The door at the far end of the room opened and Eugeus stood up as a lady brought in two plates of food with two guards accompanying her.
"Hands on the wall," one of the guard said.
Eugeus and Vinson placed their hands on the wall.
Eugeus spotted a knife by the side of one of the guards. He pretended to whisper something to Vinson.
"Hey you what are you saying?" One of the guards asked.
"Nothing, just that your belly is so big and I'm wondering how you carry it around," Eugeus said, snickering.
"Watch your tongue," the guard said moving closer to Eugeus.
"I'm being realistic, it's really big!" Eugeus said laughing, making the guard to rush at him in anger, pushing him to the wall.
"Dan, stop, Deva (master) said no one should touch him," another guard said and the other guard left Eugeus alone, walking away.
"What did you do that for?" Vinson whispered to Eugeus and Eugeus showed him a knife he had secretly taken from the guard.
As the guards turned to leave, Eugeus took his hands off the wall, hiding the knife behind him as he walked forward.
"What are you doing, I said hands on the wall!" a guard said but Eugeus ignored him and kept moving forward.
The guard then moved towards him to push him backwards and Eugeus used his opportunity, slashing the knife in his hands across the guard's throat and before the other guard could do anything, he tossed the knife forward, sending it lodging itself in the other guard's forehead.
Eugeus picked up the swords on the both guards and tossed one to Vinson, who caught it by the hilt.
"Let's go," Eugeus said and they both ran out the door into an empty corridor.
They both stopped at the point where the corridor forked into two paths.
They began to hear voices coming from the left path and quickly, they hid behind the wall, as the approaching guards got close enough, Eugeus used the hilt of his sword to hit one on the head, sending him unconscious. Vinson swiftly slashed through the other guard's thigh, blood spurting out and before he could cry out in pain, Eugeus sent the sword in his hands through the guard's chest and withdrew it as the guard fell to the ground, dead.
"Come on," Eugeus said as they both went the way the guards had come.
"Dan, Jim is that you?" They heard a voice say from behind and they both turned around. Eugeus swiftly tossed a knife at him, but fortunately for him, he bent out of the way just in time making the knife whiz past his ears.
He ran for the cymbal close to him. As he hit it a little, a knife whizzed right at him, hitting him in the chest with the cymbal ringing out just a little.
"Let's hope no one heard that," Eugeus said.
"They sure did," Vinson said as guards began to approach from their front.
"What do we do?" Vinson asked.
"This time, we fight," Eugeus said as he withdrew two swords from his sides and ran into the group of guards, slashing right and left.
As a guard brought down his sword for Vinson, Vinson raised up his sword, countering the guard's sword and then with his other hand, he unsheathe another sword from his waist and stabbed the guard in the lower abdomen.
He picked the guard's sword as it fell and slashed the swords in his both hands through the thighs of two guards and then swiftly sent it through their chest.
✓
"Hungh, hungh," Eugeus panted, looking around with dead bodies and blood all over the floor.
"Good job, now let's go " Eugeus said, nodding sideways towards where all the guards had come from.
Vinson then stood upright and followed Eugeus down a dark hallway.
Standing by a cell was Armani, holding a torch into the cell.
"Take one more step and the death of these humans, 16 in number will be on you!" Armani said.
"Armani, you don't have to do this," Eugeus said.
"Maybe I have to, maybe I am the one to purge the world of the wickedness of humanity Armani said.
As Armani and Eugeus talked, Toshiba, who was inside the cell with the rest of the humans secretly crept forward, picking up a small scrap of metal on the floor and swiftly tore through Armani's side making Armani shreak in pain.
Eugeus, seeing his opportunity, leaped forward and dived his sword in Armani's chest, causing Armani to fall to the ground.
"Maybe they deserve a second chance," Eugeus said and withdrew his sword from Armani's chest and faced Vinson.
"Death to humans," Armani muttered slowly and pushed the torch which had fallen down into the cell before breathing his last breath.
Toshiba, who was already outside the cell m ran in to take out the torch but it was too late as the fire crept into the cell through the wooden decks.
"No, no, nooooo," Eugeus shouted.
*. *. *.
Episode Forty two.
"The world is ours," Vanessa said coldly.
"Now, I like that attitude," Hecrydos said.
Vanessa m walked over to Mr Harper's dead body on the floor.
"Hmn, he never made full use of his powers anyway." Vanessa shrugged and bent down.
She placed her palm on his forehead and then on hers and on his.
"Your powers are mine, your aura is mine," Vanessa said as a purple ray of light flowed out of Mr Harper's forehead into Vanessa's forehead.
"Now back to our discussion," Vanessa said and stood up. She walked towards Hecrydos and suddenly she turned around using her hand to catch something in the air.
"What's that?" Hecrydos asked.
"We have some visitors," Vanessa said, holding on to Amber's mind.
"Author, quick, pull out," Matthew shouted as Amber convulsed rapidly.
Author quickly seperated his clasped hands making their eyes go back to the way it used to be.
"Amber are you okay?" Hudson asked in worry and ran over to Amber.
"Yes." Amber panted, trying to catch her breath.
"We'll have to find the holy grail before they do," Patricia said.
*. *. *
How did Vanessa see through my protective covering?" Author asked.
"She's an immaculate, it's the only reason Hecrydos wants her, she's the only one who can find the holy grail," Rafi said.
"If that's true, how are we ever going to find the holy grail before they do?" Author asked.
"We are going to pull her past out of the mind continuum, and you Author will do it," Rafi said.
"How?" Author asked.
"I'll put you astral sleep and send your consciousness into your mindspace. You'll pick up your most passionate moment with her, then you'll be tested, if you pass the test, a reality gate will open and you will bring her through it," Rafi said and Author remained silent, staring into the air before giving a shrug.
"Let's do it." He said.
***
"Focus, what do you see, the holy grail is meant to reveal itself to you," Hecrydos said and Vanessa closing her eyes.
"Hungh, I can't see anything. nothing! All I see is her, Vanessa," Vanessa said and sighed.
"What's happening Eudora, this is why I kept you alive, in case anything went wrong," Hecrydos said, frustrated.
"Let me see," Eudora said placing her palms on Vanessa's head, closing her eyes.
Eudora then opened her eyes and faced Hecrydos.
"What?" Hecrydos asked.
"Her purity is the reason the holy grail can reveal itself to her, when you gained control of her, you contaminated her soul and now the holy grail is hiding itself from her like everyone else," Eudora said.
"Is there a way to fix that?" Vanessa asked.
"No"
*. *. *.
"In peace may you reach the peak of your mind," Rafi said with his hands hovering over Author's forehead making Author slowly close his eyes and fall asleep.
✓
Author's mindspace.
Author slowly walked through the castle looking around, surprised.
"Your mindspace appears to be the castle, cause that is where your deepest memories lie," a voice said and Author turned back to see Matthew.
"Matthew, why and how are you here?" Author asked.
"Everything you see here is only a projection of your mind, if I'm here then I'm the one you want to see," Matthew said, hands behind his back.
"Do you think I was right helping Vanessa open the portal to the void?" Author asked.
"That's a question I can't answer?" Matthew said.
"Why?" Author asked.
" Whatever answer I give would just be what you really think. As I said, I'm only a projection of your mind." Matthew said.
"I guess that's where you're looking for," Matthew said pointing to the royal library on which the inscription 'memories' was written on.
Author opened the door and walked in, looking at each shelf as he walked past them.
He stopped by a shelf and began to scan through the books with Matthew disappearing. He stopped on a book and picked it, making a memory flash through his head.
13 yrs ago.
"See the new teddy uncle Kane bought me," young Vanessa said as she and Author sat by the shore of a river by the castle.
"Let me see it," young Author said and collected the teddy bear from Vanessa.
"It's beautiful," he said handing it back to Vanessa.
"Let's go," Vanessa said and stood up, but tripped on her gown making her teddy fall into the river.
"My teddy!" Vanessa said as a drop of tear went down her left eye. Author looked at her in pity and sadness.
Author went into the river and after a few seconds came back up with her teddy.
"My teddy!" Vanessa said in excitement, hugging Author.
"Look at what I also found in the river!" Author said holding out a wet flower and then placed the stem on Vanessa's ear as they both stared at each other.
✓
Author dropped the book on the shelf and immediately Vanessa appeared before him.
"Vanessa!" He muttered softly.
"Vanessa, let's go!" Author said.
"Author," a voice said from behind and Author turned around to see Vera.
"Mum!" Author exclaimed.
"Yes, it's me son," Vera said, smiling.
"Immediately you hold one of us, a reality gate will open and we can come back, who do you want it to be?" Vera asked.
"Mum, what do you mean?" Author asked.
"I'm saying you should take me son. Don't you miss me?" Vera asked.
"But mom, the world is at stake and Vanessa is the only key," Author said.
"We can finally be together Author" Vera said as a drop of tear fell down her left eye.
"Mom, don't," Author said, "you have to understand," Author continued.
"It's either me or the world, you have to choose," Vera said and Author went silent for some seconds.
"Vanessa once made this mistake and I'm not going to repeat it," Author said and held on to Vanessa making Vera dissapear.
A green portal then opened.
"The test, that was the test," Author said softly and chuckled before walking towards the portal, holding Vanessa.
Reality.
"Wake up Author," a voice said and Author slowly opened his eyes to see Vanessa.
"Vanessa." Author said softly.
"Yes, you did it!" Vanessa said, smiling.
--------------------------