Chapter 21 - Meanwhile

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Chapter 21

Meanwhile

"Danny?"

"Hmmmm?"

"DANNYYYYYY!!!"

"What? Aaaah."

CRASH!

Danny rubs the back of his head. He had fallen out of bed.

Cecile stands in front of him with her arms crossed.

"Well, finally woke up? How can you sleep so deeply?" Cecile rolls her eyes.

"Better not contradict her and just nod, boy." Dexter sat in an armchair in the background and smiled.

"I..." stammered Danny.

"Don't you dare!" Cecile pointed her index finger at him.

Danny was silent.

"Now that we are all awake, we should do something now." Dexter got up and walked over to Danny.

He held out his hand, which Danny grabbed and let himself be pulled up.

Cecile looked admiringly at Danny's well-built upper body.

Dexter raised an eyebrow.

Amazing that one man managed to melt the iceberg Cecile.

"Are we locked up here?" Danny asked as he put on his leather armor.

"No," said Cecile, who followed his every movement with her eyes admiringly.

"We even have our weapons." Dexter pointed to the wall where the swords stood.

"That's strange." Danny stretched.

"Let's take our weapons and see that we find the Aranasera. Let's get the document," Cecile suggested.

Dexter nodded. "Something strange is going on in this house. Let's see that we..."

At that moment the door opened and Duke stood in the doorway with his sword drawn. The door closed again behind him.

"Where is Marianne!" he cried.

"Not here!" Cecile called back, hesitating and looking at him confused.

"No? If we did, we wouldn't be here anymore, Dumbhead!" she said angrily to Duke.

"But... Where is she then?" Duke lowered his sword.

"Maybe we should look at our strange hosts," Dexter replied snippily.

"There is something to that. Will we both get along?" Duke looked at Danny.

Danny closed his eyes, opened them again and nodded. "Armistice. Until this is over, murderer!"

"When this is over, we'll first clarify who I'm supposed to have murdered, that you attack me like that." Duke crossed his arms.

"Tell me, where is your coachwoman?" asked Cecile.

"Um..." Duke scratched the back of his head. "I knew I had forgotten someone."

Cecile shook her head with a sigh. "Let's go."

Dexter, Cecile and Danny took their weapons and Duke opened the door.

"Good morning, Lady and Gentlemen!" said the butler standing in the doorway.

Everyone was suprised. Nobody had expected that.

"Breakfast is served and you don't need your swords. We also have normal knives for cutting rolls." The butler didn't pull a face.

Duke looked at him puzzled and turned to the others, looking at them questioningly.

They shrugged their shoulders.

Duke turned back to the butler.

"I don't like to part with it. An old family heirloom."

"Well, then take it with you," replied the butler.

"For me too!" "Yes, mine too," shouted Danny and Cecile!

Dexter rolled his eyes.

The butler raised an eyebrow.

Danny and Cecile quickly scurried past him.

The butler looked at Dexter now.

"I am an Inquisitor of the rank of Inquestor. I do NOT put down my weapon! Well, most of the time not." he said and walked past the butler.

The butler sighed and followed them.

They reached the large hall again.

A surprise awaited them there.

At the table sat not only Vasques, Sedalia and Marianne, but also Lysander, the king's librarian.

And next to the table lay Ascendary, who was eating something with relish.

Chapter 20 - The Curtain falls

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Chapter 20

The Curtain falls

Marianne opened her eyes and looked at Vasques.

He had folded his hands further and looked at her.

"Welcome back to the present."

Marianne tried to grasp what she had just seen.

"Who are you?" she stammered, staring at Vasques.

"He's my father," said a voice behind her.

Marianne spun around.

In the doorway stood Lysander.

With wide eyes she looked first at Lysander, then at Vasques and then at Lysander again.

"That's not possible!" 

Lysander went up to Vasques and stood beside him.

"Hello son," he said.

"Father." Lysander laid a hand on his shoulder.

"How is that possible, you're not a vampire, Lysander." Marianne was stunned.

"It's a bit complicated. He was my father before he became a vampire," Lysander explained. "I became something else."

"Just like me." Sedalia entered the room.

Marianne was now staring at Sedalia. That was too much to grasp everything.

"What ... are you?"

"Sedalia sat down at the end of the bed and took her hand.

"Close your eyes." 

Marianne hesitated at first, but then she did.

Suddenly she was standing in a meadow.

Sedalia stood in front of her and smiled. 

She took a step back and spread her arms.

Flames enveloped her from one second to the next, forming a being that lifted her up behind her.

A phoenix!!

Marianne sensed something behind her and turned around.

Lysander stood in front of her and raised his arms.

A dark cloud surrounded him and then formed into a being.

A wyvern rised behind him.

Marianne opened her eyes again, jumped up and looked at all three.

"Lysander and I are light and darkness." Sedalia smiled.

"Fate has brought us together. We have been appointed by powerful creatures as their avatars." Lysander crossed his arms.

"In a time of chaos, we have ensured order." Sedalia squeezed Lysander's hand.

"Why all this?" she stammered.

"Your blood is extraordinary, it has betrayed you," Vasques said.

"I don't understand." Marianne was even more confused.

"They're all not after the scroll," Sedalia said.

"I... What else?" Marianne shook her head.

"They're after you," Lysander said now in a serious voice. "And now we know why."

"Behind me? I mean..... why, I am an orphan!"

"You are not an orphan, Aranasera. You have a father." Vasues looked at her gravely.

"Who?" Marianne looked at all 3.

"General Denerias...."

Chapter 19 - Battlefield

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Chapter 19

Battlefield

Vladimir Vasques sat on a handsome and black stallion.

His black armor bore the coat of arms of the Royal Griffin Guard.

He was flanked by 2 other horsemen, who also wore the griffin's coat of arms.

Both had long halberds. Griffin Guard.

Vasques looked out over the battlefield.

The battle was over and the wounded were carried off the battlefield.

Another senseless slaughter.

Vladimir Vasques set his horse in moving, the griffin guards followed.

He steered his horse down the hill and then rode slowly across the battlefield.

So pointless.

Vladimir took a deep breath.

Anger seized him, but he controlled himself.

"Master Vasques!" A single horseman came across the battlefield. "Master Vasques!"

Vladimir Vasques raised his right hand.

The gryphon guards stopped with him.

The messenger reached him.

"Master Vasques! Your presence with the General is required. Immediately!"

"Surrre, we werrre on ourrr way to see him anyway," Vasques said.

The messenger nodded and rode away again.

Vasques and the gryphon guards started moving again.

His gaze swept over the battlefield again.

"AN ATTACK!" someone shouted loudly.

A group of 10 horsemen appeared on the battlefield. 

In terms of armor, marauders of the enemy.

And they had a goal.

Vasques!

He stopped, his horse jumped down. 

Seriously determined, he approached the onrushing marauders.

The griffin guards stayed behind and guarded his horse.

As Vasques approached her, he drew his 2 swords and swung them.

The marauders rushed towards him with drawn weapons.

"We're going to kill you!" the leader roared.

"You and what arrrmy?" said Vasques with a hard voice.

He swung both swords around, dancing, elegant.

The Aranasera Figting style!

Two of the riders fell to the ground, hit.

Vasque's eyes lit up dark purple and he made a big leap from a standing position and drilled both blades

into their goals.

2 other riders fell to the ground. 6 left.

The rest sprang from their horses and surrounded him with their weapons.

Vasques smiled, then they attacked.

Vasques whirled around and his blades found their target again, another 4, another 2, another 1.

The leader looked at Vasques with horrified eyes.

"Don't!" he stammered. 

"Too late," Vasques replied and his Vampire teeth flashed. He bit it.

Then he turned away and dropped the body.

As he approached his horse, he wiped the blood of the blades on a handkerchief.

More horsemen approached.

A man in golden gryphon armor led the squad.

Vasques turned and waited for the squad.

They stopped in front of him.

"Master Vasques, are you all right?" The man in the golden Gryphon Armor looked at him.

Vasques looked at him.

"I´m fine, General ...  Denerias."

Chapter 18 - The curtain falls

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Chapter 18

The Curtain falls

Marianne was confused.

What was going on here?

The noise of battle reached her ear. In front of her door!

Marianne felt for the role. She was still there.

Then she jumped up.

Suddenly she felt dizzy. She began to see twice. Everything shook before her eyes, while the pain in her neck grew stronger.

Marianne fell to the ground.

Her body felt unusually hot.

She tossed and turned on the floor.

Then her door flew open and someone fell into the room to the ground.

Duke!

Vladimir Vasques stood in the doorway, holding a sword in his hand.

Duke was bleeding from several wounds.

"Duke!" Marianne crawled in the direction of the Griffin Knight.

Vasques took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from his blade.

"Marianne ... run," Duke stammered.

"I ... can't," Marianne answered weakly.

Vasques walked slowly towards both of them and stepped over them.

He went to the bed, where the scroll peeked out from under the covers.

"No..." stammered Marianne.

"Interrresting." He took out the scroll.

"A R A N A S E R A !" whispered a voice in Marianne's head.

She rolled around weakly, looking into Duke's lifeless eyes.

Her gaze fell through the open door into the corridor. There was Sedalia. A spear stuck into her body.

"A R A N A S E R A!" whispered the voice again.

Her body grew warmer and warmer as she wallowed in delirium.

"A R A N A S E R A !" The voice again.

Vasques had spread out the scroll and was reading it.

Suddenly, Marianne cried out.

"ARANASERA!!" This time the word came out of her mouth.

It felt as if something inside her was exploding.

She jumped up.

The heat surged through her body!

Slowly, armor formed around her body.

Marianne stared at her hands, around which plate gloves were formed.

2 wings formed from their backs and spread.

Her eyes lit up.

Vasques looked up gravely from the role, and then looked at her in surprise.

She looked at Vasques in anger.

He put the scroll back into the scroll.

Marianne glowed with strength and went on the attack.

Vasques snapped his fingers.

Marianne started up into her bed and gasped.

Her hand immediately went to her neck.

No holes!

And the armaments? Gone!

The wings? Where?  Gone!

She looked around the room and looked at Vasques.

He sat in front of her in an armchair in front of the bed and looked at her.

"We should talk, Arrranaserrrra."

Chapter 17 - Vasques

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Chapter 17

Vasques

Marianne lay in a large four-poster bed and stared thoughtfully at its ceiling.

Her thoughts wandered back to what was happening in the dining room.

She, Duke, and Sedalia sat across from Dexter, Danny, and Cecile.

It was so surreal.

Hunters and Hunted sat at a table for dinner.

And at the head of the sat the strange count.

And he had a great time.

He told of his great journeys and adventures, while hunters and hunted continued to stalk each other.

Then the butler led everyone to their rooms and here they were.

Marianne sighed. 

Slowly fatigue set in. She crawled under the covers, the message roll pressed to her and closed her eyes, fell asleep.

She opened her eyes and was surprised.

Marianne was wearing a black Victorian evening dress.

It stood in a large hall with many chandeliers.

A staircase led down.

There stood the count and smiled. 

He held out his hand to her.

Marianne was irritated and uncertain, but then she walked slowly down the stairs.

Step by step.

Careful about the dress.

The Count was waiting for her, and he took her hand as she reached the end of the stairs.

She let him lead her onto the dance floor and began to dance with her.

Fascinated, she looked him in the eyes and let herself be guided.

He whirled with her across the dance floor to a waltz-like music that reached her ear from somewhere.

Marianne felt so free at that moment.

So happy.

No sense of time, no barrier, no stress.

Only inner peace.

After an endless time, the music faded away and she lay happily in his arms.

Marianne stroked his cheek with one hand.

"What's your name?" she breathed.

"Vasques. Vladimirrr Vasques, my most rrreverrrred." His face approached hers.

In anticipation of the kiss, Marianne closed her eyes.

His lips touched her neck.

Marianne opened her eyes. She was lying on her Bed in her Room.

It seemed like an eternity had passed.

She felt a slight pain in her neck.

Marianne felt her neck and was frightened. She had 2 holes on her neck!

Chapter 16 - Disagreement

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Chapter 16

Disagreement

Danny reacted immediately. He grabbed a knife that stuck into a roast and threw it at Duke.

Duke dodged very narrowly while the knife drilled into the noble wooden door.

"I knew you were still alive, you murderer!" Danny shouted during the throw.

Marianne reacted next. She grabbed one of the plates and threw it at Danny.

Cecile caught the plate and threw it back. 

Sedalia pushed Marianne out of the way and the plate shattered against the wall behind them.

Dexter looked stunned at everyone involved, who seemed to have lost their minds.

Danny got on a chair with one foot in a flash, pushed himself off and jumped over the table.

He narrowly missed Duke with the other foot, who backed away and tried to classify Danny.

How did Danny know him? 

Marianne slipped elegantly under the table when Danny jumped over it and pulled the surprised Cecile's feet away.

She fell to the ground, cursing, while Marianne jumped up and was pushed to the ground directly by Dexter.

"Have you all gone crazy?" he cried, pointing to Marianne. "STAY DOWN!"

Sedalia tried to grasp the situation.

Of the three, Dexter is the most dangerous.

He had to be eliminated first.

Oh, the Inquisitor wouldn't like that at all. Behind her backs, her hands began to glow and began to charge.

In the meantime, Danny had grabbed a sword from a gun decoration on the wall and attacked Duke with it.

Marianne's hand grasped a drinking cup that had fallen from the table during the scuffle and threw it.

Danny cried out.

The chalice had caught him on the head.

"Danny!" cried Cecile.

"As sorry as I am." Dexter caught Marianne with a well-aimed punch in the head and sent her to the land of dreams.

She had just proven how dangerous an Aranasera is, even on the ground.

Duke pushed Danny to the ground. "Come to rest, boy!"

Sedalia's hands were fully charged.

But before she could use her magic against Dexter, a hand clasped hers and someone shouted, "ENOUGH!!"

Surprised, everyone looked up in the direction of Sedalia.

Behind her stood a man in old Victorian clothing and looked at everyone reproachfully.

"Is that how hospitality is reciprocated?" he asked in a hard voice.

"We didn't start, but the boy here." Duke backed away from Danny so that he could stand up.

Sedalia's hands stopped glowing and the man let go of them. 

She ran to Marianne.

"You knocked out a woman, Inquisitor. Barbarian!" She reached into her pocket and took out a small ampoule.

Smelling Salts. 

She held it under Marianne's nose, who woke up very quickly.

"What happened?" she stammered dazed.

"I'm not a barbarian. It was self-defense! She is an aranasera. Apart from that, I tried to bring peace here," Dexter said angrily.

"ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I have invited you all to dinner. Everyone is free to go out here and yes into the storm! My house, my rules!"

The man walked slowly around everyone to the head of the table and sat down.

Danny pulled the knife out of the wall and put it on the table, put the sword back in the decoration and sat down.

Duke picked up the shards of the plate and the drinking cup, put it on the table and sat down as well.

Sedalia helped the dazed Marianne around the table and they both sat down next to Duke.

Dexter helped Cecile up and they both sat down as well.

All 3 sat opposite each other and at the end of the table the stranger.

He clapped his hands.

"Then enjoy it, my guests. Who knows when you'll ever eat so well again."

He smiled...

Chapter 15 - The old Manor House

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Chapter 15

The old Manor House

It was slowly getting dark and not only that.

A storm was approaching. 

Sedalia looked up at the sky.

The wyvern hovered above them at a great distance and began to descend.

Sedalia brought the carriage to a halt while the wyvern landed behind some trees.

Shortly afterwards Lysander stepped out from among the trees.

Sedalia looked at him questioningly.

Lysander looked up at the sky and then at Sedalia.

"This is not a normal storm. Take the path through the Silver Forest and stay on the path. Maybe there is a tavern on the way.

If so, then spend the night there. I'm trying to find the cause and will soon open up again."

Sedalia nodded and kissed his forehead. Then she set the carriage in motion again.

Lysander looked after them. Then he transformed into the Wyvern and flys above.

The conversation was short and sweet, so that no one in the carriage had aroused suspicion.

Sedalia steered the carriage into the Silver Forest and followed the path.

It started to rain and it got windier.

The storm began. In the shelter of the trees, the carriage did not get so much.

Sedalia shivered, but concentrated on the path as it slowly grew darker.

Suddenly it became pitch black in front of the carriage from one second to another.

Sedalia could not react in time and the carriage drove into the darkness.

After a few seconds, it got brighter again. The carriage was on a path, but it was a little different.

The carriage drove towards a large house in the middle of the forest. An old manor house.

Sedalia was completely confused.

They were still in the deep forest, but she had never heard of an old mansion in the middle of the Silver Forest.

The rain became heavier and heavier.

Sedalia brought the carriage to a halt in front of the house and got off the box.

She walked around and opened the carriage at the back.

Marianne, Duke and Ascendary looked at her questioningly.

"We booked a place to stay for the night... I hope. Come out," Sedalia said.

Marianne and Duke jumped out of the carriage and helped Ascendary.

Sedalia closed the carriage and pointed to the door.

"I take care of the horses. I see a stable over there. See if someone opens the door." Sedalia went to the horses.

Marianne went to the door. while Duke sent Ascendary to the stable at Sedalia. That was certainly better than in the house.

Ascendary followed Sedalia.

Marianne grabbed the ring at the door and knocked hard with it.

Inside footsteps could be heard.

The door opened and an older man in a suit looked at Marianne.

"You wish?" he asked.

"A place to stay for the night?" Marianne looked at the man uncertainly.

"If you have to ask like that, you don't seem to be sure yourself, young lady." The man looked at Marianne ruly.

"What?" Marianne was confused.

"Yes, we're looking for a place to stay for the night," Duke said quickly.

"Well, I can offer you rooms, gentlemen," the man confirmed.

Marianne shrugged her shoulders and nodded.

Sedalia joined again.

"Good evening, dear sir. I have taken the liberty of putting our horses in your stable. To protect against the storm."

The man nodded. "That's okay. Follow me."

Duke, Marianne and Sedalia entered and closed the door.

He led them up the stairs and assigned them 2 rooms.

One for Marianne and Sedalia and one for Duke.

He told them to freshen up and change clothes with what was hanging in the closets in the room.

On loan, of course, and asks all three to appear in the vestibule again in half an hour.

They did as they were told, and freshened up, and changed their clothes, and went down the stairs together.

There the butler was waiting.

"Very nice," he said. "Dinner is served. I'm sure you'll be hungry."

Everyone nodded.

The butler pointed to a door.

Marianne nodded and opened it.

They entered the room. It was a large dinner room with a richly laid table.

Marianne, Duke and Sedalia derailed their faces when the three people at the table saw that they were also surprised.

Danny, Cecile and Dexter!!