Vicki ran to the now blocked tunnel slamming her sword against it as if that would do any good. Henry was behind her in a flash, grabbing her hand on the next downswing making a "shhh" sign with his finger.
"You're spoiling the element of surprise somewhat, my love," he reminded her.
"Dammit! I knew some crazy shit would happen. Can't it just be come in, kill the bad guys..go home and have a nice long bath, you know..normal stuff like that?" Vicki mumbled while she stomped back to the large cave. Upon their return, they didn't see the Maurins.
"Uh oh..where'd they go?" Vicki whispered sqinting her eyes into the dimness of the cave.
"I can hear them, they aren't close though. Look.." Henry pointed toward the back area of the cave. Another opening was barely visible. Pressing themselves along the wall as quietly and descreetly as they could, they began to make their way into the large cavernous area. Many nooks and crannies were littered throughout the cave affording Henry and Vicki the opportunity to duck into one in the event the two Maruins returned unexpectedly.
"Are you listening?" Vicki mouthed to Henry as she pointed to her chest, referring the Maurins. He nodded, his eyes staring intently at the opening. Vicki took notice of the cave realizing it looked somewhat like the interior of a house. There were slabs of rock that appeared to be seating areas covered with skins of some type. A fire, the one that was perpetual, was in the center of the room with a black pot hanging over it as some type of cooking apparatus. Vicki also noticed drawings that reminded her of old cave drawings being recently discovered. There was writing on one wall and it seemed to be similar to the writing on their rings in an old language that was probably long since dead or rarely used. Henry stopped Vicki by pulling her into the closest alcove. They both saw the Maurins enter the room once again. They were very small people, smaller in stature than Vicki and Henry. Being small would not take away from the fact that they used dark magic. Henry and Vicki were both hoping the cave held some sort of powerful spell over them.
"We just gonna stay in this hole til they fall asleep?" Vicki whispered to Henry.
"No.." Henry suddenly stepped out of the shadows, his sword behind his back out of view startling the two men.
"Who is this that dares enter our prison?" one of them thundered.
"My name is Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond. I come here to set you free," he told them hoping they would buy into what he was telling them. Vicki stepped out too, her sword still in her sheath buried under her hair yet easliy accessible. Both men took a small step forward pulling swords from their side as they did. Henry and Vicki felt their rings begin to burn, each yelping a little as the burn started to hurt.
The men stopped when they noticed the rings, both dropping to their knees.
"We are so sorry, forgive us. We did not know."
"What the hell?" Vicki asked as she rubbed her ring where it had burned her.
"Why are you apologizing?" Henry asked approaching them cautiously. Neither man made eye contact nor did they get up off of their knees.
"We did not know the witch had sent you."
"Who do you think sent us?" Henry asked.
"Morgana," the one called Orgon replied. The other was his younger brother, Hagan.
"Lady Kathleen sent us here to free the Danaan's, did your people really wipe them out?" Vicki asked.
"Yes, we did under Morgana's orders. Lady Kathleen was helping the Danaan's. Their prophecy was that two soulmates from the future would save them. Morgana told us that she would put us here to keep the two from returning and we would know them by the rings, but if the rings glowed, as yours do then they would be here to save us, proving that the Danaan's could not be saved." They both looked defeated. They were immortal and had been trapped in a hellish existence for hundreds of years to find out now that all that had been promised was a lie. At this point, it was still unclear as to what Lady Kathleen was getting from this whole situation.
"Well, what now?" Vicki turned to Henry.
"Put your hand out," Henry ordered the men. They looked at one another, then back at Henry.
"Are you going to kill us?" At this point, they seemed to be ready or at least at peace with it.
"No, I want to try something." Henry put the sword to Orgon's hand, the Hagan's drawing the blade across each one.
"Hand me the chalise." Henry put his hand out to Vicki. Placing the chalise under each man's hand, he let it drip into the cup filling the bottom just enough to cover it.
"Wait, I thought we were supposed to slay the evil and drink from a stream or some shit like that?" Vicki said her eyes never leaving the two men.
"How do we know they are the evil? I"m thinking this.." he held the cup up.." will draw it out."
With that, Henry lifted the cup to his lips and drank. Almost immediately, a loud shreiking noise was heard. The back of the cave wall opened up into a large meadow. Orgon and Hagan began to tremble, once again falling to their knees.
"Morgana!" They exclalimed in unison.
"Oh, goody.." Vicki said taking a stance.
Standing before them was a beautiful woman with long flowing red hair and white eyes that glowed eerily. Henry sensed her dark magic, Vicki did as well. The two men, who were powerless, still trembled at the sight of her.
"Who dares summon me?" She boomed.
"We do,bitch!" Vicki said showing her the ring which just so happened to be on Vicki's middle finger.
Morgana gasped then narrowed her eyes.
"So..Kathleen thinks she can save the Danaan's with you two..." she looked between Vicki and Henry.."warriors?" Her evil laugh permeated every fiber in Vicki's body. She lunged for Morgana but missed her completely, rolling onto the grass behind her. Vicki had thought it was an illusion but apparently, a doorway of sorts had been opened.
"Vicki!" Henry yelled. He vamped out and lunged as well, his sword making contact with Morgana sending her sprawling across the wet grass.
"You will pay with your lives!" she growled out. Henry and Vicki were both on their feet. Morgana ordered the two men to attack them but they stood firm.
"No, we are tired of being your slaves. You have done nothing but imprison us." Drawing their weapons, they prepared to fight Morgana alongside Vicki and Henry. Vicki lunged as Morgana was distracted, piercing her shoulder with her sword. Morgana screamed, whirled and caught Vicki in the head with her fist sending her to the ground unconscious. That was all it took for Henry. In a rage, he flew toward her, the sword Lady Kathleen had given him at the ready. Morgana was also mid-air. They looked as if they were suspened on wires as they raced toward one another.
"Lady Kathleen's soul will be mine, I will be a guardian when this is finished. Those rings mean nothing, you are not more powerful than me.." Morgana screeched as she reached for Henry. Henry ducked her grasp, the sword slicing through her upper body spurting blood everywhere. She dropped to the ground as Henry landed on his feet. He whirled around with the sword ready to strike again. Vicki was moaning and trying to sit up. Blood trickled from her head where she had hit the ground. The pounding in her head was making her sick, she knew she had a concussion.
Henry walked over to Morgana, bent to her and in his otherwordly voice told her she was finished.
"You may think so but a mere sword cannot kill me," she hoarsed out as blood gushed from the wound he inflicted. With vampire speed, Henry grabbed her by the throat, picked her up and met her eyes with his.
"I'm more than a mere sword, Morgana," and with that, Henry bit down and began to drink, draining her of every drop of blood in her body. Orgon and Hagan looked on in horror as her body jerked and spasmed, her screams dying out with each bit of blood Henry took. Unceremoniously, Henry dropped her lifeless body to the ground as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He ran to Vicki immediately. She was sitting up holding her head.
"Vicki, are you okay?" Henry was still vamped, his eyes still black. His beast was still raging, he hadn't pushed it back yet. Vicki nodded slightly the movement making her dizzy. She made eyes as if Henry needed to look behind him. When he turned, the two men were still trembling with fear.
"I am a vampire, do not be afraid." Henry helped Vicki up and made his way over to the men.
"I think you should wipe them," Vicki told Henry. He agreed. He looked into their eyes and told them they were no longer evil, the would make friends with the Danaan's and help them. They would use their magic for good and would have no memory of what had happened here. They would tell the Danaan's they had been prisoners, there were not there when the other Maurin's tried to wipe out their people.
They men turned and walked away in a daze. Vicki and Henry could see what appeared to be people in the distance.
"Think those are the Danaan's?" Vicki asked. Henry had pushed his beast back going back to normal.
"Let's find out." The king and his warriors approached the strangers.
"I am King Darius, you must have been sent by Lady Kathleen."
"Yes we were. You're people should be free now. But I must ask, what is it that Lady Kathleen wants?" Henry asked.
The king smiled, "Something very simple and it is up to her to tell you. Please, may we have the rings?" the king asked holding his hand out.
"Yeah, if the fuckers would come off." Vicki said. The king stared at Vicki.
"Vicki, they aren't used to woman in this time speaking that way, remember?" Henry reminded her.
"Yeah..whatever..sorry but we can't seem to re..." as Vicki was trying to show him, the ring slid off with ease. She scowled as Henry's did the same.
"They have done their job, we will melt them down now and make an amulet in your honor, a cross I think." The king nodded his thanks again as he turned to leave.
"Wait, the cave..it's blocked." Vicki called out.
"Use the sword, you'll find your way," the king told her never once looking at them as he continued to walk.
Vicki took the sword, still blood stained from the fight with Morgana and headed toward the cave.
"If this doesn't work right, I'm killing Lady Kathleen if we ever get back." Vicki mumbled. Her head hurt like hell, she was wet, cold and ready to get home to a hot bath. When they got back to the walled up portion of the cave, Vicki looked around for anything that would tell them how to open it up.
"Dammit!" She said slamming the sword into it again.
"I don't think that's how it works," Henry was feeling around the edges stopping suddenly when his hand touched something.
"Hand me the sword," Vicki did as he requested. He stuck the sword in shoving it as far as the blade would go. Slowly, the cave wall began to slide open revealing the tunnel that had taken them there. They decided to get out while it was open in the event it would close again. When they exited the cave, Coreen and Lady Kathleen jumped up and ran to them. Noticing the blood on them both, Coreen began to check them over.
"I'm fine Coreen, really, just a little bump on the head and Henry had a little run in with Morgana, you wouldn't happen to know her would you?" Vicki asked turning toward Lady Kathleen.
Sighing she replied," She's my sister..."