came storming down the stairs with Eddy and Benny in the background.

"What happened?" Eddy shouted horrified, but he could already read it in Benedict's eyes.


Benny ran to the injured dock gate and didn't feel a pulse. His heart was still beating strongly, but then it was shocked and Julian's eyes closed. The cramped posture loosened and there was silence in the room.


I could see the whole thing from the platform, saw Benedict, knew I was in good hands and also saw a tear that ran down Eddy's face. When he sniffed and broke the silence, I said slowly and tried to attract as little attention as possible because I couldn't believe what I was seeing:


"Does that have anything to do with me?"




"Was that really the right thing? Did he have to leave again? I'm scared for him! Can't nobody show me how he's doing? Maybe he's already dead! No, I can't even think about it! Why, why?" thought Lisa. She was old and her straggly white hair was completely disheveled.She mourned Destin and couldn't understand why her son had to emigrate again. He had been away for some time before, but now it was going to be an almost endless journey, an escape. As long as the hunter was not eliminated, it would not end. Lisa had noticed all these years that her age was advanced and that the light of her life would soon be extinguished. Many wrinkles had appeared on her face over the years. Silently she looked up at the cross of the Lord. She begged him with tears to help her son. The chapel in which she knelt was on a high mountain near Gorstadt.


Remorse plagued her. Why hadn't she made sure that Peter was really dead? So she made almost endless reproaches. The subdued atmosphere of the hall drove them to pour out all of their hearts, because before God all were equal. Unless it's about vampires. Vampires were the Lord's outcasts.

Next to her sat a dark woman, about thirty years old. She had her black curly hair tied in a braid. She prayed anxiously, paying attention to every sound. If she noticed the slightest movement, she looked around hastily. Her brown eyes seemed confused every time. She had probably suspected someone else to enter.


Suddenly she got up and walked quickly to the exit. After the black lady disappeared, Lisa turned back to her prayer. Just as she was thinking on the prettiest heels, a scream pierced the silence and a woman outside the building yelled for help. Lisa winced, startled. Her heart attacks came back. But this time it was worse, she knew the victim and something heavy seemed to hit her chest. Something invisible was pushing the sap of life out of her heart. She only faintly recognized shadowy beings, which flung each other through the room.One of the shadowy apparitions dug and rummaged in her chest. He had found it and was clutching it tightly. Desperate Lisa whirled with the poor, caught the shadow and this was thrown against the altar. The creature wriggled its limbs helplessly for a moment, but then calmed down. Slowly the black fog thickened and the motionless creature became visible. It was a military wolf-like animal, only smaller and with shorter hair. It had dug its claws into the altar stone and its yellow eyes radiated hatred. The top of a candlestick protruded from the figure's back. It was impaled.


The other shadows screamed and fled through the shattering windows. Lisa sat down and ruffled her chest. It was damp. When she bowed her head and stared at them, her sundress was bleeding through. She didn't feel anything. Not the slightest pain. She had lost her heart, her feelings, her sensations, her pride.She had become like the Shadow Riders, cold-hearted and invulnerable. She concentrated thoughtfully on her wound. As if by herself, she put her hand on it and a wonderful, bright light was emitted. What was wrong with her? Had a Divine Power taken hold of her? In any case, she knew she had to help the poor woman out there. So she went outside and just saw the negress being carried away by a rider. The hooves thundered down the rocky path and finally disappeared behind the hill into a dark forest.


Lisa felt light-footed and regained her youth. What was God going to do with her? So she began to float gently and followed the knights of the devil with outspread arms while the wind whistled through her ears.




The airship rose creaking in the air and the villagers clapped their hands. The propellers and the cigar-shaped balloon lifted it up.On board was a brave group of hikers who were on the run and maybe even on the winning side:


Benedict, an old magician, Destin, son of Peter, Albert, a gnome, Johannes with the book and I, the one from the future. We waved to the people and moved further and further away from the familiar earth. Confetti and New Year's Eve rockets flew through the air and exploded in bright colors in the evening sky. The preparations for departure had taken longer than expected. I had to get to know the people first. They all admired me as a war hero of the past. What Benedict was supposed to get from Julian was actually a magic wand with the inscription:




Helpers in need!




Benedict cherished this twice and always carried it with him. It was carved from the wood of an old oak and had a steel point that would be used for defense. But he didn't understand why he was a> helper in need!

I was able to convince him that he was the best.


Later we discussed the situation and Destin wanted to take the wheel. First we wanted to go to Bastil to get new weapons and defenses there. We would also have to find a disguise, but it would be about a day to get there. We planned to go through the night, but Destin sent us to bed and said reassuringly:


"I can handle myself!"




Our cabins were in the lower hull of the ship. Flying was definitely more comfortable than sailing as it didn't rock like that, but still there seemed to be rats. There was always something rustling in the luggage or the floor creaking when nobody was in sight. I wanted to get to the bottom of the matter and therefore decided to examine the ship a little more closely.




"Hey, is he gone?" Eddy asked softly and nudged Benny in the side. The latter indicated with his finger in front of his mouth that he should be quiet.They wanted to experience adventure and had therefore stolen secretly on board. In the stores of supplies they had withdrawn into a box and allowed themselves to be carried onto the ship.


Suddenly a hand grabbed Eddy's shoulder. This winced and got a puckered expression. They had been caught.


"What are you doing here?" I asked in a lower voice, grabbing tighter for fun. You should think I'm a big, old, strong man with a job: slave driver and bouncer for stowaways. While Eddy didn't look at me, Benny looked at me in shock. I secretly winked at him and he played his part perfectly:


"Ah, help, a monster!"