((Finally worked out a few kinks in the chapter I was working on. Another one done, another one posted. Enjoy!))

*** I do not own any content or characters associated with the Hellboy movies or comics***

Chapter Three

It had been far easier than he had thought to sneak around the watchmen. They simply leaned on the poles of their spears staring at the bonfires ringing the forest, not bothering to see what might be coming at them from the now empty city. The tooth fairies had done their work scaring everyone into the keep. Now it was their turn.

From the ground the keep was three stories high. Not insurmountable, but still an obstacle. From the two story taverns and stores across the narrow ally from the keep it was almost laughable. They had set out under the cover of darkness, bringing their ladders around through the dark deserted streets, not meeting any resistance. Nuada could feel his muscles tighten in anticipation. The long upper story of the tavern was packed with black armored elves except for the ladder in the middle of the room. He stared intently at the black polished stone in his hand until it emitted a sudden soft white flash. "Knock it down." The elves standing by the loosened section of the wall closest to the keep threw their weight against it sending it crashing to the ground. The sound of debris falling from other buildings echoed in the night. No sooner were the elves out of the way but Nuada was quietly running up the ladder that was out and clamped onto the creneling of the keep.

Nuada sprang lightly over the stone work behind one of three watchmen. Without hesitation he grabbed one man's head and jaw from behind lifted and twist. The man's neck broke with a pop, startling the other two. With a sweep of his sword severed the neck of one and managed to impale the lungs of the other before he could cry out. Elves were flooding into the keep. Nuada heard horn blasts in the background as he led his group in search of the lord. Servants screamed and ran when they saw him coming. He paid them no mind, as long as they stayed out of his way they were not a problem. Occasionally a few men at arms came at them but each bout lasted only a few blows before the men were knocked aside and dispatched. Finally at the end of one moonlit hall he found what he was looking for, a cluster of nervous looking men, weapons drawn with their backs to a door.

Beads of sweat collected and started running down the soldier's face. His sword shook in his hand at the sounds of his dying comrades outside. He couldn't stand the noise they made, the screams of pain, the moans, the gurgling sounds they made when they tried to breathe through the blood running into their lungs. It must be a nightmare, it wasn't real. He tried to will himself to wake up when a shadow rounded the corner. One of his men? No, he realized as the tall, lean, white haired shadow passed through a beam of moonlight. The only thing paler than his skin was the light, except around his eyes and mouth. That was dark as pitch. He felt his mouth go numb and his limbs turn to lead as the figure approached him. It looked as though Death had come personally to collect his soul. He just managed to scream as the spear head came straight for his face.

Nuada stepped over the bodies and kicked down the door. Seeing a body he thought that Lord Morven may have committed suicide, but a quick glance at the position of the sword told him otherwise. He found the sniveling thing called Lord Morven cowering in a corner. He snarled as he made his way to the man. "Lord Morven you have broken the treaty that stood between the Sons of the Earth and your ancestors," the man continued to cringe, protecting his head with his arms.

Nuada could not take much more of this spineless worm. At least the soldiers in the hall had put up a fight, had at least faced their enemy. Why they chose such men as leaders was beyond him. He could have never followed such a coward, no matter his birthright. Nuada grabbed the long unkempt hair at the base of the man's neck and forced him to look him in the eye. "Did you honestly think we would simply stand by and allow you to steal our realm pieces at a time?"

"Please don't kill me," he begged, "ransom me back to my king. I would be worth my weight in gold at least."

Fury glowed in Nuada's eyes. He leaned in closer. "I do not want your gold," he said in a low menacing voice, "I want you gone." With that he threw his weight behind the blade as he drove it into the man's heart.

"My lord," one of his soldiers ran into the room, "some men on horseback escaped through the south gate."

"I told your captain to secure that gate and make sure that no one got out!" Nuada thought for a moment. They could not afford to have anyone arriving to help the humans so soon. Even the forest gods needed time to tear down the keep and return the land to what it once was. He ordered the men to follow as he stormed out of the room.

Down in the courtyard of the keep he gave strict instructions to keep all who surrendered under close watch in the central hall as he and his men mounted up. Not waiting to see if they were ready he spurred his horse toward the south gate determined catch up to the humans in time.

Thirty minutes later they spotted the cloaked riders as their horses struggled to climb a hill. Nuada's brow creased as he followed their path to the silver band of water ahead. The fools were heading straight for the river. It would be freezing this time of year and their horses were flagging already. "Take them alive if you can. If they put up a fight kill them."