Chapter 18

Oh Ricky!

"We can't let him get away!", Richard shouted, but there was nothing that he could do.

The cloud found its way towards the blue field before the stairwell, where it was stopped from entering. Then it moved downwards, finally finding a crack in the floor where it seeped into the ground.

"Dammit!", Richard cursed.

Anthony looked despondently at Richard. "Now what?", he asked dejectedly.

Rebecca let out a loud gasp as her heart started back up. Ireena ran to her fallen friend.

"Rebecca!", Ireena shouted as she knelt next to the young woman.

"Oh fuck.", Rebecca moaned and coughed.

Rebecca looked down at her shirt and saw a huge scorch mark on it. "Shit.", she moaned. Then she pulled back her shirt and saw a hug scorch mark on her chest. "SHIT!", she hissed louder.

Rebecca tried to stand up but fell back down instead.

"Did we...get him?", Rebecca moaned as Ireena tried to keep her from getting up again.

"Yes, but he got away.", Ireena replied. "He's probably gone down to his coffin."

Ireena turned to the others. "We need to go down to the catacombs, again.", she said.

Richard and Anthony looked at each other, hoping that she wasn't serious.

"I'll be okay, just get me my rifle.", Rebecca gasped, but she was definitely not okay.

Ireena decided not to fight Rebecca and instead got her rifle and set it in her lap. Using the rifle as a crutch Rebecca slowly rose to her feet. Ireena offered her a shoulder and Rebecca took it.

"Now let's finish the fucker.", Rebecca said weakly.

"How are you going to go anywhere?", Richard asked her, looking at the scorch mark on her chest.

"I'll manage.", Rebecca said weakly but angrily.

"And how do we kill something like that?", Richard said to no one in particular.

"I guess we hope it has to be corporeal to heal, and stake it.", Anthony guessed. He'd seen a few vampire movies, but this wasn't a movie.

"Shit.", Richard cursed.

"Yes. Legend tells that you must put a stake through his heart.", Ireena explains. "Then you must cut off his head. But you can only kill him if you find him in his coffin."

Richard took the jewel down from where Kevin had placed it and the blue field went down. Then he picked up the icon which was no longer glowing.

"Gotta have all the toys.", Richard mused as he headed towards the stairs down.

Anthony followed with Ireena helping Rebecca behind them. Down into the depths of Castle Ravenloft they went. The stairs descended into darkness, but were now brightly lit by Richard's sword.

"Shit. I was like...dead.", Rebecca said as she slowly took step after step.

"You're too mean to die.", Richard sneered, but Rebecca was too tired to glare back at him.

"What was it like?", Ireena asked curiously. "Being dead."

Rebecca stared into the darkness. "Peaceful.", she finally replied. "But there's no way that I'm going back."

"Well, until I have to.", Rebecca added, realizing that the only people who didn't have to die were people like Strahd.

They reached the cold floor of the catacombs. The tombs once again stretched out before them only this time brightly lit. Anthony could see movement as man sized figures scurried behind some of the tombs, but he couldn't make out what they were. Rebecca slowly loaded and readied her rifle in case the figures decided to attack. Richard looked down at the pile of lifeless twisted metal lying at the bottom of the stairs. The guardian would guard no more. Ireena shivered as she saw that Ismark's corpse no longer lay where the guardian had finished him off.

"Strahd's tomb. The one we haven't been to yet?", Ireena wondered out loud, trying to keep her mind on the mission.

"So, what the fuck is a Wight anyway?", Rebecca asked, finding a little more strength as her adrenaline began to flow once again.

"Just one more awful thing to deal with.", Richard replied.

"Do they burn?", Rebecca asked.

"Basically they're an undead. They shun bright light. You need silver or magic weapon to hit them. They can drain 'life levels'. They're not affected by sleep, charm, hold, or cold-based spells. And their sole purpose is to destroy life.", Richard remembered from the game that he used to play. "At least, that's what D&D's Monster Manual says."

"Monster manual?", Rebecca said slowly. The words made no sense to her. "So we've got bright light. And they burn, right?", Rebecca asked.

Richard nodded.

"Good. They're toast.", Rebecca declared.

Anthony spotted the guardian's sword and shield in the pile. The shield looked like new. The sword was dull in places but it wasn't bent.

"And now you've got something more to fight with.", Richard said as he watched Anthony pick up the sword and shield.

"Let's go.", Rebecca said, walking slowly out into the catacombs. Ireena gave her a shoulder if she needed it and got her bow ready.

"I'm really, really sorry back there.", Ireena confessed. "I could have killed him. I could have saved your friends. But I just couldn't."

Richard and Anthony said nothing. They had wondered the same thing.

"Let's just do this.", Rebecca said to Ireena, who found a little comfort in the fact that Rebecca forgave her.

"Come on Luke.", Rebecca said to Richard, looking at his glowing sword.

"Everyone stay in the circle of light.", Richard advised. "Anthony, what's that sword made of, you think?"

Anthony looked closely at the sword. It looked like it was made of aluminum and was very light, but it was as strong as steel, stronger even.

"No idea.", Anthony replied. "It feels too light for its strength though."

Anthony took a few practice swings to get the feel of the sword. It reminded him of the plastic pirate sword that he had when he was just a kid. He waved it through the air easily. The group walked out into the center of the catacombs. Figures moved like cockroaches in the shadows, staying away from the circle of light and cowering just out of sight. Then the group turned right and walked between the tombs towards the one room that they hadn't visited during their last trip. The creatures were staying away but were close, whatever they were. Then one of the Wights behind them got a little too close for Rebecca comfort.

"Ear of goat and a blueberry muffin.", the redhead chanted. "Show these pimps that they ain't got nothin'."

Rebecca touched the fire symbol on her wand and a jet of flame shot forth. Rebecca swung her rifle back and forth and sprayed the nearby tombs as if she had a flamethrower. Two of the figures caught fire and Rebecca continued to hose them down until they ran off into the darkness, groaning horribly. The other Wights slunk back into the darkness, hiding from the fearsome group.

"Shit! That was just like in the movies.", Rebecca remarked, enjoying her toy a little too much.

Ireena wondered if one of the creatures had been Ismark. Then she tried to drive that thought from her mind, hoping that he had been spared somehow, and that he was resting peacefully.

A locked iron gate barred the entrance to the final room. Richard, Rebecca, and Ireena stood guard about Anthony as he pulled the magic key from his jeans and opened the lock. The gate swung open with a loud creaking sound. Darkness clouded the room and the essence of evil permeated the very air. The smell of freshly turned earth was evident as well. There were three archways in the far wall, each filled with a swirling fog. A low ground fog seeped down from the catacombs, over the stairs, and covered the floor. Settled into the dirt on the floor was a shining black coffin of finely waxed wood. The coffin's fittings were of brilliant brass and the lid was closed. Anthony put the key away and got the stake out. Ireena helped Rebecca down the stairs. Rebecca leaned against the wall and covered the gate with her rifle.

"The Force is with you, young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet.", Richard said in his James Earl Jones voice, holding the sword before him and breathing loudly like Darth Vader.

"So what happened back there?", Rebecca asked Ireena, who stood beside her, shivering.

"Richard stabbed Strahd. Twice.", Ireena said, proud of the young man. "And then he got away. He turned into a cloud just like Chavese did."

Richard felt a stab at the mention of the vampiress' name.

"And Anthony was brave too.", Ireena added. "He distracted Strahd. And he might have been killed."

Rebecca turned around and took a good look at Richard and Anthony. "I never thought that I'd says this but, Richard, you rock.", Rebecca confessed. "You both rock."

Richard got a lump in his throat at the unexpected praise and mumbled something appreciative.

Rebecca turned away, and before the moment got any more awkward she muttered, "That pervo better be in there."

Ireena stared at the coffin. She half expected Strahd to jump out of it and kill everyone. Anthony wondered what hope they really had of killing the vampire as he walked slowly, and cautiously, towards the coffin. He stood next to the head of the coffin, as if to pay his last respects, but held the stake in his hand, ready to plunge it into Strahd's heart. Richard stood at the head end of the coffin next to Anthony. He held his sword at the ready and looked at the others.

"Ready?", Richard asked.

Ireena readied her bow and nodded, wondering if she would be able to use it this time. Rebecca got ready to turn and use the wand if she needed to. Anthony nodded and took a deep breath.

Richard grabbed the lid of the coffin with one hand and flung it open. Inside the coffin Strahd was lying peacefully, his wounds slowly healing. Strahd's eyes opened wide as Anthony stabbed downward. But Strahd caught the young man's hand before the stake dug into his chest. Desperately Anthony tried to pull his hand away from Strahd but the vampyr, though weakened, was still strong enough to stop him. Richard grabbed Strahd by the hair and pulled on it hard, exposing the vampire's neck.

"Let…him…go!", Richard demanded as he put the tip of the sword at Strahd's throat.

Strahd refused to let Anthony go. The vampyr hissed and struggled but said nothing.

"Tsk.", Richard said as he shoved the sword into the vampyr's body.

As the sword dug into Strahd's flesh, he released Anthony's hand, who nearly fell over backward as a result. Strahd's eyes closed and his body lay motionless, but still, his wounds were healing. Rebecca turned around and pointed her rifle into the coffin, her finger was on the golden symbol.

"It's okay, it's okay!", Richard shouted. "We've got it under control."

"We need to cut off his head.", Anthony shouted.

"My sword's a little busy at the moment.", Richard replied, twisting his sword around inside the vampire's body. "Just put the stake in his heart.

Anthony did so, plunging the stake into Strahd's chest. The wooden splinter sunk in deeper than he would have expected, but not deep enough. So using the hilt of the guardian's sword, he began to pound the stake into the vampire's chest.

"This is for Kevin!", Anthony screamed as he brought the sword down on the stake. "This is for Ismark!", he shouted as he delivered another blow. "This is for Travis.", Anthony spat as he drove the stake deeper and deeper. "You fucking son of a…"

Richard watched his friend act in a way he never had seen him act before. He hoped that Anthony wouldn't end up going over to the Dark Side. Slowly but surely Anthony drove the stake, ironically fashioned from the vampyr's brother's lute, into Strahd's heart. His body stopped healing. Anthony realized that the stake was in far enough and stepped back from the coffin, shaking slightly.

"Easy, Tony.", Rebecca said, looking at him with a shocked expression.

Ireena moved over next to Anthony and put her hand on his shoulder. Anthony slowly regained his composure, and turned a thankful smile towards Ireena. Richard withdrew his sword and moved around to the side.

"Here endeth the lesson.", Richard said as he raised the sword for coup de grâce.

Ireena turned her head away while Rebecca watched with wide open eyes.

"This is for all the innocents. This is for justice.", Richard said and then brought his blade down towards Strahd's throat.

Richard's mighty swing cut off the vampire's head, and a large piece of the coffin with it. The decapitated head fell onto the floor. Strahd was finally vanquished.

"I told you to let him go.", Richard said, giving one last taunt to the dead vampyr.

Then, suddenly, a light flashed brilliantly behind them. Wheeling around, they saw a glowing, stately man in white armor and a cape. The castle showed faintly through his translucent body. His rugged features showed great strength of will, yet the forcefulness of his presence was tempered by his calm, sad eyes.

His voice was peaceful as he introduced himself, "My name is Sergei Von Zarovich."

Then he turned to Ireena. "Tatyana, the time is at hand to rest. Come, my love and wife.", he said as he stretched forth his hand. Ireena Kolyana's questioning eyes suddenly opened with recognition. Forgotten memories rushed upon her.

"Sergei!" Ireena cried.

Then Ireena seemed to split in two. Part of her, a ghostly part, sprung to Sergei with the grace of a doe and embraced him. The other part of her collapsed to the floor.

The ghostly Ireena turned to the others and said,. "I am Ireena Kolyana, but in my past I was Sergei's beloved Tatyana. Through these many centuries we have played out the tragedy of our lives. Now, with our deepest gratitude to you, that tragedy is over. It is time for joy to begin again."

Shimmering light surrounded Ireena and Sergei. Hand in hand, they walked away, slowly becoming transparent until they had faded utterly away.

"Woah.", was all that Rebecca could say.

Anthony stared at the now-empty space for a moment before turning to see if Ireena was okay.

Ireena slowly came to. "What happened?", she said groggily.

"Irene?", Richard asked.

"That was weird.", Ireena said, rubbing her head. Her voice had changed. Now it sounded like that of a Kansas teenager. "It was like I was in a dream, but it kept going on and on."

Then a big smile crossed over Ireena's face. She looked around at the others.

"Ricky! Becky! Tony!", Ireena cried out, her voice full of joy. "Oh my gawd, you're all grown up!"

"So are you.", Anthony replied with a smile.

"Irene?", Rebecca said curiously.

"Oh my gawd, oh my gawd. This is so great!", Irene said happily. "And you all came to rescue me!"

Irene gave Rebecca a big hug that nearly knocked her over.

"And Tony, with the stake.", Irene added, hugging him next. "You were so brave."

Anthony smiled uncertainly. His thoughts were on those who were braver then he and who were no longer alive.

"And Richard, little Ricky.", Irene said as she hugged him as well. "You're my knight in shining armor."

"Don't call me Ricky.", Richard said with a half-hearted smile.

Then Irene looked at him and let out a little giggle. She looked back at Rebecca with a mischievous grin and started singing, her elated voice sounding way out of place in the solemn tomb.

"Oh Ricky you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind. Hey Ricky! Hey Ricky!", Irene sang and clapped her hands.

Richard sighed and shook his head.

Rebecca joined in as Irene grabbed Ricky's arms and tried to get him to dance.

"Don't, oops! Look out!", Richard whined as he tried not to step on her feet.

But nothing could stop the celebration and even Anthony had to smile and join in.

"Oh Ricky you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind. Hey Ricky! Hey Ricky!"