VI Awakening
((Note: This chapter follows chapter 4))
Present-day
Another day has come to an end in the town of Ransylva and the Lang siblings have finished their daily chores. They are tired and hungry, so they hurry inside the house. They both look over to the sofa where their guest is still resting. It has been three days since Doris found him in the forest. The stranger has not moved ever since they lay him down on the sofa. They know he is alive because he is breathing, but his sleep is so deep that it is strange. It looks like if he had been enchanted. Dan looks at his sister wondering.
-Should we go and wake him up? -, the boy asks his sister.
-No Dan, I don't think that would be a good idea -, she replies.
-Ok, whatever you say, but I've never seen anyone sleeping that much -, he says a little worried.
-Maybe it is because he was wounded and lost too much blood -, she answers.
-But he stopped bleeding as soon as we got him here. Good thing you brought that mirror and we saw his reflection on it -, he says.
-Yeah, that was a relief. I was worried I had brought a noble to our house, but still, we have to be careful around him. We don't know if he's one of those horrible mutants like Rei-Ginsei and his group -, she replies.
-You are right. We must keep our guard -, he says nodding.
-Changing the subject, are you hungry? What would you like for dinner? -, she asks.
-Yes I'm. I could eat a cow -, he replies rubbing his belly.
-Doesn't surprise me. You are eating more lately -, she chuckles some.
-What were you expecting? I'm a man in growth -, he replies and shows his biceps.
-All right, let's go to the kitchen -, she says. The siblings walk over to the kitchen to fix dinner.
A couple of hours later, Dan was getting ready to go to sleep while his sister was getting ready to watch over the sleeping guest. The boy walks downstairs to see if his sister wanted to change the watch turn.
-Doris, are you sure you want to do the first watch? I could do the whole watch if you want -, he says feeling a little worried about his sister. She has not been sleeping well since they brought that stranger over to their house. She spends too much time staring at the man while her thoughts are far away and that is also worrying her younger brother.
-No Dan, I'm ok. You are still young, you need to sleep more than I do. As you said before, you are a man in growth -, she replies.
-But sis... -, he protests.
-No buts. Just go to sleep Dan. Trust me, I'll be fine -, she says.
-All right, whatever you say -, he replies.
-Goodnight Dan -, she says and kisses him.
-Goodnight Doris -, he replies and goes upstairs.
The young woman sits on an armchair. She takes her laser rifle and lays it by her side just in case she needs to make use of it. So far, the mysterious guest has not given a sign of awakening. She wonders how long is he going to sleep. It's been three days and that will be the fourth night. Losing sleep has begun taking a toll on her and young Dan has noticed it. She is tired, but still, she keeps an eye on their guest. Her deep blue eyes stare at the man once again and soon her thoughts fly to another time and another place. It was that fateful night she was taken to Count Lee's castle for their wedding. She remembers D had come out of the house to face Rei-Ginsei. It was a dreadful feeling, like if her own mind was preparing her for what was coming. Shortly after, she saw her beautiful vampire hunter lying "dead" on the ground. She was desperately calling him, asking him to wake up, but had no response. Her thoughts are so deep that they are mixed up with reality. Little she knows what she's doing, but she stands up from her armchair and walks over to the sleeping guest like a sleepwalker. "D please wake up", she keeps saying. She kneels next to the sofa staring at the stranger like someone who has been hypnotized. The young woman extends her hand and caresses his face.
The stranger abruptly awakes and reacts aggressively grabbing Doris by her throat. His crystal blue eyes glare at the woman as he tightens her throat. The young woman coughs and tries to get loose. Suddenly he lets go of her. He realizes she is the woman he met in the forest. "It is you", he whispers. She falls back on the floor and coughs some more. The young woman moves away from him, but that doesn't surprise him, his appearance makes most people react like that, not to mention that he almost strangled her too. She takes her laser rifle and aims at the wizard. He notices there is something different when he looks at his hands. "What is this? My hands look different", he thinks. He touches his face and finds out that his bandana has been removed. It is wrapped around his neck. He touches his lips and realizes that something is missing. His long fangs are no longer sprouting from his mouth. He startles but tries not to show it. "My fangs! What happened to my fangs?!", he thinks.
-Don't move -, she says. -If you try to do something I'll shoot you.
-You should never awake anyone like that. You do not know how they are going to react -, he scolds the woman.
-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you -, she says sitting on the floor, but still aiming at him with the rifle. She rubs her throat.
-Are you all right? -, he asks looking at her with his cold stare. The wizard takes a more detailed look at the woman. He has seen her before in the forest, but he didn't pay much attention to her traits. She looks young, maybe in her early twenties. Her golden hair is untied and falls upon the middle of her back, except for a few locks that fall upon her fair-skinned face. Her eyes are like the deep blue sea. She must be of a standard height, but compared to the barbarian woman, she is petite. Overall, he thinks she complies with the beauty standards for human females. She is wearing a nightgown, shorter and more revealing than those most women wear on Finisterra. A noble (human) young man would certainly blush to look at her, but since he is not human and he is not fond of humans he doesn't pay much attention to those things.
-Yes, I'm ok -, she answers looking at his crystal blue eyes. His eyes are the only thing on his face that is new to her. She looked at his eyes before when they met in the forest, but it was dark, so she didn't see them clearly. They are so enticing, but at the same time, his cold stare is scary.
-You could have died -, he simply says. He knows the woman is scared, but it seems that it is not his appearance that is making her wary for she has not called him a demon or monster like all humans do. Perhaps it was just his violent awakening. He can't stop thinking about what has happened to him.
-I'll make sure that doesn't happen again -, she says.
-That doesn't make sense -, he replies, referring to the woman still aiming at him with the rifle.
-What do you mean? -, she asks.
-If you wanted to kill me, then why did you help me in the first place? It would have been a lot easier if you had left me back in the forest -, he says.
-I told you, I knew you were wounded and you protected me from that werewolf, but now... -, she replies.
-Are you sure that is the only reason? -, he interrupts.
-Well, honestly... there is another reason. I thought you were someone else -, she confesses.
-I know. I remember you were calling me D. He must be someone important to you. But now it seems you don't like me anymore and you want to kill me -, he says.
-You tried to choke me, have you forgotten? You indeed have some resemblance to D, but that doesn't matter. How can I trust you after what you did? -, she asks.
-That was just a reflex Doris Lang. You touched me while I was sleeping, remember? -, he explains. Now he is certain that it was his reaction that scared the woman. Something happened to him once he entered that new world. He wonders if his magic powers and abilities have been affected as well. For the time being, he thinks he should be nice to that woman, he might be needing her assistance again. He tries to put aside his repulsion for humans and his pride and says, -I have no intentions to kill you. If I hurt you please accept my apologies- He softens the tone of his voice and his piercing cold stare now looks relaxed.
Doris is surprised by his sudden change. Just a minute ago, he looked like an arctic wolf staring at its prey, and he seemed to be annoyed. Now he looks relaxed even though she's still aiming at him with her rifle. She thinks that maybe he was angry because of what she did. Perhaps he was not ready to awake and she forced him to. She sighs and lays down the rifle, but she doesn't drop it.
-Ok. I accept your apologies but don't try anything funny, I'll be watching you -, she warns him. She looks at him seriously.
-As I said, that was just a reflex, I did not do it on purpose. Besides, you killed that big lizard and took me out of that forest, I'm in debt to you -, he replies hoping to put an end to the subject for he has more important things to learn about. He looks at his surroundings for the first time. There are so many things he has not seen before, like the artificial lights of the house to mention one. He noticed his hat and his cloak were hanging on a rack, his belt, and his sword too. He stands up from the sofa and starts pacing around the living room capturing every single detail with his eyes. -Where am I? -, he finally asks.
Doris has been watching him for all those three days and now that he is finally awake, she will be able to know who he is and what he really is like. She won't be having to create imaginary stories about him or imagining him like her heroic vampire hunter. She gets a little impressed when he rises because his appearance is imposing just like Ds. The young woman stares at him as he looks around the house. She gets up from the floor and walks after him.
-This is my house. I and my brother Dan brought you here the night we met -, she replies.
-The night we met? How long has it been? -, he asks turning to her.
-Well, you have been sleeping for three days and tonight was going to be your fourth night -, she answers.
-Three days... -, he whispers. He wonders what happened to Minerva and where has she been taken to. He knows that he must find the barbarian woman, but first, he will have to find out what has happened to him. Also, he must regain all his strength and learn about that new world. He just hopes the woman can keep herself alive until he finds her.
-Ok, now that you have finally awake, would you mind telling me where do you come from? What were you doing in the forest? And, what happened to you? -, Doris asks.
-Those are too many questions, but since you kindly opened the door of your house to me, I will answer. First, I come from a distant world called Finisterra. Second, I landed in the forest. And third, I was attacked by a very powerful being. I think he was a vampire -, he answers.
-Finisterra? I've never heard of it before -, she comments. -You said you landed in the forest, but I didn't see any spaceship around the place. Unless... The meteorite! It was your spaceship, wasn't it? -, she asks. -And I suppose that a Noble made you crash -, she concludes.
-Well, that is not the way things happened -, he replies. He starts pacing around the living room again as if he was looking for something.
-And what exactly happened? -, she asks following him with her stare.
-I came to this world through a portal, but I was not alone. The barbarian princess was there too. We were both dragged into the portal by a vampire. He attacked me and forced me out of some kind of flying fortress. I had to use my magic to land, and that was the meteorite you saw -, he answers. He looks at some photographs on a table and picks one of them. He has seen paintings and portraits, but nothing like that.
-A portal? -, she asks. She believes that must be another technological gadget invented by Nobility. Doris gets more interested when she hears about the barbarian princess. "So he didn't come alone", she thinks. She is surprised by the rest of the events, but she can't stop thinking about the woman. As a former victim of a Noble, she couldn't help but worry about another possible victim. -What about the woman? What happened to her? -, she finally asks.
Sparen lays the photograph back on the table and moves to a wall where he sees two portraits and some weapons hanging on it. There is a sword and a gun. He doesn't pay much attention to the sword, first because he doesn't feel any magic flowing from it, and second, because he has seen many and more elaborated, but the gun is something new. He is also curious about Doris' rifle, but the woman has not let go of it. -I guess the vampire has taken her away. I have the feeling that she was the target the whole time. I do not know for what purpose though-, he finally answers.
-What other purpose could a vampire have if it is not taking her blood or making her his? -, Doris replies excitedly.
Sparen looks at the woman as he noticed her sudden mood change. -I can tell you hate vampires. I suppose you had a hard time with one of them -, he says.
-I was a victim. An old vampire called Magnus Lee kissed me and he wanted to make me a part of his family, but D appeared and he saved me -, she replies.
-D... Now I understand why you saved me from that big lizard and welcomed me into your house. I make you remember your savior -, he says.
Doris looks away from him. Her cheeks turn a shade of pink. -That doesn't matter now -, she says in a low voice. She turns to look at him again, -So, what are you going to do? Your princess is in danger. She must be scared and waiting for you to rescue her. She won't have much time. I'm sure the vampire will turn her into one of them.
Sparen noticed there is something more going on between the one called D and the woman as she looks away from him, but that is not of his concern. Then the woman makes up a situation that sounds ridiculous and amusing to him. He can't hold his laughter. -Hahahahahahahahaha... So my princess is scared and waiting for me to rescue her. I've never heard anything like that. Hahahahahaha -, he mocks her.
Doris frowns. -Hey, what's so funny? That woman is in real danger -, she says angrily.
Sparen stops laughing. -Maybe she is in danger as you say, but you got it all wrong. First, she is not my princess, we just travel together along with the other three adventurers. Second, I'm not a knight or a paladin like your savior probably is, I am a wizard. And third, the barbarian woman won't sit down and wait for someone to go and rescue her. She must be giving a good fight -, he replies.
-Does that mean you're not going to do anything? -, she asks.
-That is not what I said. I will eventually go and look for her, but first, I must regain all my strength and learn about this world. I won't be of much help if I'm not strong enough to fight. And how am I supposed to find her when I have no clue of where I should be looking? I just hope she can hold on until then -, he says.
-I guess you are right, but the more time you waste, the fewer probabilities you'll have to find her still being herself -, she says.
Sparen looks back at the gun on the wall. -That would be unfortunate, but I find it very unlikely -, he says. -I understand why an old vampire would take a woman like you as his mate, but he's got to be too desperate to take someone like Minerva.
-Hey, what's that supposed to mean? -, she asks. "She might not be too graceful", she thinks.
-It is simple, you comply with the beauty standards of human females, both physical and behavior. The barbarian princess on the other hand breaks those standards. She has the musculature of a man and the behavior of a wild beast. That is why I find it very unlikely. Besides, who could be as desperate as to want the personification of Tiamat for a mate anyway?-, he says chuckling softly.
-Huh? Who is Tiamat? -, she asks. "Does that mean he finds me beautiful?", she thinks. "He is not taking this seriously. He is so different from D", she thinks.
-That is the legendary Dragon Queen. A beast you do not want to run into -, he answers. He takes the gun from the wall and begins to examine it. "What an interesting gadget", he thinks.
-Hey, wait. Don't touch that! It could be dangerous -, she says laying down the rifle and walking over to him. She noticed he has never seen a gun by the way he was handling it. -Please hand it over to me. You could hurt yourself -, she says extending her hand. "He is like a curious kid", she thinks.
Sparen looks at the woman wondering. "Judging by her reaction this must be a weapon... So she thinks I'm a curious kid...", he thinks. -Oh really? What is this thing? -, he asks.
-That's a gun. Would you please give it to me? -, she asks feeling a little uneasy because it is loaded.
-Here -, he says handing the gun to her. -You worry too much Doris Lang.
Doris takes the gun and sighs feeling relieved. -My father was a werewolf hunter. This gun was one of his favorite weapons -, she says turning her back on him. She keeps talking as she hangs the gun back on the wall, -He used silver bullets in this gun to kill them, and even though it is old it still ... -, she stops talking as she turns around to see her curious guest has taken hold of her rifle. -Oh no! Please lay it down -, she says feeling very nervous.
The wizard is very entertained satisfying his own curiosity as he looks at every single detail the rifle has. The rifle was his target all the time, he was just waiting for the opportunity to lay his hands on it. He looks over at Doris as she asks him to lay it down and noticed her nervousness. He smirks at her. The young woman feels shivers when she sees that evil smile of his and feels sorry for making that terrible mistake.
-Please, lay my laser rifle down... it is dangerous -, she says. Her voice is trembling some.
-You don't look too confident now Doris Lang -, he says staring at her. -Here -, he says handing the rifle over to her.
Doris takes back the rifle quickly and sighs with relief again.
-What is wrong with you? You could have hurt yourself or me with that thing! -, she scolds him.
-It wouldn't be dangerous if you show me how to use it. I need to learn everything I can about this world and that includes weapons like your laser rifle -, he replies.
-I guess you are right, but it will take you a very long time to learn everything about Planet Earth -, she says.
-There is a shortcut if you are willing to do it -, the wizard says.
-What do I have to do? -, she asks.
-All you have to do is to allow me to see your memories so you can share all your knowledge with me. I will learn everything you know about your world and then I will be gone -, he says. He feels he's been as patient and polite as he could because she helped him before, but if she gets too difficult he will just get what he wants.
-What?... I'm not sure if that's a good idea -, she says feeling reluctant. He is a stranger and he will be intruding into her memories. There are certain private things she just doesn't want to share and probably he will be seeing everything. She turns away from him.
-That is the fastest way I could learn all I have to know about Planet Earth, otherwise, I will have to waste more time around here. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time. We made contact that night we met in the forest. I had to do something similar to learn your language -, he says. Then he does his last attempt to convince her. He won't beg a human. -Remember you said I shouldn't waste too much time, that I should go and rescue the princess as soon as possible -, he says hoping she accepts.
Doris thinks about what he said. She remembers she felt something strange that night when he touched her lips, but nothing else happened. Would it be the same this time? She wonders. Then she thinks about the woman that was kidnapped by the vampire. He was right, he must go and rescue her the sooner the better. But if she allows him to intrude into her memories, it will be worse than being naked before his eyes. She thinks about it for a brief moment and then decides that sacrificing her privacy won't be as bad as sacrificing someone else's life. She looks at him and says:
-I'll do it for the princess, but you have to promise you will respect my privacy -
-Whatever you have done and your thoughts are of no concern to me, I just want your knowledge -, he replies.
-All right, what do I have to do now? -, she asks.
-Just relax -, he says. He gets closer to her. She gets a little nervous just like when he touched her lips. -Relax Doris Lang. Don't let my presence be overwhelming to you -, he says again.
-That is easy for you to say -, she replies.
-Now look into my eyes -, he says.
She is a little reluctant to do as he says because it is awkward having him that close, but then she ends up doing as he asked. Her ocean-blue eyes make contact with his crystal blue eyes and now she is not able to turn away from him. He extends his hand and touches her forehead and so he starts to see the young woman's life as if he was watching a movie. Once he is done he removes his hand from her forehead and steps back.
-Wake up Doris Lang -, he says.
The young woman blinks a couple of times and looks around. She wonders what has just happened. -What's going on? -, she asks a little confused.
-You have just shared your knowledge with me. For that I'm grateful. Now I have to concentrate on regaining my magic energy -, he replies.
-Now you know everything about me, but I still don't know much about you. It is not fair -, she claims. -And about your departure... you don't really have to go right now. When I said you shouldn't waste time to go and rescue the princess, I didn't mean I wanted you to leave. I said it because I'm worried about her even though I don't know her. I think you should leave when you are ready to -, she says.
-You are right, I can not leave without getting myself ready, but I can not stay for too long either -, he replies.
-Ok, since you won't be leaving right now I suppose you have time to tell me more about yourself -, she says.
-You already know my occupation and where I come from, what else would you like to know? -, he asks.
-I want you to tell me more about your world Finisterra. What kind of people live there? How is it like living there? What kind of technology do they have? -, she asks. She walks over to the sofa and invites him to take a seat by her side.
The wizard realized that was going to be a very long conversation. He is not in the mood for that, but how is he going to escape from it? He sighs and walks over to the sofa and sits. -I think it would be better if you could go and see for yourself, but since that is not possible maybe I should show you -, he says.
-Show me? How are you going to do that? -, she asks with curiosity.
-I am a wizard Doris Lang, there are many things I can do -, he answers. He extends his hands over to her. -Put your hands on mine and close your eyes-, he says.
Doris does as he says. The wizard holds her hands and says, -Do not think about anything else, just concentrate on what we are doing here -, he instructs her.
-Ok -, she answers.
He waits for the young woman to clear her thoughts and when she does, he whispers some words that make her fall into some kind of trance. Doris' mind is now connected to the wizard's and the images begin to show inside her head. Finisterra is there unveiling to her. She sees herself flying in the air by Sparen's side. She can see the mountains, the forests, the streams. She can see beautiful houses on top of the trees and beautiful people with long and pointy ears. Then she sees a village with cute little houses and short people that looked like children walking around. Then they fly over to a rocky mountain, she sees a fortress and many people are walking around as well. The people are short, but they don't look like children for most of them have beards. Then they moved over to a valley. Many people were working the land. They were human farmers just like her. Right ahead a beautiful wall city could be seen. The walls are so white that they shine with the Sunlight. The city has an air of magnificence and the people look content. Unlike the other places, the city has people of all kinds walking on the streets. They leave the city and enter another forest, but that one is different from the others she saw before. The trees have unusual colors. Some things seem to be upsidedown, like rocks floating in the air and some trees have their crowns on the ground. Some rivers are running upstream too. The people of that forest are very unusual, most of them have crystal wings. They have different sizes too from tiny, to pettite, to normal. Most of them look like cute children, but others look like adult pointy ear people. They leave the forest, but what awaits ahead doesn't look good. Doris feels a little nervous as she sees the barren wasteland. There is another forest ahead, but that one is dark and dreadful. It doesn't look like a place anyone could live in. Even the trees look like evil creatures. The people who live there don't walk in the open like the others. Some of them are like the pointy ear people of the first forest, but they all have white hair and obsidian skin. They look attractive like the others, but there is something sinister about them. There are also short people, but they also have grayish skin and their eyes are white. There are many grotesque-looking creatures and the place is very creepy.
Suddenly Sparen grunts and they both are submerged in total darkness. Doris gets scared and wants to awake, but she can't. The scenery changes completely. They are both inside an old castle's dungeon, one that is very familiar to the wizard. They can hear the chants of many monks. It is a beautiful and heavenly melody for the young woman, but not for the wizard. To him, it is the sound of torture. "Damn it!", he grunts again. Doris doesn't understand what is going on. "Sparen? What's going on? Are you all right?", she asks, but the wizard doesn't answer. Then a voice says, "Do not struggle anymore vile creature. Surrender to the Iron Fist! " The young woman is confused, whose voice is that? Is he talking to Sparen? Sparen's unpleasant memories are revealing to Doris, it is a sign that the wizard is still weak and he's suffering mental fatigue. He must do something before the woman finds out everything about him. He lets go of her hands and abruptly breaks their connection. They both return to the real world.
Doris opens her eyes. She feels a little dizzy for a brief moment, but she recovers quickly. She was amazed by the things she saw from Finisterra, but what happened next was very weird. She couldn't wait to ask, -What was that? What's the Iron Fist? Why did that man call you a vile creature? -
Sparen looks at her and says with a soft voice, -You are tired Doris Lang, very tired -
-What? No, I'm... not -, she says.
-Your eyelids are heavy -, he says.
-No, they... are not -, she says feeling tired.
-You are falling asleep -, he says.
-No... I... I am... not -, she says and yawns.
-Go to sleep Doris Lang. Sleep -, he says.
-But... I... don't... want... to... -, she says finally falling asleep.
Sparen sighs, "That was close. I can not afford to make more mistakes like that. She is not ready to know my truth yet."
The wizard lays Doris on the sofa so she could sleep comfortably. She has been losing sleep because of him so now it was time for her to take a good rest. Now he is feeling relieved. He can explore by himself and move freely around the house. First, he will go and look for a mirror to see the physical changes this new world has made to him. It is something that has been worrying him since he awoke, but having the woman there watching him all the time was keeping him from finding out. He enters the bathroom and turns on the light. The mirror is there right before him, but the image reflected on it is unknown. "What's this?" He touches his face not believing what his eyes are seeing. "My eyes, my fangs, my hands... I look like a human!" Suddenly he remembers the seal tattooed on his chest and he quickly removes his armor's chest plate and the shirt he has under. The seal of containment that the human priests from the Order of the Iron Fist placed on him is still there, but it looks somewhat faded. He smirks some because it could mean that the seal has partially lost its strength and he might have a certain freedom to use his powers in that world. "This new world has its good things after all." He puts the shirt and chest plate back on and continues his exploration around the house.
A couple of hours later, the first sun rays light up the countryside. A new day begins in the town of Ransylva. Young Doris had a heavy sleep, probably because she lost three nights of sleep, but the delicious smell of coffee and french toasts along with the sound of people chatting, bring her back from the land of dreams. She opens her eyes and stretches some, then she realizes she was lying on the sofa. She abruptly awakes and looks around trying to find the mysterious guest. Then she hears familiar voices coming from the kitchen. She gets up quickly and walks over to the kitchen just to find her younger brother and the wizard having breakfast and chit-chatting like old friends.
-Good morning sis. Come here and join us for breakfast -, the boy says.
-Good morning Doris Lang -, the wizard says staring at her. He wonders if she will bring up the conversation they had unconcluded.
Doris noticed her younger brother is more lively that morning, maybe because he has someone else to talk to. It reminds her of the time when D was around. But there is something different about the man who sits at the table. -Good morning to you both. I will go and change my cloth, then I'll join you. Please continue -, she says and goes upstairs to her room.
A couple of minutes later the young woman returns and joins her brother and their guest for breakfast. Dan as usual invaded the wizard with many questions about Finisterra and comments of his own for he is still a talkative boy. Doris doesn't know what happened after she fell asleep, but it seems the wizard is in a better mood now.
After having breakfast, the Lang siblings get ready for their daily chores. Dan decides to take their guest around the farm to show him the place and what they do. Doris goes and takes care of the sheep. It is still early in the morning when an unexpected visit drops by. The young woman sees four men on their horses and they were getting close to the main gate. It is the new sheriff and three of his men. She remembers Dan is showing Sparen around the farm and gets nervous. "Oh no. I can't let them see Sparen. There will be trouble if they find out we have a guest from another world. It won't be good if they think D has returned either. They are too close. What do I do now?", she thinks.
-Ms. Lang, please open the gate! -, one of the men says out loud.
-I'll be there in a minute Mr. Sheriff! -, she shouts. "Damn. It's too late. I hope Dan keeps him out of sight", she thinks. She goes to the main gate and opens it. She doesn't invite them in, but the sheriff insisted so she lets them pass.
-Good morning. What brings you here this early in the morning Mr. Sheriff? -, she asks.
-I will go straight to the point Doris. Many unusual things have been happening around the town lately. We have found corpses of people who have died under very strange circumstances, but they all have one thing in common. Their corpses are completely dry, like mummified -, the sheriff says.
-Huh? That's terrible -, she replies. "It is just like what happened to the werewolf. Could it be? No... he has been sleeping all these days.", she thinks.
-We believe we have another vampire. He could be hiding anywhere. Have you seen anything unusual around here lately? -, the man asks staring at Doris with accusing eyes.
-No, I haven't seen anything -, she says. She feels uncomfortable because the man is accusing her with his stare. Ever since that incident six years ago most of the townspeople keep an eye on her.
-Then you won't mind if we take a look around, right? -, one of the men says.
-But I said I have not seen anything. Why do you have to sneak around my property? -, she is getting angry.
-Listen, Doris, we are doing this for your own safety and the safety of the town's people. We will just take a look around and leave -, the sheriff says sending two of his men to start searching around the farm.
-What is this about? It is because I was bitten by a vampire six years ago, isn't it? Should I remind you that D the vampire hunter killed the Count and my infection was cured? -, she replies angrily.
-To be honest, nobody feels safe enough around you Doris -, another man says.
-What?! -, she says.
Meanwhile, Dan was busy showing Sparen how the milking machine works. They acquired it some time ago, but it is not new so it was giving them some trouble. Dan was fixing the problem when suddenly Sparen calls to him.
-Hey kid. Someone is coming -, the wizard says.
-What? -, the boy says lifting his head.
-Two men riding horses. They are coming this way -, the wizard replies.
Dan gets up and goes to take a look. He was surprised because they were not expecting any visitors. "The sheriff's men. I wonder what they want", the boy thinks. He tries to hide before any of the men could see him, but it was too late. He couldn't even tell the wizard to hide.
-Hey Dan! Come out here! -, says one of the men.
Dan approaches them and greets them with a smile, -Good morning officers. What brings you here this beautiful morning? - The boy is trying to hide his nervousness and hopes they just go away.
-We have another vampire in town. This one is killing the victims and sucking them dry not leaving a drop of liquid in their bodies -, the man says.
-We have been looking for him for four days and that's why we have come here. He could be hiding anywhere -, the other man says.
-Have you seen anything unusual? -, the first man asks.
Dan shakes his head and says, -No sir - The boy thinks, "That's about the same time Sparen appeared. Doris said something about his sword and how it mummified a werewolf... could it be that..? No, he's been sleeping all these days"
-All right, I'll go and take a look -, the other man said dismounting his horse. He was heading over to where the milking machine is.
Dan gets nervous and tries to stop the man. -Wait, sir. There's a mess in there. I was fixing the machine and there are parts on the floor, you could have an accident -, the boy says excitedly.
-Thank you for your concern, I'll be careful -, the man replied, but he walked over to the place anyway. Dan follows him in.
The wizard has been listening to what the men said and he was intrigued. He is not sure if it is a vampire as they said, but whoever it is might have the type of energy he needs to regain his strength and boost his magic powers. He puts on his hat and the cloak and covered most of his face with the bandana and just waits for the man to come in. The officer walks inside the barn and his eyes look straight to the tall dark figure of the man who was standing with his back on the wall and his arms crossed. He couldn't see the man's face, but just like the Lang siblings, he thought that man was the vampire hunter.
-It's you. The vampire hunter. You have returned -, the man said looking surprised.
((To be continued on chapter 8))