"Wha...what do you mean?" asked Alex. "Leave?"
"Yes." said Valek, urgently. "We have to leave right now!"
"Wh-?" began Liana.
"Because there could be more of these on the way!" shouted Valek. "Whoever this was, he's powerful. There's no guarantee he'll have sent only one platoon. We have to go now!"
"Where will we go?" asked Alex, jumping to his feet.
"My place." said Valek.
"It's safer, right?"
"A lot."
"Good." said Alex. I have to protect everyone. "Girls, get up. Robin, u-"
"You don't get it." said Valek, suddenly somber.
"What?" asked Alex, turning around.
"We have to leave this place as in...as in, leave it forever." said Valek. He'd realized a lot fighting these voodoos, and he knew there was a lot to be done. How am I gonna tell them that though?
"Wha-...? What do you mean?" asked Alex, in a low voice. He didn't like the pained expression on Valek's face.
"I mean, whoever sent these, knows where you live. You...can't come back here anymore." said Valek.
"So, what do you propose we do? Run?"
"Yes. Leave this place." said Valek.
"But we can fight them." said Robin, getting to his feet. "You can fight them. You just took on a whole battalion of them without a scratch."
"And if I miss even one?" asked Valek, angrily. "One single voodoo with one sword! What if he gets in and I can't stop him in time?"
"Then we'll protect the girls." said Alex.
"This isn't just about the girls! It's about you two too!"
"We can take care-" began Robin.
"You couldn't kill one of them! You had to toss him out of the window." said Valek. "And this one?" He pointed at the corpse in black armor. "Neither of you stands a chance against the likes of him."
"So, we find out who's sending these fuckers." said Alex. "Who is it?"
"I don't know!" shouted Valek. "I...don't know. There's a lot I don't know suddenly." Alex observed his younger brother. It was not like him to lose his nerves like this...it meant only one thing. He's scared...and not for himself. "We run? Where do we go?" asked Alex.
"We'll figure that out." said Valek. "But for now, we have to leave this place."
"I...guess you're ri-" started Alex.
"And we'll have to burn this house to the ground." said Valek, looking around.
"What!?" shouted all five of them in unison.
"We can't leave any traces behind." said Valek.
"Traces?! Traces from who?!" shouted Alex, his nerves starting to give out too. "You can't jus-"
Valek grabbed his brother by his shoulders and slammed him against wall. "Listen! Whoever sent these is a very powerful necromancer, okay? When I was fighting these things, none of them were bothering to come after me...they were after one thing and one thing only...you all. That means, that that mage wants you dead! You say you were brought here by some teleportation magic? Well, guess whoever brought you here, finally found you...and wants to kill you. They, whoever 'they' are, are after every single one of you. We have to disappear!"
"But...this is home." said Alex, his voice showing his pain.
"This is not your home. None of you all's!" said Valek, looking around. "You, Alex, are a man who was going to go to Vancouver, remember? You were brought here against your will! None of you belong here! Your home is Earth!"
"Bu-"
"And wood can be put back together. Trust can't." said Valek, realizing which angle he should take. "If the townspeople find out a whole bunch of voodoos were after you all, they'll never trust any of you again. They'll think you're cursed. They'll throw you out of town. Hell, I'll give you the gold to rebuild this house if I fail to take you all back to Earth."
"Back...?" asked Felicia, slowly standing up. "You...you can take us back?"
"I think so." said Valek. "But now, we have to leave. This is it. This is it! Your Barfossian lives end here. We have to go!"
"This...but...thi." said Alex, for the first time, faltering. His lost brother had come out of nowhere, some zombies had just attacked his house, and now his brother wanted to burn it down to the ground.
"I know this is all too much." said Valek, slowing down for the first time. "But if you've ever trusted me, brother, trust me now. Let me save the other four...let me save you."
Alex looked into the black eyes staring at him, fixing him in place. They were somehow burning...with worry? Alex sighed. He knew he had to trust his brother...he knew it was the only way. "Fine...brother." he said, grabbing Valek's shoulders. "I'll follow you." His voice was not able to hide his pain.
"Good." said Valek, jumping into action. "Firstly, we have to burn these bodies so nobody realizes what they were...along with any evidence that all of you ever stayed here."
"But...but why?" asked Eve, standing up and looking at Valek pleadingly.
"Because they'll be able to track you down." said Valek, looking into the glistening violet eyes. "You all need to realize that someone...or something...powerful brought you to Decimandria... for a reason. But somehow, all this time, you've managed to escape it. Looks like it finally caught up. All that stuff you've been through...they aren't coincidences. Someone is trying to track you down and kill you all."
"We can-" began Liana.
"I'll explain everything, Liana. But right now, I need you all to trust me. We have to get to safety."
The five of them looked at each other and then slowly nodded. Valek took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Anything out there...? Nothing...yet. "Okay, all of you do exactly as I say. Alex, Robin, go harness the horses to your cart. Girls, grab anything of importance...and I don't mean food or clothes. I'll take care of that later." The five nodded their heads again. Valek looked at them incredulously. "Well, go then!" The girls scrambled to the other rooms while Alex and Robin rushed out.
Outside it was like a graveyard...or a battlefield. A huge group of undead and their appendages littered the front yard. Their faces contorted, often missing from their bodies, their eyes, mercifully, dead, weapons still clutched in their cold hands. "How'd...how'd he kill all these?" wondered Robin in amazement as he stepped over a body that had been cleanly cut in half.
"No idea." said Alex, shortly. His emotions were running wild through his body...he had no idea how he was feeling...or how he should feel. Duke and Duchess were pretty freaked out and it took a while for the two boys to calm the horses down. Soon, though the two were tied to the cart and ready to go. Robin looked over his shoulder to see what Valek was doing and he recoiled in shock. Valek was somehow carrying five or six undead on his shoulders while a huge ball of them floated in front of him. "So he knows telekinetic magic..." said Robin, half to himself. Alex looked on with shock too. What other secrets are you hiding, little brother? Suddenly, there was a loud thunder and rain came crashing down in a torrent. The two boy ran to find cover.
Inside, Eve, Liana, and Felicia came rushing out of the corridor having done a thorough sweep of the house to find all the stuff that was important to them. It hadn't been a long list, and the few odds and ends were already in the satchel Felicia was wearing. And on seeing the rain, they'd each grabbed their cloaks and the boys' too. As they came into the hall, all of them shrieked.
Valek was had dumped a bunch of voodoos into the hall and was just dropping off about five more. The room looked like it'd burst and it didn't seem like the supply of undead had run out yet. Valek looked up at the girls. "Got everything?" They nodded, their eyes fixed on the bodies. There was a considerable amount of the black armor clad voodoos too and even as unanimated corpses they gave the girls a chill. "Okay, good. Out you go. Give the cloaks to the boys and wait there." said Valek, going outside again and leaving the girls to find their own way stepping around the bodies.
Within a few minutes though, all of the voodoos outside had been dumped inside the homestead. As Valek was dropping off the last body right on the small table in the hall, the five came up behind him. "What're you gonna do now?" asked Felicia, cringing at how many rotten corpses were lining her once beautiful house.
Valek didn't say anything; instead he started staring at his right hand palm with great concentration. For a second, the five stood there, just staring at him. Suddenly, Valek's entire arm burst into a roaring, red flame. Valek concentrated even more, staring intently at the flames in his hand. Slowly, the fire started shrinking smaller and smaller till it just covered his palm. It had gotten much brighter though, as if the energy had been focused at one point. Valek bent down and tilted his hand over the voodoo on the table. Like water, the red flame slid off his palm and started dancing on the corpse's chest. Valek turned around. "Let's go."
The rain had gotten heavier outside. Everything was drenched through, including the cart which stood waiting. As soon as Valek spotted it, he ran forward, grabbed the lantern that hung from the side, and smashed it on the ground. "What're you doing?" he hissed at Alex and Robin.
"What're you doing!?" said Robin, pissed Valek'd broken his favorite lantern.
"Lights make us easier to follow!" said Valek.
"We need lights to see." said Alex.
"You do. Fortunately for us, none of you are driving. Hop in the cart." said Valek. He jumped on the buckboard and grabbed the reins. Duke and Duchees, horses notorious for not listening to anybody they weren't familiar with, somehow obediently fell in line. Alex got in beside Valek while the other four clambered in the back. The wooden benches were soaked with water, but they didn't have a choice except to sit down on it. Without a single click of his tongue, Valek got the horses moving and the cart slowly started pulling away from the house.
They weren't taking any roads, and Alex had to trust that Valek knew what he was doing and where he was going. It was bumpy and rough and the rain still came pouring down making the experience even more unpleasant.
Soon, they were at a little distance from the homestead, and Valek slowed the horses. Alex shot a look back at his house through the torrent. It stood there like it'd always done, braving the weather. Somehow, it suddenly seemed so much more like home. Alex had never thought of it as one before, but right now...right now it was. All five of them looked at the building, a lot more grander in the rain.
"I'm sorry for this..." said Valek quietly. "I really am." He snapped his fingers, and boom! There was a huge blast. A loud bang burst through the air as half of the house exploded, wood flying everywhere. All five involuntarily exclaimed. The part of the house that'd remained standing after the blast was engulfed in flames. Even this far away they could hear heavy support beams falling down and crashing into the furniture.
Pain shot up through Alex's heart as he watched his house burn down so savagely. The huge tree that stood in the yard was in flames too. The fire was quickly spreading to the makeshift shed for the horses and the bullpen. It looked like a scene from hell. Unable to bear it anymore, Alex turned away, sickened.
"I-" began Valek, but Alex waved his hand. "Just drive." he said, not trusting himself to speak. Valek looked at his brother for a moment and saw all the emotions in his eyes. Nodding, Valek sat back down on the buckboard and started driving away...all the while, the rain kept pouring on....
* * *
Covered in wet cloaks, the five sat huddled in the cart. Valek kept driving, somehow comfortably seeing through the darkness and the rain. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts...not a word spoken between them. They didn't know for how long Valek drove, but finally, he pulled up in front of huge iron gates.
Liana looked up and saw the very same mansion that Venna had warned her to never enter. Valek waved his hand and the gates magically swung open without a single sound. He drove the cart through and stopped as soon as we was inside the gates.
"Barrier." he muttered. Suddenly, a thin, blue beam of light lit up on the ground. The light started running around the grounds, creating a perfect trace of them. A cloudy wisp started emerging from the light all at once. The wisp rose higher and higher in the air, starting to form a dome. All the points slowly intersected at one position, a few hundred feet up, engulfing the five in a semi-sphere. Just as soon as they met, the sphere blinked and disappeared like it'd never existed. Satisfied, Valek drove on.
They slowly drove up the grand driveway lined with fine, gray gravel. Liana suddenly noticed, the rain had stopped. Is it the shield...? Or...did it just stop? She tried to look beyond the gate, but it was too dark to see more than five feet in front of her.
Half-way up the drive, right beside the two towering gargoyles on each side, Valek slowed down yet again. "Do your duty. Protect the grounds." he whispered to the silent stone sculpture. Both of the gargoyles' eyes lit up purple for a second, and then disappeared. As the five stared on in shock, Valek silently drove on.
Finally, he pulled up around the water fountain in front of his main doors and stopped the horses. He turned around to the three dancing marble women in the water and repeated the same command as before: "Do your duty. Protect the grounds." All three of the stone figures' eyes lit up purple for a second, then faded.
Valek turned around to the five. "Get off. Go on in. I'll stable the horses and then follow you." He waved his hand and the main doors glided open, revealing black nothingness. Almost subconsciously, the five hopped off. Valek drove off in the cart and they slowly made their way to the door.
A short, ornate staircase led up the grand doors, and the five gingerly climbed them. Even right in front of the doors, they couldn't see anything but a black cavern inside. Alex bravely took a step indoors and the rest followed.
Nothing but darkness engulfed them. There was no way to see even the next two feet in front. Behind them, the main door started silently gliding close and before they could so much as look back, the doors shut rendering them in even more darkness. Now they couldn't even see their own hands.
For a few minutes, the five stood silently grouped together, completely blind and unsure. "Well...we can't stand here forever." said Alex. "We have to go-" The doors flew open and they all jumped. The silhouette of Valek stood there. "What're you all-" He stopped. "Oh. Sorry. I'll get the lights."
Valek clapped and Liana felt like she had been blinded. The five covered their eyes as the mansion lit up with light. After a second, as she heard the doors shut, Liana slowly lowered her hands from her eyes and opened them. She involuntarily gasped.
The five were standing in the most opulent and beautiful mansion any of them had ever seen. A huge, grand staircase towered in front of them, leading to the upper floors. The walls were a comfortable red, lined with golden baroque design. Expensive paintings of beautiful women, majestic animals, and tall warriors hung from the walls. A red carpet covered the entire floor, including the staircase. It was so soft and thick, Liana felt bad she was standing on it with her wet boots...she felt bad she was standing on it at all; it looked good enough to sleep on. A huge, glittering, grand chandelier lit up with soft lights, hung from the roof. On the walls, the impressive sconces were shining brightly too. To the right were two huge doors presumably leading to the great hall of the mansion, while to the left there was a single, tall, door.
Valek, apparently unperturbed by the grandiose of the mansion, turned around to his group. "Please, take off your cloaks." he invited. As Eve undid her cloak and hung it on a stand that Valek motioned to, she noticed he was completely dry now. What in the..? Valek walked up to her and gave her a cursory glance. "Good, the cloak kept you dry."
"If it hadn't?" she asked.
"I'd have dried you all off with a spell." said Valek casually. He turned around and nonchalantly walked to the left and motioned the others to follow. He turned the golden handle on the tall door and swung it open. Liana didn't have it in her heart to ask whether the doorknob had been real gold on not. The door opened into a lavish study, and Valek, beckoned them inside. In the far corner, a huge wooden table stood adjacent to the tall windows, moonlight from them falling on it in rays. A grand fireplace merrily crackled away and there was the skin of some animal that none of the five had ever seen, lying in front of it.
Valek pointed to the sofas. "Make yourselves at home." he said. The five wordlessly followed his advice and sat down on the sofas. Instantly, it was like they'd sunk through; the sofas were the most comfortable ones they'd ever sat on. It was softer than even their beds had been.
As the five looked around in amazement, Valek had picked up an expensive bottle of wine that had been standing on the mantelpiece. He opened the cork with ease, and then lazily waved his hand. Glasses came pouring out of the small cabinet and gently eased themselves into the five's hands. The bottle followed and poured each of them equal amounts of wine. Valek, meanwhile, was pensively staring at the fire, not even slightly bothered. He telekinetically got himself a glass too, and the bottle poured in a generous amount of the red liquid in it. The filled glass floated over to him, and Valek took it as if he was being handed it by some invisible butler.
Valek turned around and saw the five dumbfoundedly staring at him, glasses still clutched. He managed a weak grin. "Don't worry, you're all safe here. Even if someone exceptionally talented tries to bring down the shield around the mansion, we'll have plenty of time to make a getaway. The sentinels will take care of the attacking party that'll follow." Valek looked around and saw the faces slightly relax. "Drink up. The wine'll help." Wordlessly, the five brought up their glasses and took a sip. It was the softest wine any of them had ever tasted...it just floated through their throats, warming it up softly and without intensity. Within seconds, all the glasses were empty and the wine bottle was flying around again as Valek refilled the five's glasses.
"How're you-" asked Eve, half her sentence dying out in her throat.
"Telekinesis." replied Valek, turning around to look back into the fire, one hand resting on the mantel while the other held his glass. Eve just admired his pose; he was so...effortlessly...smooth. So confident...always in control.
"Valek." said Alex finally, putting down his glass. "I think it's time you tell us everything. Tell us the truth." The wine had truly helped calm his emotions and now he was curious more than he was sad.
Valek didn't reply and continued to stare into the blazing fire. "The truth, huh?" he murmured. He sipped the remaining of his wine, and put the glass on the mantel without a sound. He turned around to look at the group, for a split-second, maintaining eye contact with all of them. "I guess I do owe it to you all...especially now." He sighed and walked over to the huge, throne-like, black armchair that faced the five's sofas. By unsaid consent, all five of them had realized that only the master of the house may sit on it. It had a huge backrest, commanding armrests, and leather that looked the finer than any they had ever seen.
Valek regally sat down on it, crossing his legs so that his ankle was resting on the thigh of his other foot. Alex looked at the princely figure holding all of them in his gaze. Valek's different in Decimandria... "Brother...tell us everything." said Alex, quietly.
"Tell us the truth." said Felicia gently. "What's going on?"
Valek bowed his head. "The truth?" he sighed. "Fine." Valek looked up and all five of them gasped; his pupils were glowing red. "The truth is," said Valek. "that I'm a vampire."