"Sypha, are you ready yet?"
"Wait a minute, Robin." Sypha grabbed her bag and went outside. "I'm ready."
"Let's go to Sara's house, the others should be there."
The day was beautiful. The birds were singing as they walked past the houses. The town's women were doing their daily things, but most of the men were nowhere to be seen. They had been away for two days now, hunting. They would return tonight. Sypha smiled - her father was one of the best archers in town, he'd probably shot a big deer or something.
But today she was going to investigate a cave on the northern mountains with some friends. Mr. Mage had told them about it, and they wanted to see it.
"What do you think? About Mr. Mage's story I mean."
"I like his stories. The other children do, too." Robin smiled. "Wonder why Mr. Mage suddenly started to act so friendly towards us. And all the other people as well. As if he knows something that the others doesn't... Well, he surely does." He shrugged.
Sypha smiled. "You're right about that."
Sara was waiting outside her house. Sypha smiled at her.
"Shall we go?"
"Yeah. Helen is here already. And so is my stupid kid brother, as always."
A boy showed up behind her and pushed her gently. "Hey I'm not stupid. And you're just a year older. Shut up."
Sypha grinned. "Hi Richard."
"So, is Peter coming?"
"No idea. We'll have to ask him."
The five children walked along the road. They stopped by Peter's house, who came out shortly and joined them.
"Such a beautiful weather," Sypha observed.
"Indeed," Robin answered. "A perfect weather for a little investigation."
They left the town and walked along the paths for an hour or so. When they reached the mountains, they had to climb
a little until they found another narrow path.
Finally, they arrived to the cave. Or this was the place it was supposed to be, but there was nothing but a
stone wall. The steep slope was impossible to climb.
"It must be here somewhere..."
"Where?" Helen asked. "This is the place Mr. Mage was talking about, right?"
"Why would he tell us about the cave if it didn't exist? This is the place. I'm sure," Sypha said.
"There it is!"
The opening was covered with some bushes, but if they looked carefully, they could see it. Richard moved the bushes away. "You were right, Sypha..."
"Let's take a look, shall we?" Robin suggested.
"Hey, what are we here for?" Richard grinned. "Just follow me."
The went inside the cave. Although the opening was small, the first hall was huge. The ceiling was at least 40 feet above them. It wasn't completely dark, as dim light came through some small holes on the ceiling and the walls.
"Wow, look at this."
Sypha shrugged. "Just like Mr. Mage said."
"Wonder how deep inside the mountains those corridors could lead us?"
"I don't know." Sara sat down on a small rock. "I'm going to rest for a while. We've been walking for hours."
After they had eaten, they started to walk around in the cave. Starting with the main hall into the corridors.
Some of them were collapsed, but like Mr. Mage had told them, there were several corridors in the cave. All dead
ends except one that lead outside, to a point about half a mile from the main entrance.
Time passed. Sypha was thinking. It felt like time passed too quickly... she enjoyed herself. Right now, she didn't have
to worry about her grandfather, nor did she have to think about her father who was gone most of the time.
Finally, the children returned to the main hall and sat down. They were all exhausted.
"I'm so tired that I think I'm going to die here..." Richard groaned.
"Whiner," Sara teased her brother. "Don't forget we still have about a three hour long journey to go. We've got to get back to the town before sun sets."
"Oh, no..."
Sypha looked around. "Why is it so dark in here?"
"Hmm..." Peter got up and walked across the hall to the entrance. He went outside and came back few seconds later.
"It's raining outside. The sky is all covered with dark clouds."
Helen looked up. "Well that might explain that dripping sound in here."
"It comes from the ceiling... I think some water is getting through those holes. But it's dry in here, so who cares."
"Let's wait and see if the rain stops," Sara suggested. "We could always eat a bit..."
"Yeah."
Sypha wrapped her scarf around her. It was getting cold, as if the sun had already set. But she knew it was just afternoon... or was it?
"I'm cold," she said.
"Me too. Maybe we should set up a fire?"
"Good idea, Robin. But we need some wood..." Peter looked around. "There. And maybe some parts of that bush covering the opening are still dry."
They collected some wood lying around the cave, and Peter ripped some twigs off the bush. After a while, they got a nice, warming fire set up in one corner of the cave. They gathered around it, enjoying the heat, as they were eating and talking.
Richard was thinking. After a while, he asked, "Hey, why do you think all this wood was lying around in this cave?"
"I don't know."
Robin looked at the others. "But that is a good question. Maybe... um... I know! Vampires sleep deep inside this cave... Skeletons bring the wood in here, in case the sleeping vampires get cold..."
"Don't try to scare us," Sara said.
"Yeah. Besides, vampires hate fire," said Sypha. "Stop making up stories."
"I'm just bored."
Helen looked outside. "Will that rain ever stop? I'd hate to get wet."
"Me too, but we'd better get going soon."
"I say we wait for half an hour, then we go, rain or not," Peter said.
"Do we have a choice?" Richard muttered. He sighed. "Okay, I'm collecting some more wood so we'll stay warm."
He got up and walked across the cave to pick up some wood lying on the ground.
Suddenly he fell down into a pit, screaming.
The other children jumped up and ran to the hole on the ground. Sypha looked down. Richard lay on some rocks about 10 feet below them.
"Are you okay?"
"I... my leg hurts. I think it's broken. It hurts... a lot..."
"We got to get him up," Sara said. "But how?"
"First, you should help me down," Sypha said. "If his leg is broken, he must be moved very carefully. I think I could tie that with something... I need some sticks. And this scarf will do, if I..."
"That's good. But we still need to get him out of that pit."
"Wish we had a rope... but how about using a bough or some small tree? That wall can be climbed if there's something you can hold on to."
Peter, Robin and Sara left. Helen helped Sypha as she dropped down the hole next to Richard. Using her scarf and some sticks she began tying his leg.
"Ouch! That hurts!!"
"You'll never walk with this leg again if I don't do this. Father has showed me, I know how this should be done."
After a while, she managed to support the leg with the sticks and tie it properly.
"Now that should do it. Can you move your leg?"
"No... not that I would want to."
"Good. Don't even try to. You must keep it immobile."
"Glad your father has taught you that." Helen said.
Soon, the other three returned with a long piece of wood. They lifted Richard up and carried him to the fire.
"What are we going to do now?"
"We'll never make it to the town like this," Sypha said. "Wish father was here..."
"I'll go get him and some other men, they should all be back home." Peter got up.
"It's dangerous. It's dark outside. Oh no... Was that thunder?" Helen looked worried.
"But it's our only option. Or do you want to stay here for the night?"
"No!"
"I'll be back. You stay warm," Peter said and exited the cave.
Some hours passed. Thunder rumbled outside the cave. Inside, it was silent. The fire cast shadows on the walls.
The cave looked spooky, but Sypha wasn't frightened.
"I'm... co... old..."
She looked at Richard. He was pale and shivering, but when Sypha touched him, she could feel he was burning.
"Try to keep him still," she said to the others. "I'm going out to see if there's any herbs that would make him sleep. See if you can warm some water for me." She got up and walked to the entrance.
"Sypha, be careful, it's getting late," said Sara.
"Yeah."
It dark outside. It wasn't raining so hard any more, but lightning stroke over the mountains. Sypha walked around
until she saw some trees. She could not see clearly, but she was sure there had to be some herbs she could use.
Getting hot water would be hard because they didn't have any real equipment for that, but maybe...
Someone was watching. She turned around. No one. Maybe she was just imagining things. Why did she have this feeling anyway? There was nobody here. Just she and her four friends inside the cave.
She found a few herbs and collected them quickly. She looked around. Next to a small bush, she saw a plant
which roots could be used for fever... at least that was what she recalled from her father's teachings.
She dug them up. The air was cold. She got up, turned around and headed back to the cave.
And still... she had the terrible feeling that someone was watching her.
Sypha returned to the cave.
"Here... were you able to warm that water?"
Sara shook her head. "Impossible with this equipment."
"The I guess cold water will have to do it." She washed the roots, smashed them and put them in the water. Then she put in the some leaves. She mixes it all, went to Richard and offered him the cold herb drink.
He shook his head. "I... don't... want..."
"Drink it." She forced him to drink most of it.
"Will that work?" Sara asked, worried about her brother.
"I don't know... but it's all we have."
Meanwhile, Robin was looking up. He leaned his head a little. "Hey, what's that...?"
"What?" Helen looked at the direction he was staring.
"Nothing. It's just a bat."
"You're trying to scare us again, right?"
"No, I was just..."
There was an abrupt bluish flash around the bat, and then something dropped to the floor. Then almost 7 feet tall, dark figure started moving a little towards them, smiling evilly. They couldn't see clearly. It had a black cloak which had red lining that was shining in the dim light. Dark hair, pale face...
"Vampire!!!!!!" Helen screamed.
The children froze, then all cowered in terror.
Sypha was as scared as the others, but she reached out and grabbed her staff. She took a deep breath and got up, holding the staff ready. The vampire came closer, amused by the fact that one little girl was actually trying to fight back.
"My precious mortal souls... Now you shall come with me to the darkness. I will take you to the Castle, and you will live there for eternity!!"
He came closer. Sypha moved back a little. "Are you ready to fight, my girl? You will lose, and after I take you with me... Count Dracula shall enjoy your blood shed on his resting body..." His dark eyes looked right through Sypha.
Sypha gulped. "You will not... take us anywhere... Your blood is cursed."
The vampire smiled mockingly. "Really? And who's going to stop me? You?"
"I..." She closed her eyes for a second. It felt like an eternity. "Holy spirit of God, protect your children..."
"Your God is not here to help you, child. No holy spirit will save you now."
Suddenly, behind the vampire, someone said, "Then I will!! "
Sypha blinked. She was shivering, trying to hold the staff in her hands. Who was it? She saw a dark figure... Another vampire!?
"Eclipse," said the newcomer in a calm voice. "Attacking innocent children? You are nothing but a monster."
"Does that bother you, traitor?" Eclipse's voice was chilly.
The other vampire held out his sword. "Forget it Eclipse. Never shall I allow you to take them."
"You are just a coward. What do you think you can do? You have no power... unlike your father."
Before Sypha's eyes, the vampire disappeared... just to reappear in front of her, between the children and Eclipse.
"Maybe I have no power, but I will stop you nevertheless!"
Eclipse stepped forward, smiling.
"Stay back."
"I am not afraid of you, fool!"
The other vampire raised his sword. "I told you to stay back. Don't try anything, because I'll know if you do."
Not turning around, he said to the children, "You leave this cave and go home. Now!"
Sypha glanced at him, then turned to the others.
"We're going. Come on!"
Robin took a deep breath. His hands were shaking as he picked up Richard. Sypha shook Helen, then Sara gently. Sara grabbed her hand. She was crying.
"Come on, let's go."
Sypha led her out from the cave, followed by Robin and Helen who carried Richard.
They didn't look back. Half-running and stumbling, they made their way down the mountain path, to the dark forest.
They were all wet now, but too scared to think about it. They could sense something was stalking them.
Something. It was following them... stalking...
When they got to a small opening that had only few trees, four werewolves jumped out from the bushes and rushed
towards them.
The children screamed. Sypha swung her staff. She hit one of the werewolves, making it step back.
But the rest three attacked them.
Then the closest on fell, arrow in its neck. And then the others. Sypha looked at the direction of
where the arrows had come from.
"Father!!"
Christopher Belnades, armed with his longbow, came from the forest, followed by William Edwards, Bruce Stone, Helen's father Michael Gray and Mr. Mage.
Sypha ran to her father, who picked her up and hold her tightly.
"Sypha... Thank God..."
Sypha sobbed. The she whispered, "Father... Richard is hurt."
Christopher looked at his daughter. "I know. Peter told us. Everything is going to be alright."
William shook his head, holding both his daughter and unconscious son.
"Stupid idiots... Why did you have to come here..."
"It doesn't matter, they are all safe," Christopher muttered. "We'd better go now, so I can take care of Richard."
Mr. Mage was standing further away. He watched the lightning over the mountains, thinking. Michael, carrying his daughter, went closer.
"Mr. Mage? Is there something wrong?"
"It's nothing. Let's go."
They all turned and headed back to Warakiya.