Arriving to the pond on Chalice Cloud and Artanis, dismount quickly and Cloud runs to the pond, he opens the vial to grab some of the water when a shout comes from Artanis.

“Cloud Wait!”

“What” he responds to him with a harsh tone, and Cloud waits for Artanis to get to the side with him, Artanis cans the surface and moves Cloud backwards a bit.

“Artanis what are you doing, we need the water”

“Look at it Cloud the green tinged to it, it’s been tainted” said Artanis and tossing a steel bar taken from his belt into the water they both watch as it’s dissolves rapidly to nothing.

“Now what do we do?” asked Cloud

“Knowing Logan he has the vial of it that we need already, he wouldn’t go back on a bluff like this without having some part of it being true, we need to get to him”

“And where would he be” Cloud asked again and thinking as sifting through the memories implanted to his skull by the vampire Artanis figures it out.

“Where this all started for him for both of them…the abandon mines where he was created into a vampire, I know how to get there lets go” he pressed to Cloud and mounting Chalice again they flew off.

Coming around to her senses Alisianna wakes up, her hands where bond by thick rope and to her right she sees the cradled basinet of her children hanging above a pit of darkness.

“Ah! You have awaken, good” says Logan voice to her

“Where am I?” Alisianna asks

“In a mine, a very special mine” Logan says and watching Alisianna get to her feet Logan draws his blade and aims it at her,

“Ah ah!” he says “Don’t even think about it”

“My children let them go”

“If you insist” says Logan winding up a swing to cut the rope holding the basket above the hole

“NO!” she screamed “not like that please”

“Make up your mind then”

“Why have you taken me, what do you want from Cloud”

“Cloud, Don’t be silly my dear I don’t want anything from him, just Straud. And for that I needed some insurance…you; make no mistake my dear sweet nymph this is not about rank or reward but revenge, the final chapter to his book is written and I intend to be on the closing act of it…of him” Logan concludes and looking her up and down he then smiles “but he might be a while so why not a little fun before he dies” and cutting her dress down the middle of her chest he stares at the cleavage that was exposed, he places he sword to the ground and goes up to her, he starts to kiss her cheek and whispers to her ear that he is quite good at being a man and assures her of gentleness. She says nothing but spits to his face and wiping it off he goes to caress her breasts when a horse is heard outside the mine entrance trotting to a slowed paced stance.

“Guess our one on one time will have to wait until after the family feud, can’t wait” Logan says grabbing her butt and lifting her up and hangs her bonded hands over a wooden leaver, he then tugs on a rope that moves Alisianna body across another darkened hole via a pulley system crafted by what looks to be dwarves.

“Oh and my dear don’t try to get free” Logan says taking a stone and dropping it down the hole to the sound of nothing “It’s a very long drop, and I know you can’t fly” he chuckles and gagging her mouth he grips his sword and goes out to greet his challenger. Watching him go she looks to her children and grows a worried and scared look to her face.

As Straud dismounted off his horse he grew a very familiar feeling to the area as well as a memorial flash back to the day he was there. It flashed to him the battle between his band and Logan against the vampires and then the fatal collapse of the mine trapping his friend inside. He closed his eyes for the reenactment seemed so real to him that he took a deep breath and walked toward to open mine entrance that had looked to be recently excavated and cleared, he entered the mine to see torches lit and burning bright and in the depths of the darkness he saw him waiting with his sword reflecting off the torch light.

“This is where it ends for you Captain” Logan cried out

“I am done apologizing for what happened to you Logan, this is not my fault” said Straud walking toward him and into the dark, “Where’s Alisianna”

“She’s in the back see for yourself” and without a second thought Straud races past him to the sound of the woman gagged. Straud goes to Alisianna and sees her ripped and torn dress state, he finds the lever to release Alisianna from her suspended prison and that of her children, Logan lets them pass him again and head for the exit to the mine, as Straud goes to leave he is stopped by a brutal and violent field of force keeping him in the mine.

“What the hell?” says Straud unknown to what is happening,

“You look confused Straud allow me to explain, it’s a devise that keeps you here until the event happens that will release you from its hold”

“And what event is that Logan?”

“When one of us dies Straud, and what better way to decide our fate than a murtook battle theme” says Logan turning his blade around and stabbing it into the ground.

“Very well, Logan I’ll play your game and it will be your last” says Straud going to the spot beside his blade and placing his own in the dirt beside it.

“Straud no, it’s what he wants” yelled Alisianna holding her babies again and worrying outside the field, as she watches she begins to cough more and more and placing the babies back in the basket she coughed a more violent hack covering her mouth, but lifting her face she looked to her hands as blood coated the inside of them.

“What is happening to me” she asked very frightened

“It’s quite simple my dear you’re dying” smiled Logan

“Give her the antidote Logan she has no further part to play in this” snapped Straud

“The antidote is not with me but when he gets here and hopefully in time I will tell him where to find it and save the day for his wife”

“Cloud?”

“Yes Cloud will be told and then we shall see how fast he is, but for now let’s see how fast you are” and ending his monologue Logan begins mortal combat with Straud to start the fight.

Alisianna watches as the two veteran’s battle it out in a complete dead lock, spouting off to one another that each will not come out victorious and will never live to see another day, the evening rolls to early dusk and Alisianna grows weaker and weaker and eventually passes out. A short time later arrived Cloud and Artanis to the scene and going to aid Straud Artanis is stopped by the field, while Cloud checks on his beloved.

“Ah you have arrived” Logan says breaking from combat for a moment “Took you long enough she’s near death I would think but you can end that for her by reaching the cure, Logan explain that the cure is hidden against a tree truck down the path of this place and that it needs to be consumed before the high rising of the moon or she will be beyond aid. Cloud takes off on Chalice to the area told to him while Artanis watches over her and looks helpless as he can do nothing to aid Straud. The fighters switch to blades and swinging with perfection and precision clanged together every single hit. The battle whines long and tedious as the two are of equal match, but fate folds to the side of Logan as he disarms Straud’s blade from his hand, moving fast Logan kicks the blade out of the entrance and trying to toss it back Artanis is met with the same force field stopping the blade going back to him.

“The field works only one way my friend, things can leave the area but nothing can come back in” smiled Logan lining up his next shot, he lunges toward Straud who dodges the attack and one swing after another Straud moves and strafes away, a slip up on Logan’s part allows Straud to kick the blade from Logan’s hand and down one of the many holes of endless depth. They spare again hand to hand but growing close to the force field Logan pins Straud to the field and like pounding his face against a brick stone wall Logan repeatedly slams him against it. Cutting Straud open and having blood leak from his face Logan uses the time to pummel and dominate the battle front. As Straud manages to feed back some attacks to Logan, Straud begins to tire.

“This battle is over Straud you can’t possibly hope to win out now” says Logan smiling to him and at the sight of Cloud’s return and an idea sparks to his minds, Straud notices the beams reaping dust upon them during the battle and figures that some of the mine is within the battle area. Cloud goes to his wife’s side and gets her to drink the liquid almost reviving her immediately.

“Cloud” says Straud

“Yes uncle”

“I want you to know that I love what you have become, and know that I couldn’t have been a more proud uncle…or father to see you develop as you have; but the time has come for you to take my place as watcher of our clan”

“Uncle what are you…”

“I will always love you and always will I watch over you all…protect them Cloud” Says Straud having a single tear run down his face, he gets to his feet and body checking Logan to his back charges a support beam holding the main portion of the roof up. Straud slams into it snapping the great wooden beam in half and hitting the ground he feels the ground above starting to give way.

“UNCLE NOOOO!” yells Cloud running to his location but stopping him was Artanis who tackles him to the ground

“Cloud no wait…you have to wait its coming down”

Logan sprints to his feet as the ground trembles at his boots, but his foot is caught by Straud’s hand and tripping of the stretch Logan falls beside him.

“We go together friend” says Straud

“NOOOO! Let me go! Ahhhhhhhhhh!” were the final words of Logan as he witnesses a wooden beam puncture his chest stopping his movements and closing his eyes Straud embraces the falling collapse of the mine on top of them both.

“STRAUUD!!!!!” yells Cloud shoving Artanis off of him and running to the rubble pile, Cloud claws like a fast paced dog to unbury his uncle and Artanis is right behind him trying to pull him down and off.

“Cloud; Cloud it’s still unstable, Cloud please come here” and turning to Artanis Cloud slugs him in the mouth and spins around to continue shoveling the dirt. Artanis get quickly to his feet and peels Cloud off the pile.

“Cloud he’s gone…he’s gone Cloud’ and finally giving in to the resisted pulling Artanis cradle Cloud in his arms, Cloud goes limp and cries in his arms loud and hard almost not breathing. “NOOOO!” he cries out and Artanis holds him tight.

“I know brother…I know” Artanis looks to Alisianna who nods to him as tears rolling down her face holding the children close. The ground again starts to tremble and seeing the cracking to the ground they knelt on Artanis drug Cloud away.

The mine then collapse to a huge dark canyon below that must have been located over it, and as the debris fell to darkness the three watched as the body and enemy of their great friend was lost to all time.