Note: Last chapter didn't go the way we thought it would, now did it? We probably all thought that Krystal would be able to defeat Star Wolf all by herself. That was until she wound up biting another vampire, primarily because she was sick and tired of dealing with them. Of course, she collapsed due to being overwhelmed from feeling her powers grow, but we probably thought that she would be able to escape. After all, vampires don't have the same needs as the living. Despite that, we hoped that Krystal would get back up and escape.
Before we move on, I have something to say to three reviewers.
The White Wolf named Alex: She might recover, but Star Wolf now has her, and they're not done with her yet. I hope that you're ready for what happens next.
Big Bossk Man 92: That depends on what happens. Krystal might have increased her powers by feeding on another vampire, but Wolf is essentially Dracula now. He'll probably find a way to get control over her. If he does, we can only hope that she'll be able to shake it off. Stay tuned for what happens in the chapter.
King Tutanfoxenkhamen III: Considering how isolated the castle is, Krystal will probably have to find a different method for escaping. There's no doubt that Fox will lead a mission to get her out of there, but I can't exactly reveal how it will go down. Star Fox has fought aliens, space pirates, and enemy soldiers, so vampires are different than that. If they're not like the vampires seen in different forms of media, then it's going to be tougher to deal with them. Let's not forget that they vary based on what form of media they're featured in. I hope that you like this chapter, and that you are prepared for what's going to happen.
Now that I've said that, it's time for chapter seventeen.
Chapter 17: Welcome to Castle Volk
With her ears ringing, Krystal let out a moan as she sat up. Her body seemed to be covered with a blanket, and below her was a bed. She was ready to conclude that everything that happened to her was a dream. That was until the cobalt vixen opened her eyes, finding that she was in a dark room. It looked like something that would be found in a medieval castle, but with no windows or openings of any kind. Krystal didn't need to pinch herself to see if she were dreaming, as a slight pain in her neck was enough proof.
The door to the room came open, the noise making Krystal jump. In the doorway, she saw Fay standing and holding a wrapped gift. The cobalt vixen refrained from using her telepathy to find out what the gift was. All she did was glare at the former Star Fox member-turned-vampire. Whatever the spaniel did, it would not make up for the fact that she and Miyu had sacrificed their mortality to join Star Wolf. Krystal had a bone to pick with not only Star Wolf, but her two former allies.
"Hello, Krystal!" Fay greeted.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you to pieces." Krystal said coldly.
"Because I'm bringing you a present!" The spaniel said. "Do you not like presents?"
"Don't play innocent!" The cobalt vixen snapped. "I may be your prisoner, but I'm not going to be under the thrall of Star Wolf!"
"Oh, Krystal, you're crazy!" The canine said. "You're not a prisoner, you're a guest here! Wolf simply gave you this room after your performance, and he gave you some new clothes! But that's not the only present you're getting!"
Looking down, Krystal saw that Fay was right: Wolf had given her a new set of clothes. Instead of feeling grateful, the cobalt vixen felt embarrassed. The new clothes were hard to look at, and uncomfortable to wear. She wanted to rip them off, but she felt that Fay would be upset by her behavior. It didn't matter to the Cerinian vampire how upset the spaniel would feel, given everything that had happened. Even if the former Star Fox member broke down into tears, Krystal would've felt happy to be back in her uniform.
"No matter what you do to me, I will never submit to Wolf and his army." Krystal said. "If it's the last thing I do, I'll make sure that not only Star Fox defeats the vampires, but that Wolf dies a slow, painful death."
"Hopefully, by the end of the week, you'll stop declaring war on us." Fay said, sitting the present down on the floor.
"Oh, I'll never stop." The cobalt vixen hissed.
Fay ignored her fellow vampire, only walking out of the room. Krystal continued to glare at the spaniel, trying to suppress her desire for vengeance. If her heart could still beat, then it would beat faster than normal. The cobalt vixen's violent urges surged through her body, and they were telling her to kill Fay once her back was turned. She didn't do this, only sitting in the bed Wolf had her put in. As Fay walked out of the room, she shut the door behind her.
Now that she was alone again, Krystal picked up the gift Fay had given her. Opening it up, she saw that there was a sword inside the box. The sword itself looked like a usual long sword, but with the face of a dragon on the sheath. On the weapon's handle, there was a small piece of paper. Taking it off, Krystal looked at the piece of paper, seeing that it was a note. She read it, half-expecting it to contain something nasty.
You might not like it, but you're a valuable part of our army. Forget Star Fox and whatever cronies who you want to keep alive. Take up this sword and use it to slay whoever opposes you. With your help, my plans will finally come to light. The Lylat System will be ours, and no one will oppose us. Who knows? I might even make you my successor as the ruler of the vampires.
-Wolf
PS: You can call me "Volk" now.
Well, he's calling himself Volk instead of using his actual name. Krystal thought to herself. Wolf's on his way of becoming a new Dracula, and he wants me to be his successor. Hopefully, I can find a way to get the location of the castle to Fox and the others. If not, then the Lylat System is in danger! For now, I'll just have to act like I'm on Star Wolf's side.
Placing the sword on her back, Krystal decided to use her telepathy to find where Wolf/Volk was. He wasn't far from her, but he was no longer on his throne. In fact, he was on the first floor of the castle, and Krystal was only on the second. With that in mind, the cobalt vixen opened the door and walked down the stairs. Even if she could have teleported or flew down, she put those abilities off for now. All that mattered for now was getting closer to Star Wolf, as to not draw suspicion. After all, the Cerinian vampire had to find a way for her teammates and allies to get into the castle and fight the army of the undead.
At the agency, Star Fox had received a jackal who was apparently a vampire. There was also a note from Krystal, telling her teammates to try the cure they had been working on on the jackal. If it didn't work, then they would have to work on a new cure, based on the studies they conducted on the canine vampire. Before they could, Peppy had them take a blood sample from her, so that they could see if she would be effected. Falco was the one to inject the jackal with the cure that his team had made. Upon being injected, the jackal writhed on the floor and grabbed at her throat. However, once she stopped writhing in agony, she jumped to her feet and rushed at Star Fox.
Upon letting Orlando knock out the jackal, Star Fox checked to see if their cure had worked. However, the canine vampire had no heartbeat, meaning that their cure failed. With that in mind, Peppy had Fox and Slippy work on a new cure, based on the sample they took from the vampire Krystal had sent to them. It took a few minutes, but the new cure had been completed before the jackal could get back up. Falco injected her again, being quick enough for her to not notice what he had done. Unlike before, she let out a gasp for air, putting her hand on her chest. Once she took her hand off her chest, Fox held his ear to her chest, hearing a heartbeat. This signaled that she had been cured.
Once the jackal had been given her mortality back, Star Fox had her taken to the hospital. After that, they had a conversation about the two cures they had made.
"So," Slippy spoke, "here's what I can gather from our tests: the two cures have different effects. Our first one got a reaction out of that vampire, but it did not turn her back. As for the second one, it managed to turn her back to normal. From that, I think that our first cure can be used on those who were bitten, while the second cure can be used on those who were injected with that virus Star Wolf has been using."
"And if the first cure doesn't work at all?" Falco asked.
"Then we'll have to focus on those who were injected with SW-42." The toad said.
"Hopefully, we can cure our former teammates with the second cure." Peppy said. "We can just give Krystal the first one."
"I hope that Slippy is right, because we need to look for Krystal as quickly as possible." Fox said.
"Question is, how are we gonna find her?" Falco asked.
Star Fox were stuck once Falco had said that. While they knew that Krystal was in the forest now, looking for her would be difficult. Given how vampires had to avoid sunlight, the cobalt vixen would be hiding within the trees. It was afternoon, meaning that there was no way she would come out into the sun. Even if she could come out in the sun, the Cerinian vampire would end up melting. That was something Star Fox could not let happen, as she was still important to them.
Before they could head to the forest, Star Fox heard a communicator ring. It turned out to be Peppy's. He took it out, deciding to see who was calling the team. Upon checking, the hare immediately hit the answer button.
"Who is it?" Slippy asked.
"It's Lucy." Peppy said.
"Dad, are you there?!" Lucy's voice came out of the communicator.
"Right here, sweetie!" The hare said. "I'm in Corneria City with the boys!"
"What's going on, Lucy?" Fox asked.
"There's something weird in the middle of the forest!" Lucy said. "I don't know how, but it had just appeared without anyone noticing it! It wasn't there a few days ago!"
"What does it look like?" Falco asked.
"It looks like a castle of some kind!" The doe said. "But, I haven't seen anything like it before! It looks like something you would see in a fairy tale, but with no windows or balconies!"
"That's strange!" Slippy said.
"Who would make a castle like that?" Peppy asked.
"I don't know!" Lucy said. "I'm going to take a picture and send it to someone! Hey, wait a minute, who are -! What are you doing?! Stop it!"
"Lucy, what's wrong?!" The hare asked.
"Dad, the -!" She tried to speak, before getting cut off.
"Lucy? Lucy!" He shouted.
Realizing that something had happened to Lucy, Peppy felt his heart sink. Whatever had gotten to her, it had caused her to drop her communicator. Star Fox became concerned, feeling worried for Lucy's well-being. That feeling was shared by Peppy, as she was not only his daughter, but the only family he had left. It was slowly replaced by anger, the lepus' hands curling into fists. Whoever had threatened his daughter was going to pay with their lives.
Seeing the expression on Peppy's face, Fox, Falco, and Slippy knew that it was time for a rescue mission. Before they could go anywhere, Star Fox knew that they needed all the help they could get. They went back inside the agency, hoping to get Fara and Orlando. Luckily, the fennec and the coyote were right by the door. However, a younger coyote was with them, looking young enough to be in elementary school. He had noticed Star Fox walking in, signaling for the other two to look.
"Mr. Helsing, Fara, it's about time we took a hike!" Fox said.
Krystal walked through the first floor of the castle, her telepathy locked on Wolf. If she was going to make him believe that she was on his side, she had to be in the same room as him. The cobalt vixen was intent on ending Star Wolf's plans as quickly as she could. She couldn't do it alone, but she would have to do some of it. Even if Star Fox came immediately, then the Cerinian-vampire would try to accomplish at least one of her goals. She would have appreciated the help, but she needed to deceive the army of vampires first.
When she tracked the room Wolf was in, Krystal was about to enter it. That was until her telepathy picked up something else. It was on the thirteenth floor of the castle, which happened to also be the top floor. However, that didn't mean that the cobalt vixen could not make out what it was. The entity turned out to be a hare with pink and yellow fur and red eyes. She was not a stranger to Krystal, as she had spoken to her before.
Looks like Lucy got sucked into the castle. Krystal thought to herself. I'll have to make this quick, otherwise Peppy might lose his daughter.
Continuing her walk, Krystal entered the room that Wolf was in. It happened to be the lab she had seen before going to confront the one-eyed lupine. He only smiled as the cobalt vixen entered, having expected her to turn up. The space pirate-turned-vampire had telepathy due to his vampirism, which was going to make her plan much more difficult. The Cerinian-vampire figured that she would have to shuffle her thoughts in case Wolf got suspicious. It might not fool him forever, but she only needed to do it long enough for Fox and the others to arrive.
"Well," Wolf said, "look who decided to come out of her room for a while! Are you still intent on ending my life?"
"Actually, Wolf, I want to join your army." Krystal said.
"Really?" The one-eyed lupine said. "If you want to join, there are some things you must know. One, my name is Volk now. Two, my army has actually stopped growing at the moment, but I will accept you. And three, you must pledge your allegiance to me. Any questions?"
"No." The cobalt vixen said. "But, I must say, your new name is odd. It rolls off the tongue, though."
"Yeah, I named myself that to show that I'm no longer the Wolf O'Donnell the Lylat System had known." The vampire said.
"You certainly have changed." The Cerinian-vampire said. "Anyway, I hope that I can help you out with what you're doing."
"I was going to leave this room and head back up to the throne room." He said. "Care to join me?"
"Sure!" The vulpine said.
By leaving the room with Volk, Krystal began to follow him back up the third floor. Knowing that she had him convinced, the cobalt vixen figured that she would maintain the lie until the time was right. Her telepathy was picking up something outside. The Cerinian-vampire thought that it was just a wild animal running around. However, her eyes widened when her powers got a clearer estimate of what it was. It turned out to be Star Fox, who were joined by Orlando, Fara, and a young coyote who seemed to be related to Orlando.
As they were walking through the forest, Star Fox were having no luck in finding the structure Lucy had been talking about. She had said that there had been a castle in the middle of the woods, so there was no reason the team would have trouble finding such a thing. Fara, Orlando, and a kid were with them, so they figured the search would be easier, but that wasn't the case. If they couldn't find a castle, then they would have been able to find Lucy's ship. They hoped that she was alive, but something told the group that her life would be coming to an end soon. That was something they could not let happen.
"Dammit, where could that castle be?!" Falco asked.
"More importantly, where could Lucy have crashed?!" Peppy cried. "We've got to find her before something bad happens!"
"We will, Peppy, just give us a minute!" Fara said.
"She did say that she saw a structure that looked like a castle." Fox said. "In that case, we need to look for it. Do you see it, Mr. Helsing?"
"Not yet, but I have a feeling that we'll get there." Orlando said.
"Well, we have to hurry before Lucy ends up dead!" Peppy said.
Orlando stopped in his tracks, gesturing for everyone to do the same. The group looked ahead, where they all saw it: the castle Lucy had been talking about. It stood at thirteen stories high, looking big enough to block out the sun for anyone walking in the forest. There were no windows or balconies on the castle, which prevented its inhabitants from seeing what was going on outside. Everything about the building felt off, and there was no reason for it to have been built in the middle of nowhere. It seemed as if something was about to come out of it and attack any visitors.
Taking a step forward, Fox watched as the drawbridge collapsed, giving Star Fox, Fara, Orlando, and the young coyote a chance to enter. Once they were inside, they got their weapons out, knowing that there was something wrong. Fox, Falco, Slippy, and Peppy got out their blasters, deciding to switch to something else if the situation called for it. Orlando and Fara had stakes with them, but they also had gilded crosses and bottles of holy water. As for the little coyote, he had a dagger in a sheath on his back. Everyone was ready to fight whatever came their way.
Fox! A voice echoed in Fox's head.
Krystal, is that you? The orange tod thought to himself.
Yes, and you need to be careful in here! Krystal telepathically warned. Wolf has all sorts of creatures in here, and they're ready to kill or eat his enemies!
How do you know that? The Papetoonian responded to the telepathic message.
Don't be mad, but I'm pretending to be on his side. The cobalt vixen's voice went through. He's told me all sorts of information already, such as what creatures live in the castle.
Is Lucy with him? He mentally asked.
No, but she's being kept in a room. The Cerinian-vampire spoke through thoughts. I came in here to take on Star Wolf myself, but I became overwhelmed during a battle and blacked out. That's where my new plan began, though, and Wolf, who is now calling himself Volk, thinks that I'm actually joining him.
Well, you won't have to do it for much longer, because we're coming to get you and Lucy!
Don't come just yet! The vulpine telepathically said. There are creatures blocking your way to the third floor! Kill them, and you might be here quicker than you thought! Just promise me that you'll be careful, I don't want any of you to die!
Fox nodded, tightening the grip on his blaster. Before he could go to the stairway with his allies, the orange tod heard something flying towards him. It turned out to be a bat, much larger than any he had seen before. Firing his blaster, the Papetoonian shot it out of the sky. However, a few others flew down, seemingly enraged by the death of their fellow bat. Soon after, dozens of bats surrounded Star Fox, Fara, Orlando, and the young coyote.
"Who dares to set foot inside Castle Volk?" A voice called out.
"The ones who are willing to save their friend!" Slippy shouted.
All of a sudden, the bats crowded together, forming a person-shaped blob. Soon after, they parted, revealing a bat dressed in a cape, formal wear, and boots. He happened to be one of the creatures Krystal had telepathically warned Fox about. As such, he was ready to take down this being. If he didn't, then everyone would be killed, and Lucy would probably follow. That was something he couldn't let happen.
"I am the Bat Master, and I will kill you all for Lord Volk!" The creature spoke.
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Peppy said. "Give me my daughter, you creep!"
"Your daughter is now a guest to Castle Volk, and she will be made a member of the army if they see fit!" The Bat Master said.
"We won't let that happen!" Fox said.
"Very well, come and show me what you've got!" The monster roared. "But, before the battle, I will have the rabbit and the frog transported to the dungeon, where they will be until Lord Volk finds a use for them!"
Peppy and Slippy were then surrounded by bats. The tiny flying creatures enveloped the two, moving rapidly. Once that happened, both the hare and the toad were gone. This left Fox, Falco, Fara, Orlando, and the younger coyote to face the Bat Master alone. Given what he could do, they figured that fighting him would be easy. However, they agreed to be careful during the battle.
The Bat Master leapt at Orlando, intent on slashing him in half. However, the coyote threw some holy water at him, causing him to fall to the floor and scream in pain. The monster got up, letting out an angry growl. Fox and Falco fired at his eyes, making him cover them. Fara tried to stake her enemy in the heart, only to be thrown off. Luckily, the others caught her before she got injured.
Seeing his opportunity, the young coyote ran at the Bat Master and slashed him with his dagger. When the creature tried to attack him, the boy moved out of the way, long enough for Fara to throw her gilded cross. This hurt the monster, but it wasn't enough to defeat him. As a result, the group decided to redouble their efforts. It would take everything they could throw, but they weren't going to let the Bat Master keep them from rescuing their friend. Even if they died, they were taking down the monster.
Focusing his powers, the Bat Master threw several bats at his enemies. However, Fox opened fire with his blaster, hitting the monster in his hands and feet. Falco then shot him in the eyes, hoping to blind him long enough for the final blow. Orlando and the Fara were ready to stake the Bat Master, but he let out a screech, which made them drop their stakes. As such, the young coyote grabbed the stake and ran towards the beast. He thrusted his arm forward, staking the Bat Master in the heart. This killed the enemy in the process.
"Nice one, Owen!" Orlando said.
"You know that kid?" Falco asked.
"Sure, he's my grandson." The coyote said.
"You're Mr. Helsing's grandson?" Fox asked, looking at the younger canine.
"Yes, Owen Helsing at your service." The little coyote said. "I'm a third grader, and I'm hoping to succeed my grandfather one day. I've been practicing my skills everyday!"
"That's good to know, kid." The orange tod said. "Hopefully, you are able to help us through this castle. If we're going to save our friends, then we need to keep moving! Let's go, everyone!"
Knowing that they had to keep moving, Falco, Fara, Orlando, and Owen followed Fox up the staircase. There was no time to lose. If they wanted to save Lucy, Slippy, and Peppy, then they had to take on whatever came their way. They decided to use everything they had on hand, agreeing to use hand-to-hand combat if the situation called for it. With technology and vampire hunting gear, Star Fox, the Helsings, and Fara were ready to fight Lord Volk and his army. However, this was only the beginning of their trek through the castle.
Note: Now that they're in the castle, the group is going to have to be careful. What will they encounter next? Will Krystal be able to warn Fox about it? Will she be able to fool Wolf/Volk for much longer? Is the rest of his army convinced? What else can Owen Helsing do?
Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!