Good Bye, Mother, Go to Hell! 47

In every shadow in every town and forest, field or jungle, shadow beast came forth to search for Ranjer. Every house or shack was searched. In the places of light, the sunbirds search to. They covered everywhere, nothing was over looked in the light or darkness. Then in a dungeon in a dark place a little scared crying boy was heard by a few hounds. They had found him. One hound sat in the shadow and watched the boy to be sure he was safe. This was there orders, find the boy and protect him and for one to report back his location. Out side in the sun, a sunbird entered the dungeon through a shaft of light and found Ranjer. Soon a flock of sunbirds circled the castle to show where Ranjer was being kept, it was to dark in the dungeon for them so they had to stay out. Traveling through shadow and on sunbeams, the hounds and the birds quickly went back to Yadessa to tell Pelic and Graym what they found, where Ranjer was.

Out in the courtyard Pelic, Graym and Jayce sat and waited in the sun as Azeal walked out and pulled his dagger. He held Justice up to the sun as it grew to a full sized longsword and the Salvation stone glowed a dark blue. He looked back at the three men waiting for him
"Just stab it into the ground." Jayce told him.
Azeal raised the sword over his head ,then stabbed down and the sword went into the soil. Sparks flew up and suddenly a ripple effect began to spread out from it. It raced out and all through Yadessa sending Salvation all through the land.
" That's it." Jayce told him. " Yadessa is safe from Polan. He cant touch or enter here ever"
" Retribution can do this to?" Graym asked.
" Yes, Were all going to have a piece. Soon we'll all spread out to all the countries and one by one banish his black poisons."
" Good." Graym said. " There still burying his victims at home."
"Look!!" Azeal pointed up in the sky. Jayce and Graym looked up and saw many sparks of light coming down to fly arond them. The sunbirds were back! Graym held out his hand and one beautiful golden bird landed on it.
" I know where he is." Graym said. " Come on, lets get back to the others."
Jayce grabbed Azeal and took off with Graym right behind him. They flew up and into the window of Valkar's study. All the others were there waiting spread around the room.
" Ive found him!!" Graym shouted.
"So have I." Pelic said.
Jayce and Graym set down and let Azeal go. Then they all came together at the table and sat down.
" So how do we do this?" Denner asked.
" Im going to get my brother." Azeal got up from the table and started for the door.
" Wait!" Jandar called. " Your not going alone. Im coming with you."
" So am I." Graym stood up.
" Rage, We still have to free Toric's family. You take Pelic. Maybe his hounds can find them for you."
" No." Rage walked over to his mate and took his hand." I'll wait until you get back. You sure you don't want us to come with you?"
" No love. Go to Tir Na and put our protection down there. I don't want Polan invading my families home. Then go on back to Settlement. And you and Jayce can spread Salvation where you can on your way. I want to limit the places he can go."
Rage pulled Jandar in to his arms and kissed him.
"I'm not gonna worry about you." He said.
"Good, cause we'll be fine." They kissed deeply and held each other.
"I'll see you at home." Rage smiled.
"Always."Jandar whispered in his ear.

Minutes later with the help of a sunbird and a spell from Jandar they found themselves in the forest outside of an old run down castle. The gates were down and there wasn't much time before Polan's deadline. They had to get him out now.
"I can feel Ranjer." Azeal told them. " He's here, and so is she."
" I know." Jandar said. " She's not the only one here. I feel something strange he to."
" What is it?"Graym asked.
" I don't know. But its evil. I can feel the hate. Graym, take to the skies and see if you can find a way in from up there and around back. Keep Retribution handy, who knows whats here."
"Im on my way." Spreading his wings he leaped to the skies and flew towards the castle. Soon he was gone from sight. Jandar called his staff to him the looked at Azeal.
"Azeal, we're going in together. I don't know what we're going to find in there so be on your guard. If we get separated, You get Ranjer out of here. Be careful, If you find Your mother."
" She'll be the one that will need to be careful." He told Jandar as he pulled Justice from its scabbard. The stone setting flashed blue as it lengthened to a short sword.
"Lets go."

Together Jandar and Azeal stepped on to the bridge and started across. The inside of the castle was dark as night, but that didn't matter to a werewolf or a vampire, they both could see perfectly well in the dark. They saw rats and mice run as the made there way forward. This castle was totally unfamiliar to both of them so neither knew where to go. But the dungeon seemed the place to start. But where exactly was the entrance to the lower levels? Side by side the moved forward from the front courtyard into the castle proper. Jandar could feel something here, he knew they were not alone. Ahead in front there was a set of double doors. Jandar figured it probably was the doors to the throne room. On the right side of that there was another door. If this place was built like most area castles, that would be the kings study or a council room. To the left of the center doors, Jandar guessed that would probably go to the kitchen and pantry and dining areas. To there sharp left and right were the stairs to the upper floors. There would be the king, queen and royal families quarters and guest rooms and other nobles quarters. Under the stairs they found another door. These went down to the dungeons.
"Well." Azeal said. " Up or down?"

Up in the skies, Graym flew around looking for a way in to the castle. All the windows he'd seen so far were to small for him to fit through so he searched on. As he winged his way around , he saw a place were the wall had fallen. That could be a way in. Hovering in the air, Graym turned and headed for the hole in the wall. As he came closer several winged things emerged from the hole. There were seven or eight of the winged demons. Graym pulled up and headed higher, he needed room to swing Retribution. They closed in on him trying to surround him. Graym knew he couldn't handle all of them. He needed help. He wished he still controlled the shadow beast. They could rip these things apart in seconds. He wondered if the sunbirds were as deadly. He had no choice by to call them and see. Graym sent out a call for as many as he could as the demons launched there attack. They were unarmed but they had sharp claws and fangs that could tear him up. Graym swung his sword as one came in reaching for him, he slashed at its chest. As the burn slash appeared, Graym pulled back and stabbed another through the shoulder. It burst into a flash of light as it died. He kicked out and hit another then spun around slashing a demons throat and dropped till he was free and slowed his fall. Looking up he saw sparks of light coming toward him. He saw hundreds of Sunbird's coming in to help him. Graym climbed higher as the birds attacked the first demon. They tore it to pieces until there was nothing left. That answered Graym's question. They were deadly. Seconds later two more demons reached for his wings. He flexed them in a sudden jerk and sent hundreds of feather darts at them. They fell there wings ripped to shreds. Climbing higher, he watched as the rest of the demons were overcome by the horde of sunbirds. Now he was free to enter the castle.

"You go up." Jandar told Azeal. " I'll go down."" You think Ranjer is downstairs so your sending me up?"Azeal asked him. " Isn't that right?"
" No. Azeal. I don't know where he is. But we have to check both up and down. If we do it together, its going to take that much longer. I'll call you if I find them downstairs. You call me if there up. Fair enough?"
" Yeah. I guess." Azeal said.
" I mean it Azeal." Jandar started down the stairs. " Call me if you find them."
Down into the dungeon Jandar walked. The smell down here was awful. It was the smell of death. That means there's something down here that's dead. But it couldn't be Ranjer, even if he was dead he hasn't been dead long. Holding his staff in front of him, Jandar stepped on to the dungeon landing. He looked left and right and saw nothing. He moved on to the cell area. There he saw a row of open cells. He was going to have to check them all. Jandar stepped up to the first cell and looked in. He thought he saw something move on the floor. Was it Ranjer? He stepped in to check and looked down on the body on the floor. It was to big to be Ranjer. But it was moving. Could she have taking someone else? Knowing Velusia, the answer was yes. Jandar bent over to check the body when it jumping up and hissed at him. Claws reached for him as he stepped back. It was a vampire. But not a born vampire. It was one of Velusia's dark changed thralls. Swinging his staff down,Jandar stabbed it in the chest. In a bright flash and a scream,the thrall was consumed by the fire of the Salvation stone in his staff. At that second he heard sounds of movement from all around him. He knew he was in trouble.
"Damn!! Just my luck!!"

Upstairs Azeal slowly made his way higher and higher. This is where Ranjer was. He knew that more and more with each step he took. He could feel Velusia to. Her stench was everywhere. At the top of the stairs he found a balcony with three hallways branching off. He sniffed the air. There was no smell in the left hall and nothing in the center. That left the right one. From there he could smell them both." Im coming Ranjer." Azeal started down the hall he held Justice in his hand. He passed Many doors on his way down the hall. But the scent grew stronger ahead of him. Soon he came to a large open room. This must be the kings private quarters and this is where the scent was strongest. The room was filled with old furniture.There were tapestries ,bureaus, trunks and over stuffed chairs. An enormous canopy bed with curtains hanging. Azeal stepped into the room and stared at the bed. There was someone in it. It was Ranjer. He ran for the bed when a cloud of smoke came between them. He heard a cackling laugh fill the room.. He stopped as the cloud began to solidify.
" My darling son." She said as her beautiful form became clear. She was smiling at him as she walked to the front of the bed. Velusia was dressed in beautiful blue silks wrapped all around her. She looked like a dream, an evil dream.
" I haven't been your son since you had Rejek banished."
" That was his fault." she said. "He refused to comply just like you."
" Why should we?" Azeal was getting mad. " Its not like you ever showed us any love. We were tools to get what you wanted, that's all"
" That's right." She said. " I should have drowned all three of you at birth. Your just like your father. I wish id killed him to."
" My father?"
" You might as well know, you'll be dead soon anyway. That damned Valkar." Her eyes burned with hate for them all.
" Valkar is our father?" Azeal was shocked to hear all this.
" Does he know?"
" No. I swore id never give him a heir. That's why I had Rejek banished. That's why neither of you will leave alive."
"I've hated you most of my life. You and grandfather give me these scars I'll carry for the rest of my life. Look at my face mother, you did this to. With your own hands you did this!!!"
His rage was building as he scream at her. Justice felt warm in his hand. It sent power all through his body as they argued. Today would be the last time they would have to see each other. After today,one of them would certainly be dead.
" I have another gift for you my sweet Azeal."
Smoke began to rise all around her.
" The gift of peace. Never again will you have to worry about anything. And I promise you, Ranjer will follow you in a few minutes. HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"
Azeal charged at her with his sword raised. She dissolved into smoke and swirl around him. All around him she flowed,she reached out and slashed at him. Across his cheek a scratch appeared. He reached up and felt the blood on his face. That's one more scars she would answer for. Azeal took a step back but she just came on. Again and again he felt her strike him. in his face, then his chest, and his stomach. He fell to the ground in pain. Azeal was beginning to think maybe this was to be his last day. He heard her laughter ringing in his ears. He felt a kick hit him in his side and he flew into the wall." Did you think you even had a chance?" The words echoed through the room. Something grabbed his hair and threw him across the room. Azeal crashed into the side of the bed. He sat up and for a second he was blinded by the smoke.
"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"
He climbed up trying to stand and felt her hit him in his face and knock him back to the floor. Azeal again got back to his feet and raised his sword.
" What do you plan to do with that?" He heard her taunting him. " Maybe I'll take it from you and slice you both up with it."
She grabbed his leg and tripped him. Azeal fell to the floor again. By now he had bruises all over, his head hurt and he was having doubts if he would survive this day. Azeal heard a noise from above and looked up. It was Graym. He was trapped in the upper floors . All he had was a window which he could watch Azeal die from.
" I see a new victim. Who is that? He looks familiar. Doesn't matter, He dies after Ranjer. I'll just cripple you so you can watch."
She hit him again in his face. Reeling from all the blows Azeal staggered to the wall and leaned on it. He though he heard a voice. Azeal shook his head to clear it and the voice became clear. It was Graym yelling to him. He looked up at him.
" AZEAL!! DEFEND YOURSELF!! USE THE SWORD! TRUST IN JUSTICE!! FIGHT HER!!"
" You can't hurt me! He can't hurt me! There's nothing you can do!"
Smoke swirled and swirled around him. Azeal bought his sword up and again shook his head to clear it. Velusia came at him again and Azeal swung Justice through the smoke cutting a path through it. He felt Justice hit something, Velusia screamed. This was it. He hurt her. He swung the sword again and again she screamed.
" How can this be?" She tried to flow away from him and he chased the cloud. Again and again he stabbed and sliced at the cloud. Her screaming became louder. Justice was getting slippery with what Azeal assumed was his mothers blood. He hacked and hacked at the cloud. The stone in the hilt growing brighter and brighter. With one last thrust he stuck Justice into the center of the cloud. She screamed another cry as the cloud dissipated leaving her body lying on the ground. Azeal looked down on her as a tear rolled down his cheek. She looked up and him and tried to sit up. She reached her hand out to him.
"Please Azeal." There were tears in her yellow eyes. "I'm your mother. I gave birth to you, I gave you life. I can change."
"No mother." He said as he stepped closer to her. "I would never be able to close my eyes and feel safe with you alive. One day you would come after me or Ranjer or Valkar again, and I can't have that. Good bye Mother, go to hell!"
Azeal raised Justice over his head and with a quick downward stroke, he severed her head. She screamed as she burst into flames. Azeal stepped back and watched her burn. This was the only time he ever cried for his mother. As she burn he turned and walked to the bed. He picked up his brother and walk out, leaving the room to burn along with all his memories and hate with her.