X Redemption

After investigating some of the deaths that had occurred in town, Sparen and Doris returned to the Lang house. Along the way, the wizard feels energy very similar to that of the portal that took him to that world. Doris informed him that Count Lee's castle was located in that direction and that the mayor had forbidden citizens to go there. So the wizard decides to pay a visit to the castle ruins, but not before making preparations. Once he had given the Lang siblings instructions and everything was ready, Sparen and Doris left the house and headed towards the ruins of Castle Lee...

They finally approach the hill where Count Magnus Lee's castle used to be. The place is no longer as it was six years ago because the imposing construction was no longer there, but the atmosphere still makes the bravest shake to the bones. An unnatural mist surrounds the place and the closer they get, the denser it becomes. Visibility becomes increasingly difficult due to the fog and the darkness of the night. Doris couldn't see anything, but she could feel that something wasn't right. Sparen's eyes glow in the dark in a special way. He could not only feel the evil that they were approaching, but he could also see the specters. Sparen reaches for the reins that are in Doris's hands and slows the horse.

-Why are we slowing down? We're almost there -, asks Doris.

-If you could see what I see you wouldn't even want to be here -, Sparen replies.

-Something is wrong, isn't it? Show me what you see, I also want to know what we're up against -, she asks.

-As you wish -, he answers.

He touches Doris's forehead with the index finger of his left hand and suddenly her eyes light up with the same glow as Sparen's eyes. For a few moments she could see through the darkness and thick fog and she could see the specters coming toward them. She freaks out a little at the sight of the hideous ghostly creatures and leans back slamming her back into the wizard's chest.

-And here I thought you didn't want to be so close to me -, says Sparen sarcastically.

She leans forward and says: -Sorry, I was shocked. What are those things?

-Those are specters. They feed on the life force of living beings, especially those that seem most vulnerable to them. You must prevent them from touching you or you will end up becoming one of them -, he answers.

-And how can I get rid of them? -, she asks.

Sparen draws an evil smile on his lips and unsheathes his demon sword. He hands the reins of the horse to Doris.

-You can't. Here, take care of the horse and do not stop. I'll take care of the welcome committee -, he says.

Doris nods her head and does as he asks. She leads the horse through the dense fog while Sparen raises his sword and begins swinging it from one side to the other. Although her eyes can no longer see the specters, she can hear their ghastly screams as they are slashed by the wizard's sword. She tries to look out of the corner of her eye at what is happening around her and she can see that weird red glow on Sparen's sword. She can also see that strange demonic eye on the hilt of the sword. For a brief moment, her gaze makes contact with the eye of the sword and she feels a chill run through her body. Quickly she averts her gaze from the sword's eye and looks ahead.

As Doris freaks out over the specters and her companion's creepy sword, the wizard seemed to be enjoying himself. His evil laughter can be heard among the moans of the specters being hurt by the sword. Despite his euphoria, the wizard notices Doris's brief eye contact with the eye of his sword and warns her, -Don't look into the eye of the Queen of the Underworld or she will claim your soul.

She hears Sparen's warning and says -Ok-, then she thinks, "This is getting creepier by the minute"

The specters begin to move away from them as they feel the powerful demonic aura of the sword. The dense fog begins to dissipate until it completely disappears. Doris pulls the horse's reins to stop it since they had already reached the top of the hill. Further on there was a cliff, which used to be the castle moat. Sparen knows that at some point the specters will return, but for now, he decides to sheathe his sword.

-Is this the place? -, he asks.

-Yes, we have arrived. You know, when D defeated the Count, the castle, and everything in it collapsed and sank into the abyss -, she tells him.

-I see -, says Sparen.

-As you can see, there is nothing here. What I don't understand is what exactly are we doing here? What are we looking for? -, Doris asks.

Sparen doesn't answer. He gets off the horse and walks to the edge of the cliff. There he stops to contemplate the deep abyss that seems to have no bottom. He can feel the dark energy coming from below. "There has to be another way to get there. Maybe there's a hidden entrance around here somewhere, but the fastest way to get in is going down," the wizard thinks.

Doris also gets off the horse, follows him, and stands next to him.

-Why don't you tell me what we're looking for in this place? I brought you to this place, but I also want to help -, says Doris.

-I'm looking for a portal. I'm almost sure that a portal to the Underworld has been opened somewhere below -, answers the wizard.

-Down there? -, Doris asks looking into the abyss.

Sparen takes off his hat and holds it upside down, then says: -Fang, get out of there, I have a job for you.

Doris watches as the wizard speaks to the hat, or rather, to something in it, but sees nothing.

-What are you doing? Who are you talking to? -, she asks curiously.

Suddenly something comes out of the wizard's hat. It moves so fast that Doris can only see its shadow that flies to the sky and then descends and lands on the wizard's shoulder. It looks like a black bird, maybe a raven, but with some very peculiar characteristics. Its eyes are round and red, and on its beak, it has a row of sharp teeth with two protruding fangs. It has bat ears and its wings also resemble those of bats, but they have feathers. Its legs resemble those of eagles. The creature emits a sound very similar to that of ravens, but a little creepier.

-This is Fang and he's my familiar -, Sparen says.

-What is a familiar? -, Doris asks.

-He is like a pet, but he is not a common pet. A stronger bond binds us together -, answers the wizard.

Doris is used to seeing strange creatures in her world, but the presence of Fang makes her doubt again about the wizard's origin. If Fang is Sparen's pet, then he must not be a human. Creepy creatures like this can only be pets for beings like the Nobility. But how is it that he can walk in the sun? Is he also a dhampir like D? She keeps her thoughts to herself and simply nods at the strange raven.

-Hello Fang -, she says.

-Hello -, answers the raven with a voice similar to that of a parrot.

-You can talk! -, she says surprised.

-Yes, amongst other things-, says Sparen cutting off their conversation. -Fang, you must go down the cliff and look for a possible entrance -, he tells the raven. The wizard shakes his shoulder and says, -Go and do your job.

The raven crows and flaps its wings and flies off to fulfill its mission. In a matter of seconds, it disappears, losing itself in the darkness of the abyss.

A few minutes after Fang's departure, the strange mist begins to form again.

-Here we go again -, Sparen mumbles.

-Those things have returned, haven't they? -, Doris asks looking at the mist.

Sparen nods his head and tells her: -Those specters are very persistent. Once they find a suitable victim they keep coming back until they feed on the victim's life force... or they get destroyed. Stay close to me, and this time don't look into the eye of my sword.

Doris nods and says, -Okay- She doesn't like having to depend on the wizard because she prefers to show him that she can protect herself, but how can she fight against something that doesn't have a material body? She stands alert by the wizard's side.

Sparen draws his sword again and smiles evilly.

-Round two freaks! -, he says.

The wizard begins to swing his sword to fend off the specters' attack, but this time his movements are faster and more accurate. It even seems that he is waltzing with his sword. Once more he seems to be enjoying himself as he cuts the hideous creatures. He seems to be possessed by a vicious spirit.

-Come on, come closer! Hahahahahaha -, says the wizard out loud.

Doris is a bit worried about what she is seeing. She never saw D behave like that. She thinks that maybe Sparen is crazy or maybe that creepy sword of his has something to do with it. The young woman steps away from him even though he told her to stay close. She is so stunned watching the wizard as he fights the specters that she hasn't noticed one of the specters approaching her. Suddenly she sees the ghostly silhouette that is about to touch her and tries to run away, but she realizes there is nowhere to go. She steps back and notices that her heels are on the edge of the cliff. The specter extends its hands towards her.

-NO! Get away from me! -, Doris yells. She backs away a bit more to avoid being touched by the specter, but slips and falls off the cliff.

-AAAAAAAHHHHH! -, she screams as she falls.

The wizard hears her screams and knows that she has fallen, but he does not stop doing what he is doing to go to her aid as D would probably do.

-I'm sorry, Doris Lang, but your presence is a hindrance right now -, the wizard says. "Fang, come back and catch the woman who fell off the cliff. Hurry!" -, he communicates with his familiar telepathically.

Sparen takes advantage of the fact that the woman is no longer present to summon the power of his demon sword. He raises his sword and says: -This ends now! Queen of the Underworld, Queen of Darkness, quench your endless thirst with these dark souls that I offer you. Feed your voracity with these unclean spirits and satisfy my desire for power!

The wizard appears to be in some sort of trance as he holds his sword up high. His physical appearance changes, his eyes change color to red wine and his pupils become vertical like those of cats, his nails grow and his hands take on the appearance of claws, and two pairs of fangs protrude from his mouth. The demonic eye of the sword opens fully and the red glow becomes more intense. The aura of the sword becomes stronger and the specters want to flee from it, but they find themselves trapped in some kind of force field that does not allow them to, and instead draws them towards the sword. The sword begins to feed on the specters until it finishes them all and everything that has life and energy around.

While this was happening, Doris was falling off the cliff. She reacts and takes the whip that she has tied to the side of her waist and tries to hold onto some rock or whatever she can reach. The whip coils up on a rock and stops the fall for a moment, but then the rock begins to give way and slips off. The young woman begins to fall again, but then a huge black bird appears from the bottom. The raven catches her in its claws and starts to fly upwards. Doris recognizes Fang, but she is surprised to see him that size.

-Hold on tight, Doris Lang -, says the raven.

-Thank you Fang -, Doris says as she grabs hold of the raven's legs. "How could you grow so much?", she thinks.

As Fang carries Doris to the top of the cliff, Sparen fights the evil spirit of the sword to avoid being possessed by it. The wizard lowers the sword slowly but does not let go. His internal struggle makes him seem hypnotized and staring into space. Soon Fang reaches the top and frees Doris. The young woman sees the wizard standing there with his back to her. She cannot see that his appearance has changed nor does she know what is happening.

-Thank you very much for keeping me from falling. If it hadn't been for Fang I wouldn't be here... -, she claims sarcastically. -Are you listening to me?

She does not receive an answer. Sparen doesn't even turn to look at her.

-Hey, are you okay? -, she asks and takes a step towards him, but Fang quickly gets in her way.

-Stay away, stay away -, warns the raven who had returned to his normal size.

-What's going on? -, she asks the raven.

Fang doesn't answer her and flies high. From up there, he opens his beak and produces a high-pitched sound that although Doris cannot hear, Sparen finds a real annoyance. The wizard drops the sword to cover his ears and snaps out of his trance. Upon losing contact with the sword, the eye of the sword closes and Sparen returns to his normal self.

-Damn it, Fang! I will pluck your feathers! -, says the angry wizard.

Fang stops making the annoying sound once he sees that Sparen has woken up.

Sparen removes his hands from his ears and yells at the raven, -I'm going to roast you! -, and throws a small ball of fire at him.

The raven dodges the fireball and replies: -You're welcome dumbass... Just what the hell were you thinking when you summoned the demon of the sword?- The raven circles twice and then lands on Doris's shoulder.

The wizard holds back a bit as he listens to the raven's claims. Sparen remains silent for a moment and then asks, -It happened again, didn't it?

-Of course, it happened, you sloppy wizard. What were you expecting? -, Fang replies.

Doris looks at them confused, she doesn't know what they are talking about. She looks at the sword lying on the ground and then looks at the wizard, and although she doesn't see anything strange about him now, before falling off the cliff she was able to notice the peculiar way the wizard was behaving. "So it's not him, it's that creepy sword", she thinks.

-Stop scolding me Fang, you look like an old man. Nothing important happened this time, so stop bugging me -, the wizard answers.

-Yes, of course, and thanks to whom? -, says the raven.

Doris looks past the wizard and sees a lump on the ground. Its figure seems very familiar to her, so she interrupts the conversation between the raven and the wizard.

-What's that? Is that Speedy? Oh, my God! -, she says and desperately runs towards the horse that was lying on the ground. The raven flies off her shoulder.

The wizard had no idea what had happened until he turned to look. The horse had died due to the dark powers of the demon sword. Doris kneels next to the horse's corpse and starts to cry. Even though it was a cyborg horse she cared for it.

She looks at Sparen angrily and says, -Nothing important happened, you say? You killed my horse!

-I see, so there was collateral damage -, he replies coldly.

-Collateral damage?! Is that all it was for you? I understand that it wasn't your horse, but what would you say if it was Fang? Would you also say it was collateral damage? Don't you care about anything or anyone? Also, do you have any idea how long it will take us to get back? -, says Doris hurt by his ruthlessness.

-You are too sensitive Doris Lang. On the other hand, you are right, losing your only means of transportation in the middle of nowhere sucks. I'll remedy that later, but first I have to search for that portal -, he says.

-I wonder how you will do it. Can you revive the dead? Or are you going to pull a horse out of your hat? -, Doris asks.

-I'll show you later, I have to solve the matter of where the demons come from first -, Sparen replies to her. The wizard addresses the raven, -Fang, did you find anything down there?

-I saw a cave far below. Maybe it's what you're looking for -, answers the raven.

-Then take me there -, Sparen orders him.

-Ok -, answers the raven. Fang flies high and as he does he changes size.

Sparen gets ready to go down with Fang, then Doris approaches him and says: -I'll go too.

-Really? I thought you'd stay here after what happened. You know that the same thing could happen to you if you come with me -, answers the wizard.

-I know, but I won't let you go alone, I told you before. Also, I have to make sure you come back and bring back Speedy -, she answers. He killed her horse and she's not about to let him get away with it.

-I see, the death of your horse affected you so much that you are willing to follow me to the gates of hell. As you wish Doris Lang -, he answers. Then he surprisingly grabs Doris by the waist and runs to the edge of the cliff. She tries to free herself from him.

-What the hell are you doing?! Let go! -, she yells at him.

-We're wasting a lot of time. If I were you I would hold on tight -, Sparen suggests. Then without thinking he jumps off the cliff with her.

-You're a damned psychopath! -, she yells at him as they fall. Doris stops struggling and holds onto him tightly and closes her eyes. It is the second time that she has had that bad experience of falling into the void.

-Let's go, Fang! -, he shouts.

The huge raven catches them in midair and flies down the cliff. Upon reaching the cave, he drops them on safe ground at the entrance. The raven flies up circling in the air and returns to its normal size. It perches on the wizard's shoulder.

Sparen lands gently on his feet, but Doris loses her balance and falls to her knees. Her heart beats very fast. She takes a deep breath to calm herself down a bit before standing up. The wizard looks at her out of the corner of his eye and upon seeing that she was fine, he paid her no more attention and concentrated on looking for the portal.

-You're very crazy, you know that? Don't you dare to do something like that again -, she tells him after getting over the scare.

Sparen didn't pay much attention to what she was saying. He could feel the dark energy of the portal, which would get stronger the closer they get to it. So he lets himself be driven by his senses and starts walking inside the cave. Doris follows him closely, but the cave is too dark, so she can't see where she's going. The wizard stops and she stumbles onto him.

-Oops, sorry. I can't see a thing -, she says softly not wanting to make too much noise.

-I forgot about that -, he tells Doris. He takes his hat in his hand and takes an unlit torch out of it. He touches the torch and a flame lights it up. -Here, you are going to need this -, he says handing her the lit torch.

-Thanks -, she answers and takes the torch.

-You must keep all your senses very alert Doris Lang. I can feel a dark presence near us -, Sparen tells her placing his left hand on the hilt of the sword.

Doris gets a little worried when she sees that he intends to use the sword again. She touches the wizard's forearm to get his attention.

-Wait, you shouldn't use that sword. You are not yourself when you use it. I could notice it when you were fighting those specters -, she says.

-Are you afraid to die? -, Sparen asks.

-It's not about that. If you lose your mind, then what will become of the townspeople? Everyone is counting on you to kill the demons. You made them believe that you were D, the brave hunter who saved them from Count Magnus Lee and that's why you must comply -, Doris demands.

-You have very high expectations of me as if I were a hero Doris Lang. You forget that I'm just a foreigner passing through and not your Prince Charming -, says Sparen. -I'll get rid of the demons even if I don't have intentions to save anyone. You should settle for that.

-How can you be so... -, she was saying when suddenly something wet and sticky falls from the ceiling of the cave to the ground. They both take a step back and look up.

The ceiling was covered with bats and the presence of Doris and Sparen had woken them up.

-Bats, that was to be expected -, says Sparen.

-For your information, those aren't common bats -, Doris tells him, taking the whip in her hands. -They are flesh-eating bats.

-I understand -, he says, unsheathing his sword and getting ready to attack.

The bats fly toward them as if they were a swarm of bees.

-Take care of the ones on the right, I'll take care of those to the left -, he says trying to keep the bats away from him.

-Okay -, she replies repelling the bats.

Sparen steps away from her a bit so he can swing the sword around comfortably. Doris for her part has more room to wave the whip in circles. Fang stays on his master's shoulder and watches over their backs. Both begin to fight against the hungry bats that are not willing to miss the opportunity to have a succulent dinner.

Doris concentrates on what she is doing. She doesn't find it very easy at first to wield the whip and hold the torch at the same time, but then she realizes that bats flee from the fire of the torch and she takes that to her advantage. She shakes the whip with great skill like an Amazon and uses the torch to chase away those that get close to her. The bats take electric shocks from the whip that knock them to the ground and they keep away from the torch.

Sparen for his part begins to brandish his sword in circles with speed and great skill. The bats fall dead to the ground as they are slashed by the demon sword, but there are too many of them. He curses, "Damn critters if I could unleash the power of the sword they'd all be dead by now. I'll have to settle for killing them this way even if it takes me longer."

The bats begin to get tangled up in their hair and they stick to their cloth. They both begin to shake the critters off of them, but there are too many.

-There are too many. What do we do now? -, Doris asks slapping a bat off her jeans.

-Fang, get rid of them with your ultrasonic sounds -, Sparen orders the raven when he sees that the bats were already a nuisance for them.

Fang makes a sound inaudible to Doris, but a bit annoying to his master and very annoying to the bats. The bats become disoriented and start crashing into the cave walls and others flee outside. Doris continues to whip the bats until they fly away. Sparen continues to kill them with his sword, although not with the same skill. "Damn", Sparen curses because of the noise. Once the bats were no longer a threat, Fang stops making that sound.

"At last" -, Sparen whispers feeling relieved. He sheathes the sword. -Come on, we must continue, we must not stay long in this place.

They begin to walk deeper into the cave. Sparen can feel that dark presence again and begins to walk more cautiously. Doris follows him, lighting her way with the torch. There were many strange insects and small creatures of all kinds both on the ground and on the damp rocky walls of the cave. There was only one path until they reached a point where the cave was divided into three caverns. Sparen stops there. The wizard looks at the entrances to the three caverns, but he can feel the dark energy of the portal through all of them.

While the wizard decides which of the three caverns to go to, Doris walks to the cavern on the far left because she thought she saw someone. She stops at the cavern entrance and turns to look at the wizard.

-Hey Sparen, I think I saw someone peeking around here -, she tells him.

The wizard walks towards her. -Could you identify it? -, he asks her.

-I thought I saw a person, a woman, to be more specific -, she replies.

-Perhaps you have seen one of the demons that has escaped from Hell through the portal -, says Sparen.

-I don't know. For some reason I have a feeling I've seen her before -, Doris says.

-Alright. Let's go -, he answers.

-Ok -, she says and follows him into the cavern.

The corridor of the cavern is a little narrower than the previous one and the floor is rougher and more difficult to walk on. The walls are more humid and also the rocks on the floor, which makes it a bit slippery. The adventurers carefully walk around the place to avoid falling. Sparen continues walking forward without saying a word. The wizard has all his senses alert because a surprise attack in a place like that would be no good, there's not much room to move. Doris just follows, but she keeps thinking about who or what she saw at the entrance to the cave. So far none of them has seen anything.

The narrow and difficult path ends in a much wider exit. Sparen walks towards the exit and when he gets there he realizes that it is a dead-end. "Ok, this isn't good," the wizard thinks.

Doris walks out and wonders what has stopped the wizard. She then looks out and realizes the path ends there.

-What will we do now? -, she asks him.

-There are two options. We return where we came from or look for another possible way out -, he replies.

-There's nothing here, we should go back -, she says.

-So you think? -, Sparen says.

Doris is about to return to the cavern when suddenly Sparen pulls her by her arm. A massive stone wall falls from the ceiling of the cavern completely blocking the exit.

-Oh, my God! -, says Doris trying to catch her breath.

-I think that is no longer an option -, says the wizard.

She calms down a bit and says, -Thanks Sparen, if it wasn't for you I would be a pancake. What do we do now?

-In case you didn't notice, we've fallen into a trap. I wonder what will happen next -, says Sparen.

-I should have known. I'm very sorry to have asked you to come this way -, she says.

-Do you think the other paths would have been better? You have deluded Doris Lang -, Sparen replies.

-This is strange. I swear I saw a woman coming inside the cavern. How could have she just vanished? -, the young woman says.

-If there was someone here, then there must be a hidden door somewhere -, says Sparen. The wizard touches the walls of the cavern trying to find a magic lock or a magic door, but he doesn't feel any magic on the walls.

-There is no magic here. If there is a hidden door, then we must find the mechanism that opens it. Look for any button or lever, but be careful -, he says.

-Ok -, Doris replies and starts searching.

As they search for the hidden door and the mechanism to open it, Sparen finds a fake rock in the wall, but Doris steps on a fake rock on the ground simultaneously.

-I think I found it-, says the wizard.

-Oops. I think I just stepped on something -, says the young woman.

-Do not move -, he tells her.

Suddenly the floor begins to collapse quickly and without giving them time to react. Both fall and slide quickly down a slippery and wet stone slide. Fang had flown off his master's shoulder, but even when he tried to stop his master from sliding, he couldn't catch him on time.

-AAAAAHHHHH -, Doris screams as she slides down.

-Why does it always have to be a damn false floor! -, Sparen yells as he slides off.

They both fall into a huge pool of stinking water with pieces of corpses from different creatures floating around. Doris is very disgusted by the stench and it makes her nauseous. Sparen for his part did not mind the smell so much, he was already used to the smell of death, but he did not feel very comfortable being wet.

-Are you OK? -, Sparen asks Doris.

-Yes, I'm just disgusted -, she answers, trying to avoid vomiting.

-We have to get out of here as soon as possible. Whatever lives here has a ravenous appetite -, says the wizard.

They both start to swim, but before they could reach the shore, they hear Fang's alarming chirps as he flies around warning them of the danger.

-Watch out! Watch out! -, says the desperate raven.

Something moves in the dirty waters and comes dangerously close to them. They both stop swimming and look around. Even though the water is up to her chest, Doris takes the rifle in her hands and hopes it will work after getting wet. Sparen draws his sword and watches as something snakes through the water very close to them.

-What's that? -, Doris asks as she watches through the sights of the rifle.

-I think we're about to find out -, Sparen replies, getting ready to attack.

Huge squid-like tentacles emerge from the water. One of them tries to catch Doris while the other goes after Sparen. The young woman begins to shoot with her laser rifle, injuring one of the limbs of the creature that is hidden under the water. Sparen for his part attacks the tentacle with his sword wounding it. The injured creature counters by hitting Doris's rifle hard causing her to fall backward and drop her rifle. Meanwhile, another tentacle appears and surprises the wizard by coiling around his waist. Sparen manages to stab the tentacle with his sword. The creature begins to squeeze the wizard tightly to force him to drop the sword. -ARGH! DAMN YOU! -, he groans in pain but doesn't let go of the sword which was already beginning to drain the creature's life force. Fang tries to go to his master's aid, but another tentacle appears and tries to catch the raven as it flies around, not letting him get close.

Doris tries to run away from the creature's tentacle, but it grabs her leg and starts dragging her. The young woman desperately tries to free herself to reach the rifle that fell a little beyond her, but her efforts are in vain. She then sees the torch Sparen gave her floating in the water very close to her. Surprisingly it hadn't gone out. Doris extends her arm and manages to reach the torch. She takes the torch in her hands and touches the tentacle with it. The fire from the torch burns the creature, so it lets Doris go. She hears Sparen's groans and sees the wizard's plight, so she desperately tries to retrieve her rifle so she can free him, but the creature seizes the rifle and throws it away to shore. The young woman uses the torch to protect herself from it and tries to get closer to Sparen, but the creature keeps her away.

-Damn! -, she says. -Sparen! This thing is vulnerable to fire! Use fire! -, she warns him.

Sparen listens to what Doris tells him, but in his current situation, he can't cast the spell, he must free himself first.

-Fang! Flight maneuver! -, he orders the raven.

The raven shrinks himself and begins to maneuver in the air, approaching its owner to distract the creature. As the creature's tentacles go after the raven, the tentacle that Sparen stabbed with the sword and which had him trapped, dries up completely and detaches from the creature's body. The wizard is finally free. He sheathes the sword and quickly begins to cast the spell.

-Imperishable fire. Eternal torture that burns the souls of the Underworld -, he says.

The raven listens to his master's words and already knew what he had to do. Fang evades the creature's tentacles. The raven grows large and quickly grabs Doris and carries her away from the wizard and the creature.

-Rise from the pits of hell and burn my enemy. Hellfire! -, Sparen casts the spell.

Simultaneously, the creature emerges from the bottom of the pool. Its appearance is monstrous. Its body is an octopus-like gelatinous mass with four eyes and a huge mouth with many very sharp, pointed teeth. The creature catches the wizard again and drags him to the bottom of the pool to devour him. The wizard had already finished casting the spell. His arms were suddenly engulfed in flames even though he was submerged in the water. The creature tries to get rid of him as it felt the burning, but it was too late. In no time the creature's tentacles, its body, and the entire pool were on fire.

From the shore, Doris watches nervously. She could see when the creature emerged and took Sparen to the bottom. She can't see the wizard and the pool has become hell. Fang stands still on Doris's shoulder waiting for his master to come to the surface.

-Sparen please come back -, Doris says as she watches intently.

There was a lot of agitation in the water. The creature was giving its last jolts of pain before dying. After the creature dies the fire in the pool begins to die down until it finally disappears, but there is no sign of the wizard, only his hat floating on the water. Then Doris gets more desperate.

-Sparen! Where are you? Sparen come back here! -, she shouts from the shore.

Fang spreads his wings and begins to fly around the pool. He knows that his master is alive, but he cannot see him. The raven looks down to the pool and says:

-What is taking you so long, sloppy wizard?...

Doris kneels on the shore and says quietly, "I shouldn't have brought you to this place. At what point did I think you could be as strong as D? Please come back, I'll feel guilty if something happens to you".

A bit later, the wizard finally comes to the surface. Sparen coughs and spits out the putrid water. He holds a strange bottle in his hand. He tries to swim towards the hat but he does it erratically as if he doesn't know how to swim, but still, he doesn't let go of the bottle.

The raven, who is flying around the pool, sees his master come to the surface and noticed that the wizard has one of those special magic bottles in his hand. Then he could understand why his master was taking so long to come to the surface. Fang grabs his master and the hat and flies with him to shore.

-You are a hopeless fool, you almost lost consciousness to get that soul -, the raven claims.

Doris gets up from the ground when she sees them coming. She breathes a sigh of relief now that she knows the wizard hasn't died. "Thank heaven you're alive", she whispers as the raven drops his master onto the shore.

Doris approaches him and asks, -Are you okay?

Sparen spits out some more of the putrid water and mutters, "I hate water, but I hate being wet even more. At least it was worth it..." He takes the strange bottle and stuffs it into the hat.

The young woman looks curiously at the strange bottle that the wizard has just put in his hat and asks, -What's in the bottle?

-You are very curious Doris Lang. Some things are better left unknown -, he answers. The wizard sits on a big rock and starts squeezing the water off his long ebony hair.

-Wait, let me help you with that -, she tells him. She then gets closer to him and takes strands of his hair in her hands and begins squeezing the water. She felt that his hair was thick, yet soft as silk which reminded her of the hair of her beloved dhampir. Doris begins to daydream like she did when the wizard slept on her couch.

The wizard could tell that the woman was in a reverie. She was stroking his hair and it made him feel awkward like when she touched his face mistaking him for D, but that was not the real problem, he could feel that someone was watching them. He leans and speaks softly in her ear interrupting her thoughts. -That's enough Doris Lang. Someone is watching us -, he tells her.

Doris suddenly awakens from her reverie and lets go of the wizard's hair. She steps away from him feeling a little embarrassed as she realized what she was doing and says, -I'm sorry -, then she looks around to see if she can see the prowler.

-Stay close -, Sparen warns, placing his left hand on the hilt of his sword. The wizard looks towards the dark entrance of a cavern.

Doris nods her head and stands beside the wizard. She places her hand on the whip, as her rifle had sustained damage from the blows it received from being thrown by the creature and her shotgun was wet.

From the darkness of the cavern emerges a female figure clad in a black cloak. Her pale face almost glows in the dark as do her bright blue eyes. Her long blue-green hair tied in a braid trailed down her back as she walked. She stops at some distance from the adventurers.

-Well, well, what do we have here? If it is nothing more than the same stupid country girl who ruined the Lee family six years ago -, says the female to Doris. Then she looks at Sparen. -And who the hell are you? I must admit that when I first saw you with this woman I thought that my Lord had returned, but then I realized that you are just a stupid copycat.

Doris is stunned to hear that voice. Even though she couldn't see her well in the dark it was obvious who she was.

-It's, that's impossible... Lamika! -, says the surprised young woman. -But you are supposed to be dead.

-And it was what I wanted most after what my father did by choosing you as his bride. He not only humbled his lineage, but he also stood up to the noblest member of our family who risked his life to protect you -, says Lamika. -But that does not matter anymore. I see that death played a trick on me and made me return only to witness that the woman for whom my father died and for whom my Lord confronted my father now is seeking the favor of an impostor. How disgusting. On the other hand, it doesn't surprise me that someone with the bloodline of the vampire hunter would turn away from a simpleton human like you.

Lamika's words were like a stab to Doris's heart. She truly loves D and she thought he loved her back, but six years have passed and she hasn't heard from him. Until now she had been adamant about her decision not to reciprocate with any other man, but what if he never comes back? Doris remains silent as doubt invades her mind for the first time, but then she shakes her head as if to push those thoughts away and replies, -No. That is not true!

While the women had their talk, the wizard pays close attention to everything the count's daughter says. He surveys the vampire lady in silence; the way she talks, her movements, her expressions, and he draws his conclusions. "So you are the former lady of the castle. You're haughty and very arrogant and you hate humans, but no one better than you should know every corner of this place. Your presence could be useful to me", he thinks. "And what a surprise! Who would have thought that prince charming would be a true prince of the vampires... or maybe their king?".

-I presume you are the Count's daughter -, Sparen interrupts them. -I don't have time to waste on niceties so I'll get right to the point. I am looking for a portal to the Underworld and since you dwell in this place I suppose you know where it is. Now you must decide whether you will be a good hostess and lead me to the portal or get out of the way and let me do my job.

-You are an insolent fool! How dare you talk to me like that?! You're going to regret it -, Lamika says furiously. She grabs her explosive weapon from her hip and throws it at them.

-Shield -, says the wizard, and a barrier of magical energy appears in front of him and Doris.

Lamika's explosives collide with the magical shield spraying red-hot lava onto the ground. The wizard looks at the effect of the explosives of the vampire girl and smirks.

-You like to play with fire. All right, it's my turn -, says Sparen. The magic shield disappears. The wizard extends his left hand and suddenly a flame appears in it. The flame grows and takes the form of a fireball which Sparen launches at Lamika.

The vampire girl moves with the agility and speed of those of her kind and manages to escape from the fireball whose flames would have certainly hurt her. The fireball crashes into the rocky wall of the cavern causing a burst of flames.

-I see, you're a magic-user. So that's how you were able to defeat the guardian -, says Lamika.

-That is correct. My name is Sparen and I am a wizard -, Sparen answers.

-Then murdering you will be more dignified and pleasurable than having murdered those stupid tomb raider humans -, says Lamika, pulling a dagger from her waist belt. She advances with vampire speed toward Sparen with the dagger in her hand.

The wizard prepares himself and quickly draws his sword to protect himself from the woman's imminent attack. Lamika wields the dagger with some skill and speed as she attacks Sparen over and over again. The wizard moves quickly and uses his sword to block Lamika's attacks.

Doris worriedly watches the fight, but there isn't much she can do. She can't follow the movements of any of them, she only hears the sound of the metal blades of their weapons as they clash. "Please stop," Doris says quietly.

Lamika manages to wound Sparen's right arm with her dagger and some of his blood splashes on her. The wizard groans and takes a step back. "Damn you," he says. Lamika licks up some of the blood on her dagger and spits it out. She smirks and says, "I see, as I thought you are not an ordinary man." Sparen is afraid that Lamika will reveal the truth to Doris.

-No, I am not an ordinary man. I already told you that I am a wizard -, Sparen replies. Extending his left hand towards her he says, "Blinding Flash". A very bright powerful light shines before Lamika's eyes as if she were looking directly into the sunlight, but without the destructive effects that sunlight has on vampires. Only her eyes are hurt by the light.

Lamika drops the dagger to cover her eyes with her hands. The bright light annoyed her too much to the point of making her groan.

-My eyes! Damn you! -, she yells at him.

Sparen takes the opportunity to hold Lamika. He grabs her arms and does an arm lock and holds her tight. The vampire girl begins to struggle with the wizard, but cannot break free. She starts yelling at him things that are not proper of a lady. The wizard just listens to her and waits for her to calm down a little.

-I know how much you want to kick my ass, but this is the only way to make you listen to me and take me seriously. Someone opened a portal to the Underworld in this place from which I'm pretty sure several demons have come out. The demons have come to the city and have begun to kill the people who live there. I must find the portal and seal it before more demons come out, so I should not waste any more time. I'll need your help to get to the portal faster -, Sparen explains.

-I know what you're talking about. I have seen the portal with my own eyes. But why should I help you? I don't even know you. I also don't understand why someone like you wants to get rid of the demons -, Lamika replies. ((Lamika tasted his blood so she knows that he is not human and that his blood is not from a mutant or a half-breed either))

-Because that's what D would do -, Doris interrupts. -Six years ago the vampire hunter risked his life to save me, but not only that, I'm sure if I had become one of you, he would have killed your father anyway to protect the people of the town. If you have as much respect for him as you led us to believe, then you should help protect those he favors and redeem yourself. So please, Lamika, take us to the portal. Don't let D's effort go to waste -, says Doris.

-Alright, but let it be known that I will do it for my Lord and not for you or those humans -, Lamika says and stops struggling. Sparen lets her go. She turns to look at him and says in a low voice, -My business with you is not over.

The wizard nods his head and replies, -I know. Once I'm done with the demons I'll come back for you.

tttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

Lamika keeps her word and leads Sparen and Doris through the labyrinth of caverns and secret passageways. Along the way, she told them about the tomb raiders and how thanks to the blood of two of them she was able to regain her vitality. When the castle collapsed she walked inside pretending to end her life, but by fate, the rubble did not destroy her body, she was simply trapped under them. She lay motionless under the rubble patiently waiting for death to finally come for her, but being the daughter of a powerful vampire, that didn't happen. Six years passed and she was still trapped under the rubble. She was very weak, but still alive. One day a group of human tomb raiders came to the castle ruins in search of technology and things of value. One of the looters found one of her gold jewelry near where she was trapped. In his ambition to find more gold, the man used his tools to lift the rubble, but he did not know that under the rubble he would find death. Lamika consumed all of the man's blood leaving him dry to the bone. His partner who tried to help him suffered the same fate. Later she found out that the two men she had murdered were not the only ones who had entered the place. Two other men, a woman, and a dog were also part of the tomb raiding gang. She chased them stealthily through the passageways, but something happened that prevented her from killing them like the other two. One of them began to act strangely as if possessed by an evil spirit, wounding the others almost to death including the dog. Then he drew some symbols on the ground using the blood of his victims and performing a strange ritual opened the portal to the Underworld. Specters and other evil spirits began to pour out of the portal, but three of them were more noticeable. Each of them took possession of the bodies of the dying grave robbers and their dog. In the end, they were no longer the same and so the four left the ruins. Those events happened about six days ago...

The closer they get to the portal, the stronger they can feel the effects of the dark energy emanating from it. Sparen and Lamika can handle it quite well due to the resistance that their demonic and vampire roots respectively give them, but Doris begins to feel chills. The young woman keeps walking even though she isn't feeling well, but she doesn't want to be left behind nor does she want to slow down the others. The wizard watches her and wonders how far she would be able to endure. Until the moment comes when she finally passes out and falls to the ground. Sparen stops and tells Lamika to stop. The wizard verifies that Doris is okay. He then wonders if he should take her to the portal or if it would be better to leave her there and continue on his way.

-I see you care about her. If you bring that woman with us she may not be able to bear the miasma that comes out of the portal -, Lamika tells him.

-You may be right, but it wouldn't be wise to leave her here unprotected -, Sparen replies.

-I don't know what men see in this woman that they all want to have her, she's just an ordinary peasant girl. You're not human either so I can't understand how someone of your kind cares about her and the humans in town -, says Lamika.

-So you think? You are wrong Lady Lamika. I don't care about the townspeople. I don't like humans either, just like you. And as for this woman, I owe her a favor and that's it -, Sparen replies.

-So she asked you to protect her and the people in exchange for the favor you owe her? -, Lamika asks.

-No, actually she hasn't asked me for anything in return yet -, Sparen replies.

-And why are you willing to fight your kind? -, Lamika asks.

-Because I need their energy to increase the power of my spells, and perhaps for the same reason that the dhampir vampire hunter kills his kind -, Sparen replies.

Lamika is a bit annoyed by the answer the wizard gives her, how dare he compare himself to the noblest member of her family? But before she can claim him, something happens that captures the attention of both. Something powerful is coming out of the portal.

-It can't be! -, Sparen says when he feels the aura of what is coming out.

-What is it? -, Lamika asks.

-A beast from hell is coming out of the portal. We must hurry up and get to the portal before it comes out and moves away from it -, says Sparen a little worried.

-We're very close, come on! -, Lamika replies and rushes to the portal.

Sparen asks Fang to stay with Doris and runs after Lamika.

When they reach the portal, what they both fear is true, a great beast from hell is trying to get out of the portal.

-Damn! Just what I needed! -, the wizard curses when he sees the horned head of the enormous beast that appears through the portal.

-What is that thing? -, Lamika asks.

-What nightmares are made of -, the wizard replies.

((to be continued))