Thanks to BastardOmega for giving the first review. You win 100 cool points.

Sorry i haven't updated but I've been hella bogged down in college. Urg.

Bastard!! Alternate Reality Chapter 6

Sheila sat in her father's bedroom at his bedside along with several doctors and advisors. The old king laid in his bed, dressed in a simple white robe that hid the bandages around his torso. Even the king had not escaped the vicious fighting unscathed. The sounds of battle could be heard faintly through the open windows as their allies managed to keep the enemy from crossing the bridge.

"The battle. . . Tell me, how is it going?" the king asked weakly.

Sheila took his hand in hers, saying, "Please hush father, talking will aggravate your wound."

Geo came to stand beside her, "Rest assured my king. Because of the heroic deeds of Lord James, Princess Sheila and Bon Jovina in saving Yoko behind enemy lines the soldiers have a new fighting spirit! Victory will be ours! You must devote yourself to healing your wounds," Geo spoke with optimism.

The king nodded as he leaned back further into the comfortable bed, "Have you decided who to send yet?"

Geo shook his head.

Sheila looked between the two, "Send where?"

Geo turned to the princess, "We need someone to find Lord James. Gara and his ninja can't hold back the Lords of Chaos forever."

Sheila perked up slightly, "He said he was going to the coast for something."

Geo's face clouded over, "Then that means that he will most likely be returning through the Great Wood!"

Several advisors guffawed at the idea, confusing Sheila. "What's wrong with that?" she asked, innocently.

Geo sighed, rubbing his temples, "Since the Anslasax has been reawakened monsters have begun to infest that whole area."

"Then perhaps we should send some help?" Sheila offered.

"That's just it, we don't know who to send," the king muttered as he became short of breath.

"Why don't I go?" she asked again.

The rest of the room was stunned into silence. "Absolutely not!" the king exclaimed as several doctors rushed to his side to calm him.

Geo was silent for a moment as he thought about it, "Princess Sheila possesses the last seal. Perhaps it would be best if she were to go in case our defenses are overwhelmed."

The king eyed his daughter for a good while, she only returned his gaze steadily, "I can do this father."

"Very well. Sheila will go but I want several Holy Swords to go with her as well!" the kind commanded.

The servants scrambled to get the princess a suit of armor and fetch her bodyguards. After a few minutes they arrived with a cuirass, gauntlets, and greaves along with a short sword.

"Goodbye father. I won't let you down," she told him after she had suited up. Geo walked her to the rear exit of the castle where some horses were waiting with three Holy Swords, the elite, all female body guards of the royal family. Geo and the others bid them farewell as they quickly left before being spotted by the enemy.

They rode as fast as they could towards the Great Wood until nightfall, stopping only to let the horses rest. By the time the dying sunlight cast the land in an eerie mix of pink and orange, the group had made camp in a small clearing in the immense forest. The Holy Swords were working on setting up ward while Sheila busied herself by building up the fire.

"Princess, we've found a small pond just over there," one of the Holy Swords said respectfully, gesturing towards some bushes. She was a young woman in her twenties with short sandy blond hair, bright blue eyes and an elfin like face. Sheila recalled her name being Karen. "Why don't you rest over there while we stand guard," Karen continued.

"I will, thank you," replied Sheila as she stood and made her way carefully through the brush.

Looking around carefully before shedding her armor and clothes, Sheila stepped into the clear water. The little glade was a welcome respite from the dreariness of the rest of the forest which seemed to be inundated with a dark aura. The pond water was clear and free of any scum or algae, offering an excellent place to bath. Sheila laughed quietly as she splashed some of the cool water on her face. After rinsing herself, she stood in the center of the pond and gazed up at the moon, which happened to be full. Her thoughts drifted to the missing vampire. He had been gone longer than he said he would and it worried her greatly. '

James, where are you?'


James continued to walk through the forest of Great Wood despite it already being night time. He had noticed that it was a full moon and got an uneasy feeling, a sense of dread that he hadn't felt even in the fight against Kai. He came to a cliff overlooking a large stretch of land, all covered in trees. Enjoying the night air as he gazed at the stars, James noticed something far in the distance. It looked like a fortress of some sort, a tall structure built upon a small hill. It had a sinister feel to it.

'I guess that's what Kai was warning me about.'

James then heard the distinct sound of splashing water. Walking a little closer to the edge of the cliff and peering over, he saw a small glade far at the bottom. That was all he had time to notice before the fragile ground beneath him gave way.

"Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!!!!!!" cursed James all the way down.

Not having much time to cast a flight spell, James simply braced himself for the impact. He hit the water back first and literally bounced off the bottom of the waist deep pond. He came up gasping for air.

"Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!" he screamed while rubbing his hurt shoulder. "Shit! What are the chances of that happening!?" James continued to curse and complain.

"James? Is that you?" he heard a familiar voice.

He turned around to see Sheila, totally naked. The first thing he noticed was her perfectly shaped breasts, then her milky white skin and then- James regained control of his wandering eyes.

"James!" Sheila shouted joyfully, rushing towards him and wrapping her arms around him, "I was so worried!"

"Sweet! It must be my birthday!" exclaimed James in a goofy voice, back peddling in the water as she latched onto him.

The three Holy Swords crashed through the bushes after hearing the commotion.

"Princess! What's wro-?" Karen started to ask but stopped, mouth open at seeing the princess in such a position.

James, fully aware of the situation, shouted desperately, "It's not what you think! See where my hands are? See?" he held his hands out to the side.

"Princess! Please get a hold of yourself!" one of the warriors rushed to pry Sheila off of James, while another brought her a cloak to cover herself with.

"Wow," was all James could muster after being led to the camp site while Sheila was dressing and probably scolded by the leader of the bodyguards. A strange sense of foreboding came over him and it ate away at him. He felt as though something was wrong, very wrong. He felt an anger and desperation that wasn't his own. "Could something have happened to Sean and Kai?" James wondered openly to himself, his brow crinkled with worry.

Hearing some footsteps, James turned around to see a bright red Sheila being escorted by her swordswomen. She was dressed this time. Her Holy Swords had made sure of that. "H-hello James," she stammered, avoiding his eyes.

"Uh, hey," he replied, aware of the glares he was receiving from the princess's bodyguards.

She twiddled her fingers nervously, "About before. . .I'm sorry."

He shrugged, then with a sly grin added, "Don't worry about it. In fact, you should do it more often."

"You fiend!" the leader of the Swords placed her hand on the hilt of her blade.

"Halt!" Sheila placed a calming hand on the overzealous warriors shoulder, "He is a friend and ally."

James strode over to Sheila and wrapped an arm around her waist, "And didn't you promise yourself to me?" he stated much to the displeasure of the bodyguards.

"Y-yes. Yes I did," she replied bashfully.

He continued to hassle Sheila a while before things settled down around the campfire. Dinner consisted of some bread and jerky that Sheila and her guards had brought with them.

"I'm surprised your father let you leave the city," commented James.

Sheila, seated beside him, answered, "Yes well he thought it best in case the city were to fall."

James snorted, "Figures that big ape Gara couldn't hack it after not having me around to keep him in check."

"You talk about your own comrades like that? How rude!" the leader of the Holy Swords stated, distrust marking her tone.

"It's a way of showing I care. And quit being so aggressive will you?" retorted James, "I've had my fill of fighting women for a while."

Sheila perked up, her curiosity peaked, "What do you mean?"

"Well," began James, "I fought two Sorcerer Generals in as many days. The first tried to seduce me while the second tried to turn me to stone. But they're on our side now I think."

"So that's what took you so long, some people thought you abandoned us," Sheila said, breathing a sigh of relief.

James scoffed at the idea, "I wouldn't throw my princess to the wolves like that! Oh! And an old friend made this for me," he held up his wrist to show off the magical bracelet. The others all leaned forward to get a look at it, awed by its intricate designs and superb craftsmanship. "The crystals in it absorb excess magical energy so I can draw on it in tight situations," he explained. The others simply gazed at it as the three stones glowed faintly. They continued to make small talk with James picking on Sheila every now and then before the group decided to call it a night.

All the women spread out blankets on the ground and used their saddle bags as pillows. James decided it would be best if he stayed up and kept an eye out for the night. He could almost see his breath in the unusually chill night air. He spent some time watching the others sleep for awhile, seeing the rhythmic rise and fall of their chests as they breathed deep and evenly. There were many eerie noises that echoed in the night, many sounds he heard he was not familiar with. The dark energy that now tainted the forest had warped much of the wildlife into monsters.

The moon was just past its zenith in the sky when he heard Sheila awaken. He could tell without looking away from the fire that it was her by hearing her girlish yawn. She groggily got up and walked over to him, sitting down by the fire.

"What's wrong?" he asked, tearing his eyes from the flames.

She shook her head, "Nothing. I just couldn't sleep."

"Cold?"

She rubbed her bare arms to warm them up, "A little."

He unclasped his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, "Can't have my woman getting sick now."

She looked at him, embarrassment and curiosity in her voice, "Your w-woman?"

"You sure are," he answered her with a small smile.

They were both silent as James returned his gaze to the fire. Sheila soon broke the silence with, "What about the Thunder Empress?" "She is my first love. She is the mother of my child," a sad yet peaceful expression crossed his face.

Sheila gasped, "Your child!?" James shushed her, then answered in a hushed tone, "Yes. I just found out that she had my son a few months after I left fifteen years ago." They drifted once more into silence. They both listened to the spooky sounds that pierced the darkness causing Sheila to jump every now and then.

"Why did you leave fifteen years ago? I'd like to know. . .if it's alright with you," Sheila looked over at him timidly.

James rubbed the back of his head as he thought about it, "How much do you know about the war back then?"

Shrugging her shoulders she said, "Not much. Talking about it brings back bad memories for most people."

Nodding his head in agreement he continued, "The Lords of Chaos and I were all friends in those days. I knew your brother well and we fought together against the Spawn of Anslasax," he paused after he heard Sheila gasp.

James continued after she calmed down, "Those were dark times. We fought nonstop for seven days against the dark gods minions. It wasn't fully functional so it created an army of lesser gods to protect itself. A lot of people died. Even with our combined powers we were being destroyed until. . .Lars managed to fuse with the Dragon Knight. He crushed our enemies and Anslasax was sealed away. Lars. . .disappeared after that," James decided against telling her that Lars had died, he didn't need that kind of pressure at the moment.

"After the battle, I was wounded both physically and emotionally and I needed time to clear my head. I don't remember exactly when I decided but one day I just started walking towards the unknown regions. A short trip turned into a fifteen year long trek through monster infested territory. I trained night and day so that people I care for wouldn't have to pay for my weakness," he finished.

He was surprised when Sheila leaned her head against his shoulder, "You are full of surprises you know."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah? How's that?"

She smiled while holding onto his arm, saying, "When we first met you seemed so cold and indifferent. But. . .when you saved Yoko I saw how serious you could be. . .You really did care. And now. . .you show me your sensitive side."

Groaning inwardly at women and their knack for catching things like that, he warned jokingly, "Tell anyone about this and I'll never forgive you."

She giggled lightly in response, "You would have helped us even if I hadn't. . .made my offer, wouldn't you?" her question was an innocent one but James couldn't stop himself from scowling. Sheila was really starting to figure him out.

"Perhaps," was his answer.

She breathed in the cool night air deeply, "So that's a 'yes' then?"

He huffed in response and they continued to keep each other company for a while longer.

"You should get some more rest Princess," he said softly, noticing her struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Yes, um. . .can I. . .?" she looked down at his outstretched legs, unsure of herself.

"What?" Before he could react further she had laid down, using his thigh as a pillow.

Sighing while gently running his fingers through her raven hair, he softly said, "I really am getting soft," eliciting small laugh from Sheila. Like he had thought, she soon slipped into a deep sleep.

James watched her, memorizing the contours of her face like he had done with Arshes and to some extent Sean and Kai. Her personality, way of speaking and in a way her appearance all reminded him of his mother. A twinge of heartache caused him to flinch. He had managed to bury the homesickness away for a long time, busying himself with adventures and friends but it had been far too long since he had seen his home land's white sands and rolling hills. The faces of the loved ones he'd left behind conjured in his mind only deepened the ache.

A twig snapped not far away, snapping him out of his thoughts. He scanned the bushes with his sensitive eyes. Another twig snapped to his left. They were surrounded. It sounded like ten, maybe twelve individuals. A smell like wet dog drifted into his nostrils when realization hit him.

"Everyone up! Now!" he roared, rolling Sheila to the side out of harm's way since they would most likely go for him first because he was by far the biggest threat in the group. "Illumination Flame!" he summoned a bright sphere of light that rose into the air, lighting the area.

"Oh shit." James saw a Werewolf emerge from the brush flanked by several orcs. Werewolves were dangerous beasts that combined the intelligence of a human with the raw power of a raging animal and their speed was the stuff of legend. It towered over James by a few heads and had a shaggy grey coat of fur. Glaring red eyes darted between James and the girls. The Holy Swords were up and ready for battle as soon as the light spell had taken affect.

"We're surrounded!" one of them called out as they formed a defensive circle around Sheila.

The werewolf spoke up in a guttural voice, "Our master has plans for you vampire! He will also be pleased with so many virgins" it said the last part while looking to Sheila and her guards.

Before James could draw Efreet he was tackled to the ground by the werewolf who had the greater advantage in speed. James seized the beast by the throat and began squeezing with everything he had. He faintly heard Sheila calling out to him but his focus was solely on the monster. Slowly but surely James was forcing the creature off but just as he was about to finish him off, a sharp pain pierced his shoulder, pinning him back to the ground.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" his howl echoed into the night. He screamed again as his other shoulder was pinned down. He looked to see what was happening and was stunned. Silver lances impaled both of his shoulders, effectively disabling him. He felt a searing heat as the silver hampered his regenerative powers and weakened him. With every bit of strength he could muster he thrashed against his captors even though he knew that it was futile at this point. Two orcs armed with silver lances stepped into view. Raising their weapons, James braced himself for the pain to come. They stabbed into his abdomen in unison, thrusting their weapons through his back and into the earth, causing the vampire to groan through gritted teeth.

"Noooooo! James!" Sheila's voice wrung in his ears as he began to see spots.

He felt his strength fading rapidly as he lost blood and the silver hampered his abilities. Older vampires were less susceptible to silver but James was still young and had not yet gained any form of immunity. The orcs smiled sickly, satisfied with their work. His head was swimming and his eye lids became heavy as he felt himself beginning to lose consciousness. He felt himself be lifted up and thrown onto a rough wooden surface, probably a wagon of some sort. He soon blacked out as the searing pain finally overwhelmed him.

After what seemed like hours in the wagon he was dragged out and hauled up some steps. He managed to open his eyes to see the castle he had seen from the cliff. It was dark and imposing, the typical bad guy residency. James managed a little smirk at the thought. The pain had subsided to within tolerable limits but he still had lost an obscene amount of blood. He heard Sheila and the others behind him over the sound of his heartbeat. The orcs carried him through the large front entrance and down the main corridor. It was dark and dank, just like how the undead preferred their homes. They entered a throne room of sorts where James was tossed carelessly on the floor, lance heads still imbedded in his flesh.

"Ah! James the Undying Warrior! I've heard much of you! I am Count Di-Amon" a loud, obnoxious voice boomed.

James turned his head to look towards the source. A large man sat on a throne dressed in dark clothing and a cape. James was shocked to see that he was wearing face paint and sporting slicked back hair that made him look like some sort of buffoon.

"And on top of that I got my hands on six virgins! It's been quite a day!" the Count's harsh voice grated on his ears.

'Wait, six?'

"James!" he heard Sheila cry as she ran over to him.

Leaning over him, she looked over his grievous injuries. He noticed that her hands had been tied behind her back.

"The. . .silver," he muttered to her.

It looked as though tears were forming in her eyes.

"I didn't think capturing a prince would be so easy but it seems you proved me wrong!" Di-Amon said casually as he waved a hand, "Bring out those despicable traitors!"

This caught James's attention. Looking over he saw Sean and Kai being pushed out into the center of the room with the Holy Swords. They too were retrained with wooden cuffs. He suddenly realized that he had felt it when the two were captured, remembering the moment by the fire he silently berated himself for not acting on it.

The Count began the typical bad guy victory speech. James put a hand on the lance head in his shoulder and, focusing the energy he had left, managed to wrench it out through gritted teeth. Sheila gasped, seeing how deep the wound actually was. James looked on as the flesh slowly began to mend itself. He went to work on the other shoulder and pulled the other out. The ones in his abdomen were far more painful when they came out, eliciting a sharp cry of agony.

The Count's head snapped over in his direction, "Oh? You seem to have more strength left than I had thought. You may have removed the silver but you still lost too much blood to even be considered a match for me!"

James didn't bother to respond, instead allowing his wounds to heal themselves. His clothes were caked with dried blood and felt gross against his deathly pale skin.

"What. . .what can I do to help you? Whatever it is I'll do it!" Sheila said as a tear fell.

James tried to speak but couldn't form the words. Almost all of his remaining strength had been spent pulling the lances out. He looked over to Sean and Kai.

"I recall when you were a human being instead of a degenerate monster!" Kai shouted with venom tainting her voice.

The Count glared back at her, "You've still kept your nasty mouth! I'll execute you pathetic traitors!"

Kai sneered as his orc servants moved in obey his orders. "Shut up you monster! You're the one who's the real traitor!" she shouted as both her and Sean broke through their bonds, "Fool! Did you actually think we could be captured so easily by your lackeys so easily?"

Sean smiled devilishly, "Thanks for the free ride to your master," she said to the orcs who had immediately backed off.

The Count turned a menacing gaze over to one of his servants, "Jodoh! You failed me yet again!"

The servant known as Jodoh stepped back in fear, stammering out, "Ahh! B-but please forgive me Count! If I lose more blood, I'll. . .please don't suck me!"

"Why not!?" the Count retorted as he leapt from his chair and sank his fangs into Jodoh's neck, eliciting a piercing cry from the servant. Slurping at the blood noisily, the Count had drained all the blood out of the poor man in no time as everyone, even the orcs looked on in horror.

Dropping the withered corpse to the ground the Count grinned maniacally, "Bloooood! I must have more! Your pure, high-grade blood will do the trick- make me greater, stronger than ever!" he pompously declared to Sean and Kai. Di-Amon laughed like a madman, "I'll even be stronger than the Lords of Chaos! Even stronger than James's father, the Vallisian Emperor!"

"What?" Sean asked, confused.

'This guy talks too much.'

"It's no matter," Di-Amon dismissed her question, "Since I'm about to suck all of you dry anyway!"

Sean and Kai placed themselves between the Count and the still injured James, "You won't drink our blood so easily!" Sean said confidently.

"Here we come Di-Amon!" added Kai as the two former Sorcerer Generals launched their most powerful attacks at the evil vampire lord.

'It's not enough. So much blood has made him almost impervious to those kinds of attacks.'

The smoke cleared to reveal the Count covered in several deep gashes, all gushing blood.

"We did it!" cheered Sean.

Kai smirked as well, adding, "A double attack-swords and wards-always does the trick. Even for a vampire."

The grievous injuries began to regenerate and were completely healed in the blink of an eye. Even with the blood loss James knew the Count was still stronger than both of the girls. Sean and Kai instantly lost their confidence as they retreated a few steps back.

The Count laughed menacingly, "Your ignorance will be your undoing! Surely you've heard that an undead vampire's body is nearly indestructible! So be good little girls while papa sucks your blood!"

James shifted uncomfortably as he managed to sit up. Sheila tried her best to help even though her hands were tied. Breathing was painful and ragged, no doubt due to some internal damage that hadn't yet healed. Looking down at his bracelet, he saw that one of the crystals was glowing brightly.

'Not enough energy for a fight but maybe enough to buy some time.'

Drawing on the magical energy he began to feel somewhat rejuvenated. The only chance for victory was to get some blood but he knew Di-Amon wouldn't overlook such a danger. He returned his attention to Sean and Kai, looking for a chance to catch the Count off guard.

"I didn't want to resort to such hokey methods but it's the only way!" Sean exclaimed as both her and Kai pulled out garlic cloves and a crucifix.

"Whaaaaaaaat? Are you serious?" groaned James, astounded that they believed something so ridiculous.

Di-Amon looked shocked as well, "Ah! The only things in the world that vampire's fear!" In a flash Di-Amon leapt into the air and landed behind Kai, "Just kidding! That's all useless against me!" The Count grabbed Kai by the arm and lifted her off the ground with one hand.

"W-what!? But I thought-" Kai was cut off as Di-Amon slapped her hard across the face.

"Stupid woman! Nothing can stop me!"The Count lowered his fangs to her throat even as Kai began to struggle against him.

'No, she's mine.'

The vampire instinct of James took over as he saw the woman he fed from about to be violated by another vampire. Unleashing all of his stored energy in a powerful blast, James struck the Count square in the chest, causing him to drop Kai and fly into the fall. All eyes in the room turned to James.

"She's mine," he repeated his thought out loud for all to hear. "Sheila," he turned to face the young woman.

"Y-yes?" she responded with a look of awe.

"I need some of your blood." Sheila briefly paled before nodding.

"We'll by you some time!" Sean called out as she ran to check on Kai.

James broke Sheila's bonds and took the nervous princess in his arms. She rested her hands on his shoulders hesitantly before tilting her head to give him better access to her neck. He lowered his mouth, feeling his fangs protrude and bit, careful to make it as painless as possible. Sheila flinched slightly but soon relaxed as her honey tasting blood flowed onto his tongue; his power quickly started returning. Sheila also moaned with pleasure as she held onto his shoulders for support.

James heard the sound of rubble moving and knew that the Count was back in the game.

"Well I must admit that I underestimated you Prince Ja. . .It can't be!" The undead monster finally noticed James and Sheila and shuddered nervously. His intervention was quickly halted by the two-pronged attack of Sean and Kai.

"James. . .don't stop!" Sheila whispered his name as she really started to feel the aphrodisiac of a Daywalker's bite.

After less than a minute of feeding, James had his fill and licked the two puncture wounds on Sheila's neck, healing them instantly. James pulled pack and looked into her drowsy eyes. "This will be over soon," he gently sat her down before turning to Di-Amon who had just knocked Sean and Kai to the ground.

"Did you know that every time a Daywalker recovers from a life threatening injury their power increases?" asked James in a voice dripping with venom, shocking his companions at the level of anger and hostility that carried with it.

Di-Amon trembled visibly, knowing full well he was no match for a Daywalker prince at full strength. He stammered, "H-how can this b-be possible!? With one feeding you are stronger than even me!"

James smirked, showing his still bloody fangs, "These women are bound to me as I am to them and as such I gain much more power from their blood. You have tried to take that which is mine! Anyone who harms my women will be destroyed!"

Kai looked indignant, "Hey! I'm not your property or anything!" She seemed to go unheard by the two men facing off against each other.

Electricity began to gather around James's body as he quickly gathered energy. "Now it's payback time!" shouted James as he drew several symbols in the air with his hands, "Prince of the Realm of Magic. Mighty Tonimoore, fulfill the pact of ancient days. Raging Billows! Thunder Riot!"

Di-Amon was engulfed in a huge ball of pure electricity, causing the vampire lord to howl in surprise and pain. Normally a vampire, Undead or a Daywalker, had a resistance to elemental attacks but James had made sure to pour plenty of power into the attack.

Sheila who had been rejoined by her Holy Swords cheered along with Sean and Kai. The dust settled, revealing the Count who had fallen to his knees and was coughing up blood. "Im-impossible. . .it can't be," he muttered to himself.

"Oh, but it is," James said as he stalked towards him.

The Count looked up, pain etched into his grotesque features, but chuckling none the less. "You know that an undead vampire's body is almost indestructible! You can't kill me!" he said with renewed vigor. He quickly stood up, "I'll show you who you're dealing with! Assassin! Vampire Death Beam!"

Two beams of red energy shot out at James from the Count's eyes. They were a stone's throw from each other and yet James, with super speed and agility side stepped the attack which found it's mark as it struck the Count's werewolf.

Ignoring the pained death rattles of his pet, Di-Amon looked on in horror, "Impossible! How can you dodge at this range!?"

James's face hadn't changed in the slightest. He still had the look of a calm and determined young man, even though his initial rage was still noticeable in his red eyes.

"I won't be beaten by you! I'll drag your corpse back to your father's feet! Try my Mega spin vampire assassin!" Di-Amon started spinning at a dizzying speed while shooting continuous laser beams from his eyes. The result was most of his servants being killed instantly as they had formed a circle around the two fighters.

James moved faster than the human eye could see, gathering Sean and Kai and dumping them where Sheila and her guards were. Standing in front of the girls he threw up a powerful barrier, effectively negating the Count's attacks. James converted the energy being absorbed by his barrier into raw power and with a fearsome battle cry he charged forward, lasers bouncing off of him, and quickly closed the distance to Di-Amon. Delivering a powerful punch to the Count's face, James followed up with a kick into his solar plexus. The Count gasped for air, eyes bulging from his head as he sank to his knees.

James stared down at him, feeling his blood-high beginning to fade. Wordlessly he raised his hand off to the side, towards a wall. He let off a weak energy blast that connected with the wall, creating a gaping hole that soon flooded the chamber with light from the rising sun. Di-Amon shrieked as the sunlight singed his flesh. In a matter of seconds Di-Amon's cries faded away as his body was vaporized.

"H-he's turning to. . .dust," Sean commented in wonderment.

A high-pitched laughing was heard in the dust, drawing everyone's attention. A rather large and nasty looking bat attempted to zip by James and out the hole in the wall. Snatching the creature out of the air and holding it by the back of the neck, James asked, "And where do you think you're going Di-Amon?"

"Come on, let me go! You win!" the bat whined pathetically.

James smirked victoriously, "What? I didn't quite catch that."

"You win! I won't bother you anymore!" the bat looked at him helplessly, still possessing human-like eyes.

James scrutinized the creature carefully before saying, "I don't trust you."

"W-what!? How can you not trust this face?"

James gazed at the nervous creature that continued to squirm in his grasp. Sheila, Sean, Kai, and the Holy Swords soon gathered around him. "Undead vampires turn to dust when hit with sunlight. Then the vampire's spirit rises as a bat. After returning to it's coffin, the bat feeds on the souls of the underworld, then is fully resurrected after two days, am I right?"

The little bat gulped and said fearfully, "Are you going to k-k-kill me? Is that it then?"

"I may have a use for you in the future. You will serve me from now on," declared James as he tore off a small piece of webbing from Di-Amon's wing.

"Dead king of Splatter Rock. Come forth on the wings of a bat! Reside in my touch and bind this pact!" James's index finger began to glow as he finished the chant.

His fingernail had turned a dark shade of blue. "My blue nail will bury itself in your flesh; become a part of your body. Cause me any trouble, or try to cut off the fingernail and this thing will turn to purple and eventually crimson. And the moment it turns red, that will be the end of you and you'll be reincarnated as a toad," explained James.

"No! Please don't! If you have an ounce of compassion-"

Di-Amon was interrupted by James, "You hurt my woman! You're lucky I let you off this easy!" James fumed as he stabbed the nail into Di-Amon's side. And with that, James released the injured vampire lord as he flew away, yelping as he went.

"Just one thought against me and you're headed for a lily pad!" James called as Di-Amon vanished in the distance. James took in several deep breathes, calming himself. Seeing Kai get hurt had really worked him up, "All's well that ends well I guess."

The next thing he knew Sean had thrown herself at him, "I was so worried about you!"

"Oh. Don't be-"

Kai interrupted him with, "What the hell do you mean we're your women?"

Sheila stood in front of him hands on her hips, "James, who are these two?" she asked, referring to Sean and Kai.

"Okay for the first question, vampires tend to get a little. . .possessive. And don't act like you didn't like it," James said to Kai as she blushed a little at the last part. And turning to Sheila he replied, "These are the Thunder Empress's Sorcerer Generals Sean Ari and Kai Harn."

Irritation flashed across her face for a split second, "Which one of you tried to seduce him?"

James and Kai glanced over at Sean briefly before James came up with the save, "Boy, time to get outta here, huh ladies?"

"And what's this talk about you being a prince?" she pointed a finger into his chest. The others just looked on in stunned silence. The Holy Swords especially as they had never seen their princess behave in such a way with anyone before.

"Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that part," James rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously.

"What? So it's true?" asked Kai, bewildered.

"Yeah. I'm the prince of a country across the sea called the Vallisian Empire. I'm just taking a hundred year or so adventure. Give or take a few decades," James answered nonchalantly. He noticed some blood from Kai's busted lip running down her chin, "Kai, you got something on your face."

"Wha-"

Before she could react he had moved in and licked the blood away from her chin to the corner of her mouth.

"Mm. One hundred percent, grade-a virgin blood," James complimented with a toothy grin.

Kai blushed bright red, realizing his tongue had just passed over her lips, "Y-you bastard! You can't do that to people with no warning!"

He looked at her quizzically, "So if I had told you I was going to do that you would have let me?"

"W-what? No! I don't know! Stop talking to me!" Kai fumed, embarrassed.

Sheila was the next to sound off, "James! Behave yourself!"

"Don't tell me what to do! I'm over ten times older than you!" retorted the outnumbered vampire.

The girls continued to chastise him for a while before he managed to calm them down.

"Anyway, I have something I need you two to do for me," James said, addressing Sean and Kai. "I need you to try and find a way to get my son away from Kall and Abigail. They are using him as leverage on Arshes," James said. They both nodded in agreement. "When you rescue him, bring him to Meta-Rikana. I'm counting on you," He put a gentle hand on each of their shoulders, looking between the two, "Don't let me or Arshes down."

Sean put her hand over his and smiled, "We won't fail."

Kai looked into James's now calm eyes, "Don't get yourself killed until I can have my rematch."

James grinned back at her, "I'm glad to know you care."

The group made their way through across the chamber, careful to avoid the monster corpses and pools of blood and found the exit. After that it was a short walk to the forest trail which they had arrived on. James noticed that the evil aura of the forest had significantly lessoned since the previous night.

James, Sheila, and the Holy Swords were going one way, Sean and Kai the other. They said their goodbyes and began going their separate ways.

James soon stopped however, turning back he called out to Sean and Kai, "Be careful you two! I don't want my women getting hurt!"

Sean looked back and smiled happily while Kai shouted something back about not being his.

"Alright Sheila, let's get back to the city. I'm sure your father is going to have a heart attack when he learns you were almost vampire chow," James said lightly.

"Actually I was," she responded with a small giggle. It seemed things were beginning to look up for the moment. James could only hope it would last.

Reviews are always good. I'm still givin out cool points too. If I get some more reviews I'll post faster. Peace out.