PHALANX - The series

Episode eight: Something's different about this place.

 

 Frederic and Jennifer twirled around each other, their eyes bright green, and their swords sending sparks flying whenever they touched. The mystical blades made whooshing sounds as they cut through the air, being dodged or blocked by both body or blade. On and on their spar went. Dodge, block, cut, kick, punch and repeat. Their minds ablaze with possible countermoves the other could do. Frederic ducked under Jennifer's sword, and cut her across her lower abdomen.

She retaliated furiously, forcing Frederic back across the open space in the simulated forest. Their movements faster, stronger and more controlled than any normal human could have believed possible. Frederic searched for an opening, and after finally finding one, managed to take advantage of it. Jennifer received a second cut, directly on her thigh.

Again, she responded with the fury of a woman scorned. Frederic tripped over a tree root sticking out of the ground. As he fell, his incredible reactions took over, and he rolled to one side. This was his salvation, as Jennifer's sword pointed directly at the place his throat had occupied tenths of seconds before. In one swoop, he got her legs from under her, and pinned her to the ground with his sword at her throat.

The green light died out in their eyes, and Frederic helped her up.

"That makes 45 to 24, love," Frederic said, after her wounds disappeared at a single mental command.

"One of these days, I'm gonna make you eat those words, dear. But right now, I could go for a backrub," she said, throwing a pleading look at Frederic. His eyes went towards the heavens and in a sarcastic motion raised his hands, as though asking the gods why they where so cruel to him. Both laughed through the link as Frederic slipped his arm around her waist, and hugged like that, walked towards their quarters.

Jennifer lay on her stomach, naked, and Frederic was sitting next to her, rubbing up and down on her back. She sighed in contentment as her muscles relaxed and untwined. Frederic's fingers cut deeper and deeper into them, reaching even the deepest knots in her muscles.

Daphnix requests transmission.

Linda's voice disturbed their peace after lowering the soothing music into extinction.

"Damn. Why is it I get the feeling that we no longer have any time off?" Frederic muttered.

"Maybe because we don't HAVE any time off?" Jennifer snickered.

"Linda, put him on audio only," Frederic said.

"Sorry to disturb you. We have 150 vamps banding together, declaring war on Earth 52. Our sensor buoy has detected them, taking on large numbers of law enforcement officers, army personnel and various civilian volunteers," Daphnix reported through the intercom.

Frederic and Jennifer sighed, looked at each other, and noticed each other's determination to go get the bastards. "Plot a course. We'll be right there," Frederic said, closing the intercom. Jennifer jumped into her clothes, while Frederic got ready too. 10 minutes later, they where standing on the bridge, looking at the city of LA, on the dimension they had named 'dimension 52'. As such, the planet they where looking at was 'Earth 52'. The downtown area appeared to be the ground of a heavy battle: destroyed buildings, fires, dead bodies,… .

"Vampire count is at 500. All in hiding for the sunlight. We'll have our hands full. It's about 150 to one down there. We'll need all the edge we can get. Jen, get the mystical weaponry. Daphnix, get the quantum pistols and neutron accelerators. We're going to war," Frederic said, and slumped back in his chair, his mind doing overtime in trying to discover new ways to fight vampires.

Wooden stakes through the heart, decapitation, holy water,… . How can we use these to our advantage? I think I have something, he thought.

"Linda, replicate 3 water guns, filled with holy water. And replicate a few dozen throw knives, made out of oak," Frederic said, walking to the replicator. He took the requested equipment out of the slot, and looked at it.

"How are we going to carry this? We'll have our hands full as it is. Right! Linda, replicate three combat jackets, in our sizes, with space reserved inside for the water guns and the throwing knives." The three jackets appeared in the slot, and Frederic took them out. He put it on, holstered the water gun and 10 wooden throw knives. He also noticed that space was reserved for extra fusion batteries for the quantum pistols and the neutron accelerators.

"Here are the magic weapons. What in hell are you wearing?" Jennifer said, walking in with the heavy chest filled with magic goodies.

"Our new combat jackets. Like it? Put yours on; take a water gun and ten wooden throw knives. There is space reserved inside for them," Frederic said, sitting back down in his command chair. He stopped her from asking more questions by saying: "I'll tell you all abut it when Daphnix gets here."

A few minutes later, Daphnix arrived too, loaded with a cabinet. He put it down and opened it. Getting the point from looking at his two friends, he took the last jacket, and put it on.

"Now, these combat jackets are equipped with holding space for two quantum pistols, a neutron accelerator, 5 fusion batteries, ten wooden throw knives, and a water gun filled with holy water. Please, fill up," Frederic said. His two comrades nodded and filled the jackets to capacity.

"Now, as you know, the throw knives have to hit the vampire's heart, and the holy water can be used as an acid. Since out pistols and accelerators gobble power, we'll only be able to fire 105 shots with the quantum pistols. 15 per battery, including the two batteries already in the pistols. The neutron accelerators fire one beam of 20 seconds with one battery. We'll be able to fire 100 seconds extra with the batteries. We'll have to use these mundane weapons as well as our swords, Daphinx's golden bow, the throw knives and the holy water as well, or we'll never make it. Our secondary objective is trying to find out an easier way to dispose of the vampires."

"Ok, let's go," Jennifer said.

"Agreed. We'll do recon now, and attack them when they come out in the open," Daphnix said, checking his pistols a final time.

"Let's go. Linda, transport us to the surface," Frederic said, as the three people stood back to back, in triangle, and with weapons drawn.

As the beam discontinued, Frederic and Jennifer immediately grabbed their heads. A powerful presence was apparent in the vicinity. They composed themselves, raised a shield, and stood up. Daphnix looked worried.

"What was it?"

"A … presence. Almost like … another Phalanx." Frederic struggled to understand what his power-senses where trying to tell him and, through the link, Jennifer.

"There are no vampires in the vicinity. We can put our weapons away. I'll do the scouting, you two try to figure out what's the matter," Daphnix said.

"No. We'll need you if it comes to a confrontation. If it is another Phalanx, it's extremely likely that he will have a wife as well. And facing another self is NOT something I'll enjoy," Frederic said.

"And, he'll probably have another Daphnix as well. You're right. It's best if we stay together, and scout the area," Daphnix said.

"That would be best. The presence came from that direction. I suggest we examine it first," Frederic said, pointing in a direction. Daphnix and Jennifer nodded. They drew their neutron accelerators, and cloaked themselves. They moved in a complicated pattern into the general direction the presence had originated from. The pattern was something they had developed during the Ketari war, and it had proven its use and its effectiveness.

Frederic, being the only one visible, composed a class ten mental shield, blocking out everything but visible light. It greatly limited his power-senses, as they could not penetrate it. The only other drawback was the fact that it made him light up like a 100-watt bulb in the middle of a dark room to any mental within 10 kilometers. His two quantum pistols where drawn, pointing in various directions as his body moved from left to right, moving from one cover to another, sometimes walking backwards to make sure he wasn't followed.

His powers grabbed hold of the neutron accelerator on his back and, just in case, on his sword as well. He peered around the corner of a warehouse, relying on his two cloaked companions who, because of the mental shield, where now completely invisible to him, to cover him. It was clear, and Frederic moved his body in a quick 360° circle to check his surroundings, and turned the corner. He was now very close to the place he had detected the presence earlier.

His hand made an Oech-anya battle motion indicating 'vulnerability', or in its present form 'cover me, I'm lowering my shields'.

He lowered his shield to check where the presence was for the moment. It was barely down or he threw it back up again. The presence had hit him like a brick wall moving at 120 kilometers an hour. He made the signal 'enemy located, in this building'.

He gripped his weapons tighter, and walked to the door, avoiding windows. He stood next to it. The door was blasted to pieces as a one-second visible form of Daphnix kicked it in. Frederic nodded his gratitude, ducked, and rolled inside, making him a harder target. He felt mental power leap of his class-ten shield. As it was designed to do, nothing got through. The mental amplifier on his arm indicated '100% reserves'.

"Good. I'm still only using my own power. Whoever it is doesn't mount a full attack, or I'd be using the amplifier to boost the shield." Something clicked inside of Frederic, and he felt the Oech-anya necklace empowering him. His brain raced.

"I can't shoot, because the shields are in my way. I can't lower the shields or I'm toast. Damn stand-off. What are my options? COVER!" he talked to himself. He ducked behind some crates. The power stopped tugging at his shields. The entire scene, from bashing it the door, rolling inside, deciding what to do, and ducking behind the crates had barely lasted fifteen seconds. He checked his shields, noted they where at full strength, stood up and walked away from his cover, weapons drawn. Three people leaped on him from various directions. His shields repelled them all.

Amplifier at 75%

"Stop your fighting, whoever you are. I am Phalanx Frederic Fromthefield of the Human and Oech-anya races. I am here to rid this planet of the Evil that is threatening it. Come out, and I'll spare your lives, if that is possible," he said, to a once again empty room.

The three people appeared right in front of him. Two women and a man. One of the women stepped forward.

"I am Freda Fromthefield of the human race. I don't know who you are, imposter, but I will give you ten seconds to explain yourself, before I destroy your sorry ass," The woman threatened him.

"So, this world has a Phalanx as well. Very good. Tell me this, Freda. If you're this world's Phalanx, then why haven't you destroyed the vampires and demons that curse its surface?" Frederic's tone was calm and logical. The woman replied with an angry voice.

"Who are you to tell ME how to defend MY race?" she yelled. She threw another ball of energy at Frederic. His shields didn't require the amp to stop it.

"I am Frederic Fromthefield. Lord protector of the human race, Phalanx of the human and Oech-anya races. I am here to take out the evil. And unless you tell me exactly what you are, and what you are doing here, you and your two companions will be removed from this plane of existence, permanently."

"You? You're alone, outnumbered three to one by two level five phalanx warriors and one class four mental, and you think you can take us?" the woman and her two friends started laughing.

"It's is three on three. Two class seven phalanx warriors, and one class 5 Phalanx, armed to the teeth with mental, mystical and mundane weaponry. Surrender now," Frederic said, his tone no longer friendly.

Again, the three laughed. "Then, where are they?"

We're in positions. We can take them out without them even knowing it. Your call, sir.

"No, thank you Daphnix. Raise a class 7 shield, lock neutron accelerators, and uncloak. Jen, you too," Frederic said. The two people became visible, Daphnix standing next to the man with his neutron accelerator posed at his head, and Jennifer stood at the other side, with her own weapon at the woman's head.

Frederic immediately dropped his shields, and positioned his own accelerator at Freda's head. All three of them where now captured.

"Now what? Stand here all day, growing roots?" Jennifer asked.

"I have no idea. We could talk this out like adults, shoot them on the spot, or extract as much info out of them as possible and then kill them. Votes?" Frederic said.

"I say, talk. I'm tired of shooting. We'll have enough targets tonight," Jennifer said.

"Shoot them. We can't trust them, nor do we know them. It's the best tactical decision to eliminate all sources that could threaten us later on," Daphnix said.

"I think we'll allow the prisoners the right to speak. Tell me, Freda, if that's your real name, who are you, and why have you attacked us?" Frederic asked. The woman stammered:

"I told you the truth. I am Freda Fromthefield. I am Phalanx here. It took me some time to get here, since I was in Russia ending a black mage's slaughter of innocent children to raise a major demon."

"I don't know why, but I believe you. In every dimension, there's a me, only lightly different. None of them ever where appointed Phalanx. I never imagined that my other on this planet would be a Phalanx, let alone a Phalanx and a woman," Frederic said, lowering his weapon.

Jennifer lowered hers as well, but Daphnix looked less curtain.

"Wait a minute! If you have your equivalent before you, then who's who over here?"

"That's my husband, Jonathan, and that's my best friend Daphne," Freda pointed.

Now Daphnix's gun came down as well. "Shit! I'm a woman? Shit!"

"Imagine how I feel. The powers of the Phalanx, harnessed by the emotional state of the female mind. It scares the hell out of me," Frederic said. Freda had the stupid idea of attacking him for this insult. Her fist swung out, but before she knew it, she was laying on her back 2 meters backwards.

"Don't ever raise your hand to me, Freda. You don't stand a chance. We control Oech-anya fighting styles that have evolved over ten thousand years. The oldest martial arts style on Earth is maybe three to for thousand years old."

"I see. And what are you going to do to us now?" the man Jonathan asked.

"Maybe I'm being stupid, but… I have always been able to trust my other selves in the different dimensions. I think I'm going to do so now as well. Release them." Frederic said, addressing his two companions for the last piece of the sentence. He raised his neutron accelerator, and put it on his back. Jennifer did the same. Daphnix was looking real unhappy, but did follow the order.

Frederic nodded. "Linda, what's the status on the vampires?"

Vampire count is 500. No demons detected. Recommend highest alert. Sun is going under and the vampires are becoming more and more active. If you have backup, recommend calling them in.

"Thank you. Keep an eye on them, and notify us the minute they are moving out." Frederic closed the connection. "All right. We have three options. First: we go our separate ways, and try to defeat the vamps on our own. Second option: we share intelligence, but nothing more. Third option: we join forces, and take the evil bastards on together. Leadership goes to the best and most competent. Which is Daphnix," Frederic said, addressing the 5 people in front of him.

"I'd say join forces. 3 against 500 are incredible odds," Jennifer said.

"I agree," Frederic said.

"3 to 500 are indeed incredible odds, but don't forget, when we go separate ways, they will attack the vampires too. The odds will remain 6 to 500 under all options. I suggest we go separately," Daphnix said.

"It would be mutually beneficial if we were to join forces. There is much we can learn from each other. I don't like the idea of Daphnix leading, though," Freda said.

"I agree with Freda," Jonathan said. "As do I," Daphne threw in her share.

"Very well. I will lead then. Daphnix will only provide tactical support. And, as for your comments Daphnix, what do you think will happen if we were to share the weapons of Avalon with them? Don't forget that each planet has mystical weaponry. They may just be hard to come by, but they are here. I can summon them without problems. The odds will be better if we merge our groups, and join in battle together," Frederic addressed Daphnix.

He seemed to think for a few moments, and finally nodded. "You're right. Adding the mystical weapons, abilities and immortality to the scale will tip it."

The three other looked strangely at each other, then at Frederic and his group.

"What mystical weapons? What immortality?" Freda asked.

"I did the Gods of the Universe a favor. They rewarded me with access to Avalon. On Avalon, I drank from the Fountain of Youth, from the Holy Grail. So did my two friends. We are now immortal and invulnerable to anything but beheadings. When we join forces, I will grant you mystical blades known as the swords of destiny. Freda doesn't need one, since her sword of the Phalanx is stronger, but Jonathan and Daphne will need them."

"Then we will definitely join forces with you. Immortality, invulnerability, mystical weapons,… it boggles the mind," Freda said.

"Yes. But, you said you defeated a dark mage before coming here?" Frederic asked. When she nodded, he asked: "Do you have magical knowledge?"

Freda looked at him, and smiled. "Yes, I do. I can teach you, after this is over."

"Very well, and I will teach you three in the arts of combat, Oech-anya style," Frederic said. "But right now, we have some vamps to kill. Linda, weapons. Complete outfit for three people. Prepare to receive dimensions," he raised the mental amp, and moved the scanner in the general direction of the three new friends. Three bleeps communicated the dimension had been received. A mere ten seconds later, a chest appeared.

Frederic opened it, and gave his three new friends each a combat jacket, two quantum guns, a neutron accelerator, ten wooden throw knives and all the rest of the weaponry the three stronger Slayers carried. Freda and her friends looked in astonishment at the new level their new friends lifted demon and vampire hunting to. After they where all dressed, Frederic called for a new vampire count. It was still holding at 500, but the sun had set completely, and all the vampires where active.

"Good. No demons. Give me a holo of the city. Mark where the vamps are," Frederic said, extending his arm as far as possible. The map appeared, floating in the air above the mental amp. The red dots indicated the location of the vampires, their numbers where right next to them.

"Freda, do you have anything else that can be useful? Special characteristics of the vampires on this planet we haven't included in our weaponry?"

"How about crosses?"

Frederic looked at his friends. They all shrugged. <<completely forgot about religious objects.>>

"Thank you. We completely forgot about those. Linda, replicate six crosses, to pin on our combat jackets."

The six requested items appeared right in front of Frederic. He took them, and handed them out to his friends, keeping one for himself. After the crosses where pinned on, they all separated. Since the vampires weren't amassed in one place, they all had the pleasure of taking out about 80 vamps by themselves. The targets ranged from an abandoned supermarket, over a few warehouses, to a large downtown hotel, abandoned only a short time ago.

 

Jennifer moved carefully under full cloak around the warehouse, scanning for possible escape routes.

Damn, three entrances and a fire escape. How in hell am I going to contain this? I can't project a mental field, it will shatter my cloak, she thought. After a few more minutes, she decided to try something she hadn't done since Ketaria. She dropped her cloak, and unsheathed the sword of invisibility. The black smoke immediately covered her image and disappeared. She was now as cloaked as under her own power.

After the sword had cloaked her effectively, she raised a mental field around the warehouse, removing the possibility of escape. She carefully moved to the door, opened it, and jumped almost back out as a terrible screech accompanied the movement.

"This thing could use some oil. Damn vamps." She moved in further.

The sight made her stomach turn. The vampires in the warehouse were holding some kind of inhuman feast. A lot of street children were sitting, tied to the different support beams, watching the 80+ vamps tearing apart the neck of one of their victims. The tied-up children where shouting obscenities, while others where pleading for their lives, or simply crying in fear.

The vampires laughed, and continued to drain their victim. The vampire that appeared to be the leader, called forth a vamp called Thomas.

"You have served well, Thomas. For this, you are rewarded. Choose your meal."

Thomas looked at the captured children. All of them, regardless of how they acted, cringed as the vampire's stare set on him or her.

"I choose her." Thomas walked to one of the children, and pulled out a girl, after cutting her bonds with his combat knife. The girl wasn't older than seven or eight, and was clad in what Jennifer recognized as clothing children in a gang wore. The girl's shoulder-long blond hair shook with the movements of her head.

"No! Please, don't! No, please…" the girl begged. The vampire brutally slapped her.

"Silence!" Thomas shouted. The leader looked pleased at his subordinate.

"Very well, Thomas. You've earned your reward. She's yours."

Thomas looked pleased, and bared the girl's neck. She started to cry harder, struggling to get away from the vampire that was going to eat her. At this point, Jennifer's mother instinct surfaced. She threw one of the wooden knives, effectively killing the vampire. The other vampires looked around, but the still cloaked Jennifer was nowhere to be seen.

As suddenly as Thomas had turned to dust, so did two more vampires. The leader was one of them. At this point, Jennifer sheathed the Sword of invisibility, and tore out her Sword of Destiny. The mystical blade cut through the air in her right hand, taking heads as Jennifer pulled out the water gun with her left hand. The vampires, overcoming their panic, started to fight back. Jennifer opened with the water gun's wide spray. The front line of vampires screamed as the holy water burned their skin as acid.

Jennifer dropped the water gun, and took out the quantum gun. She wouldn't risk the neutron accelerator with all those children in the vicinity. The gun spread death, destruction, and further disorder among the vampires. Very soon in the fight, the vampires realized that there was kind of shield around the building, preventing them from escaping.

By now, their numbers had fallen from 84 to about 20. They were huddled together in a corner. One of the vamps had the stupid idea of asking who she was. He turned to dust as the quantum gun tore of his head.

"I am your worst nightmare. I'm a master Slayer, trained to destroy the evil that threatens humanity." She looked around, scanning the children. Most of them looked scared to death, but some of them nodded gratefully, followed by encouraging sounds from their mouths.

"And taking innocent children hostage to drain their blood definitely qualifies as evil," she said, holstering both sword and gun. She now took the impressive looking neutron accelerator from her back. The white beam of pure energy took care of the vamps in less than ten seconds.

Jennifer then picked up the water gun she had dropped, and holstered it as well. She also retrieved the throw knife. After these errands, she looked at the children. The girl that was to be Thomas's 'reward', was sitting on the ground, looked terrified at Jennifer.

"Don't worry. I'm here to take out the vampires, and get you and your friends out of here," Jennifer said, carefully approaching the girl. She seemed to relax, and got up. Jennifer pulled out a throw knife.

"Here. Take this, and help me get your friends loose," Jennifer said, presenting the girl with the wooden, razor-sharp throw knife. The girl took it, and started cutting at her friends' bonds in earnest. Jennifer took out her Sword of destiny and started freeing the rest of the kids as well.

 

Daphnix looked at the abandoned supermarket. After carefully scanning the building and its vicinity, he looked inside through the large front window.

One front entrance, one back entrance. I am still cloaked. I'm going to put up a shield as soon as it's party time, he thought.

Daphnix decided to use the same trick he had seen Frederic do. He pressed at the entrance door, and with some concentration, managed to walk right through it. He scanned the inside, and soon found the vampires, in the large cooling room in the back.

Thank god that isn't switched on. I don't think those people would survive that, Daphnix thought, looking at the 10 people, bound, and thrown on the ground like sacks of potatoes. There were 10 vampires at the fridge, standing guard. The rest where scattered around the place. Daphnix tapped into the black ops knowledge he possessed, and pulled out his Sword of Destiny. The ten vampires in the fridge never uttered a word as they turned to dust in less than a heartbeat. Daphnix de-cloaked, and immediately put up the shield around the building.

"Don't worry, I'm here to free you. I'll be back when I've dealt with the other bastards," Daphnix said to the people present. They all smiled at the gratitude beamed of their faces. Daphnix just nodded, and left once again. He pulled out his Golden Bow, and took five arrows. The Golden weapons seared through the air, and took out five of the vampires, turned towards one another, locked in conversation. Daphnix retook his arrows, and returned the bow to his back. He crept silently towards another group of vampires.

The vampires were looking outward, and never saw Daphnix coming. Half a dozen wooden throw knives dusted the guards. Daphnix put another arrow ready, and crept further silently. By now, one of the vampires had found the guards at the fridge where dusted. He called an alarm. Daphnix knew that the game was over, and bolted upright. He shot arrow after arrow, dusting ten more vampires, and threw down his bow. He took out his Sword of destiny, and one of the daggers of Sharnatra.

Daphnix got the scare of his life as the dagger pulled itself from his hand, and flew towards the vampire he had selected as his next target! The vampire was dust immediately, although it was hit in a non-lethal place. "Must be the magic. I wonder if the sword has these abilities too?" Daphnix decided to try, and cut open the front half of the nearest vampire. The creature turned to dust after only a few seconds.

"Cool!" Daphnix shouted, and started flying around, taking out the unarmed vampires. He cut and stabbed, beheaded and disemboweled on his deadly dance around the supermarket. It didn't take long before all the vampires where dust, the Sword picking up strength with each vampire that perished. Daphnix checked out the rest of the supermarket, and found at least 100 bodies, pinned on meat hooks, but most of them just rotting in the position their flesh had been thrown on the ground. Daphnix sank to his knees, tears flowing freely.

"Great Gods of the Universe, accept these people into our fold. May your souls finally find rest," Daphnix prayed, and told Linda to call the 911 to came and take a look here. Daphnix walked back upstairs, and told the people there what had happened.

"Those where vampires. I took them out. Now I have a request to make of you," Daphnix said, after cutting free the hostages.

"Anything!" one of the people shouted. The rest just nodded.

"Thank you. You see, I don't exist. My request is to keep it a secret I freed you. Just treat the police as your rescuer. Please?"

"Sure, man. Anything you say. I believe I speak for everyone here, when I say that you did a good job, and that it is highly likely you'd have to do a lot of paper work to clear yourself. Your secret is safe here," The same man said. The rest of the people cheered.

"Thank you. I have to go now. The police are under way. Tell them to take a look in the basement as well." With that, Daphnix disappeared once again, his cloak coming on as the shield was turned off.

 

Frederic looked at the Tower, a large 10-story building that used to be a hotel. He scanned the vicinity, and took out the building's electrical supply. Frederic scanned the building again, and was satisfied to see that no current ran through it.

Good, no security to detect me. No lights to give me away when I become visible. The only problem is: how to clear the building satisfactory? he thought.

Frederic walked inside, still cloaked, and found the first good news he had gotten all day: the vampires where concentrated in the large ballroom. The vampires had lit some candles, and behaved like nothing was wrong. This told Frederic that things like this happened often, or the vamps wouldn't go on like nothing happened.

His special combat boots allowed him to walk up the wall, and up the ceiling. He looked down at the vampires below him, and silently nodded to himself.

"It is time." He dropped his cloak, and raised the shield around the building. Frederic took out both his daggers of Sharnatra, and killed off two vampires. The rest of them looked around, trying to locate their aggressor. Not one of them though about looking up. Frederic took out two throw knives, and dusted two more vampires.

The survivors began to panic, and tried to run. Frederic had moved up his shield, so not one of the vampires could leave the ballroom. This caused even more panic. Frederic emptied his stock of throw knives at the vampires, who had by now found him. Frederic jumped down from the ceiling, and took out his water gun during the fall. He felt the Oech-anya necklace work its enhancement on him.

He landed neatly on his feet, and sprayed the contents at the large group of vampires trying to rush him. Frederic's sword was drawn as the water gun had been emptied. The sword cut through the severely burned vampires with ease. As the vampires recovered, they began fighting back harder. Frederic's senses worked overtime, along with his mind, trying to cope with 60 very angry vampires attacking him from all sides.

During all this, an ancient Oech-anya text popped into his mind. For no reason he could think off, the text just popped in. He knew what it was: a song of battle. Again, his mind seemed to think of its own, and he began singing the song. The vampires, rushing his rapid moving form, where stunned. He was hopelessly outnumbered, fighting with only a sword against sixty vampires, and he sang?

Louder and louder the ancient lyrics came forth from his mouth. For the first time in 250 million years, the song came from a warrior during battle. Frederic could feel his body moving of its own, as if he had nothing to do with it. He decided not to fight, and surrendered control over his senses and his body to the mystical force of the song. He was a bystander in his own body.

The vampires, trying to recover, began fighting back once again. The song that empowered Frederic seemed to have the opposite effect on the vampires. They where scared shitless, unable to shake the feeling of imminent doom that hung over their heads, which was the fact, off course.

Faster and faster Frederic's movements became, along with the ever-increasing rhythm of the Oech-anya song of battle. The control and the agility over his weapons astounded even him. The vampires turned to dust two or three at a time as Frederic's body danced its dance of death and destruction across the ballroom.

Finally, it was over. Frederic finally took over control of his body, and sang the last verse of the song, all his heart and his entire mind he put in it. The last verse. The one telling about the victory of the warrior, and his glorious homecoming he would receive.

Frederic ended the song, and put away his sword, daggers, water gun and the ten throw knives he had used.

<<Necklace, what just happened? Why did I begin singing? And how come I finished the song, even after I regained control over my body?>>

<<The song was the Oech-anya song of battle. It is used during the battle. The warrior surrenders his mind, heart body and soul to the fight. His thoughts are separated from the rest, and he becomes a bystander, looking through his own eyes, and hearing through his own ears, but unable and unwilling to participate. Once the warrior has surrendered completely, he becomes the ultimate embodiment of his own skills. All his knowledge, all his skills and all his abilities are used to their limit. The warrior becomes better than his own consciousness could ever make him, because now the mind no longer controls the abilities, but the abilities control the mind>> the rather textbook explanation was. Frederic nodded. He understood perfectly.

Frederic scanned the building one more time, but found no humans in it. He left as quietly and as stealthily as he had come.

 

Freda watched the warehouse. This is almost to easy, she thought. She rushed to the door, kicked it in, and spell warded the door against vampires. She also warded the back exit. The vampires, coming to investigate the door being kicked in, rushed her. She summoned a fireball that took out 25 vampires. The wall behind her targets took a heavy beating as well, and began showing cracks.

Freda didn't care. She pulled out her sword, and summoned the phalanx armor. The mental weaponry in it took care of the rushing group of vampires as she summoned another fireball. She never finished the spell. The vampires, dodging the armor's mental weaponry, began attacking her directly. She retaliated furiously with her sword.

She stopped attacking with her armor, and charged with the sword in one hand, and a quantum pistol in another. The vampires fell quickly. The gun was empty before she realized it. She didn't have the time to pull out her second gun, as the vampires rushed her, and overcame her during the short lapse of concentration.

Freda was thrown to the ground, the weight of the vampires holding her down. The armor began to succumb as her mental reserves, weakened by the magic use, began to give out.

"No! I can't succumb! What will happen to humanity when we, its protectors, loose to the darkness?" she yelled out. Her outburst gave her strength. She tore the vampires off her with her last mental strength, and felt the armor leave her. She picked up her sword and charged.

The vampires, seeing a victory slip away from them, attacked. Freda used agility and strength she never thought she possessed. The vampires succumbed eventually. Her body felt empty, her mind almost refused to think because of the stress it was put under and the drain it was subjected to.

Freda got up, and limped to the meeting place.

 

Jonathan carefully walked around the house, his hand on his sword. He then decided not to use it, and drew his quantum pistols. The building had hostages in it, so he couldn't risk using magic attacks. He did ward the doors and windows against vampires, preventing their escape. He cast a spell of destruction on the door, shattering it to atoms. He strode inside.

5 vampires jumped on him. The pistols set their tormented souls free in less than 10 seconds. Jonathan walked further down the hall, and took care of 3 more vampires, indulging themselves at the brandy and whisky the family had in the living room. The drunk vampires weren't much of an opponent. Jonathan took one last disgusted look at the alcohol, turned around and left, muttering: "Lay of the booze. It kills ya.", and laughed at his own joke.

He scanned the other rooms, and took care of a few more stray vamps, making twenty with the ones in the hall and the living room. Jonathan carefully walked upstairs. It was his lucky day that none of the main force of the vamps had heard the commotion on the ground floor.

Jonathan wasn't fully upstairs yet, or a large group of vampires rushed him. He fired the last shots in his pistols, killing 10 more vamps, and dropped them. He took the water gun, and held the vampires at bay with the holy water spray. To his satisfaction, he saw the vampires' skin sizzle and give off smoke when it came in contact with the fluid.

Jonathan pulled his sword and rapidly took care of the steaming and screaming vampires. "Ok, that's fifty. Now, where are the other thirty?" he asked in thin air.

He put new batteries in his pistols and got fully upstairs. The remaining vamps had chosen to jump out the window rather than face annihilation. Jonathan saw their broken bodies on the pavement below. The vamps that had survived the fall had heavy injuries at their feet and legs. Jonathan held target practice on the defenseless vampires.

He walked out of the room, obviously a little girl's room, and prayed to himself "please let them be alright.". He went into the master bedroom, and much to his relief, found the entire family bound and gagged at the large bedpost of the double bed. Jonathan took out a dagger of Sharnatra, then remembered its potent magic, and put it away. He took one of his wooden throw knives, and cut away the bonds of the captives.

"Don't be afraid. I've killed the vampires. You're free now. Everything will be alright," Jonathan comforted them as he ripped away the bonds. Every member of the family dropped in his arms, crying "thank you", and "we thought they would kill us".

"They won't hurt you anymore. Well, my job here is done. I have to get back to my friends, and report that another 80 vamps are off the list," Jonathan said after the family had calmed down. They nodded in gratitude and offered help whenever he would need it, him or his friends. Jonathan nodded in gratitude and promised he'd call them whenever he could use them, and left.

 

Daphne walked towards the warehouse. She knew she was severely limited in her abilities, but her tactical and strategic senses where as sharp as ever. She pulled up the map in her head, and rapidly laid out an attack plan. It would keep the vampires off base and it would minimize her chances of getting hurt. Her vampire sense told her exactly where the vampires where, and that was a huge help into her equations.

The door shredded as she threw a destruction spell at it, immediately followed by a fireball. The ball of fire decimated at least half the vampires present in the warehouse at the moment.

Daphne ran to the other side of the building, kicked in a window, and flung another fireball at the still not recovered vampires. Another 10 turned to dust.

"She's over there!" one of the vampires shouted as he spotted her. The spell ward on the window did its job. The first vamp to cross it was dust. Daphne teleported to the front, and charged from there. The vampires, still gazing at the window, not understanding what in hell happened, where easy prey to her quantum pistols.

By the time the vampires had turned around, and charged her, there where only 20 left. She dropped an empty quantum pistol, drew her sword and charged herself, with the pistol doing secondary duty: killing whatever that tried to escape. In a matter of minutes, the vampires had all turned to dust.

"Good guys: 1 vampires zero." She said, and gave the place a blessing. After the blessing was completed, she walked to the meeting place.

 

"Good guys : 6. Vampires nothing. None of the bastards got way!" Frederic shouted to his friends. They all broke out cheering.

"What happens now?" Freda wanted to know.

"We'll train you to be master Slayers, like us. We'll teach you Oech-anya fighting techniques with weaponry you didn't even know existed. And I hope you'll keep your end of the bargain as well," Frederic said.

"Of course. When do we begin?"

"Tomorrow. Right now, I could use some sleep, and I'm sure that you all could use some as well," Frederic said, and everyone there agreed to this course of action.

 

The training to be master Slayers made good progress, thanks to the fact that a lot of the teachings could be skipped because they where already known. In one week, the new Slayers where ready to receive their weapons, charms and immortality. It bears no statement that they where ecstatic when they put eyes on their new gear. Especially the rings against magic would be extremely useful in their fights against the black mages that plagued this planet.

In return, Frederic and his two companions where trained in the use of magic. They learned from the best. Fireballs, incantations, spell wards, summoning spells and the destructive spells bore no secrets from them.

One day, Frederic, Jennifer and Daphnix showed up in the warehouse they had selected as training ground, finding the other three Slayers already there.

<<Strange. Normally we're the ones early.>>

"Hello, fellow Slayers. Today, you have completed your white magic course. To face what we want to teach you now, you have to be extremely strong. We'll teach you the hidden recesses of the magic. This is pure evil, but when used right, this evil can do even greater good. Are you ready?" Freda came right to the point.

Frederic, Jennifer and Daphnix stared at each other. Never in their wildest dreams had they thought they would learn the black magical arts. The art to summon demons, the art of necromancy, with its zombies and undead, and most of all the art of the black mage, the art to control the demons and zombies raised with the lesser black arts.

As one person, they replied: "We're ready.". Freda nodded. "Very well. We'll begin."

 

The following week was the hardest of their lives. Not the fight against the dark one, not the Ketari war and not the many fights against vampires could compete with the dark training they received. It altered them at the very core of their beings, an instinctive understanding of the universe and the forces of nature they now controlled. They had to fight every step of the way. The first fight to understand the forces involved, to be able to control them to be able to wield and use them to mold into the spell that was required. The second fight to keep it that way, not allowing the dark and evil nature of the arts to control them. No sleep was permitted during this week of hell, since sleep relaxed the internal guards.

It was literally a week of hell. A week in which they learned the very nature of hell, its spells and incantations. They knew every demon, every devil's name by heart. They knew how to summon them, and how to control them. And most of all: they knew how to feed them without sacrificing innocent humans. Demons and Devils fed of humans, and so a substitute had to be found. In the black arts themselves a solution was found. They fed the demons and devils vampires. That way, they solved two problems: they got rid of the vampires, and they had complete control over an extra warrior.

Finally, after the week of hell, both teachers and students where allowed to sleep, eat and drink. All three students felt exhilarated. Their bodies, minds and souls had been put to the ultimate test, and they had survived. No, not only had they survived, but it had strengthened their will, they now knew the very core of the darkness they were fighting, and it only made them stronger.

"Thank you for the magic lessons. They will be most helpful," Frederic said.

"And thank you for the fighting skills and the extra gear. We won't abuse them."

"Nor will we abuse the knowledge you have given us," Jennifer said, saying goodbye.

After 5 more minutes of good-byes and farewells, Frederic, Jennifer and Daphnix left, going back to their own universe, thinking of the friends they left behind.