VIII Awakening part 2: The Rise of the Impostor
((Note: This is the second part and ending of chapter 6))
It is a beautiful morning in the village of Ransylva. The sun is shining with all its splendor in the sky and most of the townspeople have started the daily tasks, but something has caused the people to lose the tranquility they had had for six years. Several people had died in a very mysterious way in the last four days. Everything had started the night that a bright light shone in the sky. Many saw the bright ball of fire rushing down from the sky into the outskirts of Ransylva. Many thought it was a simple meteorite, but those somewhat superstitious associated the event with a bad omen. It is those people who have started rumors that a new vampire had fallen from the sky that night, and that he had secretly hidden in the village among the people. It is said that this vampire is responsible for the death of people whose bodies had been found devoid of all bodily fluids, dry as mummies. The mayor of Ransylva is desperate because the sheriff and his men still have not been able to find the murderer who attacks at night. As part of his plan to protect fellow citizens from the vampire, he has put more restrictions such as curfews, but even so, more dead people appear in different parts of town in the morning. Most of the residents of the town knew of the dangerous situation they were going through, but the Lang siblings who live in the outskirts, and who have not been to the town for several days, were unaware of the events. For this reason, the new mayor Luke Dalton (the former mayor had fallen ill and retired sometime after the death of his son Greco), sent the new sheriff and some of his men to see if they were alright and to warn them about what was happening. The presence of the sheriff and his men were not to the liking of young Doris. Unlike the previous sheriff, she does not trust that man and he seems to be a prejudiced and unfair man who acts behind the mayor's back. She is forced to receive them on her property, but only one thing worries her and that is that these men could see her mysterious guest. On the other hand, young Dan is warned by Sparen that some men were coming on horseback. The boy tries to persuade one of the officers not to enter the barn, but he could not. He also couldn't prevent the man from seeing the wizard, nor could he prevent the man from mistaking the mysterious guest for his friend D the vampire hunter...
-It's you. The vampire hunter. You have returned -, the officer said looking surprised.
Sparen remains silent and does not correct the man for his mistake. He just wanted to let the man speak to get more information about what was going on in town.
Dan enters the barn after the officer, but it was too late. The man had already seen Sparen and he confused him with D. "What do I do now? If I tell him that he is not D I will have to make up a good story," thought Dan.
-It's a coincidence that you are here again now that we have problems with another vampire. Rather, I think it's a stroke of luck. The mayor will be happy when he finds out that you are here. He'll probably hire you to find the vampire and get rid of him -, says the man.
-How do you know it's a vampire?-, Sparen asks him.
Dan gets very nervous and interrupts the conversation. -No, officer Forest, please don't say anything to the mayor-, he says a little desperate.
The officer looks at the boy a little puzzled. He couldn't understand why Dan didn't want the mayor to be informed about the vampire hunter's presence in the Lang house.
-Why don't you want the mayor to know that the vampire hunter is here? Are you hiding something? Do you and your sister have something to do with this as some people in town think? -, the man asks suspiciously.
Sparen for the part of him watched silently and wondered if the boy had the guts, to tell the truth, or if he will just make up a good excuse. "Things are about to get interesting", thought the wizard.
-Hey no! Neither my sister nor I have anything to do with what is happening. People only talk because of what happened six years ago. They must stop thinking that my sister is infected. She was cured and everyone knows it -, the boy answers very annoyed.
-What Dan says is true. The vampire was eliminated. Doris poses no threat to anyone -, Sparen interferes.
Dan looks at Sparen and nods at him feeling a bit relieved now that the wizard was backing him up.
-Then explain to me why you don't want me to tell the mayor anything -, says the man.
-It's just that ... my friend is just passing through. He just came to visit us, but he has to go, he has business to attend -, Dan replied to the officer.
-Is that true what he says? Do you have another pending job? -, the man asks Sparen.
-That's correct -, Sparen replies. The wizard has decided to go along with Dan for the moment, but in reality, he is very interested in investigating what is happening. He does not care about the townspeople, but he thinks that stealing the life force of another supernatural being will help him a lot to regain the energy he needs for his most powerful spells.
-What can be so urgent that you don't even want to go see the mayor? -, the man asks Sparen. -The mayor is so desperate that I do not doubt that he will make you a good offer. Also, if the mayor cannot meet your demands, then the rich men of the town can also contribute to the payment of your reward. Everyone is very scared by what is happening.
-He is looking for someone very important -, Dan interrupts.
-Is that true? -, asks the man.
Sparen nods but remains silent.
-But our situation is serious. Six people have already died in the past three days. How many more will die until someone as capable as you appears? Have you not thought of that? -, the man says a little frustrated.
Sparen does not respond, he prefers that the boy be the one who answers. Dan remains crestfallen thinking that what the officer says is true, if someone does not appear to kill the vampire soon, many people will die. But how can he ask Sparen to kill the vampire? He is not a vampire hunter, much less is he D.
-And what about the lost person? Doesn't she matter? -, the boy says. -Also, my friend never abandons his clients and he never leaves work unfinished -, he says looking at Sparen but thinking of D.
-What do you say? Doesn't it matter to you that you or your sister could be the next victims? -, the surprised man says.
-It's not that we don't care about what is happening in town, official sir, it's just that ... -, Dan gets interrupted by Sparen. The wizard noticed that the boy was in trouble and that he no longer knew what excuse to invent.
-Dan just feels uncomfortable. He is ashamed to ask me for help because I'm only here passing through. I will take into account everything you have told me and then I will give an answer to the mayor if he is interested in hiring me -, Sparen told him.
The man looked relieved to hear the words of the man who he believed to be the vampire hunter. He was satisfied and had the urge to go to town and bring the good news to the mayor. Indeed, the supposed hunter did not give him a concrete answer, but at least he gave him a little hope. Convincing the hunter to postpone the work he is doing would fall into the hands of the mayor.
-I will inform the mayor immediately -, says the man.
Sparen just nods his head at the man.
Dan was dumbfounded to hear what Sparen said to the officer. The boy remains silent. On the one hand, he thanks him for helping him because he didn't know what else to say, but on the other hand, he feels bad because now he also took part in the lie. He made a beautiful friendship with the hunter and even saw him as an older brother and a role model. The thought that someone else was mistaken for his friend or that someone impersonated him did not please him very much, but he also did not dare to tell the truth and reveal the identity of the wizard.
The officer is about to leave when Doris appears. She had taken care of the sheriff and the other men, but upon reaching the barn she learned that her efforts to keep others away from the mysterious guest were in vain.
-I hope to see you in the mayor's office soon, vampire hunter -, says the officer, saying goodbye to Sparen and Dan. He nods at Doris -Have a nice day Ms. Lang.
-Did you say, vampire hunter? -, Doris asks the officer. She looks at Dan and Sparen and wonders what is going on. Dan was shaking his head.
-It is exactly what I said -, the man replied.
-But he's not ...-, the young woman gets interrupted by her brother.
-That's exactly what I told the officer, that he is not available, but apparently, our friend is considering going to see the mayor -, Dan said a little nervous as he tried to mislead the man. The boy beckons his sister to go along with him.
-What?! -, says Doris a little excited.
-I think you have a lot to talk about. See you later -, says the officer and turns to leave.
-Officer Forest wait! -, Doris tells the officer, but Dan takes her hand and he shakes his head. He looks at her with pleading eyes. She looks him in the eye and because of the love she feels for her brother decides not to say anything.
The man turns around and asks, -Yes?
-It's nothing, have a good day-, she answers. The man eventually leaves and rejoins the sheriff and the others and they head back to town.
Sparen just watched them and remained quiet. Everything that happened seemed entertaining to him. He even thought that Doris would tell the truth to that man, but her brother Dan convinced her to keep quiet for the moment.
Dan breathes a sigh of relief when the men finally leave the farm, but his sister's face worries him quite a bit. He knew that no one would save him from the reprimands of his sister.
-What was that all about? I suppose officer Forest believed that he is D-, says Doris to her brother pointing at Sparen. -And you didn't say anything to him. Why Dan? Don't you know what you've got us into? What will we do when the mayor sees him? He will know immediately that we are lying to him-, Doris tells him very annoyed.
-I'm so sorry sister, but I didn't know what to say or what to do. Was I supposed to tell the officer that Sparen is a wizard and a visitor from another planet? Have you thought about what would happen if those men found out the truth? They would take him to the capital for scientific research and they would not leave us alone because we had contact with an alien from another world -, Dan answers a little agitated.
Doris knew that what Dan said was true, but for her, that does not justify the stranger pretending to be D. That bothers her a lot. For her D is unique and inimitable. Furthermore, the hunter's reputation is impeccable, and she would never allow anyone to do anything to harm it.
-You should have made up an excuse or any story, but never have allowed that man to think that this man is D because he is not and he will never be like D -, she says angrily.
-I know how you feel, and I don't blame you sister. Honestly, I don't like someone else pretending to be D either, but what else can we do? The officer already went to tell the mayor that D is here -, says Dan.
-Stop talking like I'm not here, it's rude and annoying - finally says the wizard to get their attention. Once the Langs are silent and both look at him, he begins to speak. -According to what I have heard, revealing the truth would cause problems for all of us, and that I pose as the vampire hunter makes you uncomfortable. So what should we do? We will do nothing.
Doris and Dan look at each other questioningly. They both say at the same time, -What?!
-Are you crazy?! -, Doris asks him.
-Just let things flow as they have so far so that we will all benefit. That way, I can investigate what is happening in town. I'll take care of the vampire, get what I need from him, and get out of here. The problem will be solved, the mayor will be happy, and you will be safe. No one will suspect anymore of you, and you can continue with your ordinary lives -, Sparen says.
-What you want is for us to keep our mouths shut, isn't it? -, says Doris. -I won't take part in this. I just can't.
-Really? You had the opportunity to tell everything to that man, Doris Lang. Why did not you do it? -, Sparen asks her staring at her with a smirk on his lips.
-I did it for Dan because he asked me, but I can't go on with this -, she tells him.
-Forgive me, sister, I did not want to get you into this, but I was afraid, to tell the truth -, says Dan.
-It's okay Dan, I'm not mad at you anymore -, Doris tells him. -Now, how are we going to solve this without anyone being harmed?
-Maybe we should let Sparen work this out like he said he would -, Dan suggests. -After all, we mistook him for D too.
Doris turns to look at Sparen and says, -We just met you so we can't trust you just like that. Several things are very suspicious about you. While you were sleeping, I used a mirror to see if you had a reflection because I thought you were a Noble, and although I could see your reflection in the mirror, I am still not completely convinced.
-Do you still think I'm a vampire? -, Sparen asks.
-So how do you explain that you were able to survive a fall from so high in the sky? How can you explain that a wound as deep as the one you had, stopped bleeding and healed so quickly? And why did that man from Finisterra call you a vile creature? -, asks Doris.
-Okay, I know you're not going to believe me just because I tell you, so I'm going to prove it to you-, Sparen tells Doris.
The wizard takes off his hat and his cape and hands them to Dan. "Armor off," he says, and his armor disappears. Now he only wore ordinary clothes. A violet tunic that reaches to the middle of his thighs, with long sleeves, and opened in the front and tied with a black cord. He wears gray trousers and a pair of black boots that reach his knees. The siblings looked at the wizard's strange clothing because it was different from what men usually wear on the Frontier, but they were more surprised by what he did next. Sparen stepped out of the shade provided by the barn's roof and stood in the sunlight. He closed his eyes because the bright sunlight bothered him. He smiles maliciously. Unbeknownst to them, the wizard had cast a spell, and suddenly he caught fire. Both siblings come out of the barn.
-Oh my God! I knew it! He is a vampire! -, Doris yells.
-Holy cow! What do we do now sister? -, Dan asks desperately.
Suddenly they hear laughter, one Doris had heard before. "HaHaHaHaHa". The fire disappears, and the wizard seems to be doing fine.
-What the heck? -, says Dan.
-You should see your faces, you look like a couple of fools -, Sparen tells them, holding back his laughter. -Did you really think the sunlight was scorching me? If I were a vampire I wouldn't have even left the house. Right now I would be just ashes.
-You are a jerk! That was not funny at all! -, Doris yells furiously. -I should get my rifle and shoot you right now.
-Geez! You really got us. We thought you protected yourself from the sunlight with your magic cloak and your hat, as you did when you protected Doris from the fire in the forest -,Dan told him.
-Yes, I thought so. That's why I took off my cloak and hat, so you could once and for all stop thinking that I'm a vampire -, Sparen replies.
Doris crosses her arms and stares at Sparen. There was suspicion and anger in her gaze. -Well, I'm still not convinced. You may not be a vampire as you say, but that doesn't explain anything.
-Everything is very simple Doris Lang. All this time I have been telling you that I am a wizard, that there are many things I can do. How did I survive the fall? Using magic. How did my wounds heal so fast? With magic. Why does the Order of the Iron Fist call me a vile creature? Because I'm a wizard and I possess supernatural powers ordinary people don't have -, Sparen replies trying to look as sincere as possible.
Dan seems to be satisfied with the wizard's explanations, but Doris still feels a bit suspicious. So she decides to cut to the chase.
-There is something else I want to know. Are you a human being? -, she asks him bluntly. She remembers that when she met D, she assumed he was human, but then she found out that he was a dhampir and that took her by surprise. Although that did not affect at all what she felt for the hunter, or her opinion about him, in this case, it could be very different.
Sparen knew that this question would come sooner or later, and although he had planned to tell them about his origin, it was not yet the time. But before he could come up with an excuse to misrepresent the truth, young Dan gets into the conversation.
-I don't think that matters now sister -, Dan says to Doris. The boy looks at Sparen -What matters now is whether you are willing to help us get rid of the vampire.
-As I said before, the best thing for everyone is to let things flow, so I get what I need and you will have what you want -, Sparen replies.
-And how do you plan to deceive the mayor? He has seen D face to face just like Dan and I have. There is no way that he will believe that you are D -, Doris asks him.
-It's very simple. If I can not hide my face, then I will use an illusion, then he will see who he thinks he is seeing -, the wizard answers.
-That we will see -, says Doris a little incredulous.
-I would like to see how you'll do it -, Dan says, full of curiosity, unlike his sister.
The wizard sees the incredulity of one and the curiosity of the other and decides to give them a brief demonstration. He sighs and says to them, -Okay, okay, I got the message. This will be as easy as saying one ... two ... three ... - The wizard magically transforms before the eyes of the Langs. Dan rubs his eyes and blinks as he couldn't believe what he saw. Doris was gaping when she saw her beloved vampire hunter appear before her eyes.
-Holy cow! -, says Dan.
-Oh my God! -, says Doris. The young woman lets herself be carried away by her emotions and approaches the wizard. She reaches out her hands and touches Sparen's face as if under a spell. Thoughtlessly she whispers the name of her beloved vampire hunter, "D".
The wizard feels awkward when the young woman lays her hands on his face. He was not used to having a human invade his personal space. He had indeed approached her before and touched her lips, forehead, and hands to make psychic contact with her, but this felt different.
-Okay, that's enough -, says Sparen, gently removing Doris's hands from his face and returning to his appearance.
The young woman awakens from her brief trance and upon seeing Sparen's face, she quickly removes her hands from the wizard's and steps away from him.
-That was amazing! For a moment I thought I saw the real D -, says Dan amazed.
-It's not so bad Dan, but as I told you before, there is much more to D than just his appearance -, Doris says a little annoyed with herself for being carried away by the emotion of seeing D's face once more. She also did not want to accept that the illusion had been perfect.
-Oh come on sister, you believed it too. The only thing missing was for you to kiss him -, says Dan with a mischievous smile on his lips.
-What did you say?! Dan, you naughty brat! -, Doris yells a little annoyed and flushed.
Dan laughs and says, -But it's true Doris, you even called him D, I heard you.
Doris grumbles and takes a cloth tied around her waist, wraps it up like a ball, and tosses it at Dan. The boy dodges the rag ball and taunts his sister.
-Missed me! -, says Dan mockingly.
Doris frowns and says, -I'll get you one of these days, you naughty brat and you'll be sorry. Just wait and you'll see.
The boy just laughs.
Sparen crosses his arms and watches them as they argue. For a moment he remembers the silly discussions the other adventurers have on some of their travels. So he decides to interrupt them.
-Have you finished? -, he finally asks them.
-Sorry Sparen, we let ourselves go -, they apologize.
-Returning to the topic, I could see that the illusion worked perfectly with both of you, so I don't think I will have problems with anyone else -, says Sparen quite confidently.
-About that, I'm willing to let things flow as you said, but only on one condition, - Doris tells him with a serious tone.
-And that is? -, asks the wizard, placing his cold gaze on her.
-That you will allow me to accompany you -, she replies.
-I don't need a babysitter, plus you would just get in my way -, says Sparen.
-I think he's right, that will be very dangerous. If someone has to go, that would be me -, says Dan to Doris.
-No Dan, I won't let you do it -, Doris replies.
-I don't need an assistant either, kid -,says Sparen.
-I didn't mean that you need someone to take care of you Sparen. My intention of accompanying you is to ensure that you do not do something that harms other people or that damages D's reputation -, says Doris.
-Oh, I see. That is what worries you. I will try that no one innocent gets hurt. As for the other matter, I'll be as discreet as I can and that's all you'll get from me -, says the wizard to Doris.
-I'll go with you anyway. Forgive me, but I can't trust you yet, not until you show me. I will not get involved in what you are doing, but I will be watching you -, Doris insists.
Doris's decision is somewhat annoying to the wizard, but he prefers to give in for the moment so as not to waste more time arguing with the woman. In any case, he does not care if she wants to accompany him or not, it is her life that will be in danger.
-If that is what you want then so be it. You are responsible for your own life -, Sparen responds. -Now we must go to the mayor, let's not make him wait any longer.
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After finishing some pending tasks, the Lang siblings prepare to go to town with their mysterious guest. They will take advantage of the trip to do some shopping and solve some pending issues. While Doris handles the shopping and other matters, Dan would take the wizard to a blacksmith who would repair the chest plate of his armor. Sparen had warned him that the repair would be a superficial one because only a dwarf blacksmith master could do it, but the boy convinced him that the hole in the chest plate did not look good at all, so he agreed to visit the blacksmith. The boy straightens the horses to the cart and sits in the coachman's seat. Doris and Sparen take a seat in the back of the wagon.
When they arrived at the town, the people looked at them as on that occasion six years ago. Doris couldn't stop thinking about what happened at that time, and that gave her chills. Dan couldn't stop looking at people as they passed because he knew they were making comments about them. The wizard kept his face covered with a bandana, but because of his clothing, his long dark hair, and his height, people assumed that he was the same vampire hunter who murdered Count Lee six years ago. Dan parks the wagon near the fountain as they usually do when going to town. Everyone gets off the wagon. Until now, they had not seen the sheriff or his officers. Doris is surprised, she thought they would be greeted by the officers.
-How strange, there are no officers around here -, says Dan.
-I was thinking the same thing -, says Doris.
-It's better that way. Now I can take Sparen to the blacksmith and you can do the shopping -, says Dan.
-You're right, let's take care of our affairs while we can. You know where the mayor's office is, we'll meet there -, Doris tells him.
-Okay, see you there -, Dan replies.
Doris enters the store for supplies as young Dan and Sparen walk to the smithy. The figure of the wizard did not go unnoticed as expected. The boy would sneakily look at people and laugh to himself because he could hear some of the comments people were making. People had bought into the story that D was in Ransylva, and the boy found that amusing. A little further on was the smithy. Dan tells Sparen that they had already arrived. The boy asks Sparen to wait at the door while he walks in and talks to the blacksmith to prevent Sparen from interacting with the man too much. The boy returns with a man in his sixties. The man was not very tall, he barely reached Dan, who had not reached his maximum height. His graying hair was tied back in a ponytail. Perhaps due to the nature of his work, the man looked a bit older than he is, but his arms looked as strong as a young man's. Dan introduces the blacksmith to Sparen. The blacksmith is a bit impressed when he sees the supposed vampire hunter because back then, he couldn't see him up close. Then he knew that what people were saying about him and his looks in those days were not exaggerations. After a brief conversation, the two agree on the price of the repairs. The wizard hands the chest plate of his armor to the blacksmith and he and the boy leave the smithy.
They walk towards the mayor's office. As Dan explains what the surrounding buildings are, and who are some of the people he greets on the way, Sparen observes everything around him and becomes familiar with the place. Once they reach the building where the mayor's office is located, they are met by a crowd. People had begun to gather in the place because they had heard about another victim of the vampire. Everyone wanted to know who the unfortunate was and what the mayor was planning to do. Doris had not done the shopping because shortly after entering the store, she heard a man say that they had found another victim in a stable and that the mayor and sheriff had come out to see him, but they were already back. So she hurried out of the store and went to the mayor's office to find out what was happening. She could see the figure of Sparen as he walked with Dan among the people, and she tried to sneak through the crowd to get to where they were. When people noticed the supposed vampire hunter, they made way for him to let him pass.
-Dan! Over here! -, cries Doris waving her hand.
-Doris! -, answers the boy turning to look. Dan lets Sparen know that Doris is there, and they both walk over to her.
-It is good that you are already back -, she tells them.
-What's going on here? -, the boy asks his sister.
-They found a new victim in a stable, but there is no time to talk about it. Hurry, we have to go into the mayor's office -, she tells them.
Once they are allowed into the mayor's office, the sheriff closes the door and doesn't let anyone else in. There were only six people inside: the mayor, the sheriff, an officer, the Lang's, and Sparen. The sheriff had asked the "hunter" to remove his hat and remove the bandana from his face. Sparen had no objection and did so immediately. The mayor noticed that the "hunter's" outfit was a little different from what he remembered, he also noticed that he had changed his sword, but he didn't pay much attention to those details. D's face was unforgettable and the mayor did not doubt that he was the one he was looking at. The mayor and sheriff talk with the supposed hunter and provide him with the details of the events from the moment it all began until the last victim they had found in the morning. Before saying his opinion and reaching an agreement with the mayor, Sparen asked to take a look at the corpse they had found earlier and the place where it was. The sheriff and the officer take Sparen and Doris to see the corpse and to the place where it was found. After seeing the corpse and having carefully inspected the place, the wizard had suspicions of what could have happened and did not find it very encouraging. Doris noticed the seriousness on the face of her mysterious guest and took advantage of the fact that the officer and the sheriff were distracted talking with other people and took Sparen aside to ask him.
-What's going on? What are you thinking about?-, Doris asks him immediately.
-I suspect that ... no, I am sure that it is a demon. As I approached the corpse, I could smell small traces of the miasma left by the demon. I also sniffed the same traces of miasma in this place -, Sparen replies. -What I have seen makes me think that it is a demon black widow.
-A demon black widow? Like spiders? -, Doris asks.
Sparen nods.
-How can you be so sure? -, she asks him.
-Because I found small remains of cobweb, and because of the way the victim died -, the wizard answers.
-So, you know what happened here? -, Doris asks him.
-If I'm right, the young man must have met a pretty woman yesterday in the afternoon after he came out of work. The woman must have been desirable to him, so he asked her to meet at the stables at dusk. The woman seduced him and had intimacy with him. When he was in the deepest ecstasy, she extracted every last drop of the vital energy from him, leaving him dry as a mummy as you could see. That's the way black widows kill their victims -, says Sparen.
-How awful! Poor Brian, he didn't deserve to die that way -, says Doris in dismay.
-Was he your friend? -, Sparen asks her.
-Not exactly, but we happened to meet in the store and elsewhere frequently. It's a shame, I'll miss him -, Doris replies a little saddened.
-If it makes you feel better, at least your acquaintance died having fun -, Sparen says and chuckles.
-That's not funny! How can you be so cruel ?! -, Doris scolds him and pushes him some.
The wizard simply scoffs at the young woman's reaction and laughs a little harder. -Hahahahaha.
Doris hits him hard with her elbow when she sees the sheriff and the officer approach.
-Ow! -, Sparen groans when he feels the elbow.
-Stop laughing, the sheriff and the officer are coming. They will be suspicious if they hear you -, she says a little worried and annoyed.
Sparen holds back his laughter and says, -Sure, I had forgotten that your friend has no sense of humor.
-You don't have it either -, she replies annoyed. -Now be quiet, or they will discover you.
The wizard mutters something that she cannot hear, but upon seeing the men, he reverts to his role as D.
-There you are. Let's go back to the mayor's office -, says the sheriff.
They all return to the mayor's office and again meet behind closed doors. Sparen explains to the mayor that the attacks on the townspeople have been made by demons and not a vampire as they thought. He also told him he had the suspicion that it could be more than one, but at the moment he could not tell him how many. The mayor asks the supposed hunter to please get rid of the demons and makes offers to pay him with gold coins. After discussing the price, Sparen and the mayor reach an agreement. The wizard only asks the mayor that no one interferes with his work and leaves the office with part of the payment. The Lang siblings accompany him outside. The wizard asks them to leave, but Doris insists on staying. She asks Dan to take care of the shopping and go back to the house. The boy grumbles but does what his sister asks him to do. Sparen and Doris stay in town and visit some of the places where the sheriff and his men found some of the victims. The wizard was able to find more evidence that the attacks had been made by demons and was able to identify at least two more demons.
It was late in the afternoon, and once Sparen finishes investigating, he tells Doris that they should go back to the house to make some preparations for the night. They return to the Lang farm, but on the way, Sparen feels something that catches his attention, as when he felt the presence of the portal that brought him to that world. He asks Doris to stop the horse.
-What's going on? -, she asks him as she stops the horse.
-What is in that direction? -, Sparen asks, pointing to the place where the strange energy comes from.
-That path leads to the place where Count Lee's castle was located. The mayor prohibited all citizens from going to that place after what happened six years ago. It is said that the places where vampires live are haunted even after the vampires no longer live there -, Doris answers.
-That's true. Unfortunately, I will have to visit the place even if it bothers the mayor. I have the feeling that I will be able to find the answers I am looking for there -, he tells her.
-Then I'll take you to the place -, she says without hesitation.
-It will be dangerous, woman. You should let me go alone, after all, I don't think there is anyone there who would be watching my behavior -, Sparen tells her.
-It's not just that, Sparen. You do not belong to this world and I can serve as a guide ... also, you are my guest for which I feel responsible for you -, she tells him.
-Are you worried about me? How nice of you -, says Sparen mockingly. -I already told you that I do not need a babysitter.
-And I already told you that I'm not going to leave you alone -, Doris insists.
-Whatever! Let's go, I have things to prepare and instructions to give you and Dan so that you protect yourselves from the demons -, he answers.
Sparen and Doris arrive at the house. The wizard instructs the siblings on how to protect themselves from demons, from things as simple as not inviting anyone to the house even if it is someone they know, to how to prepare their weapons to be effective against demons. He told them that they would need projectile weapons with blessed projectiles because their laser rifles would only destroy the host body but not the demon. Doris looks for an old shotgun and two pistols that belonged to her father, and their respective bullets. Sparen pulls a bottle out of his hat and hands it to Dan. He tells the boy that the contents of the bottle are holy water. He then tells him how to prepare the bullets for the pistols and the shotgun with the holy water. The wizard warns them that the bullets may not have enough holy water to kill the demons, but it will surely weaken them. That would give them time to escape. The boy prepares all the weapons as Sparen told him, and once everything was ready he hands the shotgun to his sister as she had requested.
Doris goes out to prepare the horse and to check that everything is ready for when Sparen tells her that it is time to leave. The wizard on his side makes a final check of the things he has and goes out to the stable. Before leaving, he warns Doris once again that it is too risky for her to go with him, but she once again refuses to stay. Sparen, seeing her stubbornness, takes a strange amulet out of his hat and gives it to Doris. He tells her that it would protect her from being possessed by a demon. She hangs the amulet around her neck as the wizard had told her. Once everything is ready, they both get on the horse and go out. Dan says goodbye to them and closes the gate.
-Please come back safely -, says the concerned boy.