Niro opened his mind to show him the vampires. He let the pictures flash by showing what he saw,

[The answer to your question is yes and no,] rattled through Niro’s head. [These are Nightwalkers. They only come out at night and they are controlled by their master. The master’s powerful mind controls every move they make. He sees what they see. They kill what he wants dead. The only way to destroy them is with fire, or if you kill their master.]

[Thanks Ranjer,] Niro turned to Hoddie and Azeal. “What now?

“We fight,” Hoddie said as he took out his knives, “They are all flesh with no mind. We fight for Taggitia. We fight for what’s right!”

Like three power horses, they charged. Niro with his sword, Hoddie had his knives. And Azeal with his power staff. The three charged into the vampires, swinging and stabbing anything that came into their range. With Goblin speed Hoddie slashed, then stabbed the two vampires in front of him. As they fell dead on the floor, he thanked Rimnar for the blessing Alea had done on the blades. When he turned, the next group of vampires attacked. Hoddie fell to the floor stabbing up and out, then he swung out as two dived down at him. As Hoddie looked out. Four vampires had him surrounded, he didn’t even have time to get up. As he braced for the attack, Niro came in with his hammer out taking the four out with one swing. He reached his hand down to help Hoddie up to his feet

“No time to talk,” He said as the next wave came at them. With a swing down to hit the ground, the incoming vampires fell, like tops, scattering them all around.

[Oh my friend,] Ash called out to Azeal, Niro, and Hoddie. [There is plenty of time. I knew you were coming long before you crossed over to my country. And I know what you want, and you can’t have it. It’s my precious gift and I am the lord of death, but if you can beat my nightwalkers, I’ll show you where I am.]

[I’ll see you shortly.] Azeal watched with a smile as the nightwalkers came in for the attack.

“You are not the first Nightwalkers to attack me,” He said as his hand started to glow. “Come and get my cure for what ails you.”

As the Nightwalkers came charging in. Azeal flexed his claws and he took his cue from the Dragons. He roared.

Like madmen with a fever, The nightwalkers came in at Azeal. Azeal waited for the right moment and dived in at them. With his claws glowing with power, he slashed at them again and again. He laughed like he was mad with power but he wasn’t. His laugh was to fill the other vampires with fear. Azeal was quite sane as he dived into battle. His claws were covered with the blood of his enemy and his mind was very clear. He hadn’t fought that much in the recent past, but he planned on changing that right now.

As Niro stood up, Azeal tossed a vampire at him. With a deep smile, Niro stood there waiting. When the vampire was close enough, he slaughtered it, while it was still in the air.

Sima jumped from one enemy to the next, ripping and tearing them apart. As one vampire lifted his weapon on Sima, She roared and was on them. While the fighting went on, Sima was never more than five feet from Niro. He was always at his back, protecting him.

As Niro wiped the blood from his hammer and his hands, something moved in the back of the throne room. Azeal whistled to Hoddie then gave him a hand sign. Hoddie gave him a nod, then he ducked and slowly made his way to the back of the room. The room was full of broken furniture and dead vampires. Hoddie slipped from one pile to the next keeping his head down and his course steady. He’d look out and orient himself to the movement and get back down undercover. As he made his way to the back of the room, Azeal, Niro and Sima kept on fighting. Niro crushed a vampire’s head then kicked another over to Azeal. With his staff out, Azeal sent a power blast that burned it to a cinder.

After killing another five, Azeal stopped to see the room was just about empty and Hodie had reached the back of the room. With his knives out, Hoddie stood over the pile of dead vampires. With a hard shove, he pushed the pile over to find a young vampire there with his face and hands covered with ash. With a look of confusion, Hoddie reached down and pulled him out. Once he had him off to the side and Niro and Azeal had joined them, Hoddie asked him who he was.

“My name is Ziering Trask,” he said. “I was trapped here when Ash took over. My only chance was to cover myself with ash and act like everyone else. And it wasn’t easy.”

“What do you mean,” Azeal said.

“I’m starving,” he said. “I haven’t eaten since I got here and that was over two turns ago.”

“ I’m sorry Ziering,” Niro said. “But we have nothing you can eat. You’ll have to wait until you get out of here.”

“Unless you want to feed off them,” Hoddie said gesturing to the dead Nightwalkers.

“No thank you,” he said. “I’ll wait until I get out of here.”

“The castle has to be empty now,” Azeal said. “I don’t feel anyone in here besides us. You can go if you want.”

Ziering looked them in the eyes then turned around to leave. Then he stopped and turned back around.

“Is Ash Argent dead?”

“No,” Azeal said. “Not yet, but I will kill him.”

“I don’t doubt you,” Ziering said. “But look around. Do you see all these people? They used to be my neighbors. Ash killed them. He made them nightwalkers, and that was just about as good as dead. My family is here, I don’t have anywhere to go.”

“Yes you do,” Azeal said. “You can come and live with my family in Yadessa. My grandson will welcome you like family.”

Ziering didn’t know what to believe. So many people had lied to him, he couldn’t tell the truth from a lie. But as the Baron looked into his eyes, he wanted to believe him. No, he did believe him.

“What do you want me to do?” Ziering asked.

“First tell us where we can find Ash,” Azeal said. “I need you to go to Malmor and catch the ferry to Myrani. Give this to the ferryman and tell him we are going to confront Ash Argent. Can you do that?”

Azeal gave him a gold coin to swop with the ferryman for a ride.

“Yes,” Ziering said.

“Someone will be there to meet you,” The Baron promised. “They will take you home.”

“Thank you,” The young vampire said as he hugged Azeal. “Thank you very much.”

As they left, Azeal sent a message to Valkar about his guests and the arrangements he should take. Valkar agreed and told him he would do as his grandfather asked. Outside of Argent manor they separated from Ziering and turned west.

[I see you killed my guards,] Ash sent to them. [Go west and you will visit my temple. I will be there waiting for you.]

As they turned west Sima roared out in frustration. She felt nervous ever since they got off the ferry. Niro reached down and rubbed the fur on her neck. She purred with the pleasure of Niro’s attention.

“Don’t worry girl,” he said. “We’ll be out of here soon and you can go hunting.”

Sima gave him a soft grumble, then they were off on their way to face the Lord of death.

As they started on their way, Hoddie looked around. The land was grey, with very small patches of green. The trees were all dead, with wilted palms hanging down almost to the ground. Some of the trees looked like they would fall if they were hit in the center just once. Sima stopped at a pool of water for a drink. Niro pulled her away before she could get one small taste.

“Look at the water,” He said. “You can’t drink that, its poison.”

Hoddie looked down at the pool of water. It looked muddy with leaves and a dead fish floating in it. It didn’t look drinkable.

“We have to hurry,” Hoddie said. “Sima will need water soon.”

[The temple isn’t that far away,] Azeal pointed to a spot that was out of sight to Hoddie and Niro.

As they made their way to the temple, nightwalkers attacked. They came two or three in a group. Sometimes there would be five or six, but that wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle. It wasn’t long before they found they were standing in front of the temple. They had found a cave with a putrid smell coming out of it. Hoddie turned up his nose at it.

“Tell me it’s not in here?’

“I’m sorry Hoddie,” Azeal said. “But it’s in here.”

“You can stay out here if you want,” Niro said.”Only the Baron and I have to go in.”

[Don’t forget me,] Cutter said as he dropped down to shift before them,”I’m coming with you.”

“Well I’m not staying out here by myself,” Hoddie said. “Count me in.”

So the crew was set. They were all going in. They checked their supplies. They had everything they would need to battle a lord of the dead.

[I welcome you in,] Ash said. [Welcome to my parlor.]

The cave was dark. Azeal raised his hand and cast a small fire spell to see the way. Azeal took the lead with Hoddie then Cutter, Niro and Sima watched their back,” .

“Nice cave,” Cutter sent. “I see gold and diamonds in the walls. Dreik would love it here.”

“Who’s Derik?” Hoddie asked them.

“He’s our terrain dragon,” Cutter said. “He loves caves like this. He spends more time underground than above.”

“He sounds like a real treasure hunter,” Niro said.

“He’s not a treasure hunter,” Cutter said. “But he loves to swim through places like this.”

Halfway there, a group of vampires attacked. Azeal pulled his staff out of the netherworld. As they came at him, he cast it out at the three that were coming at him. It spun around and around until it made contact with the first vampire. As it touched the first vampire, each end burst into flames. As the burning end touched the undead fiend, it set the vampire on fire. It fought to put out the flames, but that made it burn hotter and hotter. In seconds it was nothing but ash blowing in the wind. The staff took out four vampires while Hoddie, with his goblin speed and glowing knives, got another two. The last, Niro and Sima took down.

As they stood there, at the foot of the stairs to the temple, Azeal cast his mind out and into the temple.

As temples go this wasn’t very complicated. There were four columns that held up the black stone slab that was the roof. On the three sides, there was another fitted stone wall. At the entrance, there were steps that led up to the top, where there was an entrance to the temple. Inside, Azeal felt the throne where Ash must sit and pass out his laws and that was it. No bedding or anything one might need to be alive or dead. The stuff about vampires needing to sleep on soil from where they live was hogwash, but they do need sleep and they must feed. It’s not as urgent as the stories say, and being a nightwalker means humans to feed on.

“I’d say this is pretty grim,” Hoddie said. “You sure you’ll be alright?”

“Yeah,” Niro said and he took off his bag and gave it to Hoddie. “Take good care of my stuff.”

As he started up the stairs, Sima followed him. Niro turned and took her back down to Hoddie.

“You stay here Sima,” Niro went down to one knee. He rubbed the Sabertooth lion all over her back then, the top of her head. Sima purred and started to lick Niro’s face. “I love you too, Sima.”

After he bid farewell to his cat, Niro hurried up to catch Azeal. At the top of the altar, a voice called out to them.

“Come in if you dare,”

Azeal looked over to Niro, to assure him that everything will be alright. Then together, they made their way in. As soon as they were in, a slab of marble came down to seal the entrance. Sima roared as she ran up the stairs and searched for a way in. She beat at the slab then sent her body hurling into the door, but wouldn’t budge. She couldn’t move the door, but she knew he was there. She made a loud moaning noise and laid down beside the door.

Inside, Azeal worked his magic trying to get the door open. Every spell he cast was absorbed by the temple. Azeal didn’t know what to try next.

“Let me try,” Niro pulled his hammer from its casing at his side. He swung it around trying to get a feeling for the hammer. Then he spun it around while stepping into his place beside the wall. Then with a mighty heave, he slammed it down on the wall next to the door. When the hammer met the wall it made a loud clang. Vibrations went up Niro’s arm all the way to his shoulder. His hand went numb and he almost dropped the hammer. He backed away while the vibrations ran through his body.

“I’m not doing that again.”

“Come on,” Azeal said. “Ash has to be here somewhere.

With his hammer back at his side, Niro followed Azeal in.

“By Rimnar,” Niro said. “This temple looks a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside.”

“Magic,” Azeal said. “It’s a pretty good spell too.”

“Sssssh,” Niro said. “I hear something.”

As they listened closely, they heard a voice coming from up ahead.

“From water to blood

And soft to hard.

Lock us in

only the victor survives

We fight for supremacy

And king of the hill

We fight to be king

Of much more ten a hill.”

As the temple started to shake, dust fell all around them. Niro held onto a pillar while the Baron moved like the quake couldn’t hurt him.

When the quake settled, Niro called out in his mind for the Baron.

[Yes?”] the Baron answered. [Be quiet. There’s something in here with us.]

[Yes there is,] A voice said. [You don’t need to be afraid. I am going to kill you both, but right now, I want to talk. Just come out so we can talk.]

Having no fear, Baron Azeal walked right out to face the lord of death. Niro came out right behind him.

“Welcome to Argent and my temple. I don’t expect you to bow or anything. Not now at least. But soon I’ll be stronger than any god.”

“Very funny,” Azeal said. “But I guess you’re not afraid of retribution.”

“Retribution?” Ash said. “There is no god stronger than me.”

[You must think very highly of yourself,] Niro sent. [It’s not smart to declare yourself a god. It’s very dangerous.]

“I’m not afraid of the gods,” Ash said. “They don’t scare me at all.”

At that second, everything stopped. Niro moved over to where Azeal was standing and waved his hand in front of his face.

“Aiya? Aiya,” he said. “Is anyone here?”

As he turned around, Niro saw a red-haired man in black long pants and a silver tunic leaning on Ash’s sacrificial table.

“He really should be careful who he insults,” Jax said. “Lesser gods then me might take offense to his words.”

“Your Jax,” he said. “The god of justice.”

“Yes,” he said as he walked over and threw his arms around Niro’s neck. “I’m in a hurry here so I’ll get to my point. Ash Argent is very powerful, but you have everything you need to beat him in hand. Just think it over and you’ll figure what I mean. Aiya brave warrior.”

[You should be careful who you insult,] Niro said. [They might come down for you.]

“Who am I battling here?” Ash said, ignoring Niro. “I don’t have all day.”

“You’ll be fighting me,” Niro said as he stepped out to challenge Ash Argent. “You will fight me.”

“Hold on there,” Azeal said. “I thought we had decided I would fight him?”

“I have to do this,” Niro said as he stretched. “We have a lot to thank you for, but that’s for later. If I die, he’s all yours.”

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