The demons were strangely silent, congregated atop the flat meeting arena in the midst of the Rylor Mountains. Makath was dead; how could this be? He had always been there - he was the *first*. Their leader, now gone. Zeorx stood at the centre of them, standing tall in his true, demon form. He waited for silence, thinking all the while. He knew that this news would tear the demons apart; create a civil war between them. This could not be helped if the greater evil was to be destroyed. "Fellow demons!" he cried, holding a carved wooden staff in such a way that made him seem even more important. "Makath is dead, and for the first time you shall know his true nature!" ^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ Vampire Legend R Tale 14 - "Confrontation" By Helen Stansfeld Originally created by Ben Overmyer. WARNING: This is a horror story. There may well be some sort of violence in here, although with my "cute" fanfic background, that might be a somewhat distant possibility. We shall see. ^_^ ^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ "You must not allow Renaku to fight the Fumu..." "Fight the Fumu..." "The Fumu" "The Fumu" "The Fumu..." The voice echoed in Thiesra's head as she sat next to Renaku as he slept. It would be dusk soon, and he would awake. What should she do? If the prophecy were to come true... "The Fumu must pay!" "They will die for this!" Thiesra covered her face with her hands in dispair. Somehow she must discourage Renaku from confronting the Fumu. But to instruct him not to would only strengthen his will to do so; she knew that much about the human mind, at least. She needed someone to talk to, but there was no-one. Maybe a walk would inspire her. She stood up, looking at the sleeping form of Renaku before she slipped out of the room. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ The Fumu lords laughed callously, delighting in the transpiration of events. "The vampire is well and truly in our grip!" one cackled, rubbing its tentacles together in a disturbing manner. "He shall fight us and then rule us!" "Lead us to evil and glory never dreamed of before!" "But we must not forget the death of Makath," another stated solemnly. "The demons that were previously allied with us will be split. They could prove to be dangerous to our cause." There was silence after that. The Fumu leaders were deep in thought, wondering what was to happen. Soon everything would come to a climax and the world would be tipped to one side; to evil, or to purity. "Or it could make us stronger than before," the first remarked after a pause. "The vampire will think that we are weaker than we used to be, that we are in a compromising situation. He will snatch up this opportunity to catch us whilst our defences are down, as it were." "An insightful observation. We shall see how events unfold." *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Renaku awoke after dark. He trod lightly over to the window and gazed out. It was time. Time to make the journey to fight the Fumu. To overcome the evil that resided in the mountains and killed innocent people. They must be destroyed. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* It has often been wondered where and how prophecies start. Who prophecises them, and how they know they are right. How they get spread. How they always manage to be carried out, one way or another. People never consider that prophecies can be wrong. That the end of the world has been foretold, and how it never happened. Statistics show that many things humans take for granted and believe in may actually turn out to be a myth, or a lie designed to occupy their minds so that they are blinded to the real truth and the more important and pressing matters at hand. Humanity, of course, helps this along without realising it. So many people erect a barrier in their minds that filters what they see and do, just so that they can live with themselves day after day. They say that animals *do not* talk, so, therefore, animals do not talk, and if one does, it is to be ignored because it *does not exist*. In fact, humans, and other sapient beings who erect barriers in their minds, help prophecies happen. Once they are told of a prophecy, they believe it. And the power of belief is a very strong power indeed. Look at Gods, for example. People think that Gods exist first, *then* people worship them. Not so. First there is belief, then there is the thing, the item of belief. The more a God is believed in, the more powerful they are. If a prophecy is believed in by enough people, it develops a life of its own; it is able to manipulate things around it so that the event it prophesises will happen. This is thus with Renaku's prophecy. If he were to forget about it, his companions would do so too. The prophecy would lose power and have less of an effect in the world. Lose all your power and you are nothing. You have no influence, no-one takes any notice of you. However, this does not mean you are wrong. It does not mean you are right, even. In the end, only Fate and The Lady have a say in what is to happen. Unless you fight back... *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* "He isss coming," a Fumu reported in a raspy voice not uncommon in such creatures. "He will reach us in a matter of daysss." "Then we have not much time to prepare," a Fumu Lord announced. "Thank you Spornion." It spun round to face the other Fumu. "The Vampire has decided to ignore the prophecy and risk everything. How noble." It laughed and the others joined in. "Be patient, my friends. Soon we will have our leader." *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* The demons were not happy. Many were unsure what to do, whether to follow Zeorx and rise above what Makath had made them be, or to carry on as normal. Others were not so unsure. "The foul demon lies!" a small demon that possessed a voice far larger than he shouted above the noise. "He is trying to corrupt us into following the path of good! He is speaking against King Makath! Why should we listen to him?" He was gathering quite a following as one by one the crowd of demons decided who to believe. Although they are not human, demons do not like change either. Routine is comforting, whilst change is uncertain. Zeorx had support, that is true, but the majority was going with the outspoken little demon who went by the name of Contoyune. "... For *he* slayed Makath so that he could claim power!" Contoyune concluded his speech to a roar of applause and agreement. The demons clustered around him turned and, as one, launched themselves at Zeorx. ^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Renaku and his fellow travellers pressed on through the mountains. They were, according to Aiger and his map, two days away from the Fumu. All the time Renaku was silent, striking out in front, setting the pace. He was thinking about the prophecy and whether he was right to fight the Fumu. 'Of course I am,' he told himself. 'I will not succumb to whatever force will try to make me follow the course of evil. I have shaken off evil before. I have kept my soul, unlike the vampires before me.' Thiesra, too, was quiet. She was upset about the death of Asgani, and the fact that she had been unable to stop Renaku from making the trip to battle the Fumu. In fact, the party would have brought a wave of melancholy silence upon the surrounding countryside, if it weren't for Trevant, Aiger and the four dragons. Trevant and Aiger were engrossed in conversation. He did not yet know that Aiger was half frost-dragon. As for the dragons, they were flying above, spying out the land and watching for Fumu ambushes. They chattered amongst themselves when they felt like it, and so far the journey had been uneventful. "So what do you think of this prophecy, then?" Aiger asked. "I feel that Renaku will... do what he thinks is right," Trevant replied slowly. "I'm not so sure if that is a good thing or not. From what I have heard, whatever he does will displease the Earth God, Lord Gai. He will tip the balance." "If the balance is tipped towards good, isn't that a favourable outcome?" Trevant questioned. "Maybe there *needs* to be a balance between good and evil," Aiger mused, half to himself. "I don't think one can exist without the other without becoming corrupt." "How do you mean?" asked Trevant. He was not used to philosophical discussions. "It's like good and evil are in a competition together to see who comes out top. If your opponent is no longer there, you don't keep your standards as high as they were. You accept second-best and become sloppy." "Then what should Renaku do? It seems either way he will anger Lord Gai and destroy the balance." "I don't think we can interfere with his decisions," Aiger said. "All I can say is I feel sorry for him." Trevant said nothing to that last remark. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* The Fumu were waiting. Waiting for Renaku and his party. The sky was a deep indigo, lit by a full moon. Somewhere a wolf howled mournfully, the cry echoing through the mountains. The Fumu lair was a black shadow against the backdrop of the peaks and valleys. Guards moved silently outside the fortress, slinking past the perimeter fence. This was *the* Fumu stronghold. The Fumu Lords chose to reside there, and the evil radiated out like light from a lantern. If anyone was to pass the place, they would say that it had a special aura; as if the whole place, not just the residents, was evil and dark. It was not a good place to be on a dark night. It was not a good place to be at anytime, in fact. The fortress was situated in the middle of the mountain range, right on the peak of Mount Sazelmor, the largest mountain of them all. It towered above the rest, making them look like gentle hills rather than huge mountains. The rest of the chain are covered in snow; on Mount Sazelmor it is too scared to fall. Instead, it detours; clouds move around it. In fact, the mountain itself seemed evil; a malevolent force waiting for its next victim. If the Fumu don't get you the mountain will... *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Renaku paused, listening. It was too quiet. This was not the mere absence of sound, but the quietness of something trying to hide the noise it was making. It made him uneasy, so he drew his demon-slayer blade, beckoning to Aiger, Trevant and Thiesra. "What?" Trevant questioned. "Why have we stopped?" "Can't you sense it?" Renaku asked him, darting his eyes around the landscape. "There's something there, waiting for us." "Fumu," Aiger spat, drawing his sword. "Any idea how many, Ren?" "There's one way to find out," Renaku said grimly, setting his jaw. He stepped forwards, wielding his weapon. Trevant screamed as the waiting horde of Fumu sprang out of the shadows straight at Renaku. Aiger and Thiesra leapt into the battle, but Trevant shrank back, having no fighting skills at all. He hoped that no-one would notice. "They just keep coming!" Thiesra exclaimed, jumping back to evade an attack. Her demonic strength was holding out, but the Fumu kept on coming. Renaku slashed at the monster who was intent on maiming him. Black blood ran down his sword in little rivulets as he sliced into it. His blade glowed as he absorbed the life energy from it. With renewed vigour he set about the other Fumu clustered around him. They hadn't made a mark on him yet, which made him wonder. They *seemed* to want to kill him and his friends, but did they really? He watched carefully his attacker's movements. There was definitely something odd about it... the creature was slashing at him, but in such as way that wouldn't touch him. Almost as if the waves of Fumu were just a diversion from something else... "Break away!" Renaku yelled. "They're trying to tie us up in this battle!" 'But why?' he thought to himself. 'Don't they *want* me to fight them and win? I thought that was what the prophecy said...' He turned his head towards the Fumu stronghold up in the mountains. It looked like it was laughing at him. Renaku gritted his teeth, ran, and jumped gracefully over the Fumu. He thundered towards the mountain along the worn path that had fallen into disrepair, still gripping his sword. "Ren-chan!" Thiesra called after him. "We better follow him," Aiger told her, beckoning to Trevant. "Hang on - where are the dragons? They should have been able to help us!" Thiesra looked around hurriedly. There was no sign of them. "T-there they are," Trevant stammered, pointing to the sky. The four dragons were flying round in a circle, head-to-tail, above the Fumu fortress. "This doesn't look good..." "Renaku was right..." Aiger mused. "The Fumu have fallen back. They did so when he jumped ship. It *must* have been a diversion." "But *why*? They *want* him to fight them and win!" Thiesra questioned, exasperated. "Why have they suddenly changed their minds?" "Maybe they knew he would run off like that," Trevant replied quietly. "I think this is something he needs to do on his own," Aiger said, almost to himself. "I don't think he'll need help, if he's to do the right thing." "But what if he's already made the choice between good and evil without knowing it?" Thiesra cried. "Then what?" "Then we'll see," Trevant told her softly. He moved as if to put an arm round her shoulders, but stopped himself. He didn't comfort demons. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^***^*^*^*^* Renaku's feet pounded the ground as he made his way to the Fumu lair. The adrenaline was wearing off now, but still he carried on. He couldn't stop, not now. It was time to see what the prophecy was *really* made of... Over the rickety bridge that crossed the tributary of the river Zora. The slats made splintering sounds as he ran, the rope binding them fraying. He leapt clear at the last second as the bridge collapsed and fell into the chasm. Now there was really no going back. The road before him wound its way up the mountain, a grey trail merging with the black of the peak. Huge boulders the colour of charcoal littered the way to the summit, causing him to weave in and out, slowing the vampire knight down. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Manganese nodded at Plascore as they soared high above the Fumu headquarters. They flew in tighter and tighter circles, getting faster as they did so. Their tails whipped the air and sparks lit up the sky. There are *always* dragons at the end of the world. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* "He is coming as expected, Sir," a lesser Fumu reported, saluting. From deep inside the mountain the Fumu Masters laughed evily. It was the kind of laugh that resonated through the air, through the land, through people. It lasted for many drawn-out seconds until they had to draw breath. It symbolised all that the Fumu stood for. Nothing. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Zeorx waited. He had had to retreat with his followers, but he would be back. He refused to give in to that little up-start Contoyune, who only wanted to keep things as they had always been, rather than following the true path. It rankled him that the majority had gone with him, rather than with himself. Was he not doing the right thing? As far as he could see, he *was* doing the right thing. He was changing things. Or trying to. He had never thought that it would be this hard. 'Zeorx, you old fool,' he told himself, 'did you honestly think that you could just walk in there and have them follow you? Hah! Stupid, *stupid*.' But there was no way he was giving up without a fight. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Gyane stood still, not moving. She couldn't have told her son. She couldn't. His father wouldn't stand for it. She did know, however, that Renaku was on the path to Understanding. And that was good enough for the meantime. When he reached his destination at the end of the path... well, the world would see. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Renaku covered the distance easily, racing quickly to reach the top of the mountain. He took a deep breath; he was nearly there. Nearly there to battle the Fumu. He wondered what would happen if he lost on purpose. The vampire allowed himself a smile. It would be so easy to do... But he could never allow himself to do that. He would fight them and win. Let the stupid prophecy do its thing - he could withstand it! He wouldn't lead evil, even if he was brought to his knees by it. Never. He gazed up at the sky and skidded to a halt as he saw the dragons above, still circling. Their outlines were becoming blurred, and it would only be a matter of time before they were moving so fast that they would be all but invisible. The moon still shone brightly. There was something about the moon that changed things. It provided light, but all it really did was emphasise the shadows. It was connected with beasts like werewolves; it controlled them. It dictated the waves in the oceans, the tides continuing to move in and out day in, day out. Never changing. Things that did not change were dangerous. Stubborn. Free souls changed and evolved. Sure, human beings dug themselves into ruts and routines, but they were always changing, always. Renaku knew that the moon was somehow important. Whether it was key to the Fumu or to himself, he did not know. Sometimes you are best off not knowing. At least then you still have hope. Hope is an integral part of humanity. It is how people manage to get up in the morning, hoping that today things will be better, that everything will be all right. Every day people do that. They never change. At least, the ones you see never change. The ones who don't... they never get up again. To never get up again is to lose hope, to lose faith. Those of a strong character are less phased by the trials and tribulations of society than those who are timid, those who are constantly worried about what others think of them. The secret is to never judge, and never worry. Humanity has not yet discovered this secret. Onwards Renaku pressed, moving closer to the summit all the time. Onwards... to the battle of his life... his destiny about to be unveiled. *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Author's notes: Hi there! This is the first Impro I've ever done (shows, doesn't it?) and it was a blast! I didn't want to ask for an extension, but I had my reasons. I won't bore you with them now. ^_^ It was a little short, but I wanted to leave it to John Evans to decide whether Renaku really fights the Fumu or not. Heh heh. I hope you enjoyed this (that's what it's here for, after all). If you did, tell me! Nothing lights up my day more than receiving comments about my fiction. And if you didn't, tell me why! Next time I'll try not to do it. ^_^ I hope I didn't mess up what people were planning too much. I tried. =] I also didn't mean to waffle on about philosophical stuff so much, but I couldn't help myself. ;) *PLUG ALERT* If you enjoyed this, why not read some of the other stuff I've written? Take a trip to: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/2549/helen.html *END OF PLUG* Many extra-special super thanks go to Lady Chaos (aka Chandra Rooney) for leading me to the wonderful Improfanfic in the first place, and to Martin Braid for inspiring me, even though he technically didn't do anything. Isn't that always the way, ne? ^_~ This was edited and proof-read by me, and me alone. I bet it shows... Anyway, good luck to John Evans! I hope you can make something of this mess... Helen Stansfeld amyrose@x-stream.co.uk