“Queen Yuka’s medical examiner confirmed the fact that dark magic killed that servant. All those guards are searching the whole castle for the dark magic user.” Ceberus explained.

“I have no idea who it is. If it’s not Estaire, then I don’t have a clue.” William mumbled.

“I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. A dark magic user won’t be able to hide for very long with all those guards around. One of them is bound to notice something strange.” Francella said.

Francella was right. About ten minutes after he said that, a familiar witch was being dragged down the staircase that led to the lower class residence wing. It was Alice! It looked like she was unconscious.

“It was Alice?” Erin asked.

“The guards themselves brought her here! Why did they allow a dark magic witch into the castle?” Raymond asked.

“Maybe they didn’t ask her magic type and just let her in?” William asked.

They, along with all the other law enforcement officers, followed the group who now held the unconscious Alice. They brought her to the throne room. They could see that Alice was starting to come to. They presented her to the Queen.

“Your majesty, we have discovered the dark magic witch!” One of them exclaimed.

Just then, a witch stepped out from behind Queen Yuka’s throne. She held a hand out to Alice.

“Magic drain!” She said.

A dark glow radiated off of the witches hands. The witch must have drained Alice’s magic power. Queen Yuka looked surprised as well as annoyed.

“Those guards! The task force! They brought her here!” She shouted.

“What should we do, your highness?” Asked a guard.

“Kill her.” Queen Yuka said sharply.

The guards both threw her to the floor roughly and one of them drew his flintlock. He aimed it at Alice’s head. She then stirred and slowly sat up. She saw the flintlock aimed at her head and flinched away with a girlish eep!

“Stop!” Alice pleaded.

Queen Yuka held up her hand. The man lowered his weapon.

“What do you want?” Queen Yuka boomed.

“You don’t understand! You don’t understand why I killed those rats, and that servant!” Alice shouted.

Queen Yuka looked bored, yet faintly amused.

“Why did you do it?” She asked, interested.

“I have a horrible curse! I must kill other living things, or else I’ll die myself! I did what I had to!” Alice shouted.

Queen Yuka just shook her head.

“If you were looking to kill people, you shouldn’t have done it in my province.” She said.

She then turned to the guard with the flintlock.

“Kill her.” She ordered.

The man raise his weapon and took aim at Alice’s head.

“No! Stop! I have something to offer you!” Alice begged.

Queen Yuka held up her hand. The man looked irritated now and lowered his weapon.

“Make it quick. Keep this up and I sure won’t.” Queen Yuka snapped.

“I know of a weapon, a revolutionary weapon. One that could help you conquer and gain Vulrock power.” Alice said.

Queen Yuka was thoroughly interested now, but seemed skeptical.

“Is that so? Tell me, who has this weapon? Who makes it? What’s it called?” She asked.

“It’s in possession of the mafia, and the mafia makes them. That’s why they took all your magic users. It’s called a machine gun.” Alice explained.

“How do you know all this?” Queen Yuka asked.

Alice cleared her throat.

“When I was taking a walk in town I stumbled across a bar. It was deserted, but there was a trap door hidden behind the counter. I went down and found the mafia’s hidden base. I overheard guards talking about this new weapon they were making called a ‘machine gun’. They had said it was the ‘offspring of science and magic’. It’s enchanted so that when the user holds the trigger, the bolt flies back and forth, setting off bullets and discharging them faster than any weapon can. At the same time, bullets from the vertical magazine are being pushed into the chamber by the enchantment.” Alice told her.

Queen Yuka looked stunned. Alice then continued;

“However on my most recent outing, I found something that makes the machine guns seem like the least of your worries. There was a rally in the mess hall. The mafia is planning to use the machine guns to kill you.” Alice said, flipping her dark orange hair over her shoulder.

Queen Yuka look like she had been punched in the stomach. She gasped, her jaw hung open. Her grey eyes were wide with shock.

“Alice. If I let you live, do you promise to do your killing in the city, not the castle?” Queen Yuka asked.

Alice grinned evilly, her sapphire blue eyes sparkling in the torchlight. She nodded.

“Yes, I promise.” She said.

Queen Yuka nodded in return.

“There are conditions, however.” The Queen added.

“Oh?” Alice asked.

“You must agree to get me some of these… Machine guns. As many as you can get your hands on. I have had plans for a long time. Plans that weren’t possible until now.” Queen Yuka said ominously.

“I’ll take care of it. What is your other condition?” Alice inquired.

“You must pledge allegiance to me.” Queen Yuka ordered.

Alice nodded and curtsied.

“Of course, my Queen.” She replied with a smile.

“Very well. As a security measure, my witch will keep her spell on your until she sees fit. I thank you for warning me about the mafia’s impending attack. I suppose without the task force bringing you here, I wouldn’t have known about it. Perhaps I won’t kill them after all…” Queen Yuka said thoughtfully.

She then turned to all the guards who filled the room.

“Guards, I want you to double, no, triple our defences. Be on your guard, the mafia is sneaky.” Queen Yuka ordered.

Chapter Fifty Five The Calm Before The Storm:

Wednesday July 7th 1690

After the rally, Ignacio ordered everyone back to their cells. He said that everyone needed to be at their best for the attack. In the morning the others and I awoke in the guards’ quarters as usual. Waking up filled me with dread, for I knew what would soon follow; the death of another witch or warlock. We were ordered to escort the prisoners to the mess hall, which we did. When we were there, we all stood in line to get food, then we sat at the tables and ate. I sat with Antoinette, Tabatha and Walden. I ate some meat and vegetables. I had to keep my strength up. I drank some of the water I had. While we all ate, I saw Ignacio walk onto the stage. Everyone stopped what they were doing.

“Everyone, I have very good news for you. We have a sufficient amount of machine guns manufactured, and we are going after the Queen tomorrow at first light!” He shouted.

Everyone erupted into cheers of approval. I looked at the members of the task force and saw that they all bore grim expressions on their faces.

“What are we going to do?” Stella asked.

“We need to warn the Queen. We need to make sure she isn’t killed.” Edward said to us.

Gerald nodded in understanding.

“Yes, although she has done many evil things, if the mafia kills her they will take control of Valgate and soon; all of Vulrock. With all these machine guns, they will be able to march on the other provinces and conquer them. Of course, that’s the worst case scenario.” Gerald said.

“We need to destroy this place before any more machine guns can be made. We need to destroy the base and the machine guns along with it.” Edwin said.

“We need to get everyone out first.” Macalister said.

Edwin scoffed.

“Everyone down here is either a witch, a warlock, a fairy or a mafia member.” He said.

Tabatha started to get angry. She clenched her fist on the table.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked, standing up slowly.

“Tabatha, now’s not the time to fight.” Antoinette warned.

Tabatha snapped around to Antoinette and got right in her face.

“No, no it is! Edwin’s been bagging on witches ever since I’ve known him! I’m sick of it!” Tabatha exclaimed.

Thankfully, everyone was paying attention to Ignacio who was rallying the people and firing them up for the attack tomorrow.

“A witch deceived and killed my parents!” Edwin spat.

“I didn’t kill your parents! Neither did Antoinette, neither did Alice, neither did any other witch we’ve come across! The way you treat witches is unfair and I won’t stand for it!” Tabatha exploded.

Edwin stood up, refused to be talked down to by a witch.

“Yeah? And what are you going to do about it?” He asked, slowly leaning over the table.

“I may not have my magic, but I’ll take you on any day of the week.” Tabatha said, clenching her fists harder.

I stepped in between them.

“You two need to stop, this isn’t the time or place for this. When we’re all safe… and I do mean when we’re all safe…” I said that last bit while glaring at Edwin.

“We can sort this out. For now we need to focus on getting everyone out and destroying the base. If we time it right, we can destroy it before the attack is launched.” I added.

“How’re ya gonna do that?” Walden asked.

Gerald looked around to make sure no one was watching and quickly flashed his explosives.

“We brought explosives to get the job done.” He whispered.

“I see. If we destroy the base in time, we won’t need to warn the Queen at all.” Edward said.

“Yes, but if we don’t time it right and the attack is mounted, the Queen will be caught off guard and she’ll be killed.” Darwin said.

Gerald looked at us all gravely.

“Everyone, the stakes are too high to play it safe. If we warn the Queen and the attack is still launched, there is still a chance she’ll be killed. We need to destroy the base. That will stop the attack as well as the production of machine guns.” Gerald said.

“What you’re proposing is bold. I like it.” Robert said with a grin.

Just then, a shorter man walked onto the stage and whispered into Ignacio’s ear. His face contorted in anger but he quickly regained his composure.

“Everyone, I cannot lie to you. I just received word that several of our machine guns were stolen sometime last night.” Ignacio said.

“How many were stolen?” Asked a witch in the crowd.

“Four.” Ignacio answered.

The crowd gasped collectively. Someone stole machine guns from the mafia? Was there someone other than us working to thwart them? If so, who?

“Well, that certainly put a damper on things. As long as things can’t get much worse, I suppose I must get down to business… The guilty party who has infiltrated us has still not been found. Needless to say, another witch or warlock shall be burned at the stake.” Ignacio said.

Everyone gasped. Some witches and some warlocks threw themselves into the arms of their companions. Some wept, some stood with stony expressions, awaiting to see who would die. Ignacio looked around the room. He extended a finger to a young witch.

“You.” He said with a smirk.

The witch’s face went blank for a second, then contorted with fear as the guards descended on her.

“No!” She screamed as she attempted to run backwards.

The crowd scattered when she tried getting away, but the guards were right on her tale. The witch was about to hit the wall, then stopped. She whirled around to face the guards. She extended her hand shakily.

“F-fireball!” She shouted.

A few sparks flew from her fingertips, but extinguished before they even hit the ground. The witch gasped in horror, but didn’t run away, she was paralyzed with fear. She just sat there with her arm outstretched, shaking in fear. Her eyes were wide. The guards chuckled as they seized her. The girl screamed and kicked.

“Let me go! This isn’t fair!” She screamed.

“You’re paying the price for someone else’s treason.” The guard spat.

“That isn’t fair! Please just let me go!” she begged, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“Take her to the mine, prepare a pyre!” Ignacio ordered.

“No!” The witch pleaded as the tears began streaming down her cheeks.

The guards obeyed and took her to the mine. As we and everyone else got there, I noticed that a number of gallows had been constructed, most likely sometime last night. There were ten in all. The other guards began rounding up the others to make them watch. I did the same. We rounded up all the other magic users and got them into the mine, where the other guards were already helping build a pyre. The witch was still screaming and kicked in the grip of the guards. The pyre didn’t take long to make, and the witch was soon tied to it. We all looked at her with concern and pity as she sat helpless and crying, tied to her pyre. It was all because of us, the task force. A guard walked up and mercilessly lit the pyre with a torch. The witch screamed as her fate was sealed. She knew begging for her life was pointless at this point, so she just cried as she awaited the flame’s contact. As the flames touched her skin, she screamed in agony. My throat caught. I wanted to cry. We had already caused a death, and were about to be responsible for another. It wasn’t long before the witch stopped screaming. Minutes later the pyre burned itself out and all that was left was ash. Ignacio walked over to the pyre, walking on top of the ashes as if they were as meaningless as dirt.

“Considering the fact that we have more than enough machine guns to kill Queen Yuka, I am giving you all the day off. Enjoy.” He said with a leer and a smirk.

With that he walked off. We escorted the prisoners back to their cells. I leaned in so the others could hear me.

“We are breaking everyone out tonight, understood? We need to do this now. The attack is being launched first thing tomorrow. If we don’t destroy this place the consequences will be very, very severe.” I said.

“Excellent plan, Redmond. I was doing some poking around earlier and found multiple exits throughout the compound that lead into various buildings in the city. There is an exit in the workshop, the mine, the mess hall and the weapon storeroom. In order to make sure the machine guns are destroyed, we need to make sure no one is in the store room when we blow the place sky high, so they can’t smuggle any machine guns out.” Gerald said.

Don nodded.

“Right. We need to plant the explosives strategically so no one sees them. I can help with that.” He said.

“Edward and I will help you and Gerald with that.” Darwin said.

“I’ll lure any guards away from the weapon store room.” Edwin volunteered.

“The rest of us will round up the prisoners and sneak them out the exits.” Stella said.

“Sounds like a plan. Good luck everyone. We start now.” Gerald said.

“Okay, tell us when the explosives are planted. We’ll take it from there.” I told them.

There was a moment of silence as we all thought about what to say.

“Oh, we should probably give you these.” Stella said as she handed her dynamite over to Gerald.

I did the same and so did everyone else who wasn’t planting the explosives.

“Thanks.” Gerald acknowledged.

We all spread out.

“Okay, we need to do this quickly.” Stella said.

“We need to lure the guards who are in the prison corridor away. How do we do that?” Macalister asked.

“We could tell them there is a small meeting in the mine.” Robert suggested.

“Great idea. That won’t give us long though.” I said.

“That’s why we’re doing this quickly.” Robert added.

“We need to wait until the others have planted the explosives, that’ll maximize the effectiveness of the distraction.” I said.

We all waited there, not talking. We waited for around an hour. We all put on patient fronts, but the suspense was killing us all. Finally, Don entered the prison corridor with us.

“It’s done. Explosives are placed in every room in the complex.” He said quietly.

We all nodded.

“Okay. You and the law enforcement officers need to get out. Wait for us in the Queen’s castle, we’ll take it from here.” Robert said.

“There is an explosive charge set up ender some weapons outside this corridor. Shoot it and the whole place will go up.” Don told us.

“Okay, we’ll make sure to hit that one first.” Macalister said.

“Sounds good. Just try not to blow yourself up.” Don joked.

“Shut up before I go over there and give you a beating.” Macalister laughed.

The law enforcement officers came around the corner and followed Don out the prison corridor exit and up into the bar above. They were going to meet us back at the castle.

“Okay men… And Stella. Let’s do this.” Robert urged.

Chapter Fifty Six The Mission:

Wednesday July 7th 1690

This was it. All we had to do now was get all the magic users out of the complex and blow the place sky high. This would destroy all of the machine guns and hopefully, all the Vampire Mafia members. We all split up and walked over to a guard.

“I was told there’s a meeting in the mine.” I told a guard.

“By who?” He asked.

I shrugged dismissively.

“Didn’t say his name, just said something about a meeting.” I said.

“Thanks for telling me.” He said as he set off for the mine.

I noticed the others had gotten their guards to go to the mine as well. I walked over to Tabatha, Walden and Antoinette’s cell.

“We’ll have you out in a few minutes.” I whispered.

They all grinned and nodded, but kept quiet.

“We should check around outside, make sure no other guards are lurking about.” Robert advised.

We all moved out of the prison corridor and looked around in the mess hall. We say nobody and were about to go back into the prison corridor to get everyone out, but we heard footsteps. From the shadows emerged a familiar figure; Ignacio.

“You four. Stop right where you are.” He said, his blood colored eyes passing over each of us.

My heart sank. We were so close!

“Don’t think I don’t know who you are. You three are The Scorpions. Long time no see, eh? One of you isn’t here. What’ve you three been up to since we last saw each other?” He asked the last part with a smirk as he stalked closer to us.

“Oh you know, this and that.” Robert said vaguely.

“I see. And… Who is this?” He asked, pointing to Stella.

“Oh, my apologies. My name is… None of your business creep!” Stella shouted.

Ignacio’s eyes widened slightly at her outburst. A small smile cracked his lips.

“What a lovely name. Anyhow, I overheard your plan. You know, vampire hearing and all. I can’t let you thwart us. The Queen is to die.” Ignacio said.

“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen.” I said.

“What makes you so sure? I have the resources, the followers and the power to do it. How are you four possibly going to stop me?” Ignacio asked.

There was no sense in giving away our plan, so we said nothing.

“I thought as much. Well, this solves our little ‘guilty party’ problem. I suppose we can hold off on the witch and warlock killing for the time being. Although you four are wanted people. I’m afraid that justice must be served.” Ignacio said.

We all instinctively drew our weapons.

“What are you going to do with those? I’m a vampire, remember?” Ignacio asked as he charged towards us.

He went for me first. I blocked the punch that he threw with my dagger and spun out of the way, careful of his fangs. His momentum carried him over to Macalister, who reeled back and punched him in the face. Ignacio hardly even flinched and pinned Macalister to the wall by his shoulders.

I couldn’t help but notice the lack of guards here in the mess hall. Maybe it wasn’t guarded because it wasn’t open at this hour.

Ignacio leaned in to bite Macalister.

“You get away from him!” Robert yelled.

Robert ran and pulled Ignacio off of Macalister. Ignacio spun around to face him. Macalister and I ran to his aid. Stella staid back and took aim with her flintlock, ready to support us. Macalister, Robert and I stood facing Ignacio. He lashed out with his fist, narrowly missing Robert. I jumped in and stabbed the vampire as he was getting back into his stance. The dagger plunged into his stomach, blood dripped down my blade and he screamed in agony. He reeled back and smacked me in the chest very, very hard. So hard that I flew backwards and hit the stone wall ten feet away, narrowly missing the door to the mine. I hit my head and became dazed. I dropped my dagger as I hit the ground and it cluttered just out of my reach. My vision was blurred and I could see the others fighting Ignacio. Through my blurred vision I could see Robert attack Ignacio, but Ignacio threw him towards me. He hit the wall and landed close to where I did. He then began wrestling Macalister. Macalister and Ignacio began thrashing around. In the process of trying to gain the advantage over one another, they knocked Stella’s flintlock out of her hands!

“I’ll kill you!” Macalister shouted.

Stella scrambled for her weapon but Ignacio was crafty and kept putting Macalister and himself in the way as they wrestled. Stella realized how futile it was to recover her weapon and ran over to help Robert and I.

“Robert, Redmond! You have to get up!” She urged, trying to pull me to my feet.

I was too disoriented to do anything but look around. Everything was fuzzy and hazy. I must’ve hit my head pretty hard. I looked over to see that Macalister had won the little struggle with Ignacio and had punched him in the face multiple times. Ignacio regained his composure and charged Macalister, throwing him against the wall with us. When Macalister hit the wall, it cracked. We all laid there, too dazed to move. Stella took a few uncertain steps backwards.

“Now then, that’s that.” Ignacio said as he grabbed Robert and Macalister by the arms and dragged them into the mine.

He did the same with Stella and I. He placed us all near the gallows. He turned to address everyone in the mine who had gathered for the ‘meeting’.

“My loyal followers, I have found the ones who have infiltrated us! These four will be hanged for their crimes against the mafia!” He shouted.

Everyone looked to each other with grins. Some even cheered. Ignacio then grabbed us each one by one and tied a noose around our necks at the gallows. He also bound our hands behind our backs. I tried my best to resist, but was still too dazed! We were all strung up by our necks, but our feet were still touching the floor. Soon, a lever would be pulled and the floor would be dropped from beneath us. I didn’t want to think about what was going to happen after that. I heard Stella crying as she stood.

“Death awaits you all. As a formality, I must ask; do you have any last words?” Ignacio asked.

“I have one question.” Robert said.

“Yes?” Ignacio asked patiently.

“How did you wind up as the Vampire Mafia boss?” Robert asked.

Ignacio chuckled as he paced in front of us.

“Well it is quite a story. The best part is that none of this would be possible without you.” He said.

That threw me. What was he talking about?

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Ignacio chuckled as he touched his fingertips together, putting them in a pyramid on his lips.

“I used the fifty thousand dollars that I stole from you to start a small cabal against the evil Queen. I paid workers to dig this complex out for us, and I paid them extra to keep things quiet so no one knew about it. Eventually more and more people joined and we became known as the Vampire Mafia.” Ignacio explained.

“So what you’re saying is… We are responsible for the Vampire Mafia’s existence?” Stella asked.

Ignacio shook his head.

“Well, not you my dear. The Scorpions are to blame. They are the sole reason the money came to be in my possession in the first place. They even willingly gave it over to me.” Ignacio chuckled.

“You know that’s not true! You blackmailed us!” I exploded.

Ignacio chuckled again. I was really starting to hate him.

“Yes, you’re right. Well, if that’s all then we should get this over with. I have a revolution to lead.” Ignacio said as he walked over to a nearby lever.

We were about to die. I was sure of it.

“Goodbye, you four. It really is a shame. You, my dear have certainly caught my eye. No matter. It isn’t the first time I’ve killed a pretty girl.” Ignacio said that last part to Stella.

With that, Ignacio pulled the lever. I sucked in a deep breath. The trap doors we were all standing on fell open and we fell with it, held up only by our necks! My air supply was cut off with a jolt. I kicked and struggled, we all let out choked screams. My hands were bound behind my back, useless. I hung only from my neck, unable to breath! I flailed my legs, gritting my teeth. My neck was starting to get sore from the rope and my lungs began burning.

“I’ll enjoy watching you all die. I may even feast on your blood afterwards. However one’s blood tastes best while they are still alive…” Ignacio trailed off as he watched us struggle like flies in a web.

We all kicked and struggled, but to no avail. I was angry and sad. I wanted to kill Ignacio! We were so close to getting everyone out! We were so close to destroying the mafia base as well as all of their machine guns! We were so close to saving the Queen! Now all our work will have been for nothing. We were going to die down here in the Vampire Mafia’s underground complex! We hung there, struggling for a few seconds more. My lungs burned and my limbs were going numb. My brain felt foggy and my vision was blurring. I was starting to pass out, I was sweating. Just before I thought I couldn’t hold my breath in any longer, I heard a gunshot. An explosion immediately followed. The explosion was so powerful that it ripped its way across the room from where it started and blew the gallows to splinters! We all were thrown violently against the wall, as was Ignacio. I still had the noose around my neck but I slipped it off and ran to the others, helping them up. A few more explosions rang out, indicating that a chain reaction had started.

“How in the…” Stella winced as she held a hand to her head.

Standing in the doorway, twirling his flintlock on his finger, was none other than Donovan Sterling.

“Don!” Robert exclaimed.

More explosions went off in the background, shaking the room.

“What? You think I’d leave you behind? I didn’t see anyone come out of the base for a few minutes, so I assumed something went wrong.” Don said.

“What about the magic users?” Macalister asked.

“Gerald and the others got them out before I got here. They’re safe.” Don assured us.

There was something about his voice that made him seem sad.

“What’s wrong, Don?” I asked.

Don looked to the side and turned away from us.

“We saved the magic users, but we’re too late to stop the mafia’s attack on Queen Yuka. They had machine guns in surface storages. They’re marching on the castle as we speak.” Don said grimly.

More explosions shook the room, more violently this time.

“Let’s go, quickly!” Don shouted.

“Where?” Macalister asked.

“There’s an exit over there!” Don shouted over the explosions.

We all ran to where he pointed. We passed Ignacio, who lay unconscious on the ground.

“Is he dead?” Macalister asked.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him.” Robert said as we kept moving.

We ran for the door. Stella recovered her flintlock from where it lay on the floor. We reached the door as explosions began tearing apart the room behind us. We slammed the door behind us just as flying rubble hit it. We ran up the staircase that we now faced and soon came to a trap door. We opened it and found ourselves in an inn, behind the counter. We all piled out and ran outside. The stone walls and ceiling of the complex blocked out most of the explosions’ impact, but we could still feel it up here. It felt like a small earthquake. A small crowd gathered around, looking around to see what was causing the ‘earthquake.’ We didn’t stop to explain. The explosions were dying down, as were the impacts.

“We destroyed the mafia base!” Macalister shouted.

Across the street I saw Gerald and the others leading all the magic users out of the base! Far up the road I saw mafia members in white fedoras marching towards Queen Yuka’s castle! They were all carrying machine guns! Don, Stella, Robert, Macalister and I all ran to meet the others.

“Tabatha!” don shouted.

“Don!” Tabatha replied.

Don and Tabatha ran ahead and hugged one another. After a few seconds, Tabatha pulled away and kissed him on the cheek.

“Thanks for coming to safe me. Thanks for saving all of us.” She said sincerely.

Don’s face turned into a look of complete surprise and he started blushing.

“It was… It was nothing. It was our job.” Don said modestly.

“Ya saved us man! Thanks a bunch!” Walden exclaimed.

Don chuckled and pointed to us.

“It wasn’t all me. They had a huge part in this.” He said.

Everyone turned their attention to the mafia members advancing on Queen Yuka’s castle.

“We’re too late!” Darwin cried.

“The mafia is mounting their attack now! We have to stop them!” Edwin shouted.

“We can’t stop them, they have machine guns!” Darwin objected.

“Based on what we saw, we are no match for the machine guns. There’s nothing we can do.” Edward said hopelessly.

I heard Tabatha clear her throat. I looked to see her and the other witches, warlocks and fairies standing there with grins on their faces.

“What are you all smiling about?” Edward asked.

“It’s funny, you say that like everything seems hopeless.” Tabatha teased.

“What are you getting at, witch?” Edwin snapped.

Tabatha closed her eyes in frustration but opened them again after a few seconds.

“You have a team of magic users on your side and you’re talking like we can’t take out a couple men with fancy machines.” Tabatha explained.

We all grinned and looked to one another.

“But don’t you all have a curse put on you that lowers your magic power to almost nothing?” Don asked.

Tabatha smirked, aimed her staff at a piece of trash on the street, flicked her staff towards Don and the trash followed, beaning him in the head.

“Hey!” Don cried, rubbing his head.

I stood there in shock.

“Wait, you’re all meaning to tell me that your magic works? But how?” I asked.

Antoinette giggled.

“The witch who casted the spell on us is dead. She died in the explosions.” Antoinette said.

“It’s a relief too. Not being able to use magic is no fun!” Walden complained.

“You don’t say…” I trailed off.

Everyone chuckled.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go stop that attack!” Gerald shouted.

We all shouted our approval.

“Let’s go save the Queen!” Macalister shouted.

Gerald Baldwin led us up the road.

“Okay. Manipulation magic users at the front. We need you to stop the bullets before they reach us. Can you do that?” Gerald asked.

A warlock stepped forward. He had an orange wand with an amber mounted at the top. He then pointed it at a piece of trash on the street.

“Repel!” He cried out.

The amber began to glow and the trash flew away from us at a very fast speed. Tabatha gasped.

“That’s a spell?” She gasped.

The warlock nodded, but eyed her strangely.

“Yes, it’s a pretty basic one too.” He said.

“I don’t practice magic very often. You know, witch hunts and all.” Tabatha said with a shrug.

“Okay, all manipulation magic users at the front. Use that ‘repel’ spell to stop the bullets. Space yourselves out so that someone can fit beside you. I have an idea.” Gerald said.

“But are you aware of how hard that’ll be?” A witch cried.

“You can do it. It’ll be hard, but it’s better than no protection at all.” Gerald explained.

“We’re relying on you to keep us alive.” Darwin reminded.

I saw the manipulation magic users all grin as they walked to our front lines. I saw Tabatha go to the front lines as well.

“Next, destruction magic users! Stand beside a manipulation magic user. Show the mafia some offense on my mark!” Gerald commanded.

The destruction magic users cheered as they got into formation. Walden joined them along with a few other fairies.

“Do we have any other magic types here?” Edward asked.

Antoinette and some other witches, fairies and warlocks stepped forward.

“Illusion.” Antoinette said.

“Healing.” A fairy said.

I looked around. Was this it? Was this all we had?

“Any other magic types?” I asked.

“Well, some of us didn’t make it out of the complex alive. We had some influential magic users, but they’re dead.” Said a warlock.

I nodded. This was all we had.

“Okay. Illusion and healing magic users stay in the middle, we need you illusion magic users as a last line of defense. We need the healing magic users protected so they can heal.” Gerald said.

Everyone got in formation. I had to hand it to Gerald, he knew how to organise a formation. We weren’t looking to shabby.

“Okay! Stay in formation! Remember the plan!” Gerald shouted.

We all cheered in anticipation.

“Now… Charge!” Gerald shouted.

We began to charge up the street towards the mafia members.

Chapter Fifty Seven Queen Yuka’s Plan:

Wednesday July 7th 1690

We charged up to the mafia and were in range of their machine guns just as they reached the front gate of the castle. They turned around in shock and didn’t ask questions. They opened fire with their machine guns.

“Repel!” I heard the manipulation magic users cry the instant the gunfire started.

Most of the gunfire was deflected, however a few bullets weren’t and a few magic users were hit! They cried out and fell to the ground.

“Healers! We need you!” Gerald cried.

“Healing Gaze!” I heard someone say.

After a few seconds the few magic users who were hit stepped back onto the front lines. That healer could heal multiple people at once!

“Destruction magic users, show them some offense!” Gerald cried.

I heard a variety of different spells being cried out including ‘fireball’ ‘Windstorm’ ‘gust’ and ‘combustion’. The mafia members were thrown against the huge gate behind them and they landed on their faces. They got back up quickly before another barrage of destruction magic was made. Just then, the gate behind them began opening. It opened slowly, and the mafia didn’t attack us. We didn’t attack them, either. They saw what was behind those gates just as well as we did. No matter how close you were, it still wouldn’t make sense. Standing behind the mafia were four of Queen Yuka’s guards, all armed with machine guns.

“Get out of the way!” Gerald shouted.

We ran out of their line of fire and the rest of us followed him. No sooner did we do that, the guards opened fire, cutting the mafia members down with bullets. When not a single mafia member remained standing, the automatic gunfire stopped. We all looked to them with fear and surprise.

“The task force has returned!” One of the guards said.

“They got everyone out!” Another cried in joy.

“We must bring them to Queen Yuka!” The third exclaimed.

“Follow us, we’ll take you inside.” The fourth one said.

We all followed them through the gates, into the main entryway and into the throne room foyer. We walked into the throne room. Queen Yuka and Princess Estaire both looked to us, they broke into wide grins.

“Task force! You completed your mission! Is the mafia base destroyed?” Queen Yuka asked.

“Yes, your majesty. We have done as you commanded and the mafia base is no more.” Gerald replied.

“Very well done! I believe you law enforcement officers are up for promotions. As for you non-law enforcement members, you have earned my high trust and respect. I would like to give you all my personal thanks. Without you, the mafia would still be causing trouble. I am in debt to you all. If you ever need something, within reason of course, all you have to do is ask.” Queen Yuka told us.

“Thank you, we really appreciate it.” I said respectfully.

“Do you truly think the mafia is defeated?” Edward asked.

Queen Yuka placed a finger on her lips thoughtfully.

“For the time being, yes. However I do not believe we have seen the last of them. They are truly a force to be reckoned with. We have indeed dealt them a great blow, but they will rise again one day.” She said wisely.

Just then, more guards came into the throne room. They all carried machine guns, presumably the ones that belonged to the now deceased mafia members.

“Your majesty, we have taken their machine guns.” The guard said.

“Excellent work. Put them over there.” Queen Yuka said, indicating a spot in the corner.

The Queen turned to us with a dark and devilish look. This couldn’t be good.

“Task force, you have done me a great disrespect.” She said.

That threw me. What did we do?

“Eh… You majesty? What did we do?” Gerald asked.

“You brought a dark magic witch into my castle, that’s what.” She said calmly, putting emphasis on the words ‘dark magic witch’.

“Your majesty, what do you mean?” Gerald asked.

“That witch you rescued and brought back here, Alice. She is a dark magic witch.” Queen Yuka said.

Everyone’s eyes went wide.

“My Queen! My deepest and most humble apologies! I had no idea!” Gerald said.

Queen Yuka chuckled and shook her head.

“No, actually I was just having some fun. The truth is without her, we would have all been decimated in that mafia attack. Alice is also the reason we had machine guns to fend off the attack. Face it, you all most likely would’ve been killed if my men didn’t show up when they did.” Queen Yuka said.

“Well, I suppose.” Gerald said, not really believing it.

Just then, Alice walked into the throne room.

“Ah, Alice! What a pleasant surprise.” The Queen said.

“Hello, your majesty.” Alice said with a curtsey.

“Now, as I was saying. Alice broke into the mafia base stealthily and stole four machine guns. Now with the machine guns we took from those mafia members outside, we have quite a few. I will get my best engineers and my best magic users on the job of reverse engineering these weapons.” Queen Yuka said.

I didn’t like where this was going. The evil Queen was getting machine guns for herself.

“Your majesty, why do you need machine guns?” I asked, fearing the answer.

Queen Yuka smiled happily. She touched her fingers to her lips.

“You see, I have desired to gain more power. No sense in denying it, everyone wants more power at some point. Such is human nature. I have been wanting to conquer more land and expand Vulrock, but the other provinces have quite capable armies. As do I. However if I were to go to war with any of the other provinces, losses on both sides would be very large. This is what happens when two superpowers go to war. The repercussions are very, very severe. The machine guns will greatly reduce the losses on my side.” Queen Yuka began.

“So what you’re saying is… You want to use the machine guns to conquer the other provinces?” I asked in absolute shock.

Queen Yuka nodded, Estaire looked very, very grim. She must have heard the plan before we got here.

“Very sharp observation, Mister Bradford. That’s precisely what I plan to do.” Queen Yuka replied.

My stomach lurched upon hearing her answer. She wanted to conquer the other provinces before, and now she could do it. Not only that, but she was going to do it with weapons that shouldn’t exist yet. The natural advancement of technology had been accelerated using magic.

“Plus, I now have my very own dark magic witch. She has pledged allegiance to me. She will be the main factor that will tip the war in my favor.” Queen Yuka said evilly.

Alice giggled. It was a deceitfully innocent giggle.

“Yes. As Queen Yuka already knows, I have a curse on me. I need to kill other living things, otherwise I’ll die myself. This war will be the perfect opportunity for both the Queen and I to get what we want.” Alice said.

“So you don’t want to die, and Queen Yuka wants power?” Macalister asked.

Alice nodded, grinning.

“Yes, that’s exactly what it is.” Alice said.

“When will you launch an attack? What province will you invade?” Robert asked.

Queen Yuka chuckled.

“I’ve waited a long time to mount an attack on the other provinces. However I made up my mind a long time ago. I will invade Delron. Judging by my estimates, it will take my engineers and magic users about three days to recreate machine guns. That’s when I’ll launch my attack.” She stated proudly.

The Queen was going to invade Delron in three days! That was on the tenth of July!

“Your majesty, think about what you’re doing!” Gerald objected.

Queen Yuka turned to him, she looked angry.

“Excuse me, Mister Baldwin?” She asked threateningly.

Gerald took this as a ‘please explain yourself before I kill you’ and began explaining.

“What I meant to say was that you shouldn’t do this.” He said, more calm.

“And why not?” Queen Yuka asked, her slate grey eyes flicking to every face in the room.

“Because if you start a war, people, innocent people, will die! Is that what you want?” He asked.

Queen Yuka looked conflicted, her grey eyes flicked to the ground. She then looked up at Gerald.

“It isn’t what I want, however victory is only achieved through sacrifice. Whether or not the sacrifice is yours or someone else’s, it doesn’t matter.” Queen Yuka said coldly.

“You’re willing to kill thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of innocent people just to gain power?” Gerald asked.

“Yes.” She replied simply.

Gerald shook his head, closing his eyes.

“Your majesty, what you’re saying is barbaric and foolish! Vulrock is just as powerful as any of the other four provinces! Why start a war when things are already fine?” Gerald asked.

“I don’t want to have equal power to anyone else! I want more power! I want to be the most powerful person in all of Alcingeria and no one, no one! Will stop me!” The Queen exploded.

“Your majesty, you need to stop this! A great power has come into your hands, you must use it for the right reasons!” Gerald reasoned.

“I can use my power however I so desire! I’m the Queen!” She spat back.

Gerald stood up straight, he eyed the Queen with cold eyes.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t be.” He said with narrowed eyes.

Queen Yuka looked taken aback. She looked at Gerald, expecting an apology. She didn’t receive one.

“Excuse me?” She asked.

Gerald stiffened, remaining composed.

“You heard me.” He said coolly.

Queen Yuka shook her head in disappointment.

“You could have been a general in the war. You could’ve been so much more.” She said, still shaking her head.

She turned to Alice, who immediately stood at attention.

“Alice. Kill him.” She ordered.

Alice’s sapphire blue eyes lit up with joy. A small smile cracked her lips. I saw Gerald’s mouth drop open, his eyes were wide. He didn’t take back what he said. I agreed with him, the Queen was going to use the power of the machine guns for evil. Alice extended her hand towards Gerald.

“Retribution.” Alice said quietly.

A dark orb of magic appeared in Alice’s hand. It remained in her hand for a few seconds as its diameter grew to the size or a dinner plate. The orb then flew out of her hand, her arm recoiled back slightly. The orb flew across the room towards Gerald. Gerald’s amber eyes widened. The dark orb collided with his body with a hollow smack! All sign of life drained from his eyes. He fell to the ground, face first with his hands near his head. Everyone in the room collectively let out a gasp of surprise and horror, including me. Gerald was dead! Sadness flooded through me, I didn’t know what to do. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. Queen Yuka laughed.

“He got what he deserved.” She muttered.

Everyone eyed her strangely, their gazes full of fear.

“Sh-she killed Captain Baldwin!” Edward stammered.

Queen Yuka’s gaze turned on him.

“Yes, and unless you want to be next I suggest you hold your tongue.” She warned.

He clenched his fists and set his jaw. He leaned in towards the Queen, as if he was going to spring across the room and attack her. The Queen looked amused.

“Go ahead. I dare you.” She challenged with raised eyebrows.

Edwin placed a hand on Edwards shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Edward nodded and stood down.

“Smart choice. I would like to thank you, the members of the task force, for returning the magic users safely back to us. You also destroyed their base. The mafia is a powerful organization and are rumored to have bases all over Vulrock. Although you struck a blow against them, the mafia is far from being disbanded.” Queen Yuka said.

There was no cheer of approval, no applause. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Captain Gerald Baldwin’s corpse.

“This meeting is now over.” She said in dismissal.

With that, everyone filed out of the throne room. My friends and I walked outside, we found Edwin, Edward and Darwin. They were all in tears.

“Gerald’s dead! The captain’s dead!” Edward mourned.

“He was a good man.” Darwin said soberly.

There was a moment of silence between the three men as they bowed their heads for their friend.

“We need to strike back against Queen Yuka. We need to stop this war from happening. It isn’t right.” Edwin said.

“Edwin, how will we do that?” Edward asked.

“I don’t know, but we have three days before Queen Yuka’s army marches out, and maybe four before it reaches Delron. We don’t have a lot of time.” Edwin said.

“Edwin, you do realize that doing that would brand us as traitors! We’d be hung!” Darwin objected.

Edwin’s eyes were cold and still. He spoke with total control.

“I know. As Gerald’s second in command I will take over control of the group. We are going to stop this war.” He said with certainty.

Edward nodded, looking his friend in the eye.

“We’d be going renegade if we do this. You know that, don’t you?” He asked.

“Yes, I do. We all witnessed our friend die in there. There was nothing he could do, he was defenceless. The same thing is going to happen to anyone who opposes the Queen in the future.” Edwin said.

There was a few moments of consideration as everyone weighed their options.

“I’m with you. You’re right, this war can’t happen. Queen Yuka is going to use technology that shouldn’t even be invented yet, it isn’t right. We can’t allow her to use it.” Edward said.

“I agree. If Queen Yuka wins the war against Delron, what’s stopping her from conquering the rest of Alcingeria?” Darwin asked.

There was a stunned silence as everyone thought about that. My friends and I walked over to them.

“We’re in.” Macalister said.

The three renegade law enforcement officers turned to us in shock.

“Are you serious?” Edwin asked.

I nodded.

“We are. Gerald was our friend, too.” I said.

“That’s great, we appreciate the help.” Edward said with a grin.

“We’ll help in any way we can.” Macalister said proudly.

“That’s good to hear. We really appreciate this. I don’t know what to say.” Edwin said.

Tabatha stepped forward, so did Antoinette. Tabatha clutched her staff firmly.

“Well, you could start by apologizing for all of those rude comments towards witches.” Tabatha said with a grin, getting right in Edwin’s face.

Antoinette hung back a little, gripping her wand. Edwin closed his eyes and nodded.

“Very well, you both have earned my sincerest apology. I’m sorry. If this war is to be stopped, I need to put aside my prejudices and work with you two. Will you both accept my apology?” Edwin asked.

Everyone looked very baffled at Edwin’s apology. I didn’t think he’d apologize!

“Well… That was easy…” Antoinette remarked.

“I second that.” Edward said.

“I must say, I’m surprised you apologized. I’m proud of you.” Darwin said.

Edwin laughed.

“Well, Gerald is dead. I need to do all I can to stop this war. It was what he wanted. He was killed because he didn’t want the war to happen. In order to honor him, I will do whatever it takes to carry out his last wish.” Edwin said proudly.

Darwin clapped his friend on the shoulder.

“You really have grown up.” He said.

“What can I say? Tabatha didn’t kill my parents. Neither did Antoinette.” Edwin replied.

We all stood there, stunned. I was very surprised that Edwin had said something like that. It wasn’t like him. Then again I guess seeing your friend die before your eyes will change you.

“Okay, so how are we going to stop this war?” Antoinette asked.

We all thought about that for a moment. How did you stop a war?

“Well, we can start by destroying Queen Yuka’s weapon storage facilities. The machine guns are our primary targets, but destroying her other weapons is mandatory. Next we need to destroy her research and development facility, that’s where her magic users and engineers and reverse engineering the machine guns. Without the machine guns, Queen Yuka wouldn’t dare invade Delron.” Edwin said.

“That sounds good, but could it really be that easy?” Stella asked.

Edwin laughed out loud. I’m serious, he broke out laughing.

“Not a chance on god’s green world.” He said when he calmed down.

“Now that we have a plan, we need to be careful about it. We need to remain undetected for as long as possible. If we’re caught too early, the war will begin and throw the peace into disarray.” Robert added.

“Yes. And after Queen Yuka conquers Delron, she’s going to conquer all the other provinces, throwing Alcingeria into chaos.” Erin remarked.

“Indeed. That’s why stopping this war is so important.” Ceberus said.

“We need to find out where Queen Yuka’s weapon storage and research facilities are.” I said.

“Well, being law enforcement officers, we know where the weapon storages are. However the research and development facility will be much harder to find.” Edwin told me.

“Can you take us to the weapon storages?” Asked Macalister.

“Well, the second door on the right in the throne room foyer is a weapon storehouse, and she has numerous others, but we aren’t allowed to have that information. The Queen is paranoid. We could take you to the one we know about, but that would just make us seem more suspicious the day we go to destroy it.” Darwin said, scratching his chin.

“I agree.” Robert remarked.

Just then, we heard someone fall. They let out a grunt as they hit the ground and it sounded like they dropped something. We all whirled around in surprise to see who it was. It was Estaire! She scrambled to pick up her brown book that she had dropped. It looked like she was hiding around the corner of the wall, listening in on our conversation.

Chapter Fifty Eight Princess Estaire: Young But Wise:

Wednesday July 7th 1690

“E-Estaire!” Francella exclaimed nervously.

Estaire’s light violet eyes were cast to the ground in shame.

“I-I’m sorry I eavesdropped on you…” She trailed off.

“How much did you hear?” Ceberus asked, all business.

“I heard everything.” Estaire answered nervously.

No one knew quite what to say to that. Estaire had been listening in! She’d tell her mother, then we’d all be killed!

“Estaire, please don’t tell your mother!” Raymond pleaded.

Estaire quietly chuckled, shaking her head.

“Give me a little credit, won’t you? I completely agree with you all. If this war happens, Alcingeria will be thrown into chaos.” Estaire said.

Again, no one knew quite what to say to that.

“I want to help you. As the Princess and future Queen of Vulrock it is my duty to ensure peace and prosperity comes to not only my own province, but the others as well.” Estaire continued, her confidence growing.

“You’d be willing to conspire against your mother?” William asked in surprise.

“Yes.” Estaire replied with a nod.

“You know what it would mean if you were caught, right?” I asked.

“Yes. I know I would be executed for treason. However I would much rather die than assist in the downfall of Alcingeria.” Estaire replied.

We all looked at her, shocked that she would say something like that. She may have been young, but she was honorable and very wise.

“Thank you, we could really use your help. We all appreciate your bravery.” Edwin said with a smile.

“I love my mother very much, however I disapprove of her evil and sadistic ways. Her army must be stopped before it reaches Delron.” Estaire said.

“You heard our plan, right?” Robert asked.

“Yes, I heard everything.” Estaire replied.

“Then you know what we need to do. Do you know where your mother’s weapon storage facilities and research facilities are?” Robert asked.

Estaire looked over her shoulder, worried.

“We should go somewhere where no one else can eavesdrop on us.” Martha suggested.

“Agreed. We can go to my room.” Estaire suggested.

“No, there would be guards outside your door.” Martha told her.

“True. We could go to one of your rooms.” Estaire suggested.

“I guess mine is as good as any.” Tabatha suggested.

We all nodded and followed Tabatha up the stairs to her room. When we were all inside, she closed the door.

“Oh, hello Miss Crawforde!” Nattallie greeted cheerily, her beige eyes lighting up.

We all jumped in surprise because we hadn’t noticed Nattallie standing in the back of the room.

“Nattallie!” Tabatha said in surprise.

“Why is the Princess here!?” Nattallie asked as she quickly dropped to a bow midsentence.

Estaire looked to Nattallie kindly.

“Please, that won’t be necessary.” Estaire told her.

Nattallie stood up from her bow.

“Yes, your highness.” She replied.

Estaire smiled at Nattallie’s respect.

“If you don’t mind, I need you to step out for a while. I have an urgent issue I would like to discuss with my friends.” Estaire stated matter of factly.

“Yes, of course your highness!” Nattallie said as she brushed some of her light brown hair out of her eyes and walked past Estaire.

“Oh, and Nattallie?” Estaire called.

She turned back, lingering in the doorway.

“Please do me a favor and don’t tell my mother I’m here.” She said.

“Of course.” Nattallie said with a smile and a bow as she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

We all looked to Estaire. She cleared her throat and continued.

“In response to your question, I know that my mother has numerous weapon storehouses. She has one in the throne room foyer and she has a few beneath the throne room. She only took me down there once, but I saw that there are sufficient weapons and supplies down there to supply her army. She has weapons of all varieties, she even has multiple explosive charges.” Estaire explained.

“We saw the damage only a few of those dynamite charges did to the mafia base. If Queen Yuka supplies her army with them…” Stella trailed off.

“The results would be devastating.” Edwin concluded.

“Do you know where her research and development facilities are?” Martha asked, running a finger through her blonde hair.

Estaire shook her head.

“No, I’m sorry.” She apologized.

“That’s okay. This is going to be harder than we thought.” I said.

“Indeed. We need to get to work.” Estaire encouraged.

Just then, Erin’s eyes fell on Estaire’s book.

“Estaire? What’s in that book? I’ve seen you carry it around quite often.” Erin asked.

Estaire looked conflicted. She pressed her lips into a hard line, her eyes hardened. She then sighed and held the book out in front of her. She opened it. She flipped through various pages and showed everyone. On some pages I saw drawings (very good ones I have to admit) of various creatures. Next to the drawings near the top of the page was the title. I saw the pages for witches, warlocks, fairies and vampires. Below the picture and the title was information on them.

“You see, ever since I was a little girl I have kept this book. I document everything I know about the supernatural.” Estaire said.

Stella’s blue eyes widened.

“That’s so cool!” She exclaimed

Estaire laughed, a little embarrassed.

“Thank you, Stella. I quite like keeping this book.” Estaire said.

Just then, Edwin gasped.

“Everyone, do you realize what this means?” He asked, shifting his gaze from person to person in our group.

“What are you talking about? What does it mean?” Macalister asked, confused.

“It means that with that book, we have a greater chance against Queen Yuka! Estaire, does the book have anything on supernatural creature’s weaknesses?” Edwin asked.

Estaire flipped through her book and nodded.

“Yes, but not all supernatural creatures have weaknesses.” She replied.

“Perfect. We know that the Queen has witches and warlocks on her side. Does your book say anything about them?” Edwin asked.

Estaire bit her lip and shook her head.

“Aside from what you undoubtabley already know, no.” She answered.

“How about fairies?” Darwin asked.

Again, Estaire shook her head.

“A fairy’s only weakness is its size. No offense, Walden.” Estaire said.

“None taken.” Walden replied.

“Based on what we heard, the machine guns are fully automatic because of enchantments. Is there any way to dispel the enchantment?” Edward asked.

Antoinette shook her head.

“No, a witch or warlock would need to know the exact enchantment the magic user used in order to dispel it. Even if they did, they would need to be an enchantment magic user.” Antoinette answered.

“Is there any way to break an enchantment?” Erin asked.

Antoinette and Tabatha both thought about the answer. Tabatha tapped her finger on her staff a few times, looking at the emerald at the top of her staff. She then looked up to us.

“Well, technically we could break the enchantment if we had either a dark magic user or a powerful curse magic user.” Tabatha answered.

“How powerful would the curse magic user need to be?” I asked.

Tabatha’s shoulders sagged in depression.

“Around eighty to ninety percent pure or more.” She answered glumly.

“Well, it looks like breaking the enchantments on the machine guns is out of the question.” Robert remarked.

“I’ll say.” Walden laughed.

“Then we need to destroy them. We need to make sure nothing like them is ever invented again.” Robert told us all.

“Will we use explosives?” Macalister asked.

“Of course we will.” Darwin answered.

“There are explosive charges in the weapon stockpile beneath the throne room. We can just use those to destroy it!” Macalister exclaimed.

“Precisely. Good thinking Macalister.” Robert praised.

“So our biggest worry is getting past the guards.” Martha stated.

“And Alice.” Darwin remarked.

“If Alice catches us, we’re dead. Literally.” Erin added.

“I can’t believe I showed kindness towards her…” Stella muttered bitterly to herself.

“It’s easier said than done. We need to get past Alice, the Queen herself and her guards. Next we need to get down to the weapon storehouse and plant the explosives. We then need to get out and detonate the explosives from a safe distance.” Don explained.

“No one said this would be easy.” William interjected.

“We need to make use of everything we have.” I said.

“Yes, and what exactly do we have?” William asked.

Walden scoffed, flying from the far wall to the one closest to us. It was as if he was pacing, but flying while doing it.

“What do we have? We have an incredibly awesome fairy, two less awesome witches, four experienced thieves, two spies, a runner, a gardener, a stealthy listener, a linguist, a housewife and we even have the bloody Princess of Vulrock!” Walden exclaimed.

“I’ll have you know that Tabatha’s an amazing witch!” Don laughed.

“Hey! What about me?” Antoinette whined.

“Eh… Mediocre.” Walden shrugged.

Antoinette shot Walden a dirty look. We all laughed, it’s been a while since any of us had laughed.

“Thanks Don.” Tabatha chuckled.

Estaire then stood up, straightening the wrinkles in her dress.

“I should get back to my mother. I’ll find out what I can and report back to Robert and Ceberus. I trust you two can tell everyone else whatever I told you?” Estaire asked.

“Of course.” Robert said.

“Certainly.” Ceberus told her.

“Good. I’ll be off then.” Estaire said as she walked out the door.

She closed the door behind her.

“I’m going to kill you Walden!” Antoinette laughed as she lunged at Walden.

Walden cackled as he flew up to the ceiling, out of her reach.

“Nice try, shorty!” Walden taunted.

“I’m not short!” Antoinette shrieked as she jumped in a fruitless attempt to catch Walden.

Now that I looked at her in contrast to the other members of our group, I saw that she was one of the shortest people. Antoinette then stopped jumping. She grinned while flashing an evil glare at Walden. She raised her wand to him and his smile fell off his face.

“I’m giving you ten seconds to come down here.” She threatened.

“Or else what?” Walden asked somewhat nervously.

“Or else I’ll make you hallucinate so vividly, you’ll think you’ve gone insane.” Antoinette replied threateningly.

Around five seconds went by.

“You’re also going to apologize for that short comment.” Antoinette added.

Walden laughed nervously.

“You’re not serious, are you?” He asked.

“What do you think?” Antoinette asked him.

After I counted ten seconds total in my head, Walden dropped down from the ceiling, flying at eye level with Antoinette.

“That’s what I thought.” She said smugly.

“Alright, alright! I’m sorry for dissing your magic.” Walden told her sincerely.

“And?” Antoinette asked with a grin.

“…And I’m sorry for calling you short.” Walden said quietly.

“Good.” Antoinette said with a smile.

There was a brief pause as we all waited for something to happen next.

“Hey Tabatha?” Don asked.

Tabatha looked to Don with a grin.

“Hm?” She asked.

“Are all witches so devious?” He asked.

Tabatha grinned and giggled.

“No, but most of us are.” She said with a grin as she hugged Don and kissed him on the cheek in front of everyone.

We all looked right at Don, he was blushing bright red. Tabatha let him go. She was giggling.

“It’s about time, eh?” Walden asked us.

We all replied with hearty laughs.

“Welp, we should all hit the sack. We got a big few days up ahead.” Walden told us.

“I agree. I’m sure you are all tired from your duties on the task force.” Martha said.

“We are.” Edwin said.

“Okay. Good night to you all, I hope you get a good rest. You were all very brave going up against the mafia like you did.” Martha said.

Don clapped his hands, remembering something.

“Speaking of which, we found out who’s leading the Vampire Mafia!” Don said.

“What? Who is it?” Ceberus asked.

“I can’t believe I forgot until now. It’s the vampire that captured Robert, Macalister, Redmond and I a while ago. His name’s Ignacio.” Don told everyone.

“Redmond, you were telling me about Ignacio.” Erin remarked.

“I know. He was down in the base when the explosives went off, but I doubt he’s dead.” I explained.

“How can he have survived a blast like that?” Darwin asked.

“He’s a vampire, we’ve seen them in action. They have increased strength, speed and stamina. Not to mention a thirst for blood. When they drink blood, their healing powers and strength get stronger. That’s about all we know.” Robert said.

“They can also turn you into a vampire.” Macalister added.

“Really? I never woulda guessed.” Walden said sarcastically.

“Well, I’m going to bed. See you all in the morning.” I said.

“Good night.” Martha told me.

I walked out of Tabatha’s room and made my way to my room. When I opened the door I found Lawrence sitting on a nearby chair.

“Sir! You have returned!” He exclaimed.

I grinned and nodded.

“We destroyed the mafia base and got all the magic users out, but Queen Yuka doesn’t think the mafia is beaten once and for all.” I explained.

Lawrence shrugged.

“Queen Yuka has almost always been pessimistic. Regardless, I have prepared your bed.” Lawrence told me.

“Thanks, I’m really tired so I’m going to go to sleep now.” I yawned.

“Very well. Good night, sir. I will see you in the morning.” He replied.

I walked over to the bed and climbed under the blankets. I fell asleep quickly.

***

Chapter Fifty Nine The Coming War:

Thursday July 8th 1690

I had a nightmare. I saw an army, the biggest I’ve ever seen. Everyone in it was dressed in Vulrock’s red and black military uniform. The army was attacking a city! Each soldier was armed with a machine gun. There were numerous witches, warlocks and fairies among the ranks. I even saw a few vampires! I watched, unable to move or even shut my eyes as innocent civilians were mercilessly gunned down in the street, houses were set on fire, explosions rang out periodically. Vampires fed on the humans of the city without hesitation. In minutes the majority of the city was engulfed in flames, explosions still ringing out. The sound of machine gunfire was constant, screams of agony as well as anguish filled the air. Men dressed in the green and silver Delron military uniform arrived armed with pikes, spears, swords, muskets and flintlocks. They didn’t stand a chance. They were cut down by bullets from the machine guns. At the head of Queen Yuka’s army was Alice, using her dark magic relentlessly, killing men and women at every turn. Burning buildings began crumbling, some even crushed people beneath.

I snapped awake and gasped, sitting bolt upright. My mind was reeling from the horrific images I had just seen.

“Just a dream…” I muttered to myself as I sat up.

I looked out my window to see that it was still dark out. An orange streak was visible on the horizon. The sun was just starting to rise. I looked around my dark room, Lawrence wasn’t here yet. I didn’t want to go back to sleep, the nightmare was still fresh in my mind. I didn’t want to relive it ever again. Not in my mind and certainly not in reality. I quietly got up and walked over to my door. I creaked it open slowly and peeked outside. No one was there. I decided to walk around a little. Maybe some fresh air in the garden would clear my head? The nightmare was obviously brought on by fear, stress or worry. Maybe all of the above.

I silently walked out of my room so as not to disturb anyone and shut the door quietly behind me. The hallway was dark. The torches that normally lined the walls had burned out, small plumes of smoke poured off of them. I walked down the hall, descended the staircase and walked out the main entryway. I saw the guards at the front gates, but they had their backs to me. I didn’t want to attract attention so I just tip-toed past them. Luckily they weren’t concentrated on someone coming from inside the castle.

I wasn’t sure if I would be in any kind of trouble for being out this late, but better safe than sorry. I walked through the garden, now past the guards. The smell of roses hung heavily on the air, it was almost suffocating. I walked through the garden, taking in the sweet, strong scent of roses. The night air was chilly, but not cold. I walked about halfway around the garden. I guessed that I was on the direct opposite side of the garden that the front gate was. I was at the very back of the garden. I walked a little more, then stopped short. I saw something that caught me totally off guard.

Standing amid the rose bushes were Don and Tabatha. Tabatha’s hands were at Don’s back, pulling him close. Don’s hands were at her waist, their lips were entwined. I grinned as I began to back away slowly. This was their time, I didn’t want to interrupt.

And that’s when I stepped on a twig. Don and Tabatha both snapped towards me, looking completely embarrassed and shocked. In the dark I could see them both blushing lightly.

“Redmond!” Tabatha quietly exclaimed.

“What are you doing out at this hour?” Don asked in a whisper.

“I could ask the same to you two!” I shot back jokingly in the same low voice.

Don chuckled quietly, smiling.

“Redmond you scared the daylights out of us.” He laughed.

“Sorry, but I wasn’t exactly planning on finding you two out here.” I replied.

“Well, you know what brings us out here this early. What about you?” Tabatha asked, brushing a few strands of burgundy hair out of her eyes.

“I had a nightmare, couldn’t sleep.” I told her.

“Do you want to tell me about it? You know you can talk to me.” Tabatha said comfortingly.

“It was just about the coming war.” I sighed.

“There isn’t going to be a war, because we’re going to stop it.” Tabatha said with a smile.

I nodded, grateful for her comfort.

“I know, I’m just stressed.” I murmured.

“We all are.” Don added.

A few seconds went by where no one said anything.

“This is awkward.” I remarked quietly.

“Little bit.” Don replied.

“Well, I’m going to go back to bed. You two can just… Continue what you were doing.” I said awkwardly as I made my way back to my room.

I walked quietly back through the garden, through the main entryway and up the stairs. I silently opened the door and slipped back into my room. I just laid down on the bed and crawled under the blankets. Before I drifted off I thought about Don and Tabatha. It was good that things were going so well for them. I was truly happy for both of my friends.

***

I woke up when the sun was almost at its peak. Lawrence was sitting in the chair across from my bed. There was a metal trolley next to him.

“Good morning, sir. Would you like some tea?” Lawrence asked.

I shook my head as I got out of bed.

“No thanks, Lawrence. I’m going to head down to the dining hall.” I answered.

“Very well, sir.” Lawrence remarked.

I walked over to the door, opened it and began making my way to the dining hall. Lawrence followed behind me. I came to the staircase and walked down to the grand entryway. I walked to the dining hall from there. I opened the door to find that everyone was already there, just finishing up there meal. I took an empty seat next to Francella and Stella.

“Good morning Redmond.” Stella greeted.

“Good morning.” I replied.

Lawrence walked off to the kitchen but returned momentarily with a plate stacked with meat, vegetables, bread and various fruits. He set it down in front of me.

“Enjoy your meal, sir.” Lawrence said.

“Thanks, I will.” I replied with a grin.

I began eating my meat. I cut off a few bite sized pieces and ate them one at a time. The meat had no sauce, but tasted great just the same. I ate some vegetables as well and drank some water. I also nibbled on some bread and popped some fruit into my mouth. I had barely even made a dent in the massive plate of food and I was already feeling stuffed. Walden stretched and yawned.

“Ah! I’m stuffed.” He said.

“Me too.” I added.

Before anyone could say anything else, a young boy, barely a teenager, walked into the dining hall.

“So sorry to interrupt, but the Princess has requested an audience with you all. She has ordered that the servants be on standby here in the dining hall.” He said politely but firmly.

What did Princess Estaire want with us? I looked to everyone else. They seemed to be just as confused as I was. We all stood up and walked over to the boy.

“Right this way, please. The Princess is waiting for you in her room.” The boy told us.

He then led us through the throne room foyer and into the throne room. Queen Yuka was not on her throne. Estaire’s room was also not guarded.

“Don’t be too long. If the Queen comes back and you’re still in there…” He trailed off.

“We got it, thanks pal.” Walden told him.

The boy nodded and walked off.

“What do you think she wants with us?” William asked.

“Only one way to find out.” Ceberus replied.

We all walked up to Estaire’s door. Macalister opened it and we filed in. Luckily her room was large enough to fit all of us. We saw Estaire standing by her window, looking out onto the city. When she turned to look at us, we saw that her light violet eyes had welled up with tears.

“Estaire, what is it?” Antoinette asked compassionately.

“Is something wrong?” Macalister asked.

Estaire nodded, fighting back her tears so she could speak. She didn’t sob, but the tears still streamed down from her face. She wiped them away, her eyes hardened.

“I have horrible news!” Estaire told us.

“What is it?” Macalister asked.

“That jewelry… The jewelry you brought for my mother…” Estaire trailed off.

I remembered the jewelry. My mind immediately jumped to the worst case scenario.

“Yes, what about it?” Robert asked fearfully.

“Did you know that it was… Imbued with dark magic?” Estaire asked.

“Yes, but we had no choice but to give it to your mother.” William said quickly.

“Your mother asked us to retrieve the jewelry. We found it and Tabatha discovered the dark magic within. We didn’t want to give it to your mother, but if we took the jewelry and ran, she would find out rather quickly. She would have had us executed for treason.” Ceberus explained.

Estaire nodded slowly, taking in the information. She then shook her head.

“It hardly matters why you gave it to her now.” Estaire told us, her voice wavering.

“Why? What’s wrong?” I asked, fearing what she might say.

“My mother has instructed Alice to siphon the dark magic from the jewelry.” Estaire told us.

Immediately we all gasped in horror.

“What?” Macalister asked in fear.

“My mother, Alice as well as most of the guards are down in the research and development facility right now.” Estaire added.

“This is bad, this is very bad.” Don said nervously.

Estaire surveyed us for a few moments.

“That’s not all.” She told us sadly.

“What do you mean?” Martha asked in worry.

“My mother ordered Alice to imbue the machine guns with the dark magic from the jewelry. She’s doing it as we speak!” Estaire blurted.

My stomach dropped to my feet, fear and worry collided within my mind. We all stared wide eyed at her. No one in the room wanted to believe it.

“Everyone, we brought Queen Yuka the jewelry…” I trailed off.

“So that means…” Robert continued for me.

“We’ve given Alice the power she needs to imbue the machine guns with dark magic.” Raymond added.

We all stood in stunned silence as we all took that in. No matter how you put it, we had a hand in helping Queen Yuka.

“Everyone. As much as I hate to admit this, we all had a hand in helping Queen Yuka gain more power in the coming war.” Ceberus fretted.

Chapter Sixty The Queen’s Orders:

Thursday July 8th 1690

Queen Yuka, Alice and the most skilled enchantment magic users as well as engineers were all gathered in Queen Yuka’s hidden research and development facility. Queen Yuka had her servants bring down the massive amount of jewelry that was imbued with dark magic. The jewelry lay in a heap next to Alice. On a table before her was a machine gun.

“You may proceed, Alice.” Queen Yuka instructed.

Alice turned to the Queen and bowed.

“Yes, your majesty.” She said respectfully.

Alice closed her eyes to concentrate, everyone in the room was silent. Alice’s features tensed. She sighed in frustration, brushing her dark orange hair back behind her neck.

“This is going to be hard.” Alice stated.

No one said anything in return, they let her concentrate. She closed her eyes again, drawing in a deep breath. She concentrated on the large expanse of dark magic that was inside of the jewelry near her. She extended a hand towards the dark magic jewelry.

“Siphon.” She whispered, her tone made the spell sound like a command.

She moved her hands upwards, her face straining with effort. She struggled to do it, but after a few seconds a little cloud of swirling blackness lifted from a few of the jewelry pieces. Alice grinned, pleased with herself. She directed the dark magic over to the machine gun on the table. The dark magic entered the weapon without trouble. Upon contact, the dark magic seemed to get sucked into the machine gun. When the dark magic was completely absorbed, the machine gun flashed black for a brief second, then returned to its normal colors.

“It’s ready.” Alice said with a grin.

Queen Yuka cocked her head to the side, pleased, yet skeptical.

“Alice, would you mind demonstrating your work to us?” She asked.

Alice nodded and bowed to the Queen.

“Of course, your majesty.” She said.

Alice picked up the machine gun and aimed it at a wall. She shouldered the weapon and pulled the trigger. The rate of fire of the weapon had at least doubled now that it was imbued with dark magic. The muzzle velocity had also increased. She fired ten bullets at the wall, then the weapon jammed and stopped firing. Alice frowned, smacking the side of the weapon with her hand for a few seconds. She shouldered the weapon and pulled the trigger, shooting the wall another five times. She stopped and put the weapon back on the table.

“Is that sufficient, your majesty?” Alice asked, her sapphire eyes flashing.

Queen Yuka looked surprised, happily so.

“Indeed, your services are of great importance to me.” She said evilly.

“It is now my duty to serve you, my Queen. I will do so in any way I can.” Alice said with a bow.

“Yes, such was our deal. The machine guns as well as your allegiance in exchange for your life.” Queen Yuka said with a raised eyebrow.

Alice nodded in memory of the horrific day that she was almost killed.

“Yes, that reminds me. I need to kill someone, and soon.” Alice told Queen Yuka.

“Ah, yes. Your curse. Go into the city, kill a few commoners.” Queen Yuka replied.

Alice grinned and nodded.

“Thank you, your majesty. I’ll be back within the hour.” She told the Queen.

“Make sure you imbue all the other machine guns with dark magic later today, they need to be ready by the tenth.” Queen Yuka ordered.

“Yes, my Queen.” Alice replied as she ran over to the exit of the research and development facility.

Queen Yuka scratched her chin, thinking of the coming war. She was sure to win. She had weapons that shouldn’t even exist yet that were imbued with the most deadly power in the world.

“Your majesty. After you invade Delron, what will you do next?” Asked a highly ranking military officer.

She knew this man, his name was Jeffrey Robinson. General Robinson. He had thick brown hair with darker brown eyes. He was an older man, but hardy just the same.

“Oh, General Robinson. It’s nice to see you alive and well.” Queen Yuka remarked.

Jeffrey chuckled at her comment.

“I’ve been in your army a long time, your majesty. You should know I can take care of myself.” He replied.

Queen Yuka smiled. She and Jeffrey had known each other for about a decade.

“In answer to your question, Jeffrey, I intend to conquer not just Delron, but the other provinces as well.” She answered.

Jeffrey nodded in respect and awe.

“I have no doubt that you will be able to, and I can’t say that I blame you for wanting more power. The peace that Alcingeria has lived in for so long was never going to last forever. I just want you to know that I stand by you and respect your decision.” He told her.

The Queen nodded in appreciation, she smiled.

“Thanks, Jeffrey. It means a lot.” Queen Yuka replied.

There was a moment of silence as they both smiled at each other.

“Well, I should get back to the troops. The battalion under my command is almost ready.” Jeffrey stated.

“None of the battalions are armed with the machine guns yet.” Queen Yuka explained.

“I understand. I will do all that I can to ensure that this war is started.”

“I should expect nothing less from you. What is the status of the other battalions?” The Queen asked.

“Not quite ready, but I’ll speak with the other Generals and make sure that their battalions are prepared to march out on the tenth.” Jeffrey replied.

The Queen nodded briskly in acknowledgement.

“Good. You’re dismissed, General Robinson.” Queen Yuka told him.

Jeffrey snapped to attention and saluted.

“Yes, your majesty.” He said.

Jeffrey and Queen Yuka may have known each other for around a decade, but the proper respects still applied. She was still the Queen, after all. Jeffrey lowered his arm and marched off.

Chapter Sixty One No Turning Back:

Thursday July 8th 1690

A few hours had passed since we spoke with Estaire. She had told us that she would do all that she could to find out where Queen Yuka’s research and development facility is. Did she have more than one? That hardly mattered at this point. We had two days to stop the war that would throw Alcingeria into Chaos.

I sat in my room with Lawrence. I was pacing the length of the room, as I had been for the last few minutes.

“Is… Something wrong, sir?” Lawrence asked nervously.

I couldn’t tell him about how my friends and I had to stop one of the biggest wars of all time. I didn’t think he’d tell the Queen, but I simply couldn’t risk it. With the plan already in place, all we had to do now was find out where the Queen’s research and development facility is. A simple slip up now would turn out to be a catastrophic failure.

“Erm… Sir?” Lawrence asked to get my attention.

“What? No, nothing’s wrong.” I brushed him off.

I could tell Lawrence wanted to say something, but he didn’t question me.

“Queen Yuka plans to invade Delron, are you nervous about that?” Lawrence asked.

I stopped pacing for a second. I nodded and continued pacing.

“I think everyone is. Alcingeria has been in peace for a very long time. I think everyone is wondering how this war will turn out, everyone is worried for the peace.” Lawrence explained.

Of course, I already knew who was going to win the war, that is if the others and I didn’t stop it first.

Just then, a knock came at my door. Lawrence opened the door. On the other side was Stella.

“Hello, Miss Hannigan. How may I help you?” Lawrenc asked.

Stella looked taken aback, her blue eyes widened in surprise.

“How do you know my last name?” She asked.

Lawrence chuckled, sill eyeing her.

“I am a servant. I make it my business to know who is staying in the castle.” He laughed.

Stella nodded, then blinked nervously.

“Anyway… I’m looking for Redmond.” She said, looking straight at me.

“Of course.” Lawrence told her.

He turned and wave me over. I walked anxiously over to Stella. Did she have news?

“What is it, Stella?” I asked.

“The others are having a meeting in Princess Estaire’s room.” Stella whispered so Lawrence wouldn’t hear.

I nodded slowly and turned to Lawrence.

“I need to go take care of something. I’ll be back soon.” I told him.

Lawrence frowned as if he wanted to inquire, but he shook his head.

“Yes sir, see you soon.” He replied.

I then walked nervously out of my room with Stella. I close my bedroom door.

“Any news?” I asked.

Stella nodded quickly and excitedly.

“I’ve heard a few guards discussing how almost all the machine guns are imbued with dark magic now. Redmond, if we don’t stop this war…” Stella trailed off grimly.

“I know.” I cut in before she could say any more.

I knew what would happen if we failed to stop the war, I didn’t need to be reminded.

“Do you know what the Princess wants?” I asked.

“No, she didn’t say. She said she’d discuss it when we were all present. That’s why I came to get you.” Stella explained.

We walked down the familiar staircase and into the grand entry hall. We saw a few guards headed here and there. Men dressed in military uniforms hurried back and forth. We both stopped and watched them.

“I’ve noticed that every time I see someone in a military uniform, it’s always a man.” Stella remarked as she watched the troops.

“That’s because girls can’t fight.” I joked.

I laughed out loud while Stella just gave me a competitive glare.

“I’ll show you who can fight!” She said, emphasizing her word with a shove.

Despite her effort, she barely even moved me.

“You were saying?” I asked as we continued to walk along.

“Oh, shut up!” She whined.

I chuckled. I had nothing against female warriors. However I had seen very, very few. None of them were in a military. They were all freelance mercenaries.

Stella and I walked through the throne room foyer and into the throne room. We walked to the door to the Princess’s quarters. We walked right in, not bothering to knock. We found Princess Estaire and our friends gathered around the room.

“Ah, there you are, Redmond.” Estaire exclaimed with a clap.

I shut the door behind us as Stella and I walked up to the others.

“What’s this about, Estaire?” William asked.

“Did you find out where your mom’s research things are?” Walden asked excitedly.

Estaire nodded grimly.

“Yes, I have discovered the location of my mother’s research and development facility. She has only one.” She explained.

“That’s great!” Erin exclaimed.

“We may stand a chance against the Queen after all.” Raymond muttered.

After our short celebration, it was time to get down to business.

“So, where is the research facility?” Edwin asked.

“We need to destroy it.” Edward said firmly.

“I agree.” Macalister plainly stated.

Estaire closed her eyes in doubt and depression.

“What’s the matter?” Ceberus asked.

Estaire sighed and opened her eyes. She looked to all of us.

“It won’t be as easy as that. The storehouses and research facility are all guarded by…” Estaire trailed off.

“By what?” William asked with an arched eyebrow.

“By vampires.” Estaire told us all.

I shuddered, Erin let out a frightened cry.

“Despite that, we need to stop the war.” Erin said with renewed confidence.

Edwin punched the air with his fist, a grin upon his face.

“Yes! We need to avenge Gerald Baldwin! We need to carry out his last wish!” He cried.

“Captain Baldwin will be properly honored!” Darwin added.

“Gerald was a good man, I’m sorry that he had to die because he stood up for what was right.” I told them.

Edwin looked to me, a small smile cracked his lips.

“If there’s a good way to go, the way Gerald went is a good one. He died standing up for what was right; what he believed in.” Edwin said, his voice was full of passion.

“I liked Gerald, too.” Macalister said sadly.

“We all did, Macalister.” Robert told him.

Estaire cleared her throat.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your lament, but we have a war to stop.” She said, all business.

Edwin stiffened, adjusting his shirt.

“Right then!” He said.

“I don’t know about you all, but I’m ready to kick some vampire butt!” Antoinette said with a big smile.

“Same here!” Tabatha cried enthusiastically.

Don grinned and kissed her on the cheek.

“Are we going to let a couple of blood suckers stand in the way of stopping the war?” Macalister asked, cracking his knuckles.

“Nah, I’ll torch ‘em before they even get close to y’all!” Walden yelled.

“Then it’s settled. I’ll let you all know when the best time to attack is. In the meantime, get yourselves ready. We could need to attack at a moment’s notice and time is of the essence.” Estaire said, her voice full of purpose.

“There’s no turning back now. We’ve reached the point of no return.” Ceberus said somberly.

“We’re going to do this.” William reassured his friend.

“You all need to leave right now. Go, I’ll send for you when the time is right!” Estaire urged.

We all filed out of the Princess’s room and met up in the main entryway of the castle.

“Are we all clear on the plan?” Robert asked.

Edwin nodded, leaning in close.

“We are. My men and I will target the weapon storehouses, you all should target the research and development facility.” Edwin proposed.

Robert nodded in understanding.

“Agreed. We’ll need more people to take out the research facility.” He remarked.

“Exactly. That’s where they manufacture the machine guns, which is how the Queen is planning on winning the war. We’ll bring you explosives when we’re done with the weapon storehouses.” Edwin told him.

“Sounds good.” Don added.

There was an uneasy silence as we were reminded of what was at stake, and what would happen if we didn’t stop the war.

“There isn’t anything we can do just yet. Estaire will let us know when to attack. We should get some sleep while we can.” Raymond advised.

“I agree. Just think guys, all this will be over soon.” Francella added.

“Yeah, we just gotta not screw this up.” Walden laughed.

After saying our good nights (well it was more like late afternoon, but still) we all went to our rooms. Lawrence was waiting for me in mine.

“Hello sir. I’ve noticed that the Princess seems to have taken a liking to you and your friends.” He remarked.

I just chuckled and scratched the back of my head.

“Indeed she has. Anyway, I’m going to bed. I’m pretty tired.” I told Lawrence, already crawling under the blankets.

“Sir, it’s only six in the evening.” Lawrence told me in a surprised tone.

I didn’t respond. Lawrence just shrugged and left the room. I closed my eyes and let sleep come.

***

Chapter Sixty Two Now Is The Time:

Friday July 9th 1690

I woke up to the sound of someone bursting through me door. I sat bolt upright in surprise, fearing the worst. Had I overslept? Had the war begun? The young servant boy dressed in the black and white male servant uniform bowed to me quickly.

“Forgive me, Mister Bradford, but the Princess requests an audience immediately.” He said quickly.

I jumped out of bed before he even finished his sentence.

“Thank you for coming.” I said, walking past him and out the door.

I kicked myself for being so paranoid earlier. That wasn’t like me, but I guess the task of stopping a coming war will stress some people out.

I walked down the hall and down the stairs and walked the familiar route to the Princess’s room. The throne room was empty. I walked to Estaire’s room and opened the door, stepped through and shut it being me. I saw everyone else standing in the room, looking to Estaire.

“Why am I always the last one called?” I asked, attempting to break the nervous tension that hung on the air.

I earned a few chuckles, but nothing much more.

“I think you all know why I’ve called you here.” Estaire began.

We were silent, waiting for her to continue.

“Now is the time to attack. Vulrock’s army marches out tomorrow at dawn, it’s now or never.” She went on.

“We have a plan. I’ll take my men to the weapon storehouses and use the stored explosives to destroy them. When we’re done, we’ll bring more explosives to the others, who will be in the research facility.” Edwin told the Princess.

“Very good. That saves us some time here.” She breathed, relieved.

“That’s the plan, now all we have to take care of are the guards.” Macalister growled.

“Yes, the vampires.” I said, remembering the matter of the vampire guards.

“Yes. Lucky for you all, my book contains information on vampires.” Estaire told us.

She walked over to her bedside table, opened the drawer and retrieved her brown book. She flipped through it and found the page she was looking for. She read aloud.

“The vampire is an ancient being. No one knows exactly how long they have been around, but eye witness reports that are some millennia old have detailed a blood sucking monster in human form. They are made to kill. Their offensive abilities are superhuman senses. They are capable of running many times faster than a human. They are many, many times stronger than a human as well. They have razor sharp fangs, which they use to break the skin and draw blood, usually from the neck.” She stated.

“Do they have any weaknesses?” Erin asked.

“Yes. They can be killed by a wooden stake piercing their heart. They have a weakness to holy water and garlic, but they don’t kill vampires. Holy water and garlic cause severe burning when in contact with vampire skin. They are also extremely weak against silver, especially silver bullets or silver weapons, however refined silver found in jewelry will do the trick. Silver does not kill them, but it weakens them if they are near it. Silver also creates a protective barrier around whoever has it. It will hold vampires back for the most part, but they are able to push through it if they really try. If they come into contact with it, the silver will burn their skin much like garlic or holy water, but silver is much more effective. Wounds inflicted with a silver weapon will not kill a vampire, but they will severely weaken as well as severely burn the vampire. They also have a weakness to fire, and obviously, sunlight.” Estaire continued.

Don began laughing, he doubled over and held his stomach.

“You’re telling us that garlic hurts vampires?” He laughed.

“Yes. What’s so funny?” Stella asked.

“It’s just that… A vampire could kill a person in seconds, and all the person would need to do is… Shove garlic in its face? Like, come on!” Don said, barely containing his laughter.

Walden joined him in laughing. His laugh was high pitched, like his voice.

“Pal, that’s too good.” He laughed.

“I wonder what Ignacio would have to say to that?” I asked with a grin.

Robert Don and Macalister laughed, the others didn’t get it.

“Guys, now’s not a really good time for joking.” William told us.

“You’re right. Do we have any garlic?” I asked.

“I can order some from the kitchen.” Estaire told me.

“Holy water?” Antoinette asked.

“I’ll run into the city and get some from the chapel.” Darwin said.

“Silver?” Martha asked.

“I have some silver jewelry, but not much. If you are splitting up into groups, make sure there is someone in each group with silver.” Estaire advised.

“You’re the Princess of Vulrock, and you’re telling us you have a shortage of silver jewelry?” Stella asked.

“Most of my jewelry is made of diamonds or gold.” Estaire shot back.

Stella laughed, but said nothing.

“I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.” Darwin said as he walked out the door.

“Stella, would you go and get some garlic from the kitchen? Tell them I sent you.” Estaire told her.

“Sure.” She replied as she got up and left the room.

“Do we have any wooden stakes?” Antoinette asked.

Estaire nodded and walked over to the corner of the room. She kneeled down and removed one of the stone floor tiles! She reached in and removed several small stakes. They were about three centimeters in diameter and they were about a foot long.

“I raided my mother’s supply. She keeps stakes hidden throughout the castle in case some of the vampires under her command decide to rebel and attack.” Estaire explained.

“That’s so cool!” Erin exclaimed.

We all walked up and took a stake. There were two more left, one for Darwin and one for Stella. That sure was lucky. We waited a few more minutes and Stella returned from the kitchen with two large baskets full of garlic.

“The kitchen couldn’t spare much more than this.” Stella explained.

“No, that’s perfect. Thank you.” Estaire replied.

Stella set the baskets by the stakes. She saw the open space beneath the tile but didn’t ask. Stella saw that we all had stakes so she took one herself. A few more minutes later, Darwin came through the door carrying a burlap sack containing several flasks of holy water. He saw that we all had stakes and took the last one for himself. He put the burlap sack by the garlic.

“Now, I should warn you all. Wooden stakes have a one time use. Once the stake pierces the vampire’s heart, the stake is destroyed along with the vampire. Use these carefully and only when you need to.” Estaire told us.

“That’s good to know, thanks.” Tabatha replied.

“You should all arm yourselves.” Estaire said, looking to the garlic and the holy water.

We each took some of the garlic and a flask of holy water.

“Good. I won’t be with you all when you launch your attack, but I will assist you in any way I can.” Estaire explained.

“How would you do that?” Walden inquired.

“If I notice any guards coming your way, I’ll stall them as long as I can. You know, with my feminine charm.” Estaire said with a wink.

“Good to know.” I remarked.

“Oh, one last thing.” Estaire said.

She walked over to her vanity and retrieved a few pieces of silver jewelry.

“Give the jewelry to the people who can’t defend themselves as easily as the rest of us.” Robert told her.

Stella and Erin hung their heads and held their hands out almost reluctantly. Estaire gave them each a small silver crucifix on a silver chain. They looked at her puzzlingly.

“They were gifts.” Estaire explained.

“Who else needs silver?” I asked.

“I’ll take some.” Edwin said.

Estaire gave him a silver bracelet, which he put on.

“I have two more pieces of jewelry.” Estaire told us.

We all looked to each other, deciding who to give the silver to.

“You should give one to Tabatha.” Don suggested.

“What? I can defend myself just fine!” Tabatha objected.

“Tabatha please, I don’t want you to get hurt.” Don reasoned, squeezing her hand.

Tabatha rolled her eyes and held her hand towards Estaire. The Princess gave her a pair of silver earrings. Tabatha put them in.

“Thanks.” Don said with a grin as he kissed her on the lips.

“The last of the silver should go to Ceberus.” I suggested.

Ceberus shook his head.

“No, Martha should have it.” He objected.

“Ceberus, please wear it. You need to be kept safe.” Martha told him.

“You need protection more, dear. I can defend myself, you… Well… Can’t.” Ceberus said with a small smile while he gripped his musket.

Martha realized she was defeated in that argument and Estaire gave her a silver bracelet. She put it on. There was a brief silence as we all tried to figure out what to say.

“Okay, we’re ready to go. Where are the weapon storehouses?” Edward asked.

“The weapon storehouses as well as the research facility are on the same level. Go to the throne room and face the thrones. Go to the back wall. The seventh tile going down the left wall is the key. Push it firmly. It will open a passageway with a staircase leading to the main underground corridor. On the left are the weapon storehouses, on the right is the research facility. My mother is speaking with the troops outside the castle, so you won’t be caught by her.” Estaire explained.

We all nodded. A pit of fear and excitement was in my stomach. We were going to do it. We had to. We had to stop this war.

“Thank you Estaire.” I said.

“You’re welcome. I wish you all the best of luck.” Estaire said seriously.

“Luck? Ha! We don’t need luck, we have me!” Walden boasted.

“Thank you, Princess.” Francella said.

“You’re welcome, Tom.” Estaire said slyly.

That threw me, I was confused.

“Tom? Did I miss something?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Estaire shrugged innocently while looking at Francella.

I looked to Francella to see that he was blushing under Estaire’s gaze. He looked away. I was confused, but didn’t care to inquire further.

“Okay then…” I trailed off.

“Let’s go.” Raymond urged.

We all walked out of the Princess’s room. We were in the throne room. We did as instructed and faced the thrones. We went to the back wall. We counted the tiles going down the left wall. I reached forward and pressed it firmly as Estaire has instructed. A rumbling sound could be heard as a section of wall that was five feet across and seven feet high retracted into the ceiling. There were no mechanisms or pulleys involved, it must be the work of magic. A staircase going downwards was revealed, torches burned on the walls.

“Get ready, vampires are most likely lurking down there.” Edwin warned, his brown eyes narrowing.

We all readied our stakes.

“Remember, Estaire said that the stakes are a one time use.” Raymond reminded us.

“When the stakes are in short supply, we’re going to need to rely on your fire, Walden.” Francella told him.

“No problem.” Walden said confidently.

We stood near the top of the stairway. It wasn’t narrow and was wider than the doorway was. I guessed it was about eight feet across.

“Stella, Erin and Martha, you three need to get behind us. Your silver will weaken the vampires from a distance.” I said.

“Good idea.” Erin responded as her, Stella and Martha got behind everyone else.

“Walden, Antoinette and Tabatha, we need you up front.” Robert ordered.

“Aye aye, cap’n!” Walden exclaimed as he Tabatha and Antoinette got in front of us.

“The rest of us will support you three.” I told them.

We then began walking down the staircase. When we made it about ten feet down, the hidden door closed up behind us. It was then that a vampire rounded the corner at the bottom of the staircase! His eyes were blood red. An expression of shock came over him, then it turned to determination. He ran at us.

“Hellish Nightmare!” Antoinette cried, pointing her wand at him.

He stopped short, his eyes darted around and he pivoted on his feet very quickly. He began screaming unintelligible phrases. His blood red eyes were wild with fear! He then began to kneel down, and then he laid down on the ground. The combination of the power of Estaire’s silver jewelry and Antoinette’s spell must have done quite the number on him.

“Fireball!” Walden shouted.

A fireball shot out from his hands and engulfed the vampire, in seconds he was reduced to ashes.

“Do you think the rest will be that easy?” Antoinete asked.

“Not even close.” Edwin replied.

“Didn’t think so…” Antoinette muttered.

“There shouldn’t be too many. Queen Yuka wouldn’t risk having too many vampires to handle in case things went south.” Darwin remarked.

“That’s good to hear.” Martha said hopefully.

We continued onwards, pressing farther down the staircase. We reached the bottom without any more trouble. We came to a wide corridor. About twenty feet wide and sixty feet long. There were three doors on the left and one on the right. Farther down the corridor I noticed a door at the very end.

“Estaire said that the weapon storehouses are on the left.” Francella remarked.

“Yes, does everyone have a weapon? If not, now is the time to arm yourself.” Robert told us.

I looked to everyone in the group. They all had stakes, garlic, holy water and some kind of other weapon like a blade or a firearm. Even Francella, Raymond and the girls had long knives.

“We raided the blacksmith shop in the throne room corridor.” Stella explained.

“How in blazes did you get in unnoticed?” Ceberus asked, baffled.

“I can sneak into a room and listen to conversations without being noticed, remember? I overheard some of the blacksmiths talking about the weapon stockpile in the throne room corridor so I went there and brought us back weapons.” She explained further.

“Good enough for me.” Robert said with a shrug.

We all looked at each other, knowing full well that any one of us might not come back alive from this.

“You’re all very brave. I thank you for helping us stop the war and avenge our Captain.” Edwin said, holding out a hand to Robert.

“Captain Baldwin was our friend too. Allowing him to die in vain was out of the question.” Robert said, shaking Edwin’s hand.

“Stopping the war is the best way to honor him.” Darwin said gravely.

“Not ta mention it’s the only way to save Alcingeria from chaos.” Walden remarked.

“That too.” Edwin laughed.

The time for talking was over, it was time to stop a war.

“Men, let’s move out! To the weapon storehouses!” Edwin commanded.

“Remember, bring the explosives to the research facility when you’re done!” Robert told him.

“We will. If you run into trouble, hold out as long as you can. My men and I will be there with the explosives as soon as possible.” Edwin replied.

“Try not to blow yourselves up.” Macalister warned.

“Not to worry. Ever since the development of dynamite, the Queen said that she had all of her weapon storehouses reinforced with metal. Minimal harm will come to the room itself, but the weapons inside… Not so much.” Edwin explained.

“Okay, take care of yourselves.” Robert told them.

“You do the same.” Edwin replied.

With that, Edwin took his men into the first weapon storehouse.

“Don’t you guys think it’s a bit odd that there aren’t more vampire guards?” Erin asked.

“Yeah, it is a bit weird…” Walden remarked.

“I don’t think anyone was expecting anyone to be breaking into the underground research facility, or the weapon stockpiles.” I said.

“We caught ‘em by surprise! The fools won’t even know what hit ‘em!” Walden cackled.

Ceberus then pushed open the heavy metal door to the research facility. On the other side was a sight that made my stomach drop, a sight so frightening even Macalister was trembling. Standing at the other end of the room were three rows of vampires, each about ten men long and one deep. Standing behind them all was Alice. A tiny smile of amusement turned her lips upwards.

“I don’t think we caught them by surprise…” Macalister trailed off.

Chapter Sixty Three Down Below:

Friday July 9th 1690

We all stood paralyzed in fear, not knowing what to do. We had hoped to catch them by surprise, but exactly the opposite had happened. They were ready for us. Instead of getting slaughtered like the first vampire guard, they pulled back into the research facility for one final stand.

“Alice!” Stella cried in surprise.

“Surprised to see me?” Alice asked innocently.

No one said anything. Needless to say, we were.

“Vampires, attack!” Alice commanded.

The vampires rushes us with inhuman speed! They stopped short because of Estaire’s silver jewelry.

“Fireball!” Walden cried.

A fireball formed in his hands. He hurled it towards two vampires who were standing close to each other. One caught fire, and the flames jumped onto the other vampire’s clothes. They both burst into flames and became a pile of ashes in seconds. The rest of the vampires advanced backwards towards Alice.

Alice laughed quietly to herself, looking at us with her sapphire eyes.

“You want to use magic? I’ll show you some magic!” She threatened.

She aimed her hands at us. Fear hit me like a punch in the gut. Gerald’s death came flooding back through my memory.

“Void!” She called.

A blue/black sphere began to form in Alice’s hands. After a second or two it launched itself out of her control and it flew at us at frightening velocity. We barely had time to react, but we got clear by spreading out. The dark sphere hit the wall behind us with a loud crack!

Regaining their confidence, the vampires began to move in once again. They were force to stop short because of our silver. That’s when Alice unleashed another attack.

“Void!” She shouted.

The same blue/black sphere launched itself out of her hands. We tried to scramble out of the way, but we couldn’t do it fast enough. It hit the ground in front of us and it sent most of us flying. Since we were still spread out from her first attack, the projectile only hit Tabatha, Macalister and Ceberus. Ceberus kept a grip on his musket, so he didn’t lose it. He got up and took aim on Alice. Alice saw what he was doing and jumped out of the way just as the bullet hit the wall directly behind where she had been.

“You missed!” Alice taunted.

Ceberus reloaded his musket hastily. A second before he finished, a vampire lunged past the others, despite the weakening effects of the silver. It grabbed Stella. She screamed as she grabbed her crucifix necklace and touched the silver cross to the vampire’s forehead. I heard a sizzling sound as the silver burned the vampire’s skin. Stella then staked the vampire through the heart. It screamed, kicking and thrashing at Stella, but its strength quickly dwindled and it collapsed to the floor. It became dust along with the stake embedded in its heart.

“Nice one, Stella!” Robert exclaimed.

Another vampire lunged past the others and made its way towards me! I was completely unprepared and it jumped on me, catching me off balanced and pinning me to the ground! It barred its fangs and it darted down to bite my neck. I thought I was about to be bitten…

“Repel!” Tabatha shouted.

The vampire instantly flew off of me. My heart was thundering in fear, I thought for sure I was going to be bitten! I looked to see Tabatha standing a few feet away with her staff aimed at where the vampire had been.

“Thanks Tabatha!” I gasped.

“No problem, just try to stay alive.” Tabatha advised.

I turned my attention back to the vampires, prepared for another attack. I saw another one charging at me, fighting the weakening effects of the silver. I palmed my flask of holy water and threw it at the vampire. It shattered, sending holy water spraying across the vampire’s body. It screamed and collapsed, writhing in pain.

“Walden!” I shouted.

Walden turned around and saw the vampire laying on the ground.

“Fireball!” He shouted.

The fireball flew towards the vampire, torching it in seconds.

“Thanks!” I called.

“No worries pal!” Walden replied.

I saw that the others weren’t being attacked by vampires as often. They must have realized that pushing through was a bad idea. They advanced rearward once again, now under the protection of Alice.

“You idiots, attack them! If they don’t kill you, I will!” Alice shouted.

The vampires moved forward again, but this time with less certainty and confidence. Just then, something happened that caught me by surprise, it was something that we hadn’t thought would happen.

“I have you now!” Alice shouted.

She aimed her hands towards us, preparing to cast another spell.

“Combustion!” She shouted.

“She can use destruction magic too!?” Tabatha shouted in surprise.

A jolt of fear was sent through me. Alice could use destruction magic and dark magic, she was a very threatening opponent! A yellow orb formed in her hands and shot out at us. Instead of aiming directly at us, she aimed by our feet. The orb exploded on contact with the ground and it landed near Stella, Don and I. The shockwave of the explosion knocked me through the air. I landed on my back. Don and Stella landed around fifteen feet away from me. Alice casted the spell a few more times, knocking us all back and away from each other. It then donned on me what she was doing. Antoinette said it first.

“She’s separating us!” She cried in worry.

“The silver won’t be able to protect us all at this rate!” I added.

As if in response, a vampire rushed at me. The closest person to me who had silver was Stella, and she was too far away for the silver to give me much protection. I readied my stake, realizing that it was my only option. The vampire came at me, attempting to knock the stake out of my hand. It hit my hand with a lot of force, but I kept a firm grip on the stake. I drove the stake forward and into the vampire’s heart! The vampire turned to ash along with the stake. I looked to the others to see that most of them were fighting vampires.

“Regroup!” I shouted.

I then moved towards Stella, who had silver. The vampires weren’t attacking her or anyone else who had some of Estaire’s silver jewelry. Once they killed their vampires, the rest of the group came hastily to join us. The remaining vampires surrounded us, held back by the silver.

“I’ll take care of Alice, you guys focus on the vampires!” Antoinette shouted.

“Sure thing!” I agreed.

Antoinette aimed her wand at Alice.

“Insanity!” She cried.

Instantly, Alice looked around, a crazed look in her eye. She began shouting unintelligible nonsense.

Satisfied, I turned my attention to the vampires. I saw one trying to rush at Francella, but it was too slow and he staked it with ease. It turned to dust.

“How many more stakes do we have?” Don asked.

“I think that was the last one!” Tabatha cried in dismay.

I saw the vampires grin when they heard this. Just then, Alice’s screams reached a very high pitch.

“Enough!” She screamed in rage.

I heard Antoinette gasp and stumble backwards.

“She broke my spell!” She cried.

“Devil’s Call!” Alice shouted while aiming her hands at Antoinette.

Antoinette was lifted off the ground with her back arched, as if being pulled upwards by her heart. She then let out a piercing scream of agony, she began flailing in the air!

“Antoinette!” Tabatha cried as she began running towards her friend.

A vampire dashed forward, coming between Tabatha and Antoinette.

“Fireball!” Walden shouted just before it attacked Tabatha.

The ball of fire shot from Walden’s hand and nailed the vampire in the side, its screams were silenced as it burnt to ashes.

“Go! Go!” Ceberus shouted to Tabatha.

Tabatha ran past the aches of the vampire. Erin ran towards Antoinette so the vampires couldn’t go near her.

“Healing Gaze!” Tabatha called, aiming her staff at Antoinette.

Antoinette was bathed in a warm green glow from her friend’s staff. Her cries of pain grew quieter.

“Oh no you don’t!” Alice exclaimed as she saw Tabatha trying to free Antoinette from her spell.

She aimed her hands at Tabatha.

“Void!” She cried.

The blue/black orb shot out of Alice’s hands after growing considerably. It was hurtling towards Tabatha! Tabatha was healing Antoinette and looked over her shoulder, her eyes filled with fear for her life.

“Repel!” Walden shouted with his hands aimed at the sphere.

The sphere bounced off of Walden’s spell and was sent flying towards Alice! Alice dove out of the way just as the orb hit the wall behind her and exploded. By now, Antoinette’s cries of pain had stopped and she was back on her feet.

“Thanks, Tabatha.” Antoinette said gratefully.

“Hey! What about me?” Walden asked as he dodged a lunging vampire.

“Sorry, thanks to you too Walden.” Antoinette apologized.

Walden grinned and looked at the vampire that tried to attack him.

“Fireball!” He cried.

The fireball flew from Walden’s hands and torched the vampire, burned it to ashes.

Just then, a huge explosion sounded, shaking the room and most likely the entire underground portion of Queen Yuka’s castle. The explosion knocked everyone in the room off their feet.

“That must be the first storehouse being blown sky high!” Robert shouted as he got to his feet.

We all stood up, the vampires got up faster than us, but the silver kept them at bay. I noticed that there weren’t many vampires left. I saw Alice struggling to get to her feet. Ceberus took aim with his musket and fired a shot. Alice attempted to dive out of the way, but she couldn’t get her balance in time. The bullet hit her in the shoulder! She screamed in pain, clutching her shoulder as red blood seeped from her wound. All the vampires in the room smelled the air, they turned their backs on us and focused on Alice.

“Oh no.” Alice whispered in absolute fear.

Ceberus reloaded his musket. The vampires began closing in on her. We waited to see what they’d do. We didn’t want to kill them and risk Alice killing us afterwards. We already made the mistake of saving her life once.

“Don’t come any closer or I’ll kill every last one of you!” Alice warned.

The vampires stopped advancing and turned back to us. One of them jumped through the air at me, but Walden didn’t let that happen.

“Fireball!” He cried.

He sent a fireball flying at the vampire. It was reduced to ash before it even hit the ground. Walden sent another fireball flying at the closest vampire. It tried to dodge, but it was too slow. It was burned to ashes.

Another huge explosion rang through the underground, knocking everyone off their feet once again. Ceberus took aim at Alice with his musket. She saw him and dove out of the way. The bullet shot through the air and missed her by a few centimetres. It hit the wall behind her. He reloaded.

“I have an idea!” Tabatha shouted.

She aimed her staff at one of the few remaining vampires.

“Repel!” She shouted.

The vampire was blown backwards towards Alice. Her sapphire eyes widened in fear as it sailed through the air towards her. Alice aimed her good hand at the vampire.

“Penitence!” Alice cried.

The dark orb formed in her hand and grew larger by the second. It grew to be quite large and fired itself out of her hand. Her arm recoiled back and she was knocked off balance. The orb hit the vampire with a hollow smack! And the vampire went limp as it flew through the air. It landed next to Alice, dead. Walden burned the last remaining vampires to ashes with his Fireball spell.

That’s when the third explosion rang out. It knocked everyone off their feet once again. Ceberus fired a shot at Alice with his musket, but she dodged in time and he missed. He reloaded quickly.

“So this is what it comes down to.” Alice observed, her voice filled with strain as she kept from crying out in pain.

“We’re not going to make the mistake of leaving you alive again.” Robert said as he pulled his flintlock out, aiming it at Alice.

Just then, the door to the research facility burst open. Sixty guards filed in, all armed with swords. They were all in full metal armor. A few seconds later, Queen Yuka and Princess Estaire walked in. Queen Yuka held a machine gun.

Chapter Sixty Four A Debt To Pay:

Friday July 9th 1690

“What the Hell is going on?” Queen Yuka asked, looking around the room.

Her slate grey eyes fell on the ashes of all the slain vampires. They then fell on us.

“You! I trusted you! I’ll have you all hung!” She shouted at all of us.

Another guard walked into the room.

“No sign of the bombers, your majesty. They must have escaped into the tunnels.” He told the Queen.

“Find them! They can’t have gone far. Bring them here, I want to know who helped these traitors destroy Vulrock’s chance at glory!” The Queen barked.

A few guards left the room. She then looked to all of us. I don’t know about the others, but I trembled beneath her gaze. The adrenaline from the fight had worn off and was replaced with sheer terror. From what I’d heard, Queen Yuka doesn’t take kindly to traitors. I heard that she has them tortured before their executions!

“You know what? I think I’ll just kill you now. I’m sick of looking at your treacherous faces.” The Queen spat.

She took aim with her machine gun. We were all frozen in fear. Her slate grey eyes were dark with rage. She looked down the sights of her weapon. Her eyes then brightened slightly. She lowered the firearm.

“I have a better idea.” She said.

She then forced the machine gun into Estaire’s hands.

“You’ll be Queen someday, Estaire. You need to learn to be malevolent! You must be feared! You need to learn to execute traitors without a second thought.” Her mother said sternly.

Estaire held the machine gun uncertainly.

“What? Mother! You can’t make me do this!” She objected.

Queen Yuka looked at her daughter with a look that resembled shame.

“Estaire! You will not go against my word! As Queen of Vulrock, I order you to execute these traitors!” She shouted.

“But mother! They’re my friends!” Estaire pleaded, tears forming in her light violet eyes.

“No, they were your friends. Now they are nothing but traitors.” The Queen reasoned impatiently.

“Mother, please don’t make me do this!” Estaire begged.

“Estaire! I said shoot them!” Her mother shouted in rage.

Estaire looked to the ground for a few moments. She then raised the fully automatic firearm to her shoulder… Aiming it at us! We were all so shocked, we couldn’t say anything. No one could reason with her, fear choked us all.

“Do it! Do it now!” Queen Yuka barked.

Estaire’s finger tightened on the trigger. My stomach dropped to my feet, I was terrified. So this is how I would die. I looked to the others to see they were looking at Estaire with pleading looks, we were all trembling. Estaire’s finger tightened on the trigger even more.

Princess Estaire then whirled around and unleashed a barrage of automatic gunfire on her mother! Queen Yuka screamed as the bullets tore through her, red blotches were blooming like morbid roses on her royal gown.

The once feared tyrant Queen of Vulrock now lay on the cold hard ground, dying.

Everyone in the room stood staring at Princess Estaire in absolute shock. What she just did was so out of character, so unexpected that the entire room was silent for well over a minute. Estaire then dropped the machine gun and kneeled next to her mother, crying.

“Why? Why mother? Why did you have to become so corrupt? Why did you have to make me do this?” She choked, tears streaming down her face.

All of the guards backed up. My friends and I backed up a few steps as well. Ceberus stepped to the right, he was around twenty feet away from us. I guess he didn’t want to be near us in case Estaire tried to shoot us. I can’t say that I blame him. Estaire kneeled over her mother’s corpse, still sobbing.

“No! You fools!” Alice shrieked.

We all turned to her in surprise, we had momentarily forgotten she was there.

“I was going to use my curse in this war to extend my own life!” Alice screamed at us.

There was so much tension and fear in the room, you could almost taste it. Alice’s face contorted with anger.

“You foiled my plan to extend my own life, for that you’ll all pay!” Alice cried.

As she spoke, she raised her hands slowly. I could see the strain in her face as she fought against the urge to scream in pain from her wound. Black swirls of energy gathered all around her, becoming less and less translucent by the second. She must be casting a spell with her mind! After about two seconds, the dark swirls were now fully opaque. Alice brought her arms down quickly, aiming them at us! The black swirls of energy joined and formed a single orb as she lowered her arms. When they were aimed at us, the orb shot forward!

“No!” Ceberus shouted.

He began sprinting from where he was standing twenty feet away. He ran towards us.

“Ceberus what are you doing!?” Martha asked in horror.

“Ceberus! Don’t!” William cried.

It was no use. Ceberus had a devoted look in his eye. It would take an entire military battalion to stop him. Ceberus leaped through the air in front of us, taking the full force of the black orb.

The orb hit him with a deafening, hollow, smack! The orb disappeared, leaving behind only small swirling black tendrils that evaporated momentarily. Ceberus fell to the floor, limp.

“Ceberus!” Martha cried in worry.

His back was to us, so Martha turned him over.

“Ceberus, speak to me!” She said, beginning to cry.

Walden flew over to Ceberus, his eyes filled with worry and fear. Just then, Ceberus’s eyes opened a crack.

“Ceberus!” William exclaimed.

He coughed weakly, his eyes were glassy and unfocused.

“Martha, I… I love you…” Ceberus managed to get out.

“I love you too.” Martha said compassionately as she kissed him.

Martha pulled away after a few seconds. Ceberus’s eyes began to shut.

“No, Ceberus! Ceberus! Stay with me man!” Walden said frantically, hovering over Ceberus’s chest.

Walden’s words were in vain. Ceberus’s eyes were half closed.

“Walden…” Ceberus whispered.

“Yeah buddy?” Walden asked, tearing up.

Ceberus coughed, we were losing him.

“Consider my debt to you… Repaid…” Ceberus whispered.

Those were Ceberus Cole’s last words.

“Ceberus! Ceberus…” Walden wilted.

We heard the clanking of metal armor. We looked over to see that the sixty guards in the room had removed their helmets. Their expressions were pained and sad.

Alice began laughing. She raised her good hand, aiming it at us.

“The same fate will meet all of you!” She shouted.

“Not if I can help it!” Robert cried.

He pulled out his flintlock and quickly took aim on Alice. He pulled the trigger. Alice was slowed down considerably by the wound that Ceberus had given her. Robert’s bullet hit her in the chest. Alice fell to the ground, dead.

Princess Estaire had turned to us as well. We all had a moment of silence for those who had died. It was Estaire who broke the silence.

“I will have a funeral arranged for Ceberus. He is a hero, and he should be sent off like one.” Estaire told us sadly.

“Princes, what about Alice?” The head guard asked.

“Leave her here. She was helping my mother, she would have played a big part in the war. She’s already killed numerous people.” Estarie told him.

“And… Your mother?” Asked the head guard nervously.

Estaire’s light violet eyes hardened.

“She doesn’t deserve a funeral. She will pay for her sins by spending an eternity in Hell.” Estaire said coldly.

The guards gasped. No one had ever heard Estaire talk like that. Just then, the guards bowed.

“What are you doing?” Estaire asked, confused.

“We are bowing to you, your highness.” The head guard told her.

“’your highness’?” Estaire asked, confused.

“Don’t you see? You are the Queen of Vulrock now.” The head guard told her.

Estaire gasped. She just realized that by killing her mother, she had inherited the throne.

“The tyrannous Queen is dead! Long live the new Queen!” The head guard shouted.

“The tyrannous Queen is dead! Long live the new Queen!” The other guards shouted in unison.

“Queen Estaire, what are we to do with your mother?” Asked the head guard, eyeing the corpse of Queen Yuka nervously.

Estaire looked at her mother’s body with disgust and hatred.

“Burn it at the stake. Give her soul a taste of what the rest of eternity will be like.” Estaire said coldly and bitterly.

“Y-yes your highness.” The head guard responded nervously.

The head guard was about to turn around, but he hesitated.

“Is there anywhere in particular you would like it done?” Asked the head guard.

Estaire thought for a moment.

“Yes, in fact there is. Do it in the throne room. Gather up all that is left of the machine guns and anything else she used magic to develop. I want it all to burn along with her.” Estaire replied.

The head guard nodded and turned to his men.

“You heard her lads! Prepare a pyre in the throne room! Gather all that’s left of the machine guns and any other magical technology and throw it on! We need someone to grab the body, let’s move!” He barked.

The guards all scattered. Two men grabbed Queen Yuka’s corpse and dragged it out of the room. We all bowed to the new Queen of Vulrock.

“Please, don’t do that.” Estaire told us.

We all stood back up.

“Sorry.” Francella apologized.

“Estaire, thank you so much for helping us. With the silver jewelry and for not turning corrupt.” Erin rejoiced.

“Yes, thank you so much Estaire! Thanks to you, the war is stopped!” Stella cheered.

Estaire looked to the ground sadly.

“I am not proud of what I did, but I had to do it. If I didn’t put an end to her rain of tyranny, no one would. She would have started the war that would have thrown Alcingeria into chaos and many more people would have died.” Estaire told us.

“Don’t be ashamed, Estaire. She may have been your mother, but she was evil.” I told her.

“I know. I didn’t hate her, I loved her, but her evil deeds had tainted her soul. She was evil and she had to be stopped.” Estaire explained.

I remembered how Estaire had said how her mother would have started the war that would have throne Alcingeria into chaos. This reminded me of one thing.

“Estaire, did you see Edwin and his men on your way here?” I asked.

Estaire nodded.

“Yes, they escaped into the tunnels at the end of the corridor. There is nothing there, just some abandoned rooms. They hid there.” Estaire explained.

As if on cue, the three renegade law enforcement officers walked into the research facility. They all carried explosives.

“Okay, the storehouses are destroyed. The machine guns are blown to smithereens!” Darwin cheered.

They all looked around the room, eyeing all the ashes on the floor, the bloodstains, and Ceberus’s corpse.

“What happened here?” Edwin asked.

I filled him in on what had happened.

“You shot your mother, Estaire? That means…” Edwin trailed off.

He and his men bowed.

“You are the Queen of Vulrock.” Edward finished.

“Please rise.” Estaire said.

The three men obeyed.

“I’m sorry about Ceberus.” Darwin said sadly.

“He died saving us all.” Raymond said, looking at Ceberus’s body.

“Sacrifice yourself to save many. What a way to go.” Edwin said with respect.

There was a moment of silence as we respected what Ceberus had done.

“Okay, we need to move out. We need to blow this place sky high.” Edwin told us.

“Agreed.” Darwin stated.

“I’ll get Ceberus.” Martha said, on the verge of tears.

“I’ll help you.” William told her.

They both walked over and carefully lifted Ceberus off the ground.

“You guys go, we’ll handle the explosives.” Edwin told us.

We all listened to him and began walking out of the research facility. We backtracked and made it back to the staircase. We walked up it, only to find that the secret passage was closed.

“Wait a minute, I’m sensing the presence of some enchantment. It’s faint, bit it’s there.” Tabatha told us.

She ran her hands across the wall until we heard a click! And the secret passageway opened.

“I couldn’t feel any enchantment before.” Tabatha stated confusedly.

“You did use quite a bit of magic down there, maybe you grew stronger in your magical abilities?” Antoinette suggested.

We found ourselves in the throne room. We saw that Queen Yuka’s pyre was almost ready, her corpse lay slumped in her throne. We then heard a huge explosion go off. Momentarily, Edwin and his men ran up from the passageway. It closed behind them.

“That’s the last of it.” Edwin announced proudly.

The guards cheered, so did we.

“Weren’t they trying to hunt us down ten minutes ago?” Edward laughed.

“That was on the old Queen’s orders. When Estaire killed her mother, that must have rendered the order null and void.” Edwin speculated.

“What does it matter? We stopped the war!” Stella rejoiced.

Stella grabbed Erin and Erin grabbed Francella. Pretty soon we were all in a big group hug.

“We did it! We did it!” Macalister cheered.

“The war was stopped!” Don shouted in joy and relief.

Tabatha put a hand on Don’s shoulder, turning him around.

“Come here, you.” She said with a grin.

She pulled Don into a kiss. After a few seconds they pulled away, smiling.

“Oh, we found this in one of the storehouses. I thought that maybe one of you witches could make some use of this.” Edwin said, pulling a book bound in burgundy leather. It had dark emerald green trim. Tabatha’s eyes widened.

“That’s a spell book!” She exclaimed, taking it from him.

Edwin chuckled as Tabatha flipped through it.

“I’d take it you can make some use of it then?” Edwin asked.

Tabatha giggled with joy.

“Oh, more than ‘some’ use. Thank you so much!” She said with a grin.

“You’re Welcome, Tabatha.” Edwin replied.

A guard burst through the throne room doors.

“Sir! The battalions once under Queen Yuka’s supreme command are waiting outside! They wish to see Queen Estaire as well as the burning of her mother’s body.” He explained.

The head guard nodded.

“Send them in.” He ordered.

The guard rushed out the door. A minute later, hundreds of men were filing into the throne room. By the time they were finished, the throne room was packed.

“Your highness! The pyre is ready!” The head guard told Estaire.

She nodded somberly.

“Very well. Put her body on and light it.” Estaire ordered.

The head guard was a little nervous as he fidgeted with his hands a bit.

“Well… Uh… The others and I thought it would be more fitting if… You were to do it.” He stammered.

Estaire thought this over for a few seconds. She then nodded.

“I agree. I should be the one to do this.” She said.

She walked over to the throne and pulled her mother’s corpse off of it and dragged it across the floor. She pulled it onto the pyre.

Edwin leaned close to Martha.

“We can take Ceberus down to the chapel if you’d like.” He offered.

Martha shook her head.

“No, Ceberus would want to watch this.” She said.

Edwin nodded.

“I understand.” He said.

The head guard handed Estaire a torch. Now that I think about it, the mouth of the passageway was dark when we came back up, because Tabatha had trouble finding the hidden switch. He must’ve taken the torch from the secret passageway. Estaire eyed her mother’s corpse.

“Repent for your sins.” She muttered.

She then dropped the torch onto the pyre. The wood along with the machine gun remnants burned strongly. The flames soon consumed the tyrant Queen.

“Long live Queen Estaire!” The head guard shouted.

“Long live Queen Estaire!” Everyone in the room echoed.

We all watched as Queen Yuka’s body was engulfed in flames. The war was stopped and the machine guns were destroyed. We lost some good men along the way, they would be forever mourned. What would we do next? Only time will tell.

To Be Continued In Alcingeria Volume Two

Date Completed: June 6, 2015