Nosferatu

I was feeling dizzy and my senses were extremely numb when we finally reached Wallach. Somehow it wasn't how I remembered it. The ashen road and small huts were still there but there was something in the air. I could smell fire and the ash as it flew by, it stung my eyes.

"Seraph?", Felix noticed that I was half delirious and patted my shoulder.

"Felix..."

"You must be feeling the pressure. Sometimes, it isn't really that easy to travel through the tunnel. But don't worry, you won't feel nausea after this".

He then performed some sort of healing spell on me after which I regained my senses considerably.

We then began walking and I noticed the hut of old Granny. I wasn't sure she'd let me in and anyways, I didn't have that sort of time on my hand. Coincidentally though, we saw Granny coming home from somewhere and we stopped, hers being the only life we noticed in that ashen town.

"Granny!", I was glad to see her and couldn't help but notice how different she looked. Not that she had ever been the epitome of health but she seemed even weaker now.

"Who are you, crazy?!", she screamed about as energetically as back then.

"Granny, it's me!", the old hag probably had short memory, "You treated me to tea last time, remember? Ah, I had a horse with me back then, he's not here though."

"Huh?!", she squawked, "What horse? What tea? I don't treat crazies!".

I wondered if she was pretending to not know me because of Felix.

"What are you talking about, old lady? You were going on and on about Wallach and Ruman, weren't you?"

"Go away, freak!", she wasn't pretending, "Goodness Lord! What strange looks these days!"

She then hurried into her hut and slammed the door shut.

"I guess she doesn't remember you, huh?", Felix weakly smiled at me.

"Yeah...probably", I answered him and then we went on.

We kept on our toes while we were heading for the castle which seemed like it was on fire too. Even though it was a long way to that gigantic iron gate on the entrance of the castle grounds, it passed by before we realized it and now we stood, facing that huge building.

"This is it, Seraph", Felix took a deep breath.

I nodded. And proceeded to push open that iron gate. It was rather heavy and I opened it just enough to get in. Felix had told me that the vampires could smell humans from a huge distance and especially in Wallach, which was their own territory, there was no hiding from them. So we decided to go in through the door and not try sneaking in.

"Stay on your toes all the time. They love using weapons imbued with sinister magic. Don't fall prey to their luring either. Seraph, you have to be really careful or you won't make it back. It is their lair, we're sure to be welcomed by a lot of things that you've never seen or heard of. Regardless, don't lose your ground. Even if they look scary...Seraph...you have to..."

"Felix...?"

"Sorry...it's just", Felix could barely walk, I supported his arm but it was suddenly burning as if he was on fire.

"Felix!", for something like this to have happened so soon as we entered the castle, it was a daunting situation for me.

I couldn't understand what was happening to him, his eyes throbbed continually as if they would just pop out, his face distorted when that happened but then he would bite into his lips to hold himself back.

"Sorry, Seraph...just give me a-", he immediately lifted his face, shocked and worried.

"Felix?"

"Get ready, Seraph", he pulled himself up, "Someone's shown up to welcome us."

We had barely entered through the door of the castle and though I was ready to fight, this quick surprise surely wasn't a pleasant one.

Soon, I began hearing heavy footsteps coming towards us. The anteroom was too dark for us to tell a lot beyond what was around us. But as the steps grew closer and closer and also heavier and heavier, candles began lighting up and revealed the huge anteroom with a grand staircase leading all the way up to a yet another dark world. I could soon hear growls like that of a monster and heavy breathing that made me imagine I was up against a dinosaur.

What soon appeared before us was a huge, somewhat hairy figure that was as dark as a moonless night and his eyes were a shining gold. The beast had his fangs bared and looked something of a mix between man and wolf. He had pointy ears and a gigantic bearing which made him look like a demon.

"Food", he spoke and I almost shivered in disbelief.

"Ah! I meant to say, won't you stay for some...food?", his voice was about as monstrous as he looked.

I tightened my hold on Ebony and stood my ground firmly. Felix already looked like he had recovered and now stood beside me with his hand on his sheath.

"Hmm?", the beast looked at him and then looking back at me, laughed, throwing his head back and beating his stomach.

He was perhaps mocking our weak appearances in contrast with him.

"Nosferatu", Felix spoke and I and the beast looked at him, "I shall be the one dining with you".

Saying this he unsheathed his brilliantly shining silver sword.

"Felix!"

"Seraph, go ahead without me. I'll catch up. And don't worry. I'm sure...she's waiting for you, Seraph. So, you have to go".

I didn't want to do this but I decided that it would be best if I left that demon to him. Naturally, it wasn't easy to get away without confronting the demon first.

In fact, before I could move even a bit, the monster swung his gigantic mace into the ground which the two of us barely managed to dodge. We encircled around the back and Felix went in for the first attack.

"Ahaha!", the beast was enjoying this, "Glad you still remember the name! Yes!".

He unleased another swing upon us, "Let's dine!"