They trudged on through the passages, each step taking them now closer to steadily more eerie sections of the castle. They could almost feel the gloom creeping up on them as they passed through passage after room after another passage. The leprechaun was clever enough not to talk all too much, but he still seemed to be oddly cheery for someone who just a short while earlier had been giving warnings of all the strange creatures lurking about. In fact, he was almost on the point of being suspiciously cheery, and Shendron had of course been watching his behaviour for the last little while. Few things slipped past a werewolf unnoticed.

Rowen was completely absorbed in monitoring their trail, keeping track of most of the traps he had left behind for any unwelcome guests. He knew he could rely on Shendron to keep an eye out for trouble too. As Rowen felt another of his traps being set off, he glanced up to look at his companions, only to start at what flickered before his eyes. In the fraction of a moment he had looked up, he witnessed the leprechaun's green skin disappear, to be replaced for an instant by something far more human. A woman's eyes stared at him in that moment from the back of the leprechaun's head, a living embodiment of the expression "if looks could kill." And just as quickly as the apparition had appeared, it disappeared, leaving Rowen shocked and bewildered.

Rowen stood still in stunned silence as the other's walked ahead of him, but Shendron quickly noticed the change and stopped in his tracks to turn to Rowen.

"What is it?"

"What isn't the right question. It's who. And we had better start moving, because I know who!"

Shendron's ears pricked up slightly. "It has begun" he said.
A few seconds later the explosions were heard. "The trap was a success!" Rowen beamed.
"Ugh. Quiet ye twits! There're frightful things here for ones as loud as you."
The Leprechaun had suddely appeared next to them. Shendron started. He'd never met any creature who could move so silently as to avoid being detected by his hearing. Even the Vampires and Elves couldn't move soundlessly. This fellow just did.
Shendron snapped, "nevermind the noise, Vampires are hunting, and we spent too much in our battle with the Zulnaret to engage these enemies now. We need you to remove the scent from our trail completely, Rowen. The only way we can lose them is to move quickly enough to outrun our own heat trail and to leave no scent for them to follow."
"Not a problem at all. Assuming that they are all Century Children, I know just the spell..."
But shendron cut Rowen off, "No!We cannot assume anything, there might be a Millenium Child with them. Do your best."
"Well, there's only one thing that will work then. It will take only a few moments," there was a short silence as the wizard drew patterns in the air, "that should do it." He patted the air, and a shimmer appeared around his hand. There was a solid thing there, but totally invisible. "This lovely little creature will absorb all of our unwanted signs. Even the markings our feet make in the Spirit world. He's a pet of mine from the Spirit World. His name is Krick. He's a baby devourer of sorts. Now, let's get going."
"That'll do, and the li'l thing'll no doubt come in handy with avoidin other nasties on the way as well."

The company of three set off, with the wizard's pet in tow. A blue light flickered from the invisible creature's mouth. The blue was hardly visible and very ethereal, but it drew into the things mouth. This was the visible reaction of the Physical turning into the Spiritual. So they were safe from pursuit and they considered themselves safe from the Vampires hunting them. Yet in their hurry they had forgotten one thing: A Spirit creature leaves a trail for others to follow. There are creatures of flesh which hunt the creatures of mist and shadow. Pale burning orange eyes glided behind them and they never turned around to notice the jaws of a massive Shadow Sloth swallow up the Devourer, Krick, in one bite and then it was gone. They were safe from the eyes, but not from the Vampires. Blisfully unaware that Tanu's Rival Covent were behind them now, also picking up the trail of a Werewolf. As Isurra gained on them, she had by now realized that it was to find her companions, as well as stop the Covent who were intent on murdering her comrades, though she had no idea of Shendron's true heritage.

Everything around me blurred as I increased my speed. I halted. The smell was unbearable.

"Uh! My Godz!" My sensitive nose did not help the situation. "Seems I found the Zulnaret." I looked at the bloody mess. I ran out of the room. The smell of the werewolf was stronger than ever. I followed the scent untill it disappeared completely. I stopped, inspecting my surroundings.

"Wha.." I could still sense the track of the Wizard, but where is the werewolf? That was odd. I walked a little on. There was a new track here...it was so vague I could hardly make it out.

Well, whatever it was, I had to get to the wizard. As I continued, my mind wondered onto a problem. How was I going to explain myself? I was in full vampiric form...if I had been a hundred years old, I might have got away with it...but my unearthly white complexion and nightly eyes...I have to think of one hell of a good explanation.

"Mother of Shiva!" Several wooden stakes lodged themselves into my right side. I slammed against the wall and spat blood. I looked at the blood pouring out my side...luckily I moved so quickly, it had missed the essentials. This trap was definitely for vampires...younger vampires. Perhaps it was a good thing that I was so old after all, pale skin and glowing eyes were surely a small price to pay. I sat down and cursed myself for not being more vigilant. Pulling out the stakes was easy but painful. It had missed my heart by an inch. I looked at the stake I had just pulled out, they pulsed with an odd energy.
"Ah!" I yelped and dropped the thing, I flung myself up onto the ceiling. It exploded...Panicking, I began to wrench the remaining stakes out of my side and threw them well out of my way, each one burning hot red and then erupting into a beautiful fireworks display.

"Is that wizard trying to kill me?"