"I know where the Golden Fleece is." Dante said when Nathan walked into the small shop Dante had rented out.
"Where?" Nathan asked. "Are you certain this time. You've already sent me to three places and it hasn't been there."
"I'm one hundred percent certain." Dante jumped up from his chair. "Got the information from a contact of mine. It's in Germany"
"So we have to go to Germany and find him then? Are you sure this information is correct?" Nathan assumed.
"I trust this contact with my life. So, how are we going to get there?" Dante asked.
"Well, you didn't think this through very well did you?" Nathan grunted.
"I guess not." Dante laughed and scratched his head.
"I'll get us there." Nathan grabbed Dante's shoulder and in a flash they appeared in a forest. They both fell about five feet and landed in the dirt below.
"Whoa. That was unexpected." Dante dusted himself off.
"Where are we?" Nathan asked, looking over at Dante.
"The forest surrounding one of the three castles this vampire could reside in. I didn't know thinking about it would actually make us appear here when we teleported." Dante ran his hand along one of the trees beside him. "Come on. I think the castle is this way." He vanished into the trees. Nathan had to run to keep up with him. "There!" Dante pointed at a castle slightly visible above the trees.
"I can't believe you convinced me to do this." Nathan grumbled as he ran alongside Dante.
"I can't believe I did either." Dante laughed. They came upon the edge of the forest and stopped. The castle was huge, lit by lanterns in the dim lighting, but looked empty.
"We have to go in there?" Nathan asked. "Fantastic."
"What are you waiting for? You wanted the fleece. Let's go." Dante ran across the large field towards the castle. Nathan sighed and ran after him.
"What have I gotten myself into?" Nathan thought aloud. Dante pushed open the large front door and stepped into the castle. Nathan followed him inside. They stood in a large room. At the end of the room was a stand with a small red ruby set on it, and behind the stand and up a small set of stair was a chair with a man sitting in it. No, not a man, but a humanoid creature. It looked like a skeleton with gray skin stretched over its bones, and its forehead had a white scaly stripe leading to its eyes. Every few seconds a small snake tongue flicked out of its mouth. "That's the vampire?" Nathan asked, puzzled.
"Did you expect him to look like a normal person? No, real vampires aren't anything like the make believe ones people see in the movies. They are much worse. Their bite is poisonous. It turns you into that. They can go out during the day, but they grow very weak. In the dark, they're almost unbeatable."
"what do you waaaaant?" the vampire hissed from its throne.
"We're here for the Guard of Arsa!" Dante demanded. "Hand it over or I will destroy you!"
"You cannot haaaave it." the vampire hissed and stood up. It was weaponless. It didn't even have any claws.
"Then I will take it!" Dante rushed forward, unsheathing Rebellion and lunging at the vampire. The creature ducked the blade and grabbed the back of Dante's coat, spun and threw him. Dante smashed into the wall in a cloud of dust and smoke, then fell and hit the concrete ground. The vampire turned to Nathan and rushed forward. It swiped at him and Nathan jumped back, dodging attack after attack.
"I don't want to hurt you." Nathan grunted. "I only fight demons."
"I have no problem killing a vampire." Dante shouted and ran forward, swinging Rebellion. The vampire jumped and landed on Dante's shoulders, slamming him onto the ground. It pulled Rebellion out of Dante's hand and threw the sword. The sword implanted itself into the far wall, behind the vampire's throne. Nathan kicked the vampire, throwing it off Dante. Dante jumped up and pulled out Ebony and Ivory, firing them at the vampire. The creature jumped behind its thrown, then disappeared into the shadows. "Dammit!" Dante shouted in anger. Nathan looked over at the ruby sitting on the stand.
"Why does that stone feel so familiar to me?" he thought to himself.
"Leeeeave." the vampire hissed from its hiding place.
"Who are you?" Nathan shouted.
"I am Marbh. The keepsake of Alastor." the creature hissed from the shadow.
"Alastor?" Dante remarked. "Well he's next!" The vampire flew out of the shadows and rammed into Dante. Dante fires his guns but the vampire had him pinned on the ground and he could not get a clear shot. The vampire head butted Dante, knocking him unconscious. Nathan pulled the vampire off Dante and threw him. The vampire smashed into a column and the large concrete pillar came smashing down on top of him in a rain of stone and dust.
"Stop!" Nathan commanded. The vampire threw the pile of rocks off him and glared at Nathan. "I don't want to fight you!"
"Then die!" the vampire roared and charged at Nathan. Nathan spun and slammed his elbow into the vampire's back. He lifted the vampire into the air with his telekinesis and threw him into his throne. The stone chair shattered under the force. Dante groaned and got to his feet.
"Damn, that hurt." he mumbled and rubbed his head. "Where's the thing at?" In answer the vampire roared and jumped down from the destroyed chair. It screeched and a high pitched echo threw Nathan and Dante backwards. They both slammed into the wall near the entrance of the castle. They hit the ground when the creature stopped screeching.
"What was that?" Nathan asked as he stood up.
"You're dead!" Dante shouted and ran forward, firing Ebony and Ivory. The vampire screeched again and Dante came flying back. Nathan looked over at the ruby again and realized why he recognized it.
"The Jewel of Arsa!" Nathan looked over at Dante. "I have an idea."
"Care to share?"
"Nope." Nathan ran forward. The vampire screeched again. Nathan slid, avoiding the blast from the vampire's mouth and grabbed the Jewel off the stand. The vampire roared, its hands went to its head, and it fell to its knees. Dante took the chance and ran forward, kicking the vampire in the chest. He pressed Ebony against the vampire's forehead. Nathan fell to his knees as the Jewel began to glow red. He shouted in surprise as he felt its power being absorbed into his arm. It dulled and the pain subsided. Nathan looked down at the Jewel. "Now all I need is the Blade and Guard."
"Any last words, freak?" Dante said as he pressed the gun into Marbh's forehead.
"Pleaaaase don't kill me." he hissed.
"Poor choice of words, friend." Dante grinned.
"Stop!" Nathan shouted.
Dante looked over at him. "Wha- Why?"
Nathan walked over to Marbh and crouched down in front of him. "You said you were Alastor's keepsake?"
"Yeeees. When you took the Jeeeewel my master's reign over me ended. I am no looooonger in his seeeervice." Marbh hissed like a snake.
"Good to know. Because we need your help. The Guard of Arsa isn't here. Which means your master has it. Am I correct?" Nathan asked.
"Yeeees." Marbh nodded, flicking his tongue out of his mouth like a snake.
"Can you take us to where he is located. I promise we won't hurt you. You're free now." Nathan said.
"Of coooourse." Marbh agreed. Nathan helped the vampire up. "Thiiiis way." He walked behind a pillar and vanished into a hallway.
"I don't like this." Dante said as he holstered his gun and retrieved Rebellion from the wall.
"Don't worry. He's not planning anything. I'm reading his thoughts right now." Nathan assured him.
"Right. Forgot you're a super human." Dante muttered as he sheathed Rebellion and followed Marbh.
"Ha ha. Funny." Nathan walked past him. They stepped into a small round chamber with what looked like a large ring made of bones standing in the middle of the room. Marbh walked up to it and chanted something under his breath. Electricity started running through the ring and a dark blue mist started swirling in the center. The mist turned into an almost glass substance and an image came into view. It was the inside of another castle. This one was much larger, coliseum sized, and had forty foot statues holding everything up, rather then columns.
"Pleeeease, step through the portal." Marbh hissed.
"Thank you for the help. We won't let your master know what you've done." Nathan nodded to him before jumping into the portal. It rippled like water and Nathan vanished.
"Yeah. Thanks." Dante nodded to Marbh. "You're still ugly though." He half grinned and jumped into the portal after Nathan. He fell almost twenty feet and had to roll when he landed. He stood up and looked up. The portal was floating in the air, until it turned into the blue mist and dissipated.
"Dante." Nathan muttered. Dante turned and looked. Astor was sitting on his throne, watching them closely. He stood and growled. He was a large demon, at least eight feet tall. His skin was completely black and he was wearing black armor over it. He had two large black wings with dozens of holes ripped into them, and they resembled bat wings. He had long, spiked hair that pointed backwards and his eyes were covered by some kind of visor. He had a long, eight foot tail that sat on the ground and moved back and forth slowly like an animal on the hunt.
Alastor roared and bright blue electricity ran all throughout his body. "Why have you come, son of Sparda?"
Dante took a step forward, glaring at the monster. "You betrayed my father! He's dead because of you!"
"I will ask you again. Why have you come son of Sparda!" Alastor shouted in his booming voice.
"I'm here to kill you!"