down at the square block that his foot was hanging over. It looked just like all the other square blocks on the roof of the tower except, according to Melinda, it opened the large metal opening that led into the tower. Cornell dropped his foot and the block began to sink into the roof. A few moments later, the giant metal square lying flush with the rest of the roof began to slide open. As it slid open Cornell look down into the opening. It seemed like a long way down. Melinda saw what he was thinking and reassured him.
"Don't worry, I'll fly you down."
"Cornell, I still want to come with you," Henry insisted.
"No Henry! I've heard enough and seen enough. I won't have anyone else's death on my conscience. Least of all yours."
"I've come this far!"
Cornell turned to Henry. He knelt down and looked directly into his eyes. "Henry, your mother sacrificed all so that she might live. Coller stopped his quest to find his love to search for you. Would you have their sacrifices be for nothing? If you don't make it out of here then that is what their sacrifices were for, nothing."
Henry looked away. Melinda put a wing on Henry's shoulder. "He's right. I am risking my own life to help you. I let my own child down when I was human. I will not fail another."
"Alright, I'll go."
Cornell looked back at Melinda. "You are sure about these three jewels?"
"Yes. Hell Knights guard the art tower. They are under the command of this eccentric vampire that lives only for art. He told a few other harpies and me about it while we were looking around in there. He loves to brag about his collection, he's a real talker."
"All right then. Take us down." Then both Henry and Cornell mounted
on Melinda's back and prepared for the dive. Melinda grunted for a moment
then took a few steps back before starting her charge. Then suddenly they
were falling again only this time they were under control. Melinda spread
her wings and controlled the speed of their descent so that it would not
be so fast. As they went down Cornell looked at Henry who was seated in
front of him. He knew that he was angry. He could understand what he was
feeling. The reason Cornell had been quick to accept Melinda as an ally
was because of her insistence to get Henry out of the castle. That was
something that now meant much more to Cornell. The loss of Coller to these
demons was too much. Cornell had let Henry's mother die. He knew that that
is what she wanted but that did not make it the right decision. Now he
had let Coller down as well. He should have forced
Melinda to take him to the take him to the ruined tower but he did
not. He would like to think that is what Coller wanted, not to worry about
him but to focus on getting the boy out. Now Melinda had given him a way.
She said that she knew of these three jewels with magical powers. One of
which was the ability to transport people to far off places. This was the
jewel they were after. Cornell planned to use this jewel to send Henry
somewhere safe where he could wait for him. This would avert having to
go all the way back to where he had started which at this point seemed
impossible. Getting this jewel seemed the easiest, quickest and safest
way to get Henry out of here. As they reached the end of the tunnel that
led downward Cornell saw a light up ahead. Finally they touched ground.
Cornell looked around felt an uneasiness come over him. The art tower was
very large and therefore meant that the chambers within had very high
ceilings. Unlike some parts of the castle, this tower had marble walls.
Each wall was comprised of arches, which were sometimes archways that led
into other rooms. The floor was a blue and white marble as opposed to the
gray and white, which made up the walls. Running down that center of the
chamber they were in was a blood red carpet. Also running down the center
are two sculptures standing on tan colored bases. Under each marble arch
is a large painting.
"Very elegant," Cornell said.
"Isn't it?" Melinda said with some pride in her tone. "Remember that my employer is a prince. As such his castle must be kingly."
"I hadn't noticed. I was too preoccupied with vampires and hellish creatures." Melinda pretended not to hear. Cornell turned to Henry. "Henry, I want you to have something." Then Cornell pulled something from in back of him. Henry's hand reached out for Coller's shiny metal pistol. He took it in his hand looked at it as though it were a toy and then looked at Cornell.
"I can't."
"It's yours Henry. He would have wanted you to have protection. He managed to load it fully. They are six bullets so make them count and save them for a last resort."
Henry took it and put it in his pocket. Together they began walking
until from the gloom ahead of them came a clanking sound. The gold armor
they wore did not shine with so little light in the room. But the shape
of Hell Knights was unmistakable to Melinda. Cornell could see two of them
slowly coming towards them. "Stay here," he said as he went running towards
them. He let loose one of his energy bolts and sent the first one staggering
backwards but not to the floor. He was still in the game. The second one
lunged at him with a large sword. Cornell jumped and fired again. This
time the Hell Knight went to the floor. The second one was once again heading
towards him. This one carried a long staff with a blade at the end. It
made its first thrust and missed Cornell's right rib by an inch. Cornell
grabbed the end of it to try and use it against the Knight but it was too
strong. The Hell Knight picked Cornell up as he grabbed the staff and
threw him over his shoulder. Cornell hit a nearby wall. The Knight
proceeded to walk towards Henry and Melinda. Melinda pushed Henry in back
of her and shrieked at the approaching Knight. It gave no sign of being
impressed. The Knight merely grabbed her by the neck and picked her up.
Melinda flapped her wings hysterically. Henry jumped onto the Knight's
arm and attempted to bring her down but the Knight held both their weights.
Then Cornell jumped out of nowhere and onto the Knight's back. He fired
once more and the bolt tore the Knight's arm off. The chamber was suddenly
filled with a loud and inhuman moan. The Hell Knight began to shake and
a light began to shine from where his arm was. Suddenly Cornell and the
other witnessed as a ghostly creature emerged from the Hell Knight's armor
and evaporated into nothingness. With it went the inhuman moan. Cornell
ran to Melinda and helped Henry remove the arm, which was still clinging
to her neck.
"Do they always do that when they die?" Cornell asked.
"I think you're the first to actually do that," Melinda replied as she caught her breath.
"Cornell! We have company." Henry exclaimed. Cornell turned and saw that the huge wooden that had been across the chamber now opened. From them entered a small figure dressed entirely in black. His hair was white and his skin grayish and dead. "This was the vampire that Melinda had spoken of", Cornell thought. He walked slowly towards them and stopped next to the second Hell Knight, which had managed to stand itself up.
"What do you want?" he said.
"I have heard that you possess a set of three jewels. One of those jewels can transport a person to any place they wish."
"Yes. I know them. Why?"
"I want one. I want to send this boy somewhere safe."
The vampire walked towards them. Cornell readied himself for the vampire to attack but he did not. He left the Hell Knight behind and stopped a few feet away from them. He looked at Henry for a few moments and then he looked at Melinda. Cornell was already suspicious.
"You serve Dracula, correct?" Cornell asked.
"Yes," the vampire said now looking at Cornell.
"What need does Dracula have to keep this boy here? Let me send this boy somewhere safe and as a reward, I will let you take me to Dracula."
Henry grabbed at Cornell's arm. "No! Cornell no!" Cornell pushed him into Melinda's wings. Melinda held him and whispered in his ear, "Let him do this, Henry." The vampire looked at Cornell and then at Henry once more. He turned around and seemed to consider the offer and then began to walk away.
"Follow me then. I will take you to the jewels."
Cornell shot a glance at Henry and Melinda. Both of them nodded. They
would have to be careful. It was very unlikely that it would be this easy.
So together they began walking towards the wooden doors that the vampire
had come in through. He and the Hell Knight walked ahead of them. This
made things even more curious Cornell thought. "Why would he let the Hell
Knight walk ahead of them?" Like one large procession they entered the
adjoining room. Inside, the room was much smaller than the previous one
but still somewhat long. The walls were the same but lacked the large arches
that the other had. Also, instead of paintings, the walls were filled with
weapons. The weapons were swords and staffs exactly like the ones that
the Hell Knights carried. As Cornell and the other reached the center of
the room, the vampire and Hell Knight reached the end where there was another
wooden door. The vampire turned and stopped.
Cornell braced himself. This was it. Cornell spun around quickly as
he heard Melinda shriek but not like before. Henry stood frozen in shock
as one of the swords from the wall was now coming out of Melinda's chest.
"Melinda!" Henry yelled as blood came dripping out of her mouth.
"She is a traitor to our Prince Dracula! She was doomed to die." The vampire said pointing at Melinda. Then he pointed at Cornell. "As for you, I would much rather kill the boy and take you to Dracula anyway." Cornell growled quietly. Another death on his conscience, he thought. Cornell could not bear it any longer. The vampire shielded his eyes as the light of Cornell's transformation blinded him. Henry too covered his eyes and stood still. Once again he was in shock. This time it was because of the gray haired man-wolf that before him. Cornell howled and began to lunge at the vampire. Cornell was then hit something against his chest. He fell to the ground and looked for what it was that had hit. All he could see was another one of the swords from the wall hanging over him. Like the one that killed Melinda, he could see none holding it. He fired a bolt of energy and the sword staggered backwards. As it went, the outline of a Hell Knight could now be seen.
Cornell turned around to see Henry kneeling by Melinda's unmoving body. "Their invisible!" He growled at Henry. "Get down and stay down till I tell you!" Then Cornell got up and prepared himself. He fired at bolt in the direction of the floating sword and held it there. The outline of the Hell Knight became more and more sharp until finally the moan that they heard before sounded throughout out the room. The sword fell to the ground and a pile of gold dust that use to be the Hell Knight's armor lay under it. Cornell leaped over Henry aimed himself to what he thought was a Hell Knight. Cornell felt his body hit armor and felt that armor fall to the ground with him. Cornell did as he did with the other and soon the chamber went silent. Both Hell Knights were dead and their moaning spirits were out of the chamber. He walked towards the vampire that had stuffed himself into the corner of the room. He was shaking in fear as Cornell picked him up by the collar of his shirt and then grabbed him by the neck.
"You were saying?" Cornell said making sure to show his fangs when he growled.
The vampire led them quietly to the next room. He pulled a set
of key from his pockets and
unlocked the door ahead of them. The chamber that he led them into
was larger than any chamber they had ever been in before. The chamber was
circular and had a large dome for a ceiling. The walls were of the same
marble color as the rest of the tower. In the center of the chamber lay
a raised platform and on the platform, two huge pillars that towered above
them but did not touch the dome. The chamber had a second level that went
along the walls of the chamber and could be reached by a flight of stairs.
The chamber was as unlit as the previous ones. The main light came from
two large chandeliers that hung from the domed ceiling. The walls of the
bottom level were decorated with sculptures and paintings. One corner even
had a large organ. Cornell looked back to check that Henry was still behind
him. When he looked he could see in Henry's face that he was still recovering
from Melinda's death. Cornell turned back to the vampire and struck him
in the back and asked him, "Where to now?" The vampire looked up and pointed
at the two center pillars.
"The jewel you seek sits on the pillar to your left. To reach it you will have to go to the second level and jump onto the top of the pillar."
Cornell looked up. "That is to far a jump to make!"
"There is a tight rope going across this chamber. You can make the jump from there."
Cornell pushed him all the way up the stairs. When they reach the top they walked along the second level until they reached a section where they could walk no more. The end of the level was a single platform that had, as the vampire said, a tightrope tied to it. The rope led to a similar platform at the opposite end of the chamber. Cornell looked downwards and could see that at the top of both pillars was a single jewel. The one closest to him had a green jewel and the one furthest away had a white one.
"What exactly are these jewels?" Cornell asked the vampire.
"They are priceless pieces of art. But they are also powerful carriers of magic." The vampire then points to the pendant around Henry's neck. "Much like the one around your neck. Like it, the ancients themselves forged them. Their power is not meant for mortal men like this boy."
"I see only two. Melinda said there are three."
"Melinda? Ah yes the harpy. Well she is correct. But the third and most powerful is kept apart from the rest. To have the three crystals so close together would bring about…Well let us just say that it would be very unhealthy even for a man-wolf."
Cornell looked at Henry. "Keep your pistol aimed at him. I won't be long." The vampire smiled as Henry aimed Coller's pistol at his head. He especially showed his fangs when Henry made an emphasis on pulling back the hammer on the pistol. Cornell meanwhile began walking along the rope.
"It is the green one you seek." The vampire yelled after him. Cornell
kept his eyes focused and his body in balance. He had done this many times
in the forest except with large trees going across wild rivers. The only
problem was the two chandeliers. As Cornell got closer he saw that they
were swinging back and forth. Cornell took one deep breath and then let
himself fall. In a split second he grabbed onto the tight rope and slowly
began to make his way towards the pillar. Now under the rope the chandeliers
proved no obstacle. Very quickly Cornell found himself hanging above the
pillar with the green jewel. When he was sure that he was entirely above
it, Cornell let go. Soon he felt the impact of the pillar against his feet.
He turned to make sure that Henry was all right with the vampire and then
inspected the jewel that lay before him. It was slightly bigger than the
palm of his hand could hold but it weighed absolutely nothing. As
Cornell held it in his hand he realized that he could see through it
but it did not reflect anything back.
Then suddenly an aura of light surrounded him. He looked towards where Henry held the vampire at gunpoint.
"What trickery is this?"
"Think of a place where you want to go and focus on it."
Cornell did as the vampire instructed. He thought of the balcony where Henry was and focused on it. Then an image slowly appeared within the jewel. The image was Henry holding the vampire at gunpoint. Cornell looked back and forth between reality and what he saw in the jewel.
"Walk into the light," the vampire said.
Cornell took a deep breath and then stepped into the aura. What he felt after can only be described as a rush of light as he instantly found himself standing behind Henry and the vampire.
"Amazing," Cornell said.
"Isn't it?"
"Cornell, now that we have it can't we use to take us directly to your sister?" Henry asked.
"Good question." Then Cornell stared at the vampire.
"No. You have to visualize the place you want to go to. Unless you know where you sister is the jewel is useless to you."
"Anyway Henry, it is not your problem. It is time for you to go."
"Damn it Cornell! I don't want to leave. They killed my mother and father! They killed Coller and now they killed Melinda! I want…"
"You want what?" Cornell growled angrily. "Revenge? You are too young to seek it. The people who have died have died so that you might live and you will not dishonor them!" Cornell could see the boy was hurt and placed a hairy hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Henry. But I cannot…will not risk your life anymore."
"Very well. Where will I go?"
"I'm sending you to a place Coller hid in. It is in the castle wall. All you have to do is stay there and keep out of sight. Remember that the pendant you where will guide you. If that fails, use the jewel to send yourself somewhere else. If you have to, visualize a place off the island."
"What about you?"
"Assuming you don't have to run from where I'm sending you, I will pick you up there after I have rescued my sister Ada. One thing, Henry, if in three days I have not come to pick you up…use the crystal to get off the island."
Henry nodded. Cornell turned and visualized the place where he had seen Coller jump out of when they first met. Coller had told him that he had hid there and no one had bothered him. He hoped that the same would be true with Henry. Soon the image appeared in the jewel and Cornell handed the jewel to Henry. Henry looked back at Cornell for a moment, "good luck Cornell."
"Good luck to you too," and then Henry disappeared. Cornell immediately turned and grabbed the vampire by the throat. "Now then, I have one last thing to ask of you." The vampire squirmed a little before answering.
"What now?"
"Which way to Dracula?"
"Take the tightrope all the way to the other side. There will be only one way to go. The path will lead you out of this tower. Now will you let me go free?"
Cornell growled and showed his razor sharp teeth. The vampire's eye opened widely as Cornell placed his hand on the vampire's head. Then Cornell sent a surge of energy through his hand and into the vampire's skull. His head shook violently until finally Cornell's face was splattered with blood. Cornell looked up and howled until his roar filled the chamber. Then he released the vampire's empty shell.
"That was for Coller and for Melinda." Then he jumped onto the tightrope and placed himself underneath as he did before. This time though, Cornell cut the tightrope and swung his way to the other side narrowly missing the two pillars. HE climbed his way up and began running down the only way he could. Just as the vampire had said, there was only one exit and it now stood before Cornell. Cornell began to walk towards when it hit him. A very familiar odor filled his nostrils.
"Ortega!"
A flash of energy came out of the darkness and hit Cornell square in the chest. The energy began to spread all over Cornell. He fought to get it off of him but could not. Cornell soon found himself on his knees and growling in pain. Finally he closed his eyes and embraced the darkness. From the darkness a figure walked out. It came towards Cornell and kneeled before him to whisper in his unconscious ear.
"I'm so glad you are Cornell. Now you can appreciate my wonderful work."
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