(continued from Forest)

We arrived at the main entrance to the castle and looked at the huge doors. I stepped up to them and put my ear to them.

I could hear noises from inside. They didn't sound good.

"Now what?" I said looking at the others, "do we just barge inside?"

I wodered if werewolves lived here also. I hoped they would. I patted my crossbow hopefully...

"Well there's no point in knocking," I said, "thye have attacked us and taken our friends away from us! Maybe they are holding them inside this castle! If they are then we HAVE to get them out!"

I walked up to the large door and turned the handle. Nothing happened. The door was locked.

"We need top find a way inside," I said, "I suppose we could knock the door down. Pete you've got some of Phoenix's dynamite sticks with you haven't you? We could use those to blow the doors open. However that would make whoever is inside this castle aware of our presence and that is something we might regret."

I looked around.

"Anyone have any other ideas?" I asked.

The loud voice boomed out across Devil Island once again.

"Congratulations," it said, "you have completed the first task that was set against you. The defeat of Andor, Lord of the Werewolves, and the defeat of Lueiq-Riun, Lord of the Ghosts. Our Queen bids you welcome.
You now move onwards through the island where you will face your second challenge. Only if you complete the second challenge will the Queen speak with you and not kill you on sight.
Good luck sea travellers from distant lands. You will need it!"

The voice again. That damn voice again.

"I've been hearing that voice now for weeks," I said, "everytime someone new comes onto this island that voice booms out. I'm starting to believe that its some sort of automated voice... set on some sort of timer to speak whenever someone starts getting closer to the castle."

I shrugged off the sound of the voice that still echoed in my ears. I looked up at the castle. Above us I saw a window.

"I have an idea," I said, "I could climb up to that window, I'm an expert climber it would be no trouble to me, then I'll sneak down and open the main door for you guys to come through. How does that sound?"

I stood forth, holding my raw wound.
"That may well be a good idea there. But if you do fail and get captured I will have to blow the doors through."

I started to consider the idea longer, taking a moments silence.
"I am not leaving this island until I get my Sword back from that god forsaken Werewolf. He must die along with any other creature inside this castle. To go alone inside may prove to be risky."

The others started to talk amongst themselves and I stood back. For a moment I felt my head spinning, the sound from my ears drained into muffled voices, I blinked and the world come back to me as my eyes re-focused.

I had been shot by many arrow or bolt, and had been sliced by many a blade - I was not sure why this particular arrow made me feel fatigued. Losing my Scimitar gave my body the will to press forward and get back what is rightfully mine.

"You're right Pete," I said, "Mister Johns, you go with Bruce Freedom. There may after all be werewolves inside the castle. I'll wait here with Pete."

I was concerned for the health of my friend. I had never seen him like this before... well... only once before...

I looked as Bruce and Mister johns began to scale the wall. Asking Mister Johns to go with Bruce for his protection was not the only reason I wanted him to go with him. As I watched Bruce I realsied that we actually didn't know that much about him. He had said that he had been on this island for some time now. Why? And how did he get here?

These were questions that would have to wait...

Bruce Freedom and I began to climb up toward the window. The castle wall was slippery and covered in grime which made our ascent difficult but we eventualy reached the window.

It was stained glass and had the image of a horned beast slaughtering innocents on it. I pushed against it, Bruce joined me, and we eventually managed to get it to open.

I looked down to the captain and gave him a signal to tell him that we were in. I then gripped my crossbow and entered the castle...

I watched Mister Johns enter the castle, closely followed by Bruce Freedom.

I stepped back. Now all that we could could was wait. I thought about everything that had happened since we arrived on this island. I also thought about everything I had been told on Lunea.

The Axe.

I had to stop the Queen getting hold of the Axe. I knew that now. However I had no idea where this Axe was... or if it even existed.

Pete began to cough and I walked over to him.

"Are you alright old pal?" I asked, "you don't seem well. What troubles you?"

I tooked at the Captain with a warmly look, then frowned as I stared up to where Bruce Freedom had just been. I came in closer to Adrian and whispered
"I do not trust that man, since Phoenix has... turned...I can't trust any one really" I gripped my wound tighly.
The Captain gave me that reasuring look that he always does over the years. "Adrian, its my scimitar...Andor has it, thats the most important item in my life, as you know. I don't feel right without it..."

Then I thought deep down about the people we've lost, Phoenix, Emmsi and we had not seen any of the crew. Then I though of Olivia, my trusty engineer, but she seemed more to me then just an engineer. She had been captured by the tainted Phoenix. I had to get her back, and the others.

I stood back from the captain and raised my voice "I can't stand here dying," I pulled out the stick of dynamite, excitement overcame me "Let's blow this place down!!"

"Not yet Pete! Wait!" I whispered as I grabbed the dynamite out of my friends hands.

Pete looked at me with annoyance. I could see he was not well. He didn't understand why I had stopped him.

I pointed up to the sky. Pete looked up saw a dark cloud in the sky. But not a cloud... it was a swarm of vampires.

I knew that these were the same vampires that had travelled to the Kingston and I wondered why they now returned. I was worried for my ship and my crew onboard.

I pulled Pete down behind a large fallen tree.

"We must keep quiet," i said, "there's no way we could escape from all of them! We must trust in Mister johns... and I suppose also in Bruce Freedom... to get that door open for us!"