This is it! The final chapter is here at last! Just one thing though;
don't expect any bloody-gory-massacre kinda scenes. Yeah I know I hinted
killing during last chapter, but I'm just not good with those. But you can
bet on a good ending just the same. Here goes.
The Path I Choose
As soon as they were out of the fields, Jill and Krai ran full-speed toward the castle.
"Captain! CAPTAIN!" they shouted, hurtling through the door.
Darres, who had been pacing around near Ishtar's room, looked up to see them. They were leaning heavily against the pillars, catching their breath.
"What is it? I thought I told you to bring her back," he said.
Immediately, they started babbling at once.
"We were right all along-. "
"She really is plotting something-."
"Her cat really isn't a cat-!"
"It's really the Vampire King Duzell and-!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down!" said Darres, waving his hands. "What on earth are you two going on about?"
"Her Highness is planning world domination with her pet cat, who, by the way, is the Vampire King Duzell!" Jill shouted.
Darres looked at them as though their sanity was wearing off.
"Okay, do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?" he said.
"But it's true! We heard it with our own ears!" Krai protested.
"Look you two, I know Her Highness is an evil little brat but she's not that evil. I know her pretty well and she wouldn't dream of hurting a fly. And as for the thing about her cat..."
Jill and Krai could only mouth wordlessly while Darres went on about how they could've been hearing things. Wasn't anyone going to believe them?!
"Darres, you still don't get it, do you?"
Yujinn had shown up again, but this time with a grim look on his usually- amused face.
"What is it now?" snapped Darres.
"I think Jill and Krai are right," said Yujinn.
"WHAT?! You believe them?!" he said incredulously.
"Yes, I do. I've suspected it for quite some time now, actually. But after hearing them, my worst fears are confirmed," said Yujinn.
Everybody looked at him in disbelief.
"You knew? How? When?" asked Darres.
"Do you remember when that undead assassin impersonated her? Well, after that happened, I began to suspect. I noticed things that none of you were interested in," said Yujinn.
"Like what? Nothing more happened, right?" said Darres.
"Oh, but something did happen. Didn't you find it odd that Her Highness was always taking her cat wherever she went? I had a strange feeling about that animal, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. And of course, you remember that little incident not so long ago. The way you hurt her?"
"I don't need you to remind me of that!" said Darres through gritted teeth.
"Well, don't you remember the Princess's strange behavior afterward? As I recall, you seemed very concerned about it."
Darres opened his mouth angrily, but stopped. Fear and realization rose up inside him.
"So...so everything Jill and Krai said...it's true? Even about her cat?" he said.
"I'm afraid so, Darres. And I'm afraid it's too late to rescue her," said Yujinn.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Darres shouted suddenly.
For something had hurled through one of the stained glass windows. CRASH! Shards of glass flew into the air and onto the ground. They looked up to see Ishtar and Duzell floating above them, covered with a dark aura.
"Heh! Not much of an army here, even after these two morons gave you the heads-up," said Ishtar.
She shot an amused look at Jill and Krai, who were cowering behind Darres and Yujinn.
"W-wait...you knew we were there?" Jill asked.
"Of course we did. Unlike certain people, we aren't stupid," she said.
There were footsteps, and they turned to see what looked like the whole castle coming to see what the noise was, being led by Sir Keld.
"What is all this commotion about?" he said, looking around.
But then, he caught sight of Ishtar and Duzell, and his eyes widened with fear and recognition.
"Your Highness! What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.
"Oh perfect! This will be so much easier. Now we can get rid of all of you at once," said Ishtar coolly.
"Your Highness, why are you with him? Do you not realize who he is?" he asked weakly.
"Silence! I know who he is," she said, casting an affectionate look at Duzell.
"Your Highness, why are you with him, if you know who he is?" asked Darres.
"Shut up! How dare you ask me that, Darres!" she screamed at him. "You don't know what it's like, do you? All the hell I have to put up with everyday, having my life planned out for me? You have no idea what I had to go through! And all for what, huh? For this stupid bloodline shit! That's all you guys cared about; bloodline this and bloodline that and how to keep it running! But me, all of you acted like I was some stupid mindless bitch!"
She stopped for a second to breathe, and then she began again, speaking more calmly this time.
"The only one who cared about me was Duzell. He listened to me, and that was all I wanted. And before I knew it, I fell in love with him, just like that. But at that time, I still had feelings for you(she glared at Darres), so I ignored my feelings for Duzell. But, that changed when I heard you say you didn't love me. So what was I supposed to do? I ran to Duzell, and he comforted me. He told me he loved me and he showed me. He gave me a way out, and I accepted."
"Why didn't you come to me?" asked Darres. "I mean, before all that stuff I said?"
"Would you have listened?" asked Ishtar, her eyes burning into his.
"I would have," said Yujinn.
"Don't make me laugh, Yujinn! You might not have thought I was a brat, but you thought I was a kid," she said.
"What was this way out that King Duzell offered you?" asked Sir Keld.
This time, it was Duzell who spoke up.
"I made her my own, and I made her a vampire, just like I am. And I asked her to rule with me," he said.
"Your Highness, have you forgotten your place?" asked Sir Keld.
Ishtar laughed the chilling laugh that she had given to Darres.
"That doesn't matter anymore, Old Man. My place is with Duzell, and it will stay that way forever," she said.
"Are...are you going to kill us?" asked Darres, afraid of the answer.
Ishtar smiled coldly.
"Believe me, I want to. But if I do, Duzell and I won't have anyone to fight against, isn't that right, Duzie?" she said.
"Yes that's right," said Duzell.
Ishtar joined arms with him and they both floated out through the broken window.
"ISHTAR!!" Darres screamed, trying to hurry after them. Jill and Krai held him back.
"No, stop. Let her go. She spoke the truth today. The least we can do is let her go," said Sir Keld.
Darres stared out the window. Yes, he'll let her go, but it won't be the last time he saw her. I'll make sure of it, he thought. And as he looked, Ishtar and Duzell disappeared into the distance.
The Path I Choose
As soon as they were out of the fields, Jill and Krai ran full-speed toward the castle.
"Captain! CAPTAIN!" they shouted, hurtling through the door.
Darres, who had been pacing around near Ishtar's room, looked up to see them. They were leaning heavily against the pillars, catching their breath.
"What is it? I thought I told you to bring her back," he said.
Immediately, they started babbling at once.
"We were right all along-. "
"She really is plotting something-."
"Her cat really isn't a cat-!"
"It's really the Vampire King Duzell and-!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down!" said Darres, waving his hands. "What on earth are you two going on about?"
"Her Highness is planning world domination with her pet cat, who, by the way, is the Vampire King Duzell!" Jill shouted.
Darres looked at them as though their sanity was wearing off.
"Okay, do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?" he said.
"But it's true! We heard it with our own ears!" Krai protested.
"Look you two, I know Her Highness is an evil little brat but she's not that evil. I know her pretty well and she wouldn't dream of hurting a fly. And as for the thing about her cat..."
Jill and Krai could only mouth wordlessly while Darres went on about how they could've been hearing things. Wasn't anyone going to believe them?!
"Darres, you still don't get it, do you?"
Yujinn had shown up again, but this time with a grim look on his usually- amused face.
"What is it now?" snapped Darres.
"I think Jill and Krai are right," said Yujinn.
"WHAT?! You believe them?!" he said incredulously.
"Yes, I do. I've suspected it for quite some time now, actually. But after hearing them, my worst fears are confirmed," said Yujinn.
Everybody looked at him in disbelief.
"You knew? How? When?" asked Darres.
"Do you remember when that undead assassin impersonated her? Well, after that happened, I began to suspect. I noticed things that none of you were interested in," said Yujinn.
"Like what? Nothing more happened, right?" said Darres.
"Oh, but something did happen. Didn't you find it odd that Her Highness was always taking her cat wherever she went? I had a strange feeling about that animal, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. And of course, you remember that little incident not so long ago. The way you hurt her?"
"I don't need you to remind me of that!" said Darres through gritted teeth.
"Well, don't you remember the Princess's strange behavior afterward? As I recall, you seemed very concerned about it."
Darres opened his mouth angrily, but stopped. Fear and realization rose up inside him.
"So...so everything Jill and Krai said...it's true? Even about her cat?" he said.
"I'm afraid so, Darres. And I'm afraid it's too late to rescue her," said Yujinn.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Darres shouted suddenly.
For something had hurled through one of the stained glass windows. CRASH! Shards of glass flew into the air and onto the ground. They looked up to see Ishtar and Duzell floating above them, covered with a dark aura.
"Heh! Not much of an army here, even after these two morons gave you the heads-up," said Ishtar.
She shot an amused look at Jill and Krai, who were cowering behind Darres and Yujinn.
"W-wait...you knew we were there?" Jill asked.
"Of course we did. Unlike certain people, we aren't stupid," she said.
There were footsteps, and they turned to see what looked like the whole castle coming to see what the noise was, being led by Sir Keld.
"What is all this commotion about?" he said, looking around.
But then, he caught sight of Ishtar and Duzell, and his eyes widened with fear and recognition.
"Your Highness! What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.
"Oh perfect! This will be so much easier. Now we can get rid of all of you at once," said Ishtar coolly.
"Your Highness, why are you with him? Do you not realize who he is?" he asked weakly.
"Silence! I know who he is," she said, casting an affectionate look at Duzell.
"Your Highness, why are you with him, if you know who he is?" asked Darres.
"Shut up! How dare you ask me that, Darres!" she screamed at him. "You don't know what it's like, do you? All the hell I have to put up with everyday, having my life planned out for me? You have no idea what I had to go through! And all for what, huh? For this stupid bloodline shit! That's all you guys cared about; bloodline this and bloodline that and how to keep it running! But me, all of you acted like I was some stupid mindless bitch!"
She stopped for a second to breathe, and then she began again, speaking more calmly this time.
"The only one who cared about me was Duzell. He listened to me, and that was all I wanted. And before I knew it, I fell in love with him, just like that. But at that time, I still had feelings for you(she glared at Darres), so I ignored my feelings for Duzell. But, that changed when I heard you say you didn't love me. So what was I supposed to do? I ran to Duzell, and he comforted me. He told me he loved me and he showed me. He gave me a way out, and I accepted."
"Why didn't you come to me?" asked Darres. "I mean, before all that stuff I said?"
"Would you have listened?" asked Ishtar, her eyes burning into his.
"I would have," said Yujinn.
"Don't make me laugh, Yujinn! You might not have thought I was a brat, but you thought I was a kid," she said.
"What was this way out that King Duzell offered you?" asked Sir Keld.
This time, it was Duzell who spoke up.
"I made her my own, and I made her a vampire, just like I am. And I asked her to rule with me," he said.
"Your Highness, have you forgotten your place?" asked Sir Keld.
Ishtar laughed the chilling laugh that she had given to Darres.
"That doesn't matter anymore, Old Man. My place is with Duzell, and it will stay that way forever," she said.
"Are...are you going to kill us?" asked Darres, afraid of the answer.
Ishtar smiled coldly.
"Believe me, I want to. But if I do, Duzell and I won't have anyone to fight against, isn't that right, Duzie?" she said.
"Yes that's right," said Duzell.
Ishtar joined arms with him and they both floated out through the broken window.
"ISHTAR!!" Darres screamed, trying to hurry after them. Jill and Krai held him back.
"No, stop. Let her go. She spoke the truth today. The least we can do is let her go," said Sir Keld.
Darres stared out the window. Yes, he'll let her go, but it won't be the last time he saw her. I'll make sure of it, he thought. And as he looked, Ishtar and Duzell disappeared into the distance.