The ranger general approached the two elves in the ball while the third walked onto the balcony. The moment that she stepped out it was night time and the moonlight was concealed by dark clouds that concealed its natural and beautiful light. The ebony gorgon shook her head and then from her back protruded wings that were ethereal and moth-like in appearance as her cat-like ears also took this form for she was an harlefi, a creature of half elven and half harpy blood, and she smiled to finally be rid off her disguise for she looked to the balcony of the mansion to where she knew the holding of the rose may be found. The rangers on the rooftop of the mansion were on patrol, back and forth, keeping a keen eye on any potential danger that might come their way. What the rangers failed to notice, however, was one of the statues on the rooftop turning its head and gazing towards them as a hunter would its prey. At that same time, Bellindia would arrive back home in a hurry only to see Lucy Murray conversing with Arthur Harker and nanny Justine.
“Belle.”, Lucy called. “I’m sorry I left the party, I wasn’t just feeling it.”, she explained and then the gorgon shook her head. “It’s alright, neither did I. Justine, where is my father?”, Belle got to the point quick and her stress worried Lucy before Justine focused her eyes on Belle.
“You sound nervous and your heart beat is different.”, said Justine. “Justine, where is he?”, Belle asked and then the elf raised her head. “He’s in his quarters.”, the nanny revealed and Belle then quickly rushed towards his quarters while Arthur looked confused at the notion.
“What the bloody devil is going on?”, asked Arthur. “I sense a terrible evil in our midst, one that is also making its way to Blackwood.”, said Justine. “What evil? What do you speak off?”, asked Arthur and then the nanny turned to face him. “Sir Arthur, I need you to inform the Gate Guard to be at their out most attention, full alert for anything that even twitches throughout the night.”, Justine explained before Arthur and Lucy looked at each other only for them both to look back.
“Justine?”, asked Lucy. “Go, now!”, Justine raised her voice towards Arthur and then the man raised his right hand before runes appeared underneath his feet only for his body to be transferred via teleportation outside of the orphanage for he was a Arcan’nar Magi, one of the arcane.
“What the hell is going on?”, asked Lucy. “Lucy, I have raised you as one of my own since you were a little cub. I have always recognized your scent until now. I have always felt your heart beat and now I feel none, and you’ve never lied to anyone until now.”, the two elves exchanged a serious look between each other but then Lucy suddenly smiled for she realized it was over.
“Full alert for what?”, said of the Black Guards. “For fuck sakes, I said she sensed a terrible evil coming our way! So obviously something not good?!”, Arthur replied. “Do you know how very ridiculous you sound? We face evil every day outside these walls every day, Mr. Harker, I apologize if we do not look that surprised for such a simple warning.”, a ranger captain replied as the fireworks of the nearby mayor’s mansion lit up throughout the night.
“Father!”, Belle burst into her father’s office who was sitting on his chair. “Belle, what’s the matter?”, he replied. “Barricade yourself in your office.”, said Belle who reached for one of the closets where the old man kept his rifles and revolvers. “Are we under attack? I didn’t hear the bells sound.”, her father replied as Belle quickly reached for the guns in a hurry to arm herself.
It was then that one of the rangers saw a flame lit up from afar followed up by another and then another as a signal was being lit from all the towers that were close to Blackwood. These posts were of outside watchmen, sentries, which patrolled and watched over Blackwood from afar. They dealt with threats for years and when one signal was lit there would often be a patrol sent out to assist them but they were being lit in rapid succession that frightened the gate guards.
“It was that obvious, huh?”, said Lucy. “So how did you figure it out?”, Lucy asked and then Justine turned her head to the right before patting a spot over her neck to gesture towards the same spot where Lucy had two marks that she then felt with her own claw as she smiled.
One of the gate guards rushed to light up one of the bonfires and then another reached for a rope line located in a tower as it sounded the town bell that signaled an attack that was soon followed by one after the other throughout the town. This was heard by the Frankensteins themselves and then Lucy reached for her revolver that was struck by Justine’s arm as the gun misfired through the hall that was heard by Belle who then turned to face her father.
“Do as I say.”, she said. “No.”, he replied. “I might be old but I am not hopeless.”, he moved her aside and reached inside the armory. “Father!”, shouted Belle. “Belle!”, he shouted back towards her and they both looked at each other. “You have known me all your life, you know arguing or protesting with me will do you no good.”, he looked at her and then raised one eyebrow as he smiled, and then this caused his daughter to roll her eyes and they both proceeded to get ready.
The guards on top of the mansion roof then gazed towards the gates and those within the ballroom soon rushed to the windows to gaze towards the walls. The ranger general and his ranger core rushed to the balconies quick as the two elves that he spoke to then walked away quietly, away from sight from anyone that was left behind. One of the rangers on the rooftop was then impaled through his neck by a needle-like tail followed up by another and then a few others as the statues came to life. The ebony harlefi then landed on top of the roof top before she moved in between the gargoyles towards the sanctum where the rose was kept as she marveled at the lives that were being taken and at that same time other harpies, harlefi and haru alike, descended down upon the walls with their claws and tails that resembled statues of their own. The rangers would then scream as they were taken from the walls and raised into the air only to be dropped down into the town’s streets and/or rooftops. The gargoyles threw explosives onto the rooftops of town walls and they also dropped elves off their backs that ran on all fours only to leap and attack the humans like the feral monsters they were naturally born to be. They clawed, ripped, tore, bit and carved out flesh with the jaws of their own tails and their own mouths, ripping the flesh of their victims with their own teeth. They drank blood from those that they pinned to the ground and would slit their throats if they needed to move onto the next target swiftly. The harpies dropped down a few elves on the walls, particularly gorgons and malfhi, which ran on all fours towards the bell ringers that fired their own arrows and shots from their rifles only to be swarmed by the elven packs. It was an attack that all of Blackwood was unprepared for and then lycanthropes climbed over the walls with elves mounted on their backs that used their crossbows, grenades or even their magic to attack their enemies while their pets clawed and tore their enemy to shreds. Lucy and Justine fought each other with their claws and tails as they leaped against each other before landing over the ground, biting and tearing at each other’s flesh. Arthur cast magic of ice to freeze a few elves in their place as they growled and snarled at him only for him to blink out of existence and re-appears further inside of the town walls for the walls were fully swarmed and he knew it. He then gazed towards the gates that were being pushed, slammed and bashed into only for them to break open and then to his horror he saw smoke along with the elves and lycanthropes that emerged from it that attacked anything in sight. He blinked and appeared someplace else only to see kazari emerging from the waters of the Blackwood Quay that stabbed and brutally attacked anyone in their way. He turned to see humans run into the town that then used their magic and also fired their guns as well as used their cutlasses to attack anyone in sight.
“This was not any ordinary attack, it was planned and calculated. They’ve come to kill us all.”, Arthur thought and he would be right to assume so for this attack was personal.
“Justine!”, shouted Belle and the two elves then split from each other. “Lucy?”, Belle saw Lucy stand and then the malfhi pointed to the other. “Justine is trying to kill me! She attacked me!”, shouted Lucy and then Belle turned to face Justine. “She is lying, Belle, she is the aggressor and she is no longer that same Lucy that we both know and love!”, Justine replied and Belle was puzzled as she aimed their rifle at the both of them only to shout. “Stand down, the both of you!”
Arthur then looked to the gates as he placed his hand to his mouth and started to cast a spell only to see the same monster that Victor had created all those many years ago. The creature stepped inside of the walls and dragged behind with itself a large claymore as lights emerged from the skies that were blue in color as they descended into the ground only for skeletal hands and claws to burst through the ground. They then emerged and quickly attacked anyone they could find as the monster then swung its massive claymore that tore through the wall of a house and cut down several humans at once for how massive, sharp and heavy it was. Arthur then teleported into the orphanage where he saw Belle pointing the rifle towards the two elves and was puzzled himself.
“Arthur, thank the gods, Justine has gone mad and she’s trying to kill me!”, shouted Lucy. “The both of you, stand down!”, shouted Belle. “I’ll stand down but I won’t allow her to get close to you or towards to Harker for she is a Nosferatu!”, Justine revealed and Arthur turned to face her.
“A what?”, Arthur asked and then Victor stepped in to the room. “The lot of you, head down to the basement, now! Go on, get!”, he shouted towards the caretakers and the orphans that were spying on the exchange between the four as they quickly rushed to the basement.
In that moment, Mayor Quincy Goladming arrived with his human guard towards the sanctum where the red rose was held but now it had turned black when the claw of a harlefi reached for its branch that then loosened its roots from the dirt it sprouting from. For the first time in forever, one of its petals fell and at that moment Victor grabbed his chest as he felt an immense pain only to fall to the ground that startled Belle as Lucy stepped forth to Arthur and Justine leaped toward him only for the magi to cast a spell that pushed and threw her back as she struck one of the very columns with her back, landing to the ground and getting stunned by such a hit. The mayor then reached for his revolver and took aim only for the brown gorgon to bite his neck as his revolver misfired. It was then that the white malfhi bit him next as their claws pulled him down to the ground, biting at his flesh and draining his blood as the Black Guard watched and showed no signs of assisting their leader. The ranger general and his ranger core shot their rifles, revolvers and even launched their projectiles with their bows and crossbows. They fought anyone that dared to come to the rooftops and the only time their weapons would be affective was when they used explosives either through magic and/or through means of engineering. It was then that several grenades burst through the windows of the orphanage and Arthur turned to see them only to grab hold of Lucy and teleport them both away. Belle reached for her father’s arms and would drag him towards the back as the grenades exploded before lycanthropes broke through the doors along with humans and elves that swarmed the halls. Arthur and Lucy appeared outside as he then looked to his love one last time before deciding to teleport away yet again. Belle leaned down to reach around her father with her arms and the harpies burst through the windows before approaching the ledge of each balcony and climbing its fence. Arthur appeared before Belle and then leaned down to reach for her father only for a whip to surround his chest, electrocute him and pull him up towards one of the ledges where he would hang and be held by one of the many harpies that were there. Belle would stand up and raise her revolver, aiming it towards the harpy that held him and the monster would then enter into the orphanage as each step it took would shake the ground beneath everyone’s feet, hoofs and even paws. Justine then started to slowly wake up and she shook her head as Belle looked helplessly as the monster approached her. The blind elf then turned and saw the monster gaze down at her as it simply raised its massive leg and foot before stomping down on her, crushing her like she was a bug to the ground. Belle started to tear up while her father lay there and held onto his chest for death was coming for them all.
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“Belle…”, he desperately called and her left ear twitched as he knew that she then heard him. “They’ve come for us and the rose.”, he said and then she turned her gaze slightly to gaze towards him. “I am so sorry…”, he apologized and then she knew that all those that stood before her were those of her past, those she had once known of the once famed Castle Perrault.
“Bless my soul…”, the monster spoke and then stepped forth as it raised its claymore over one of its shoulders. “Could it be?”, he asked and then he seemed to smile. “I could recognize that scent anywhere. Yes, it is you.”, he took a few more steps closer as he talked and she raised the rifle.
“What is it, little red riding hood, don’t you recognize your own brother?”, asked the monster. “You are not my brother, you’re an abomination…”, she stated before adding. “A monster.”
“We’re all monsters here, dear sister, and we’re both abominations of nature…”, the monster spoke as it approached her and she kept her rifle firm and steady. “Have you ever wondered why your father who is in his sixties behaves like he’s in his twenties or thirties? Why he is so full of energy? Why, it is because of the rose…”, he chuckled and she remained silent as she watched.
“The same rose that saved your life on the day that Jack Dracula himself slit your stomach open and left you to die. It was on that day that our father brought me into this world and abandoned me for none other than you, dear sister, and here I am today. It is the rose that had brought us together yet again as a family…”, the monster continued to speak and the ranger general rushed through the hallways of the mayor’s mansion only to see dead guards at every turn.
He and his rangers were making their way towards the sanctum while Belle was still conversing with the monster that her father had created while Lucy was approached by elves.
“You’re no family of mine.”, Belle hated the monster for what it had done and all the slaughter it had committed in its twisted means of a family reunion. “I am so sad to hear that you see me this way, dear sister, I truly am but there is still time, I am sure, for you to change your mind about your dear brother.”, he then swung his right arm and opened his hand as he struck the tip of the rifle from her claw that landed onto the ground as she stepped back and the he stepped forth.
Belle then did the unthinkable and pulled out her revolver that she aimed towards her neck which surprised the elves that were ready to pounce on her from behind and the harpies that had just prepared their whips to grab her. She could not see the monster’s expression for her had none through his cybernetic reflection of his face-like skull but he did not move and he was silent.
“Put the revolver down, sister, there’s no sense of you to be doing this.”, he said to her. “Or what, dear brother, you’re going to kill father or me? Wouldn’t be much of a family reunion if I blew my brains all over the pavement of our dear house, would it?”, Belle replied and then this angered the monster that turned its head on the side before giving its heartfelt reply.
“If you do this, I will put every child in this place to the sword and end their miserable mutton chop lives!”, it raised its voice and then Belle removed the safety trigger. “No!”, he shouted and stepped forth as did the others that were now terrified and Belle looked coldly at his face.
“You will leave every woman, man and child of Blackwood alone. You will cease all hostilities at once and never come back.”, this caused every single individual in the lobby to laugh and the monster was the only one that did not as it stood there, and this made the others go silent quickly.
“And if I don’t?”, the creature asked. “Then you won’t have a dear sister nor a father to attend your little family reunion.”, once she said that a pin fell to the ground and in her left claw she raised a grenade that she held clenched firmly at the top in order for it not to explode.
The ranger general made it to the sanctum of the rose with his rangers and saw the curtains that were moved by the wind, back and forth, as the moonlight shined within to reveal that the rose was now gone and the body of the mayor that was leaned against the pedestal it once stood upon. Mayor Quincy Goldadming was still alive and still breathing, and he looked up to Abraham Van Seward that observed the wounds that he bled from. The mayor was ghastly pale, he had lost all color in his cheeks and lips, the bones in his face were extremely visible. The mayor struggled to breathe and Abraham noticed red marks over his jugular veins on both sides where there were two punctures as if he was bitten by the fangs of elves. It was then that the ranger general stood up and the mayor looked up to him, continuously struggling to breathe. Abraham then raised his right hand towards one of his rangers that handed him a stake that the ranger then used to impale into the heart of the mayor that was shocked by this action as he desperately grabbed and held onto Abraham as he pulled on his clothes but the ranger general looked in pity and yet coldly. He rammed the stake deeper into the man’s heart and pierced it deep as the mayor bled out from his mouth before finally succumbing from his wound, dying before the pedestal and the ranger stood up before turning his head towards one of his lieutenants.
“Burn his body and scatter his ashes before the next hour.”, he ordered and his lieutenant bowed his head as the ranger general then looked through the window to see the moonlight. “This siege is far from over. The rest of you, come with me.”, he ordered and so they followed him.
Back at the orphanage, the monster stood before the one he considered to be his sister and then looked down to his father as it had to make a very difficult choice. The monster turned and then looked up to harpy holding Harker before he nodded his head and the harpy then swung the magi over on the side as two others raised their claws only for the magi to be teleported elsewhere. Arthur then appeared on one of the balconies of the mayor’s mansion and rolled over on the ground several times as tables and chairs fell over him. The monster then turned its head and set its gaze to his sister before kneeling down to reach for her father with both of its arms. It then stood up and turned to hand it to a lycanthrope that looked at its master with confusion.
“Bring him home.”, said the monster and the elf on top of the lycanthrope grinned. “Yes, master Rendfield.”, the elf replied and then the lycanthrope raised the human to her as she grabbed him and placed him over the lycanthropes back where she proceed to tie him with a rope.
“What are the rest of you waiting for?!”, shouted the monster. “Sound the horns, we’re leaving!”, the monster shouted and every harpy then turned before they reached for horns that they carried in their pouches as they leaped out through the window and flew upwards.
They sounded the horns that their master had ordered them to do and the lycanthropes as well as the elves were the first to look to the skies as well as the harlefi that then snarled and growled before staring to the harus that they called for. The grenadiers in the skies were disappointed that a retreat was sounded but they obeyed their master’s orders and did so. The kazari carried wealth and rolled their eyes before they looked to the humans that they didn’t finish off as one of them intended to do so only for another to stop him, kick him and smack him over the head as they then left at once. The humans that invaded the town then rose up and began to run to the gates as they climbed the backs of lycanthropes to join the other elven riders and the harpies that came down to carry them away on their backs. Belle then lowered her revolver and dropped it down to the ground helplessly as the monster reached down for her with its hand that she declined as she turned her head only for the creature to walk away from her and she followed him. It was then that a few kazari, elves and even humans on the balcony of the mayor’s mansion teleported away as Arthur emerged from the rubble that fell over him. It was then that he saw Lucy Murray that looked at him with a few of the Black Guards and he smiled.
“My love…”, he called and stood up as he looked at her. “Arthur…”, she opened her arms and approached him as he ran towards her to hug her. “How did you get here?”, he asked and she smiled before adding. “The same way you did, I suppose, through teleportation.”, she replied.
“I am afraid I no longer have the manna to do so. I am spent but I already feel better with you in my arms.”, he said to her and Lucy continued to smile before whispering. “Kiss me, Arthur.”, she requested and he leaned his head back before he kissed her over her lips only for him to notice that her teeth appeared longer and sharper while her voice was less frail and seductive.
It was then that two rifles fired and struck the heads of the members of the Black Guard that fell over to the side as Arthur turned while Lucy pressed against him with her body. It was then that the ranger general and his rangers surrounded them both by aiming from the rooftop and from the doors of the balcony as Abraham leaped down only to land on the balcony that surprised Arthur for he thought Abraham would surely break his legs from such height. Abraham Van Seward then looked to Arthur Harker before then looking to Lucy Murray.
“Not for your life, not for your living soul and hers.”, said Abraham and Arthur then asked. “What is the meaning of this?”, as Lucy looked to her surroundings before looking to Arthur and reached for his cheeks with both of her claws, and then she stepped forth to Abraham.
“It is like a dream, Mr. Seward, a nightmare I relive and I cannot seem to wake up from. I…”, she paused and then looked down to the ground. ”I betrayed my friends, my family and even my loved ones.”, she looked to Arthur once more who was shocked by her sudden change of heart before she reached for the hand of the ranger general before adding. “Please…”, she begged.
“Please watch over Arthur.”, she asked and the ranger general bowed his head. “You have my word.”, replied Abraham and then Lucy turned to approach Arthur. “Lucy, I do not understand.”, he said to her and then she smiled. “The Lucy you knew died. I am but what remains.”, she said to him before she reached for his head with both of her claws and leaned it down to kiss him.
After she had kissed his forehead, her body began to dissipate and slowly turn to ash as she closed her eyes to accept her fate. When her body fully dissipated is when a blue glowing light had remained where she was once stood and in that moment Abraham placed it in the container that once held the rose before he looked to Arthur. It was then that he approached Arthur with the container and reached for his shoulder to bow his head to assure him it’s going to be okay.