As Anna approached the well, her three year old daughter Annabelle Lily Valerious named after her grandmother came up beside her pulling her pant leg. Anna tuned to look at her whispering, "What is it, My Little Angel?"
"Who are tese strangers, Mama?" She whispered back pointing to the friar and the man in black.
"I'm not sure. Stay with me since you didn't stay in the manor like I told you. I'm gonna find out who they are in just a second." Anna replied standing on the edge of the well. "You. Turn around." She commanded. The two men turned around. "Let me see your faces."
"Why?" The man in black asked.
"Because we don't trust strangers."
"Strangers don't last long here." Came the added comment of the creepy undertaker. "Five foot seven." He mumbled to himself measuring the man in black.
"I'm here to help."
"I don't need any help." Anna replied forcefully.
"Oh really?" He asked pointing his crossbow directly above her.
Gasping, she ducked. Annabelle looked up where the man was looking and screamed. "AAAAAHHHHH! Vampires!"
Anna stood up and looked around. "EVERYBODY INSIDE!"
The town was filled with screams and rushing about to get to safety. Annabelle was suddenly lifted up and screamed. "AAAHHH! MAMA! HELP!"
Anna's eyes went wide. "ANNABELLE! Someone save my baby!" She screamed and then heard a screech from behind her. She started to run.
The man in black shot an arrow at the vampire's ankle. It hit and the vampire dropped Annabelle immediately. "AAAAAHHHHH!" She screamed as she fell.
The man in black caught her and looked at her. "You alright, Little One?"
"You're the stranger. Why'd you save me?"
"Now why would I let some evil vampire kill an innocent child?"
"My name is Princess Annabelle Valerious. Princess Anna is my Mama."
His eyes went wide. "Anna Valerious is your mother?"
Annabelle nodded. "Yes."
"I was never told she had a child. How old are you?"
"Free." She said holding up three fingers.
"Then you can trust me. I'm here to help your mother get rid of Dracula. Even if she refuses my help, I'm going to anyway. I was sent here to protect her and help her. However, now that I know you're her daughter, I'll be sure to protect you as well. I'm Van Helsing."
Annabelle's eyes went wide. "But you're a dangerous man. Uncle Velken said you were a murderer."
"That is just what people believe. I do not kill innocent people. Just evil creatures."
"Like vampires or warewolves."
"Exactly."
"I tink I can trust you. You saved me."
"Stay close until we find your mother." He said setting her down and picking up his crossbow again.
"Van Helsing! Behind you!" Came the voice of the friar.
Van Helsing turned around swiftly, firing shots at the vampire. She was hit and pinned to the church roof. She disintegrated and Van Helsing did the sign of the cross with his silent prayer. There was screeches of pain coming from another building's roof as the other two vampires flew out and away. The town's people came out slowly and were angered at Van Helsing starting to yell. "He killed a vampire!" "He killed Marishka!"
As the friar met up with him, he looked confused. "But isn't that a good thing?"
"Vampires only kill what they need to survive. One or two people a month. Now, they kill for revenge." Came the reply of the creepy undertaker from behind them. "What name my good sir, do I carve on your gravestone?"
"His name, is VAN HELSING." Came the reply of Princess Anna as she pushed her way through the crowd. The crowd then started to whisper among-st each other. "Your reputation precedes you." She said directly to Van Helsing.
"Next time, stay close. You're no good to me dead." He replied standing face to face with her.
"Well, I'll say this for you. You've got courage." And she turned her head to the crowd. "He's the first one to kill a vampire in over a hundred years! I'd say that's earned him a drink."
"MAMA!" Annabelle cried running to her.
"Annabelle!" Anna cried relieved picking her daughter up. "Are you alright? Did Aleera hurt you?"
"No. I'm fine, Mama. Van Helsing saved me."
Anna looked up at Van Helsing surprised. "You? You saved my daughter?"
"I couldn't let a poor innocent little girl get killed by a vampire now could I?"
"Thank you." She said in a whisper. "I think you deserve more than drink. After all, you did save my daughter. You'll need a place to stay, so I'm letting you stay with us. Follow me." She continued as she started in the direction of the manor.
Ten minutes later, they came to the front doors of the manor. "So, you said you were sent to help. How do you plan to do that?"
"Not sure. That's why my friend Carl's here. What can you tell me about him?"
"He used to live in this very house four centuries ago. No one knows where he lives now." Anna replied as she opened the double doors to the armory. "So how did you get here?"
"We came by sea." Carl replied.
"Really? The sea? The Adriatic Sea?"
"Yes." He replied again.
"We were never told you had a daughter. The Vatican knows everything. How'd they not know of Annabelle?"
"No one except the village and the vampires know. And of course my family. I kept her a secret. We told the town of her. The vampires know because they caught me giving birth."
"When did she turn three?"
"Yesterday. October 26th. She was born when I was fifteen."
"You're only eighteen?"
"Yes. My birthday is June tenth."
"I thought you were at least 21."
"No. And before you ask, yes I drink sometimes. But no more than two cups a week as I have my daughter to take care of. She can't have a drunk mother."
"And what of her father?" Anna froze. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."
"No. It's alright. But I'd rather talk about it in private. As for more information on Dracula, my father use to stare at that painting for hours on end trying to find Dracula's lair. Going through the tower, combing through the family archives."
"Carl! The tower, start there."
"Huh? Oh, right." He said and ran off in the direction of the tower.
Anna turned around to face Van Helsing. "My priority is my daughter. The family curse comes next. I'm going to rid of him once and for all."
"Not tonight."
"The vampires attacked in daylight. They never do that. I was unprepared. It won't happen again."
"Why'd they attack in daylight?"
"They seem most desperate to finish off my family." She said grabbing a sword and a mace.
"You can't go out by yourself. You'll be out maned, out positioned, and you can't see in the dark."
"And who will kill him if not me? Who will show courage if not me?" She asked slamming a knife in her boot buckles.
"In the morning we will hunt." He said. "But we'll do it together." He finished as she spun around almost clocking him in the head as he caught her wrist.
Anna stepped a little closer. "Some say you're a murderer, Mr. Van Helsing. Others say you're a holy man. Which is it?"
"It's a bit of both. I think."
"I promised you a drink."
"Yes you did."
"The bar is down the hall. Help yourself. As for me, I'm going to finish this once and for all." She said heading passed him.
"I'm sorry about your father and your brother." He said going after her.
"I will see them again. We Transylvanians ALWAYS look on the brighter side of death."
"There's a brighter side of death?"
"Yes." She stopped and looked at him. "It's just harder to see." She said shrugging like it's no big deal. Then she turned around to leave.
Annabelle was let down a while ago and was just watching and listening the whole time following them close behind. Van Helsing pulled Anna back and sprayed her with a knock-out gas. "I'm sorry about that too." He said catching her before she hit the floor.
"Mr. Van Helsing?" Annabelle asked.
He turned to her. "Yes?"
"What did you do to my mama?"
"I just knocked her unconscious. She'll be just fine. She should wake up within an hour. "It was all I could do to keep her from going out and trying to get herself killed."
"Oh. I show you to her room." She said and led him to Anna's room.
Van Helsing layed her on the bed and took off her weapons belt to keep her from being rational when she wakes. Annabelle followed him as he went to the bar.