Chapter 15

Ryan's Bargain

Richard felt the sword weighing down upon him. Then he felt his clothes weighing down upon him. The potion had worn off and now he was back to being the scrawny nerd that he had been his whole life.

"Well, I've learned something new.", Richard mumbled, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself. "The strength stuff wears off."

"But my wound is fully healed.", Richard thought to himself. This was just like the games he used to play back in Kansas.

"So we've got everyone's fortune now.", Rebecca said with a gleam in her eyes. "Let's go kick some vampire ass."

"The trick now is finding him.", Kevin added.

"It wasn't enough.", Ireena said with a far off look in her eyes, shattering the festive mood. She shook her head. "Maybe it was a dream but I saw Sergei die. That monster, Strahd, killed him. He carried that sword. And the shield. And bore the icon around his neck.", Ireena added, glancing at each item in turn. "But it wasn't enough."

"But we have the wand too.", Rebecca pointed out.

"This time will be different.", Kevin added, trying to lighten Ireena's mood.

"This time, more people will die.", Richard thought to himself, remembering his games once again and how it always seemed to happen that a lot of people died in them.

"She's right. We need a plan.", Ryan said grudgingly. "Strahd knows the castle and all its secrets. And he has that suit of armor and maybe some other allies. We need something that gives us an advantage."

"Like what?", Rebecca asked the obvious question.

Ryan rubbed his hands through his hair. "I don't know.", he said, trying to think of everything that they'd learned about the vampyr.

"Maybe Chavese knows something we don't?", Anthony suggested.

"Yeah, maybe Richard's girlfriend can give some inside info.", Rebecca suggested. "Jeez, I never thought I'd say Richard and girlfriend in the same sentence."

Richard decided not to answer Rebecca. Instead he silently headed down the stairs to Chavese.

With Richard gone, Rebecca lowered her voice. "Does anyone else find it, well, weird that Richard has a girlfriend?"

"You're just jealous.", Ryan answered.

"God moves in mysterious ways.", Kevin pointed out, the words sounding hollow once again.

"So we trusted her and everything is okay so far, but...", Rebecca said.

"Well, we shouldn't leave him alone with her.", Travis said. Then he looked around and noticed that they'd done exactly that.

"Oh crap.", Rebecca said, and hurried down the stairs with the others following behind.

Rebecca was expecting something bad to have happened, but instead the two were only talking. Chavese was facing away from Richard about halfway around the stairs from the top of the tower.

"Please don't use that on me.", Chavese pleaded. "Or any of my friends."

"I'll try to protect you.", Richard said, trying to sound brave. But he was uncomfortable with being his old weak self again and he wasn't sure that he could do as he promised. "I'm sorry about the witches."

"That's okay.", Chavese said apologetically. "We don't really get along with them."

"Can you keep your friends from attacking us?", Richard asked, a little nervously.

"I can try.", Chavese said. "But Giselle never listens to me."

The others had descended the stairs and lined up behind Richard.

"She needs to listen this time.", Richard said earnestly. "I don't want to hurt or kill anyone without a reason."

"Promise me that you won't use that sword on her.", Chavese pleaded. "Or on Yoanna."

Chavese looked hopefully up into Richard's eyes. Richard refused to let his heart melt.

"I can't make a promise like that unless they're willing to leave us in peace.", Richard replied, growing frustrated. He didn't want to concede anything. He remembered how treacherous the women had been in the games that he used to play. He also remembered how treacherous women in real life were, at least to him.

"Giselle?", Ryan asked curiously. "She's the oldest of the witches?"

"No. She's a...", Chavese couldn't say the word. "She's one of Strahd's wives. Like me. Yoanna is the oldest. She was his first."

"How many of them are there?", Rebecca wondered out loud, shaking her head.

"Just us three.", Chavese answered. "We're the only ones left."

"Great.", Rebecca moaned. "We're up against four vampires."

"If they leave us alone, we'll leave them alone.", Richard promised Chavese. "If they want to join us, we can argue about it."

"They won't join you. They can't.", Chavese explained. "If Strahd finds out..."

"What if Strahd doesn't survive finding out....?", Anthony interjected.

"We can't fight Strahd.", Chavese explained. "He's the one who turned us."

"Great.", Rebecca moaned again. "So much for allies."

Kevin considered what Chavese said for a time. "Can he control you?", he asked. "Compel you to do things you wouldn't otherwise?"

Richard gave Chavese a hard look and awaited her answer, but Chavese pretended not to hear.

"We can help you.", Chavese said. "Some of us want to be free."

"Answer his question.", Richard demanded.

Chavese lowered her head and nodded lightly. "If he gives us an order, we have to obey.", she said softly.

Kevin closed his eyes and sighed.

"This isn't good.", Ryan said

"Okay, does anyone want to change their vote?", Rebecca asked rudely.

"You don't have to obey Strahd yet.", Anthony pointed out. "Did he order you to be with us now?"

Chavese shook her head.

"You might want to be somewhere else when we find him, then.", Richard told the young maiden. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I intend to pass this sword through his personal space."

"What kind of help can you give us?", Ireena spoke up over everyone else.

"I know my way around the castle.", Chavese said hopefully. "And Yoanna knows Strahd as good as anyone. But Giselle won't help you against Strahd. She feels like she can still win his heart. She can't. But, we're all trapped here so I can't blame her for trying."

"I just don't want you to kill her.", Chavese sobbed as a tear came to her eye.

"So, if Strahd can control you, what happens to you if we manage to ki.., erm, destroy him?", Anthony asked.

"Then we'd be free.", Chavese said with a sad smile. But the idea of several autonomous vampires walking around didn't make Anthony feel better.

"Please, Rick.", Chavese pleaded once again. She knelt before the young man and held his hand in both of hers. "Promise me that you won't kill Yoanna or Giselle."

"I told you.", Richard said for what seemed like the tenth time. "I can't make that promise if we can't trust them not to attack us."

Chavese looked down and nodded sadly, letting go of Richard's hand.

"How are they likely to react to Strahd's death?", Anthony asked.

"And if we confront Strahd, will the three of you be fighting against us?", Ryan added.

"We're not as strong as Strahd. The light from the sword will kill us.", Chavese said quietly. She turned her head away. Richard felt bad, but he still didn't trust her.

"We won't fight you.", Chavese added. For a long time no one said anything.

"You said that Yoanna would help too.", Ryan asked, breaking the silence. "Does Yoanna know how we can kill Strahd?"

"She knows a lot about him.", Chavese said. "She might know that."

Disturbed by the new revelations, Kevin hesitantly suggested, "Considering that our only other option is wandering around aimlessly, maybe we should see what this Yoanna knows?"

"Yes. I want to talk with Yoanna.", Ryan said, turning to the others and looking for approval. "We're in bad need of a plan. Maybe she can give us one."

"Sure.", Rebecca agreed. "We just need to keep those two apart." Rebecca pointed at Richard and Chavese.

Richard ignored her.

"They need a chaperone?", Travis said with a snicker.

Richard ignored him too.

"Let's just say that we don't want any hickeys to happen.", Rebecca replied.

"Lay off, guys.", Kevin said frowning. He turned to Chavese. "Yoanna?", he asked.

"I'll take you to her.", Chavese said quietly. Then she rose and walked down the stairs.

Slowly the group walked down the spiral staircase. Kevin occasionally glanced down into the dark depths of the tower and hoped that the tower truly was dead. A fall from such a height would be fatal. Around and around went the stairs as Chavese sullenly led the others downwards. At the second floor of the castle she walked through an archway exit and down a hallway. She stopped after just a few steps and turned to face the wall to her left. As she had done twice before she quickly found the catch stone and a secret door opened in the wall. Then Chavese led her friends through the secret passage into a hallway and knocked on a door about half way down.

A woman's voice beckoned from the room beyond and Chavese opened the door and stepped inside. The others filed in behind her. A woman who looked to be in her early thirties was resting comfortably on one of the beds reading a book. She looked up from her reading and met the gazes of each of her guests. Her eyes were cold, but welcoming, and like Chavese, her skin was pale and her lips blood red. She marked her book, closed it, and set it down. Then she rose and slowly approached her guests, smiling. Richard kept a hand on the hilt of Sergei's sword.

"Chavese, where are your manners?", the woman said to the young maiden. "Introduce me to our guests."

Chavese squirmed a little and then introduced her friends one by one. "This is Yoanna.", she finally said. "Queen of Castle Ravenloft."

"Pleased to meet you.", Yoanna said graciously.

Rebecca and Travis had looks of fear and revulsion on their faces. Ireena looked scared and nervous. But Ryan was fascinated. He'd never seen a woman so beautiful. As her eyes locked with his, his heart beat a little faster. Yoanna noticed his attentions and gave him inviting glances. Yoanna reminded Kevin of Professor Jensen, the medieval history teacher that Ryan had been in love with ever since he first walked into her classroom. They both had the same dark eyes and strong cheekbones, but Professor Jensen was prudish, and never wore makeup. Yoanna was what the professor would look like in one of Ryan's schoolboy fantasies.

Kevin moved a little closer to Ireena, who grasped his hand and gave it a squeeze. Kevin noticed that the icon around his neck was glowing more than normal. It had been glowing lightly all the time that they had been with Chavese, but now the glow was stronger.

Rebecca waited for Ryan to ask the questions, but then noticed that he couldn't seem to say anything. "We're here to talk about Strahd.", she spoke up in Ryan's place.

Yoanna put her finger to her lips and motioned for Chavese to close the door to the room. Once she had done so Yoanna smiled and said, "Of course you are."

"Chavese has told us that you might be able to provide some insight into how we can...complete our task here.", Kevin spoke up, not wanting Rebecca to be handling the situation.

"Your task?", Yoanna asked, giving Kevin a knowing but innocent look.

"We want to know how to kill Strahd.", Rebecca said, cutting to the chase.

"Ah, that.", Yoanna answered without looking at Rebecca. "Many have come here wanting to do the same."

"They have all died painful deaths.", Yoanna added, saying the words slowly with more than a touch of the macabre. "You may have met some of them already."

A chill went up Ireena's spine. She grasped Kevin's hand a little tighter.

"Yes, we've heard this song before.", Kevin replied, trying to sound brave for Ireena's sake. Kevin rubbed his thumb softly across the back of Ireena's hand, trying to lend her some comfort. "What more can you tell us?"

"I can tell you what I told them.", Yoanna continued, frowning just a little at Kevin's discourteousness. "I'm not sure how much good it will do you. You don't look as impressive as the others."

Then Yoanna looked closer at her guests. "Ah, but you have the sword, and the shield as well.", she said, smiling once more. "You must make up for in cleverness what you lack in strength."

"I can tell you two of Strahd's weaknesses, the two that I know of.", Yoanna said smoothly and gracefully. "But I would like something in return."

"Here it comes.", Rebecca whispered, a little too loud.

"And what would that be?", Kevin asked.

"Perhaps if one of you would volunteer to stay behind?", Yoanna suggested, looking into Ryan's eyes. "It is lonely here and I would welcome the company."

Kevin scowled, but Ryan was speechless. Ryan wanted to say yes but he was paralyzed with fear. He watched the dark haired woman slowly walk over next to him. His eyes dropped down to stare at her ample cleavage and Yoanna let him have a long look.

"Master Ryan is it?", Yoanna asked him. He nodded quickly. "Would you like to keep me company?"

Richard cleared his throat and rattled his sword so that Yoanna could hear, but she did not react.

In his most priestly voice, Kevin firmly said, "Ryan..."

Ryan broke eye contact with the vampiress and glared at Kevin and Ireena. "It's like you said, are we just going to wander around the castle aimlessly until he kills us?", Ryan hissed uncharacteristically at his friend. "We need a plan."

Lacking a reasoned counter to that, Kevin just replied, "This isn't wise."

"Neither was coming here.", Ryan answered. "Or getting on with Chavese. Or a lot of the stuff that we've done."

"I promise that I won't hurt him.", Yoanna said with her sly knowing-but-innocent grin.

Richard had long since lost count of all the times he'd heard that line from a woman, only to discover that the opposite was true. He knew that they were going to lose Ryan and get bad information in return. That's what always happened in his games. But he was full of fear and doubt, doubts about his ability to wield the heavy sword at his side, and afraid that he might be wrong about Chavese.

Kevin sighed. "It's your choice, Ryan.", he conceded, hoping that Ryan would say no.

At Kevin's words the realization of what agreeing meant washed over Ryan. The anger drained out of his face as he stared into space.

"Guys, I really don't know about this either.", Rebecca protested. "I mean, maybe the reason all those others died is because they followed her advice.", she added crassly.

Yoanna watched the discussion with amusement. Richard looked at the grinning woman and wanted to wipe the smile off of her face with the sword. All eyes then turned to Ryan, who was looking down at the floor.

"I want to be able to see my friends again.", Ryan said, keeping his head down. "And leave with them if they win.", he added, hoping that the implication of his words wasn't lost.

"Master Ryan.", Yoanna said soothingly. "I wouldn't dream of doing anything to you that you did not want."

Ryan looked around at the others out of the corners of his eyes. He was silent for what seemed like forever. Then, without raising his head, the young man said, "I'll stay."

"Okay…Ryan.", Rebecca said sternly, turning towards him and grabbing his arm. "You're sure about this right? You know that she's a vampire, right?"

Ryan nodded slowly. He lifted his head to look at Yoanna again.

"Men.", Rebecca said under her breath.

"And your end of the bargain?", Kevin said, hoping that Ryan would still change his mind.

Yoanna nodded. "Strahd's greatest weakness is his temper.", the vampiress answered, lowering her voice. "He is slow to anger, but when aroused he does not think clearly at all. He will make mistakes and you can take advantage of him. But be warned, when he is angry he is at his most dangerous. He will not hesitate to kill."

"His other weakness is hallowed ground.", Yoanna said, smiling broadly at Ryan, who seemed almost hypnotized. "He is powerful enough to walk upon it, but he is more vulnerable there."

"The chapel...", Kevin said as he remembered that there was hallowed ground inside the castle.

Yoanna nodded. "You are clever indeed.", she replied.

"If anyone can piss him off, Rebecca can.", Richard sneered. "She's our best hope!"

Rebecca ignored him.

Kevin pulled the blue stone he took from the king's tomb. He held it up to the light. "Might this be useful?", he asked.

Yoanna smiled when she saw the gem. "I have underestimated you too.", she said. "And Strahd has as well. Otherwise you would not have that."

"Strahd is powerful, but even he cannot pass through the blue field.", Yoanna added. "Only one pure of heart may do so."

Kevin placed the gem back into his pocket. The phrase "pure of heart" echoed around in his mind. He glanced at Ireena. He knew that she certainly was, but he had doubts about himself.

"What would happen to someone partway through the curtain, should it be activated?", Anthony asked, hoping to find an easy way to kill the vampire.

"That is something you will need to learn for yourselves.", Yoanna answered without really answering. In truth she didn't know what would happen, but she did not want to let others know that. "Now, are you satisfied that I have fulfilled my part of our bargain."

"Do you know where he is now?", Kevin interjected, hoping to get as much information as he could now that the deal appeared to be sealed.

"No.", Yoanna answered simply. "He may be in his study, or in the catacombs, or upstairs visiting with his latest guest."

"What 'guest'?", Kevin asked, hoping that he could keep Yoanna talking.

"A young girl from the village.", Yoanna said with a hint of jealousy. "He hasn't turned her yet. Perhaps one of you can rescue her and win her love."

"Now, if you will excuse me I'd like to be alone with Master Ryan.", Yoanna said once again, her voice growing tired.

Kevin's eyes searched for Ryan's. "We will see you soon?", he asked.

Ryan had a dazed look on his face. He turned to Kevin, who could see that Ryan was still a little unsure about his decision. Kevin hoped that what he thought was going to happen between them wouldn't happen. Rebecca just shook her head and headed for the door. Travis wasn't far behind. Chavese opened the door and let everyone out, closing the door behind her and leaving the two alone.

"I don't think he's entirely at home in there.", Richard whispered. "She's put a spell on him."

"She didn't need to.", Kevin replied. He remembered how Ryan acted around Professor Jensen. He'd seen the same look in his eyes when she would call on him to answer a question.

"No, seriously.", Richard replied. "I don't trust her."

Kevin turned to Chavese. "Will she keep her word?", he asked.

Chavese nodded. Turning someone was more than just a lustful indulgence, it was a commitment. It was something that Yoanna had taught Chavese and Giselle never to do until they found someone who they wanted to be with for a long time.

"Maybe he'll come to when he's dipped his wick.", Rebecca snarled.

Kevin's first impulse was to chide Rebecca but the words faltered before they reached his lips. He looked down and noticed that the icon was glowing a little less now that he was outside Yoanna's room.

Ireena spoke up, raising her voice. "We can't think about the others now, we have to think about Strahd.", she said, uncharacteristically vocal and insistent. "We need to think up a plan."

Kevin raised an eyebrow at Ireena's change in demeanor.

"Rebecca?", Ireena said, staring hard at the redhead who was still stewing about Ryan and Yoanna.

Rebecca turned and looked back. At first she returned the glare but then her expression softened. "Yeah. You're right.", she conceded.

"Luring him to the chapel seems to be the best choice, given what Yoanna said.", Kevin suggested.

"I agree.", Ireena replied. "I don't think that Yoanna is lying. She calls herself the Queen of the castle, and she doesn't seem to care for the King. So maybe she wants to be rid of him once and for all so that she can rule by herself."

"Now, how do we lure him inside?", Ireena asked, looking at Richard and Anthony for help.

"If he likes virgins, he might come after Anthony.", Richard said, trying hard to keep a straight face.

Ireena gave Richard a stern look.

"What?", Richard protested.

"We know what he wants.", Rebecca said sharply, admonishing Richard.

"Two virgins?", Richard said, still trying to be funny.

Rebecca pointed at Ireena and stared at Richard.

"Ireena's a virgin?", Richard said with a gasp.

Kevin rolled his eyes, but Richard couldn't help it. The moment that he would have to fight against Strahd was approaching and it had turned him into a bundle of nerves. Trying to be funny made him feel better.

Anthony looked quizzically at Richard. "Have you got any of that strength potion left?", he asked, declining to mention that he was definitely not a virgin.

"A little, yeah.", Richard replied. "I'm not much for planning stuff like this, just at running headlong into things."

"Don't use it until we need it.", Anthony answered.

"If we go to the chapel we can wait there until Strahd comes after Ireena.", Rebecca explained to Richard as if he were three years old.

"What if...he doesn't...come for...her?", Richard replied, explaining it to Rebecca as if she was three years old.

"He's an immortal. All he has is time.", Kevin seconded to Rebecca's dismay.

"Or he could send that thing in to kill us.", Travis added. Rebecca frowned at him.

"What was that other thing that Yoanna told us?", Ireena asked.

"That he makes mistakes when enraged.", Kevin answered. "I think I've got a pretty good idea on how to do that.", he added, glancing at Ireena.

"So how do you enrage a vampire? Make fun of his bald spot?", Anthony wondered out loud.

"Tell vampire jokes?", Richard said, adding to Anthony's mirth. "A priest, a vampire and a rabbi walk into a bar..."

"You're not helping.", Ireena said, almost exasperated.

Shame came over Anthony. "Sorry, nervous tension.", he explained apologetically.

"It's keeping me calm.", Richard explained. "I'm scared shitless."

"That's a change.", Rebecca sneered. "You're usually full of it."

"And you just talk it.", Richard shot back.

Ireena stepped forward and nearly grabbed both Richard and Rebecca. "Enough!", she shouted.

"You're lucky she stopped us.", Richard sneered back at Rebecca, sticking his tongue out.

Kevin put a hand on Ireena's shoulder. Softly he said, "Easy. We're all scared." Then he looked to the others. "We've got to keep it together. We've come too far to lose our heads now."

"Okay, okay, okay...", Rebecca said calming down. "What makes him angry? What would piss him off the most?"

"He hates the sword.", Travis spoke up.

"Remember the book?", Kevin asked rhetorically. "Tatyana's rejection of him. Her love of his brother."

"Yeah, the broken lute.", Travis added, remembering what they'd found in Sergei's tomb. "He hates Sergei."

"Too bad Sergei's dead.", Rebecca moaned.

"So we come up with a viable stand in.", Kevin said, getting excited. An idea was forming in his mind.

Rebecca gave Kevin a strange look.

"If he believes that Ireena is Tatyana reborn then maybe he'll believe that his brother can come back too.", Kevin explained.

Rebecca got his drift. Her head slowly turned to look at Richard. Then she turned back to Kevin. "Richard? No way.", she said. "Who would believe that he was Sergei?"

"What?", Richard spat back. But he didn't have a clue what they were talking about.

Ireena looked down at Rebecca, trying to make her calm down again. "It's true that he has Sergei's sword.", Ireena said. "But he doesn't look like Sergei."

Richard was starting to understand and he didn’t like where the conversation was going.

"Wait, wait.", Rebecca said as an idea dawned on her. "Remember the wedding cake?"

"And the figure of the groom with its head snapped off...", Rebecca added.

"And...", Travis said, not following.

"There weren't any pieces missing from the cake.", Rebecca said, a little excitedly.

Travis gave Rebecca a look like she was nuts. Anthony was totally lost too.

"Because they never had a reception.", Rebecca added.

A sly smile came to Kevin's face as he figured out what Rebecca was getting at. "Reenact the wedding.", he said with a start.

"That would make him furious.", Ireena said gasping. "And he'd storm into the chapel again to stop the wedding from taking place."

"Yes.", Rebecca exclaimed triumphantly.

"I am not wearing a tux.", Richard said sulking.

"And then we use the gem to seal him in and we finish this whole mess.", Kevin concluded.

"Seal him in?", Travis asked.

"If he's losing he'll run.", Kevin explained. He'll try to take the fight to place where he isn't weakened."

"Yeah. Got it.", Travis said, still a little confused.

Anthony frowned slightly. "We're not just going to trap him. We're going to kill him, right?", he asked.

"If we can.", Kevin said. Then he corrected himself, and replied with conviction. "We will."

"Alright, let's make our way to the chapel and get a better idea of the area.", Kevin said, filled with a sense of purpose once again. "We don't want any surprises when we do this."

"I call maid of honor.", Rebecca announced. "I guess we know who the priest will be.", she said, winking at Kevin.

Kevin coughed and shook his head, suppressing a laugh and wondering if he truly wanted to be a priest anymore.