Note: There's barely anything that needs to be said here, other than the fact that Spring will start this month. Hopefully that means there will not be weather below 50 until September. Of course, the temperature outside depends on what part of the world you live in. Before we move on, I have something to say to two reviewers.
Big Bossk Man 92: It was better to not kill Fay off, considering how she was a former member of the Star Fox team. Fox and Krystal weren't particularly happy to face her when she was a vampire, but their mood probably changed when she was turned back to normal. Krystal's bite changing the spaniel back to a mortal might seem like a cop out, but it was a gambit on her part. After all, not every vampire in the story was bitten, but rather injected with the SW-42 formula. Of course, our heroes will still have to kill Wolf/Volk to save the day. Stay tuned for what happens next.
The White Wolf named Alex: Thanks for the review, man. It's nice to hear from you after so long. Good luck on your stories, by the way (if you're planning on continuing work on them). I hope that you like this chapter as well.
Now that I've said that, it's time for chapter twenty-five.
Chapter 25: Rose Buds
Sitting on his throne, Volk waited for something interesting to happen. It had been a while since he had sent Leon and Fay out to patrol the castle for intruders, as he knew that his army needed to grow more. If Leon and Fay had been able to find anyone, then Volk would decide on what to do with the intruders. From there, they would either be killed and drained of their blood, killed and turned into more vampires, turned into other creatures of darkness or injected with the SW-42 and turned into members of the army. It did not matter to Volk what happened, just as long as it got them out of the way. After all, one less nuisance made it easier for him to carry out his plan.
Not feeling any aura from Leon, Volk decided to check and see if Fay's aura was still around. It was, but there was something different about it. Once he had sensed for her aura, Volk noticed that it wasn't how it was after she had joined his army. If the spaniel had been turned back to normal, then he wanted to know who had managed to cure her vampirism. Vampires couldn't be turned back to normal unless the head vampire was killed or if someone had used a cure to restore their mortality. With that being said, something clearly happened to Fay and it wasn't anything normal.
After he had sensed for Leon and Fay's auras, Volk found himself sensing five other auras. Three were mortal, but the other two were immortal. Before he could assume that the two immortals were members of his army, it turned out that neither was on his side. It didn't take a genius to know that the three mortals were against him as well, as no mortal would willingly side with a vampire unless there was no other option. The space pirate-turned-vampire figured that none of these individuals would be any bother, given the soldiers and monsters at his disposal. However, anything could happen in situations like this.
"Volk, are you alright?"
Turning his head, Volk saw Panther and Miyu standing nearby.
"I cannot sense Leon's aura in the castle." Volk spoke. "As for Fay, her aura is much different."
"Perhaps Leon's out gathering some new victims for our ever growing army of the undead." Panther suggested.
"He was told to patrol the castle and to check on our prisoners." The one-eyed lupine said. "Without warning, his aura just vanished."
"Do you think that someone could have killed him?" Miyu asked.
"That's a definite possibility, Miyu." The space pirate-turned-vampire said. "I don't know how to explain Fay's aura suddenly changing, as nothing could've just cured her out of the blue."
"Could the Helsings have encountered her?" Panther asked.
"If that's so, then we have a problem." The Venomian vampire said. "Those vampire hunters will prove to be a major obstacle the closer they get to foiling our plans!"
"Want us to go after them?" Miyu asked.
"Yes. Once you find them, kill them and reduce them to ash! And when you're finished with them, go look for the two other auras that I have sensed. They're immortal, but they aren't on our side, and I might have a feeling on how they are."
Nodding their heads in agreement, Panther and Miyu teleported out of the room. With them gone, Volk continued to sit on his throne, so that he can await their return. Once they had gotten rid of their unwanted guests, they would be able to carry out their plans for the galaxy. They would have to get rid of the prisoners in the dungeon as well, as well as the prisoner on the thirteenth floor. Despite that, Volk felt confident that he would be able to get rid of his enemies and take over the universe. After all, three of his enemies were vampire hunters and the other two were likely not as strong as he was.
Walking up to the second floor, Fara and the Helsings saw no sign of Fox and Krystal. As such, they decided to carry on until they could meet up with their undead allies. That was until they heard footsteps moving rapidly towards them, meaning that something was running at them. Orlando got a stake out, so that he could kill whatever it was. Owen had the same idea, though he had a bottle of Holy water out as well. Fara didn't have a weapon out, but she was intent on using a stake to fight.
All of a sudden, the running stopped, as if the being moving towards the vampire hunters was taking a break. They turned their heads to the noise, only to be surprised once they saw the source: Fay. Given how she was a part of Volk's army, Fara, Orlando and Owen expected Fay to rush towards them and attack them. Instead, she greeted them with a friendly smile, her blue eyes glistening like a polished sapphire. Despite the spaniel's friendly demeanor, Fara and the Helsings kept their guard up, thinking that it was a trap. However, something felt different, as if Fay was actually acting friendly towards them.
"Fara, is that you?" Fay spoke.
"Yes, it's me." Fara spoke. "Are you going to attack us, Fay? Does Volk want you to bring us to him?"
"Who's Volk?" The spaniel asked. "And is that Orlando Helsing?"
"The one and only." Orlando spoke. "Now, here's a question for you, Miss Spaniel: Why are you acting like you have no idea who Volk is?"
"My memory is a bit of a blur." She said. "All I remember is seeing Wolf standing over someone with blood in his mouth. He had a needle with him, too."
Looking at each other for a moment, Fara and the Helsings noticed how different Fay was from before. Prior to this, she was eager to either kill her former teammates or turn them into vampires. Now, she was claiming to not know who Volk was. Whether or not the spaniel was lying, it was clear that something was up. Orlando stepped forward, tilting his head in curiosity. He was both puzzled about Fay's behavior and intent on protecting his coworker and grandson.
"Miss Spaniel," the coyote spoke, "what else do you remember from the night you saw Mr. O'Donnell standing over someone with his mouth coated in blood?"
"I don't remember much of anything after that." Fay said. "But, Miyu was there with me, and we tried to fight Wolf. After that, I felt a needle jab into me, causing my mind to go blank."
"That's because you were forcibly turned into a vampire by Mr. O'Donnell, who is now going by the moniker of Volk." Orlando said. "He has been building an army of monsters and he made you one of them!"
"What?!" The spaniel cried. "That's crazy! Is Miyu a vampire, too?"
"Unfortunately so, Fay." Fara spoke. "Volk's been turning people into undead creatures and creating monsters to build his army. If we don't stop him, he'll take over the galaxy!"
"Is there anything I can do?" The Cornerian asked.
"Go down to the dungeon and join the others." The fennec said. "The entrance is open, so you'll have no problem finding it."
"By the way, did you see Mr. McCloud and Ms. Bodimead?" Owen asked.
"They were on the fourth floor, but I think they went up." Fay said. "Krystal was dressed in a pretty outfit, but Fox looked like something from a nightmare!"
"Thanks for that, Fay." Fara said. "Now, head downstairs and don't let anything stop you!"
Nodding her head, Fay went to the stairway that went to the first floor. Once she was out of sight, Fara and the Helsings decided to move on, intent on meeting up with Fox and Krystal. That was assuming they hadn't moved on to the next floor in search of the dungeon keys. As the vampire hunters approached the stairway that led up to the third floor, Fara felt something move through her mind.
Fara, Mr. Helsing, Owen, Fay is coming downstairs. Krystal's voice echoed through Fara's thoughts. Do not worry, she's not going to attack you! Fox and I took care of her, but she's back to normal! If you're about to fight something, please be careful!
Your warning came a little late, but thanks, Krystal! Fara thought to herself.
Continuing up the stairs, the vampire hunters made sure to have a weapon out in case they encountered one of Volk's monsters. Once they stepped into the third floor, Fara took out a stake and held it to her chest. While there were no enemies in sight, that didn't mean that one wasn't waiting to ambush her and the Helsings. They didn't have any of the technology Star Fox had, so it was harder for them to detect the hallway for anything. Even with their gilded crosses and Holy water, the vampire hunters couldn't always use them against Volk's army. Despite that, they were intent on killing whatever monster came their way.
All of a sudden, the door to the throne room came open, which caused Fara, Orlando and Owen to get in defensive stances. Panther and Miyu stepped out while talking to each other, failing to notice the vampire hunters standing across the hallway from them. Once they ended their conversation, they turned their attention to Fara and the Helsings. While Panther greeted them with a friendly, but malicious smirk, Miyu only glared at them. Orlando and Fara glared back at the vampiric felines, while Owen stood back. A battle was about to break out and he could feel it.
"Well, look who it is." Miyu greeted.
"Yeah, it's us," Fara spoke, "and we're here to slay Wolf!"
"His name is Volk now." Panther spoke. "Perhaps joining the army will help you learn such a thing."
"We'll never join the army of the dead!" Orlando said. "Even if there's luxury to be had with it, we will never join!"
"Now, step aside and let us kill your master!" Fara said, holding out a stake.
"We will not!" Miyu growled.
"Then we'll have to fight!" Orlando said, cracking his knuckles.
Looking at each other for a moment, Panther and Miyu knew that the vampire hunters were a large obstacle in Volk's plans. Even with their vampiric powers, they had a fight on their hands. The army had lost Fay and Leon, so the two felines knew they had to be careful. One slip up and they would be killed. Panther desired to protect Miyu from Fara and the Helsings, while Miyu was planning on killing them to get them out of the way. Both had their priorities set, though their enemies did not care about such a thing.
Stepping forward, Orlando gestured for Panther and Miyu to make the first move. He was intent on defeating them and getting to Volk. Fara felt the same way, but she wanted to pay Miyu back for betraying her former teammates and allies for Star Wolf. Owen didn't know how he would contribute to the fight, given how his grandfather and their associate had handled the previous battle without him. If he had to help out, then he would either use the vampire-hunting equipment or the Helsing family spirit. Orlando and Fara would've likely finished the battle before Owen could do anything, but that didn't mean he couldn't lend a hand.
"Before we begin, let's change locales." Panther spoke. "It's not decent to fight in the hallway."
Waving his hand in the air, Panther used his magic to teleport himself, Miyu, Fara, Orlando and Owen out of the hallway. They were all engulfed by a massive light, meaning that the magic had been triggered. Once the light had dissipated, everyone was gone, having teleported to another room. Magic was still in the air, as it had not completely vanished yet. The hallway was dead silent, with no one reacting to the massive amount of magic that had been used. The inhabitants of the castle seemed not to notice Panther teleporting himself and his enemies out of the hallway, almost as if it hadn't happened.
With the light around them dissipating, Fara, Orlando and Owen found themselves in a different room. This one was rather small, with two doors on both sides. On the wall was a stained glass mosaic that seemed to represent Volk and his army unleashing their conquest for the universe. Aside from that, there was a tapestry that showed the insignia for the army. The vampire hunters knew that it was, given how it was on the scarf around Krystal's neck. They didn't have time to look around the room for much longer, as they heard someone clearing their throat.
"Liking your surroundings?"
Turning their heads, the vampire hunters saw Panther and Miyu standing side by side. Miyu glared at her enemies, having a smug smile to go along with it. Panther had a far friendlier expression, though Fara and the Helsings did not trust it, as his expression masked malice. Neither one of the vampiric felines were intent on separating, apparently intent on fighting their enemies at once. As such, Fara and Orlando were intent on responding in kind. With their vampire hunting tools, they hoped that the battle would be easy.
Nudging Panther's shoulder, Miyu had him rush towards their enemies with her. The lynx began their attack by swiping her clawed hand at Orlando, only for him to block it with a stake. He kicked her in the side, only to be met with a punch from Panther. While the coyote wasn't taken down by the attack, it knocked him backwards. Fara was quick to catch him, all while she held up her gilded cross to the vampiric felines. She took out a bottle of holy water shortly after, hoping that it would keep Miyu and Panther back.
Jumping in the air, Miyu was intent on diving at the vampire hunters, so that she could ensnare them. Fara moved out of the way, while Orlando thrusted his gilded cross at her. Being struck by a religious symbol caused the lynx to scream in pain. That pain turned to anger and she began to throw punches and kicks at her opponents, hoping that one would connect and cause some damage to them. While the Titanian vampire was able to hit Fara, she was met with a splash of holy water. This caused her to stumble back, the water burning her body.
With Orlando near him, Panther began to fight with the coyote. Unlike Miyu, Panther was less interested in throwing punches at his enemy and more interested in using maneuvers to keep him on his toes. Orlando had a stake out, but he couldn't run it through the black jungle cat due to how fast he was moving. He felt as though he would have to tap into the Helsing family spirit in order to win this fight. However, not every fight was a battle of strength, some were a battle of wits. As Panther had the advantage, Orlando knew that he would have to find a way to outsmart him.
As he watched the fight before him, Owen grew concerned for both Fara and Orlando. Unlike his grandfather and their associate, Panther and Miyu had the advantage of vampirism and supernatural power. If the battle ended in the vampires' favor, then the young coyote would lose two of the people who were close to him. He could not let such a thing happen, so he needed to act quickly. Looking into his backpack, the canine saw that he had a small device in the front pocket. Said device was a bomb that would throw garlic at any vampires that were nearby, which would force them to run.
Getting the bomb out of his backpack, Owen threw it towards Panther and Miyu, hoping that it would stop them from attacking. Once it landed, it exploded, sending out a fog. Panther jumped out of the way, while Miyu ran as fast as she could. However, the lynx was unable to escape it, so she collapsed while clutching her throat. With her down, Fara and Orlando approached, intent on finishing off the feline vampire. The fennec had both her gilded cross and a bottle of holy water out, while the coyote had a stake on hand, so that he could drive it through the mercenary-turned-monster before him.
"Leave her alone!" Panther growled.
"Give us one good reason." Fara coldly said.
All of a sudden, Panther took out a rose, then waved it towards the ground. The moment he had done that, the rose quickly changed from a flower to a whip of thorns. It would appear that his vampirism had given him the ability to turn flowers or other plants into weapons. However, that did not make the black jungle cat any less deadly, as he glared at Fara and the Helsings, his yellow eyes glowing like a fire that was down to its embers. They were not intimidated, having their weapons out to counter him. Of course, they knew to not underestimate their enemies, and a vampiric Panther Caroso could prove to be a challenge.
"I have said before that my rose marks your imminent death," Panther spoke, "and now I will show you that I am not bluffing!"
On the sixth floor, Fox and Krystal continued to look for the key to the dungeon's cells. Much like the previous floors, there was no sign of it, not even in a location where one wouldn't expect a key to be in. As such, the undead Papetoonian and the undead Cerinian were frustrated. They wanted to keep looking, but they also wanted to stop and rest for a bit. Vampires and the undead did not need to rest, but that did not matter to the vampiric vulpines. With the dungeon key not in sight, they were intent on moving up to the seventh floor.
Blast it, this is turning into a fetch quest! Krystal thought to herself. If we don't find this key, then this search will have been for nothing! Not to mention that it's slowing us down, preventing us from saving Lucy!
Without warning, there was a loud explosion that shook the castle. It startled both Fox and Krystal, nearly causing them to fall to their knees.
"What was that?!" Fox cried.
"It sounded like it came from the top of the castle!" Krystal spoke.
"Do you think that it was Fara and the Helsings?" The maroon tod asked.
"If it was, I hope they're okay." The cobalt vixen said.
Back to Fara and the Helsings, their battle had become much more difficult. Now that Panther had a whip of thorns, the vampire hunters were forced to dodge every attack from him, which meant jumping away and rolling on the floor to avoid the whip. Fara attempted to throw some holy water once Panther attacked again, though he was quick to retract his weapon before the water touched it. Undeterred, she got out a stake, intent on thrusting it through her enemy once he was close. The fennec even had a garlic bomb with her, in case she needed to use it. From the way the battle was going, it seemed like using it would be a good idea.
Now that she was on her feet, Miyu rushed towards Orlando, intent on ripping him to shreds. The coyote moved out of the way, throwing some holy water on the vampiric lynx. After that, he proceeded to engage his enemy in fisticuffs, intent on taking her down before she could take him down. The Titanian-vampire's abilities made her a formidable opponent, as she landed a few hits on the Cornerian. However, the vampire hunter refused to go down, as he began to block some of his enemy's attacks with a stake. Even as he did so, Orlando knew that he couldn't bring down Miyu without help.
As he watched Orlando and Fara fight, Owen waited for a chance to strike. He was only armed with a stake, so there wasn't much for him to do. While the young coyote had some training in martial arts, he was rather inexperienced when it came to combat. Despite that, he felt something surging through his veins, almost like his inner warrior was about to burst out. The Helsing family spirit was inside of the Cornerian, but he had been unable to use it before. Maybe, if Panther and Miyu came after him, he could trigger it and use it against them.
Looking over to the side, Miyu noticed Owen standing nearby, holding a stake. Knowing that he was the one who threw the garlic bomb, the lynx rushed towards him, thinking that he was an easy target. The moment she was near the young coyote, however, something happened. In fact, the Titanian-vampire's attack was caught by her younger enemy. Soon after, she received a powerful kick to the face, knocking her backwards. When that happened, Owen cracked his knuckles, as if he was getting ready to deliver another blow.
"Mom told me to never hit girls, so I SHOULD feel bad." Owen spoke. "But, when the girl in-question is an evil monster who wants to help conquer the galaxy, I feel better!"
Enraged, Panther threw his whip of thorns forward, causing Fara to dodge. Once it hit the floor, the thorns began to shoot out of the whip. They fired quickly enough to rival a machine gun or assault rifle, riddling the room and getting buried in the walls. Everyone took cover, so that they weren't pricked by any of the thorns. Miyu only watched as this happened, hoping that the vampire hunters were wounded by Panther's attack. Once they were wounded, she would be able to kill them for causing her so much trouble.
Before Panther could draw his whip back, Owen grabbed the tip of it.
"Sorry, but I can't let you do that!" The young coyote spoke. "Feel the wrath of the Helsing family spirit!"
Without warning, a powerful golden aura surrounded Owen. The aura began to travel up the whip of thorns, a few crackles being heard. Soon after, a surge of power illuminated the whip, Panther getting caught in it. As that happened, he was hit with an electric shock, the Helsing family spirit proving harmful. The room was then engulfed with a blinding light, being an explosion triggered by Owen's power. Fara and Orlando covered their eyes, hoping that the explosion wasn't powerful enough to kill everyone in the castle.
Once the light dissipated, Fara and Orlando saw Owen standing proud. Miyu and Panther were on the floor, completely motionless. It was easy to assume that they were both dead at first, but vampires were reduced to dust when killed. As such, the two vampiric felines were unconscious, which gave the vampire hunters the opportunity to finish them off. They had the cure with them, but they had a feeling that it wouldn't work. Even though it had been tested, it was only used on a lesser vampire.
After pondering whether or not to kill them, Fara and the vampire hunters decided to leave Panther and Miyu alone. Once they were gone, the felines regained consciousness. Miyu was ready to go after their enemies in order to seek revenge. However, Panther stopped her from doing so, grabbing her by the shoulder.
"What are you doing?!" Miyu growled. "We need to kill them!"
"The vampire hunters have a powerful secret, Desert Rose." Panther said. "If we fought them, we would be annihilated."
"What should we do, then?" The lynx asked.
"Lord Volk might punish us severely if he sees that we have failed, so we're not going back to him." The black jungle cat said. "For now, let's just spend some time in here. After all, being cured of vampirism might turn out to be a good thing."
Miyu reluctantly gave up her desire for revenge. She and Panther decided to stay in the room for a while, knowing that Volk wouldn't be expecting to see them for quite a while. Even though they had been bested by the vampire hunters, the two vampiric felines did not desire to go after them. Rather, they felt as though they would slay Volk at any moment. Instead of feeling afraid, they felt almost hopeful. After all, becoming mortal again might not be so bad.
Note: While it wouldn't seem like a good idea to leave two vampires alive after defeating them, Fara and the Helsings might have expected them to regain consciousness and second guess themselves. Will the vampire hunters meet back up with Fox and Krystal? Will either of them ever find the dungeon key? How is Lucy doing up on the thirteenth floor? What other monsters could await our heroes? Will they be easy to deal with or difficult?
Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!