Reinhardt had traveled the dark tunnel for some distance and was finally seeing light at the end of it. At a certain point Reinhardt had heard a loud explosion echo through the tunnel. Later Reinhardt had reached a sort of junction where he saw that he had been traveling a dark tunnel while there was one immediately beside it that was lit. Reinhardt had been tempted to back track along the lit tunnel but thought it would be more good sense to continue forward. When Reinhardt emerged from the tunnel he was greeted by what he thought at that moment to be a marvelous sight. Reinhardt was hypnotized by a slow walking figure. A woman dressed in red and blonde hair hanging over delicate shoulders. It was Rosa, from the garden. In the dim light of this chamber she seemed…angelic. Reinhardt found himself disbelieving that she was a vampire. He had not let himself think it before, but she was beautiful. The room it self was very dark except for a single ray of sunlight breaking through a circular opening in the ceiling of the room. Reinhardt was so hypnotized by her that he failed to notice that she was walking towards the light. Then slowly she stepped into it. Within second a light smoke began to rise from all over her body. The sun was burning her and yet she was silent. Reinhardt leapt into action and put his arms around her and pulled her from the sunlight. Still searing hot, Reinhardt's hands and arms burned while holding her. They both fell to the ground. Reinhardt rolled on top of her and held her down at her wrists. All the while he held her she screamed at him.
"No! Don't stop me!"
"Don't be stupid, woman!"
Suddenly she stopped struggling and looked into Reinhardt's eyes. For a moment there was a hint of emotion and then it was gone. Rosa suddenly became much stronger that Reinhardt and managed to force him off of her.
"I'm no woman. I am vampire!"
"Whatever you are, God forbids suicide."
Rosa seemed to laugh. "Even for a vampire?"
"Yes. We are all God's creations."
Tears suddenly began to run down Rosa's cheeks. Reinhardt put his hands on her shoulders. "Rosa…"
"...So, even in death, my soul cannot find forgiveness. If that's the case, you must kill me!"
"No!" Reinhardt said quickly. He released her and backed away. "That is not my way."
"Your way is that of a vampire killer, you said it yourself. Why won't you slay me? Is it because of this woman's shape? You can't kill what looks like a woman or a child?" Reinhardt remained silent. "Such sentiment will cost you your life."
"I have watched you." Rosa said. She extended her hand and touched his face. Reinhardt felt that it was icy cold. Rosa saw that her touch made his hairs stand on end. She knew that the warmth of her body was gone and that she could not feel his. In his eyes she could see such passion and emotion hidden underneath the guise of duty and responsibility. All that he needed was the touch of a warm hand to release it. But it was a touch she no longer had. Rosa no longer felt like a woman. She did not feel human. But for a moment with this man she felt like a woman again. The sight of his body reacting to her cold touch made her retract her hand.
"You have been very brave. Don't let it be for nothing." Rosa then stepped back and faded away.
Reinhardt was alone for several moments and then he heard footsteps. Reinhardt turned and faced the entrance he had come though with his sword drawn. Two figures emerged from the torch lit tunnel.
"Reinhardt!" Carrie and Henry said almost simultaneously. The pair actually ran towards him and shared a large group hug. Reinhardt merely patted each of them on the shoulders.
"We still have quite a distance to go. But I think we are almost there," he said. "Now that we are together again, let's stick together even harder, until the end."
The trio emerged from the door that allowed them to exit from the previous chamber. Now they were in a long hallway that had a door at the far end and branched off to the right. Wherever they were it was quiet. Their steps echoed as they walked towards the door at the far end. The area that they were in now seemed to be constructed of stone with a wooden infrastructure of pillars and girders. As they passed by the branching point they peeked at the large area and saw that it was equally empty and silent. When they reached the far door they found it was locked. Reinhardt led the way back to the branching point. The area to the right of the hallway was now different from the hallway. Instead of a stone floor now they walked on marble. There were only two doors in this area. One door was to their right and the other was further in. Reinhardt walked over to try the one further away.
"Why didn't we try the first door?" Henry asked Reinhardt.
"Just a feeling," he said.
Te doors were double and huge. Reinhardt thought that perhaps he should go ahead and ask Henry for his help opening it but as Reinhardt touched it Reinhardt felt it move under his fingers. Reinhardt grasped the handle and pushed gently. He had expected a loud screech but none came. The door was as silent as the rest of this area. Reinhardt entered followed by the others. The chamber that they entered was vast. It stretched for what seemed like a mile in each direction. It was a circular room, almost like a coliseum. A large white symbol decorated the far wall. The most mysterious part of the arena was what seemed to be lying in the center. The three approached the large mass quietly. Their footsteps made no noise on the soft-carpeted floor. The trios circled around the mass and their eyes were wide with disbelief. Reinhardt thought back to the stories his father had told him. Somehow Reinhardt found it easier to believe in vampires and other creatures because they were humanoid, mostly. What lay before them now was not natural, an enormous sleeping bull.
"Is it asleep?" was the first thing that Henry asked.
"No, it is not," answered Carrie.
Reinhardt looked at Carrie, "How can you be sure?" Reinhardt looked at her. She wasn't facing the bull. Carrie began walking towards the symbol on the wall. Reinhardt and Henry followed.
Carrie touched the wall and Reinhardt saw that her eyes glowed a bright green. "There's powerful magic at work here. There are two forces opposing each other. One force trying to cover whatever is behind here. Carrie looked at Reinhardt and Henry. "I don't know how it is that I know that." Reinhardt put a hand on her shoulder, "Let's move on. Perhaps we will have to return here later, when we know more." Carrie's eyes stopped glowing after she stopped touching the wall. She breathed heavily for a few moments as though she were feeling extremely relieved. The three then began marching towards the door they entered through. As they walked towards the door, Reinhardt thought he caught a glimpse of someone walking around in the seating area of the arena.
"He saw us."
Of course he did. HE would.
"Why do I have to hide from him? Why do I have to hide from Carrie? I think she needs my help."
So young and already you have succumbed to a woman's gaze. Very well, we shall follow them. I wish to see what progress they can make. But we must follow silently.
Reinhardt did not expect so sudden a confrontation. A soon as all three of them had entered through the only door they could go through, a hissing noise was heard. Four vampires came falling from above and on top of them. A female vampire, dressed like a servant, jumped on Reinhardt's back and wrapped her thighs around his chest. Reinhardt tried to keep a tight grip around her neck so that she could not bite his. Meanwhile, an older looking vampire knocked Henry down with his descent. This vampire did not waste any time trying to bite though Henry's steel armor helmet, he just began to shake his head hoping that at some point Henry might hurt his head with his own armor and start bleeding. Carrie, in the meantime, was faced with a simply dressed male vampire and a female one dressed in nothing but a nightgown. The female was actually very still as she remained clinging to a nearby wall. The male vampire on the other hand, began to chase Carrie around the large chamber they were in. In the center of the chamber there was a dirt filled area shaped like a square. Carrie ran into this area and the vampire followed suit. Carrie knelt down a bit and gathered some dirt in her hand. She spun around and threw the dirt right in the vampire's face. As the vampire became distracted by the dirt in his face Carrie gathered more and stuffed some into his mouth as it was wide open with his moans. The vampire fell to the floor and began to cough dirt. Carrie did not stop; she began to kick more dirt at his face until finally she just began to kick his face. Carrie felt anger swell inside her, she was now tired of being scared or being afraid of these creatures. Her memories flooded back to her mother, Henrietta. She suddenly had very little qualms about killing the vampire. It was Reinhardt who broke her out of her kicking spell.
"Come one Carrie! You can beat the vampire into a pulp later." Reinhardt grabbed Carrie by the arm and dragged her behind him. They ran towards the vampire who was trying to crack Henry's head like an egg. Reinhardt unwrapped his chain whip from around his waist and swung it around the neck of the vampire on top of Henry. Reinhardt then tugged in the whip and the vampire came off of him. Next Reinhardt threw a dagger of his at the vampire so he would stay down. Reinhardt and Carrie helped Henry up and began running up a nearby staircase that led to the only exit from the room. The three of them found themselves now in an outside courtyard. The courtyard was littered with several large objects in one corner, a statue, a staircase on the opposite side and a large centerpiece that seemed to be a machine of some sort. The ree then headed down towards the large central machine. By the time they reached it, Henry was now able to stand on his own.
"You all right?" asked Reinhardt.
Henry leaned on the machine, "yes, fine, just have a little head ache that's all."
Carrie touched a red square tile on the side of the machine. In the center of the tile was a green jewel. When Carrie touched it, it was immediately as though she had just touched the wall in the arena chamber, her eyes glowed bright green again. "This is a lift."
"A lift?" Reinhardt asked.
"Yes it will take us into the upper portions of the castle. But…"
"But?" Henry asked.
"It needs power. Magical power."
"Could it be whatever is behind the wall we found?"
"Yes. The symbol on the wall, it is blocking the power to this lift. We have to break the wall to release the power."
"How will make such a huge hole in the wall?" asked Henry.
"Or more importantly, how will we break whatever power is blocking the magic?" Reinhardt said.
Carrie let go of the green jewel and her eyes returned to normal. Reinhardt put a hand on her shoulder, "Are you alright?"
"Fine. It's just…different. Just by touching something I feel like a part of my mind is opening like a book. Different is the word to describe it." Suddenly the three turned as they heard a loud hissing noise. The vampire they had left behind were now coming out through the same door they had. Two of them were scaling the walls of the courtyard while one of them crawled towards them on all fours. Henry pulled his pistol and fired two shots at the vampire on the floor. The vampire's left hand flew off and he moaned in pain.
"I think it wise to move on!" Henry said as he began to back away and head to the staircase behind them. When the three went up the staircase, it led them to another flight of steps, which led them to a small hall. The hall had two doors as well as two windows that over looked the courtyard. The two vampires that were scaling the walls came crashing through the windows. One of them flew straight into Henry and slammed him onto the floor. Carrie went running to Henry's aid with knife in hand. The vampire's quick reflexes allowed him to grab Carrie by the neck. The male vampire pulled Carrie close to his fangs and hissed at her. His breath stank of old and rotting flesh combined with blood. Carrie had dropped the knife and now struggled to release herself from the vampires grasp. The vampire just looked at her and threw her across the hall and through one of the two doors. In the meantime Henry had gotten up, reloaded, and aimed his pistol at the vampire that had hit him. Henry fired his gun and blood splattered out of the vampire's shoulder.
During all this Reinhardt was dealing with the second vampire that had come through the window. This vampire had long nails that he used to try and slash Reinhardt. Reinhardt flung his whip and wrapped it around the vampire's hand. Before he could pull on the whip and bring the vampire down the vampire yanked hard and sent Reinhardt flying towards him. The vampire slashed at him but its nails only made sparks against his chest plate. Reinhardt rolled to face the vampire. The vampire held his fingers together and prepared to thrust his nails into Reinhardt like knives. Reinhardt drew his sword as fast as he could and cut the vampires fingers off. The vampire clutched his fingerless hands and hissed at Reinhardt. Its eyes were wide open and the veins of his eyes were red with blood. Reinhardt was dealing with a pure animal. Whatever humanity had been left in the human shell was now erased. Like an animal the vampire charged at Reinhardt. So fast did the vampire run that Reinhardt scarcely had time to prepare himself for the thrust of its head hitting him hard in the chest. Reinhardt felt a door break with the weight of his back and soon the vampire managed to throw Reinhardt into the air. Reinhardt landed on a hard metal surface. He felt as though he were spinning. Reinhardt's mind kept slipping, the pain of having his body used as a battery ram plus his disorientation made it hard for him to move. The vampire approached like an animal hunter, slow and cautious. Its prey was now barely conscious lying on a large turning gear. The vampire drooled somewhat now that his thirst would be quenched.
Henry fired all of his bullets into the single vampire that remained. This vampire was apparently very persistent because it continued to approach him. Henry did not want to risk reloading with the vampire so close so he holstered his gun and drew his sword. Henry stood ready in a stance that would allow him to cut off any one of his limbs or simply go straight for the vampire's heart. When the vampire was about seven feet away from him the vampire dropped to the floor and released whatever amount of blood was left in him through the various holes Henry had riddled him with. Underneath his helmet, Henry had a look of both surprise and satisfaction. Henry sheathed his sword and took advantage of the lack of enemies to complete the slow reloading process of his gun. Henry looked around as his inserted the bullets into the chambers of his gun. The second vampire had rammed Reinhardt through the other door. Reinhardt can take care of himself he thought, but Carrie? Where was Carrie? Henry looked at the other door, which turned out to be slightly open and ran towards it. Carrie was lying in the middle of the room apparently unconscious. Henry ran to her and lifted her head.
"You alright?"
Carrie's eyes opened slowly and then widened as she then pushed Henry away from her and then rolled to the right. A lizard dropped right in the center of both of them. This lizard was armed with a sword in one hand and an axe in the other.
"Damn," Henry said, "More lizards." Henry looked back to the door as he heard a loud clamping noise. A lizard had jammed the door shut. Henry turned and fired a shot at the lizard that was closest to them and the lizard backed off in pain. Henry got up and ran to pick up Carrie. He grabbed her by the hand and began to make a run for the other side of the room. The sound of their feet clanged against the metal floor they were running on. Carrie looked to their left where she saw that the lizards were coming out of odd metal coffins that hung from the wall. Behind them they had accumulated six lizards that were now following them. Henry left Carrie to try and get the door that lay ahead of the open. Henry quickly dropped his backpack on the ground and began to look into it looking for a particularly potent vile that Reinhardt had shared with him. Finally Henry grasped it form his bag and threw it at one of the lizards. That same lizard stopped, hissed, and spewed out of it mouth a stream of poison. The vile struck the lizard in the head and broke, allowing the liquid inside to spread all over the lizard. Instantly the lizard became a blaze of fire and soon there was a stream of fire that separated the lizards from Henry and Carrie.
Carrie turned around, "you enjoy burning lizards?"
"Not particularly, I just don't fancy the idea of them burning me."
"What was inside that vile you threw?"
"Holy water. I never thought it would really work. I will have to apologize to Reinhardt."
"Where is Reinhardt?"
"I'm afraid his fight took him into the other room." Henry said as he looked back at the lizards that were hissing and trying to find a way past the barrier of fire.
"How will we get back to him?"
Suddenly a stream of poison streaked past the two. Henry tried to cover Carrie so that she would not get hit. "I think our best chance is to continue past this door and see if there is a way to double back. But we cannot stay here. This fire won't last that long and those lizards might get lucky with their poison for spit." Henry turned his attention to the door and gave it a big pull.
Reinhardt was unaware that he was having a dream, a vision. He was lying on the grass in front of his home in the mountains of Wallachia. He opened his eyes and saw a silhouetted figure not too far away.
"Reinhardt!" A voice called to him.
Reinhardt tried to place the voice. It took him several moments but when he did he rose up. "Werner!" Reinhardt called out.
"Yes brother. It is I."
Reinhardt would have run to the shadowed figure but the sunlight was so bright, he could not.
"Why can't I see you brother?"
"You cannot. Not yet. For now you must wake. Your journey is not complete. You have come far Reinhardt and you don't have far to go."
"Werner! I have so desperately wanted to see you again. I wanted to find you!"
"I know."
"I should have listened to you. I should have gone with you."
"No, Reinhardt, you were right. As smart as I was, you were right. You were right to be patient. But now you must awaken. Wake up Reinhardt. Wake up!"
Reinhardt opened his eyes just in time to see the arms of the vampire heading for his neck. Reinhardt grabbed the vampire's arms and struggled to maintain them at a distance. With his legs Reinhardt managed to trip the vampire to the ground. Reinhardt rolled on top of the vampire and continued to hold the vampire's hands away from him. The vampire head butted Reinhardt and sent him backward on to the floor. While Reinhardt was on the ground he felt as though his head were spinning. He looked around and realized that the he and the vampire were battling atop a large metal gear. In fact the room had three large metal gears laid out on the ground. Reinhardt got to his feet and grasped his whip. One hand grasping the handle and the other slightly wrapped around his hand, Reinhardt charged at the vampire that in turn charged at him. The two collided and Reinhardt ended up flat on the gear with the vampire on top. Reinhardt pushed his whip against the neck of the vampire in order to protect his own neck from being bitten. He and Reinhardt rolled along the gear until finally they were on the edge of the gear and Reinhardt managed to get himself on top. Reinhardt pushed the vampire's head down against the edge of the gear and held it. Soon the gear turned and was about to reach a junction with another gear. The vampire hissed at Reinhardt as his head began to be slowly crushed in between the grooves of two gears.
Reinhardt doubled back after killing the vampire and tried the other door where he assumed that Henry and Carrie had gone through. "Separated again," he thought. Reinhardt remembered that he had argued with Samuel about having to make this journey alone. Now he was willing to take those words back. The door would not budge. Reinhardt pondered for a moment and decided to continue along through the other door. He hoped that at some point he would be able to run into them. Reinhardt made his way back to the room with the gears. Beyond the area with large gears, there was a lower level to the room. Beyond that, on the other side was a set of stairs leading to another chamber presumably. Crossing between one side of the room and the other was a small walkway that one could walk along to reach the other side and not have to climb down to the lower level and then back up again. Reinhardt observed that standing dormant in the lower level were three lizard men. Reinhardt slowly began to walk across the walkway. Reinhardt's hand was only an inch away from the hilt of his sword. He stared at all three of them all standing at different points of the lower level of the room. When Reinhardt made it to the other side he looked back at the lizard men. "What purpose could they serve?" Reinhardt wondered.
Reinhardt entered the next room and was taken back by its size. The next chamber was immense. Apart from it being so large it was also filled with incredible sights. Huge machines were littered about all over. Huge diagrams decorated the walls. The devices Reinhardt saw were beyond anything he had seen. Around him were enormous motors and engines. Reinhardt even gasped when he saw some kind of device flying around the ceiling without being attached to anything. In another corner was some kind of small-motorized single carriage. It looked like some kind of bicycle. Reinhardt moved on through the room and walked through another door that was between two golden armored guards. As Reinhardt closed the door behind him the heads of the two guards turned.
Reinhardt now found himself in a very small room with purple walls. It was so small that it contained absolutely nothing and only led to another door, which Reinhardt opened and went through. Reinhardt was now in a dark hallway. The walls were colored like fire and had sculptures of dragonheads growing out of the walls. Reinhardt walked down the hall until he reached door and opened it. The hall was flooded with light form the room ad Reinhardt entered.
Carrie and Henry were leaning side by side against the door they had just closed. Behind the door was a pair of female vampires deadly and thirsty. The dark hallway that they were in provided them with a short refrain from their exploring. After a few moments Henry stood up and Carrie followed suit.
"Let us see what awaits us here."
Henry set off in one direction of the hall and Carrie stuck close. "This is a perfect spot for vampires to live in. It is so dark. Why do you suppose those two decided to live in that room and not here instead?" Carrie asked.
"I'm not sure, but I doubt the answer is very reassuring."
They both reached a large door with an odd figurehead hanging above it. It was a sculpture a man transforming into different animals such as a wolf, a bird, or a lizard. Henry opened and entered the room. The sudden bright light blinded him for a moment but almost immediately upon entering he noticed the large figure that had been behind the door. Henry quickly drew his pistol and aimed at the figure. With lightening speed a strong arm forced his gun from his hand and pushed him to the ground. In the moment that his vision returned, Henry saw that a large lizard man was holding Carrie down with its tail. Henry drew his sword and point at the lizard's direction. The lizard stared at him and then at the gun. The lizard popped open the chamber of the gun and released all of the bullets that were inside onto the floor. The lizard then cocked the gun back into place and offered it to Henry. Henry was caught totally by surprise with the ease at which the lizard disarmed and emptied his weapon. A weapon that he did not think a mere lizard that had never handled one could possibly handle with such ease. It was as though the lizard had known exactly how to empty the gun. As though he had done it before. Henry's mind went back to the figurehead above the door to this room. He stared into the eyes of the lizard and dropped his sword. Henry's hand reached out to take the gun by the handle. When he did take it in his hand Henry merely said, "Coller?"
"Who are you?" the lizard man responded. Henry listened to the voice and heard no hint of a Scottish accent. Only was there the slur of a lizard's almost slithery tone.
"It's me, Henry."
"Henry?" the creature said aloud quizzically. "You are here?"
"Yes."
The creature that was irrefutably Coller, released Carrie and patted Henry on the head. Coller then grabbed Henry by the arm. "But you're so big."
Henry then grabbed what he could of Coller's enormous arm," so are you, old friend."
"Cornell? Is he with you?"
"No he is not. Coller, I need to know, what happened to you? We thought you were dead. All this time, and you were here?"
"I was almost dead. Or maybe I am and I don't know it. I was taken Henry; I came face to face with Dracula. He turned me into…" Coller looked at his hands, "he turned me into this." Coller walked towards a large table in the center of the room. "I am sorry Henry. I was crazy for a long time. Then one day, that witch Actrise came to me. She said I could have Ana back, if I helped her do something. I said no at first, but after a while, I couldn't say no. I had to take a chance."
"What did she ask of you?"
"She asked me to build things for her, machines and devices that are years ahead of what is being used now. She gave me all the resources…to arm an army with. She also let me refit one of the towers of the castle with some of my newer guns. I worked for several years Henry. I learned to do many things with my skills. When I grew tired of working alone I even managed to bring back an old acquaintance, Victor, the gardener."
"You did that?"
"Aye. But I realized that all I was doing was tormenting his poor soul, so I quickly released him. I would have buried him, but I couldn't quite kill that body of his. It was now being powered by something more than what I put into it. But anyway, after I did all this, Actrise tricked me again. She left me here trapped inside this castle to rot. She lied, Henry. Ana is still in her power."
Henry put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Coller. We will get her back. Now you can come with us!"
Coller looked at Carrie's eyes. "That interesting. You have eyes just like Ana." Coller looked back at Henry. "I can't Henry. I won't go with you."
"What do you mean? We need you. With you knowledge of the castle we can reach Dracula even faster."
"Dracula? What are you talking about?"
"He has returned Coller. He has already struck one village. If we do not stop him, all the world will feel his wrath."
"I have not seen Dracula in this castle for years."
"Well we have."
Coller stood for a moment. "There is a lift in the center courtyard. The lift can take you either into the upper towers of the castle or back down to the lower levels and to the entrance. The way that Actrise has kept me here is by cutting off the magical power source that powered the lift. The source is hidden behind a cracked wall in the coliseum. To release the power source all you need do is destroy the wall. The challenge is destroying the wall. On top of being protected by some magical symbol, the only explosive powerful enough to destroy it is magical nitro."
"So, what is so important about the nitro?"
"It is highly explosive, one false hit and you could blow yourself to pieces."
` "Where do we find it?"
Coller pointed to a door that was in a corner of the room. "Right there."
"You are sure you will not join us?"
Coller merely pulled something from a bag that hung from around his waist. Coller handed Henry a small key. "It is the key to the torture room. Inside you will find mandragora. By itself, it is harmless, combined with nitro and it acts as a catalyst for the explosion." Henry took the key and nodded to Carrie. Together they walked towards the door that Coller had indicated.
Reinhardt ducked behind a nearby crate as soon as he heard the door open. When the door closed he heard two voices speaking to one another.
"He was your friend?"
"He saved my life once, a long time ago. Apparently too long."
"He has been alone all these years. And look at what happened to him."
"I suppose it just…when you are a child, you remember people, places, and things differently." Henry looked at Carrie. "No offense intended, but you will know what I mean in several years."
Reinhardt was relieved to hear those two voices. As soon as they had finished talking Reinhardt stood up from behind the crate and cleared his throat, loudly.
"Reinhardt!" both Carrie and Henry exclaimed at the same time.
"It is good to see you both alright."
"Reinhardt, we have made some progress. We found out that the only way beyond this central area of the castle is through the lift we saw. The power source is exactly where Carrie sensed it." Henry explained.
"But we have also found out that the only way to reach it is by using the explosives that are right in front of us."
Reinhardt looked at what was before him. The room they were in was divided in two by large stacks of wooden boxes and three racks of bottles, presumably the explosive. Reinhardt saw that there was a space in between two of the large boxes.
"First things first. Divided we won't be much use for each other. Carefully get on this side of the room through that space and let us see how we can get the explosives down stairs." Carrie who was obviously smaller went first; she went through without any trouble. Henry who was much larger really had to squeeze through in order to get on the other side. Reinhardt had kept an eye on the bottles too make sure they were not shaking. After they were all together on both sides, all three were startled to hear a sudden voice call from a dark corner on the other side from which Henry and Carrie had come. A short figure emerged from the shadows; it was Malus.
"Malus!" Carrie exclaimed.
Malus merely stood still, almost smiling. "I am surprised you have made it so far."
"You are surprised, so are we. How did you get here Malus, why have you not tried to escape if you had the chance?" Henry said.
Malus looked off; almost as though he was looking at the wall, "Escape?"
"Malus, what is wrong?" Carrie asked. "Why don't you come over here with us?"
"No, not yet. I need to help you first."
What do you mean?"
"There is something that I need to do for you first."
"Nonsense, Malus. Come with us. You will be safer with us."
"Before I do what I have to do, Carrie must promise me something."
Carrie looked at Malus. She walked close the shelves of nitro that separated her from Malus. "Malus you need to come with us. Stop this foolishness and come over on this side right now."
"Carrie…"Malus whispered. "Marry me."
Carrie was taken aback by what she just heard. "Marry you? But Malus, this is so sudden. Also, we are so young, what are you thinking about? This doesn't make any sense."
"It will, one day. I'll make you happy, I promise."
"But we are both too young. It's far too soon to even think of getting married."
"Well then, when we grow up we'll be married?"
"We are in the middle of a castle filled with demons and monsters, and you, a eight year old boy is asking me to marry him."
"I promise to you Carrie, if you say yes, I will meet with you later. I also promise to protect you always."
"Is that so? Well, I'll think about it..."
"No, no. You must promise now! Say you will be my bride!"
"Oh, all right. When you grow up, I will be your bride. Is that alright?"
"Yes. Very good. Thank you, my mother always worried I would not get married." Malus looked at Reinhardt now. "You are going to try and face Dracula, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Will you avenge my mother and father?"
"I swear it."
A sudden change came over Malus' face. Malus then began to laugh. "Impossible. You will all die; you are all going to die here! All living creatures must consecrate their souls to the dark lord! To the kingdom of darkness where no wretched sunlight comes."
"Malus wait!" Carrie yelled as he ran out the door. "What is wrong with him? Why is he acting so confused?"
Reinhardt put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know why, Carrie. All I know is that we have a purpose here. The sooner we are done with it, the sooner perhaps we can save Malus, even from himself."
Reinhardt stared at the bottle of nitro. "Now, here comes the difficult part."
"Who is going to carry the nitro," Henry asked.
'I am. It will be yours and Carrie's job to protect me. Should anything so much as rattle me, we will be all good as dead." Reinhardt grasped the magical nitro and slowly began to walk towards the door. He stood near the door and waited until Henry opened it for him. Immediately upon exiting the room the whole hall was lit with flames. Whereas before it was almost pitch black, now flames erupted from the dragon-sculpted walls. Reinhardt had to time his walk correctly so as not to get burned. This was the first of several surprises that Reinhardt and the others found on their way to the coliseum. When Reinhardt entered the purple room he had passed through previously, it was now filled with sharp spikes rising and dropping from the ceiling above. It seemed evident now to Henry why never attempted to try and reveal the magical source for the elevator. It was almost suicide. The castle seemed aware that someone was trying something. Even the shiny armored knights that at first seemed dormant were now alive and on a mission to destroy them. When the trio finally reached the large chamber, they were surprised to find that they had one less worry. The large symbol that had been on the wall had been removed.
"That was the symbol that Coller mentioned," Henry said. "He said it protected the wall from being destroyed. How was it removed?"
"Or by who," Reinhardt said as he looked at Carrie.
"Malus," she said. "That must have been what he said he needed to do for us."
"Perhaps there is hope for the boy yet."
"How do you suppose he knew that, Reinhardt?"
"Not important right now. We have to bring down this wall so let us go ahead and bring the mandragora." Reinhardt placed the explosive next to the large crack in the wall. He then turned and began to make his way to the exit. The three of them entered the torture chamber using the key that Coller gave them. Inside there were two vampires. Reinhardt tackled them both with his whip while Henry and Carrie grabbed the mandragora. After they grabbed it Reinhardt threw a bottle of holy water to the ground. The vampires burned. Within minutes the mandragora was in the large coliseum. As Henry walked closer to the wall where the magical nitro was, the mandragora began to shake in his grasp. When he was putting it down, Henry had to grasp hard on it so that it would not fall. Henry placed it close to the nitro, but not that close. As soon as it was on the ground Henry yelled, "run!" The sound of Henry's voice yelling seemed to excite it even more. The three of them ran as fast as they could. They even hid behind the giant bull for protection. The sound of the explosion was immense. They all covered their ears and still it was almost unbearable. When the sound receded, they all peeked beyond the bull. The wall was gone. Beyond where it had lay was now a huge opening. Inside the opening was the source of a most beautiful light. The real source of the light was a enormous green crystal. Reinhardt, Carrie, and Henry walked into the large opening and marveled at the immensity of the crystal. Carrie seemed entranced to it. In her ear she felt as though she heard…music. Carrie walked very close to it. She extended her hand and touched the crystal. It came alive with colors and began to spin. A huge wave of light burst out into all directions. Carrie seemed to glow with a green aura. When the light subsided, only her eyes were left with the aura, then even that was gone. Henry and Reinhardt ran to her side.
"Are you alright?" Henry asked worriedly.
"Fine, " she said. "I feel fine." Carrie seemed almost surprised. "I think you will find that the lift works now." Reinhardt patted her on the shoulder, "come on" he said. The three emerged from the opening and looked ahead. At the far end of the coliseum was a huge shadowy figure. Reinhardt looked at the center of the room. The bull was not there. Staring at the large shadow that was now moving closer Reinhardt could say only one thing, "dear God." Reinhardt pulled his throwing cross from his pack. "Split up, make it harder for it to get us all. Henry, run to the left, try to shoot it. Carrie, you don't have a projectile weapon so get back into the crystal room." Reinhardt then ran off to the right grasping his cross. The bull targeted Reinhardt first. The bull saw Reinhardt lunge his cross. The cross struck the bull but the bull continued its stampede toward Reinhardt. Meanwhile, Henry fired his pistol in vain at the bull's side. The bullets penetrated the bull's enormous chest but had little or no effect. The bull slowly came to a stop in the center of the room. It then got on its two back legs. Reinhardt tried to think of what he could do to prepare himself but he had no idea what the bull was going to do. A stream of flames suddenly burst out from it nostrils and hit the ground. A shock wave pushed Reinhardt and Henry to the ground. The bull got back on all fours and stared straight ahead. The bull began slowly to move forward and then it increased it's pace. Soon the bull was running straight toward one lone and very small figure standing right outside of the large opening. Carrie stood still and merely raised a hand. Her hand was immediately encased in a bright green orb. That same orb quickly shot out towards the bull. As it flew towards the bull it grew larger and larger until it was big enough to encase the bull entirely. The bull was stopped. Inside the bull could no longer move. Reinhardt and Henry both looked amazed at what they saw. Inside the orb the bull slowly began to melt. Within minutes the bull was nothing more than bones. Reinhardt and Henry ran to Carrie.
"Your power? You have it back?"
"I think so. It feels like it."
Reinhardt looked at the skeletal remains of the bull. "I think this is a good thing. Now come on. We have no time to waste." Reinhardt and Henry helped Carrie off of the ground from which she sat on. Together they all exited the coliseum. The three headed for the door that they knew would lead them in the direction of the lift. When they entered the large empty chamber with the dirt square. Reinhardt led the way and Henry and Carrie followed. As Reinhardt reached the foot of the steps leading to the exit of the chamber he realized that he was walking alone. Reinhardt spun around to see Carrie and Henry trapped behind bars right in front of the entrance they just came through. Reinhardt turned around to face the center of the room. To his surprise, Rosa was hovering above the ground. In her hand, she held a sword.
"Rosa..."
"Did I not warn you? Leave this castle now."
"I cannot abandon my mission. I must seal Dracula in his tomb! Until I defeat him, I will not, cannot leave!"
"So…you are determined to face the Prince."
"Rosa, he was once a prince of this land, but now he is prince only to evil. Do not ally yourself with him!"
Behind Rosa, a figure slowly appeared. The figure was cloaked in robes that fluttered with the wind. The figure's face was that of death itself.
The figure spoke in a voice that was impossible to describe in words. "Scion of the Belmont. Beware! You now face death. Strike him down my dear; a foe of the prince is a foe of all vampires. Kill him!"
Rosa turned away from death and faced Reinhardt. Reinhardt backed away from her. He could not fight her he would not. Her eyes were bewitching to him. All he could do was stare at them. She hovered closer to him. Behind him, Reinhardt could hear the yells and pleas of Henry and Carrie, "fight her!" Rosa swung her sword at Reinhardt who barely dodged in time. Rosa came towards him again and again. Each time Reinhardt would barely avoid her blade in time. Rosa also summoned a sort of wave that would push Reinhardt to the ground and give her time to fly towards him.
Henry looked on as Reinhardt again and again narrowly escaped his death. He knew that Reinhardt could defeat this vampire. Apparently Reinhardt had take a liking to her. That was something that Reinhardt had not heard of, falling in love with a vampire. It was possible, but at the moment, it seemed all too inconvenient. Henry really could not care if Reinhardt loved this vampire which he has only met once before, but he would not let him die over it. Henry thought of what he could do. Then he thought of one small chance to rekindle Reinhardt's warrior flame.
"Reinhardt!" Henry yelled. Obviously Reinhardt could not stop and face him like in a normal conversation, he could only assume that Reinhardt could hear him. "Reinhardt, you must fight her. Kill her if necessary. Think of why we are here. Think of what we must do. Think of Werner, your brother. Remember?"
Reinhardt only heard the name Werner and he felt something surge in his breast. He looked again into Rosa's eyes. He felt the same about her, but he now remembered his resolve. There was too much at stake for him to give up all because he could not face a woman who he might…love? Did he love Rosa? How could he? He had met her only twice before. She was beautiful, but now she was dangerous. She would kill him. Reinhardt thought that perhaps she does not want to kill him, but she cannot avoid it. It is her mission; one she has been forced to take on. Just like him. Therefore he cannot avoid her. He must fight her. Then…
"…we will be free!" Reinhardt yelled aloud. He jumped into the air and aimed himself at Rosa. The suddenness of his attack threw Rosa off guard. She was not prepared. All she saw was the quick glint of Reinhardt's sword, then moment later she felt as metal broke through her skin. Rosa's expression changed into a face of surprise and shock. Together, Reinhardt and Rosa fell to the ground. Rosa stared up at Reinhardt. Her hand went across his face. Her touch was colder than ever Reinhardt felt, but he did not quiver.
"Please, finish me..."
"Rosa, I did not mean to..."
"I cannot stand this agony any more, Reinhardt. A cursed soul, doomed to exist forever as a vampire..."
"It was the curse of Dracula that made you a vampire?"
"Yes, I was never bitten, just cursed. I loved plants. I came to this land to study them, and then I was taken. Please, if you survive, be sure to tell my parents. Even unto death, I never truly lost my human soul..."
"Rosa..." A sudden pain entered Reinhardt's shoulder as a scythe impaled him there. Reinhardt reeled away from Rosa because of the pain. "Damn!" Reinhardt cursed.
"You Wretched cur, I will slash you to pieces!" The figure of death then threw a hail of scythes at Reinhardt. Reinhardt rolled along the ground to avoid them. Reinhardt, who was now without a sword, pulled his whip from his waist. Reinhardt began to whip the hovering figure but death was unaffected by it. Desperate Reinhardt grabbed a bottle of holy water from his pack and threw it at the floating figure of death. Death avoided the spill and threw a cluster of scythes as retaliation. The pain from being hit in the shoulder and then having used the same one to throw the holy water made Reinhardt stall for a moment. Reinhardt looked up at the oncoming scythes. The bright color of red filled his vision. For a moment he thought it was blood, immediately he realized that it had been Rosa. She had flung herself in the path of the scythes.
"Have you forgotten your blood, girl?! You would give up your existence for him?"
Reinhardt got on the ground and cradled Rosa in his arms. "Why?"
"Your heart is strong and pure. You can defeat Dracula... For as long as he exists, the horror will continue. No one deserves my fate. Make sure this does not happen again."
"I swear it."
"Good. Reinhardt, I fear death. My sinful soul cannot hope for forgiveness can't it?"
Reinhardt pulled out a rosary that belonged to his mother. He then held it and Rosa's hand in his. "God of compassion, forgive her." Making the sign of the cross Reinhardt places the rosary in Rosa's hand only. Reinhardt closes Rosa's eyes with his fingers and lays her smooth on the ground.
"Father almighty, forgive us our sins and deliver us from evil." Reinhardt looked down at Rosa, "Amen."
"Vampire killer, you mourn a vampire's death?"
"Back to your dark realm! Soon I'll send Dracula to join you!"
"Cocksure youth! I'll wait for you in hell! Be sure I will keep a warm place for you!!"
Reinhardt stood I the center of the chamber. Blood ran down his arm. The sound of metal clanking echoed in the chamber. Carrie and Henry were free of the small cell they had been in. Carrie and Henry were at Reinhardt's side.
"I'm sorry." Carrie said.
"It's al…its fate."
"Oh…how positively dramatic. I love it."
Henry was the first to react to the sound of the female voice. "Look!" Henry said as he pointed to the top of the stairs. "Actrise!" Carrie said.
"Yes. Quite theatrical." Actrise said half laughing. She came down the steps and circled them. "You know I am a huge fan of the theatre. I have done a few dramas myself, both in front and behind the curtains. Perhaps you have seen one. Does the name Coller ring any bells?"
"What do you mean?" Henry asked angrily.
"Coller is an example of one of my living dramas. More appropriately I should say, living tragedies. In my time that was the only Anare you could make a name in. Comedies are so forgettable."
"What do you want?" Carrie demanded.
"You three seem to think that you can just run up to Dracula and face him? No no no. There is a procedure. You see all life is a stage. Like in theatre you must audition for the part. You must prove that you are worthy."
"We don't need to prove anything. Least of all to you." Reinhardt said. "Now be gone witch. We are not interested in what you have to say."
"Oh but you have no choice. One way or another, you are all going to play my game." Actrise suddenly and quickly extended her staff and pointed it at Henry. A blast of light that seemed like lightening struck Henry and made him disappear. Carrie immediately began to form one of her magical orbs but Actrise was to quick and she was gone as well. Reinhardt clutched his whip and prepared himself for whatever was coming.
"Not again. You witch, not again."
"Choi." Actrise said. In a flash, Reinhardt was gone. Once again Actrise had set the stage to her liking. This time though, her play would prove much more interesting.
"Where did you send the boy named Henry?" a voice said from behind her.
"Taking an interest in my performances, Gilles?"
"It is a…family matter."
"You will like my game. It is, logical, strategic, just you line of thinking. The boy has fancied himself a fan of technology. Now he will have to face it in its cruelest form. Perhaps you should like to go to the tower and watch?"
"You play dangerous games, Actrise."
"We shall see."