Masquerade of Madness: Invoking Fear: Part Three

Creed closed his eyes and heard Vincent's voice again. "Do not open your eyes. I am using the ability to transcend. It can only be used by blood relation over this amount of distance. I wanted to tell you that I am all right and that the council needed me in their plans. They are planning to give me the Darkness of Casalynn, in hopes that it makes me destroy you. But I will not let it control me."

Creed wanted to hold onto his brother's transcending image for a little longer. "What is the Darkness of Casalynn?"

"An orb that is forged with Casalynn's greatest sins. Sorry, I must take leave, but I am all right." Vincent spoke a few more words before he disappeared from Creed's mind, "Do not worry, I will escape on my own."

Vincent did not attempt to move. Spike's instinct was to protect her master, but Jade shot out three tentacles and wrapped them around her.

"Look closely. Nards usually will not attack each other unless one of them is weaker. Creed is half. I think the poor thing is homesick."

A growl began to slip from the Nard's mouth. He missed his brethren. This one was scared; he could smell the fear. Can he be a brother who has never seen one of us before? Poor thing. The Nard growled and grunted, trying to console Creed.

The growling, grunting and howling continued, but that only seemed to frighten Creed more. Because he did not speak Nard, he had no idea what was going on. The only thing he knew was that a massive creature had him pinned to a wall.

Then the Nard decided that this must be a weak creature. He became angry and punched the wall again. He hated weaklings, so it must devour him. The Nard's midsection slowly started to open and Creed studied what slipped out – six tentacles with pink at the ends. The pink ends rubbed up and down Creed's face, tasting it. The Nard found the taste to be surprisingly sweet.

Vincent watched the Nard and moved before the tentacles could drag Creed down and force him into his stomach.

Vincent told Creed to duck as he called out, "Flante feris." He released a blast of fire. The fire blast hit the Nard's back, bursting a hole right through his stomach area and continuing through the wall, creating a mist of dust.

Jade stopped, worried about her master's choice. "You could have hit Creed!"

Vincent only replied, "I would not have hit him. I am far too skilled for that."

Creed shook, clutching his head with his hands. He looked up finally to see the Nard with blood flowing from his wound. The creature began to spit out blood and then fell. Creed slid out of the way.

Clutching his chest and noticing the settling dust, Lance quickly grabbed the vile, throwing it at Spike. He then disappeared.

She caught it and blinked, "What's this?"

Jade looked at it. "I think it's a vial of Eternal Love."

Spike tossed it behind her.

"I do not need it, Master, I mean Creed," she called to him.

"Yes?" Creed responded shaking.

"Are you all right?" Spike gazed at him checking for any signs of damage.

"No, I mean yes." Creed stood up.

Vincent wasted no time getting to Creed. He grabbed him by his arm. "You must leave!" he demanded, yanking Creed toward an oddly-shaped platform. The front formed a triangle, the rear looked like a circle. "Jade," Vincent ordered her, "disappear."

"But what about you?" Jade asked Vincent.

"I will be fine."

Creed looked at Spike and gulped, "Do you disappear?"

"Yes," she replied. "I have a mini dimension of my own, and I can still hear you anytime."

"Okay, disappear!"

Spike disappeared with a loud crackling sound that seemed a bit deliberate.

Vincent placed Creed in the center of the platform and began to activate what appeared to be a control panel, pushing buttons and pulling levers. A glass tube descended from the top of the chamber and surrounded Creed.

"Do not move," Vincent spoke with authority. Creed nodded, letting Vincent know that he understood.

Suddenly hands formed behind Vincent. They seemed to come out of nowhere. Creed saw them and began to bang on the glass, trying to catch his brother's attention. But it was too late.

Vincent managed to push the final button before the mysterious hands grabbed him.

Struggling, Vincent tried to fight, but two more hands joined in and held him firmly as the platform lit up.

Creed forgot to spread his wings. Instead, he kept banging on the glass, hoping it would shatter, so he could help his brother.

Still another set of hands appeared, holding a white cloth. They covered

Vincent's mouth with it and he immediately passed out.

One set of hands stepped out of the darkness carrying

Vincent. The hands belonged to a young Casalyian who wore a suit and had a bald head. He only muttered four words to Creed, "Until we meet again."

Full panic mode engulfed Creed. Someone had kidnapped Vincent right in front of him. He needed to get out of this bubble and save his brother.

[The hands of the council is an invisible portal that can appear where two or more members deem. They are also able to send things through.]