Reinhardt, Carrie and Henry slowly traversed the immense
interior of the clock tower. The clock tower might well be the largest in
the world, for inside it was a maze of moving parts. Henry found it somewhat
reminiscent of the walls of the science tower. The trio carefully jumped
from platform to platform. Together they made their way across various horizontal
cylinders and leaping from gear to gear. Finally the group reached what seemed
to be the end of it. They emerged in a small circular room. Built into the
walls of the circular room were large eight-foot tall grandfather clocks.
All three of them stood motionless captured by the quiet ticking of the clocks.
It was Carrie who finally broke the silence.
"We should leave here. There is something not right about this place."
"There is nothing right about anything in this castle," Henry said.
"Perhaps she is right," Reinhardt said. Reinhardt pointed to an archway that was blocked by a iron door. "We cannot go that way. Obviously we are meant to go through that open archway." Reinhardt took the lead and began to walk through the open archway. Carrie and Henry followed Reinhardt through a long hallway until it led to a dead end. Reinhardt examined the wall searching for any possible clue. Henry meanwhile looked upwards and noticed a square opening in the ceiling.
"Look," he said pointing at the opening. The three gathered close together to try and see beyond the opening. As soon as the three were bunched together, the floor beneath them began to rise and they were being taken upwards by a lift. When the lift had stopped they found themselves apparently on the rooftop of the clock tower they had been in. The three disembarked off of the lift and began to walk across the rooftop. Henry leaned over the edge of the rooftop. He was instantly taken aback by how high they were above the ground. When Henry turned around all he saw was a glint gold as a bird like figure struck him in the face and he fell to the ground. Reinhardt heard the clang of Henry's armor hit the ground. He immediately looked towards Henry only to see him already lying on the ground. Standing over him was none other than Actrise. Actrise raised her staff with a bird head and a lightening bolt fired out and hit Reinhardt square in the chest. Reinhardt clutched himself in pain. Slowly Reinhardt came to his knees and then finally lay unconscious like Henry.
"Your little group has certainly surprised me." Actrise said laughingly. "I really do wonder how it is that you have all come this far? I mean look at how easily I have dispatched two of you. Now you have the honor of being the last one." Actrise slowly approached her reached out with her hand. Carrie stepped backwards but she had come to close. Within moments Actrise had somehow pulled Carrie's neck right into the grip of her hand. Actrise was now holding Carrie up above the ground. Behind them, Henry was slowly getting up. Henry felt his head pounding from the blow he had received but quickly snapped back to his senses when he saw what was about to happen to Carrie. He pulled his pistol from his holster and fired two bullets aimed at Actrise's back. They apparently had no effect so Henry pulled knife from his backpack and began to charge at Actrise. A wall of crystals that had come up out of the roof suddenly blocked Henry. Henry banged on the crystal wall but it would not break.
Actrise continued to pressure Carrie. "Be sensible child. Join me. Together we can make this world or own little play ground. Anything you want can be yours. "
"I will never side with your evil kind."
"Very well. I have given you more than enough opportunities. Now you can die like the rest of your clan has died." Actrise raised the head of her staff and pointed it at Carrie's head. "Such a pity. Such a waste."
Carrie faced her with resolve in her eyes, "You witch! What on earth could have warped your soul such a way that you deal out misery without remorse?"
"Nothing 'happened' to me. I have never cared for anyone. Anyone do you hear?! I slew my own child to receive eternal life."
Carrie was taken by surprise by her confession. This woman had murdered her child just to receive immortality. Carrie's facial expression was changed suddenly. Actrise saw this and laughed. "Look at your face. So surprised that a mother could do such a thing to her child. My child reacted exactly as you did."
Carrie's mind reeled back to the image of her mother throwing herself to protect her. She could feel her dying in her arms. She was not even her real mother and she died for her. An action done out of love. It was something so different than what Actrise had just made her contemplate. Although Carrie had not been there, she could almost see it happening. The image of Actrise creeping up on her child while sleeping, slitting it's throat. The image horrified Carrie. The image angered Carrie. Her hands erupted into a glow brighter than ever before. In Carrie's eyes was the frozen image of her foster mother lying dead, then her real parents and their charred carcasses still tied to the stakes where they had been burned alive. Carrie grasped Actrise's hand and for the first time, Carrie heard Actrise shriek in pain. Actrise instantly released Carrie. Carrie stood up and out stretched her arms. Actrise was still clutching her burnt hand.
Actrise looked at Carrie with hate in her eyes. Now she was angry. "I will gouge out your heart, drain you of blood, and feed it to vampires!"
"You will do no more in this world. Not while I live." Carrie felt as energy passed through her body and shot out through her fists as orbs of magic. The orbs merged into one large orb that encased Actrise. Inside the orb, electricity began to strike Actrise over and over again. Her shrieks of pain were as loud as a thunderclap.
"It cannot be!" Actrise screamed as she erupted into flames. The skin of her face melted away to reveal a screaming skull. Actrise outstretched our arms and then exploded into pieces.
Henry slowly waved his hand forward to make sure that the barrier had truly dissipated. He walked over to Carrie's side. Carrie was still glowing with energy.
"He needs to be stopped. We have the power to stop. All of this has just been a distraction, only to buy him time." Carrie said.
"We will stop him, Carrie." Henry said. The glow from her fists slowly faded and together they walked towards Reinhardt. Reinhardt was already getting up when they came to his side. As always Reinhardt was never for lighthearted moments, his only statement was, "come on. It is not over yet."
The three then turned around for a moment. It was turning dark. The whole time they had been up on the rooftop it had been cloudy. As they turned and faced the panorama behind them, the clouds parted and the highest and final tower of the castle towered above them. Each them had battled hard to reach that lair, each of them with their own reasons, each of them goes forth with even greater resolve than when they first entered the castle.
The castle keep awaits them.
"We should leave here. There is something not right about this place."
"There is nothing right about anything in this castle," Henry said.
"Perhaps she is right," Reinhardt said. Reinhardt pointed to an archway that was blocked by a iron door. "We cannot go that way. Obviously we are meant to go through that open archway." Reinhardt took the lead and began to walk through the open archway. Carrie and Henry followed Reinhardt through a long hallway until it led to a dead end. Reinhardt examined the wall searching for any possible clue. Henry meanwhile looked upwards and noticed a square opening in the ceiling.
"Look," he said pointing at the opening. The three gathered close together to try and see beyond the opening. As soon as the three were bunched together, the floor beneath them began to rise and they were being taken upwards by a lift. When the lift had stopped they found themselves apparently on the rooftop of the clock tower they had been in. The three disembarked off of the lift and began to walk across the rooftop. Henry leaned over the edge of the rooftop. He was instantly taken aback by how high they were above the ground. When Henry turned around all he saw was a glint gold as a bird like figure struck him in the face and he fell to the ground. Reinhardt heard the clang of Henry's armor hit the ground. He immediately looked towards Henry only to see him already lying on the ground. Standing over him was none other than Actrise. Actrise raised her staff with a bird head and a lightening bolt fired out and hit Reinhardt square in the chest. Reinhardt clutched himself in pain. Slowly Reinhardt came to his knees and then finally lay unconscious like Henry.
"Your little group has certainly surprised me." Actrise said laughingly. "I really do wonder how it is that you have all come this far? I mean look at how easily I have dispatched two of you. Now you have the honor of being the last one." Actrise slowly approached her reached out with her hand. Carrie stepped backwards but she had come to close. Within moments Actrise had somehow pulled Carrie's neck right into the grip of her hand. Actrise was now holding Carrie up above the ground. Behind them, Henry was slowly getting up. Henry felt his head pounding from the blow he had received but quickly snapped back to his senses when he saw what was about to happen to Carrie. He pulled his pistol from his holster and fired two bullets aimed at Actrise's back. They apparently had no effect so Henry pulled knife from his backpack and began to charge at Actrise. A wall of crystals that had come up out of the roof suddenly blocked Henry. Henry banged on the crystal wall but it would not break.
Actrise continued to pressure Carrie. "Be sensible child. Join me. Together we can make this world or own little play ground. Anything you want can be yours. "
"I will never side with your evil kind."
"Very well. I have given you more than enough opportunities. Now you can die like the rest of your clan has died." Actrise raised the head of her staff and pointed it at Carrie's head. "Such a pity. Such a waste."
Carrie faced her with resolve in her eyes, "You witch! What on earth could have warped your soul such a way that you deal out misery without remorse?"
"Nothing 'happened' to me. I have never cared for anyone. Anyone do you hear?! I slew my own child to receive eternal life."
Carrie was taken by surprise by her confession. This woman had murdered her child just to receive immortality. Carrie's facial expression was changed suddenly. Actrise saw this and laughed. "Look at your face. So surprised that a mother could do such a thing to her child. My child reacted exactly as you did."
Carrie's mind reeled back to the image of her mother throwing herself to protect her. She could feel her dying in her arms. She was not even her real mother and she died for her. An action done out of love. It was something so different than what Actrise had just made her contemplate. Although Carrie had not been there, she could almost see it happening. The image of Actrise creeping up on her child while sleeping, slitting it's throat. The image horrified Carrie. The image angered Carrie. Her hands erupted into a glow brighter than ever before. In Carrie's eyes was the frozen image of her foster mother lying dead, then her real parents and their charred carcasses still tied to the stakes where they had been burned alive. Carrie grasped Actrise's hand and for the first time, Carrie heard Actrise shriek in pain. Actrise instantly released Carrie. Carrie stood up and out stretched her arms. Actrise was still clutching her burnt hand.
Actrise looked at Carrie with hate in her eyes. Now she was angry. "I will gouge out your heart, drain you of blood, and feed it to vampires!"
"You will do no more in this world. Not while I live." Carrie felt as energy passed through her body and shot out through her fists as orbs of magic. The orbs merged into one large orb that encased Actrise. Inside the orb, electricity began to strike Actrise over and over again. Her shrieks of pain were as loud as a thunderclap.
"It cannot be!" Actrise screamed as she erupted into flames. The skin of her face melted away to reveal a screaming skull. Actrise outstretched our arms and then exploded into pieces.
Henry slowly waved his hand forward to make sure that the barrier had truly dissipated. He walked over to Carrie's side. Carrie was still glowing with energy.
"He needs to be stopped. We have the power to stop. All of this has just been a distraction, only to buy him time." Carrie said.
"We will stop him, Carrie." Henry said. The glow from her fists slowly faded and together they walked towards Reinhardt. Reinhardt was already getting up when they came to his side. As always Reinhardt was never for lighthearted moments, his only statement was, "come on. It is not over yet."
The three then turned around for a moment. It was turning dark. The whole time they had been up on the rooftop it had been cloudy. As they turned and faced the panorama behind them, the clouds parted and the highest and final tower of the castle towered above them. Each them had battled hard to reach that lair, each of them with their own reasons, each of them goes forth with even greater resolve than when they first entered the castle.
The castle keep awaits them.