Chapter 6

Dearg-Due moves at fast speed but before she could lay a finger on Harley, Molina trapped her in its insides. Nana's right-hand familiar may not be that powerful but it can trap any target inside its body within the span of 10 seconds at most when the target is stronger than itself.

"What's the next plan?!" Harith asked in panic. "Quick!"

"Nana and Lolita, you two go with Harith. Chang'e, you come with me. You three run west. Whoever that vampire attacks will have to stall time and hold her down for back up. We'll all meet up at the space we slept in," Harley stated. "Stay under the sunlight, it might help. Now  spread out!"

All of them went according to Harley's instructions.

"There is something wrong!" Chang'e said as she tries to go with Harley's pace. "She isn't affected by sunlight! Physical attack doesn't work either!"

"She might be weakened if she's exposed under the sunlight for a longer time !" Harley replied. "We've got to find where her grave is! I now remember how to stop her!"

"Ack!"

Chang'e tripped on her foot, spraining her ankle. She fell on the ground with a thump and had let go of Harley's hand. She flinched in fear as she hears the screeching sound of a woman that is coming nearer.

"My first meal!" Dearg-due shrieked in ecstasy as she bares her fangs, running towards Chang'e who is clearly in pain as she struggles to stand on her feet.

Harley used one foot as a brake and turned around with his wand pointed right at the vampire.

"SECTUSEMPRA!"

A bolt of lightning emerged from his wand, hitting Dearg-due right at her heart. She was thrown hard right away, giving time for Harley to run back for Chang'e.

He noticed her sprained ankle so he carried her like a bride and ran away as fast as possible. He turned left and saw the other three waiting for them.

"Find her grave and stack as many stones as you can so she won't be able to come out! Don't get caught for it'll be over for us!" Harley instructed as he carries Chang'e on his back.

"I know this is a bit risky but can all of us look individually? Nana, how many Molinas can you summon?" he asked.

"I can only summon two at most," Nana replied with a low voice.

"Have one Molina with you and one with Lolita. Harith, I know you can handle yourself but be more careful. Send out some signal if you found her grave. You can cast the sectusempra spell, right? Shot it right at the sky as a notice. Now, go!"

As they spread out, Dearg-Due came and found them going in different directions. She hissed in annoyance as she goes after Harley once more.

"I'm so sorry, Harley," Chang'e cried in guilt. "I... I am being a burden right now."

Harley felt a drop of liquid on his bare neck.

"She's crying," he thought. Being too emotional has never been one of his likes. Getting mad at that moment is not the best option either so he kept quiet and ran as fast as he could.

Chang'e's sobs became worse, pushing Harley's patience to its limits. He grits his teeth to keep his calm.

"Boo!" Dearg-Due said as she appeared before the two. Harley had one of his foot step forward and pushed himself backwards. The vampire swings her hand across him.

She managed to scratch him on the neck which made the young lad whimper in pain. He felt his own scarlet blood flow down his chest.

Dearg-Due smiled sheepishly as she licks the blood off her sharp claws.

"This taste seemed familiar," the vampire said as she savors the taste. "It's making me feel nostalgic."

Chang'e got down to her feet and groaned as she felt the pain on her sprained ankle. But it didn't stop her to stand on her own.

While the vampire tries to recall whose blood tastes the same as Harley, Chang'e casted some spell in a whisper.

"Under the crescent moon, thy light shall outshine the darkness,

Grant me thy energy to perish the evil."

Dearg-Due appeared before her with an ear-piercing laughter.

"Starmoon shockwave!" she exclaimed as she was sent flying backwards with her abdomen clawed by the vampire.

With her magic, Chang'e summoned the energy orbs from the moon and had also shocked the vampire away from the opposite direction. Harley took this chance to shot his magical cards. As they came in touch with her skin, the cards burst like bombs.

Chang'e was about hit her back on a tree but the genius mage used his space escape trick to blink behind her and catch her in his arms.

"Thank you," Chang'e sobbed as she grips her bloody abdomen.

"You!" Dearg-Due exclaimed in fury as she shot a deadly glare at Harley. She bared her fangs and lunged towards the two. She stretched her arms, wanting to claw at the young man. But when she's only a few meters away from them, the vampire was being dragged from behind.

"No!" she exclaimed. She fought the force that was pulling her with all her might but she couldn't get any closer. She struggled and tried to reach them but that very moment, she seemed helpless. Her facial expression changed. The anger in her eyes turned into fear. Her tears start to fall down her pale cheeks.

"It's your family!" she cried. "It's your ancestor who turned me into this miserable and cruel monster! It's your ancestor who took everything from me! I shall kill you!"

Hearing her cries triggered Harley's memories. He read ancient texts which they had kept in their library and a myth seemed to fit into the vampire's situation. With Dearg-Due's accusation, he remembered the myth of a blood sucker who awakes to avenge herself after she was tortured and killed by a powerful lord.

"It wasn't a myth," he mumbled.

"I'll kill all of you!" the vampire yelled at the top of her voice as she was finally dragged back into her grave.

Harith, Nana and Lolita witnessed how the beautiful woman's spirit was buried back into her grave which they had piled huge blocks of stone at.

"Is it the end?" Nana asked, not wanting to look away from the grave for Dearg-Due might come back to life and kill them once and for all.

"I hope so, we followed Harley's instruction so it might be the end of her," Lolita replied as she wiped off the sweat from her forehead.

"Harith, give out the signal once more so they could know where we are," Nana said.

Harith nodded in response, he summoned one of his magic keys and pointed it right at the sky.

"Sectusempra!"

Harley is currently cleaning the blood off from Chang'e's stomach. He is focused on bandaging her wounds that he didn't notice the signal.

Chang'e saw the glint of lightning which made her feel relieved for their first fight had finally passed.

"They're at the eastern part of the forest," she said.

"We'll re-join with them as soon as I finish this," Harley replied.

"I'm sorry," Chang'e apologized once more.

"Don't worry," Harley responded, "I didn't expect much from you but at least you helped."

He stood up after finishing his work and helped here stand. He squatted in front of her so he could carry her on his back for her ankle had already swollen.

"Are they okay?" Nana worriedly asked as she walks here and there, waiting at the two impatiently.

"Harley is not an idiot, they'll be fine," Lolita jested. "What worries me the most is when this vampire wakes up again and goes out on a rampage."

"With the stones stacked on her grave, it'll take years for her to be free," Harith said.

"Harley," Chang'e said, "When Dearg-Due was dragged away, you mumbled something about a myth. What is it?"

Harley remained quiet for a while, feeling ashamed of his bloodline for the first time. He decided not to answer her.

Chang'e bit her lower lip for it seemed that she made him feel uncomfortable.

"Let's not ask him," she thought. "He'll say it someday."