Chapter 1 - Cassandra

Nicole walked into the huge castle in awe as her fiancé, Jeff, walked in behind her. ``…Like it??'' He asked grinning.

``…Yeah…it's so…big…'' She said turning in circles looking up. ``…But it looks so wicked from outside…'' She mumbled.

Indeed, the castle was one that survived through the ages, and had changed very little. Some stone had broken off, and vines were climbing up one side in a twisted way. The woods that surrounded it weren't very complimentary either; being as all the trees were somewhat dead or dying, their gangly branches reaching out to grab unsuspecting explorers.

She stumbled backwards from getting slightly dizzy, and Jeff caught her.

``Easy now…don't over do it…'' he said teasingly.

Nicole replied with a sarcastic smile. ``Oh thank you honey you probably saved my life…'' She said with a hidden eye roll.

``Haha yeah I know…I know…'' Jeff said walking up the stairs jokingly. Nicole smirked and followed carrying her own bags. ``…They said someone would be here to greet us…but I guess they went out for lunch or something…'' he said looking up and down the hallways. ``…Oh well…I know where our rooms are…I think…'' Jeff said doing a double take. ``…This way…'' He said clearing his throat.

About 10 minutes later, Nicole sighed. ``…Maybe we should just…sit down for a second…maybe someone will…I dunno…find us…or something…'' She said leaning up against the wall next to a suit of amour.

Jeff shook his head. ``…No I know exactly where we are…I don't need help…'' He said stubbornly.

``What is it with men and asking directions??'' Nicole wondered out loud.

``…I don't need directions; I know where we are…''

``Oh really? Then where are we…?''

``…In the castle that I rented out, that cost me about 4 grand…'' He said throwing an annoyed look back at her.

``…You're a genius…''

``…A genius that spares no expense for his girl…'' He said looking back at her.

``…Uh-huh…'' She said smiling secretly as they rounded a corner.

``…Good day, Master Jeffery…'' An old man said as Jeff nearly ran into him as lightning flashed behind him and thunder clapped eerily.

``AH!! Oh…hello…you must be…uh…'' He said clearing his throat.

``…Mr. Bosworth…The butler…'' He said in monotone as his eyes looked droopy. He had a very pale complexion, almost like he was dead. Nicole blinked worriedly as he turned and walked away slowly. ``…I shall show you to your rooms…'' He said quietly.

Jeff cleared his throat and looked back at Nicole. ``…Well…told you I didn't need directions…'' He said as he followed Mr. Bosworth down the dark hallway as lightning flashed once more and thunder rolled.

``…Here's your room, Master Jeffery…'' He said opening a rather large door, revealing a king sized bet with maroon sheets and drapes.

``Ah…Thank you Bosworth…'' he said walking in.

Nicole started to follow, but Bosworth cut her off.

``…Miss your room is this way…'' He said starting to walk off.

``…You mean we don't stay in the same room…?'' She asked blinking.

Jeff poked his head out. ``…Hey don't sweat it…if you get scared you know where I am…'' He said smirking playfully.

Nicole glared at him. ``…Right back at you…'' She said rolling her eyes and walking off with her bags.


Nicole sighed as looked up at the ceiling while lying on her bed. She turned her head to the left and saw a portrait of a beautiful woman, in her twenties holding a staff and a pentagram around her neck. She got up and walked closer to the portrait, looking at the necklace closely. She noticed that in the center of the pentagram there was a wicked looking bat, which held a red gem in its talons. She blinked and glanced around, slightly confused but shrugged it off. She crawled back into bed with a sigh, closing her eyes as ran pelted the window to her right. She rolled over and closed her eyes, trying to go to sleep, but sleep never came.

***
She woke with a start a few hours later when she heard footsteps thumping down the hall way. She put on her robe and peeked out the door quietly. She saw it was the butler, but he had a strange limp she didn't notice before. She secretly followed him, curious about why he was up at this hour. As she peeked down from the grand stair case, she saw him walk into another room and glance around as he entered. She followed him into the room and saw him click a torch backwards, moving a bookcase. She covered her mouth to hide a gasp successfully. He walked in behind the bookcase and to a dusty old door, opening it quietly as a few rats squeaked and ran out. He growled and stomped on one, making a sickening splat in doing so. He wiped off the blood and fur on his handkerchief, and continued through the door. Nicole slipped in behind the bookcase and through the door a few seconds afterwards, finding cover on the stone stairwell looking through a small hole. There her eyes beheld the strangest sight a glowing red crystal hovering above the ground about 6 feet, and what looked like a thrown from the dark ages, on which sat the same woman she saw in the portrait. In her hand she held the exact same staff, and around her neck the same pentagram. Her eyes widened and she rubbed them, trying to see if she was dreaming or not. Around her stood ten other men, very handsome the only thing that was strange about them was that their eyes were glazed over like they were blind.

The butler bowed his head slightly. ``...Cassandra…'' He said in a rough voice.

``…What is it, my loyal servant…?'' She asked, eyes glowing in the light of the crystal.

``…The humans are here…'' he said without looking into her eyes.

Her lips stiffened into a smirk, fangs poking out. ``…Perfect…'' She said. ``…Go get the male…I'm growing weak from lack of blood…'' She said settling down in her thrown once more.

``…Yes your highness…'' He bowed again and started up the stairs.

Nicole gasped, realizing that they were vampires. As she saw him starting up the stairs she bolted out and ran up the grand staircase to Jeff's room.

The Vampress snapped her fingers. ``…Damien…'' She said sharply as one of the male vampires walked in front of her, black hair slightly spiked. ``…Make sure to say hello to Nicole…'' She smirked as he nodded, and disappeared with a wave of his cape.

Nicole banged on Jeff's door. ``JEFF!! Jeff please let me in…something's not right here!! JEFF???'' She cried as the door clicked and opened. ``Oh Jeff we need to get out of here…'' She said panting. But who stood in the door way wasn't her beloved it was one of the vampires: Damien. He smirked and opened his mouth in a hiss, showing his fangs as the lightning flashed behind him. Nicole fell back startled. ``…G'Day, love…'' He said before he lunged after her.

Nicole screamed and scrambled away, down the stairs and out into the stormy night. He stood at the door as his cape blew back majestically and he smirked, narrowing his glassy eyes. He closed the door and walked back down to the dungeon and stood in front of Cassandra. ``…She won't be bothering us any longer…'' he said bowing.

Cassandra grinned. ``…Good…'' She said as he got back in line at her side.

Nicole stopped running as crows and ravens circled her cawing. She panted and looked back at the castle, narrowing her eyes in the rain. She grew a determined look on her face as she started back toward the castle, at a fast pace.

***

As Nicole walked down the corridor, a bat screeched its way through her hair, getting tangled slightly but pulling free. She cried out in surprise then cursed for practically giving herself away. She heard evil laughter as she neared an old dusty door, volume growing with every step she took. The paintings around her seemed to follow her with their eyes. She slowly pushed open the door, making it creak. She slowly descended the twisted stair case as the echoes of laughter drenched over her. There was an eerie red glow about the chamber as she looked out from a small hole she found. She was concealed from everything and everyone, being up high. She spotted the source of the glow a giant red crystal slowly orbiting its stand she saw before. The cackle's source however, was from the Vampress Cassandra. She slowed down the laughter as her slaves stood around her, faces emotionless.

``…Bring the mortal…'' She said gestured with a clawed hand.

Two of the vampires turned and walked into another hall, slowly returning with a man in chains, somewhat unconscious. They dropped him at her feet, her grinning down at him fangs sparkling. She had her hands on her hips as she slowly descended down toward the captive. Nicole's heart fell and she stopped breathing when she saw Cassandra lean down to her fiancé. Cassandra's lips were but a centimeter away from Jeff's neck, and she opened up her mouth to reveal two fangs as she hissed. She bit down hard on his neck as Nicole lept from her cover crying out.

``NOOO!!'' She exclaimed as she hit the chandelier and fell to the floor.

Cassandra's eyes widened as she pointed. ``You…what are you doing here?? I thought you ran away…'' She hissed.

``...I couldn't leave him here…'' She said glaring at her.

Cassandra cocked an eyebrow, crossing her arms. ``…You don't stand a chance…he's already injected with my poison…he's as good as DEAD now…'' She smirked.

Nicole screamed out in anguish. ``LIAR!!!'' She said as her fists tightened.

``…Hmm…'' Cassandra smirked in amusement, and tapped her index finger on her chin.

``I swear to GOD that I'll kill you…'' Nicole threatened.

``Ah…God…'' Cassandra spat. ``…what good is someone whom you don't even know exists?? For all you know...WE'RE gods…as a matter of fact…'' She stopped, thinking once more. ``…I like that…GODDESS Cassandra…has a nice ring to it, yes?'' She asked smirking to Nicole.

Nicole growled. ``…You have a lot of nerve to declare yourself a goddess, you know that…?'' She spat.

Cassandra laughed. ``…Oooh but I will be…sooner than you think…'' She said grinning. ``…as soon as I kill you off, I shall enslave the human race, and they shall worship me…I shall have all the blood in the world, and soon I shall gain control of the universe…'' She said as she took her staff in her hands. ``…With the help of this, of course…'' She said twirling it, much like someone in high school color guard twirls a flag.

Nicole bit her lip. ``…You will NEVER be a goddess…'' She said taking a step toward her.

Cassandra cackled evilly. ``Foolish mortal…did you honestly think that a human such as yourself could POSSIBLEY defeat me?'' She asked as she gestured to herself.

Nicole narrowed her eyes. ``…To be quite honest, yes, yes I do…'' She said, gritting her teeth.

Cassandra laughed again, throwing back her head as she did so. Nicole took this chance and charged at the vampress, eyes narrowed. Cassandra was taken off guard, being knocked backwards by the blow. She fell off her thrown and had the air knocked out of her.

``Why you meddling little imp!!'' She exclaimed as she stood up, glowering at Nicole.

Nicole stood victorious, Cassandra's Dragon staff clasped in her hands tightly. She said nothing as he made a dash for the crystal as Cassandra flew back up to the thrown.
``STOP HER!!'' She ordered, and her vampire slaves jumped into action, chasing after Nicole, fangs bared.

Nicole dodged them and made a gravity deifying leap at the crystal, slashing the staff against its cold hard surface. There was a silence as she landed; only the clang of the staff making contact with the crystal rang through the air.

Cassandra's eyes were wide as this happened, then narrowed mockingly. ``…See…? You had no hope of defeating me, foolish hu-'' Cassandra's eyes widened slowly as she stopped in mid-sentence the crystal grew a crack. ``…No…NO!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?'' She exclaimed flying towards Nicole as the crystal shattered. She stopped in front of her hissing as it broke, pieces flying in every direction as a blue aurora filled the room. ``NOOOO!!!'' Cassandra cried as she burst into flames, glowing embers of her hair fell to the ground slowly. ``You'll PAY FOR THIS MORTAL!!'' She exclaimed in agony and frustration as her body burst into shimmering embers, leaving a pile of ash on the ground with her pentagram glistening in it. Nicole bent down and picked it up, wiping it off as it shimmered slightly. A smile crossed her lips as she realized she had defeated the Cassandra.

The vampires lost the glassy look in their eyes and rubbed their heads.

``…What happened?''

``What's going on?''

``How did we get here…?'' They all asked simultaneously.

Nicole held up the pentagram as they all turned to her, eyes narrowed. When they saw the bat in the center of the trinket, they all turned to one another.

``…How did you…?'' One of them stepped forward questioningly.

``…The spell is broken…when the crystal disincarnated, so did she and the evil spell she cast upon you…'' Nicole said slowly.

They all narrowed one eye at her.

``…You didn't have to act like you're in the 16th century, Lass…'' One of them said with an Irish accent.

Nicole blushed in embarrassment. ``…Yes well…I couldn't help it…'' She said fingering the gem in her hand.

``…Now that the spell is broken…we can all go home…'' Someone with a British accent said, fangs glimmering. They all nodded and murmured in agreement.

Nicole cleared her throat. ``…What about…my fiancé?'' She asked pointing to Jeff, who lay in a heap on the floor, two bite marks still on his neck.

The British one came forward. ``…I don't know what I can do…but I'll try and revive him…'' He said stepping over to her and then looked down at Jeff. He knelt beside him and put two fingers over his bite marks, mumbling something in Latin. As his fingers started to glow, the wound disappeared. When he had finished, he stood up looking down at him. ``…he should be fine now…his immune system should flush out the venom…'' He mumbled walking back to the stairs as the other vampires filed out.

``Wait!'' Nicole called out as he put his hand on the door's handle.

``…Yes…?'' He asked turning.

``…What…who are you…?'' She asked blinking.

He just smirked, his fangs poking through. ``…That, my dear…is highly classified…'' He said turning and walking out the door, and disappeared into the night without a trace.

Nicole blinked and sighed as Jeff sat up rubbing his head. ``…What the hell happened…?'' He asked looking around. ``…Where the hell are we…?'' He asked standing up.

Nicole shook her head. ``…I'll explain everything to you later…'' She said helping him up the rest of the way. ``…But right now…let's get out of here…'' She said with a sigh.

``…Alright, alright…'' he said waving his hands as they walked up and out of the dungeon.

The pile of ashes shifted slightly, and a small earthworm wriggled out, slithering on the floor and into a crack in the stones. Cassandra's evil laughter quietly echoed in the corridor, and drowned out into the night as a bat flew into the moonlight, silhouette slowly fading.

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