The Nemesis (The 2nd Coming) (working title)

-evil It is here. The much awaited, brilliant, breathtaking and absurd masterpiece starring our own Popular Asians members. Enjoy.

P/s: Pardon the exaggeration.

P/s II: This is a work of fiction. All of the characters and events portrayed in this story are fictional, with the exception of the references to the PA Members' usernames. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental.

P/s III: Please PM me if you wish to be featured in a cameo appearance.
All requests will be considered but may or may not be fulfilled! -^_^

NOTE:
Due to a bet with someone, this new thread is started. -^_^





BABYRAIN



HIAKE




TAXLOSS




DANN




KNOCTUR_NAL




MASJAVV




MGFCORTEZ




BROWN_BEAR




PHILOSTRATE




LOREEN66




無得頂




CHICKENUTBREAD




WIND2000

​

THE NEMESIS​

Chapter 1​

On a day in Full Earth so hot that it seemed to suck the breath from his chest before his body could use it, Wind2000 came to the gates of a village in the Mountains of Endor. He was travelling with an unwilling companion, a Chinese fellow by the name of 無得頂, or conveniently referred to as MDD. They had travelled afoot for 3 hours, and both yearned for a rest but too proud to ask the other, thus they kept quiet on the journey. It was dusk by the time they reached, but the air was still blaring warm.

The town gates, still decorated with flowers from some festival or other, stood open and welcoming, but the silence beyond them was all wrong. The air was eerie and chilling. They heard no clip-clop of horses, no rumble of wagon wheels, no merchants’ huckstering cries from the marketplace, none of the usual bantering and chatter among the villagers. Instead, the only sounds were the low hum of crickets, a queer wooden knocking sound, and the faint, dreamy tinkle of small bells. Also, the flowers twined through the wrought-iron staves of the ornamental gate were long dead.

“Well… we have arrived,” Wind spoke, almost sighing, with relief perhaps.

“I can see that, obviously,” replied MDD, with a thick accent.

Wind decided to ignore him, for he didn’t think it was a wise move to engage in a verbal war with MDD after hours of travelling. Besides, he was wet with his own sweat and his body sticky with the relentless humidity, he was eager to locate the local tavern for a much wanted rest.

MDD stood in his dusty boots and faded robe under the beating sun, listening to the distant, dreamy bells and the strange wooden tocking sound as he did. He looked thoughtfully at the open gate.

“Come on, man. What are you waiting for?” turning around, Wind said in an impatient tone.

“Just being careful,” MDD replied, as he reached into the deep pocket of his robe, and took out a round object, resembling a modern day compass.

Wind rolled his eyes, as MDD proceeded to place his compass on his right palm, and walked slowly towards the gate.

He stood a moment at the gate, then declared, “Alright, the coast is clear.”

“Right. Can we go now?” Wind retorted.

MDD nodded his head, “It is safe to go ahead now.”

They approached a building with the sign, “The Tawny Hawny Tavern” and pushed open the door, which creaked loudly, announcing their presence. It seemed odd, for the place was quiet, unlike the usual gaily atmosphere of a tavern, and there was no one in sight, except for a woman at the counter.

“Good evening,” Wind greeted the lady.

She shot them both an unpleasant look, and said, “What on earth are ye two doing out here?”

“Greetings, lady. We came from afar, and it’s been hours. We are tired and we need drinks,” MDD said.

The woman sniggered, “There are no drinks. This place is closed.”

“What?” Wind said incredulously, “But…”

“Don’t ye know the ruling?! The local council has imposed a curfew. No one is to be out from dusk to dawn. Ye two coming in here can get me in trouble!”

“Err… but we came from…”

“I don’t care where ye came from, but ye better be leaving right now,” the woman snapped.
______________________________________________

As they stepped out of the tavern, Wind kicked a pebble and it ricocheted against the wall of the shop. His shoulders were hunched in frustration. He winced as he licked his cracked lips.

“Don’t worry. Let’s head to the town hall,” MDD said, as he removed a jar from his faded yellow-colored sack.

He tipped the jar and placed it into his mouth, and to Wind’s annoyance, water dripped from the corners of MDD’s mouth. He could hear the faint gulping sound.

“Ah… refreshing. Want some?” MDD offered airily.

“No thanks,” Wind replied haughtily, and started toward the town hall, wishing he had brought his own water supply.

Wind pounded on the door, as they reached in front of a low building marked with the words, “COUNCIL OF ENDOR”. It looked remarkably similar to a modern-day church, wooden boards stained a rather forbidding shade of dark brown above a stone foundation. The bells behind him rustled and whispered. Wind was aware of the bells, of the warm air beating against his neck, of the sweat trickling down his sides, and of his dry, cracked lips.

As Wind’s knuckles turned a painful red and began to sore, MDD stepped beside him, and pressed an extremely tiny button located at a corner of the dark brown door, so hidden that it was unnoticeable if one didn’t look carefully.

“What…” Wind croaked.

“I didn’t want to interfere your knocking,” MDD smiled.

A moment later, a bearded man with hooked nose and gray skin opened the door, and looked at their feet, “Oh hullo, we’ve been expecting you,” he said faintly.

“You sure did,” Wind said, unhappy.

“Please, come in.”

The bearded man led them inside, it was amazing how the building appeared much smaller from the outside, because the hall was huge, it could fit almost 300 people in there.

“Please, have a seat,” the bearded man said, “I will announce your arrival to the Chief.”

To their surprise, the town hall chief was a young man, he looked younger than Wind and MDD.

“Hello,” he said in a pleasant firm voice, as he shook their hands.

“In case you are wondering, my father was killed two moons ago. That explains why I am the chief.”

“Oh… we are sorry,” MDD said.

“It is alright. Please, make yourselves at home.”

Wind swallowed, and as he sat down, he wondered if it would be too boorish of him to request the chief for a cup of water.

“As you can see, we called for your help in desperation. More and more of my people are found dead. We have imposed a curfew since a moon ago.”

“Yes, this certainly needs our expertise,” MDD said.

Wind shot a look at MDD, displeased with the word ‘our’, as he said, “Don’t worry. The Lord will be with you. I shall help you exorcise all these evil forces.”

MDD said nonchalantly, “May we see the bodies?”

“Oh, definitely. But, perhaps you two would like a rest first? I could send someone to get you the next morning.”

“I am fine,” MDD replied.

“That would be a good arrangement,” Wind said hurriedly.

The chief laughed, “Great. I have arranged two fine rooms for you at our local tavern.”

“What? You mean the Horny Tavern? We have just been chased out of there!” Wind exclaimed.

“The Tawny Hawny Tavern,” the chief corrected smilingly, “Yes. I apologize for the owner’s peculiarity. She can be quite hasty sometimes. Perhaps I should properly introduce both of you to her. Her name is Loreen.”

“I have no problems with that,” MDD said.

“Me too,” Wind added.

“Excellent,” the chief nodded his head.
_____________________________________________________

Chapter 2​

Remote at the foot of the Mountains of Endor, lies the Nameless Lair, the residence of the fearful Evil Twins, strong and inarticulate, its high walls nearly hidden by the sand of uncounted ages. It must have been thus before the first stones of Memphis were laid, and while the bricks of Babylon were yet unbaked.

The moon was gleaming vividly over the primitive ruins, lighting a dense cloud of sand that seemed blown by a strong but decreasing wind from some point along the cliffs ahead.

In the light of the moon, a shadowy sleek figure crept across the sand, his bruised and blistered feet scraped raw by his sandals. As he approached the entrance of the forbidden lair, he tapped on the solid steel reinforced doors.

A voice answered on the other side, “Password?”

“That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons death may die,” the figure said fluently, as if he had been reciting the lines for ages.

The heavy shutters were lifted, and the doors unbarred, and creaked open slowly. The figure slid himself through the opening, and thanked the door-opener.

He crept softly, cautious as not to awaken the beast that was slumbering nearby. It was an enormous, fire-breathing, serpent-like creature with colorful scaly skin, and huge reddish black wings. He caught sight of its ugly, protruded claws and shuddered. The beast had a ferocious temper and it was best not to disturb its peace.

He sighed as he recalled the day he brought the beast home, at the time, a tiny adorable baby creature. Its mother had probably wandered off in search for food, and he had stumbled upon the creature’s nest. He had thought it would make a fine gift for his Mistress, but apparently, he had not thought the beast could grow so fearsome and massive.

He shuffled into the ancient mansion, it was a vast building with several diverse chambers. He hastened up to the main chamber where his Mistress would be having her usual supper indulgence, and bowed surreptitiously.

“My Lady BabyRain,” he uttered his greeting.

BabyRain, or conveniently referred to as BR, gestured for him to enter, “There you are, Dann!”

With a pleasant smile she said, “So, what are the fruits of your labour?”

“My Lady, I have discovered that the guests arrived at dusk today, at the Chief’s invitation. There were two men, my Lady, not one,” Dann spoke with a grin.

“Right. So what are their names?”

“The name is Wind, my Lady,” Dann replied, pleased with himself.

“And the other?”

“Pardon my Lady, I have only scouted for one name, because you said one…”

As BR scowled, “You did what?!” a shadow fell across Dann’s face, and his smug grin disappeared.

“I… I…” Dann stuttered.

“You fool!” BR bellowed, “Why can’t you do something right for once?!”

Dann’s face began to turn blue, sweat dripping down his forehead. It was never a good sign when his Mistress was angered. His mind began to run wild thinking of the ways he would be chastised this time. His knees felt weak.

“What’s the matter, my dear?” a feminine voice spoke steadily, soothing the tense moment.

BR turned around, her features relaxed slightly as she saw the person whom the voice belonged to, and said, “Oh, there you are, my love.”

“Yes… What has our Dann done to upset you this time?”

BR’s frown deepened at the mention of her minion’s name, and said, “Ugh! He can never do anything right for once. I told him to scout for the name of the mysterious guest they invited, and it appears there’re two of them. And being Dann, he only scouted for one name…”

The newcomer shook her head, “Tsk tsk, Dann. You should have some initiative, son.”

“But… but I do… my Ladies… I just …” Dann whispered softly, almost in tears.

“Aww… look at him. My dear, I think we should let him go this time. After all, he did accomplish the task given to him.”

BR paused, before saying in a reluctant tone, “You heard that Dann? You are off the hook this time. Only because Hiake said so.”

Dann bowed and cried gratefully, “Oh thank you, my Lady BR! Thank you, my Lady Hiake.”

“You are dismissed, Dann,” Hiake said gently.

“Yes my Ladies,” he said and backed away slowly out of the chamber.
________________________________________________________________

When Dann was out of sight, Hiake said to BR, “Come on, my dear. Don’t be upset.”

BR’s eyes widened at the sight of a tiny, hollow cylindrical shaped tube filled with bluish liquid, “Oh Hiake!” she exclaimed.

Hiake laughed, “Haha yes, my dear. I made it for you. The Elixir of Dexterity. It took me 49 days.”

“Oh lovely!” BR said excitedly, “I love this stuff! They taste so delicious.”

“Yes, and they are also very precious and take much effort and time to brew. I hope this will cheer you up,” Hiake nodded.

“Yes… yes! Certainly!”

“Well. There are more important matters to discuss now, my dear,” Hiake said.

BR tossed her hair, “Ah! Yes… The Gathering.”

“I have arranged for a banquet feast, and also some lovely performances from our minions. I believe our guests shall be entertained.”

“Oh Hiake, you are always so thoughtful! All these are taken care of. What would I do without you?”

“But this is not what worries me,” Hiake said solemnly.

“Oh? What troubles you, my dear?”

“It seems in the previous moons, we have had a few bizarre happenings. I believe we might have some new opposition…”

“Really? I was thinking all these are done by that lil’ savage. He doesn’t seem to know the rules.”

“It doesn’t seem so,” Hiake replied thoughtfully, “The markings are… different.”

“Hmm… Oh well, don’t worry. We shall sort it out at the Gathering.”

“Alright… And how about the two foreign newcomers?”

BR laughed, “They are no threats to us, my dear.”

“Still… we should take precaution.”

BR nodded and smiled, “Alright. If you say so.”

“I shall send Dann to attend to it,” Hiake offered.

“Dann?” BR said in a doubtful tone.

“It is fool-proof,” Hiake smiled, “This is a little present for him. It is the Amulet of the Emissary. I shall send Dann to be our little mole, and we can listen to whatever they speak of through this little pod.”

“Oh! That’s brilliant!” BR cackled, “You are exceptional, my dear!”
_________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 3​

The Mountains of Endor, great barren peaks of mystery loomed up constantly against the west as the full moon glowered over the black bits of exposed granite slope. Through the desolate summits swept ranging, intermittent gusts of the terribly chilling wind; whose cadences sometimes held vague suggestions of a wild and half-sentient musical piping, with notes extending over a wide range, and which seemed to an ordinary passerby, disquieting and even dimly terrible.

On the verdant slope, there stood a palm grove about the ruins of a temple. Close by was a tomb, once beautiful with the sublimest sculptures, but now fallen into as great decay. A woman was resting on the tomb, she was dressed in red shawl with a white satin gown underneath, and there was a basket at her side. At the sound of footsteps approaching, the woman grabbed her basket, and waited to prance upon the unsuspicious passerby.

“Why, hello there! I am Brown Bear and it’s riddle time!” she squealed.

The creature she jumped on, snorted. It had a single lock of green hair atop its mass of red messy locks. Its tail, half-hidden in its clothing, gave a swish.

“Who on this smelly Earth is Brown Bear? I have never heard of such a name,” the troll sniggered.

“I am also known as B.B. Hood or Bulleta in the lands of Makai,” the woman replied.

The response caught the troll’s attention and it gulped, “Whaaat…”

B.B. said playfully, “Are you up for it now, stinky troll?”

“Uh… sure…” the troll said, knowing full well that it had no other choice.

It was a queer but known custom in Makai to ask riddles. One could either be awarded a treasure if he answered correctly, or be met with his death if the riddler wasn’t pleased with the answer. It was the rules of the realm.

“What is my name?” B.B. asked, looking inquisitively at the troll.

“Er… Brown Bear?” said the troll nervously, realizing it was a tricky question.

It was aware of B.B.’s various distinctive names, it was really up to her to decide which answer was acceptable, thus a catch-22 situation for the troll.

“That’s your answer? Here’s your prize!” B.B. grinned as she lifted the side of her basket, and a missile flew out from the hidden compartment, aiming straight at the troll.

The troll was caught by surprise at the swiftness of the missile, and as the missile collided with its head, it exploded spectacularly. B.B. laughed as she skipped toward the remains of the poor unlucky creature.

A sudden shrill laughter stopped her in her track, “Who’s there?!” B.B. whirled around, and pulled out a hunting knife from her basket.

A voluptuous figure appeared from behind the thick grove of trees.

“Oh it’s you succubus…” B.B. snarled.

The succubus giggled, and said, “Indeed. I was having a rest, when I found myself entertained with this comical scene.”

“Comical eh? Wait till it’s your turn!” B.B. snapped.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I have no intention to battle with you today. I am already running late,” the succubus alleged imperturbably, tossing her hair.

B.B.’s eyes narrowed, “Late? For what?”

The succubus chuckled again, “So you think only you get invited to the Gathering huh?”

“You are going too?!” B.B. said in disbelief.

“Of course. I am going to be there at the request of the Evil Twins, what do you expect?”

“Gah! I can’t believe they invited you,” B.B. said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

“Now you insolent little girl, where are your manners?”

“I am not a little girl!” B.B. retorted in anger.

“Indeed, then stop acting like one,” the succubus leered at B.B.

“You..!” B.B. shrieked, “Harry!!!”

A little dog appeared from nowhere, and barked enthusiastically at B.B.

“Go after that sucker!” B.B. commanded.

Harry gave a howl and began to approach the figure. As Harry neared the succubus, it stopped at her feet and wagged its tail enthusiastically, then began to jump and chase playfully after the bats hovering in the air.

“Harry!!!” B.B. cried indignantly.

“Now now… We are both running late. You wouldn’t want our hosts to be displeased, would you? Oh well, see you bounty hunter,” the succubus laughed and began to glide away.

“You stupid dog,” B.B. scowled, “You could have ripped that sucker’s heart out!”

Harry barked in agreement, its tail thumping with affection.
___________________________________________________________________________

Philostrate, or conveniently referred to as Philo, swept regally away, hands lifting the front of her skirt off the path. The narrow bone of smile on Philo’s face disappeared like chalk-writing in a rainstorm.

‘What luck to bump into that skunk!’ she thought angrily, her dark red lips pouting.

Their hatred for each other dated way back to their ancestry, where B.B.’s kind never failed to hunt down Philo’s succubi race. Philo’s features twisted with rage as she remembered how her succubus cousin, Morrigan had an almost fatal wound from her encounter with B.B. and was now tending her injuries back at the Aensland Castle.

Philo had left Makai with an aching heart. Besides attending the Gathering, Philo had her own agenda lined up on this journey, as she was granted the task of locating Morrigan’s dark energy, Lilith, before it was too late. Her cousin grew weaker by the hour, and her days were numbered.

Philo halted as she heard a distinct growling. The creature stood at 6 ft 2in, great tusk-like teeth gleamed ghoulishly through matted black fur. Terrible red eyes blazed under penthouse brows; blood flowed from a wound in the shoulder and a ghastly gash in the broad chest.

She cursed under her breath as it dawned upon her that she was face to face with a werewolf. The beast was known for its wild, savage ways that relished every opportunity to rip and tear through flesh and recognized neither fear nor anyone. The beast rumbled again, its sharp ensanguined fangs yawning twistedly in mockery of Philo’s seemingly inevitable doom.

“Relax… The night is still young,” Philo attempted a calm steady tone.

In a flash, she summoned her faithful horde of bats, descending from the sky out of the shadows. The werewolf sensing the presence of the bats, snarled menacingly and took a step forward.

“Easy, boy… easy…” Philo flexed out her wings, drawing herself to her full dark splendor.

The werewolf pounced, but Philo was quicker. Her wings formed a cocoon-like shape surrounding her, shielding her from the ravaging beast. The horde of bats began to circle around the werewolf, and a few managed to bite the beast on its wounded shoulder and chest. It howled in agony, and staggered away, disappearing into the nightly mist.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 4​

A shadow fell beside his on the scrummy water of the trough. Wind tried to turn and face it. He couldn’t; he was frozen in place. Then a green hand grasped his shoulder and whirled him about. It was a hideous looking creature, its bowler hat was cocked back on its head. Its mouth was frothing with thick yellowish saliva.

‘Booh!’ the creature cried, its thin lips stretching in a toothless grin.

Its face came within an inch with Wind’s. Wind could smell its horrid breath, and to his horror, the creature stuck out its slimy greenish tongue and licked his face.

Wind jerked awake, shivering all over, dressed in skin both wet and icy cold.

‘What a bizarre dream!’ he thought to himself, rubbing the side of his face.

He looked at the bed on his left. It was empty, the sheet pulled up, the pillow resting above it in its snowy sleeve. Of MDD, there was no sign. He muttered to himself as he reached for his glasses, grabbed his coat and headed out of the room. The corridor was darkly lit, but Wind spotted a familiar yellow-robed figure slinking toward the door.

“Hey!” Wind uttered.

MDD wheeled around and held a finger to his lips, then beckoned for Wind, “Hush…”

“What?” Wind asked, approaching MDD.

“Did you hear?” MDD asked in a low voice.

“No! What are you…,” Wind’s words trailed off as a faint howling echoed through the ghastly night air.

“What was that?” asked Wind.

“I am trying to find out…”

“I am coming with you,” Wind said curtly.

As he looked at Wind, MDD said in a solemn tone, “I don’t suppose that’s a good idea.”

Annoyed, Wind retorted, “Why not?”

“I don’t wish to be distracted if you get into trouble and I would have to…”

“Trouble?! What trouble?!” Wind snapped, “Well I am going to get to the bottom of this, and you can come along. But I certainly don’t need your help.”

MDD shrugged, “Alright then.”

“Let’s go…” Wind glowered at MDD.

The two plodded on, ignoring each other with sullen ostentatiousness, then Wind jumped as a voice sounded behind them.

“What are ye two doing?” Loreen spoke, holding a candle in her hand, its chancy light dancing in the black air, illuminating her facial features.

She looked as if her head was floating in the air, it was an eerie sight. The candleglow rose in a shimmery column that died before it got halfway to the silken ceiling.

“I reckon ye two are going somewhere?” Loreen said again, her tone unpleasant.

“Uhm… we are just…” Wind muttered, when MDD interrupted his words.

“We are just going for some fresh air.”

“Fresh air?!” Loreen gave them a suspicious look.

“What is that in ye hand?” she pointed at a sturdy looking sword made of shimmery gold coins.

“Oh this is a tool of mine in my meditation routine, Tai Chi,” answered MDD.

“Dai Ji? Right... I don’t care what ye be doing, but ye both best be heading to bed now. It’s not safe to wander around at night.”

“Alright,” MDD nodded and started toward their room.

“Good night…” Wind muttered and hurried after MDD.
________________________________________________________

Loreen stared after them for a moment, and then she proceeded toward the rear corner of her tavern. The rooms here were mostly empty, as the news of the killings spread across the realm and fewer humans dared to set foot into the Mountains of Endor and its surroundings. A room in the Hawny Tawny Tavern was easy to secure these days, in contrast to the good old times where most of the nights, the lodgings were fully taken up.

She stopped at the corner and pushed open the door of the room slightly, cautious that she was not being watched. A figure was seating hunched over the table, a nasty cut on his right shoulder prevented him from leaning against the chair.

“Ye ought to be more careful,” Loreen spoke, as she wet a piece of cloth from the basin of water, and started to tend to the man’s wound.

“Ah…” the man grunted.

“I believe the beast got more than he bargained for,” the man said, gritting his teeth.

“What were ye after this time?” asked Loreen as she carefully cleaned the lesion.

“Twas a werewolf. I got him with the Colt. Other creatures would not have survived this baby, but luck was on his side, I didn’t have ‘em silver bullets with me… and I lost his trails,” the man tightened his fist.

“Is this the beast that’s been killing tha folks?”

“Very likely, but there’s more than one of them…” the man pondered.

With a firm familiar movement, she started to bandage the man’s shoulder, “Then the more reason for ye to be careful…”

“I was…,” the man replied and gave Loreen a smile, “Your brother has always been very careful.”

“Perhaps ye could seek the help of these two new guests?” Loreen asked suddenly.

The man laughed dismissively, “Loreen, don’t be silly lass. I don’t trust them, and I doubt they are going to last long.”

“But surely… they are good at what they do if…”

“The Chief and these people know nothing. Just watch them take their leave in a day or two,” mocked the man.

Loreen sighed, “Ye certainly need some allies, my brother. Those twins… they are not to be taken lightly.”

“Food for thought…” the man replied, “But I have yet to come across formidable allies.”

“Ye don’t trust no one…” Loreen said in an accusing tone.

The man laughed, “Indeed. But I always trust you, my little sister.”

“Don’t worry. Your brother works best alone,” he added, in a proud tone.

Loreen held her tongue, as she knew it was quite futile to argue with her brother. The gash was compressed neatly, then she gave an affectionate tap on his good shoulder.

“Ye should get some rest,” she said.

“I am a creature of the night,” Knoctur_nal responded with a laugh.
____________________________________________________________________

Chapter 5​

When Mgfcortez, or conveniently referred to as Cortez awoke, it was full daylight, the roof overhead a bright white and billowing in a mild breeze. He was suddenly aware of a massive weight on top of him, it was a horse. It dawned upon him that he was in a stable, and he had killed the poor beast during the night. The rancid stench of the dried blood made him choke. He struggled for some time before he managed to heft himself up from under the dead creature, its innards lay strewn on the pile of hay.

Cortez’s head pounded with drowsiness and his body ached in pain. He sought to recall last night’s events…

The change occurred before he could divest himself of more than his coat and scarf. He had only to step out of the shoes, to shed the socks with two backward kicks, and shuffle off the trousers from his lean hind-legs and belly. But his shirt was harder to loosen, and its buttons popped off as his chest swelled. His hackles rose with rage as he slewed his head around and tore the shirt away with hasty fangs in a flurry of fallen buttons and rags.

Hunger snarled within him, mounting from belly to throat, from throat to mouth. It seemed that he had not eaten for a very long time. Raw butcher's meat was never fresh enough; it had known the coldness of death and refrigeration, and had lost all vital essence.

He had wandered off into the woods under the vivid full moon, in search for his first victim, when he came upon a mysterious figure. The dull ache in his chest and shoulder brought to mind the battle that had ensued between them. Werewolves were powerful beasts and he had never met or known anyone whom could dodge his attacks, let alone tackle him. Nevertheless, last night, he had met his match, not only one, but two of them.

The first stranger had held a strange looking object in his hand. He had pounced on the stranger, and when his claws had barely dug into the man’s shoulder, a loud sound came from the unknown item, and his chest throbbed with pain. Then a second boom noise, and his shoulder seared with hurt. He had backed off, startled by the newfound sensation of pain that was foreign to him in his wolf form.

Whimpering a little, with the hunger of a starved hound, he waited silently in the woods. His tensing ears caught the far-off vibration of footsteps, and as the steps came rapidly nearer, he was confused as to the maker of the footsteps, which seemed to glide slightly off the air. Cortez was hungry and hurt, and he didn’t care.

He sprang from his ambush of shadows, towering high upon the second stranger as his hind-paws left the ground. To his astonishment, the stranger was shielded with wings as solid as his fangs, and there were bats surrounding her.

The agony of the pain the winged malicious creatures inflicted on his already wounded body had hurled him away from his second to-be-prey, and had forced him back upon teetering haunches. He had escaped back into the woods. Finally, he had stumbled upon the stable, and appeased his hunger with the helpless mare...

A clouding heaviness hung upon Cortez, and he treaded unsteadily toward his home.

__________________________________________________________________________

Dann bowed as the womanly figure approached, “Welcome, my Lady BR has been expecting you.”

The woman nodded and proceeded into the vast chamber. She was dressed in a red vest, and long flowing black gown, her skin flawlessly smooth and porcelain colored. She held a large, gold colored cage trimmed with rubies in her hand.

BR’s face lit at the sight of the woman, “Hello there, Lucifer!”

The woman’s eyes narrowed, “Oh BR, how many times have I told you, I am not Lucifer anymore…”

BR laughed, “Oh shucks, how forgetful of me! My apologies… Greetings, my dear Tax.”

Taxloss nodded her approval, “That’s more like it.”

She added, “I have dropped Lucifer since ages ago… So where’s your lovely twin, Hiake?”

“Aha… she’s in the Concoction Chamber. You know… potions, spells and stuff.”

“It’s been her favorite pastime of late,” Taxloss remarked.

“Indeed. She sends her warmest regards to you of course. And she’s been busy with the preparation for the Gathering as well,” BR replied casually.

“Ah yes, the Gathering…! Who’ve been invited?”

BR gave a slight giggle, “You are always so curious, Tax. Well, you shall see for yourself when the time comes. A pleasant surprise.”

“Has the Old Man spoken to you lately?” BR inquired.

A shadow cast upon Taxloss’ face, “Gah! He has not been saying any word to me ever since…”

“Ever since the Change?” BR asked, in a seemingly sympathetic tone.

“Yes…” Taxloss replied in a bitter tone, “Ever since the Change. I don’t understand why though!”

“Aww, Tax… The Old Man is incredibly impervious, imprudent and irrational!” BR alleged passionately.

“Indeed!” Taxloss hissed, “He thinks I would be different after the Change… but I am still the same!”

“Of course you are, my dear!” BR said soothingly, “He just doesn’t understand you.”

“Yes… He was so furious when I spoke of the Change, He wouldn’t hear me out… There’s nothing wrong with me…”

“Absolutely. There’s nothing wrong with you,” BR’s eyes glittered, “You are still as lovely, man or woman.”

“Oh, BR! You flatter me all the time.”

Taxloss managed a brief, pained smile, and then she sighed. She had always believed there was a woman’s soul trapped in her male body, thus she had decided to go for the Change. Her father; God, had not been pleased with her resolution, and had declared her action as a rebellion against Him. As a result, she was cast out from Heaven. The poor angel, Marou, whom had performed the Change on her, was thrown into the Lake of Fire for eternity.

“Look at you now, people worship you!” BR grinned.

“Let’s not speak of Him…” Taxloss said.

“What’s that?” asked BR, interested, as she pointed toward the cage.

There were two odd little creatures perched on the corners of the branches. One was a snarling, cat-headed beast with retracted lips revealing formidable fangs, and eyes that glared intolerable hatred from beneath ferine brows. It had the claws and wings of a griffin, and seemed as if it were poised in readiness to swoop down off the branch, like a harpy on its prey.

Its companion was a horned satyr, with the vans of some great bat such as might roam the nether caverns, with sharp, clenching talons and a look of brooding lust, as if it were gloating above the helpless object of its unclean desire.

Taxloss chuckled, “Oh these? They are baby gargoyles.”

“Gargoyles?”

“Yes! They can be quite entertaining and they are a wonderful addition to your collection of pets.”

“That’s terrific!” BR exclaimed in a delighted tone, “Thank you, Tax.”

“You are most welcome.”

“And of course, I have to return your graciousness and generosity,” BR uttered, as she produced a roll of parchment and handed it to Taxloss.

Taxloss’ eyes gleamed, “Names!”

BR laughed gaily, “Certainly. These are names of those who have agreed to sign the Contract.”

“Delightful!” Taxloss cackled.
______________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 6​

The solitary chamber was black as pitch and very silent, like the heart of the unknown, lighted by a single candle, its meager flame flickered undecidedly. The minion waited quietly for his Mistress to speak. The waxing gibbous moon had set, and the stars at the top of the black heavens were still diamond-sharp. To the west lay a low bank of fog. But to the east, beyond the Mountains of Endor, the narrow ghostly ribbon of the dawn's earliest light lay along the tops of its low hills.

“Dann…” BR beckoned for her minion.

“Yes my Lady BR,” answered the minion with a hint of eagerness.

“I need you to go on a mission…”

“Gladly, my Lady.”

BR held a black string of necklace in her hand, it was made of unique-shaped gemstone pieces, “I want you to put on this, and go approach the two invited guests and make yourself an acquaintance to them.”

Dann scratched his head, a puzzled look plastered on his face, “My lady, do you mean to offer them your friendship?”

BR chuckled, “I mean to offer them your friendship and make yourself useful to them. I have got some evil work planned…”

“Evil work…?” asked Dann.

“No, knitting… “ BR bellowed, “OF COURSE EVIL WORK!”

“Yes my Lady!” Dann replied with a shudder.

“Well,” BR’s lips curved into a smile, “Do not disappoint me this time, Dann.”

“I won’t, my Lady! I shall do my best,” Dann replied as he slipped the necklace over his head.

“Good. Leave now.”
_____________________________________________________________

The many cries of anguish were music to Hiake’s ears. There were 18 levels of torture chambers in the Nameless Lair; each level had a specific torment form. She descended the steep stoney steps toward the Chamber of Maggots, where the creeps caught were to be eaten alive by maggots. On the vast stone breast there was a prominent emblem of the Evil Twins.

Wormtongue, the minion in command of the Chamber of Maggots was having his usual meal of a plate of fried slithery maggots when Hiake emerged. Startled, he gobbled up the half-chewed ones, stood up and bowed lightly.

“Greetings, my Lady Hiake!”

Hiake nodded, “How is the preparation going?”

“My Lady, everything has been going smoothly, as planned.”

“Good. And what is the fresh count?”

“We’ve got a total of 9 of them tonight, my Lady,” replied Wormtongue.

“9? That’s a paltry sum…” Hiake said, unpleasantness crept into her tone.

“Pardon my Lady! We have tried, but it is very tricky to seize more of them without being noticed, my Lady. And you… you’ve instructed us to be inconspicuous…” Wormtongue said in his whiny voice.

Hiake’s eyes narrowed, “I did… But I’ve also expected you to make use of your tiny brain…”

Wormtongue began to tremble, realizing that any wrong move from him would have a fatal consequence, “We… we are sorry, my Lady… We tried… We shall try harder, my Lady…”

“I wish to inspect the prisoners now,” said Hiake, in a surly tone.

“Yes my Lady! Over here…” Wormtongue shifted toward the inner chamber, still wary.

Hiake moved in, darting quick glances at each of the cells.

“Help! Let us go!” a shrilly voice escaped from one of the cells, grasping Hiake’s attention and she paused.

“What do we have here…” she said, studying the two distraught creatures.

“Please… We shall do anything… just let us go,” one of them pleaded again.

“Help us!” blubbered the other.

“You would do anything…?” asked Hiake, slightly amused.

“Yes! Yes! Please…”

“What are your names?”

“My name is Moldy son of Gimli, but my folks call me M.G.” replied the stubby creature.

Hiake’s eyes twinkled, “Aha, so you’re the son of Gimli? A dwarf?”

The creature nodded in eager.

Hiake chuckled, “Aren’t dwarves supposed to be valiant warriors?”

The creature shook his head, “That is a myth…”

Hiake laughed, “That’s news to me! And you…? What’s your name?”

“I go by the name of Napollo. I am just a weak little hobbit. Please let me go!” the other creature answered, almost in tears.

“A hobbit? You don’t look like one…”

“My… my father… Smeagol…”

“Smeagol? The Gollum? Didn’t he perish in the Crack of Doom?”

“No… He escaped and married my momma… and they’ve got me…”

“Well, well. You two certainly have got quite some legendary parents,” Hiake nodded in amusement, “Alas, that doesn’t matter to me…”

“Oh please! Please let us go…! We will do anything you ask!” M.G. pleaded.

“Yes, yes. Please, name your price…” Napollo added.

“You two wretched beings are pathetic!” Hiake laughed as she sauntered away.
_______________________________________________________

A female minion appeared and bowed, her bent back, long nose, and shrivelled chin were unmistakably that of a witch, and her shapeless brown garment covered the rest of her body. The expression on her face was one of hideous malevolence and exultation, but she had a smirk on her face.

“My Lady Hiake,” she whispered.

“Mary! Have you designed the set of choices our guests shall have at the Gathering?” Hiake asked the Head Chef.

“Ah, my Lady. After endless hours of deliberation, I have come up with the most elite and exceptional design for this coming event.”

“What is it?”

“Well my Lady. We shall have our men prepare pots and pots of hot boiling water and we shall have these creatures set up in front of our guests, and they can pick any part of the meat that they desire, douse the meat into these pots, and then they shall have the taste of the most exquisite fresh meat that they crave for…”

Hiake cackled, “Excellent idea, Mary! Well done!”

___________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 7​

A dank, grey fog came down from the hills above the Mountains of Endor, blotting out the houses, the river, and the masts of the ships down below, turning the lights in the shops to orange yellow blurs. There was hustle and bustle about the village the next morning, despite the rain. The folks gladly came out of their shelters, as they had to stay inside in fear once dusk settled in. There was a gaily ambiance compared to the dead silence late yesterday.

MDD, Wind and the Chief were seated in the Hawny Tawny Tavern, about to have their afternoon meal.

“I hope the both of you have slept well,” the Chief spoke with a smile.

MDD nodded, “We have, thank you for your hospitality.”

Wind shrugged.

Their lunch arrived, served by Anchuchu, a hobbit whom only worked during the daytime at the tavern. A half-tortoise surrounded with sea slugs, a dish of curried frogs with cabbage leaves around them and three plates of rice.

“These are our local delicacies, please help yourselves,” the Chief said.

Wind gestured for Anchuchu, “Uhm, I’d have a plate of noodles please.”

“With or without the special?”

“Uhm, what’s the special?”

The inquiry was met with a glare from Anchuchu, as if it was expected that every guest here should know what the Hawny Tawny Tavern’s special noodles were.

“Uh, I’ll take the usual, thanks…” Wind muttered.

“Delicious,” remarked MDD as he tucked a piece of the tortoise meat into his mouth.

A man approached the table, and whispered to the Chief. The Chief nodded, a grim expression on his face. After the man left, the Chief looked at the two of them.

“Something wrong?” asked Wind.

The Chief sighed, “More killings and missing peasants been reported… That was one of my men, Agro. He said two bodies have just been found in one of the huts near the river…”

“Let us go and have a look,” MDD said, standing up.

“But…” Wind tried to ignore the rumbling in his belly.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Toward the harbor in a more crowded street, was an old hut looking as if it were in the last stages of decay. The woodwork appeared to be worm-eaten, and the paint was flaking from the boards. The door was ramshackle and rickety. Above it there was a cut-out wooden figure of a gaudily painted tiger. The Chief paused at the sight of the animal.

“Ah, the tiger. A sign of virility… also meant to ward off the evil spirits…”

Agro and a few others were huddled over the dead bodies. The three of them approached. There was a body of an old woman, and a young girl. Both of them seemed to be sleeping peacefully, except that there were large chunks of their necks being bitten off.

“Holy Jesus!” exclaimed Wind.

The Chief shook his head, “What do you make of these, Master Wind and Master MDD?”

MDD crouched over the body of the child, inspecting the wound.

After a moment, he stood up and said in a low tone to the Chief, “These seem to be the works of an Eastern vampire…”

“Eastern vampire?”

“You got to be kidding me,” Wind said.

“What is your deduction Master Wind?” asked the Chief.

“It is the work of the undead, no doubt. But I am quite certain it is not an Eastern vampire…”

“Look here,” MDD said, directing their attention to the neck of the child’s corpse, “These are the marks made by sharp object… fingernails for example…”

“All beasts have sharp fingernails…” Wind muttered.

“What do you propose, Master MDD?”

“Firstly, burn these bodies…”

“Alright…” the Chief replied, when a man cried in anguish, “Noooo!”

“Chief… please please… Do not burn them! That is my mother, and this is my child… I have lost my wife and now… They are the most important people in my life! Chief, please let me bury them!” the man pleaded, as he knelt down before the Chief.


MDD shook his head, “No. These bodies must be burnt.”

“Please! Have some compassion! They are my only family…” the man beseeched again.

“Let him bury them!” Wind scowled at MDD, “Don’t you feel sorry for this man? They were his only family!”

The Chief frowned, “Uhm… what shall I do?”

“Please Chief! Have mercy! Please don’t burn them… My mother… she hates fire all her life…”

Wind seized MDD’s elbow and dragged him to a corner, “Whatever it is, let the man have his wishes.”

MDD’s eyes narrowed, “You know I can’t do that. They will…”

“They will turn right? Yeah, I am well aware of that!” Wind retorted.

He added in a low tone, “Look, I’d go with you. We can exhume the bodies after the burial… and you can do whatever you want with them. Just let the man be at peace!”

“Alright,” MDD’s face softened a little, “We need to get to the bodies later…”
____________________________________________________________

The Hawny Tawny tavern was still two-thirds full when Dann pushed open its doors and entered. There was a man at the low platform next to the fireplace, strumming his mandolin and belting out a rousing song about blood and death. Those tables closest to him were crowded with folks singing and drinking along, but the rest of the patrons pursued their own entertainment, enjoying the tavern’s affable ambiance before night falls.

Dann idly scanned the room. Along the wall to the left was a group of trolls who enjoyed the effects of certain burning herbs. Different colored smoke rose from the small pots on each table and drifted among the quiet patrons seated there, who inhaled the fumes and savored their reactions in silence.

Next to the open front door was a table where three men played some kind of betting game that involved trying to stab their own fingers with very large knives. Perhaps the real goal was trying not to stab themselves, but Dann wasn't exactly sure owing to the number of nicks and cuts on the hands of the players.

Then, he caught sight of the face of a woman, whom he thought was the loveliest he had ever seen, apart from his Mistresses’. Enthralled, he edged toward the woman, who seemed to be quite hectic at the counter.

“Hel…lo” Dann muttered, his voice caught in his throat.

“How can I help ye, sir?” asked Loreen.

“I… er… do you… I am…” Dann flustered.

“Do you have a room?” he managed.

“A room? Where are ye from?” Loreen asked, studying the stranger, “Ye not local, aye?”

“Yes… No… I mean, no. I am not.”

“Well,” Loreen said eventually, “Yes, we do have a room. It is two coppers per night, an additional copper if you have extra guests.”

“That is fine,” Dann replied, beaming at her.
____________________________________________________________

Chapter 8​

The local priest in his long heavy robing moved on up at the head of the crowd. The track was steep and slippery and it curved a few times. The folks followed up behind the coffin, and they watched it swaying high on the shoulders of the men. And they watched the clouds of the men's breath rising into the air. The track was wet and black and the smell of the soil mingled among the people.

At the top the men stopped and the sweat stood out on their faces. Then the priest beckoned to them and pointed to the two planks that lay at the edge of the grave. Slowly the men lowered the coffin onto them.

The people were very quiet while the priest spoke and chanted. And except for the sniffing and coughing of some of the women and the twittering and fluttering of the sparrows in the pine-trees behind the group; the hill was very still.

The men began to lower the coffin with the ropes and Moomba, the man whom pleaded for his mother and his child earlier, broke into loud high wailings. His voice rang out over the crowd and along the hill. At the edge of the group, MDD and Wind stood watching.

_______________________________________________________________________

It wasn’t long before night approached again. It was a moonless night, as Philo lay sleeping tranquilly in the hours before dusk, there came to her in her dream a figure muffled from crown to heel with the vestments of the tomb. Tall as a caryatid, awful and menacing, it leaned above her in silence more malignant than any curse; and there were worms and death-scarabs and scorpions, together with shreds of rotting flesh hanging around the figure.

Then he spoke to her, ‘Your cousin is very ill, Philo. You must hurry.’

Then, as she awoke from her dream, sick and stifled, she breathed the scent of a passerby. The good smell of … an elf? She pranced upon the elf, it was a she-elf, and it was quick as lightning. Philo found herself face-to-face with an arrow to her heart.

“Move and you’ll be sorry!” the elf spoke in her valiant voice.

Philo shrugged, “Hey relax, I was just trying to extend my greeting to you.”

“Yeah! I ain’t trusting ya! You succubi kind are treacherous!”

Philo’s frown turned her face into something like a thunderhead, “That is a myth! We succubi are no less kinder than elves…”

“Uh huh. Lies,” the elf retorted.

Philo found her temper rising, “Look. I assure you I meant no harm. I just wanted to seek some information from you. Besides you can’t kill me with just that.”

“I am not letting you suck muh brains!”

Ignoring the elf’s statement, Philo asked, “Have you seen any of my kind around here lately? I am looking for my cousin’s lost energy, Lilith…”

“Lilith!” the elf exclaimed, “Why… I have heard of her…”

“Where? Do you know where she is?” a surge of excitement in Philo’s voice.

Before the elf could reply, a loud sound ensued and the elf’s head exploded in front of Philo’s eyes. Some of her remains splattered onto Philo’s face. Philo whirled around and seethed when she saw B.B. with her half lifted basket-lid, a protruding missile head in sight. Philo wiped the remains off with one of her wings.

“Cool!” B.B. chuckled.

“What do you think you are doing?!” yelled Philo.

“Why, having fun of course,” replied B.B. as she grinned.

“You little prick!”

“Oooh… see, she cries!” mocked B.B.

“You… filthy…” Philo bit her tongue and glided off, as she realized it would be imprudent of her to engage in a duel with the dark hunter when she was in such a hasty mission to seek Lilith, and to attend the Evil Twins’ Gathering.
__________________________________________________________

Wind had gathered into his cassock; a wooden stake, a bunch of garlic, hawthorn branches, a rosary bead and a crucifix. The two men arrived at the cemetery gates shortly after dark.

“That spot,” Wind pointed, as they moved toward the grave, each man with a shovel in hand.

Wind sighed as he noted the words on the newly engraved headstone, ‘Here lies Tamra. A mother is a mother still, the holiest thing alive.’

“It’s ironic isn’t it? Holiest thing… Well a vampire isn’t exactly a holy thing,” said Wind.

“Start digging,” MDD uttered as he plunged his shovel into the damp earth.

They dug silently; the earth was soft and easily removed. They heard a dull thudding as MDD’s shovel hit something solid. They uncovered the coffin and cleared away the surrounding earth so it could be pried open. They stared at the old woman’s body; her face looked peaceful – as if finally achieving the untroubled slumber one may have in death, except that she was not really dead…

She had been buried lying on her back with her hands crossed over her chest. Yet now her body lay on its side, curled slightly like a sleeping child — insofar as the constraints of the coffin allowed. Otherwise, she looked unchanged from the day of her funeral earlier.

“She’s turning…” Wind murmured.

“Yes, do it now,” MDD replied.

Wind shifted the body on its back. A look of amazement shot through Wind’s features as he tried to drive the stake into the old woman’s heart. It wouldn’t budge.

“What the…” Wind tried harder, and yet the stake seemed to be made of cotton against the old woman’s chest.

Soon, Wind was drenched in sweat as he attempted to bury the stake without success.

“I can’t…” he puffed, as he wondered how hard the old woman’s chest seemed to be, stiff and frozen, but it appeared natural to his eyes and to his touch.

Then Wind shot MDD a look, and said, “Step back.”

He lifted the gravedigger’s shovel and tried in vain to decapitate the old woman. Again, he was met with solid resistance. Breathless, he stared at MDD with annoyance, bothered with the fact that he was about to admit defeat.

“Okay…” he whispered, “I give up… I don’t know what’s wrong with the corpse.”

MDD replied with a smile, “There’s nothing wrong with the corpse. You’ve just used the wrong methods.”

“What?” Wind stared at him incredulously, “What are you talking about? I have been doing this for years!”

“This woman was killed by an Eastern vampire. She’d turn into one herself. The manner in which you tried to kill her wouldn’t work because '僵尸’ in Chinese means ‘stiff corpse’. They are the stiffest undead you would encounter, and they are rather invincible to physical attacks.”

“Invincible?! No way… then how do you kill one?”

“Eastern vampires can be dealt with several ways; they are averse to blood from black dogs, snake gall bladder, raw and uncooked glutinous rice grains, Taoist ritual swords crafted from the wood of the PeachWood Tree, and ink mixed with chicken blood and ceremonial joss ashes. But of course, the most effective and easiest way is fire,” said MDD, whilst he lifted the old woman up, “Give me a hand?”

They placed the stiff body of the old woman onto the ground, and MDD removed a yellow talisman from the pocket of his robe, and chanted a few words. The talisman was lit with fire, and MDD threw it onto the corpse. Soon it was burning vividly.

“Let’s deal with the other…” MDD said.

They moved to the grave a few steps away, the words inscribed on the headstone were, ‘Here lies Jenna. Let thy child rest in hope and rise in glory’.

“Rise in glory indeed…” Wind commented as they started to dig.

They quickened their work and were soon struggling to find a proper handhold with which to lift the coffin from the grave. They scrambled from the hole and began working the lid from the coffin.

As they opened the coffin, Wind slumped to the ground, his arms around his knees and his head hanging between them. They gasped in unison.

"Empty!” Wind cried.
________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 9​

Moomba seated himself in the only chair the room boasted, glanced casually at the formless, sheeted bulk on the bed opposite him, and began to read by the dim light from the candle which stood on the rough wooden self-made table.

Outside, the darkness gathered swiftly, and finally Moomba laid down his notes to rest his eyes. They were notes on herbs and various ingredients, Moomba was the town’s medicine-man. He looked again at the shape which had, in life, been the form of Jenna, his beloved daughter, wondering what quirk in the human nature made the sight of a corpse not so unpleasant, but such an object of fear to man.

Moomba was bitter that he had not been able to save the lives of the two most important people in his life. However, he had mixed some herbs in order to delay the decomposition of his daughter so he could spend some time with her.

‘Oh my lovely Jenna…’ Moomba whispered softly, a tear running down his cheek recalling the loveliness of his little daughter.

At that moment, a loud knock ensued on the door.

“Open up!” Wind’s voice boomed through the echoing silence of the night.

Moomba started to shiver, recognizing Wind’s voice. He had not much of an option, the broken down door would not hold against the two men. He opened it and found himself staring at two angry faces.

“Where is she?” asked Wind.

“Please Masters… Only a few days…” Moomba pleaded weakly, his voice shaking.

“You can’t do this. Let us have her!” Wind said.

“No! You … you are going to burn my daughter?!” Moomba started toward the bed, and held the sheeted bundle up, clutching it to his chest in a protective gesture.

“You must give her up,” MDD spoke in a firm voice, stepping forward.

“No! No!” Moomba shrieked, “You two men stay away from my daughter!”

A sudden vagrant gust of wind whipped through the window, in which the light on the candle flickered and went out suddenly. They heard a piercing scream.

Wind, cursing softly, groped in the darkness for matches in his pocket. MDD took a talisman from his pocket, chanted, and lit it, and they relighted the candle. Glancing over at the bed, they had a sudden mental jolt. The little girl, the dead eyes wide and blank, framed in the gnarled gray features, staring out at them, blood running down her lips. In the cloaking dark, a dead hand had flung aside the sheet.

Moomba laid motionless on the bed. Apparently, Jenna had awaken and bit her father whilst he was hugging her.

“Damn!” Wind uttered.

MDD withdrew his sword and as he approached the bed, the child vampire suddenly leapt high across into the arms of Wind.

“Hey!” Wind cried as he tried to shove Jenna away.

MDD moved swiftly. Chanting a few words, he drove the sword into Jenna’s back. The child cried out loudly, but still, she held on to Wind. She bared her fangs, trying to sink them into Wind’s neck. MDD chanted again as he plunged the sword deep into the child. Jenna shuddered violently, finally releasing her grip on Wind, then dropped to the floor, unmoving.

“Jesus Lord!” Wind exclaimed.

“Are you alright?” asked MDD.

“I am fine!”

Frowning, MDD said, “You are hurt…”

Wind gaped at his wounded arm; a small chunk of meat was missing, then clutched it with his other, “I am alright! Deal with them first.”

MDD started toward the bed, and inspected Moomba. He shifted the dying man to a more comfortable position. It was all he could do. He saw the delirium ebb momentarily in the bloodshot eyes, saw recognition glimmer there. Clots of bloody foam splashed the matted beard. The lips writhed soundlessly, and MDD glimpsed the bloody stump of a severed tongue. Jenna must have bit off the rest when she took a bite off him. Suddenly the bloody frame was convulsed by one last sharp agony; the lean, sinewy hand knotted spasmodically and then fell limp. Moomba was beyond vengeance or mercy.

MDD crouched down to examine Jenna. Her black-nailed fingers began scrabbling. They shook, clawing erratically. The child vampire let out a strange moaning sound.

A moment later, MDD had moved both the bodies outside the hut, and burned them. Then the two men headed back to the Hawny Tawny Tavern. MDD deep in thoughts, Wind slightly feverish.

_____________________________________________________________

The rigid line of figures along the bar melted into movement. The Chief was seated at the table. Agro and a few of his men were huddled in a corner. A confused babble of conversation rose. Hurried steps sounded outside, and the crowd divided as MDD pushed his way abruptly through. Instantly he dominated the scene.

Silence followed, in which each man looked sidewise at his neighbor. The men had drawn back to the bar, leaving the middle of the big tavern room clear, where MDD stood. Suspicion and fear galvanized the crowd, leaping like an electric spark from man to man. They stared at MDD who stood facing the Chief.

“Master MDD, please have a seat,” invited the Chief.

MDD sat down on the table, with a grim look.

Loreen and Anchuchu busied themselves at the bar, whilst stealing occasional glances at the two men.

“How is Master Wind?” the Chief asked, trying to mask his overwhelming concern.

“Why are these people gathered here?” MDD asked quietly.

“Pardon me, Master MDD, but we are all concerned for Master Wind’s health… er condition,” said the Chief, blushing slightly.

“He is fine. Asleep now.”

The Chief shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “Er… will he…”

“Don’t worry. With the proper help, he shall not turn,” said MDD.

“Proper help?”

“Yes, but I need your assistance.”

“Oh, Master MDD, we would be glad to aid in Master Wind’s recovery. What shall we prepare?”

“I have dressed his wound with crushed snake gall bladder, but I shall need your men’s help to provide me with more of the gall bladders. Wind needs to be fed with glutinous rice every meal, and he needs to soak in a tub of hot water full of poisonous snakes, scorpions, spiders… He also needs to be on his feet constantly so that the poison would not be congested in one spot.” MDD explained.

“May we know how is that useful to Master Wind’s recovery?” the Chief asked meekly.

“These are means of forcing the vampire’s poison out from Wind’s body. First it needs to be contained, then forced out. Once it is successfully removed from his body, he shall be fine.”

“My men shall be glad to assist you Master MDD. Agro,” the Chief motioned for Agro, “You heard what Master MDD needs?”

Agro nodded, “Yes Chief.”

“Get to work now.”

“We also need to deal with the main vampire who caused this…” pondered MDD.

“Of course, Master MDD,” the Chief said enthusiastically, “We need to destroy this Evil beast. Just tell us what you need.”

MDD nodded and turned to Loreen, “Would you kindly prepare a bowl of glutinous rice for Wind?”

Loreen shrugged, “I guess so.”

“Thank you,” replied MDD with a smile.
__________________________________________________________

Chapter 10​

The night was strangely still. Far across the dim mountains that fringed the eastern skyline, a faint haze began to glow, and presently a great golden moon came up, making a ghostly radiance over the land and etching boldly the dark clumps of shadows that were trees. A light breeze came whispering out of the east.

Kuro was leaning backward, clutching the arms of his chair, a smug grin on his face. He felt safe knowing that there was a piece of the yellow talisman stuck on the front of his door. Earlier, MDD had given out the talismans to the folks and ordered to stick them onto their doors to prevent Evil from entering their houses.

Suddenly, Kuro sat up in his chair, a veil of surprise and shock enveloping his features.

"There's no need of gawking at me like a flock of sheep!" Taxloss said as she appeared in sight.

“Who… who are you?” asked Kuro with a slight stutter.

“Well, well. I am the one who grants you your wishes… You are Kuro son of Mabruk right?”

The man nodded, “But who are you?”

“I have come to honor our agreement,” Taxloss said with a grin, “Didn’t you make a pact with the minions of the Evil Twins to sign a Contract with the Devil? Your name is on the list here.”

Kuro hesitated, “Er… yes… But… but that was ages ago… And… and I was influenced by the rest of my peers…”

“Oh it doesn’t matter, I have come with the Contract now, you just need to sign here.”

“But…” Kuro said meekly, “I… I have changed my mind…”

“You what?!” Taxloss exclaimed, sharp and sudden.

Startled, Kuro whispered, “I… I am sorry… I don’t want to give up my soul anymore…”

“Well you can’t do that,” Taxloss glared at him.

Kuro started to shudder, “How… how did you get in here… I mean you… you are Evil aren’t you?”

Laughing, Taxloss replied, “My son, I am more than Evil…”

“But… but… Master MDD has given us protection…” Kuro said weakly.

“What? You mean that object you stuck in the front?” Taxloss chuckled, “Well. I can’t read Chinese.”

“Whatever that is, it certainly doesn’t have any effect on me. Now stop playing games and sign here!”

Backing away from Taxloss, Kuro said in tears, “Please… please don’t make me… I don’t want to…”

“You asked for it…” a ghastly smile twisted Taxloss’ lips.

Kuro lapsed into fear as nine shadowy shapes manifested from nowhere.

“These are my Dark Helpers,” Taxloss said, beaming at Kuro, “I am sure you have heard of them before. They worked for Sauron but have since served me as the weakling was overtaken. They are here to assist you…”

“No… please… please…”

“Do it…” Taxloss commanded.

The nine shadows encircled Kuro, and one of them grabbed one of his arms. Kuro howled as his arm was severed from him, and lay helplessly on the growing pool of blood.

Taxloss sneered as she received the arm, and pressed the bloodied thumb onto the piece of Contract she was holding, “I guess thumb print will do just fine.”

“Watch him. Collect his soul once he’s dead,” and she left the dying man on the floor.
________________________________________________________


Corpse-pale servants in antique garb went to and fro with the furtiveness of specters, setting wines and foods before the Evil Twins in a broad chamber hall. The wines were of rare flavor and immense age, the food was curiously spiced. The Twins ate and drank copiously, their minion Dann stood quietly waiting, a grin on his face, seemingly pleased with himself.

“You have done well, my good and trustworthy minion,” BR said in a pleasant tone.

Dann beamed at his Mistress’ compliment and nodded passionately, “Yes My Lady! I am glad to be of service.”

“Indeed. Now that brings me to your next task,” BR replied with a smile.

“Your wish is my command!”

“Well, now that we know their next step… I want you to disrupt it. Be as sly as possible.”

“Sly?” asked Dann.

“No, guileless and unoriginal as you are, I don’t expect you to comprehend that,” BR snapped.

“Pardon my Lady!” Dann replied with a stutter, fearing to provoke his Mistress again.

BR’s face softened, “Oh well, considering your effort this time, I shall let it go.”

“Thank you my Lady!”

“I want you to set it up so that the honorable guest of theirs would fail to recover…” BR chuckled.

Dann nodded, “I understand now, my Lady.”

“Do not disappoint me.”

“Dann,” Hiake motioned for Dann to approach.

“Yes my Lady Hiake.”

“Here, take this,” Hiake said, holding a vial in her hand.

BR gave her Twin a sinister glance and turned to Dann, “It’s a gift from us, Dann.”

Dann accepted the vial of green liquid, “Thank you, my Ladies… but what shall I do with this?”

Hiake said with a smile, “This is the Potion of Desire, feed it to the woman you yearn for and she shall be yours.”

A red color shot across Dann’s features, “Oh… how… did my Lady know…”

The Twins laughed, “We know Dann. We know. Do not be embarrassed.”

“Thank you, my Ladies,” Dann bowed and left the chamber.

_____________________________________________________

BR chuckled, “Isn’t that wicked of you, my love?”

“Not at all,” replied Hiake smilingly, “Besides, that would serve toward our purpose, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes, yes indeed,” replied BR in a lively tone, “One less opposition to deal with. I am sure that brother of hers would be ecstatic no less…”

“And how is the preparation, my love?”

“Everything is going according to plan, my dear. Do not fret,” replied Hiake.

“That is excellent. I am always anxious for any setbacks at our big events,” BR grinned.
_______________________________________________________

Chapter 11​

Knoctur_nal or conveniently referred to as Knoc, sat in the chair, rhythmically polishing his Colt as the candlelight framed his prodigious physique against the far wall. If there was one thing Knoc was fond of apart from his beloved sister, it was his revolver. It never failed him in his quests of hunting. It seemed as much part of the man as his eyes or his hands. He had worn the Colt so constantly and so long that its association was as natural as the use of his limbs.

Nearby sat Loreen, knitting a sweater and doing her best to remain calm, as she noticed what her brother was doing. It was a habit for him to clean his prized Colt before a hunt.

“What ye hunting tonight?” asked Loreen in a nonchalant tone.

The query was met with a vague smile from her brother.

Loreen furrowed her brows, “What is it?”

Knoc strode to the window and gazed at the moon, which rode resplendent and glorious.

“Someone has to take the lad down,” he remarked, turning to Loreen.

“Ye mean the werewolf?” asked Loreen.

Knoc sneered, “Danger is closer at home.”

“Ye not thinking of taking down the wounded guest are ye?”

“Wounded?” said Knoc, “He is going to turn any moment now.”

Loreen replied in a hesitant manner, “But the other man… I think he knows what he’s doing. There’s hope for the wounded one to recover.”

“You don’t know that for sure, lass,” said Knoc, his eyes gleamed coldly.

Loreen chose her words carefully, “Brother, they are good men. Give them a chance…”

Knoc was silent as he stared out the window again. Loreen approached him.

“I know ye don’t trust them. But ye should trust me,” Loreen said gently, “They tried to save Moomba, didn’t they?”

“Well. Alright lass. Only because you said so. I’ll give that man a chance to live. But if things don’t look well, he’d have to go.”
______________________________________________________

Forty miles east of the Mountains of Endor, Chickenutbread, or conveniently referred to as CNB, squatted on her heels, frying strips of deer meat over a tiny fire. The sun was just coming up. A short distance away a rangy mustang nibbled at the wiry grass that grew sparsely between broken rocks. The woman had camped there that night, but her saddle and blanket were hidden back in the bushes.

As CNB fried her meat and watched her coffee boiling in a battered old pot, her gaze darted continually westward where the trail crossed a wide open space before it vanished among the thickets of a broken hill country. Eastward the trail mounted a gentle slope and quickly disappeared among trees and bushes that crowded up within a few yards of the spring. But it was always westward that she looked.

When a rider emerged from the thickets to the west, she set aside the skillet with its sizzling meat strips, and picked up her bow and arrows. Then her eyes narrowed with satisfaction. She did not rise, but remained on one knee, the bow resting negligently on her arm, not aimed.

The rider came straight on. He was a supple youth of medium height, and his hat did not conceal the fact that his hair was yellow and curly. His wide eyes were ingenuous, and an infectious smile curved his lips.

He grinned broadly, and said, “That meat smells prime, sister!”

“Light and help me with it," invited CNB, “Coffee, too, if you don't mind drinkin' out of the pot."

She laid aside the bow and arrows as the other swung from his saddle. The blond youngster threw his reins over the horse’s head, fumbled in his blanket roll and drew out a battered tin cup. Holding it in his hand, he approached the fire.

The youth filled his tin cup, drank the black, unsweetened coffee with evident enjoyment, and filled the cup again. He picked out pieces of the cooling meat with his fingers.

“Name’s BR,” confided the youth, “The other one’s Hiake.”

CNB nodded, “You’ve done well Ctodk.”

Ctodk grinned boyishly, “So what’s up next?”

“We rest,” said CNB, “Tonight we proceed.”

“If you say so,” replied Ctodk.
__________________________________________________________________________

“Hey wait a minute,” Dann called out.

Lopez halted; looked about, and remained motionless but unenthusiastic as Dann approached, grinning.

“Where are you heading to?” said Dann.

“Off to search for snakes,” grunted Lopez lazily.

“Guess what I have here,” said Dann gennially.

“What ye have?”

“I have got 30 pounds of ‘em gall bladders here and 50 pounds of glutinous rice.”

Lopez shot Dann a look, indicating at the two sacks he was carrying, “What? Ye must be joking!”

“Yeah, help me out will you?” Dann passed one of the sacks to Lopez, who seemed glad to help, “I have heard what the Chief asked for, and I happen to have them in my store.”

“Ye store?” Lopez responded, apparently his mood had changed from slothful to merry.

“Yeah, I reckon I must act fast if I want some business,” Dann bantered.

Lopez laughed, “Agro would be pleased that we get these supplies fast.”

“Yeah, let’s head over for a drink after we are done,” said Dann.

“Sure,” Lopez grinned, “I love ‘em lady there…”

Dann narrowed his eyes, “What lady?”

“Ye gotta be kidding! The tavern owner of course… She’s so pretty,” Lopez said with a slur.

“The owner!?” snorted Dann unexpectedly.

“Yeah… hur hur hur” Lopez chuckled.

Dann lapsed into sullen silence. He felt angered at Lopez’s comment, exasperated that the man had fancied the woman he yearned for. Jealousy and resentment crept into him as the two men walked on toward the tavern.

“So where ye come from?” asked Lopez suddenly.

Dann did not reply, instead he quickened his pace, carrying the sack on his shoulder, sweat dripping down his forehead.

“Hey wait up!” Lopez cried.

Dann nodded abstractly, hardly heeding.
______________________________________

Chapter 12​

Cortez rose at sundawn, weary but restless. Perhaps he would find refreshment by bathing, as he had often done, in a pool fed from the river and hidden among alder and willow thickets. The water, deliciously cool at that hour, would assuage his feverishness. His eyes burned and smarted in the morning's gold glare. His thoughts wandered, still full of the night's disorder.

“Why, you big ninny! I have no idea why I married you,” declared Valerie, as she fluttered her wings indignantly.

‘Me neither,’ thought Cortez bitterly, but he did not speak a word.

Valerie’s lips pouted at Cortez like two ripe berries. Her voice was honey -- but honey filled with bee-stings.

“You are always so ill-looking. And your manners are lacking. I wish I had a mirror that could show you to yourself for the fool that you really are,” Valerie said, with mockery in her voice.

Cortez was still silent. He was used to his wife’s constant peskiness. How could he have fancied himself in love with Valerie, how could he have spent eighteen moons in agony because of her coldness and changeability?

When he had first met Valerie, Cortez had found her to be enchanting. She was a harpy lady; she had a beautiful face, her lower body was that of a vulture’s. Her wings, talons, and beaks were strong -- the talons depicted as of bronze, the beaks able to break rocks, the wings made of steel. Harpies had a terrible reputation but what was palpable to Cortez was Valerie’s magnificent voice and delightful singing. Apparently, Cortez had thought she was a sweet, lovely creature.

“You wretched being! You don’t ever talk do you?!” cried Valerie, tossing her blonde ringlets in pettish arrogance.

“I can’t stand living in this foul-smelling den! You are such an adle-headed dreamer. You care for nothing! And you disappear some nights. Who knows to where… some other women perhaps?!” she continued.

“I told you Val. I am working on it,” Cortez said quietly.

“You are working on it! That’s what you have been saying every time! You worthless being!” Valerie shrieked.

“Where are you going?!”

“To take a bath,” replied Cortez as he headed out the door.

________________________________________________________

Perhaps, it occurred to him belatedly, Cortez was proving himself the ineffectual dreamer, the idle fool that Valerie had accused him of being. It was weakness to let himself be soured by her whining.

Walking with downcast eyes, he came unaware to the thickets that fringed the pool. He parted the young willows without lifting his gaze, and was about to cast off his garments. But at that instant the nearby sound of splashing water startled him from his abstraction.

It was a hideous looking creature, the face of a woman, with the body of a fish. It had long red hair and soft cyan blue eyes. The creature swam closer to Cortez as swift as a fox.

“Hullo. Are you the werewolf of Endor?” asked the creature.

Cortez was caught with surprise. He had not expected someone to know of his darkest secret, even Valerie was not aware of his most guarded skeleton in the closet. Still puzzled, he instinctively nodded.

“My apologies, this was a belated invitation, as it is tricky for me to catch you here at the right time,” she said as she produced a curious looking object.

Cortez accepted it from the creature and studied it. It had a peculiar symbol on it.

“What is this?”

“A request from the Evil Twins to attend the Gathering. You must be honored,” replied the creature.

“What Twins? I have never heard of them. A bunch of impish kids?”

The creature gasped, as if Cortez had spoken some forbidden words, “Oh you mustn’t speak ill of the Evil Twins!”

“Hey hey, don’t fear. There’s no one around.”

The creature flustered, “Well, I leave this to you, werewolf. Goodbye.”

“Hey, wait!” Cortez cried but the creature was gone in a flash, as sudden as it appeared.

_____________________________________________________________________

The Chief and a group of his men were gathered at the Hawny Tawny Tavern before dusk.

“What do you make of this, Master MDD?” queried the Chief.

“I think it is time to hunt for the main vampire…” said MDD calmly.

“Aye!” nodded one of the men, and the rest sounded their approval.

“How shall we proceed?”

“Eastern vampires are fond of dwelling in wet, shady places. We should first make a search of all the nearby caves and such.”

“A good call. We shall form a search party,” replied the Chief.

“Count me in,” Wind said.

“You’ve hardly recovered…” MDD’s eyes narrowed.

“I am well and fine! You shall not be going on an expedition to wipe out evil without me!” Wind retorted, “Besides, you could use some expert help.”

The Chief nodded, “We certainly need all the help we could garner, Master MDD.”

MDD shrugged, “I guess Wind could come along if he insists.”

“Well, I insist,” said Wind, “I’ve been soaking in that bloody tub for days; my skin is stretched like that of an old chap’s. I’ve been eating nothing but tasteless rice, that stuff you apply on my arm stinks! I certainly need some fresh air!”

“Alright then…” replied MDD.

“When should we start the search, Master MDD?”

“The sooner the better. But I do not think it is safe to search at night,” said MDD.

“Are you afraid?” Wind sneered.

“There are many unknown presence lurking out there… Our men might be in danger.”

“What danger? I thought you could handle it well. I say we start tonight,” said Wind curtly.

The Chief nodded again, “I agree with Master Wind. The sooner we start, the quicker we could locate that evil beast. Besides, Master MDD, I am confident you can lead and protect us all.”

MDD heaved a sigh, “Alright. I need to prepare for the search…”

The conversation was halted as Anchuchu served a bowl of glutinous rice, placing it forcefully on the table in front of Wind.

“Here ya go! Tasteless rice. Forgive me, my cooking is that awful!” said Anchuchu in a flat tone.

Wind’s face reddened and he did not reply. The Chief and MDD smiled at each other.
_________________________________________________________________

Chapter 13​

By the light of the waning moon, the eight men set forth on the hunt for the vampire. The Chief, MDD, Wind, Agro and four of his men. Agro and three others held torches. They headed toward the valley where some of the caves were. Tall, slender trees, whose leafage of lunar green was thickly starred with blossoms delicate as those of the turf, grew in groves and clumps above the valley, and lined the margin of a stilly flowing stream that wound away into measureless misty perspectives.

The silence of the woods lay like a brooding cloak about the men. The black shadows seemed fixed, immovable as the weight of superstition that overhung this forgotten and abandoned woods. Vague dreads stirred at the back of Agro’s and his men's minds; for the fearsome tales at which they had each shuddered as a child whispered again in their consciousness; tales of black shapes stalking the midnight glades. The dim trail wound tortuously between dense walls of giant trees.

MDD halted shortly, turning around to the men, “Shall we split up?”

Agro and his men looked at one another but did not reply.

Wind said, “Well yes I believe we should. It’s easier to search that way.”

“Shall we split into two groups, us following Master MDD and Master Wind?” asked the Chief.

MDD nodded, “That is fine.”

“Who wants to follow me?” offered Wind airily.

The men made an unconscious subtle shuffling of their feet toward MDD.

“I am very capable of looking after you folks,” Wind stated indignantly.

After a moment, the Chief finally said, “The four of you go with Master Wind. Agro and I shall set off with Master MDD. Pass me one of the torches.”

“Yes Chief…”

“If you chance upon the vampire, leave immediately and head back to us. Do not attempt to battle it,” said MDD.

The men nodded.

“If in danger, splash this over the vampire and run,” MDD continued, indicating to the two jars of blood from black dogs that one of the men, Dufus, was holding.

“Don’t be so anxious, I am with them,” said Wind, as he motioned for the men to follow.

They went on, dividing their party into two. MDD, Agro and the Chief took the east passage whilst Wind and the four men went toward the west route.

“Let me help you with that,” said Wind, pointing to the jars.

Shrugging, Dufus handed over one of the jars to Wind and remarked quietly, “They are not really heavy…”
_______________________________________________________________________

The night was warm and windless, and the woodland seemed to hold its breath. A sudden howling made the men jump.

“Hey, chill. It’s just a wolf,” Wind remarked unceremoniously.

The men gathered closer, every nerve tense and alert.

Dufus pointed, “Look!”

As if stalking a formidable foe, they carefully approached the cave. Grasping firmly the handle of his jar, Wind crept to the cave's mouth and spied nothing. His nose wrinkled at the smell of the dank cave.

“Let’s enter and search this out,” Wind whispered to the group.

One of the men muttered, “Should one of us stay out here just in case…?”

A piqued expression on his face, Wind said, “Alright. Dufus, you… Stay here. The rest of you… follow me.”

“Here,” said Dufus, handing over the jar to Taco.

“You,” Wind said, pointing at Taco, “You enter first.”

“Whaaat…?” Taco felt his knees weakened.

“Come on. Don’t be such a wimp. I am right behind you!”

With heavy reluctance, Taco stepped into the cave.

“Is everything alright in there?” Wind cried, his voice echoing uncomfortably down the narrow cave.

The words echoed in the silence as Taco made no reply.

Cursing underneath his breath, Wind said, “Follow me,” and crept into the cave as well.

__________________________________________________________

“What is it, Master MDD?” asked the Chief as MDD halted.

MDD did not reply, instead he held up his rounded compass-like object and studied it, a troubled expression on his face.

“What is it?” the Chief repeated.

Suddenly, MDD looked up, his voice urgent, “We must head back.”

“Head back?”

“They are in danger! Head west,” replied MDD as the three of them turned around.

____________________________________________________________

Thrusting their torches before them, Wind and the two other men seen why Taco was silent. There was a figure dressed in ancient Eastern garb, which appeared to be resting against one of the walls of the caves, unmoving.

“It… it is sleeping…?” asked Taco quietly.

They approached the figure warily.

“By Jolly… That’s Ani King the 7th…!” exclaimed Bubba, as he thrust his torch into the figure’s face, where shadows moved like living things in the pit-deep hollows of the eyes, and its skin was shrivelled and slightly crusted.

“Who?!”

“Ani King… I seen that man in our ancient history drawings…” said Bubba.

The other three nodded.

“Let’s get out of here and alert Master MDD!”

They started to head out but Wind could not even feel his feet move as he was drawn toward the figure. The pounding in his head, the dryness of his throat and the dull throbbing in his gums and fingernails were unfamiliar to Wind. He had a strange, foreign feeling…

Suddenly Wind let out a cry, a strange, foreign wailing in such a way as to bring a chill tingling to the backs of the other men’s necks.

“Master Wind, are you alright?!” Taco shrieked, almost in tears.

Ani King began to stir at the sound of the strange wailing.

“Let’s get out of here!” cried Bubba, pointing at the vampire, “It’s … it’s awakening!”

The men scrambled on their feet toward the entrance when Taco cried out in dismay. Cleaving closely as a tightened cloth, Ani King enfolded Taco in its embrace, and Taco yelped wildly, with incoherent pleas for help, and tore with frantic fingers at the vampire, but failed to loosen its grip. Then his cries began to mount in a mad crescendo of agony, as if beneath some instrument of infernal torture.

“Run! Run!” cried Bubba.

Dropping Taco onto the floor, lifeless as a puppet, Ani King leapt across and it appeared to Bubba from the loud bawling that the vampire had caught hold of the other man, Dante.

In a blur of pandemonian terror, Bubba crawled out of the cave’s mouth shrieking, much to the astonishment of Dufus.
______________________________________________________________________

Chapter 14​

“Run…!!!”

There was obviously no time for question, and Dufus followed Bubba as speedily as his astonishment would permit. Dufus had lost sight of Bubba in the darkness; and when he came to the first division of the woods, he was doubtful as to which passage Bubba had taken, till he heard a shrill scream, several times repeated.

He quickened his pace and to his relief, it was Bubba shrieking hysterically upon meeting up with the Chief’s party.

“What happened Bubba?” asked the Chief as he placed a hand on Bubba’s shoulder, trying to calm the man.

Bubba was in a fit of terror, unable to speak.

“Where are the rest?” asked Agro, but Bubba only shook his head.

“I… I was waiting outside a cave,” said Dufus nervously, “Then Bubba came out and told me to run…”

“Lead us there,” said MDD.

“No! No!” Bubba cried again.

MDD looked at him and then said to Agro, “Perhaps you should take him home first.”

The Chief nodded, “Bring him back to the tavern, Agro.”

Agro nodded, “Yes Chief. Be careful.”

The three of them, MDD, Chief and Dufus went on toward the cave where Dufus had came from.

They heard a recurrent strange moaning as they neared the place--a most alarming and mystifying sound under the circumstances. When they drew nearer, the beams of their torches revealed that it was a human figure, with its back toward them, and lying on the floors of the cave. It was Wind, seemingly unconscious. There was no sign of any vampire, but Taco and Dante were found lifeless, chunks of their necks bitten.

“Taco! Dante!” the Chief was devastated.

After they burned the bodies, the men brought Wind back to the Hawny Tawny Tavern.

‘He sure eats a lot,’ grunted Dufus in his thoughts, as MDD and he took turns carrying Wind on their backs.
___________________________________________________

Agro, Bubba and a few other men were waiting.

“My God!” Bubba cried, pointing at Wind, “What happened to him?! The man acts as if he were possessed!”

“Tell us what happened,” said the Chief grimly.

“We… we saw the vampire, Chief…” said Bubba, “It… it was Ani King the 7th! And… and we wanted to leave… to alert Master MDD… but… But then… Master Wind! He… he started to make this strange noise… he… he woke the vampire up!”

The statement brought some hushed cries of bewilderment amongst the men.

Wind stirred and opened his eyes, “What happened…?” and looked at the crowd, “What’s wrong? How did I end up here?”

There was a strained expression on MDD’s face as he examined Wind’s wound, “The poison is still in him… and it’s worsened.”

“What are you talking about!” exclaimed Wind in frustration, “I am fine!”

MDD extracted a piece of flesh of significant size from Wind’s wound, “Feel any pain?”

“No! See? I am fine!”

“You don’t feel pain because your tissues have hardened… In other words, it is a step closer to being a ‘stiff corpse’.”

Wind let out a helpless grunt in protest.

“Something must be wrong with the supplies!” pondered MDD with a scowl.

“What do you mean, Master MDD?” the Chief said as he motioned for one of them, “Bring out some of the supplies.”

Inspecting them, MDD frowned and said with a hint of exasperation in his usual calm voice, “Ah! This is not pure glutinous rice! It is mixed with plain rice! And these aren’t snakes’ gall bladders… They are lizards’…”

The Chief was angered, “Who brought these supplies?!”

“It was Lopez, Chief,” someone said quietly.

“Where is Lopez?!”

“I don’t know, Chief… He’s… he’s been missing since yesterday…”

“Get Lopez here!” exclaimed the Chief in an angered voice.

“Yes Chief!”

“What do we do now?” asked the Chief, worried.

MDD appeared to be distressed, “The poison… It is too deep now… I…” he paused as he looked at Wind, “I am afraid it is too late.”

“What are you talking about?!” Wind cried, “What do you mean it is too late? I am not going to turn into a bloody vampire!”

MDD was silent, and the rest of the men were whispering to one another.

“Is there no other way, Master MDD?” asked the Chief.

MDD did not reply but the rest of the men in hushed voices were suddenly quiet as a female voice spoke. It was Loreen.

“Well, in the West, the infected ones could be cured if you killed the main vampire. Perhaps it could work with the Eastern vampires as well?”

Wind nodded eagerly, but MDD shook his head, “I doubt that would work…”

“What do you mean you doubt it would work?! Well… any chance is a chance worth trying! I am going to try any way possible!”

“He is right, Master MDD. We should try any chance available…” said the Chief.

MDD nodded, “Yes… perhaps. I just don’t want to be giving Wind any false hope. It is time we hunt for the vampire. I will go alone this time.”

“No! I am coming with you!” Wind retorted, “I am going to kill that beast and cure myself.”

“Master MDD, my men and I would like to come with you as well. We can help,” the Chief offered.

“But I don’t want any more men dying...” said MDD.

“We want to do this for our people, Master MDD. Taco, Dante and the others shall not die in vain,” said the Chief firmly.

"How long do you suppose he has?" it was Bubba who whispered the awful question, which the men had all been asking themselves, pointing at Wind, “What if he goes mad again?”

The rest of the men could only stare in horrible fascination at Wind.

“What… if he turns…” asked Bubba again, and the rest of the men awaited in concern for the answer.

“Well, that is why I need to kill that bloody thing as fast as possible,” said Wind glancing angrily at the men, “We go tomorrow night, MDD.”

“Where shall we hunt for the vampire?” asked the Chief.

MDD thought for a moment, “I believe Wind can lead us there…”

“What?” asked Wind incredulously.

“You are part of him now. You can sense him if you try hard…” said MDD.

Wind shrugged in reluctance, “I’ll try…”

Some of the men looked at Wind with hidden disdain as they supposed he was the cause of Taco’s and Dante’s deaths.
______________________________________________

The sun had gone down with uncanny swiftness, as if it had disappeared through some sort of prestidigitation rather than the normal process of setting.

The eight men; MDD, Wind, the Chief, Agro, Dufus, Hagren, Kaka and Sancro, felt the instant chill of the blue-green twilight; and the ether above them was like a huge, transparent dome of sunless ice, shot with a million bleak sparkling that were the stars. Bubba had declined to come along. They donned the coats and MDD; his faithful robe. Dufus and Hagren each carried two jars of blood from black dogs. Wind wore a band of garlic around his neck. He reckoned if garlic could not work against Eastern vampires, perhaps it could at least slow down the poison in his blood.
They headed into the woods, Wind leading.
_____________________________________________________________________

Chapter 15

ANI KING the 7th
​

Clouds had rolled across the stars. The air was oppressive and stifling. The torches cast grotesquely distorted shadows along the woods. There was an occasional dull flicker of lightning along the dusky horizons. The men walked on in silence, except for the sporadic grunting and snorting heard from them. They plunged deeper into the woods then Wind suddenly halted in his tracks.

“Which way is it?” asked the Chief.

Wind did not reply, instead he took a deep breath, as if smelling the air around him. The rest of the men had a look of apprehension as they observed Wind’s action.

They had reached an expanse of solid ground, where the thinning trees let in the last grey light of the outer dusk.

“That way,” Wind murmured.

MDD glanced at his compass-like object, and they headed toward the direction Wind had pointed. They moved through a sinister twilight that was colored like dried blood, till they came to a cavern.

The cavern was in the face of a low cliff. The entrance had crumbled down in heaps of dark basaltic dust, but was large enough to admit with ease the eight of them. Darkness, heavy as if with a weaving of black webs, clogged the interior. They could form no idea of the cave's dimensions till they stepped in, and their torches served merely to reveal the beginnings of a chamber of indeterminate size that ran backward into night, widening gradually, with a floor that was worn smooth as if by vanished waters.

The air was tinged with a slight and doubtful darkness, and they felt the stirring of an almost imperceptible draft upon their faces. Oddest of all was the hint of a nameless odor…

“Is… is… is it… in there…?” whispered Kaka, hardly able to control his stammering words.

“Be brave,” replied Agro.

“Is he here?” queried the Chief, looking at both MDD and Wind.

Wind sniffed the air dubiously, “I feel him…”

MDD withdrew his sword, and cautioned the men, “Be careful.”

The men continued their advance into the cave. They had been walking at a fair gait for ten minutes, and were now about half a mile from the entrance. The floor was steepening, as if it had been the bed of a torrent. The air had grown heavier, the dampness unmistakable. There was a breath of stagnant ancient waters.

They were horribly startled when a loud cry sounded as they were on the winding path into the depths of the cave. Ahead of them, was the main vampire, Ani King; facing them with his dreadful eyes and ferocious cries. He looked at each of them, as if sizing his opponents one by one. There was no way to tell how nervous the men were, apart from MDD whom stood with his sword in his hand, and Wind who seemed to stare at the vampire in a strange look of awe.

“Back away…” MDD said quietly.

He bit his finger, and rubbed the blood across the blade of his sword, chanting. The rest of the men backed away slowly, but Wind stood rooted to the ground still.

MDD turned to look at Wind, “Wind?” and at that instant, Ani King let out a cry, and leapt across toward MDD.

“Look out!” the Chief cried.

Perhaps if MDD was a second slower, he would have had Ani King’s fangs sunken into his neck. MDD ducked just in time, and shifted to the right. He leant forward, thrusting his sword into Ani King’s chest. The sword appeared not to have any impact on the elder vampire. Ani King roared and closed in on MDD, desirous of a bite.

MDD lurched in a reeling run across the path, avoiding the deadly clutches of the vampire. He chanted again, as he drove his sword upward and attacked Ani King again. Ani King swept his arms across the sword forcefully, almost flinging it off MDD’s hand, but MDD’s grip was firm.

The Chief, Agro and the rest were dripping with cold sweat, watching the intense battle, each praying in their hearts that MDD would be victorious. Wind was still unmoving in his spot.

Poised in a stance of his Wudang Internal Kung fu, which was based on the principles of Infinity (Yi Wu Ji), Supreme Ultimate (Tai Ji), and Two Extremes (Liang Yi Wei Yi), MDD faced Ani King again, chanting. Then he lurched forward in an attack, and the vampire leapt right across, almost sinking his face into MDD’s left shoulder. With a desperate heave, MDD ducked down and rolled over again.

Realizing that he needed to weaken the elder vampire, MDD cried to the men, “Splash the blood at him!”

Agro looked at Dufus and Hagren, both of them seemed to be in a daze of horror, “What are you two waiting for?! Throw it!”

“Give me that!” said the Chief as he took one of the jars from Dufus.

The Chief flung the jar, but his aim missed Ani King, and the jar crashed onto the ground a few feet away from the vampire, blood spilling out. The smashing sound grabbed Ani King’s attention, and he turned toward the men.

“Let me try!” yelled Agro as he grabbed the other jar from Dufus and threw it at the vampire.

Alas, Agro missed as well, the expression of rigid horror grew on their faces as Ani King jumped toward them.

“Try again!” said MDD, attempting to stop the vampire from approaching the men.

MDD thrust the sword into Ani King’s back, but to no avail. The vampire merely groaned as he made another jump forward.

“Eat this!!!” Hagren cried suddenly as he flung one of his jars toward Ani King.

The jar landed directly onto the vampire’s head. It was smashed, and then blood began to flow from the cracks of the jar. The men watched in silence and wonder.

Then to their surprise, Ani King let out a cry, as if displeased with the wetness. It was not, however, a cry of pain.

Sensing something wrong, MDD cried, “That is not black dogs’ blood!”

The men glared accusingly at Hagren, and he whimpered, “They are black dogs’ blood! I went myself to the butcher!”

Then he added helplessly, “Some… someone must have switched the blood!”

“Help…!” Kaka yelled as Ani King was approaching fast.

From the sleeves of his robe, MDD removed a talisman and swiftly rolled across in front of Ani King. He stuck the talisman onto the vampire’s forehead. Ani King stopped in his tracks, immobilized.

They had barely let out a breath of relief when the talisman burst into flames and Sancro yelped in terror, “It’s moving!”

MDD replaced another talisman onto the vampire’s forehead. Again, it burst into flames, unable to hold the vampire for long. Ani King was resilient to the talisman.

Suddenly, Ani King turned toward MDD unexpectedly, and sunk his claws into MDD’s arms.

“Master MDD!!!” the Chief cried.

Pain shot across MDD’s body, but he tried to free himself from the fatal grip.

“Help him! Help him!” Dufus cried with tears of terror.

“Do something!” Sancro moaned.

Almost as unexpectedly, Ani King released his grip on MDD, tossing him like a doll across the walls of the cave.

“Master MDD!” the Chief cried, “Are you alright?!”

MDD lifted his head, his arms where Ani King had sunk his claws into, were bleeding profusely; and he felt as if his bones had cracked as he landed hard against the walls.

“Hold your breath…” he called out weakly to the men.

The men heeded MDD’s order, and Ani King paused in his movement.
_________________________________________________________________

Chapter 16​

Dreariness and terror grew in their bones with each passing moment. The wings of death and darkness hover more closely than ever. The men observed the elder vampire warily whilst backing away from him nervously. Ani King had stopped moving completely, but his eyes were still fixed at them, a low growling sound emitting from him.

Kaka shuffled his feet nervously, cast a look at Hagren, and then whispered, “I can’t hold it anymore…!”

Kaka tried to steal a breath of air; instantly, Ani King roared. The vampire jumped up in a flash, and covered the distance between them. He seized Kaka by the head and torso and bit deep into his neck. Kaka fell limp, nearly decapitated by the force of the bite. Blood spurted everywhere.

“Help…! Run!” Hagren shrieked.

But Hagren could not run far. This time, Ani King grabbed both Hagren and Sancro; sinking his claws into their shoulders. The men screamed in pain. With his left hand, Ani King held Hagren toward him, biting him in the neck; his right palm crushing into Sancro’s shoulder.

“Help!” Sancro yelled, as he struggled to free himself.

“Sancro…!”

Suddenly, Sancro tore free from Ani King, but he shrieked loudly. His arm was ripped off at the shoulder blade. With a swift movement, Ani King flung Hagren’s lifeless body and Sancro’s arm aside; and caught hold of Sancro.

The remainder of the group; the Chief, Agro and Dufus fell back aghast. Three of their men had fallen and they could barely do anything.

“Run Chief!”

Agro looked into the Chief’s eyes as he said those words. Then, turning to the vampire, Agro ran toward Ani King, his arms held out as if barricading the vampire from chasing after the other two.

“No…! Agro what are you doing?!”

“Let’s go, Chief,” Dufus whined, tugging at the Chief’s arm.

“No… Agro! Get back!”

The Chief, dazed and resigned, in a mystic inertia of despair, stared helplessly at his faithful companion. Trembling at his own weakness, he asked himself if there was not some way in which he could save Agro, could cheat the vampire of its ghastly tribute. To do this, and escape with impunity to himself and his men, he knew that he must strike at the very life of the vampire, which was believed to be deathless and invulnerable… But how could he do so? Even Master MDD failed to contain the beast…

In his grief and desperation, the Chief resolved to confront Ani King.

He turned around to Dufus and said, “Go! You get out of here, and tell others of this horrifying tale!”

“No… Chief!” Dufus protested weakly.

Before Ani King caught on to Agro, there was a sudden deafening sound. The vampire roared.

“Get moving!”

A man clad elusively beneath a hat, cape, and wearing a red silk mask covering the bottom half of his face; appeared out of nowhere, holding a strange object in his hand. He took aim at Ani King, and a loud sound ensued again. It seemed as if the vampire was hurt as Ani King let out a wail and recoiled backward.

“No time to waste! Go!” Knoc cried, as he fired another round from his Colt at the vampire.

Loreen had informed him of MDD’s conversations, and he had studied the methods indicated by MDD. Knoc had taken on improvising his bullets. He had squashed a couple of snakes’ gall bladders, mixed some of the ceremonial joss ashes together with chicken blood and inserted them all into his gun powder. The method seemed to work as the vampire seemed to be wary of him at the moment.

“Run! Get out of here!”

“Help us…” said the Chief, “Help us, Master MDD is hurt…”

Knoc noticed MDD a few feet away from Ani King. Carefully, he edged toward MDD, keeping a firm eye on Ani King, his hand on the trigger and ready.

The vampire seemed restless and displeased with the newcomer. His horrid eyes followed Knoc like a hawk eyeing its prey.

MDD lay on the ground, broken up. He had noticed the stranger’s arrival but was too weak to do anything to help. His wounds were throbbing intensely and MDD thought to himself in anguish that he should not have agreed and led the men here. His lungs were beginning to hurt. A cough grew in the base of his throat.

“Ye alright?” said Knoc, as he put an arm beneath MDD’s shoulders.

“My legs are broken,” MDD winced.

Directing his Colt at Ani King, Knoc fired again. The vampire howled and staggered a few steps back.

“Come on,” said Knoc as he lifted MDD up.

As Knoc took MDD on his back, he could feel it warmly soaked with the man’s blood.

“Hold on,” Knoc grunted, as he moved at a quick pace toward the three other men, “Go, move!”

“Look out!”

Ani King leapt toward them. Knoc handed MDD to Agro; and tried to fire another shot at Ani King, but the vampire was too quick. Ani King grabbed Knoc and lifted his torso up, his fangs ready to sink into Knoc’s neck.

“No…!” the men cried out in despair.

“No…!” another voice sounded.

It was Wind. The vampire released his clutches on Knoc and made a strange gurgling sound. Before Ani King could bite into Knoc, Wind had shoved a bunch of garlic from the band he was wearing into Ani King’s mouth. Ani King was clearly loathing the taste of it, as he tried to spew it out.

Wind tossed a few more garlic into Ani King’s mouth, “Get out of here, all of you!”

With MDD on Agro’s back, the men backed away toward the entrance.

“Come with us, Master Wind!” the Chief cried.

“Don’t worry about me! Just get out of here!”

The garlic seemed to keep Ani King occupied. Every time the vampire spit out the garlic, Wind threw another into his mouth.

“We have to leave,” warned Knoc sharply.

“But… Master Wind…”

“Get out of here! Hurry!” Wind cried, “I can’t hold him any longer!”

There was no room for fear, no time for alarm, in the dazed and chaotic turmoil of their sensations. The men were stupefied by all that they had experienced, but deep in their hearts, they knew they had to leave.

“Come quickly,” Knoc muttered quietly, but resolutely.

With a hint of reluctance, the Chief followed along the rest of the group backtracking their way out of the cavern.
________________________________________________________________________

“Come on, you want this?” Wind asked.

As Wind fed Ani King the last bit of garlic, he was torn between the impulse of flight and a strong, unreasoned attraction that made him unwilling to go. He felt an awakening yearning, a desire for… blood. Yet he fought hard to resist.

Wind remembered only a teeming delirium of things too frightful to be endured by a sane mind that occupied the infinite gulf of hell-born illusion into which he sank with the hopeless precipitancy of the damned. There was a sickness inexpressible, vertigo of redeemless descent, an urge for him to give in… Initially, he had felt strangely drawn to the vampire; his fixation with him had made Wind mesmerized and lost. With the remaining of his humanity, he struggled to distract and prevent Ani King from going after the men.

Wind gritted his teeth, “I stand firm with you, my Lord. I praise your name and sing of your greatness. I put on your armor, that I may be ready to fight evil in your name. I submit to you my Lord, my God Almighty…!”

_________________________________________________________________________________

Marching with all possible speed; Agro carrying MDD on his back, the men reached in what seemed like eternity, the mouth of the cavern. As they spotted the faint light from outside, they heard a bizarre, terrifying cries of agony echoing through the walls of the cave.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 17​

BR gazed at her pair of gargoyles with satisfaction, as she tossed a piece of meat into the cage. They seemed to retain for her a rare and mystical meaning, to signalize an obscure but pleasurable triumph. One of the gargoyles was snapping at the other, snarling its fangs; trying to intimidate the other into giving up the meat.

“They have grown to be quite some beauties, haven’t they?”

“Indeed,” Taxloss replied with a nod, “Lovely!”

“They certainly have got you quite devoted to them, my love,” said Hiake with a smile.

The casual conversation was interrupted by a knock; and Dann appeared at the entrance of the chamber, bowing.

“My Ladies, permission to speak freely.”

“Hello Dann, I hope you bring us some good news,” Hiake remarked.

A smug grin emerged on Dann’s face, “My Ladies, one of the two invited guests; Wind, has fallen.”

BR laughed gaily, “Really! You have done very well indeed, Dann!”

“Excellent job, Dann,” Hiake chuckled, “So he has given in to the beast within.”

Dann was beaming from his two Mistresses’ praises; it was a very rare occasion for him to be complimented upon, “Thank you, my Ladies!”

Taxloss rubbed her palms together, “Hmm, I could just get rid of that twerp, my charming ones.”

“Oh no, Tax. We prefer some amusement,” replied BR laughingly.

“Indeed, this is wickedly delicious,” Hiake added.

“Alright, if you say so,” Taxloss shrugged and turned her attention to the gargoyles, one of them was humming softly now after it successfully devoured the meat.

“Now that one of them has fallen, they are certainly weak at this hour of need. Go approach them, Dann, and gain their trust.”

“Yes, my Ladies,” Dann nodded.

“Remember, be cautious.”
_________________________________________________________

As Dann descended the steps to the Chamber of Oil Cauldrons; where the prisoners are usually fried in hot oil, he grinned to himself.

Everything was going on smoothly; he could hardly believe it himself. He had succeeded in foiling the plans of Wind’s recovery; but there was a slight drawback in switching the blood… He had hoped for it to be a fatal expedition… but alas, the other one got lucky. He smiled dreamily as his thoughts drifted to Loreen. Perhaps it was time for him to give her the potion? To let her taste the desire of his love…

Wormfoot; Wormtongue’s twin brother greeted Dann as he spotted him down the chamber, “Hey Dann, how’s it going buddy?”

“Great,” Dann chuckled, “How’s everything?”

“Great! Hey thanks for the new addition. He just made the twenty-mark count,” Wormfoot lowered his tone and said with a slight shudder, “You know, our Lady wouldn’t be pleased if it was any less.”

Dann nodded amicably, “I understand! Glad to be of help. Where is he?”

“Right there,” Wormfoot pointed to the last cell.

“Usually, we would just torture ‘em, but with the Gathering nearing, they want us to keep these creeps alive for the event. Fatten ‘em up, so to speak…” Wormfoot added with a giggle.

Dann approached the cell. The man in the cell took one look at Dann, and burst out yelling.

He had been crying previously, his voice was rusty and hoarse, “Hey you! You! Let me out of here!”

Dann stared at the man, but he did not reply.

“Let me outta here! What is this place!? You… you promised to bring me for a drink somewhere and … and brought me here… What… what is this place?! Please… let me out!” the man continued wailing.

“Easy, Lopez,” Dann laughed quietly, “It just has to be done.”

“What? What do ya mean?! What has to be done? Please! Please just let me go… I promise I would do anything you say!”

“Don’t worry. It will be a very pleasant experience for you.”

“What? No! Let me out… I know how this works… Ya all gonna kill me… Let me out!”

“You fool. You don’t know anything,” Dann sniggered as he started to walk away.

“No! Hey! Come back! Let me out!!!”

Suddenly, Dann turned around and hissed, “Oh yeah, do me a favor. Don’t even dream of Loreen. You are no match for her!”
___________________________________________________

MDD’s first sensation, as he came back to consciousness, was one of well-nigh insufferable heat. It seemed to beat upon him from all sides in a furnace-like blast and to lie upon his face, limbs and body with the heaviness of molten metal. Then, before he had opened his eyes, he became aware of the furious light that smote upon his lids, turning them to a flame-red curtain. His eye-balls ached with the muffled radiation; there was a dull throbbing in his scalp, which might have been either headache induced by the heat, or the pain of a somewhat recent blow.

He recalled, very dimly, that there had been an expedition-- somewhere--in which he had taken part; but his efforts to remember the details were momentarily distracted by new and inexplicable sensations. He felt now that he was moving swiftly, borne on something that pitched and bounded against a high wind that seared his face like the breath of hell.

Memory came to him in a tumbling torment of images; and with it, a growing alarm. MDD opened his eyes; his arms were still throbbing, but not too much, they were bound up; so were his legs. The Chief sat watching him, a melancholy expression on his face.

“Chief?” whispered MDD quietly.

“Hey… how are you feeling, Master MDD? You have been lying in bed for 3 days now…”

“I have been better. But whoever fixed me up did a good job…”

The Chief smiled, “Yes, it was our lovely Loreen.”

“Loreen?” MDD was slightly surprised, “I wasn’t aware she is so handy in medicine…”

“Yes, she used to be aiding our medicine man, Moomba sometimes…”

“Loreen has applied some of the snakes’ gall bladder to your wounds, Master MDD. This time, we made sure they are genuine…” the Chief added, “And I have instructed for them to prepare you meals of pure glutinous rice…”

“Have you found your man, Chief?” a hint of anger in MDD’s voice, recalling Wind’s grave outcome due to the mix-up.

The Chief shook his head, “No… We have yet to locate Lopez. He’s been missing for the 5th day now.”

“How about the stranger that helped us?”

“Oh… he left us without a word, as soon as we returned to the tavern. I have asked my men to search for him, but there is no news yet,” the Chief replied, “It is odd… I wonder who he is…”

“Yes… he was great help… And he is not just an ordinary folk… I would like to thank him personally too.”

“Yes, Master MDD. We shall continue to look for him. I was very glad for his aid too.”

“And Wind…?”

The Chief looked at MDD; there was no need for him to reply as MDD guessed the answer… Both the men were silent, a gloomy undertone in the air.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 18​

Dann reached the tavern with a sense of supreme relief, for he had begun to feel a distinct intuition that someone or something was following him, unheard and invisible -- a presence that seemed to load the dusk with prodigious menace. He entered, and closed the door behind him very quickly, as if he were shutting it in the face of a dread pursuer.

There were few people in the tavern that evening. Loreen was serving wine to a mercenary elf, a personable youth and a newcomer in the neighborhood, and she was laughing at the broad jests of this elf.

Glowering with jealousy at the presence of the elf, whom he suspected of being a favored rival, Dann seated himself in silence and stared malignly at the flirtatious couple. No one seemed to have noticed his entrance; for Anchuchu went on chatting amicably with another customer, and Loreen and her companion were equally oblivious. To his jealous rage, Dann soon added the resentment of one who feels that he was being deliberately ignored. He began to pound on the table with his heavy fists, to attract attention. Loreen, who had been sitting all the while her back turned, now called out to Anchuchu, telling her to serve Dann. Giving a grunt, Anchuchu came slowly and with open reluctance to the Dann’s table.

"Bring me a pitcher of wine," Dann ordered gruffly, in a voice that betrayed his mingled resentment.

“Is that all?”

Dann did not reply; instead his eyes were fixed at both Loreen and the elf.

“A daydream meal combo, is that what you would like?”

“What?”

Anchuchu lowered her voice but said in a firm tone, “Stop staring at her. She’s out of ya league.”

“What are you talking about?” Dann asked, a little furious.

“Oh you know what I am talking about…”

“Just bring me the wine will you?”

Tossing her head lightly and scornfully, Anchuchu obeyed. She placed the fiery, blood-dark wine before Dann without speaking, and then went back to resume her bantering with the earlier customer.

The door had opened and a young woman and a tousled hair youth strode into the tavern. Dann began to drink, and the potent vintage merely served to inflame his smoldering enmity and passion, oblivious to the two newcomers.

The woman and the lad approached the bar.

“We desire food and lodging," said the woman, “Host, my brother is weary. Bring him to a room where he can sleep. We have ridden far.”

“Aye, one room will cost two coppers per night…” Anchuchu’s voice trailed off as the woman set a small pouch on the table, filled with gold.

“Aye, your honor!” Anchuchu nodded eagerly.

“Your names? Where are ye from, may I ask?”

“I am Chickenutbread of Elundria, this is my young brother. Who are you?”

“I am the host of this Hawny Tawny Tavern,” replied Loreen, her tone seemed to challenge her questioner to ask further.

“Do you have many guests?” Ctodk pursued.

“Few come twice…”

CNB started and glanced up straight into Loreen’s eyes, as if she sought for some hidden meaning in the host's words. Both women stared at each other for a moment longer without speaking.

“You seem to have heard of Elundria…” CNB spoke at last.

“I came from there. Long ago,” Loreen replied curtly.

“Ah… such a coincidence…”

“We came from afar to seek someone,” said Ctodk.

CNB said with a smile, “Perhaps you could help us.”

“Whom do you seek?”

“A man… known as the Shadow.”

“Never heard of him!” exclaimed Loreen.

“Really? We were hoping you could help… a pity. The Elders sent us.”

“Sorry, can’t help ye…” Loreen shrugged, “Excuse me,” and headed off to attend to the elf.

“Aye… I am drained. Could you lead us to our chambers now?” CNB asked Anchuchu.
______________________________________________________

The door was opened slowly and grudgingly, and a woman peered forth, frowning with portentous gravity as she saw MDD.

“What are ye doing?” Loreen asked.

MDD did not reply, as he slowly folded each of his inner clothing; mostly white, into his faithful faded yellow-colored sack.

“Ye are not thinking of leaving are ye?”

Almost without emotion or thought of any kind, MDD gave a nod and proceeded to pack again.

“Wait! Ye can’t just leave…”

“Has it ever occurred to you,” MDD said in a grave, finely modulated voice, “So many lives would not have been lost had I not been careless?”

“Careless? That was a misfortune…”

“You don’t understand. I could have prevented everything. I could have stopped the men from dying if I had insisted on going alone. I could have stopped Wind from turning if I checked the ingredients. I should have monitored his progress of recovery closely…” MDD said quietly.

“Look… The Chief and everyone else insisted on going. Ye had no choice… And Mr. Wind… ye trusted he would be alright. Ye were caught up in thinking of ways to contain that beast. Ye were worried about other matters. Everyone makes mistakes.”

MDD shook his head, “I could have done better. I should have done more. I was careless. I am ashamed of myself. I cannot stay here any longer.”

Loreen stared at MDD incredulously, “Ye gonna leave us in this time of need?! Ye gonna just leave us out of shame? Back to ye own place and forget about us?”

MDD paused, “I am sorry… I failed the Chief…”

“Aye! Indeed ye failed the Chief by leaving now! Ye failed yer buddy Mr. Wind too! Ye failed us all by leaving now!”

“I…”

“Look at ye! Ye can’t even kill a bug now! Let alone hunt a vampire! Ye have let us all down!”

MDD hung his head down and said no more, slowly walking toward the door with a limp.

“I am sure the Chief would be very happy to learn that the person he trusted most has left in the middle of the night without a word!”

MDD was hesitant. He could not collect his shattered thoughts; but a shapeless guilt, an awareness of something irremediably wrong and baleful, rose in his mind.

'We are so grateful for your arrival. Our people have hopes now…' the Chief’s words to him on their first day of arrival echoed in MDD’s head.

'Don’t worry about me! Just get out of here!' Wind’s cries pained his heart.

“Are ye gonna give up on us? The choice is yers…” asked Loreen in a quiet tone.
______________________________________________________________________

Chapter 19​

Anchuchu shambled through a low ceilinged room adjoining the tap-room, and which opened out into another, more spacious room above. It was under the steep roof, and barely furnished, but even so more elaborate than anything to which CNB had ever been accustomed.

CNB saw-for somehow she had begun instinctively to note such details-that the only entrance was through the door which opened on to the ladder; there was but one window, and that too small even to admit her lithe form. And there was no bolt for the door from within. She saw Ctodk scowl and shoot a quick suspicious glance at Anchuchu, but the hobbit did not seem to notice, rubbing her hands and discoursing on the excellent qualities of the den into which she had brought them.

"Sleep, brother," said CNB for their host’s benefit; then as Anchuchu turned away, she whispered in Ctodk’s ear, "I trust her not; we will move on as soon as night falls. Rest meantime. I will come for you at dusk."
_________________________________________________________________________

What woke CNB was the gentle opening of the door. She wakened to darkness, relieved but little by the starlight in the tiny window. No one spoke, but something moved in the darkness. She heard a beam creak and thought she caught the sounds of suppressed breathing.

"Is that you, Ctodk?" CNB whispered. There was no answer, and she spoke a trifle louder. "Brother! Is that you?"

CNB thought she heard breath hiss softly between teeth, then the beam creaked again, and a stealthy shuffle receded from her. She heard the door open and close softly, and knew she was once more alone in the room. She sprang up, drawing her dagger.

Gliding to the door CNB opened it and gazed down into the lower room. There was only darkness, as if she looked into a well, but she heard someone moving across the room, and then a fumbling at the outer door. Taking her dagger in her teeth, she slid silently down the ladder, with ease and stealth.

As her feet touched the floor and she seized her dagger and crouched in the darkness, CNB saw the outer door swing open, and a bulk was framed in the opening for an instant. She recognized the stooped top-heavy figure of the man they had been looking for. He was breathing so heavily that he could not have heard the faint sounds she made. He ran quickly across the court-like space behind the tavern, and CNB saw him vanish into space behind the tavern, and then into the stables.

She watched, straining her eyes in the dim starlight, and presently he came forth leading a horse. He did not mount the beast, but led him into the forest, showing every evidence of a desire for silence and secrecy. A short time after he had vanished, she caught the faint sound of a horse galloping. Evidently the man had mounted after attaining a descreet distance from the inn, and was now riding hard to some unknown goal.

CNB glided out the back door and stole around the tavern. Silence hung over the black shadowed forest, except for a faint far cry of a night bird.

Candle light streamed from the window of a small room on the other side of the tavern, separated from the common-room by a short passage. As she glided past this window, CNB halted suddenly, hearing her name spoken.

“Where have you been!” whispered Ctodk, startling her.

“Hush! I have seen him…”

“What? Who? The Shadow?!”

CNB nodded, “The Elders were right.”

“So we came to the right place…” said Ctodk excitedly.

“Yes… I am glad,” replied CNB.

She tapped Ctodk’s shoulder affectionately, “Rest well now my brother. Tomorrow night we shall catch up with him.”
________________________________________________________________

Despite the sombre atmosphere in the Hawny Tawny Tavern, business was busy as usual. The Chief and Agro were seated at the table, accompanied by Loreen.

“Did he have any message for us?” asked the Chief, hopeful.

“No Chief. He just wanted to leave this place fer good,” said Loreen.

Agro gritted his teeth and pounded his fist on the table, “That man! I can’t believe he just walked out on us! Such a coward!”

The Chief shook his head sadly, “Agro… I believe he was overwhelmed with guilt. We shouldn’t blame Master MDD…”

“But Chief… He gave up on us!”

Loreen said quietly, “I tried to talk to him, but that man really made up his mind. He felt bad for everything that has happened…”

The Chief sighed, “I wish I was here to stop him. It wasn’t his fault…”

Then he added, “Master MDD has barely recovered too… Perhaps we should send some men to look for him… I am worried about his safety.”

“What? Chief… this man…” Agro tried to protest.

“No, Agro… Don’t blame him…” said the Chief kindly, “I can understand how he feels. He blames himself for our loss of Master Wind to the darkness…”

“He’s really changed…” Loreen muttered, “I think he has lost all his self-confidence too…”

“This is such a sad tragedy,” replied the Chief in a sorrow tone and then he turned to Agro, “Have you found Lopez?”

“No, Chief. It’s as if the Earth had opened and swallowed him up. There’s no trace of him. Even his relatives have no idea where he had gone to. And what’s odd is that he did not take any of his belongings with him.”

“That is odd indeed…” pondered the Chief, “Perhaps something has happened to him…”

“Whatever it is, I wish to locate Lopez. We must question him.”

“Yes Chief…”

“Well, excuse me Chief. And I am so sorry,” said Loreen, getting up.

“Do not be, Loreen. You tried your best…”

As Loreen headed to the bar, someone started to approach her.

“Hullo,” said Dann grinning.

“Can I help ye?”

Dann did not reply, as he stared into Loreen’s face.

“Well?” Loreen asked, looking up.

Dann began to blush, “Uh… Er… I was wondering… if… if you wanted to go out with me…”

“Out with ye?!” Loreen began to chuckle and then stopped, “Ye not joking?”

“No! Er… of course I ain’t joking… I am very… sincere…”

“Where would ye like to bring me?” Loreen asked, smiling.

“Anywhere!... Uh… I mean… to… to a fair…” Dann added, “I’ve even got the tickets!”

“Oh…” said Loreen, “Well, alright then…”

“Really? That’s great!” Dann exclaimed, then he went even redder in his face, “I mean… that’s so nice of you to want to go out with me…”

Loreen laughed, “Well… I wouldn’t mind… Since ye so sincere…”

“That’s awesome,” replied Dann beaming, “I shall pick you up tonight…”

“Tonight?” Loreen paused, frowning, “We can’t go out at night…”

Dann leaned forward, whispering, “Tis is a special fair… You won’t regret it! Besides no one’s gonna know if we keep it quiet… I promise there won’t be any danger to you!”

“Where is this fair?”

“It’s in Farlands… Just next to our town… We are going to ride there ok?”

Sensing her reluctance, Dann added, “It’s a really great event! All the Farlands folks love it… You would love it there too…”

“Well… alright… but tell no one…” replied Loreen quietly with a smile.
___________________________________________________________________

 

Chapter 8 is excellent. Quite funny how MDD informs Wind that he used the wrong methods after trying so hard.

 

professional view from MDD, u forgot the amulet bbrain lol!!...jenna isn't at home...she could be out there sucking lol....and don't mess with bbear...now I know what's in the basket lol!

 

^Huh? What amulet?

 

^haiya we call it 符 la lol....

 

She did not miss it. Babyrain called it a yellow talisman.

 

keep the story comin'. i like your creativity and the details. i can handle the gore but would rather not imagine creatures being blown to bits or cannibalism. *shiver* captivating storyline you got though

 

LOL, gore... de fun hasn't begun yet... -devil
Anyway, a more gory story would be The Chosen One... this one is more in the Fantasy genre... (Did i hear a sigh of relief from you? ) I hope you like ur pic!

Oh that.. . You said 'amulet' I thought you are talking about Dann's... Amulet of the Emissary... -rotfl

 

oh F***ed it...I always seem to miss little details lol....

 

^Either that or you skimming... Hmmph. Are you learning from Dann?

 

nola nola i swear i didn't lol....maybe because i'm don't fancy reading things online...i tried reading harry potter ebooks...the feeling is just different compared to when i'm actually holding the book lol... (lame eh lmao!!)

 

I know... you skimmed every other part except for your own character's.... LOL.

You can try to get this published... -lol You can be my agent.

 

lol...for a split second I even missed ma own name lol...see i didn't do it on purpose...agent? lol sure! i've said i will print it out for my cousin's reading material....with ur permission of course!! -lol

 

Please PM me if you wish to be featured in a cameo appearance.
All requests will be considered but may or may not be fulfilled! -^_^

 

very cool
i liked the part where the elf got its head blow to peices.lol
and wind trying to stake it and then cut off the vamires head was funny as hell
very good chapter indead

keep up the great work!
glad to see you writing again

 

Chapter 9 is up... -^_^

 

another great chapter
the guy keeping the dead body of his lil girl thats crazy,but some ppl would do that i wouldn't tho
but he got what he needed for being a dumb ass.lol
then wind geting a peice of meat out of his arm,i just knew he was dead but that wouldn't be any fun when i think about it
i see some MR vampire in there.lol
very cool

but i guess wind will turn IMO and mdd will have to do what he does best
again great chapter!!
keep it up baby i love your storys

 

i can't wait for the next chapter. hehe. (although, i have to admit, it's mainly because i'm interested in seeing what my character will be) i hope i'm not a blood-sucking vampire. and it's just a guess but does my character have something to do with my picture being put in the middle of Wind's and 無得頂's? anyways, nice chapter 9. lol.

 

^Aww, be patient... You are not up yet... at least for another 2-3 chapters. Hmm u r only interested in what ur char will be? How about the story itself? -huh

 

CH9 is great too, but wasn't expecting one of the "masters" to be hurt so quickly. Maybe Wind will eventually turn into a vampire, bite MDD, and the 2 could be vampire "masters."