Inside the body of Jouo Ban Trevant, his conciousness was
drowning. It seemed he was sinking into a pool of mercury. He could
see out the eyes of his body, and hear everything outside, but it
was not directly. The perceptions soaked into him, altered through
the views and knowledge of Manganese. Trevant thrashed to get to
the surface of the pool, fought with his heart and mind. Still he
could not overcome the powerful throbbing of the dragon's
conciousness. It washed over im in silvery waves, and dragged him
down, despite the strength with which he fought.

        He was still warring with the panic which had overtaken him
as the dragon did so as well. It chewed at the back of his mind, and
tingled between his shoulders. The dragon's mind was powerful enough
to overwhelm him without trying. Trevant was certain that if Manganese
tried to supress him, he would be drowned completly.

        'My soul would be washed away,' he thought. 'Swallowed up
into this creature.' He felt his heart palpitate as the thought
locked his mind with fear.

        Trevant had wondered about his current state of existance
since the panic had subsided enough to let him think. He could feel
as if his real body was here, but it was not his real body. It was
a shadowy thing, with little substance. It could feel, but not what
his real body would was always feeling. It could not speak with his
lips, or feel with his hands. However, every once in a while he could
reach the surface of the pool, and speak a sentence or two before
going down again. He knew that Manganese heard these as whispers.
Trevant was drowning. And Trevant was afraid.

                                ****

        Darkness, a deep void. Within it, a voice, not quite human,
spoke to fill the void. "Lord Nyx, I have sent Scita to the Vampire,
as you wished. Renaku will enter the mountain, and find the Stone,
and Gieb will retrieve it for me. From then on, it will proceed as
you, my Lord, have planned it. The Fumu shall overthrow the light of
this world in your eternal service."

        There was a sound like the moving of glaciers, or the decay
of mountains. A sound which started as a rockslide might, with a few
pebbles, but quickly growing into the crashing of boulders. The voice
of the Leviathan, and the unknown, of ancient Gods and cataclysms.
Then, the sound trailed off again, and there was silence.

        "Yes my Lord."


Vampire Legend R

Created by Ben Overmyer

Hosted by Improfanfic



Episode 19: The Shadow Moves

Written by Mike Thrall

____________________________________

Warning:  You might all just hate me by the time its done. If you don't
already :)

____________________________________

        The five of them stood at the entrance to the mountain.
The partially dissolved corpses of Fumu lay at their backs. Renaku
sheathed the Demonslayer, and approached the large portal set into the
mountain. The frame of the portal was crumbling, overcome by the harsh
weather, and by plants which wove their way through it. It was barely
standing, and faded back into the jagged face well. On the stone pillars
which composed the frame, a mauled inscription could be barely read.

        Bl..d ..on So.c.et.

        "This is it," Renaku nodded. Thiesra curiously walked up
to the gate, slicing down the vegetation which had overgrown any former
path. She ran her finger along the portal's edge. She cocked her
head to one side, curious.

        "Something the matter?" Aiger Nova strode toward her, one hand
straying to his sword's hilt. "There could be more Fumu around this area."
Thiesra shook her head, although her eyes never left the stone frame.

        "Its odd. The stone here should be chipped and sharp, but
its all smoothed out." She rubbed her palm over it, then looked down
at her hand. "And it is covered in something a bit sticky." Thiesra
frowned as she tried to rub the goo off on a nearby plant.

        Aiger surveyed it. "Then we must be careful. Who knows what
evil could have buried itself in that place." He turned to Renaku with
a question in his eyes. "You said that this fortress is like unto a
labyrinth, correct?"

        Renaku nodded again, only this time his expression was clouded over
in thought. He had been through here once, but it did not mean he would
be able to find his way again. He rubbed his temples in an attempt to
stir up memory. "Well," reverberated the voice of Manganese, "at least
there can not be Fumu here. None have cut a path here in quite a while.
Even the Fumu who attacked us approached from behind." The body which
belonged to Trevant swung its head right and left, steely eyes sweeping
the area. His warhammer was still at the ready, and covered in the
remains of their recent kills.

        "Then let us go," spoke Renaku, focusing his eyes on the gate.
He had a feeling that he could lead them. Mayhaps he was still over
intoxicated with Fumu lifeblood. Even with this diet, he had enough
energy from the large amounts of Fumu which had blocked the way to this
place, and were dispatched. Renaky walked past the entry, gesturing
for his companions to follow. Thiesra did, then Leandra, lighting a
torch, who was followed by Aiger and Manganese.

        ^He is becoming slightly arrogant with the blood he intakes..
It would almost seem that the blood of the Fumu seeps their attitude
into him. Not a good sign.^ The dragon blood of Aiger projected his
thoughts toward Manganese. A crease above Aiger's brow deepened as he
considered this possibility.

        ^Mayhaps.^ The thoughs sent by Manganese were faint, like
they were being felt through gauze. ^It might be possible to arrange
another humbling at the hands of Giovanni. But that could only be
arrange through Lord Gai, who still wishes neutrality in the unfolding
of the prophecy.^ Trevant's face betrayed nothing of emotion.

        ^The den of Earth must choose between light and shadow..^
Aiger started, trailing off when Manganese chuckled, a rumbling from
Trevant's barrel chest. Leandra looked back at him, eyebrows arched.

        "Tis nothing," he assured her. "I merely recall an old rhyme
and riddle from long years past." Leandra still appeared perplexed,
but satisfied, and turned her gaze back in front of her. A look of
focus crossed the face of Trevant, as Manganese tried to force a
dragon's power from this yet mortal body. ^Continuing... we both know
who is from the den of the Earth cousin, and why they will pick..^

        Renaku reached the first fork in the tunnels. He did not know
it. He tried to force his mind back to the past, remembering what
the voice had said to him. He had to master his mind, as he did the
sword. Travelling back to his escape, he traced his path backwards.
There he found that this fork had not been here. It seemed quite...
irrational.

        "Well, left worked before here," he mumbled to the passage.
Renaku drew the Demonslayer on a hunch, for whatever foulness might
encounter them in the cavern's depths. Then he noticed it. Something
on his sword was emitting a tiny bit of light. Drawing it closer to
his face, he saw a spiderweb of tiny lines near the hilt. At the
center of the lines was the onyx stone set into the blade.

                                ****

        Withing the Fumu Stronghold, Contoyune sat in a large decorated
throne. The throne, made of gold and set with the finest jewels from
across the kingdoms, does not match the room it sits in. The walls
and floor are bare, and the chandelier above is rusted, and askew.
One corner is entirely draped in a heavy shadow. The stone which
composed the room was dank and cold, but Contoyune felt only the heat
of his anger fueling him. He was left with the young and weak, lead
by one of them. But no longer would that be.

        "You wish power then?" The Fumu Master's voice dripped with
sarcasm. "You may well strike a deal with us then, under a condition,
of course." Contoyune grinned with a dozen fangs. He would easily
prove himself, in any capacity needed for testing. He would take
the power, and carve a realm across this planet for his own taking.

        "I can furfill anything you ask of me." Contoyune's reply
was a challenge to the Master. But the Master's reply to this was
a peal of screaming laughter, raining from the dark of the corner.
Contoyune's grin lost its edge at the sound, but his eyes never
lost their focus. "What must I do," he growled, impatient now.

        "You will know." The voice retreated slightly into the shadow.
"Come forth then, join us and gain your power." Contoyune stood from
the throne, and took a step towards the voice and the darkness.

        "Wait," he said, looking cautious. "Will I be more powerful
than that traitorous wench Asgani? I saw her defeated rather easily."
Contoyune would not allow himself to be taken for a fool.

        "Yes." The choice was made in that answer. With that word,
a dozen more futures vanished from the eyes of Kanouseiko. "But," the
Fumu Master continued, "you must embrace what you are. Then your power
will be multiplied a dozenfold."

        Contoyune took a second step. "And of my mind?"

        "It shall be your own with me," the Master answered. Contoyune
entered the shadow. His face began to sear as five black claws wrapped
around his face and head. The power began coursing into his mind, with
an intensity to match the fire of hate inside him. His arms went slack
as the shadow lifted him two reelem off the floor. Shadows began to
leak from his eyes, mouth, ears, dripping down his face. A buzzing
filled his head, and agonized his mind.

        Then he was dropped upon the stones, to lay in a heap. The
buzzing began to subside in waves, until he could hear the chuckling
of the Fumu Master above. He was still.. Contoyune. The sound in his
head began to be more refined.

        "Now you are Contoyune, of the Dark Shadow Fumu." The laughter
began again. Inside the new Demon Fumu's mind, voices began to whisper.

                                ****

        Leandra plodded along with the other four, carrying an internal
monologue to keep her company. She was getting to be too old for this
sort of thing. Her magic was not as strong anymore, and the speed
she relied on was leaving as well. The life of a Storm Mage could be
as fast as the lightning's flash, and she was beginning to feel like
fading thunder.

        Renaku being near here did nothing to ease this thought, as
he still looked and acted the same as he had so many years ago. Always
young, always quick. It was so hard to think of him as his true age.
What a thing to be. Leandra would almost consider it worth the price.

        But she had to remind herself that Renaku was a special case.
He could have been just another in the legions of undead. Just another
soulless husk, draining the living for another parasitic night of life.
How had he kept his soul?

        Her eyes peekep upward from the floor. She 'saw' him again,
a talent which might be returning in the more recent years. The evil
in him was gathering around the edges, sometimes venturing out, but
always washing back. But it wasn't being actively restrained.

        Leandra was worried about him. He was the center of this whole
prophecy, after all. If he fell, they all fell with him, and that would
not make Leandra's day. She didn't want him to fall anymore then she
would fear her own death. A brief smile touched the edges of her lips
as she recalled how she was humbled by meeting him so long ago. But
it was twinged with pain as she remembered that bloody sharp smile.

        It was possible that she was walking along the edge of a
yawning black canyon. She felt as she had been drawing nearer to it
ever since she had met up with him again. It contained all the emotions
about that night that she must have sealed up so long ago. Leandra
did not want it to open any further.

        "Something the matter?" Thiesra's voice slid into the midst
of Leandra's thoughts. "You've been quiet today." The demoness looked
concerned. Leandra just shook her head quietly. "Ok," Thiesra allowed.
"Renaku says it should be a ways yet, according to that map thing on
his sword's hilt." She turned her eyes back to the front, although
not without another concerned glace back.

        "Wait," came Manganese's voice. "Trevant has said that he feels
something. An aberration to the eye of Sol. Trevant's body rose one hand
for a pause, and lowered his head, at an angle. His steel grey eyes
narrowed in concentration.

        "Senses something?" Renaku appeared confused. "Is this one of
your gifts Manganese?" Trevant's head shook.

        "This merge has been gifted interesting benefits, as well as
annoying disadvantages. I know not how he senses it, but I am of Gai
and not Sol."

        "Well, we'll just have to take it out.. It shouldn't be..."
Renaku was cut off by a force flying into his stomach, dropping him
to his knees. Thiesra's head snapped back, and she stumbled back to
the tunnel wall, leaning on it for support.

        Leandra looked up from her thoughts, awareness dawning fast.
The time lost in herself was too great however, and she was slammed
back some reelem, colliding with the ground. Manganese had already
drawn Trevant's hammer, and Aiger held his sword at the ready. A
dark form whipped past them with a blur, as the ebony sword it carried
clashed off Aiger's parry. The form paused and slitted its eyes, now
behind them.

        "Dark Wind," hissed Aiger. "We saw your Master earlier. Tell
him to return to combat with us, a third time, and do not run, teasing
us with information about this place." The Dark Wind Fumu replied
with a whirlwind of slashes to Manganese. He swung the great warhammer
in a circle, bouncing most of the attack off of it. But the tip of
the Fumu's blade touch him three times, and silver blood ran down the
face of Jouo Ban Trevant.

        Aiger thrust at it, but his sword was batted aside with a parry.
He saw the Fumu's blade racing toward him in counterstrike, and leapt
back to avoid it. As he leapt, the white of the Demonslayer rushed
past, and made a tear in the Fumu's cloaklike body.

        Renaku was using the Hive Swarm technique, because of its
speed and reliance on thrusting. The size of the hallway would make
most swings useless, and any let up on speed would kill him. He danced
forward, holding the Demonslayer in his right hand, left one held behind
him. By temerity alone he had landed a few scratches on the Fumu, but
nothing close to what was needed.

        Thiesra held back, unable to aid the three in such a cramped
space, and unwilling to use energy for magic. Usually one Fumu would
be simple prey. Limping over to the prone form of Leandra, she lifted
her, and carried her away from the fray.

        The Fumu fought like a banshee, parrying every strike Aiger
and Renaku sent at it. They now stood side by side, each using the
Hive Swarm in the hopes to bring it down from a hundred small wounds.
The Fumu had shifted to pure defense now, and was not touched once
by steel.

        The blur of its sword could barely be detected at all. The
fight continued like this, until the instant in which Aiger and Renaku
both pulled back and aimed thrusts at its face.

        *KLANG* The vibration ran down their swords, and up their arms.
It would be enough to make a younger fighter disarmed. Their blades
had been sent against the cavern walls, and the Fumu had darted between
them. As they whirled their head behind, they saw it swoop around
Trevant's legs, tossing him to the ground. Finally it raced past Thiesra
who was tending Leandra, and it stopped further down the hallway.

        "I am Ciestro, of the Dark Wind Clan, and I bear a message for
you from Lord Scita." The Fumu's voice swept down the passageway.
"If you wish to destroy us Renaku, our Lord will await at the Stone.
Farewell." Ciestro split himself into four parts and each vanished
in a different direction.

        Renaku cursed to himself. "As I thought.. they've been waiting
for us. The gods only know how they didn't leave a trail, but here they
are." His face burned with stolen blood, flushing in anger. "I will
see them all destroyed," he proclaimed, face an ugly mask of hate.

        Manganese and Aiger shared a glance. Thiesra approached Renaku,
and placed a hand on his shoulder. His features quickly softened, and
he gave a great sigh, out of some ancient habit. "My, Ren-chan, I
could've sworn you were undead. But now it looks like you've just been
holding your breath all that time." Thiesra gave him a little smile
and a wink, trying to catch him off guard. He laughed, and his shoulders
dropped down, relaxed. Thiesra had her own internal sigh of relief.

        They continued onward. The pathways were marked on the hilt
of the Demonslayer, eventually leading to the onxy stone set into it.
Renaku wagered that this was the Stone of Forever. When they finally
reached the entrance to its chamber, Renaku had honed his concentration
to hair's width sharpness. They stood in front of a pair of unornamented
double doors, all weapons wielded. Renaku marched up alone, and placed
his palm on the crack between the two. He polished his mind one last
time, and shoved the giant doors open.

        The crystal shield glistened as Leandra's torchlight played
across it. The multicolored stone discharged slight amount of energy,
but seemed mostly quiet. The once floating platform was now a half moon
shaped ledge, overlooking the abyss. The swords jutted out around the
Stone like monster's teeth. The evil runes were still there, but the
platform was free of any life or unlife.

        Renaku entered slowly, sword in front of him, and eyes scanning
for any movements. None presented themselves. Easing up slightly, he
walked up to the still empty rune of the 27th sword. Looking around, he
frowned, and lowered his sword.

        "Where?" His question stirred the fog of silence. "Where are
they? Where is the key of which he spoke?" He turned in a circle, face
blank.

        "Perhaps this is a ruse..." Thiesra began.

        "No!" Leandra looked up from a spellbook. "Look here Thiesra,
I found this the other day. Its the spellbook we've both been looking
at." The other four gathered around here, straining for a look at the
page she pointed to. "Here," she said, pointing to a drawing quite
representational of what they faced right now. "The Stone of Forever,
the trapped power of Lady Moon, sister to Red Diana, and Luna, or Luma.
It was created when she banished herself from the world into the sky,
to try and balance light and dark, and end the war." Thiesra nodded
thoughtfully.

        "So then, where are the Fumu?" Aiger's voice was cautious.

        "Wait," Manganese tilted his head up. "Does anyone hear..
water dripping?"

        Water cascaded through the open door, splitting itself in two
different directions, and surrounding the cliff ledge. It was impure,
greyish green, and filled with waste. Once the wated had completed a ring
around the stone and them, the water stood up. They were surrounded.

        Instantly the Dark Water Fumu lashed out, taking the group
by suprise. Thiesra was captured first, her flames extinguished when
she was absorbed by three of the Fumu, trapped within a dank prison.
Leandra tried a lightning spell, but it was too far from any storm,
and the Fumu merely laughed when struck with a bolt. Soon it had her
in its grasp, waiting for more orders. Aiger cut a pair in half with
the Mandolian Arc technique, only to watch them reform. Manganese
was finally grounded by a dozen or so. They had divided and conquered,
and only Renaku still stood.

        He had fended them off well, the Demonslayer feeding him their
power, and destroying their soul. The Mandolian Arc combined with the
Alkhien Spinning Style, and soon Renaku was in a circle of dead Fumu.
More fell before his Demonslayer, rent in half, or sent to the floor
as water.

        Then his blade glanced off his another, and he whirled to
face his opponent. It was a Fumu who had abandoned the form of water
for flesh. It was humanoid, with sea green skin, and stringy white
hair. Its flesh gleamed with moisture, and its pure black eyes matched
the smile of pure malice cutting across its face. The blade it wielded
was a thin longsword, of a pale red metal. The Fumu fought with a
practiced ease, batting away Renaku's swings.

        "Do you see, Renaku? The closer the prophecy comes to its end,
the more of us you kill, the stronger we get." It seemed true. This
one was easily a master of the sword. "Join us Renaku, and you may
keep your body. I am Gieb, sent to show you that it is far to late
to do otherwise." It grinned as it fought with him.

        Renaku shifted stanced, to the Gheldian Slash. It was a solid
stance, both feet anchored in their balance, while his sword sliced
from right to left and back again. It was a solid stance to use on an
opponent who dance back and forth again. Renaku thought of it as an
earth stance. Ducking beneath the Fumu's guard, he slashed it across
the chest. A hollow mocking laugh came, with the smell of sea salt
and the drowned. A burning slash caught Renaku in the back, followed
by a strange sensation of dizziness, which he shrugged off.

        Their blades met again and again, Renaku expending all the
energy he could to keep pace. The Fumu stepped forward in a thrust,
but Renaku sidestepped, and slashed down with a spin. Another cut
opened on the enemy. Then another, as Renaku slapped Gieb's sword
aside, and cut the Fumu's arm.

        Gieb brough his sword in a lower diagonal cut to the right,
and slashed Renaku across the thigh. The feeling of weakness and dizzyness
passed over him again, and for a second, he questioned his balance. He
must have been spending too much energy, but he felt weak. His moves were
not as fast, and a cut passed him, and the blade slid over his
collarbone. Renaku stumbled, and Gieb's foot connected solidly with
Renaku's chest. He saw the world fall back, and the Demonslayer clatter
from his hands. A pair of Fumu grabbed him, and pulled him up. His
vision was dimming, but he could still see Gieb gloating.

        "Do you like the sword Renaku? It is the last of that damned
wood elf's blades. Also the key to this nice little gem here. We cannot
pronounce the original name, but prefer to call it Leechkiller. It is,
after all, designed to kill vampires. I do think it liked the taste
of your blood." Gieb continued to smile as he strolled over to the
empty rune.

        "Now Renaku, it is time to seal fate and cast this world into
Darkness." Gieb took the red blade and thrust it into the floor. "No
ceremony, no chanting, no sacrifices.. just the keys." Gieb turned
to the crystal shield, extended one finger, and touched it.

        Cracks ran along the surface of the crystal, extending from
Gieb's finger. The shield crunched and crackled as the ancient crystal
began to break, and then it burst unto the ground. Gieb laughed
chillingly, and went to one knee. "Now Renaku, you get to meet the
Master."

        A shadow ran off the ceiling, down across the ledge, followed by
another one. Yet another followed that, pooling onto the ground of the
ledge. A vaguely human form grew from them. Its detailes could not be
discerned, as it was surrounded by a misty cloud of shadow. It stood around
five reelem tall, and was thinner than a corpse.

        "Allow me to introduce myself," spoke the Master of the Fumu.
"I am Shien, Lord of the Dark Shadow Fumu." It bowed toward the near
unconcious Renaku. "Now then, Renaku.. it is time to doom this world."
Shien gracefully slid across the broken crystal, and took the Stone of
Forever.

        "With this, Renaku," it said, gesturing with the crystal, "you
will be forced into serving us. I will enter your body through that
sword of yours, destroy the last Fumu that exist, for you, and raise
them all through the power of the stone. Your Moon will be destroyed,
and darkness will destroy the light in battle. And you will not even
get the satisfaction of killing us yourself." The Master mocked him softly.

        "Yes, and the the Fumu will own this world and corrupt it.
Another world from which to send this universe into eternal black!"
Gieb broke into maniacal laughter.

        "NEVER AGAIN"

        The voice that rang through the cavern was not human, but the
echoes and acoustics distorted it so no one knew where it came from. This
question was answered by a shortsword that flew down from the ceiling,
imbedding it in Gieb's shoulder, and sending him screamind down the
abyss. The second one spun down, lopping off the Master's hand at the
wrist, and sending the Stone bouncing. A dark form flew across the cavern,
and landed above the Stone.

        "SCITA!" Shien roared. "You are dead! I sent you to die!!"

        Scita just grinned. "I have had enough of this death for your
prophecy! I hereby remove the Dark Wind Clan from your Coalition, and
we will return to our home world!" Scita picked up the stone beneath
him. "And this will be used for that purpose."

        "Upstart! Do not defy the one who controls all Fumu with mind
bonds, Scita!" Shien pointed his right hand towards Scita, and shadowy
chains flew out towards him.

        Scita merely raised a hand, and the chains crumbled. "No," he
said, "I'm afraid that my new allies have aided me in destroying that
mindbond in the Dark Wind Clan." He grinned wider as a phantasmal image
of a demon of Thiesra's kind appeared above.

        "Kryaiz!" Thiesra yelled, ripping her way free of the water Fumu.
She stepped forward without confidence, and stared at the image in
confusion.

        "Now then, we will take our leave." Scita nodded, and a portal of
flames opened beneath him. He quickly dove into it, and it sealed after.
The phantom figure faded back into air.

        Shien screamed, and flew out of the cave in rage. The original
five were left, getting themselves out of the now-melting Fumu. Renaku
had collapsed to the floor, and Thiesra ran over to him.

        When conciousness began to return, Renaku first noticed he was
being carried, by the feel of it. A conversation was going on, and he
could hear, although he was so weak as not to care. "Thiesra.. you knew
that demon?" It was Leandra's voice.

        "Yes.. he was one of the older ones.. liked Zeorx.. I have a
feeling he wishes to use the Stone for similar reasons.." Thiesra's
voice was full of worry.

        "Well, he has it to use now." Aiger, serious yet calm.

        "What does this mean? Maybe it cancelled out the whole prophecy
thing, since niether side has it now." Leandra, sounding unsure.

        "Lord Gai says the prophecy is yet uncomplete. We must still
prevent the Fumu from controlling the Stone. This may be yet another
trick." Manganese's voice was harder than granite. "There is yet a
chance that the world may be given to evil."

        "Well," said Leandra, "we have some advantage. According to this,
the spells which they'd need to transport legions of a Clan should take
some time to prepare, as well as taking most of the stone's power. Thiesra,
where does that demon live?"

        "Lhyresgate... a flying citadel."

                                ****

Epilogue:

        Shien raged in his fortress. Betrayed! Scita would pay the price
of going against the prophecy of Lord Nyx, and holy duty of the Fumu! It
was now time to summon the remnants of the Fumu armies to him, the corrupted
humans. There would still be enough to gather a force. And also, it was time
to call forth his clan, the Dark Shadow Fumu. Composed of 12 Demon Fumu,
they were his hands and swords in the land. It was time they came to see
him.

        Contoyune heard the shadows call his name.

___________________________________________________________________

Its over! I'm sure you want to kill me. Just let me sleep first please.
I invite all terror filled death rants. Send em to mthrall@gac.edu, or just
post em up. Epsilon, I'm expecting to get torn up good, so don't dissapoint ;)

I hope I didn't twist ideas too much. I'm sure some of the drama in there
was bad enough....

Mike Thrall
GGS Assassin