Characters (c) Cosgrove Hall Lady Lamia, Count Lamian, Klara, story (c) Steffie
Transylvania; the name that send shivers down everyone's spines for what it stands for. The most dangerous vampire's home is situated on the high foothills of this vampire country. Well, it is usually situated on these foothills. Strangely enough, Castle Duckla seemed to be misplaced somehow...
"Vot ze hell? Heinrich, how can a castle disappear in zin air?" the high-pitched voice of Dr. Von Goosewing screeched from his hot-air balloon as it floated a few metres away from where the castle was supposed to be. "How did zat foul fiend ezcape mein grasp?!" the gander asked as he took his pince-nez off his beak and cleaned any dirt off of it with his jacket.
While he cleaned his pince-nez, Castle Duckula blooped back onto the foothills that is its rightful place. A loud scream was heard from inside the castle.
"Hansel und Grethal! Zat evil wampire eez back!" the vampire hunter gasped in fright. He slapped his forehead as soon his mind reminded him of something important.
"Oh Ja, ze castle can teleport. Von Goosewing, for a genius, you sure can be dumb..." the doctor spoke to himself as he lowered the hot-air balloon close to a window.
"Come Heinrich, follow me. Und mind ze step, ja?" Dr. Von Goosewing honked as he called his assistant. Tucking a novel-sized book under his arm, the vampire hunter leaped through the window. He landed quite roughly onto his backside. Leaping back to his feet, the gander dusted himself off. Picking the book up, Dr. Von Goosewing frowned, looking extremely serious.
"Zis spellbook of yours shall be the saviour of mankind, Heinrich.", Dr. Von Goosewing spoke softly as he wiped the dust off, "Zat ein spell shall destroy him for good, und he can not be brought back to life ever again."
For a split second, a flicker of pure agony flickered in the vampire hunter's eyes. Sighing deeply, the goose turned his heel as he marched towards where he believed his prey is...
Meanwhile inside the main hall of Castle Duckula
"I can't believe it! Fame and fortune were in my grasp, yet I lost it all just like that!" Count Duckula bawled loud enough to wake the dead. Nanny stared at her Duckyboos without any expression of her face. Igor, on the other hand, wore a faint smirk on his beak.
"If I may be so bold to say so M'lord, but maybe it is for the best"
"What?! Igor, are you saying that it's for the best for me to be booted off of Quack Idols because Nanny punched the one judge's lights out"
"But that judge was going to hurt my Duckyboos"
"Nanny, where did you get that idea from?" the mallard asked in bewilderment; trying to rack his brain to figure out if the judge said something that sounded to Nanny like he wanted to injure him.
"M'lord, I believe I know why she had attacked that judge." Igor spoke up. Count Duckula turned his head to face his butler.
"Please do enlighten us, Igor." the count frowned, waiting for an answer.
"Your Lordship, have you noticed the judge was a goose, and looked awfully alot like Dr. Von Goosewing"
"Yes, so"
"Well, I do believe that she thought that he is the doctor, and attacked him to protect you"
"Hmm, that makes sense"
"That's not what happened, m'lad! Mr. Igor told me that goose would hurt my poor Duckyboos after you sang your song. That's why I punched him out." Nanny piped out. Igor slapped his forehead in annoyance.
"Oh well, there's always next year's Quack Idols audition. The world just isn't ready for my great talent yet." the waterfowl puffed his chest out as Igor groaned in pain.
"I'm going to bed now. Good night, or should I say,'Morning'? Ha ha! Get it? I said good morning, since it's still morning and I'm going to bed now, and...oh, never mind. I'm going to bed."
"Very well, M'Lord." Igor droned, yet his eyes had a sinister glint in them.
"Igor, I'm only going to bed now because I didn't catch any sleep from the previous day. I am not turning into my old ways!" The count stated in anger before turning his heel and made a bee-line to his bedroom.
"Oh, Mr. Igor; even though our little Duckyboos didn't win, he doesn't let it get him down. His determination to do the impossible would make his ancestors proud. Bless him." Nanny smiled to herself. Igor was a bit taken aback from the old hen's words. Her spurts of wisdom came at the most unexpected times. Pity they didn't come more frequently, like always...
Meanwhile
"--And the winner for the World's Greatest Singer and Actor competition is--Count Duckula!" a voice boomed as the crowd cheered at the mallard that was on stage. Fireworks spewed high in the sky, champagne was spilled, and confetti were tossed as Igor and Nanny cheered loudly for their master while the crowd crowed loudly.
"Thank you, thank you! I'm glad you all realized how great I am!" Count Duckula bowed to his audience. A beautiful blonde duck from the crowd jumped onto the stage and stood right in front of the vegeterian vampire. She kneeled down to the green duck's level and gave him a bear hug.
"You're the greatest; You're the best!" she squealed girlishly in a slight French accent.
"Oh, thank you so much." Duckula blushed as the lady pinched his cheeks.
"I'm so glad I finally got to meet you so that I can--destroy you, you foul fiend!" the girl suddenly hissed in the same accent and voice as Dr. Von Goosewing.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!" Duckula screamed as he was rudely woken up from his deep slumber. His eyes became as wide as saucers as he saw that there was another occupant in his bedroom.
"Goosewing?!" the vegeterian vampire gasped in surprise. A cold shiver ran down his spine when he noticed the doctor's eyes and facial expression. Gone was the silly and daft look Duckula was used to. In its place was a cold glare and the serious determination of a vampire hunter that loathed his very existence.
"Ja, the very same." the gander spoke in an icy whisper as he opened the large book that was in his hands. Duckula only noticed the book recently; and saw it was a book of spells.
"Wait, what's with the book?" the count asked, pointing at the book. His curiosity replaced the fear he had.
"Zanks to zis book, you shall be nein more, you wampire!" the vampire hunter's voice became louder as he grinned when he found the spell he was looking for.
The goose whipped his head to face the air next to him, holding his book as if offering it to someone to read. The mallard wore a look of confusion as he wondered why his enemy was giving the book to thin air.
"Heinrich, ze spell to turn ze wampire to ashes! Do it now!" Goosewing honked loudly in fear. Nothing happened. Count Duckula became more confused as he watched how the mad scientist became frantic as the air didn't want to cast the spell.
"Goosewing, what are you doing?" "HEINRICH, WHY AREN'T YOU CASTING ZE SPELL?? DESTROY ZE WAMPIRE WILLIAN!" Dr. Von Goosewing panicked, face bleak as his entire body shook in fear.
"How many times must I tell you? I am not a villian! I am a vegeterian vampire." "You lie! How can zer be a wegeterian wampire? Wampires need blood to survive"
"I was reincarnated with ketchup instead of blood. That's why I don't drink blood or have any fangs!"
"Lies! Lies!! LIES!! Igor stores litres of blood in your fridge und freezer! I knew some wampires in mein old days that can hide zer fangs!" Dr. Von Goosewing pointed out as he tossed the book onto Count Duckula's bed. The old doctor tucked his one hand under his shirt, searching for his infamous musket. The moment he found it, he shot at the Count's head, missing it by a few millimetres.
"Uh oh...HELP! IGOR! NANNY! HEEELP!" the young duck hollered in terror and his zipped out of his bedroom, mad scientist right at his heels. The goose shot several lasers at his prey, whom had dodged each shot.
"NANNY!! IGOR!! HELP!!" the last Count of the Duckulas screamed as he ran towards the main hall.
"Start acting like a man, und fight!" Goosewing screechd on top of his lungs as a laser shot flew from his musket and towards the mallard. His aim was true.
Seeing the laser coming towards him, the vegeterian vampire leaped out of the way and transformed into a bat.
"Gottdammering"
"Huh, how did I do that?!" the bat squeaked as he flapped his wings. Using his newfound form, the count tried to fly as high as he could.
But, it was only a few feet above the ground. Not being able to control his transformation fully, Count Duckula transformed into his true form and fell hard onto the floor. Since the wind was knocked out of him, he stared dazingly as Dr. Von Goosewing stalked towards him. As soon as he hovered over him, the doctor aimed his weapon at the Count's head.
"Zis iz it, ja? After years of suffering vot you heff done to me, you shall be nix by ze time I fired zis shot." The goose spat coldly.
"What I have done to you? I don't get what you mean"
Before the doctor could say anything, a loud crash was heard as Nanny knocked the wall that Duckula and Goosewing were in front of, Igor right behind her. The debris fell on top of the elderly goose, knocking him out cold. The mallard was greatly relieved at this turn of events.
"About time you two showed up! What kept you?" the count scolded his servants. "My apologies, M'Lord. We were running an errand and only returned recently"
"Which is"
"We were looking for Tows-" Nanny started her sentence, but Igor slapped his hand over her beak, shushing her.
"Never mind that, we must take care of Goosewing here." Duckula sighed in relief as he looked down at the goose's unconscious form.
Later, Count Duckula's bedroom
"--And you should've seen the look he had on his face! I never seen him look so serious and determined before!" Count Duckula flapped his arms as he explained to his servants what had happened. The unconscious form of Goosewing was tucked in Duckula's bed. Igor had held the goose's spell book in his hands, paging through it with deep fascination, Nanny peeping from over his shoulder. The young master took the book from his butler's hands and paged through the book as well.
"Wow, this really is a spell book. I wonder where that mad goose got it from?" Duckula chuckled to himself as he noticed how corny some of the spells were written.
"Whomever he had received it from was definitely a white spell user." Igor explained to his master.
"Hey Igor, Nanny! Hear this corny spell!", the duck cleared the throat before he spoke,"Know his thoughts, Know his dreams, Know his feelings. I want to enter his mind and found out how he ticks! Ha ha, that's so corn--AH!"
Count Duckula screamed as he clutched his head in pain.
"M'Lord?" "Duckyboos"
"Nanny, Igor, Help! It feels like I'm being drawn into some type of vaccuum! Agh!" Duckula howled as he transformed into a tiny ball of light and flew into Dr. Von Goosewing's head...
To be continued...