I woke up into the darkness. I tried recalling what happened when all of us fell down the dark hole. All I can remember is blacking out during the fall and now I wake up into the chilling darkness around me. "ANUBIS! ROSE! GUYS!" I screamed, hoping to know how are my friends. I couldn't see anything in the darkness as I try to adjust my eyesight. "Tap into my powers" said Draco in my mind, I listened and tapped onto her powers. The next thing I could see clear in the dark and hear my surroundings clearly. It seems that I am trapped in a dark cavern. I look around and finally found my friends lying on the ground unconscious. I tried to look for a way out and something to make a fire to light up the place. I manage to find a wooden stick lying around a corner. I took it and wrap my napkin around it, using my powers I manage to create a fire. Slowly my friends woke up one by one, I scanned around the area. "CRACK!" a loud sound was heard in the cavern. "WHAT WAS THAT?!" said Nick in an anxious voice. Part of the walls of the cavern suddenly move revealing a dark hallway ahead.
"I guess someone is expecting us from the moment we cross Blood River." I said and we walk towards the hallway with only a torch to light the way. "This doesn't feel good." said Rose as we walk further into the hallway. Minutes passed as we walk deeper into the hallway and finally we reached a room lighted with fire torch on each corner of the rooms revealing two doors, one on the left and another on the right. "So which one should we enter?" asked Rogue. "One of the doors will lead us to Illus and another to who knows where and what that's waiting for us." said Anubis while scanning which door should we head to. "Should we spit up?" asked Rogue "No" I said. "We have to stick together no matter what. If any of us get into danger we won't be able to know how to save each other. It's best if we stick together as a team." "That I agree with Mal." said Nick. "I said we take the right door." I said to them, "How sure are you on that?" questioned Anubis, "Just a gut feeling. We have to always trust out guts right." I said feeling nervous, hoping that what's behind the door is not a monster waiting to devour us.
With that the seven of us walk towards the right door. Jake opened the door and it revealed a beautiful furnished housed with lights that looks like stars on the ceiling of the room. We all walked in scanning our surroundings. "Great...another mysterious room. So what's gonna come out next? A snake head lady and us running away from it." said Rogue while we all armed ourselves just in case of any surprise attack. "Well I guess that won't happen dear Rose." said a man dressed in a blue cloak. We all turn towards the source of the sound and saw that man standing on the second floor of the room. "Who are you and how do you know my name?" said Rose feeling shocked. "Oh I know all of your names, not just you pretty one. In fact I'm actually expecting the seven of your arrivals. So how did you guys like my welcome present." said the man in the blue cloak. "If was unexpectedly thrilling along with the darkness. Answer our question. Who are you?" I said while I got myself ready and tap into both Dragno and Draco powers. "You came into the Vampire Realm and search the whole area for me and now you are asking me 'Who am I', do I look like a joke to you?" said Illus. "So you're Illus. What an honour to finally found you after all the troubles" said Anubis sarcastically.
"Why it's my honour to entertain to my most important guest. Especially you girl." Illus said while looking at me. "It seems that you have made a new friend I see. And a powerful one to be exact." he said. "Summon us out Mal" said Draco in my head. I listened to hear and summon both Draco and Dragno out into their physical form. It is my first time seeing them both in human form, keeping some of their distinct characteristics with Dragno having his Dragon like eyes and Draco with her vampire teeth. "It's been a while I see the two leaders of each clan being tied to a certain Orb. I wonder how special she is to be so powerful to be a Gold Rank and having two most powerful beings to become her familiar." Illus said while walking towards Draco and Dragno, bowing to the Queen of Vampires and the King of Dragons. "We are not here to listen to your nonsence. We are here to get answers and I am sure you know what answers we seek dear Warlord." said Dragno staring at Illus looking like he could take him down anytime.
"Where is Cassy and what is her purpose on creating all this havoc." I asked, " I wish I could answer that question gold one but it seems that even I don't have the answer to your questions on what is dear Cassy's purpose. But I can reveal to you her whereabouts on one condition." Illus said with a smile on his face. Knowing that smile, whatever terms that he will state next for us to know Cassy's whereabouts is not a good term. "State your price." said Anubis, "Wait Anubis. What do you think you're doing. We can't just agree on it easily." Rose whispered to him. Illus snickered while the rest of us are busy discussing on the offer that he will make. "Time is ticking dear ones. I don't have the whole universe to wait for your decisions. So will you or will you not agree to one of my condition if I reveal to you where Cassy is?" said Illus, " We have to agree on it no matter what. Saving this world is more important than anything else." I said, "Name it!" as I turn around to face Illus. "I know that you will agree on to it. The condition is simple. All I need is the blood of both your familiar here of course. Well just a bag each." said Illus.
I was stunned at his term. Many thoughts run in my head, if Dragno and Draco offer him their blood, who knows what he will do with it. Make himself powerful or even use it for even more dangerous purpose. "Why do you need their blood for?" I asked. " Oh just some experiments. I heard that their blood can do wonders. Hence I am curios on finding out what it could do. After all Warlocks are curious creatures to try everything they could get their hands on." He said. Dragno and Draco agree on giving him a bag of their blood each in order to get the info we need even though we have no choice but to agree to it in order to know where is Cassy is.
After collecting their bloods, both Dragno and Draco return into my body. "Well thank you so much for this wonderful gift dear Mal. I appreciate what I manage to get." Illus said as he started to observe the bags of blood in his hands. "Now you've got what you want. Now tell us how to we find Cassy." Jake said snapping Illus out of his mind. "Of course. You will find her in the Hell of Condemn Souls. That's one of her lair. To get there you will need to face many challenges ahead. Luckily I am able to help the seven of you on your first challenge that you will face on your way there. Before exiting this realm, collect some blood from the Blood River. You will need it soon. If you are lucky you will meet her there. But if you are not the all the best in finding out her next location. You will be able to get her location easily given your strength, her servants will tell you willingly by brute force of course. I wish you all the luck and happy hunting." he said, with that the next thing we know our surroundings start to vanish, revealing a large field.
We were back from where we started before the fall. We took Illus's advice and collected some blood from the Blood River. "Do you trust him? I mean with him having both Dragno and Draco's blood. You do know that their blood is dangerous in the wrong hands." ask Rogue. "I hope that that day doesn't come where I regret my decision giving him their blood Rogue. Right now our priority is the find Cassy and rescue the missing girls." I said. With that we head on to our next location, back to The Orb to report to Mr Principal before we prepare for our next trip to another realm.