Note: June, the month where summer really begins. In addition to that, it's Pride Month. However, it's also a month of new chapters, so there will be updates as days go by. There might even be a story made for Pride Month, so be on the lookout for any new stories on my account. If none get released, then I apologize for lying. It kinda depends on what happens during the month, really.
As for this story, it's almost over, meaning that you'll have to read the previous chapters to get caught up on the story. Of course, that depends on if this is the chapter you've decided to read the story from. But, that's okay, as long as you take the time to read each previous chapter. Don't worry, there will be no spoilers for each chapter.
Before we move on, I have something to say to two reviewers.
Big Bossk Man 92: Yeah, Bloodscourge is definitely crazy, given how he's a serial killer. Then again, an army of vampires always needs a bloodthirsty beast to add some additional brawn. Of course, that's unless you remember that a vampire hunter might have a skill that would make him/her unstoppable. Stay tuned for what happens next.
The White Wolf named Alex: Thanks, man. It's great to hear from you again after so long. I understand if you were busy on something. As for Lucy, our heroes will have to be quick if they want to save her. Considering how many monsters are in the castle, they'll need to defeat all of them to reach their friend.
Now that I've said that, it's time for chapter twenty-eight.
Chapter 28: Terrible Trio
Walking through the tenth floor, Fox and Krystal continued searching for the dungeon key. They knew that they couldn't keep searching for it, especially given how Lucy was on the thirteenth floor. Fara, Orlando and Owen were likely on that floor by now, but taking chances was not an option at this point. With their friends in danger, the undead vulpines needed to meet up with their vampire hunter allies and free everyone who had been imprisoned. Each room was empty on the tenth floor, with not even a bed or artifact to make them look inviting. It was as if Volk did not consider using it for anything after he had the castle built.
Finding a stairway that would take them up to the eleventh floor, Krystal walked on it while Fox became intangible, phasing through the ceiling. Once they were both on the eleventh floor, the cobalt vixen and the maroon tod found themselves in complete darkness. They could not see anything, not even the stairway that led up to the floor itself. While it was understandable to not build any windows that would expose Volk's vampire army to sunlight, that did not mean that there couldn't be torches to light the hallway. Krystal's telepathy was picking up something, but she couldn't get an exact read on what it was. Fox's eyes glowed brighter, but he was unable to generate enough light to allow them to see.
Taking a step forward, Fox heard a slight creaking noise. Krystal was cautious when she heard that, knowing that the maroon tod was likely stepping on a weakened part of the floor. Her telepathy was picking up the signal she sensed before, but it was much stronger this time. It was as if the floor itself was a trap, with a monster lurking in the shadows, intent on killing those who dared to walk through the hallway. With that in mind, Krystal wanted to get Fox and herself out of the area as quickly as possible. Even though they had powers, there were some things two undead foxes couldn't take on.
All of a sudden, there was a strange noise coming from the walls. It sounded like singing, but it wasn't coming from a single person. Rather, it sounded like a group of people singing the same song, harmonizing their voices perfectly. Fox and Krystal heard this type of music before, but only at a recent assembly at city hall. This was a choir singing their hearts out, but they were no where to be seen. Despite not being visible, the singers could be heard, as if they were singing right in the ears of the maroon tod and the cobalt vixen.
"Listen to them - the children of the night." Volk's voice was heard. "What music they make."
"Volk?" Fox spoke. "Where are you?!"
"He's not here, Fox." Krystal said. "He left a recording of his voice to play once someone entered the eleventh floor."
"Then where could the singing be coming from?" The maroon tod asked.
"We're about to find out." The cobalt vixen said.
The hallway was suddenly lit up, as if the audio recording was set to trigger a light switch once it stopped playing. After that, Fox and Krystal were able to see the stairway that led up to the next floor. However, they did not head to it immediately, as something was coming down towards them. It turned out to be the choir who were singing loud enough for all to hear. Despite sounding like a dozen of people, there were only three singers. Two were female, one was male.
After a little bit, the three dogs stopped singing and turned around, allowing Fox and Krystal to see what they looked like. The only male of the trio turned out to be a Greyhound, while the two females were a Beagle and a Pomeranian. While they looked innocent, Krystal could detect a dark aura coming from each of them. It wasn't hard to see that the trio of singers were more of Volk's monsters, so Fox and Krystal didn't lower their guard. However, the trio only looked at them, their heads tilting and their brows furrowing in curiosity. They had never seen the two foxes before.
"Why, hello friends!" The Greyhound spoke. "What brings you here?"
"Would you like to hear us perform?" The Beagle asked.
"We're willing to sing for anyone." The Pomeranian spoke.
"We aren't here to listen to you sing." Krystal spoke. "We're here to find our friends, save an acquaintance of ours, and slay the owner of this castle!"
"Move aside, or we'll make you!" Fox said.
"They don't want us to sing for them?" The Beagle gasped. "How rude!"
"Lord Volk didn't tell us about any impolite visitors to the castle!" The Greyhound said. "He only told us about the intruders!"
"You two are so mean!" The Pomeranian cried.
"Cut that out!" Fox said. "We know that the three of you are just monsters who Volk had at his disposal! You're just trying to make us feel guilty, but it's not working!"
"Move out of our way." Krystal said. "We do not wish for this encounter to end in violence."
"Well, seeing as the two of you refused to listen to us, you are going to pay!" The Greyhound shouted.
"Neither one of you will leave this room alive for your refusal!" The Beagle growled.
"We will rip you to pieces where you stand!" The Pomeranian yelled.
"Try it!" Fox scoffed.
"You have no idea what you're messing with!" Krystal said, cracking her knuckles.
All of a sudden, the Trio stood still, glaring at Fox and Krystal. Then, they let out a high-powered scream in unison, screaming louder than anyone would be capable of. In response, Fox and Krystal covered their ears, trying to shut out the noise. While their adversaries screamed, the hallway was violently shaking, as if the noise was powerful enough to destroy the castle itself. Once the noise subsided, everything stopped shaking, with everyone struggling to stand. Krystal let Fox use her shoulder to help himself up, while the Trio looked like they were about to collapse.
Drawing out her sword, Krystal swung it at the Pomeranian. The canine dodged the attack and launched a fireball at her enemy, intent on roasting her into ash. However, the cobalt vixen was quick to swing it back at her, but it dispersed before it could do any damage. She found herself facing the Greyhound and the Beagle next, with them using claws to attack. With her sword, the Cerinian vampire was able to prevent them from slicing her to ribbons. If things got rough, using her staff would be a last resort.
Fox decided to go help Krystal, thinking that she wouldn't be able to keep fighting the Trio for much longer. Before he could even get near her, the maroon tod found himself being lifted and thrown to the side by psychokinesis. Upon hitting the wall, he recovered in time to see the Greyhound rushing towards him with his claws. Thinking quickly, the Papetoonian vampiric wraith created a fireball and threw it at his enemy. However, the fireball was immediately dispersed, then one was thrown at him. Luckily, Fox moved out of the way, preventing him from being burnt to a crisp.
Unfolding his hand, the Greyhound began to slash at his enemy, intent on killing him. Still fighting the Beagle and the Pomeranian, Krystal looked at Fox and nodded her head. Knowing what this meant, the maroon tod focused his ethereal power and created his Phantom Blade. He swung it forward, managing to parry the Grayhound's claws. Right as Krystal managed to knock down her opponents with her sword, the Papetoonian vampiric wraith used his new ability to throw his opponent back. After that, he threw a fireball, hitting the canine straight in the abdomen.
With the Trio down, Fox and Krystal decided to carry on, finding their opponents hardly worth the bother. They were dangerous vampires, sure, but that did not mean that they were the most powerful creatures in the castle. A dark aura was still on the Greyhound, Beagle and Pomeranian, but they had it before they fought the undead foxes. It wasn't terribly big, but it was powerful enough to surge from their bodies. Krystal kept her guard up, while Fox walked to the stairway that led up to the twelfth floor. They were only a few feet away from it, meaning that they were closer to finding Lucy and saving her.
All of a sudden, a powerful aura surged from behind Fox and Krystal, causing them to stop in their tracks. Looking back, they could see the Trio surrounded by a blinding light, with the aura surging all throughout the area. Once the light had dissipated, there was an explosion that released a shockwave, but Krystal used her wings to float in the air while Fox turned intangible to avoid it. Smoke plagued the hallway once the shockwave faded, leaving it almost impossible for anyone to see. However, Krystal used her telepathy to see what was inside of it. After a little bit, she gasped, having sensed something massive.
"What's wrong?" Fox asked.
"They've changed!" Krystal warned. "Be careful, Fox!"
Once the smoke had faded, Fox and Krystal were able to see that the Trio had indeed changed. Before, they were only vampires that resembled the citizens of Corneria City, almost being able to fool those around them. Now, they had wings, much taller bodies, red eyes, scaly skin and talons for feet. It would seem that Volk had given them the ability to transform into more monstrous appearances if someone defeated them in combat. Right away, Krystal could sense that their aura was much greater than before, having all that power hidden behind their basic forms. They would be much harder to take down now.
"NOW YOU'VE GOT US MAD!!!" The transformed Greyhound spoke.
"FOR LORD VOLK, WE ARE GOING TO DISORIENT YOU AND CRUSH YOU LIKE BUGS!!!" The transformed Beagle screamed.
"YOU WILL PAY FOR NOT ONLY REFUSING TO HEAR US SING, BUT FOR BEATING US UP!!!" The transformed Pomeranian shouted.
"NO ONE ESCAPES THE TERRIBLE TRIO!!!" They all screamed in unison.
With their weapons still out, Fox and Krystal braced themselves for impact against the Terrible Trio. The Greyhound slashed at them, but they were able to get away unscathed. However, the Pomeranian fired a laser from her eyes, intent on destroying her enemies. Krystal jumped out of the way, causing the laser to damage the wall and leave a burn mark in the floor. As the next one to attack, the Beagle took out a massive spear and aimed it at Fox, intent on impaling him. Once it was thrown, the maroon tod quickly turned intangible, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Deciding to return the favor, Fox rushed towards the Terrible Trio, intent on defeating them. He found himself up against the Greyhound, who used his claws to attack. Using his powers, the maroon tod summoned chains to parry the attacks and his Phantom Blade to fight back with. Just as the vampiric canine was about to attack him, he used the chains to restrain his claws and the Phantom Blade to cut him on the chin. The Beagle and the Pomeranian rushed towards the undead vulpine, only to receive fireballs to their faces. When they could see again, they saw that he had vanished.
Krystal fought next, using her vampire powers and sword to defend against the Terrible Trio. The Beagle was the first to fight the cobalt vixen, only to be thrown back by a laser blast. Undeterred, the others fought against the Cerinian vampire, intent on tearing her to pieces. Firing a laser from her hand, the Pomeranian tried to reduce her enemy to ash, only to end up getting cut on her chin. As for the Greyhound, he pinned the undead vulpine to the wall, intent on devouring her. Unluckily for him, he received a damaging blast to his mouth, courtesy of Krystal's staff.
Now that they were back-to-back, Fox and Krystal used everything they had to fight the Terrible Trio. As the vampiric canines slashed at them with their claws, the undead vulpines used their swords to parry each slash and attempt to land a few attacks of their own. Fox was able to use his Phantom Blade to slash the chests of these monsters. As for Krystal, she sheathed her sword and used her staff's multiple abilities to keep her enemies at bay. Eventually, the two created a massive fireball and threw it at the Terrible Trio. The attack was powerful enough to knock them down, but not kill them.
Enraged, the Terrible Trio rose again, glaring at Fox and Krystal. Taking a deep breath, the Greyhound, Beagle and Pomeranian nearly sucked their enemies into their mouths, being powerful enough to do so. After that, they let out a massive scream, one that was louder and far more powerful than their first one. In response, Krystal used her staff to create a force field to defend against the attack. Fox turned intangible, saving him from the full force of the powerful screeching. The hallway wasn't spared, as the walls, floor and roof were receiving damage.
"How are we going to stop these conceited lunatics?!" Fox asked.
"We'll have to wait for them to stop screaming!" Krystal said. "Once they're short of breath, we'll use our most powerful attacks!"
"Are you sure they'll run out of breath?!" The maroon tod said. "Each of them has quite the pair of lungs!"
"They aren't going to be screaming for much longer!" The cobalt vixen said.
All of a sudden, the Terrible Trio stopped screaming, then decided to inhale again. Fox became tangible again, then used his feet to keep himself on the floor. Krystal had her staff out, getting it ready for what she had planned. The moment the vampiric canines opened their mouths, the cobalt vixen kept a tight grip on her staff, charging a massive blast. Fox formed a fireball in his clawed palm, but that wasn't the attack he was going to use. His eyes glowed brighter, a massive amount of ethereal energy gathering in them.
Once the Terrible Trio started to scream again, Krystal fired the charged beam from her staff, while Fox fired a blast from his eyes. The attacks, being fired in tandem with each other, formed a massive energy blast. It flew in the mouthes of the Terrible Trio, causing them to inhale all of the energy from the combined attack. After that, they exploded, engulfing the hallway in a blinding light. Krystal activated a barrier spell from her staff, which defended her from the blast. Fox only turned intangible and phased through the floor, planning to come up when the light was gone.
After a minute, the light created by the attack had faded. Krystal had Fox phase back up to the eleventh floor, signaling to him that it was alright. With the Terrible Trio defeated, three glowing essences floated in the air. As he was standing near them, Fox removed his scarf and inhaled, devouring the essences before they could escape. Once that was out of the way, the maroon tod nearly collapsed, the power he absorbed being somewhat overwhelming. Luckily, he stood back up, feeling empowered.
Now that he was back on his feet, Fox felt the power he had absorbed surge through his body. He pulled off his scarf, then let loose a very loud scream. The maroon tod had gained the Terrible Trio's powerful screeching. Krystal covered her ears in response, even though it was not directed at her. Once the screaming stopped, she noticed that there was no key where the vampiric canines had been standing. Like the other monsters in the castle, they did not drop the dungeon key once they were killed.
"Well, they're dead and there's no sign of the key." Fox spoke.
"I should check and see if Fara and the Helsings are okay." Krystal said. "They could be in danger."
Using her telepathy, Krystal found that Fara, Orlando, and Owen were a few floors above her and Fox.
Fara! The cobalt vixen transferred a telepathic message.
Krystal, what's wrong? Fara's voice echoed through her mind.
I was just checking on you and the others! Krystal thought to herself. Thank goodness, you're still in one piece!
Yeah, how about you? The fennec's voice went through her mind.
Fox and I just killed three monsters who can scream at a high volume. The Cerinian vampire responded. Other than that, we're fine.
The boys and I are peachy! The Papetoonian's voice echoed. In fact, I think we found the key to the dungeon!
Well, that's wonderful news! The undead vulpine said in her mind. Don't come down, though! Fox and I will come up to you! In the meantime, be careful and stay safe!
Once that telepathic conversation was over, Krystal gestured for Fox to follow her to the stairway that led up to the twelfth floor. With the fact that Fara and the Helsings had gained a key that could be the dungeon key on her mind, the cobalt vixen was intent on meeting up with her. However, that thought was eclipsed by the thought that Lucy was on the thirteenth floor. If there were no monsters keeping them from her, the undead vulpines wanted to get to her as quickly as possible. Granted, the vampire hunters might get there first, but someone had to rescue Peppy's daughter. Once they saved her and those who were inside the dungeon, Star Fox and the Helsings would finally defeat Volk and his army.
Note: With the Terrible Trio defeated, Fox and Krystal are ready to meet back up with Fara, Orlando, and Owen. Can they get the dungeon key to those who are imprisoned? Which of the two groups will be the one to save Lucy Hare? Will it only be one of the groups, or will both be on the thirteenth floor? Is Lucy alright, or has something been done to her? What other horrors are lurking within the castle?
Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!