sien d...

only reserved to writing ba here... http://www.vantarot89.blogspot.com/

March of The Succubus - Chapter 14 (The Dark Castle)

The full moon was a glowing like a round orb of silvery glare. Nearby, the howls of the winter wolves could be heard even a great distance away. The pines that one bore the fruits of life and birth, now lay dead by the sides of the charred terrain of zule and carnage. Along it's path, blightened lands diminished every last remaining breath of life around it, causing every tree, root and petal to whiter and die. THen, came the eeire, misty, cold that could not be seen, but felt at a devastatingly rapid rate. It takes but only the tingle of your senses, and a moment too late, one begins to feel his skin twitch and burn, his veins begin to dry and crack, and in an instant,his lungs evaporate at the chilling cold sensastion that penetrates though the soul. Then, there will be silence.

Slowly, an image of a little child approaches the barren valley of snow and death, accompanied by a taller female figure. Yet, thier presence did nothing to dismiss the fact that death has its grip upon the land. In fact, it would be the very two duo that were causing all the mayhem and distrot. To start with, the little girl and her companion were misty and shades, and thier eyes... those eyes spelt nothing more than death and sorrow. Deep, watery and blue to the sight, but stare a moment longer, and wacth as all the happiness in within you get drained away.

The older lady was wearing a nightgown that befitted a queen, yet, with every step she took, she would leave a cold trail of death and decay. The two continued thier silent march through the forest, and into the depths of Norshire forest, the moon thier only guiding light, unaware that they were being watched from behind. Then, in the bushes, there was a little rustle, and then 'Its the Witches! Charge! Kill them all!!' There was a huge scattering of leaves, brushes and shrubs as countless soldiers emerged from thier hiding, arms in hand, pouncing out at them like mad tigers.

In that instant, the older lady merely said to the little girl, 'Chean.... Stand behind me...' and with a 'swoosh', raised her hand in the air. Immediately, there was a loud howl, and the soldiers froze in thier wake. Puzzled and confused, the largest of them all shouted, 'Come on men! LEt's rid them for good!' and moved forward, but as he did, shadows began to appear behind the two ghostly-ladies. Little at first, but one by one, they emerged from the darkness ito the moonlight. Wolves... larger that any they had ever seen, began circling the two ladies, as if standing before thier mistress and danger. Then, one of the soldiers yelled in pain. 'Argghh!!!' and then, silence. The leader shouted, 'Bill? Bill?!' Then, another, 'Arggh!!' 'No..!!!!!!'. One by one, the soldiers began to dissapear. The remaining ones faced the witches back to back.

'MORTALS....' the little child suddenly spoke. 'FOOLISH.... THE ICE QUEEN IS VERY... UNHAPPY....' Then, as though posessed, the little child began to levitate, a little at first, then, completely in mid air. The soldiers just looked and stared in bewilderment. One of the soldiers drew his sword, and with a quick dash, charged at the little girl. 'Die, you damn Demon!'. But as the soldier got nearer to the little girl, he could not believe what he was looking at. Something... began to emerge from behind the little girl... a figure... no... it was something else... something huge.... he was bewildered... he tried to turn back.. he ran... but it got ccloser... it was huge... black... and huge..... he ran.... and ran... he darn't look back for a second.. but it was getting closer... the otehrs.. they ran too... and then... snap... he felt as though his neck was snapped in two, and the last thing he saw, were the red, bloodlust eyes of the Werewolf, staring back at him.

********************************************************************************
It was impossible. A while ago, he was battling in the palace grounds, but now... he had no idea where he was. 'Helooo~' and all he had for a reply was an echo. He tried again, 'Heloo~' Nothing but his own sanity speaking to him. It was all dark around him. Too dark. Then, he saw something. Something appeared out of the darkness. It was waering some sort of cloak, and in its hand, it held a candle. The creature was nothing June had ever seen before. It called out to him, 'Comeee..' and as it did, it began to dissapear into the background. June shouted, No! Wait! Where am I? Can you please..' but it was gone.

June was confused and tried to look for the creature again, and then, there was light appearing behind him this time. Again the creatuer appeared, and it said the same thing, 'Come... come to me...' Lord June felt a heavy urge to move towards the creture, to heed its call. But something told him not to. The creature began to fade again, calling out, 'Come... come to me.... come to me, son....' June ran towards the creature, 'Father?! Father! FAther... Wait!' But the creature was gone.

'Fa.. Father!' Lord June shot up from the bed, his pesperations drenching every corner of his forehead. His breathing was heavy, and he was lost. He looked around him. The candles, the light.... he tried to move his feet. Numb. Even his arms... Exhausted, he slumped back into the comfort of the bed, and tried to relax. What was that about? He was sure it was a dream.. But a dream about his father? He was beginning to ask himself questions, when someone entered the room.

The house maid looked around, and the moment she spotted Lord June, she exclaimed, 'Oh, milord! You are awake! I.... I'll call the medics!' And she left the room, racing towards the stairs.
*******************************************************************************
Robson layed himself on the cold tiles by the gardens, trying hard to digest all that had happened. Was it all true? If so, what did all this mean? And what did Halo say about a Slayer amongst them? Gumption told him that he had to do something. But what?

Just then, a shadow began to emerge from behind the corridors, then, it lay still. Lord Robson had his head down on his palms, but his days in the forests hunter badgers and foxes made it easy to make out those faint hearbeats. 'Its ok.... You can come out now.' The shadow stood upright, then, slowly, approached Lord Robson. It was Princess Wanyi.

Lord Robson immediately knelt down before her. 'Milady!' The Princess smiled, 'No need for such formalities, my brave knight.' Lord Robson stood up. 'And what brings your eminence here in such, chilly weather, and at such dark hours?' The Princess took a seat by the fountain, dipping her fingers into the waters, causing a ripple of water to emerge from it. 'I... Please.. Call me Wanyi... I would prefer more friends that servants, milord.' Lord Robson replied her smile with much enthusiasm. 'Then, Wanyi...' It took some time for it to sink in, much unnatural to be using such a title to adrress the daughther of the King. 'Something is troubling you... I can see that...'

The Princess stood up, and took a few paces forward, her expression was grim and distraught. 'its just that all that's been happening... Lord June.... Prince Wai Kit.... All the men that had lost thier lives for mine.. It's... *sniff* ...It's just...' Small trails of tears began to drip down her cheeks, however hard she was trying to hide them from Lord Robson. Robson came forward. 'Please, Wanyi... Its not at all your fault.... Protecting you and the King is what we have pledged ourselves to do... Much the fact that the lives of me and my men are nothing compared to your safety.' Wanyi didn't cheer up. 'But.. It's... It's ll because of me.. Don't you see? I am what they are after.... But why? And... and I'm putting all of the people I care about in danger! If my father were here that very moment, he would have...' She began to sob, uncontrollably.

Robson felt sorry for her. For all her fair and beauty, within it lies the heart of a true maiden, of her love for her father and her country. Yet she blames it all on herself... Harsh reality for a maiden to endure by herself. He came forward, and placed a reaasuring hand on top of hers, grasping them tight. 'Listen to me, Wanyi. You are a Princess. And you have done more than anything the poeple of Ezaroth has ever envisioned you to do. You love your people, and its only right that we show how we love you..' He paused at the last word, knowing that something didn;t come out right. The Princess turned around and face him. 'But still... I am responsible for what has... and maybe what will happen... Oh.. I... I should just runaway.....' Robson shoke her by the shoulders, which startled her. 'Please, Wanyi, listen! Your people need you! Think about your father! What would he feel? What would everyone feel if you left? No... you have been.. wonderful, milady. You have done more than you could... protecting you woudl be all worth it.... every bit...'

The Princess smiled amidst her tears. 'You... You're right... I don't know what I was thinking.... My people need me... My father... oh.. how foolish of me.... I.. I apologize...' Robson smiled. 'No, Princess, there is no need. I uderstand.' There was an uneasy silence, and then, Wanyi asked Robson. 'So... you, will protect me? No matter what?' Robson felt a sudden starnge feeling dwell withi him. He looked at the beautiful Princess Wanyi, and he suddenly felt this... feeling that he would do anything... anyhting at all... to keep her out of harms way. No matter what it took. He replied, slowly, 'No matter what..' The Princess took a step closer. 'No matter what?' Robson took another step. 'No matter....' and thier lips touched, as they held each other in an embrace, Robson wiping away the last of her tears, Wanyi finally feeling that warmth within that she could never find in another man.
*******************************************************************************
Lord Siow strolled outside the gates. The stars did nothing to ease the pain he was feeling. That assasin... There was something rather familiar about him... Part man... Part contraption. It was nothing he had ever seen. Yet... They way he was able to control so many weapons at the same time, and without even moving his arms at all... It was puzzling at the very least. The holwing of the wolves tonight were disturbingly loud and clear... but he could worry about that later. He sat upon the damp grass, and lied on his back. Impposible... He could not be human.. But when the contraption came off... there was no doubt about it. And the speed. To be able to carry soemthing so large and still bounce off walls with such agility..... He pondered the same question over and over again. Until something caught his attention. He could only catch a glimpse of it... But it was clear as day. He swore he saw a face in the shadows, but it had vanished. He got up, his gaze never leaving the site where he saw that face. Was he dreaming? The fight must have exhausted him.

As he turned to leave, he looked back to catch another glimpse, and there, he saw it again, but a moment later, it vanished again. He drew his sword, and grabbed a nearby torch as he approached the shadows. 'Who goes there? Show yourself!' There was nothing at first, only the gentle rustle of the leaves. Then, it appeared. A craoked, bent figure in a tattered and torn cloak. It was an old man, not higher that his waist. His face was cracked and burnt marks were on his back and arms.

"YOu, old man. What business do you have here. You are not allowed in the castle grounds!' The old man looked up, and then in a harsh, shaky voice, 'Pl..e..ase... yo..ung ma..n.... He..lp... me... I... ne....need.....wa.....wat...water......' Lord Siow didn't blink. Then, with a quick blow, he charged forward and thrust his sword at the old man, who jumped just as the tip was about to slice his heart, mising by inches.

'Nice try...... I know what to expect from you Demons.... You killed my whole army......' The old man stared at him. Then, there was a most wicked laughter. It echoed through the entire woods and the castle grounds. 'Nyahahahahahaaaa!' Then, blue smoke began to appear under the old man's robes, and in an instant, he began to transform. He grew, and grew... taller. The cracks and marks disspaeared, but in its place, strange defomities emerged. His eyes were bigger at one side, and smaller the other. He was bent and crooked, and his was limping. And then, as the last of the blue mist evaporated, a staff appeared before the old man, who held it fast.

Lord Siow pointed his sword at the old man. 'Who are you!' The old man just looked at Siow, and laughed. 'I... am.... your worst.. nightmare.....'

Siow felt his world suddenly crashing down. For a brief moment, he felt all the joy and courage within him, seeping away. He begin to have thoughts, and he felt depressed. Sad. Sorrow. Life was no longer worth living. Unconsiously, He held his sword high into the air. Why.... why live... when you can just die and end this misery...... All this pain... all this torment... end it... save yourself...... your soul...... And with that, Siow's hand came down swiftly, and his own sword pierced through him, and out the other end.

When he came to his senses, he felt immense pain, and blood began to spuw from his wounds, andd mouth. He felt weak and he was in agony. Laughter filled the air. His eyeswere weakening. This was it... it was all going to end.. He had to tell... someone.. intruder... The old man was coming forward, to finsih him off.... He could still make out the blurred lines. His breathing was getting harder, and he knew soon they would stop. He closed his eyes, as he saw the old man hold his staff high in the air... 'And now.. You DI.... Y.. You!!' The old man suddenly retreated a few paced behind. A blinding flash of light missed the old man, then came another. Siow could hear those last words, before he closed his eye...' Hang on there.... Please... Don't let me be too late...'.

March of the Succubus - Chapter 13 (End of Man)

Halo pressed his bandaged head against the wall, as Lady Veena snipped off the last bits of the cloth with a scissors. Blood was amass, but the wounds did not stop the old General from his conversation with the others around the room, who shared the same enthusiasm in unveling the mystery that should have been solved only in legends and folklore.

'What I'm about to say... Arrgh...' he paused as Lady Veena pulled the bandage tight. '..is going to be beyond your comprehension. But first, I must see how the wounded are doing.'

Lord Robson, hand bandaged, got up. 'Lord June is being treated with anecdotes to relieve the posion darts. But Prince Wai Kit...'

General Halo tried to shoot up, but the pain was unbearable, causing him to slump down once again. 'Arrgh...' Lady Veena interveined, 'Robson, please.... Let the General rest. He can see us in the morning and ...' General Halo grabbed Lady Veena's hand firmly. 'No.... no that cannot be done... I'm afraid there is little time left for me....' there was a pause, then suddenly, General Halo began to cough, and his body shoke, as though possessed. He coughed harder and harder, his hands leaning onto the floor for support. Then, red blood spluttered out of his throat, staining the white carpets in the room. Everyone rose to give aid, but Halo held up a firm hand.

'No... There's...' he coughed again, '..you can do... Now, Listen. Long ago, The Kingdom of Ezaroth was not ruled by the Five Kings now, but seperated into vast hectors of barbaric land. These lands were torn between many clans and factions, and of course... races.' Lord Robson looked sharply at General Halo, 'What do you mean, races?' general Halo gave an understanding nod. 'Its no wonder... The tutors and alchemists of the Middle Kingdoms have tried thier very best to hide the existance of the other races from your generation.' Lady Veena asked, 'But how? How could there be other races beside us humans?' General Halo coughed again, 'Listen, Lady Veena... what you know today is all but the tip of the iceberg of what I am about to convey upon you. Life, as you know it... cough... is not really about sorcery, magic and swordfights... there are... other creatures that are abound.'

'Long ago... Before this land was ruled by our Kings of the Five Nations, countless fractions of humans took up refuge in the riverbanks of Norshire and used its resources. For generations, they lived in harmony, until one day, a young warrior by the name of Ulgar, stumbled upon a strange fragment washed away in the river. At that time, the humans were at war with each other, hungry for land, power and territory. Ulgar came from a small weak clan known as the Stogards, the clans that still wonder around the woods of Norshire today, as Lord June should know. Ulgar thought the fragment to be of good quality, and decided to use it as an arrow head for his bow. But he found out, as he was grinding the stone fragment, that it did not chip, instead, the obsidian stones that tey used during those days to sharpen thier tools, wore out and eventually broke. He was baffled. Frightened, he threw the fragment onto the ground, and as he did, he cried out aloud, 'demon arrow!'. At once, the fragment began to glow, and in an instant, what looked like pure rock, was now an arrow. But the arrow head was fuming with thick smoke, fog that Ulgar had never withnessed before. The most powerful clan at the time were a barbaric tribe known as the ... cough.. Freyars. The Freyars..' Halo stopped, more blood coughing out. Lord Robson asked immediately, holding him from the side, 'Are you sure you're alright?'

Halo pushed him aside, 'Yes.. yes... I can manage... cough..' 'The Freyars tore into town, burning the village and illing the women and children. Ulgar and his army march forth, only to be taken down rather easily. As battle broke out, Ulgar spotted the enemy General on horse back riding towards his wife and children. Immediately, he took out the arrow, and thought to him self, 'Thor.. Give me strength! The arrow fired, and as though it was controlled by some divine force, adjusted itself until it pierced the General right in the head.' Halo paused for breath. 'But it didn't stop there. The arrow then morphed, it grew larger, bigger, and finally into a hammer. A most exquisite hammer, Ulgar had ever seen. And then, the hammer, by itself, began to strike at the Freyars. The Freyars were mystified, and fleed in horror.'

Halo then stopped, and reached into his pocket. He brought out a small sack, and poured its contents onto the table. A small, glowing object appeared. 'Here, my dear.... try saying aloud the word... cough... Halo's blade.' Lady Veenastood up puzzled, and looked at Lord Robson and Halo. Then, she said ot, 'Halo's Blade!' Immediately, the stone began to transform, and in an instant, became a magnificant blade. Halo unbuckled the blade he was strung to, and threw it on the table. Lord Robson was astounded. A perfect match. 'The Stone of Reviera, the Promised One. Capable of morphing into any weapon at the user's will.' Lord Robson was baffled, '...But how'd...'

Halo stopped him, '...cough... But ah... That was only a part of the story. Ulgar and his men began to harness the new-found powers of the stone, and soon crushed all of its clans enemies. But it was not enough. Greed took over Ulgar, and he decided to find the source of this powerful stone. He assembled a grand army. The biggest in the history of the Middle Kingdom, and marched pward toward the river, the source of it all. No man has ever wandered past the fountains of the North and survived. Yet, when he got there, he was amazed. There were people. Litle people, building thier homes and castles, in gold. Pure, rich gold. The greedy Ulgar wanted it all. All... cough... all for himself... cough... cough...' Lady Veena went down on her knees, 'Please General... stop.... have some rest....'

Halo refused, and pushed on, '..But the little people were stronger than he had presumed. They had all the magic stones at thier disposal, and easily wiped out the humans. The little people, were elves. Magical creatures but with powerful magic. The humans were defeated but not lost. Ulgar decided to camp outside the elves's hideout, and wait for reinforceent. But two night later, a dark cloud loomed over the hills. A huge beast trotted in Ulgar's path, and as it walked, consumed all in its wake. Ulgar would later know them as the Undead, ghouls that were sworn enemies of the Elves. Ulgar, possessed with greed, formed what would be the most abominable alliance with the undead. The Dead promised the Elve's magic stones, in return for the sacrifice of 10 mortal flesh every month. ..cough... cough.. The battle was vicious. The Dead possessed powers beyond comprehension, but the Elves had every repelling counter curse and hexes, ad the battle was a draw. But, the humans had never come into contact with elves, let alone wage war. Thus, the human's bows and catapults tores down the Elve's defences, something dark magic would never be able to do. And soon, Ulgar and the Undead army marched into the Elve's mighty kingdom, and took every preious material, gold, jewels, sacred stones and all. Ulgar had power beyond his wildest dreams. Yet, it soon came for the day of sacrifice. Ulgar, fearful of the Undead's wrath, sacrificed 10 of his best men, and the Undead left the humans alone. But as the months passed, the demand for flesh increased, 20, 30 and soon 100 bodies a month.'

'People began to fear, and Ulgar, who was old at that point, could not go to battle. Yet, his son, Dyrad, found a way to solve the resolution. He said, 'instead of blind offering to the undead, why not send 10 of our best men, against 10 of thiers? Win, and they spare us the offerings for that month. Lose, and we give them the bodies thye want plus the souls of the 10 men.'

Halo stopped, blood was oozing out of his mouth, ears and eyes. Lady Veena tried to talk him into resting, but he pushed on, ' ...This vengeful competition was accpted by the Undead... couh.. thinking... cough.. it would be an easy fight, but the human champions had the power of the Reviera, and it was a tie. When the last of the champions, a name that you shall always remember, Wye I, the ancestors of our land, fought the Undead champion, the Highbourne, it was a tremendous battle, lasting 7 days and nights. But in the end, the humans prevailed. Ulgar then broke the treaty, sealing the Undead using th epower of the Reviera and selaing them within the caves of Belcrest. The very caves that caused us all this unrest...'

Lord Robson blinked, 'So... all this means that....'

Halo looked at him, and nodded. 'Every word, that I have uttered..cough... is true... and of all man... you, Robson... should know better...' Robson blinked, 'what do you mean?' Halo, suddenly laughed out loud. 'You means to say.. cough... harkkkk... Kh..Khaha...haaaa... that you have the ability to fire long range with point blank accuracy when others cannot? My child, it does not take a true Seer to know, that you, Lord Robson, are a descendant of the Noble Elves.'

Halo then turned to Lady Veena, '... cough.. cough... and you, Lady Veena.. you are human to the core.. but your father... your father was no ordinary man...' Lady Veena looked at halo for an answer, and as though Halo already knew her question, '... your father... was a Ghoul, and so is Lord June.'

*****************************************************************************

Lady Veena looked at Halo in respite. 'No... No! No! My father was a good man!' halo calmed her, 'Listen my child, cough... cough... Ghouls are not all evil... your father had the blood of a Ghoul, but the heart of a man, for your mother and father, they fell in love.' Lady Veena began to sob, 'By mother never told... could it be she did not..' halo wisked her silent, 'She knew your father was a Ghoul, yet... she married him. You see, Veena, races share not the same sources of power or compassion,. but one thing remains the same. Love. And what was between your father and mother had was pure love.'

Lord Robson interviened, 'So it is to say that... we are all mixed with the blood of Elves and Demons?'

Halo shook his head, 'Not necessarily. I can teach you how to identity the bloodlines, but cough.. cough...' The raised his hand, now covered with blood, and showed it to Robson. '..I'm dying.. But there is one race that does not belong to either Human, Elf or Undead.' lady Veena asked, and which is that? Halo looked her in the eyes, his expression suddenly changing. 'Slayers and the Highbourne, true descendants of the fathers of the first battle. All possess a superior gift that outshines any mortal being.'

Lord Robson spoke, 'Does that mean there are Slayers among us? But if the Highbourne were sealed, then..'

Halo's expression grew grim. 'That was what I was afraid of... It must have seemed that someone, by chance or intention, has broken the seal of the Belcrest Caves. And now... after that assasination attempt.... I believe the worst has come.... The Highbourne is being revived, and the Undead will rise again.'

Lord Robson shoot up, 'I will never let that happen!' Halo smiled for the first time that day, '...then listen, and listen closely... ' Halo leaned forward until he was inches away from Robson's ear. '... I want you to locate the Slayers, and bring them to a place called the Santuary... You... must. cough... cough.... help.... them..... reunITE!!....cough...' Halo began to shake vigourously, and more blood began to splutter. '.... One... will arrive from the North... another from the seas.... The rest I cannot say.... but one... there is one... among us....' Then suddenly, he stopped breathing. With the last of his breath, 'the ....crest... on my left shoulder... the crest...... of the Slayers....' and with that, Halo lay motionless on Lord Robson's arms. Lady Veena began to sob uncontrollably. Lord Robson held the dead General's head in the palms, a shallow tear cascaded down his cheeks, 'Rest well, my friend... rest well...'

************************************************************************************

Lord Robson, Lord Siow, Princess WanYi and Lady Veena stood in silence, watching the fire burn. The entire imperial guard stood at silence, head bowed. Halo's corpse, lying peacefully on the stakes of timber and wood, lay still as the last blessings were being read out by the Reverand. The coffin then lowered into the ground, and the final respectes were paid. King Wye approached from behind the royal gates, and approached the duo.'It is... most regretful... if only I had not been on a royal errand, I'll...' Lord Robson kneeled, 'No sire, it is not your fault. General Halo was a brave soldier, and he risked his life for your own. Seek joy in the fact that you were not here during the assasination, milord. Even if you were, Halo would have naturally done the same.' At the very moment, Princess Wanyi appeared at the doorway. 'Father!! Oh, father! I'm so glad you're back!' King Wye held the princess in his arms. 'Oh, my little angel! I was so worried.' Behind them, Lord Siow emerged, heavily bandaged from head to toe. King Wye looked at him in bewilderment, 'My god, Siow! You should get some rest!' Lord Siow managed a little smile from until his half bandaged head. 'And miss the chance to see my father again? Not a chance in the world....' King Wye hugged Lord Siow, only to realise the bandages. 'Oh, I'm so sorry..' The castle guards chuckled, then stopped at the sight of King Wye's menacing stare, as Lord Siow bounced back in pain. 'Ahh... Its... its alright...'

The very moment, the Royal medics exited the wards, and knelt before the King. King Wye asked , 'How are the other two?' The royal medics replied, 'Prince Wai Kit is in serious condition... the anecdotes work only temporarily, and it will be a matter of time before the poison attacks the heart and vital tissues. Yet....' King Wye asked, 'Yet what?' Oe of the medics replied 'Yet... he seems to be recovering at a amazingly quick pace... Its almost impossible for a human to sustain so much poison at one time, yet alone recover from it.' King Wye seemed pleased, 'Then there is hope yet. See to it that he gets all the attention he needs. And Lord June?' 'Lord June suffered several punctures from the darts, but the anecdotes are woring perfectly. He should be well in a week.'

They all seemed pleased with the news, and the King whisked the medics away. Lord Robson came forward, 'I hope those wounds are alright..' Lord Siow came back, 'Nonsense,' as he held Princess Wanyi close to him, 'If its my sister on the line, it would take more than that to break me.' Princess Wanyi smiled back, then turned to face Lord Robson. 'I... err.. didn't get to thank you for risking your life for me...' Lord Robson blushed a little.. 'It's... nothing really...' Lord Siow smirked, then took to the door. 'I'll leave you two love birds alone then~' he whispered in Wanyi's ear. The Princess gave a haughty push, and Lord Siow squirmed in pain. 'Oh.. oh.. I'm soo sorry...' Lord Robson couldn' help himself and uttered under his breath, 'runs in the family..'

********************************************************************************

Seventy miles away, flames were ablaze on Mt. Odyssey. The High Priest was pinned to the group by a huge beast, its horns pertruding out from its head. It raised its sword. 'I ask you again, old man, where is HE!!' The High Priest looked back at the Minotour. 'Kill me.' The creature was furious. It raised it's sword, but didn't strike. 'Silly old fool.... Even without you... the Undead will rise again and this time... the Slayers can do nothing about it...'

The High Priest, bloody all over, smugged at the beast. 'Kill me. Kill me like the way your filthy kind would to those who stood in your way. Animals...' The huge creature lay a blow on the High Priest, causing fresh blood to ooze out, overlapping the dried ones tat still lay by his chin.'

The Minotour looked at the Priest. 'So be it!' and with all his might, struck a heavy blow. The High Priest was sliced in two. But as the beast threw the dead corpse on the ground. Something amazing happened. The corpse suddenly began to glow, the High Priest stood up again, but this time, the blood stains were all gone. It was like he healed himself totally. The Minotour looked at the High Priest in disbelief. 'It can't be.... You're.... the Healer!?' The High Priest vanished sudenly, and appeared behind the Minotou within seconds, before anyone could react, he chanted a small spell, and a huge ray of light shot of from his finger and pierced the Minotour, dissintergrating it into pieces. The Minotour's lackeys scattered in all directions, 'Slayer! SLayer!!'

The High Priest let out a sigh of relief, as the demons dispersed. Then, he saw it. The Dark Clouds. More Demons must be on their way. He eyed the once beautiful santuary of Mt. Odyssey. Destryoed. Bloodshed and dead bodies layed at his feet. Once tall structures now lay in ruins. As he walked across the field, he spotted one of his wounded deciples. Quickly, he approached him, and placed his palm on his head. 'I'm sorry... Master can heal you, but you will never remember anything that happened before.' And with a glowing light, the wounds on the disciple vanished, and The Healer quickly held him by his shoulders, and vanished into the woods.

From atop the hills, an icy-cold pair of eyes staired at the fleeing Slayer. He laughed hysterically under the claok, a synister and chuckled laugh. The Croaked Wizard held up his Cold Blue Staff, and the orb within it swivled. And the image of the Healer began to float over the orb. 'The Healer... My opponent.... Nyahahahahaha!!!' And with that, a bluish mist began to emerge, engulfing the wizard, and then, it vanished.

****************************************************************************

The only source of comfort she could get was by the dim glow of the candle. Making her way down the steps, the paused as she arrived outside his door. THere, she could see him. Her savour. He had risked it all just to protect her. To keep her alive. Tears swelled up in her eyes, as she pushed the door open gently. Wai Kit lay motionless, asleep under the moonlight. His head rested on a wooden pillow, and most of his body was covered in cloth, where damp spots of dried blood protruded. His upper body was not cover, and Lady Veena could claerly see the puncture marks all over him. All were blue and purple. She seemed lost for a moment, that she could not forgive herself if he had risked his life for hers, and lost it. Until, she saw his chest heave up and down. Slowly, but it was all the evidence she needed. Gently, she raised up her hands, and hesitated for a moment. His expression was at peace, a look that she had never seen before in any man she had been with. For a moment there, she actually felt attracted, and a huge urge of passion swept through her. Then, she caressed his face, slowly, gently, careful not to wake him up. She pushed his hair back, and for the first time had a full view of his face. A dashingly good-looking one too. She blushed a little, as Wai Kit began to stirr. She wanted to head out of the room, but she felt herself glued to her deat, her eyes not leaving his for a second. When finally, they opened.

'Hi.' she said, her sweet voice penetrating his consious.

'Owh.. where am...?' Wai Kit came to, slightly dizzly. Lady Veena gently placed her finger on his lips. 'Don't talk. You're safe now. That's all that matters.'

Wai Kit looked back at her, his voice slightly parced and croaked. 'And... What is that supposed to...'

Suddenly and without warning, Lady Veena's lips met his. A wet, tender kiss as thier tongues exchanged under the moonlight, as the candle that Lady Veena was holding blew off... and off they went into the night.

March of The Succubus - Chapter 12 (Ten)

The break of dawn shed new light unto the otherwise dully lit interior of the room. Its all fours were but thick stone. The odour of decaying flesh filled the stale air. Along what looked like a long and desolate corridor, lone candles burned, its white molten wax dripping unto the cold hard floor. Lead by merely a torch, misty shadows dissapeared and reappeared at the mercy of its blaze. A lone figure emerged from the shadows, visible only at times when the moonlight chances upon it, revealing nothing more than a rather aged man, judging from the way his shadows tend to bend unevenly. He forced his way through the hallway, his appearace well hidden within the safety of the hood and the shady ambience. A double door stood before him, two guards clad in armour extending thier spaers at the sight of the hooded stranger, thier silvery crest of the Moon glittering in silvery shimmers.



'Who goes there?' said one of the MoonGlades, eyeing the stranger.



The stranger just stood there, unmoving, casting an uneasy silence between the guards.



'Report your name, sir. Or you shall not pass.'



The hooded figure lokked at the two guards. 'And who.... are you... to stop me?'



His voice was croacked and hoarsh, like his throat had been filled with sand and stone. The two guards now pointed the spears at the hooded figure. 'Then there shall be no passage here. Leave now.'



It could have been a mere spectacle to overlook, but the darkness of the night seemed to blurr the eyes of the guard, as he though he saw the man smile. A wicked, cruel smile. The very next moment, as if he was never there, the figure vanished, as though the passing of a shadow had just consumed him. The two guards just stood there, puzzled. But as soon as the strange event occured, yet another hooded figure approached the door. This time, the figure was huge. But that was the least of its bizarity. The figure had not two, but six sleeves. The guards immediately repeated the ordeal.



'And now who goes there?'



The creature kept its head down as it spoke. 'You mean to say...' there was a pause. 'Someone was here before me?'



The guards had had enough. But just before the guards drew thier arms, the creature had, too, like the figure before them, vanished into the shadows. The puzzled guard immediately asked the other to send for the Captain of the Keep.



But before the guard left his post, he witnessed what seemed like a serpent, except dressed in the equal manner as the two before, approach.



'What's with all the wierd visitors tonight! You there! State your case before I...'



That was the last thing the guard managed to say, before he felt a sharp blade pierce his armour, the edge coming out the other end. Blood spluttered out of his mouth as he gasped in pain, then, fell to the ground, dead. The other guard, upon witnessing the death of his friend, raced towards the alarm at the end of the hallway. But as he was just inches away from it, he suddenly felt his world crashing down, consumed by a sudden grief, so severe that at that very moment, he began to question the entire point of even being alive. He eased his hand, lowering slowly as he reached for the dagger at the back of his belt, as he undid the buckle. He drew it out, and standing motionless, held it with both his hands, and held it high in the air. Just as he was about to lower it into his gut, he heard a voice behind him.



'Thats enough.'



The guard immediately came to his senses, dropping the dagger. What was he thinking? He broke in cold sweat, trying to figure out what just happened. Confused, he turned immedaitely, only to the bewildered at what he saw. Another three hooded figures stood before him. One was holding out what looked like a staff, its wooden handle twisted into a brach of four that lead to its tip, where a blue glowing orb was placed. He felt something evil about the orb, but as his feelings began to take over, the orb suddenly grew dim, and the stopped glowing. In an instant, he felt his emotions coming back to him. The hooded figure behind the staff holder, was of ordinary height. It came forward, and bowed to the now shaking guard, whilst the third, who was taller than the rest, had both his arms wrapped around a huge blade taht rested on the ground. The guard was puzzled. How did they just appear behind him?



'We come to see your master and Lord.' The figure said.



'Lord... phillip?' the guard gulped in fear. This made the figure with the staff chuckle. The voice was comical, more like a squeak. The tall figure remained unmoving.



'Yes.... that would be him. Now, please direct us to his quarters. We have been invited.'



'Its at the end of the corridor.' The guard said, pointing towards the end. 'I have heard no such invitation..'



The figure stood backwards. 'I'm sure your master would be welcomed to see us.' They turned to leave, when the guard blurted out, 'Then what about the guard you just took out?!'



The three figures turned to face the guard. Then, the figure smiled. 'What guard?' Then, like those before they vanished. Strange... the guard thought to himself. He ran towards the outter section of the gate, only to find nothing. He was sure the dead body of his comrade was there seconds ago. Just when he thought the night could get no worst, he was met with another party, this time two shadows. Both were of the same height, as thier emerged from the hallway. Strangely, although both wore hoods, One seemed to be unmoving, while the other was looking at all directions. The guard noticed that they both had no arms, as their sleeves dangled in the wind. The two shadows aproached, and then stopped before the guard in unision. When they spoke, only the unmoving figure spoke, the other figure still furiously looked at all directions, as though the guard was not there. 'We come for meeting.'



Before the guard could ask 'Do you mean Lord Phillip's.....' The figure who was looking up and down stopped, and now it looked directly at the guard. The guard suddenly felt cold, as though its gaze was piercing his soul. Then, it spoke. 'End of corridor. Others are already here.' With that, the two figures disspaered before the guard. The air suddenly turned from windy to icy cold. There, before him, the guard saw the most beautiful woman he had ever feasted his eyes upon. Her lips were rich and moist, as her hips swayed in both direction as she approached him. The lady was dressed in a green tunip, which barely covered her cleavage. Behind her, another girl, who was about half her age seemed to follow her closely. He couldn't keep his eyes off her. She leaned forward, and pressed her face next to his ear, as she whispered in the sweetest of voices, 'Lord Phillip.' Her voice seemed to make him quiver, and in an instant he was frozen. He found himself answering her, then, without warning, she kissed him. A tender, yet very brief peck on the lips.

The feeling was of sweet roses and blue tulips. He was in heaven. So that's was what paradise tastes like, he thought. Immediately, he felt nothing else was more important n the world. He would do anything. Anything at all for her. The woman continued to eye him naughtily, then, as thier lips parted, he suddenly felt a lght quiver of sentiments risng through hm, all the way from the tps of his toes to his skull. Then, there was pain. Immense pain. But a part of him was accepting it. He stopped the urge to fight it off. Withn seconds, what was a fine soldier in cladded armour, was now but a huge chunnk of ice and frost.

The woman looked at the little grl, and at once, she nodded. The little girl approached the soldier, or what he once was, slowly, her left hand tightly clutched around the woman's skirts. Then, the most bnizzare thing occured, as the little girl began to eat away at the ice. Chunk after chunk until it was all gone. Suddenly, the woman's eyes began to glow, a bright and eerie blue. A bluish aura began to fill the room, and slowly, a thin but silk-like shadow emerged before them, floating aimlessly. The spirit was lost, screaming at the top of his voice, as the woman drew her breath, and the spirit was sucked into her.

She looked down, satisfied. 'Ishak Ishar!' In an instant, the guard reappeared before her in a thick cloud of mist, slowly gaining form. He had no pupils, and every breath was but chilly, cold air. The little girl ran back behind the woman, seeking protection. 'Lead us.' The guard obeyed, and the three shadows edged towards the corridor, the full moon and its silver lunar strings played the shadows on the dreadful walls of the Forbidden Castle.

********************************************************************************
Robson leaned a little forward. It was her. Covered in a silk and beauty and grandeur. Her dark jet-black hair reflecting the warm rays of the sun. She was angelic. He would have gazed a little longer, before it happened. She looked directly back at him. That intoxicating smile. That were the roses of the May gardens, and the white-washed lilies and the daffodiles. He lost his balance, and felt, backwards, his bum hitting the ground with a loud thump.

Lord June laughed. 'So seek the maiden my friend, before fate pulled its curtains on you.'

Robson eyed him. 'Very funny.... Now be of some use and help me up, would you!'

Lady Veena approached them. 'Haha... Lovebirds sing upon the willows as sprng draw near. You really should have just walk through the front doors, you know.'

Lord Robson blushed, 'I.... I have no idea what you mean.... was just.... well... was just checking out for garden snakes!'

'Garden snakes indeed! I'll let the royal gardener know that, shall I?' and wth that, Lord June turned towards the main gates. 'Come on, Veena, lets make it to the doors before Casanova decides to look for pigeons on the castle walls next.'

Lady Veena laughed. 'That's not very funny!' Lord Robson sad, as he chased the two. Lady Veena shrieked, as she dodged him, and ran down the road, Lord June chucklng behind.

Just as they made it past the frst gate, Lady Veena tripped over an unsuspecting root, and fell towards the ground. Just as she was about to hit, two hands managed to hold her in an embrace. She was in shock and confusion, and looked up, only to see a most handsome young lad. His eyes were of emerald green. His gaze was both warm, yet there was an air of stern and respectable command about him.

'Are you alright, milady?' He said, as he helped her to her feet. "I... I'm just fine. Thank you.' She couldn't hide a little shy smile. Just then, Lord Robson came up from behind. 'Goodness! leave you for a moment and you prefer to let another man catch your fall? You really should have just let me get you!'

'Ah! The nerve!' Lady Veena said, giggling as she took a nearby tree brach and threw it at Robson. Robson laughed, and faced the young lad. Lord June arrived at the same time, anxously racing towards his sister. 'You alright? Really, Robson... You and your little games..'

'I'm alright,' replied Lady Veena. 'But all thanks to him.' Lord June gave a bow. 'Lord June of the Nightingales. Thank you for saving my sister.'

The young lad let a little smile. 'Its no bother. Just the right place at the right time. An honour, Lord June. Wai Kit, Prince of the South County.' Lord Robson was startled. 'Wai Kit? The Prince Wai Kit? My goodness! The honour's all mine!'

'I owe you a fall then, dear Prince. Pardon me, have to get the bags inside. I bid you farewell.' She gave a rather quick curtsy, and left in a hurry. 'And what's with her?' Lord June said. 'Women.....' Robson sighed. 'You'll never know.'

Just then, another figure approached the three men. 'Ah, there you are. And who are your new friends?' Wai Kit laughed. 'Now, now Halo.... There's a fine line about being fatherly and being one. And for the record, you are bad at it. Meet the Lords of East and West, Lord June and Lord Robson.'

'An honour. General Halo. A loyal servant of King and Country,' said the old General. 'Forgo the formalties. June and Robson should suffice. I've heard a great deal about what happened in the North. You really must tell us more about it. I don't trust the rumours. Now I've got the chance to learn about it first hand, I'm darn sure not to let it go.'

'Haha. Indeed. Let's talk about it while we make towards the doors? I'm dreafully certain King Wye hates to wait.'

Just as they were about to do so, there was a loud clang of metal. A guard raced out of the castle, and shouted 'Assassins! In the King's chamber! Sound the alarms!'

The four men heard it loud and clear. They drew thier swords, and raced indoors towards the castle. The castle was of endless corridors, tall pillars and large hallways. But there is no time stop and admire such majesty. Suddenly, they heard a yell, and a crash. Robson edged forward, 'Stand back!' he backed alittle, and with all his strength, thrashed the wooden doors. Before him, he could see nothing more than an empty room. The others entered. "Strange... I thought I just heard....'

The doors were suddenly shut, and behind them, a tall figure loomed over them. It wore a silver cloak, with six sleeves. Before any one could react, blades began to emerge from under the cloak. Lord June dodged it, just in time for another blade to swing forward. The others advanced, only to find more blades coming out under the assasin's cloak, attacking them furiuosly. The four of them fought hard, but there was total chaos in the room. Before Halo tried to spear forward, the assasin broke the door behind him, slicing the pillars within the room and allowing the rubble to fall, and escaped. The four man found themselves trapped. 'Let me,' said Halo. He drew a deep breath, and then, swung his fist against the debree. In an instant, huge tonnes of rock and stone smashed away, boring a wide opening before them. Wai Kit gazed at him. 'You have GOT to teach me how to do THAT!' Halo smiled. 'Not now, come on!'

They raced out of the door, only to find the several MoonGlades comigntowards them. 'MoonGlades! In Ezaroth? But how?' Lord Robson said. 'Who cares how? We have to take them down!' They engaged the MoonGlades, taking them down one at a time. Surprsingly, they had a rather good coordination. Robson and June took the left and rght, Halo covered from the back, whilst Wai Kit sliced thier way through the pack. The MoonGaldes knew they had a disadvantage in numbers. Just as Wai Kit as about to deal another blow, there was a loud screech. A MoonGlade appeared alongside the corridor, Princess WanYi cletched within his arms. 'Nobody move! Drop your weapons! Now!' Lord Robson was furious. In a split second, he took out his revolver, aimed it and fired, hitting the MoonGlade square between the eyes. Prncess WanYi shrieked, as Lord June and Prince Wai Kit raced to her aid. Just then, a tall figure emerged just between them. It was the same assasin that attacked them n the King's Quarters.

'Charming.... Yet I had expected more out of you... All of you..... Leave now. The Princess comes with me.' Wai Kit and Lord June held thier blades high up. 'Over our dead bodies.' The assasin laughed, his scally like face full of scars and blood marks. 'You don't stand a chance.' 'Try us.'

Wai Kit and June sprang forward, and struck from both sides. To thier amazement, a pair of blades appeared out under the cloak, blocking thier attacks with ease. Then, another two blades emerged, this tme over the top, and aimed for them. Wai Kit barely had time to dodge the blade, before the one that previously blocked him came back for another strike. Lord June blocked and overcame the two with ease, and with one quick blow, cut off one of the arms. The assasin didn;t even budge. To Lord June's horror, the arm he cut off suddenly split in two, and out shot a barrage of needles. He didn't manage to dodge in time, as two hit him square on his shoulder. He felt to the ground, groaning in pain. 'Poison needles! Wai Kit, get out of there!' Halo shouted, as he raced forward. The assasin focused all three blades now on Wai Kit, who struggled as he backed away. Halo leaped forward, and was about to thrust his sword, before he was blocked. This time, by two blades. The assasin didn't even turn around. Halo fought hard, trying to get to the struggling prince. Robson wasted no time, fring round after round at the monster. But yet, the blades blocked them. The assasin struck a hard blow, and Prince Wai Kit was disamred. All three swords were raised, and with a final strike, reached out for the Prince. "Noo!' shouted Halo. Blood spluttered all over the hallways.

*********************************************************************
The assasin was mystfied. How? Between them, hands outreached, was Lord Siow. With his bare hands, he held all three blades within his grasps, and with one quick move, broke them all. 'Get out of here!' Prince Wai Kit got up, and ran, in time for more needles to spring in all directions. To Lord June's horror, Lady Veena walked in just n the wrong moment. Wai Kit saw it in time, and with all his might, turned backwards, limbs outstrecthed. The needles stuck all over him. Lady Veena was in shock. Halo was furious, and with all his moght, struck hard at the assasin's arms. Wai Kit fell hard on the ground, Lady Veena rushng forward to help him up. Robson and June were also shocked. 'Noooo!' Halo shouted. 'Noooooo!' He swung his blade once more, 'NOOOOOOO!" this time, the blades the assasin carried broke in two. The assasin turned, just in time, as Halo chanted, 'Favo Viera!' The earth trembled, and two huge rock-like arms break out, slamming the assasin to the ground. The rock hands came down for another strike, only to find themselves sliced off by another arm.

'My seventh..... No one has lived long enough to see my seventh arm....' Siow walked up to him. 'Then the honour's all mine!' With that, he thrust his blade into the cloak, slicing it apart. Just as he did, another arm blocked it, and was sliced in two. The assasin threw his cloak up, and as he did, revealed what looked like an ecsoskeleton of wooden arms and blades. He pulled at the device, and it immedately broke off, and fell to the ground. To everyone's surprse, there the assasin was, blade in hand. He only had one. The other, was a wooden contraption that literally emerged from his skin, where a real arm was supposed to be. Siow charged forward and took the assasin on. They fought gallantly. The assasin suddenly raised his own sword, and then, without warning, sliced off the wooden arm. In an instant, a purple mist began to spew from the wooden catridge of the arm. 'Gas!' Everyone get back!' Siow tried to pursue the assailant, but he leapt across the hallway, crashed through one of the windows, and escaped through the gardens.

The assasin cover a nice thirty acres of gardens, forcing his way through the guards. Just as the walls were n sight. He heard a voice behind him. 'Going somewhere?' Halo stood before him, and with a quick blow, knocked the assasin backwards. Impossible! How'd he get here first? The assasin raised his sword. 'You are no match for me, old man. Now, move aside. I would have to slice you in two, before the guards get to me.' Halo smirked. 'The only reason I didn't take you down then, was for sake of the Alumni.' The assasin's eyes grew wild. 'The Alumni! Slayer!'

With one quick blow, the assasin struck Halo. The blade caught him right between the chest. 'Impressve....' the voice came from behind the assasin. He looked down, and right below him, was a symbol of some sort, carved out of the dirt. Impossible! He tried to draw his blade, but something was pulling it into Halo. 'Why don't you take a closer look?' To his horror, the blade that went through Halo began to thrust through his own chest. Blood began to ooze out. 'Arrgh!' Halo released the spelbind, and with one blow, knocked the assasin across the garden. 'Who.... are... you?' the assasin said, his hand now decapitated, and the tip of his own blade sticking out of his chest.

'Halo.'

'No.... It can't be... All this while... you were just... in front .... of our eyes....'. Halo stepped forward. 'Our? Who sent you?' But it was too late. With a cracklng breath, he died. Halo stepped back, but to his surprise, Lord Robson stood before him. 'Slayer? What is the meaning of this? What black magic did you use on him? I saw what happened. Are you going to take me down as well?'

Halo sighed. 'No... will not. And no... not black, but white magic. Sigh. Let me explain. But help me to the castle doors... I cannot feel my legs.'

March of the Succubus - Chapter 11 (The Slayers)

Dusk was upon the land of Ezaroth. A trickle of blood rolled down his chin, the trail of blood smudging his already tattered face. He was heaving heavily for air, yet it was impossbile to breathe. The wind was calm, yet eerie, as it began to call out his name, beckoning him to just go through to the end of the tunnel. In his left hand, a torch lit the way through the stone walls and endless mazeless routes that seem to lead to knowhere. He was afarid. Afraid he was being followed still. The miles after miles of tracking has made the deep cuts worst, filling them with minerals from the damp soil, and now every step felt like someone grinding a knife into his bones. He needed to rest. He paced a little more, found a dry spot and leaned against the cold, hard stone.

Just then, it appeared. He froze, and laid low, as two shadows loomed over the cave in the barely luminated space. He peeked out of the stone, careful not to let whatever they were to catch him, not in his condition. One of the two had a long blade clinging to its back, covered in what seemed like cloth. It was tall, looked rather strong, and had had long hair cascading down its front, making him hard to make out its face. The other was smaller. Way... smaller, and instead of a sword, it was holding two curved blades that looked like shields that weapons. The two figures looked around the cave, checking every corner and edge, leaving no stone unturned. The taller of the two suddenly looked up, and approached the boulders, coming within a few fet of where he was. He began to sweat, not that he wasn't already. Lowering himself even further, he let the shadows of the cave engulf his entire figure, slipping gently into the darkness. The tall figure was close now, as it began to inspect the rocks and rubble. It bent down for a while, and paused, as though it spotted soemthing. Cold sweat was trickling down his forehead. The tall figure looked up, and paused a little longer. It reached into its coat and took out what seemed like a rock, and then, without warning, tossed it so rapidly at where he was hiding that it hit him square in the forehead. He yelped in pain, realising it only too late as the tall figure unmounted the long blade from its back, grasped it with both hands, and came closer. He thought fast, drew his sword, and turned to face his assailant. What he saw was startling. The figure was no demon, but a man. The two just looked at each other for a few moments, neither moving.

'You.. you're human....' the footsoldier said.
The tall figure withdraw his blade. 'And you are wounded.' His voice was harsh and deep. He placed the long blade once more onto his shoulder, and called out to the smaller figure. It turned out to be but a young girl, no more than thirteen, as the footsoldier made out. The two just stared at the footsoldier. 'Who are you?' came the tall figure.

The footsoldier looked at the two, unsure of what to do next. He was told to trust no one, and besides, demons could change form. The smaller one looked at the footsoldier, and said in a sweet girlish voice. 'Please... Excuse my uncle. He's a little rough sometimes. He's Stogar the Great Bear, and I'm Little Bear, Henna. Nice to meet you.' The girl gave a little curtsey. It was akward though, as she was still holding the two curved blades, which he just could't stop keeping his eyes off. She noticed the footsoldier's discomfort, and replied 'These things? I've had them since I was a little girl. Nothing to be afraid of though. I know what I'm doing. So... What's you's doing here anyway? We're on our way to..'

The tall figure stopped her. 'No Henna. We still do not trust this stranger. Now... Tell me your name, stranger. I assure you of our peace. I seek no trouble.'

The footman looked at the two, and replied, 'Yet I do not believe you either. Demons have the ability to change thier forms. What makes it so sure you're not...'

Before he could finish, the little girl reached into her dress and took out a small horn. An Ivory horn.

The footsoldier looked at the horn, and recognised it instantly. 'The Ivory Horn.. You're Stogards!'

The little girl kept the horn. 'Now do you believe us?'

The footsoldier answered, 'Then it is all as well. I'm Furion, the last Prince of the Empire of Mecadon, a small Kingdom outside of the North County. Our people were attacked by demons one night. We assembled a small battalion to fight them, but the losses were great. These things... they were unbeatable. No matter how many times you kill them. They came from the skies.. The forests.... I'm the only one who survived.'

Great Bear came forward. 'Yes... I saw the crest of the Meadow on your sword the moment you pulled it out.'

Furion looked at him in bemusement. 'Then why did you ask..'

'To merely test you. Now I know you are not lying. So what intentions do you have crossing through our village?'

Furion stared at them. This man was not ordinary... He knew the crest of his empire... yet he was sure they have never met before. 'You're village? But I was barely...'

Just then, a sharp pain surged through his body. 'Arrgh!'

The little girl raced forward. 'You're hurt. Quickly uncle, give me the herbs!'

Great Bear hesitated, then, took out a small vial from his pockets. The little girl took it from him, and uncorked the bottle. 'Oh... it looks deep. Hold on... This is going to sting a little.' She poured a little of the clear liquid onto the wounds. It began to bubble. Furion felt an intense pain, as though someone just stabbed his leg with a pike. Then, it stopped. The pain began to ease away, and surprisingly, it began to disipate. He watched in amazement, as his wound healed without even a scar.

"How'd you..'
The little girl smiled at him. 'Family recipe. It lucky you bumped into us, you know. We are the best potion makers in the village. My uncle used to try so many herbs in our house near the river, until it was always overrun by mice. You know how much I...'

'Henna!' the taller man said.

The little girl shutted up, and went back to her uncle's side.

Furion looked up. 'I'm grateful for healing my wounds. Yet, what do you mean your village? Isn't this the route to Ezaroth?'

Great Bear looked at the Prince, eyeing him up to down. 'Then you took a wrong turn. This cave leads all the way to a dead end. Now, you are healed. You can go. Come, Henna.' WIth that he turned to leave.

'But uncle...' the little girl said, but kept silent at the sight of her uncle's stern look. The Prince was about to ask another question, before he a small arrow whizz towards the duo.

'Lookout!' the Prince shouted. Great Bear turned, in time to pull Henna out of harms way. He drew his blade, and turned to look, only to find about a dozen or more footmen looking over them from the cave's entrance. They all bore the crest of the Moon.

'MoonGlades! You! They must have followed you here!' Great Bear shouted. Without warning, another volley of arrows were fired. The two dodged it, as Furion raced behind a rock for safety, making it just in time to see three metal edges sticking right into the wall he was at moments before.

The MoonGlades kept firing arrow after arrow at the three, hiding behind the boulders. Furion kept his head low, awaiting the worst. 'There's no way we can beat them!' he yelled towards the couple hiding jsut a few feet away, behind another boulder.'

Great Bear eyed him. 'You cant. But we can!'

Just as he finished, Furion watched in amazement as the tall figure that was standing infront of him a second ago dissapeared suddenly, appearing just behind the MoonGlade archers.

'What the..' the archers didn't have time to reload before the huge blade knocked a couple of them to the ground. The others drew thier swords and struck at the Stogard. The MoonGLades were quick and agile, delivering sucessive blows with thier blades with blinding speed, living up to the legend of the best swordsmen in Ezaroth. They outnumbered the Stogard. Yet, the lone figure seemed undeterred, moving his unwound blade, blocking the attacks with surprising ease, ocaasionally sending one or two stary blows at the MoonGlades. Then, he raised the blade high into the air, and landed it on the ground with a tremendous thump, at the same time, the cloth covering the blade unfolded with the force, revealing a most magnificant weapon. It was gold and was embroided with fine stone. The ground shock violently, as several MoonGlades were thrown off thier feet. The remaining MoonGlades drew thier swords, not realising the shadow looming behind them. Within the fraction of a second, the young girl dashed forward with lightning speed, slashing the MoonGlades with the curled blades in her charge, so swiftly that none had the time to react. Furion was stunned. Speed and reactions even faster than that of a MoonGlade? Who were they?

Just then, he slipped, and a little rock tumbled out of the ceiling he was hiding within. One MoonGlade saw him, and sped towards him. Furin quickly drew his sword, and blocked the MoonGlade's blow. he was not quick enough for a second blow, that sliced him just beneath the chest. The young Prince cursed in pain. The MoonGlade raised his blade to finish the young Prince off. Then, the young Prince closed his eyes, and reopened them. His pupils turned from black to a sudden white. In an instant, everything seemed to slow down, then.. it stopped. All around. Things froze in time. The two Stogards, thier weapons close by, the freash blood plurting into the air. They all froze like a frame of a picture. The Prince could hear his own heartbeat slower than it used to be. His breath slowed to a halt. Literally. He quickly raised his sword, and with all his strength lunged it into the MoonGlades heart, then, he opened his mouth, gasping for air, as time resumed itself. The MoonGlade, unsure of what happened, realised the pain in his chest, and fell to the ground, eyes wide open.

The MoonGlades knew they were no match for the Stogards, and left in the sound of retreat. Little Bear wacthed, as the MoonGlades ran for thier lives, abandoning thier weapons on the ground. 'Yea! You better run! Come back again if you want a piece of me! Cowards! Chicken! Come back here and we'll give it to him! Right uncle? Uncle?'

Furion felt extermely dizzy, and fell to the ground, as Great Bear caught his fall in time. He stared at the Prince. 'Those eyes.... I know that power, young child.... You are no ordinary Prince, am I right? You are a Slayer.'

The young Prince smiled. 'I'm sorry... I lied...' and with that, his went pitch black.
*****************************************************************************
The routes were bumpy and rather uneven, so they had to travel by foot. Siow could make out the silver lines of the huge building towering before them. The Castle of Ezaroth. The greatest Castle ever built in the entire land. It was massive enough to house ten of the Castle of the North, and with the royal guards quarter the size of a metropolitan city, it was undoubtfully the most well guarded as well. The paths before them cleared from bush to gravel, as they approached the castle gates. A huge drawbridge hung above the moat, seperating the entourage from within the castle's walls.

A guard noticed the flag that bore the Thunder's crest. 'The Elite has returned! Open the Gates!' With a loud tremble of the ground, the heavy gates heaved open, and the entourage entered within the castle grounds. The interior was even more massive than from the outside. A long and endless stretch of road lead to yet another smaller gate. On all sides, high guard towers were linked by thick stone towers as tall as fifteen feet. Every corner was occupied by at least one guard bearing either sword, spear or bow, eyeing every corner of the castle, both inside and outside for intruders. Then and again, huge patrol squads comprising of at least twenty footsoldiers marched across the palace grounds, excorted by yet another group of riflemen on horseback. On both sides of the gravel, rose bushes and willows welcomed them as they entered the inner gates of the castle. Siow was amazed. For the first time ever, he was about to set foot into the capitol of Ezaroth. This was a dream come true.
***************************************************************************
Robson tried again. But the boulder just would not budge. June gave it his fifth try, pushing as hard as he possibibly could. The rock moved a little. He was delighted, and tried again. Robson saw the glitter of hope in his friend's eye, and joined him. The rest of the men came to thier aid. Within seconds, the huge stone began to roll, a little at first. Light began to emerge cracks. Then more and more until finally, it gave way. The flash of light from the outside blinded them for an instant, but soon, they got adapted to it, and was immediately amazed at the sight they behold. Ezaroth. Its lush green forests, silver rivers and most importantly, the Grand palace.

'We're here... finally...' Lord Robson said.
'We could have been, earlier, if you had not took us into your little 'shortcut'. Hmmph! Now I'm all tired, thristy and I need a good bath! Just look at me!' said Lady Veena in anger, her dress covered in soot and dust.

Lord June could help but smile. 'Then its better off to head to the castle then. I'm starving.'

Lord Robson kept his sword, and mounted his stallion. 'My apologies, my lady. But still.... We shared a little 'extra' time together didn't we? Haha!' he winked at Lady Veena, then, without warning, gave her a little pinch on the cheek. 'Race you to the gates! Hiah!'

Lady Veena opened her mouth in disbelief. 'Oh the nerve! Come back here you!' as she sped off to chase down her assilant. Lord June laughed out loud this time, as the he and the rest of the entourage kept close behind them, the two figures racing down the open meadows towards the castle gates.
****************************************************************************
'Are you sure this is the right way?' Prince Wai Kit said, as he tried hard to avoid his face from being pricked by the thorns on the branches hanging just above him.

General Halo laughed. 'A little thorn in a bush won't do you any harm, maboy. Anyway, thank you once again for leading us to Ezaroth, borther.'

The monk looked at them. He tried his best to keep his composure. 'Of course, sir. It would be an honour to escort the Prince of the South to the castle in the place of his father. The Elders of the Temple had sent me to see to it.'

'Ah... that old hag. How considerate. You must send him my thanks the moment you arrive home, brother! Really you must!' said Wai Kit.

The brother was silent for few moments, before finally, uttered 'Yes... indeed I will. Ah, there we are.'

The three stood on the hill, as the endless seas of caponies and bushes parted in both directions, and unvealed an open space of fertile land, green hills and villages, free running cattle,free flowing rivers and in the midst of it all, the huge castle of Ezaroth. 'Ezaroth.. Its been years since my last visit. Nothing much has changed...' said Halo.

'Haha! Then you have got to show me around! This beats the mundane temples back at the monestry by a long shot!' He stopped, and looked at thier escort, and his cheeks turned red. 'Well... Not that it wasn't at all fun and all...'

The monk smiled. 'No need to feel sorry, milord. I understand.'

Halo glared at the Prince cheeckly, and with a laugh, trotted down the route of stone and gravel.
'What? What did I say?' said the young Prince, following closely behind. The monk smiled even more now. 'It is done.' The three figures rode slowly towards the the castle, Prince Wai Kit's taunts and Halo's laughter filling the air.
****************************************************************************
Princess Wan Yi just returned from her daily visit to the royal stables, when she saw them. She could not make it out at first, but the moment he tossed his jet black hair backwards, she knew it could not be a mistake.

'It... it can't be.... Siow! Is that you!' she shouted, as she got off the horse and raced towards the gates. Lord Siow looked up. Could it be? He unmounted the horse, and held the running Princess in his arms, his expression bursting with smiles.

Tears of joy trickled down the Princess's cheeks. 'Oh god.... I'm so happy to see you again!'

The newly declared Lord of the North County felt the same hot tears swell up in his eyes. 'So am I, sister. So am I....'

Chapter 10 - March of The Succubus (The Dawn of Darkness)

It was a full moon. Her nimble frame glided through the open alleys of the castle in the shadows, with only the amber glow of a lone candle to keep her company. Her dark hair, illuminated slightly by the silver moon's glare, swayed gracesfully with each step, until finally, she reached the tip of the narrow stairway. Puzzled, she bit her bottom lip, but decided that it had to be done. The eerie flutter of the wind haunted the stone-made steps, but it had not the slightest of effect on her. Her nightgown was barely buttoned. oh, what would Nanny say if she saw her dressed this way. 'Inappropriate, young lady!' The very thought of that made her smile.

Slowly but surely, she made her way down the stone corridors and into an opening. She realised she had encountered a cross-road. To the left, there was what seemed like an opening to the palace gardens. To the right, a series of endless doors, the occasional groans and whining could be audible through its heavily armed shell of thick wooden doors and barred windows. Noone knows what resides within those walls. Maybe next time, taught the princess. Tonight, she had better things to accomplish.

Silent but quickly, she raced across the corridor into the left, opening the wooden frames ever so slighlt, but just enough for her to get a peek. Outside, two nightguards were on duty. Sven and Hendersen. Both from her fathers battalion. With confidence, she gave the doors a push, and they gave way.

The two guards immediately raised thier pikes. 'Who goes there?!'

The princess smiled. This is going to be fun. 'Who ever do you think I may be?'

The two guards blinked at the sound of the imperial voice, and stood at attention. 'My, my lady... What brings you out here in the night?'

Princess Wan Yi strod across the gardens and approached the young guards. 'Come now. Why, in heavens name would a young, lonely little girl come wondering off into the deepest, darkest parts of the castle in the middle of the night? Surely grown men like you..' She came so close to the two guards, swaying her hips as she went, now that the only thing seperating them are the silver palted armour they were wearing. They could feel her warmth, though it was but fantasy more than anything else. '....would know that by now?' And as she finished her sentence, pulled one of the young guards even nearer. The young guard froze for a second, and closed his eyes. Just as the lovely Princess's lips were inches away from his, she stopped, lowered the straps that bound her nighgown together, pulled the young guard close and tugged him by his scarf. She lowered his head to her ear, and whispered 'I'll scream, so loud that every guard in Ezeroth will immediately come to my aid. Be it that they rip you to pieces or not, is at my judgement.'

The guards were terrified by now. 'What.. what do you want, my lady?'

The princess, finally sure that she had the efect she desired, let the young guard loose. 'I want to be left alone. Let no one know that I am visiting my father's gardens.'

The two guards were even more horrified. 'But my lady, his majesty has forbidden anyone, even you..'

'The princess now undid the other strap. This made the guards shut up immediately. She strolled into the entrance of the gardens. 'And keep a lookout for me. Thank you~' she said, as she did, made a pass at the other guard.

Inside, the moonlit sky was clearer than ever. As a child, she had always visited this place of peace. Ever since the death of her mother, King Wye had sealed this place, barring any soul from entering tis premisess. More like seeking to escape than fae the death of his wife. The queen was a jewel. Both to the kingdom of Ezaroth, and to the royal fmily. Wan Yi was treated as a golden child should have been treated. She had all the love, kindness and care in the world. But ever since the Great War, things were never the same again. Princess Wan Yi hesitated for a moment, staring at the wooden door. The fine incriptions were beyond beauty, and there, in the middle of the knobs, were the initials, ELE. She mustered what remained of her courage, and stepped in.

Every angle of the garden was of perfection and beauty. Endless streams of rose bushes paraded across the seas of birch and willow, all leading up to a trrain of gravel. The smell of rosemary and jasmine was abundant, and the air was filled with marvel. She had not remembered any of this, not since her mother left her at the tender age of five. She was heartbroken ever since, but not as much as King Wye. She took her time, admiring every tree, rock and flower, taking in the bitter sweet memories that have been like a long lost friend. Her paces brought her to yet another marvel. A towering fountain of what seemed like a lovely circle of angles and artifacts stood before her in majesty. Behind it, a long road and stone and gravel that leads to cascading steps, on both sides statues of past kings and heroes of Ezaroth bowed before her presence. And there, up upon the steps, lay the magic of it all. Surrounded by twelve pillars that symbolised the elemetnts that hold Ezaroth together, in unity, in harmony, lay a well. A well so mysterious, that as the Princess approaced it, she could hear faint whispers. 'Come.. my child....'

There, the Princess stood before the magical well, and made her wish. Before the Oracle.

******************************************************************************
Somewhere deep within Noreshire, a band of horses made quick pace towards Ezaroth. Three figures led the pack, thier capes fluttering in the chilly wind up the mountains. The tallest of the three, Lord Robson, still had a troubled look on his face. His entire character had changed overnight. Behind him, Lord June was rather concerned. The Lord of the West had not been his cheerful self ever since. Once of twice, they had stopped to seek supplies, only to find Lord Robson shrieking at shadows, drawing his arms at trees and talking to thin air. It was as though he was being followed. He had to do something.

'I say... lets stop for a while, my friend. You have been riding down thie lane for hours now. Come, a little rest and some water would do you goo...'

'No.' came back the sharp reply. 'We have to get to Ezaroth as soon as possible. I have a feeling something is up.'

undetered, Lord June tried yet again, this time with a warmer tone. 'Then tell me what troubles you, my friend. Let me share some of the misery. I do owe you my life.'

Lord Robson looked at his friend, and for the first time that night, smiled.

'That's more like it.'

Lord Robson hesitated for a moment. He waited until they arrived at the bank of a clear opening, before he pulled at the ropes of his horse. The whole entourage came to a halt. 'We stop here. Everyone get some rest. We shall continue once it is sunrise.'

The men disembarked, and immediately set camp. Lady Veena, accompanied closely by Lord June, sat near an opening, while Lord Robson lit a fire. Once they were all seated, Lord Robson, still puzzled, began his story. 'I'm sorry I never though I could trust you, my friend. But I fear I have begun to see what does not exist.'

'Pray tell, what is it that you see. My brother has been worried sick.' said Lady Veena.

Lord June gave him a concerned look. 'Is it about what we saw at the foot of the mountains?'

Lord Robson gave a sigh, then he nodded. 'You see, last night, I had a dream. In my dream, Lord Nesh's army fell under a powerful spell, by.. something.. or some kind of evil wizard. I saw them.. all of his men... fall... die.... one by one... even Lord Nesh himself was dead. I woke up, feeling that it was rather strange..'

Lord June and Lady Veena both looked at him in disbelief. 'Lord Nesh is dead? How is this possible? We do not yet know for sure..... '

Lord Robson shook his head. 'I am sure of what I saw in my dream. Yet, it didn't stop there. Watever happened to the Northern army, happened to one of the Five Outposts as well.'

This time, Lord June stood up. 'Come my friend. It may all just be a dream.'

'I considered that as well. That is why I had to make sure. But when we saw what happened to the Northern Army..'

'Whatever happened may have been but a loss, but surely Lord Nesh would not be foolsih enough to go all out? He must have redrawn somewhere...'

Lady Veena spoke, 'But still... it is still unbelievable. Something so powerful that even the Northern army cannot take out? What exactly as we up against here?'

She recieved no response.

All three lay in silence. Finally, it was Lady Veena who spoke. 'Either way, a man as strong as Nesh cannot possibly fall under some spell. he might still be alive. Maybe we can find him still.'

Lord Robson looked up. 'You are right... I too do not completely trust this dream of mine. Yet...'

'What is it?'

Lord Robson was rather shaken by now. 'This... wizard... who cast the spell. I saw him. I saw his face.'

Lord June jsut stared at him, lost for words.

"This thing... had come to warn me.. that some... I don't know... something was going to happen in Ezaroth. That I should be there as soon as I can....'

Lord June loked downwards, unsure of what to say. Lady Veena too, contemplated for a while. Then, she spoke. 'Then it is best we get moving. If the predictions of the Northern Army came true, no matter how much of a coincidence, we cannot atke any chances. Besides, we should keep the King well informed. What is there to lose?'

Lord Robson smiled. 'Thank you, Lady Veena. I feel much better.'

Lord June laughed, 'Then be more of a sport next time. I was not born deaf you know. Besides, I cant let you have all the glory! It would be, unmanly! Come, let us make haste. If we keep on track, we'll be in the King's court in two days.'

Lord Robson smiled. They headed for the horses. 'Take note, men, we'll head for the King's quraters by sunrise. Now, why don't we all get some goodnight's rest and.....'

There was a loud bang, and then, almost instantly, several of Lord Robson's men were thrown into the air, landing a few inches, thier cries of agony silenced as they crashed into the dirt, before him, dead. The rest drew thier swords. There was chaos, as everyone tried to look for the intruder. Lady Veena shrieked, stood up and hid behind Lord June, who too failed to make out where the attacker was coming from. Then, another bang was heard, and two more of Lord Robson's men were thrown into the air. In the nick of time, Lord June drew his revolver, aimed and fired. What seemed like a dark pile of cloud suddenly erupted into thin air. Then, more and more of these shades began to appear. What came to be was anything Lord June had set eyes upon before. These cretures were shades. Purple and dark, fromless. The rest of Lord Robson's men drew thier revolvers, and fired. Several of the shades erupted. Then, in a flash, there dissapered before them. There was silence, as the confused men looked desperately around.

'Look out!' one of the men shouted, but it was too late. A blancket of dark shadows had already covered one of them. Immediately, shots were fired in the soldier's direction. Lord Robson yelled, 'No!' Instanly, the shade disspeared, and what was left was the soldier, dead by the hands of his own countrymen. The shades disspeared. Silence once again fell on the river bank. Then, Lord June saw it, 'Robson, behind you!' Lord Robson dodged by the skin of his teeth, only to see the shades missing him by a fraction of a second. Just as it was about to disappear, Lord June fired his revolver right it the middle of the shade, and it vanished.

'What the hell was that?' shouted one of Robson's men.

'I do not know, and I'm not going to stick around long enough to find out. Let's get out of here, sire, before it comes back!'

Just then, there was a loud battlecry. It echoed throughout the whole encampment. The men drew thier swords and looked around. Then, it happened. It was massive as it tore through the vegetation and stomped into the clear opening. A huge beast emerged from the shadows of the forest, towering before them.

'Ambush!'

The attacker had the face of a tiger, but it had the body of five man. Very strong men. In its hand it held what looked like a double bladed axe. With each step, it shook the ground. It charged across the opening, taking down several footsoldiers in one go. Several more of Lord Robson's men engaged the huge beast, only tobe knocked aside in one blow. Lord June fired the revolver at its direction, but it didn't back down, only flinching. It growled angrily, and charged, this time, towards Lord june's direction. Several more of Lord Robson's men turned thier revolvers towards the huge beastnow, desperately trying to take it down. But it didn't, continuing as though the gunshots were nthing more than mosquito bites. Lord June managed to jump away in time, but the two gunmen by his sides were not so lucky. It regained its bearing, and charged once again, this time towards Lady Veena, who was just a couple of metres away.

'Get out of there!' Lord June shouted, and raced towards his sister. He leapd ad caught hold of her jsut in time as the beast struck past. Lord Robson dashed towards it just as it was about to turn again, raised his rapier, and plundged it into the beast's chest. It growled in pain, and fell down. Robson's men immediately fired at the beast. It seemed to be working now that it was wounded. Lord Robson backed away. Just as Robson's men were reloading, something swooped down from the sky, picked up one of the gunmen, and flew into the air. The confused gunmen looked up, and was terrified. The flying creature was hedious, its eyes were but plain white spheres. It had long wings, and blood red teeth. A gargoyle. Legendary beasts of stone that came to life upon hearing the call of the devil. He tried to fight desperately, but the last thing he saw was the creature's claws digging into his flesh, and then, the gunman was ripped into two. Lady Veena was horrified. So were the rest of the men, as more and more gargoyles began to swoop down, enveloping the moonlit sky into a pitch black of wings and death.

'Retreat, men!' Lord Robson called out. The remaining of the riders jumped onto thier horses hether scatter, only to find the tiger-like beast standing before them. With one huge blow, its rammed the axe to the ground, causing a dozen of the rider's to tumble. It picked one of them up, and crushed it with its mighty claws. Lord Robson's men drew thier swords, and engaged in battle, but the beast was too powerful. It growled, facing upwards and extending its arms in a sharp and ear-pierceing growl taht echoed through the forest. More gargoyles began to pick up the poor footsoldiers and gunmen one by one.

Lord Robson dodged another attack, managing to pierce his rapier into one of the gargoyles as it swooped down, missing the Lord by inches, only to find another already too close for comfort. Just as it was about to lay its claws on Robson, Lord June's blade sliced it into two. Just as he lowered his sword, he raised his revolver and fired at yet another one of the flying beasts.

'Theres too many of them! We have to get out of here!' as he said that, another swooped down, this time slashing Lord June in the arm.

'Arggh!' The gargoyle looked down, and returned for another strike. A gunshot was heard, and the gargoyle fell to the ground, winching, in time to find Lord Robson's blade cut thorugh its neck. Lady Veena, reveolver in hand, came to her brothers aid. 'Keep your claws of my brother you worm!' and she fired, one shot after another at the attacking beasts. Lord Robson helped Lord June up, 'I have to say, you've got one hell of a sister there.'

'This is no time for jokes, now, get us out of here!'

Lord Robson made a loud whistle, and two rideless horses came to his side, 'Already on it!' The two got on, Lady Veena managing another shot at one of the gargoyles before she hopped onto the same horse with her brother.

Both horses galloped off, but Lord Robson drew his at the last moment. 'I'm not leaving without my men!'

Lord June stopped. 'It wont do you any good saying her as well! The best thing you can do now is stay alive! Your men sacrificed themselves for you, so keep a stiff upper lip, and get the hell out of here. I promise you their deaths will not go unavenged!'

Several of Lord Robson's men galloped past, and stoped before him. 'Your emminence, go. We'll hold them off as much as we can.'

With one last nod, Robson looked at his men one last time. They returned the nod, just in time for another sea of gargoyles to emerge from the shadows. 'Go, milord! Now!' As they desperately fought off the attackers, only to see one more of Lord Robson's men fall to the ground, blood splurting in all directions.

Lord Robson turned, and galloped off with Lord June. Just as they were about to clear the first mile, he saw it. Lord Robson stared at disbeleif. There, on the top of the hill, above the din of chaos that had been unjustly cast upon his men, stood a the shadow of a rider. It was unmistakable. Those wings. That beast-like exterior. Those red eyes. That hood. The monster from his dreams.... looking directly at him.
********************************************************************************
Prince Wai Kit and General Halo, packed and ready to embark on the journey home, gathered at the gates of Mt. Odyssey. A large group of priests and monks had gatherd to bid them off.

The oldest and wisest of the group busied himself with hugging the Prince. 'Thank you so much, Father. I'll remember all that I have learned here.'

The old priest looked up, and smiled. "No... thank you, young Prince. May the Gods bless you, and have faith in yourself my boy. You have the makings of a King who can end this darkness once and for all.'

'Thank you Father. Oh... I'm going to miss you....' as tears began to form in the Prince's eyes.

This made the Father smile. 'There... there... cry somemore and you'll made us all cry too. Be safe now. You have my full blessings.'

General Halo stepped foward. 'Its time to go now.'

The Prince broke out of his embrace, and followed the old General to the entrance of the Gate.

With that, they bid thier final farewells, and headed off into the forest.

Just as the two dissapeared into the shadows, The priests turned back to the cathedral. Thier one and only apprentice had finally become the man they had always hoped he would be. now its up to him to release this land from the darkness that was to come. The Elders had known this, of course. They headed into the building, looking back one last time at the route that they had seen the young Prince come as but a mere child, and leaving as a man.

What they didn't see, was the huge beast-like creature that hid within the shrubs, its tiger-like head visble as shards of sun-light made contact, watching thier every move. The villagers of the Temple of Light, unaware, entered their homes for the night. At first, there was silent flapping of wings. Then, one of them gasped at the sight of it. The starry sky was filled with flying creatures. There was a swoop, a scream, and then, there was blood, as the skies of Mt. Odyssey were filled with wings, claws and death. High pitched screams could be heard, as the flames of hell were brought down upon them. The Priests, alarmed by the shrieking, ran out, only to find more deaths. 'My God.....'

They came to the people's aid and fought back. They were forbidden to use weapons, but they were trained do make do without. Swift and agile, they avoided the attacks easily, and with one strike of the fist, crushed the gargoyles skull. Yet, they were too many of them.

'Quick! Get the people into the safety of the cathedral! Jason!' the Elder Priest pointed at one of his men. 'Get a horse, race towards the Prince and the General. Tell them not to turn back, no matter what they see! Now go!' The young priest obeyed, jumped onto a horse, and galloped off. The elder priest turned his attention now to the vile demons.

'Isha Hamen Ishkiviah!'

There was a loud zapping, and then, the body of the elder priest began to glow. It glowed intensely, then, a beam of its luminousity shot out into the sky, filling the sky with bright, blinding Light. It was an illuminousity spell. A huge wave of the approaching gargoyles evaporated as they came into contact with the light. The rest of the priests did the same, not as powerful, but served its purpose nonetheless. More and more of the gargoyles fell. Just as the last of the gargoyles vanised into dark smoke, there was a loud tremble, and the huge tiger-like beast emerged from its hiding. The Priests were about to cast another spell, when they were envelpoed in pueple blankets of shade. One of the priests shrieked, then , as the shades dissapeared, the priests lay there, aive, but motionless, as though thier souls have been ripped from thier bodies. The Elder Priest evaded the shades. He concentrated, and closed his eyes. When he reopened them again, he could see them. Dark Elementals. 'Concentrate! They are all around you!'

From the safety of the shadows, a shadow watched as death and decay was brought down upon the Temple of Light. The rider, hooded from sight, felt anxious. The battle with the monks of Light was not going to be an easy task. It looked on for a moment longer, then turned its back. Under the moonlight, the crest of the moon glittered, only but for a fraction of a second, as the dark figure headed back into the darkness.

Chapter 9 - March of The Succubus (The Awakening)

Silver rays glistened from the iron clad armour. Both men could not believe the spectecle before them. Moon Glades? Here in Mount Odyssey?

The footsoldier quickly spotted the prince and the General, and turned his attention to them. The priest, blade thrust through his heart, lay dead beneath the soldier's feet.

His look was intense, and fierce.

'By order of Lord Phillip, we are sent to take the Prince back to the South County'

The Prince winched. 'And you had to do it by killing an innocent bystander? You could have just...'

'I have my orders Prince Wai Kit, now get on that horse, now!'

Wai Kit drew his sword. 'I will have nothing of this sort! Give me your rank and armour soldier! I hereby strip you off duty by the power invested in me...'

The MoonGlades said nothing at first, then, they laughed.

Halo drew his sword, and stood between them. 'How dare you speak to the future Lord of the South in such perposterousity! I swear I'll have your head the moment I report this to his Lordship...'

The footsoldier looked up towards Halo, then laughed. 'Lord Phillip is dead, Halo. Now, draw your swords, or come quietly. I'll do more than kill to claim the throne.'

General Halo beckoned to the Prince to get behind him. But before he could do anything, the young Prince had already launched himslef ahead. The MoonGlades drew thier swords, and struck at the Prince, but he was too fast for them. A couple of strikes later, and the MoonGlade was knocked out, the Prince's heavy boot tightly pressed on his armour plate.



'Impressive ma' boy, well... for a boy that is.'



The young Prince stared at the General. 'Dont push it.'

He smiled. The Prince and the General approached the fallen MoonGlade. The Prince reached out for the head gear, and pulled. What he saw changed anything his training in Mt. Odyssey had prepared him for. What lay beneath the head piece was but a viod. Emptiness. Nothing. The South County was in danger!

***********************************************************************************
The dark clouds were long dissipated into a bright blue, yet, in a jungle with no chimney or window to let light in, illuminousity was but a bitter hope for a lost soul. Well, two exactly. General Siow dragged his feet over the muddly puddles, occasionally having to heave the heavy Lord Nesh dangling, motionless over his shoulders. The attempt of even making it out of this dark, gloom of a forest alife was too unlikely, impossible. But impossibilities were all that General Siow could wish for. His wounds were still burning, his sword still clenched tightly in his hand. Intoleratable and in harsh agony, he moved on. He knew he had to. The Lord of the North was breathing, but just barely. Crimson red blood flowed, leaving behind a trail of blood. The forest of Norshire was infamous for its tales of mystery and wonder, and the creatures that lurked within its shadows were solemn and often discarded as legends and myths,. But still, General Siow didn't want to take any chances. He had already had enough. Th fall of the entire Northern army in the hands of King Phillips and his men were davestating enough. But the queer questions still resounded in the echoes of his head. Who and what were they up to? Were they not sacrificed in the South County as the messengers have reported?

True to the words, Norshire was nothing but hidden shadows and murky swamps. Howles and whines of unknown beasts echoed throughout. Still, his heavy feet trudged on, vowing to make up for lost time. Behind them, he could still hear the distinct whispers and galloping, the rustling of the bushes and the crackling of nearby branches. The route was claer up ahead. General Siow looked around, placing his ears onto the ground. The tremours were still there. They must be close, but in the wrong direction. Carefully, he heaved the heavy mass of flesh, or what was left of it, onto the ground. His Lordship was breathing weakly.

'Sire... Sire! We're almost out of here, I can feel it. A little up ahead, and there might be water.... and....'

Lord Nesh opened his eyes, managing only a peek through his battered eyelids. He could hear his general weeping. For what seemed like an eternity, they lay there, in silence. Then, the Lord of the North, hands shivering from the cold and the pain, spoke.

'No.... Its.. too... late for.. me.' He smiled, like a father's smile to a son. 'Listen to me, Siow.... There is little... time..... If the dark forces have set foot on the Middle Kingdoms, all of Ezeroth, and the North County.... will be next....'

'No sire! We still need you to lead us! The.. the army might be lost... but... the King! We can send word to the king. The Elites can do something about it, sire! Can they not?'

The torn Lord smiled even more. Never in his life had Siow witnessed the infamous Lord Nesh smile. His Lordship was always tough, unbent, and just. The demi-god with the strength of ten men, who could erect fallen stone into monumental structures of war. The House of Nesh had been governing the North, for almost twenty generations. There might not be kindness and punishments under stringent rules, but there was, above all, peace.

Lord Nesh shook violently, more blood now oozing out of his wounds. The wounds were deep and badly ripped. Anyone would have died of the pain. But Lord Nesh Dominic II Naidu was not anybody.

'Take... take this....' the wounded Lord took out a torn piece of what seemed like parchment from his belt. 'I... I managed to get this from one of the Seargents of the MoonGlade when they pierced me....' He coughed, and blood splattered unto the ground.

General Siow took it from the Lord's bloody hands, and opened it, his eyes moist from the very thought of losing the ruler and master of the North. Within, were some kind of scriptures, engraved in what seemed like dry blood.

'Take... this... to a wise man named Kye.... in the Middle Kingdom... He.. He'll know what to ... do... with...'

The conculvtions were uncontrollable now. 'Hang in there, milord! We can make it out of here. Oh, in the name of the Holy SunBear, I promise I'll...'

Before he could finish, Lord Nesh reached out his hand. 'That.. would be enough... General.... That would be... enough'

And with one last smile, the great Lord heaved his last breath, and then, there was silence. The man who ruled the Northern Lands... now lay dead before General Siow, a man of valour and immense courage.

In tears, Siow took one last look at the fallen Lord of the North. 'By the heavens I swear, that in the place of this great man, there will come great retribution! His death will not go unpunished!'
The heavens were raining. A slow, but greyish rain. Its as though even the skies weep for the lost of a man of such valour. General Siow placed the last amount of earth on top of the grave, and reached for the emerald sword that lay by his side. He decended to his knees, and gently placed the sword over the grave.

'Within these sands lie the once beating heart that lead the County of the North to honour and glory. This man was a legend. A legend whose stories will be entrusted upon the minds of generations years to come.'

He stood up, bowed one last time, and turned his back towards the Lord of the North one last time.

Just as he did, he could hear gentle rustling of leaves. General Siow paused a moment too late, as two arrows jetted past the General, the first missing his right arm, but the later penetrating his left knee. He drew his sword a hint later than the arrow. He let out a cry of agony, and fell, clenching his sword for support. Two MoonGlades came out of thier hiding, crossbows in hand.
Behind them, an audible galloping, and the stomping of hooves against the soft terrain, stood the shadow of a tall figure. This figure was no MoonGlade, but it wore a high coat, demanding respect. The two MoonGlades bowed at the presence of the higher being, as it disembarked from the Dark Night. It drew its rapier, and pointed it towards the fallen General, as more MoonGlades joined the troup, surrounding the General.

'In the name of the Highbourne, General Siow, I've come to take your life.'

Genral Siow, managing to finally pull the arrow out of his knee cap, threw it to the ground. He tried to stand, but a sudden surge of pain ran through his spine, and he fell again.

'No use trying to stand now, great General. That arrow has been poisoned with the venomous of snakes in the Noreshire forest. No amount of antidotes will cure it. So even if you DO, in some twisted fate, run out of this situation, which I find rather unlikely, you will die.'

Siow took a closer look at the demon. His face was inhuman, almost beastlike. There were what seemed more like blunt horns pertruding out of its otherwise abnormal skull. Its eyes were red, flushed and it was not very well built. In the field of military concencous, it had to play more of an advisor than a soldier.

It pointed the rapier directly at the tip of the General's throat throat now.

'Any last words?'

The General eyes the demon. 'Before I die... Tell me your name.'

The demon looked at the General, and laughed. 'Mortals... Still fantasizing about the slight chance you have at getting back at me eh? Well then let it be known, that The HighBlood Command of the Second Battalion, Razamire, has taken the life of famed General Siow. Now, this will only hurt for a second...'

'That's all I need to know.'

A second later, the rapier pointed only moments ago at the General was snapped in two.
'What in the devil...'

Siow surged forward, laying a huge fist at Razamire, causing the figure to bolt in reverse, hitting the ground with a thud. The demon staggered to its feet, still tarumatized by the hit. THen, he shook his head, only to find blood seeping out from his chin. He bellowed, How dare you! Get him you fools!'

The two MoonGlades raised thier crossbows aimed, and fired. The arrows missed the General, landing instead in the chest of a neaerby MoonGlade. Siow raised his sword, and slashed the two MoonGlades in half. Three more MoonGlades took the place of thier fallen counter parts, and drew thier swords as well, only to be knocked down by the enraged General. Siow fought bravely, slaying another MoonGlade. The famed swordsmen were fast and swift, but Siow had the advantage of skill. But skill alone was no match for numbers. A couple of moments later, he had himself surrounded. Razamire smirked, as he apporached the group.

'No where to run now, mortal? Finish him!'

Then, there was a loud crack, and the MoonGlade standing directly next to Razamire fell, arrow through his neck.

'Not unless I say so!' A flash of blinding light, and two figures emerged from the shadows, taking on several MoonGlades. Then, a loud battlecry, and a couple more figures joined the fight. The confused MoonGlades turned thier attention to the new attackers. Siow, too, was surprised, but he seized the opportunity, and struck a solid blow on the nearby MoonGlades.

'There are too many of them! Retreat!' Razamire yelled. The coward jumped on his horse, and raced off, followed by the other MoonGlades. In the havoc, several of the MoonGlades were struck dead on the ground, as the rest tried to escape. Others fought the new invaders, only to find what seemed like hundeds more emerging from the shadows of the forest. In a final effort to escape, the MoonGlades jumped on whatever horses were left and escaped into the wilderness, leaving behind a helpless few who were sitting ducks for the attackers.

Once it was safe, the General turned his attention his saviours. The footmen who came forward introduced himself as Sir Gallaweed. It was when he kept his sword that Siow noticed the high mark of the bolt, or Thunder on his sword case. An Elite! The king's royal guard!

Sir Gallaweed was first to speak. 'I apologize for not arriving sooner, your emminence. The men were caught with the unfamilar terrrain. But I do understand if your Lordship would accompany me back to the castle. King Wye has an urgency....'

'Whoa.. whoa... wait a second there! What did you just call me?'

The royal guard blinked. 'Your Lordship, sire?'

'Now listen here, you!' Siow drew his sword. This made the royal guard back away. 'The only Lord I know, love and serve is dead just moments ago. If this is some attempt to mock me and the County of the North, swear on Lord Nesh's grave that I'll...'

'You're General Siow, I presume?' the royal guard inquired, still not willing to let his sight off the blade pointed directly at him.

'SO what if I am?'

'Then please, your emminence, keep that blade away. The only Lord present here, is you, Lord Siow, of the North County. The king has heard of Lord Nesh's death.'

This time, it was Siow's turn to blink. 'How'd you....'

'The Oracle, Lord Siow. Now, I'll expalin on the way. The King has an urgent need to see you, so I advise we hurry up.'

The royal guard turned and headed for his horse. Siow was still dumbfounded.

'Why should I trust you?'

'Because if you don't, sire, Princess WanYi would be very upset.'
********************************************************************************
A huge fog had long since engulfed the shady forest. The scout party stormed through the forest. Literally. Most of it due to the scouts themselves. They were not of a fixed form, more elemental. Dark Elementals, as they called themselves. Most prized in war, agile and quick, they can cover hectars of land in a matter of minutes, consuming everything in their path. The formless shades whizzed thorugh the forest, thier passng causing the nearby greens to decay and die the instant death. Almost as though they were robbed of thier soul.

Six miles apart, a pack of horses strodded in fine unisense. A full ten horses, covered in steel plates, sharp thorns and blades pertruding out. Its hooves were solid steel. Its horses alone were humungous. Yet, if you can call them horses. They were more of bones and flesh, its eyes blood shot just like its rider's. The riders enclosed themselves in black hoods, allowing only the eyes to be visible. The leading horse, this one larger than the rest, rode the Beastlike demon. The same blunt horns, but this time, a much larger built, and the intensity of its red blood shot eyes were bone chlling.

Soon, the fog began to lift, and suddenly, one of the horses neighed, and the entire patrol stopped. The elementals have returned from thier search. The leader of the patrol disembarked the undead horse, and hit the ground with a loud thud. Immediately, from the horizon, three shady figures appraoched. They seem to dissapear and reappear as they got closer. One of them moved towards the horsemen, and an echo, as quiet as a whisper but loud enough to make the entire patrol nod in agreement.

'Blood.....'

Then, the horsemen stood up, and there, in the distance, they saw it. An outpost. The symbol of the Middle Kingdom's crown embedded on its doors. One of the Five Outposts. Huge fortresses that were meant to prevent any intruder from the barbaric clans around Norshire forest. Two hundred footsoldiers. Three hundred archers, hidden in four positons around the dense forest. A river, up the frozen banks, lay two villages. Fresh humans for slaughter. Twelve towers, nightguards. Fifty calvary. Heavy stone walls, a draw bridge, catapults at every corner.

The demon's blood shot eyes blinked, and then, it made a loud growl. There was a sudden rumble of the ground below, and them, the earth began to crack apart. One by one, all sorts of undead creatures though possible emerged from the depths of hell. Skeletons, bloodhounds and gargoyle, emerging out of the ground like mushrooms after the rain. The skies and forests were soon filled with an army of the undead, howlng and growling, desperate for blood.

The ten rders disembarked, and then, formed a circle. They each took a dagger out of its case, and in perfect coherence, thrust it into thier chests. Blood poured out but as soon as it reached the ground, it began to swivle and turn, forming a cloud of red and purple. Soon, a leg began to take shape, then an arm, an then, there was a head. All at once the creatures that had emerged bowed down as though they had seen their maker. In fact. they had. Out of the chants, the ten horsemen retreated, and out of the smog of red and purple, a tall figure, menacing and only half-visible through its shady exterior, emerged. It had eyes that were shut tight, as though it was blind. Huge wings appeared on its back. Its face was solemn and drown, but it had a terrible aura, one so powerful that the nearest gargoyle vaporized at its presence.

'Garh... Finally.... After al these years.... The Highbourne.. will rise again...'

Then, as quickly as it disembarked, the horsemen hopped back onto the horse. The Highbourne, eyes still closed, glared directly at the outpost. An evil smile appeared on its lips. It began to chant, and then, dark clouds began to form above.

At the outpost, the footsoldiers noticed somethng wrong about the weather. The dark clouds were slow at frst, then, there was a clasp of lightning, striking one of the catapults, setting it ablaze. There was panic, as the footsoldiers tried to put it out. Then, there was a huge tremble. The ground began to shake violently. It seemed like nothing at first, then, another bolt of lightning, and a loud battlecry echoed throughout the outpost.

'We've got company! Signal the commander, go!'

The footsoldier dissapeared into a nearby tent, and emerged together with a more authoratative figure, his armour palte bearing the chest of the crown. Beside him, ten others bore the crest of the Thunderbolt.

'What's all this?' But as soon as he saw the dark clouds above, the commander of the Fifth Outpost of Ezaroth began shouting commands in every direction. As the footsoldiers armed themselves, what seemed like a dark wall of black smoke began to appear from the fringes of the forest. Slow at first, then, it picked up speed, and finally, the soldiers of the Fifth Outpost were face to face with the greatest fears of all mankind. The commander, alongside the royal guards, drew thier weapons.

'God have mercy...' was the last thing the commander said as the fortress was completely engulfed by the darkness, fire and ashes, cries of pain and agony. Then, there was silence.
***********************************************************************************
Lord Robson woke up from his sleep, sweating from head to toe. He looked around him. His men were still asleep, so was Lord June and Lady Veena. He paused to think, cold sweat still trickling down his now soaked tunic. The pale glow of the moon was visible through the eerie shdows of Norshire forest. It was a nightmare? It had to be.....

Just minutes ago, they had bumped into the massive Northern army headed to an unknown place. Lord June had advised that they wait, in case anything was amiss. besides, what help would two Lords, a Princess, and a couple of men do?

He stood up. He needed some time alone. Just as he took a turn into the forest, there was a gentle rustle of leafs, and Lord Robson turned to look. There, before him, stood the Highbourne that appeared in his dreams, that evil smile still on his face, grinning, speaking the words, 'I'm coming for you....' Then, it dissappeared.

Lord Robson was dumbfounded, and then, as though realising something urgent, he raced back to the camp site at top speed.

As he arrived, he didn't bother waking anybody up, but just got onto a horse. The entire commotion woke the entire camp up.

'What's wrong, Robson... Why'd you?' before Lord June could finish, Lord Robson was already galloping out of sight. The Lord of the Nightingale immediately stood up. Lady veena looked confused, so was the rest of the troupe.

'I think you should follow him.' Lady Veena said in concern. He nodded.

Lord June raced across the same direction on horse, trailing behind the troubled Lord. Not long later, he could see Lord Robson up ahead, on the cliff of a mountain. He was motionless. Lord June galloped towards him.

'What happened? I thought we.....'
He hung in mid-sentence, and paused. He could not believe what he saw. Just like Lord Robson, who had now shaking uncontrollably. It was uncomprehensible. Before them, just as the morning sun cast its rays upon the valley, the entire Nothern army lay dead - footmen, horses, flags. An entire sea of dead men, the whole ten thousand strong.