The Eternal Clock
Part 1
The raging wind wisped through his long dark green cloak, as he rushed his horse forward, pressing onward on the moonlit dusty road.
Time was of the essence, to slow down to give his steed a rest could very well cause innocent folk to lose their lives; only hours ago word came to him of the monstrosities a one lone village were plagued with.
His breath and his stallions condensed in the cold air, ignoring it nipping at his brilliant green skin, he didn't care, a little cold wasn't going to stop him.
A rustling in the bushes far in the distance caught his eye, could it be the wind or something devilish waiting to stop him on his mission, whip in hand he readied himself for fight that might be.
Not to his surprise a couple of hellhounds leapt out onto the road, their demonic aura swirled around them, as their red blood eyes fixated on their new prey.
Not willing to risk his horse's death, for his steed still was needed; he pulled the reins, jumping off rushing towards his new enemy.
Their blackish coat with yellow markings glistened in the pale light as the beast lunged at his throat; quickly he dodged the first beast's attack, countering the next with his whip.
With a snap crackle POP, the beast moaned in pain as it received a fatal blow, his whip was no ordinary whip, blessed and pass down the family line; he was a hunter among the ones that prey on the innocent.
Moving past the second beast he dropped a small device, with a smile he looked back at the demons, "This is where your terror ends foul beasts, for I am Donatello Belmont," a spark flashed from the small sphere as a rain of lighting ripped into a dome of blue light smiting the beasts dead, their bodies smouldered turning into ash that floated into the wind.
With a high pitch whistle Donnie called his steed to him, he couldn't stay there he had to find the next town, with rumours of werewolves and zombies, he feared the curse of the damned was back again.
(Please say I am not too late.) Donnie prayed, who knows if this plague didn't take its toll and destroyed everything in its path before he got there to stop it.
No ordinary men or mutant could deal with this for he was the only one around that had the skills and equipment, even the local knights couldn't prevail, especially when foul beasts and the undead are involved.
Smoke, Donnie's heart sank was that a sign of death? Shaking his head, he couldn't back down now, not after he has gotten this far.
(Just a few more minutes, don't let me fail; I can't have more blood on my hands.)
Faster he road on, as the shadows of a village came into sight, it was still standing tall. (That could be a good sign… unless everyone is dead and all is lost.)
Stopping moments away from the small farming village, Donnie got off his steed from there he would walk on foot.
He is stealthier on his own without the help of a horse's heavy hooves warning what awaits for him within the darkness of the village.
No light could be seen, lingering was a silence where only the wind could be heard, luckily no smells of blood accompanied it, that was a great sign.
Entering the dark village he took in his surroundings, every buildings shutters were shut, not a soul was in sight.
(Are the town's folk taken up shelter? If so then there could very well be something about, I should keep my guard up.)
Not risking it Donnie pulled out his whip, slowly venturing farther in, no change to the atmosphere or anything, he started to question the rumours.
Then as if something could tell that Donnie was putting his guard down easing up, a blood curdling howl echoed in the night.
(I guess it was too quiet after all, for once I thought this might have just been a rumour or some wise tale…oh well.)
Crashing to the ground in front of him stood an seven foot beast covered in flame red fur, it's eyes shone gold and were radiant as the sun, targeting Donnie as drool poured out of it's foul mouth.
Extending it's three claws it charged towards Donnie in a murderous rage.
(This will be simple enough!)
Quickly Donnie pulled out a smoke bomb full of wolfsbane, casting it to the ground to poison his foe, giving him the advantage.
Unexpectedly Donnie's trick didn't work, it always works…. the beast rammed him down to the ground, dust raised as his shell made contact on the dirt road.
Eyes widening full of delight, it snarled at him as it's saliva dripped onto Donnie's face, then with a crooked smiled it howled in laughter, mocking Donnie.
"If you think I am done for, your mistaken," Donnie tried to reach for his pocket on his belt that held bottles of holy water.
The beast raised its hand swooping down fast, Donnie had to do something or this thing would surely force him to meet his maker.
Managing to raise his elbow to guard, the thing didn't finish its action, instead switched its fist's path like it was doing an uppercut, blood drip onto Donnie's forehead as he look up.
There standing with hollow eyes only inches away was a zombie.
(Where did that come from…was that zombie behind me this whole time? Then this beast…saved me? Impossible!)
With a sideways swipe the zombie's head rolled to the ground, the beast howl in victory as it got off of Donnie.
Quickly jumping to his feet, Donnie didn't hesitated to get up, looking at the beast Donnie felt conflicted, it just save him from the zombie, then spared him letting him up, it could have very well killed him…
Shaking his head he couldn't do this, he couldn't stay in this state of mind, to be conflicted over taking down some savage beast, he was taught better, all unholy things must be put down for the benefit of the good.
Whip in hand Donnie readied himself, the beast looked at him annoyed as his eyes flashed with anger as it growled at Donnie, to make sure not to make the same mistake, Donnie glanced over his shoulder making sure nothing was sneaking up to him.
"I don't know why you helped me, but you should have killed me while you had the chance," Donnie told it, giving it the chance to flee so he was even with it.
"Maybe I should have you stupid Hunter…but there are more!" it growled under it's breath sniffing the air.
(It speaks!) This never happened before, in all his travels he never heard a werewolf speak an English tongue or any tongue at that.
Sure enough Donnie smelled the decay that lingered in the wind, as he turned around there were at least a dozen or more, his holy water would only be enough to take down two or three and he was fresh out of electric bombs.
The beast came up beside Donnie eyeing the undead with a revengeful spark in its eyes.
(What is it doing?)
"You're going to help me?" Donnie asked as he felt he was out of his comfort zone.
"What does it look like do you have a problem with that!" it snarled.
(Problem… I don't know where to start.)
"Why? You're no more then a beast!" Donnie claimed.
"And you, you're no more then a turtle, what is the difference?" it tilted its head sideways reading Donnie.
"There is much of a difference, for I wasn't created by this cursed darkness unlike the likes of you!"
The beast roared in amusement, "Oh is that so, did you ever consider I wasn't either?"
(What the hell… to consider such a thing, he is a beast, all beasts of his kind are of a curse, cast down by the vile malice of Dracula… where does he get the nerve to say otherwise… but is it possible…)
Donnie was uncertain, as his mind tried to rationalize the idea, he was always an open minded individual but this, was this crossing the line?
Before Donnie could say a word the beast rushed forward attacking the zombies head on, separating their heads from their bodies with it's claws, having no choice Donnie joined the fight emptying what little was left of his holy water on them as they dissolved into dust.
To his right the beast was going berserk taking heads, smashing zombies against each other, ripping limbs and tearing them apart like they were some sort of stuffed dog toy.
(It looks like its having too much fun…)
Feeling a little sick of the horror show, Donnie refocused on the group that was approaching him, luckily these were the slow type deadly in packs yes, but to a skilled hunter it was nothing.
Whip in one hand and the four foot sharpened silver cross he kept strapped to his shell now in his other hand, Donnie calculated his moves, the position of the zombies, then executed his plan of attack.
Snapping the whip around one zombie's neck, Donnie thrust it into the rest of the group with all his force, as the zombies crashed to the ground, Donnie ran forwards slicing heads off as fast as he could before the others got up.
"Idiot," the beast raged as it leapt over Donnie catching him off guard pouncing on a zombie that tried to take a chomp out of Donnie.
"I am not an idiot I know what I was doing beast," Donnie spat at it, resisting the urge to thrust his cross into the beast's heart, for it once again went out of its way for him.
(What is with this beast, why is it acting like a man? This must be some trick, I will leave it for now, but when these zombies are through… I will dispose of this other threat…)
The deed was done; all the mangled bodies lied still on the ground not rising again, with no more holy water they would need to be burned so no disease could manifest as they decayed more.
Catching his breath Donnie stood there counting; there were at least forty of them, where did all these things come from?
Behind him the beast huffed in satisfaction as it strolled away, not caring about Donnie.
"Wait! We are not done here beast," Donnie called to it; this thing can't just walk around like it owns the place.
"We are," it growled as a warning, eyes a beaming at Donnie.
(That is what you think, I have a duty and I will not fail.)
Arming himself with his cross, knowing the silver would do much more damage than his whip.
The monster eyed his weapon debating if it should go berserk on Donnie or not, not even a step towards the beast a female voiced yelled at them both, "Enough you two, Raphael help me tend the wounded there is much to be done!"
A woman with short copper hair, wearing non-typical female clothes, a red frilly shirt with a pair of man's black pants that actually fit her well, commanded as she came out of the church, as if her voice was a leash the beast cringed then changed its form back into a turtle.
(He is a mutant turtle?)
The five six foot olive skinned turtle with his golden bright eyes huffed at Donnie before heading towards the woman that scolded him, head low not looking at her directly Raph hurried inside ashamed.
"So I will take it you're a Vampire Hunter am I correct?" the human woman looked him over, studying him, her tone of voice was stern yet soft at the same time.
"Yes and he is…"
"A werewolf yes, trust me when I say his bark is bigger then his bite, well more his anger that is. Worry not Hunter, he is no threat to this village, yet a saviour and friend, please I beg you to leave him be," her deep hazel eyes stared at him, making him feel uneasy and ashamed of himself for his actions.
Clearing his throat he adverted from those eyes, "Rumours stated a wild beast was terrorizing this village."
The woman shook her head with a sigh, "Then the rumours are mistaken I will guess a man not to long ago spread these rumours?"
"Yes."
"Then let me tell you this, a zombie was going to kill that very man, but if it wasn't for Raph he would have ended up like one of them," she pointed to the zombies, "After the ordeal he took one look at Raph screamed begging to live, then ran off before anyone could tell him Raph wouldn't do such a thing."
(So he's a good werewolf, is there even such a thing? This woman, she seems to be telling the truth… but still…What should I do…)
"Fine I will leave him be for now but if he…"
"He wont," the woman came up to Donnie assuring him, "There is one other thing Hunter I would like you to come see something while your here," she grabbed his hand, it was soft and warm.
(What does she have to show me?)
Leading him inside the church, the first thing he noticed was people rushing around weaving through the rows and rows of injured people as they lay moaning in pain.
(So this is where all the towns people were, that's why Raph was outside… protecting them?)
"So the town was hit with heavy casualties you didn't have to bring me in miss, to see this," Donnie didn't see the point; he should be getting to the bottom of the attacks themselves.
Still his hand in hers, baffled on the fact he let her hold it, it made his heart throb, she lead him to the side of one of the injured.
"Check him," she passed Donnie a stethoscope.
Taking it he looked at it, "I am no doctor."
She sighed placing it in his ears then placed the other end over the injured man's heart.
(So he has a heart beat, a strong one at that. What is with this girl, I don't have time for this.)
Then she removed the sheet that covered the man, Donnie heart dropped this was impossible.
(That…that's impossible and he is still alive!)
Before him the injured man was more then injured he should have been dead or undead, half of his side was ripped apart as blood kept on flowing out of him into a bucket below.
Somehow the man's heart was still beating and his body should have been empty of blood and cold, yet some how his body keeps replacing the blood lost, no one, not even a mutant can do this with such an open wound.
"How long has he been like this," Donnie was uncertain in what he was witnessing.
"Two days now and he will still not die," she look at the room, "None of them will, even the ones that had heart attacks just got up a seconds later like it never happened."
"No one is dying… When did this all started?" Donnie viewed the victims in the room, this was unbelievable.
"Around two days ago, at the same time the undead raised from their graves," she sighed unsure what to say.
"And no one knows why?" Donnie crossed his arms in wonder, contemplating on the notion if he had heard of this.
Throughout his adventures Donnie has seen many things, from plagues to enchantments, yet this was a first.
What or who can make this happen, is a person or demon or an item of old involved?
(I have to figure this out, if not what if this isolated instance expands, it will devastate everything… who knows if it will even affect the animal and plants… there is too many questions yet not enough facts…)
"Well no, no one has a clue, but there is a monk from the order in the archives studying the subject."
Donnie looked up to her; did she say a monk from the order….and archive?
(Why does a small farming village have archives…I will leave that matter for later.)
"Where are these archives?" Donnie asked her.
"I will bring you there Hunter, please follow me," she smiled sweetly, leaving the poor man, as she directed Donnie out of the church.
Donnie face became hot just at the mere sight of her beautiful smile, quickly he ignored it, "Call me Donnie, you don't have to be so formal."
"Then you can call me Lucca," she smiled again he felt like his heart was melting, shaking the feeling he followed the woman out of the church to the other side of the village.
(Why am I feeling like this… damn I have met many women before but… no I can't do this not now.)
Following her, they stopped at the last house before the end of the village, without a word she went inside, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary as Donnie viewed around; it was simple like any other house.
Heading to the basement Donnie saw a trap door that was open leading towards some stairs that seemed to lead somewhere deep below, looking down he couldn't see the end as he descended following Lucca.
(What secrets does this farm village have? I am starting to think this village isn't what it seems… then these attacks could in fact not be so random.)
Deep below Donnie's breath was taken away by the beauty of the massive library that laid before him.
What he could see from the ledge over looking the room that seemed to never end, was rows beyond rows of books and scrolls on topics of all imaginable, the craftsmanship of the shelves walls, ceilings, floors and arches was magnificent to say the least.
If he didn't know better that he was in fact in a farm village he would thought he was in an elaborate castle.
Donnie felt like he had died and went to heaven.
Being the black sheep of the family, Donnie was more interested in books and gadgets then fighting itself, but within time, he too had to take his role as Vampire Hunter like his ancestors.
Even after he took the whip his passion never faded away from him, only grew like wild fire, within his travels he was able to find, experience, see first hand wonders not even the pages of a book could have shown him.
(If it wasn't for this pandemic I would stay in here for days, what secrets and wonders this place may hold…)
Containing his excitement, considering he had a reputation to up hold, he breathed deeply.
"Wow I never thought to see a Hunter get so exited over books, I thought that would be a scholar thing," Lucca giggled.
(Damn it she noticed… think of an excuse, all you need is give her the wrong impression. No one would take me serious as a Vampire Hunter if they realized I am a geek at heart.)
Quickly Donnie consider what he could say in his defence, just before he could open his mouth a thud of something being thrown around caught his attention.
"No no no, arrrr this is hopeless how am I to figure this out if I can't even read the dialect! What with these languages, what is it?" a voice bust out in frustration somewhere deep within the library.
Both Donnie and Lucca looked at each other, "That would be the monk that's been trying to figure out what is going on," she sighed.
Around the four rows of bookshelves cross legged on the floor, a monk sat with books and scrolls clutter around him, with his candle light, Donnie could see the monks mint green skin, his blue shirt with brown pants, unusual clothes for a monk, there were dark bags under the turtles eyes.
(… Interesting two mutant turtles in one place, I being the third this is a rare occurrence…)
Never has he ever seen another turtle in his life, now he suddenly finds two others in one night, this baffled Donnie, yet also peaked his interest.
As if just noticing Donnie and Lucca, the monk looked up with a irritating glare, "What? Don't bug me I am concentrating," looking back at the book Donnie could tell the frustration was growing as the turtle's aura started to darken in anger.
"Can I take a look at that?" Donnie offered to help.
"I can't read this, how do I suspect some Hunter do so?" the monk snap his beak, becoming more aggressive towards Donnie.
"Leonardo please let him take a gander, what is there to lose?" Lucca said sweetly as she went to him placing her hand out.
Leo looked at her then sighed giving her the book, she gave it to Donnie.
Looking it over Donnie recognized the dialect, it was a mix of Latin and an old vampire language and to top it off it was written in code.
(Wow this is amazing, whoever wrote this was brilliant let me see…)
It was a simple read; Donnie decoded it in a matter of seconds as he viewed at the pages of the book in awe and fear.
"Lucca have you ever heard of the Eternal Clock?" Donnie finally asked, then noticed both Lucca and Leo where staring at him, with questioning glares.
(Great they think its weird I figure this book out already…)
"Yes… but that is just a bed time story why?" she started to seem uneasy to Donnie's question as she looked at the book.
"Simple according to this it exists and is hidden in the tomb of the silent witch."
Lucca jumped, "That is in the monetary around a half a days journey from here, that's were most of these undead are coming from!"
"What is this Eternal Clock and what does the book say it does exactly?" Leo got of the floor approaching Donnie looking at the book in wonder.
"It says here it was a watch that was forged by the metal of the blade wielded by the god Chronos, the Greek god of time. When the watch was completed it had extraordinary powers, it could control time. Not in regards to time around us, but the time in our life span one's internal clock, and hence named eternal clock representing mortal lives that can live forever with out end or beginning."
"This is why no one is dying because there life span is fixed in one moment," Lucca asked.
"Yeah something like that, what I can gather, this watch can stop someone from ageing and dying it can be used as a whole affecting a large area or used on a single person. With this watch anyone can cheat death, stopping their aging and even if they do get hurt they can use the watch to reverse time on themselves to make a wound disappear like it never happened."
"No wonder it was hidden, with such a artifact in the wrong hands, someone could take power and make others suffer. I have a feeling it can go forward or speed up ones internal clock can it?" Leo seemed worried.
"Yes you can actually speed it up to the point that in this book someone used the clock on an enemy turning their foe into ash in matter of seconds." Donnie breathed, such artifact existing was a grave problem, to think that this town could very well be under its influence.
"So do you think this artifact is the cause of our problems?" grim Lucca crossed her arms looking towards the ground.
"It makes sense it explains the issues here, except for the zombies, but to have the tomb so close there is no mistaken that this is the cause of your problems," Donnie put the book down he needed it no more.
(Funny…) Donnie had a weird feeling about the monk for some reason.
"Leo may I ask how did you come by this book? I mean by the look of this place it couldn't be mere chance you found the one book that had answers and you had no clue what the book said yet you insisted that it held the key to this towns predicament," Donnie asked the monk, his feelings on the subject was wavering, to find this book this page…
The monk shrugged, "You will just think I'm crazy."
"Humour me," Donnie insisted, curious of the explanation.
"Well I was walking down the aisle thinking I was going to give up, for two days straight no leads. I was all out of hope, as I walking in my failure considering to give up right then and there, for like you said this place is massive, then it hit me."
"Hit you?" Lucca titled her head not understanding what Leo meant.
"Yes Miss Lucca, the book it hit me on the head, it fell from the top row of the bookshelf. Being so odd I took it as a sign at my darkest moment," Leo rubbed his head.
"Well that was lucky… not too comfortable with books falling on one's head, but in truth it was a sign if any. I'm sorry Leo I didn't mean to sound so suspicious of you, please take my deepest apology," Donnie gave his hand, taking it; Leo nodded and accepted the apology.
Lucca shifted her feet looking at the both of them, wary still on the situation, "What are we going to do… Please Vampire Hunter… Donnie please you have to help us we don't have much, but when this is over we would gladly give you permission to enter this archive anytime you like. I know that is not much…," Lucca started to plead with Donnie.
(I really wouldn't mind to have access to this place… no that is selfish.)
With a smile he placed his hand under her chin lifting her head up towards him as their eyes met, "Why of course my lady I am of in your service, I require no payment."
Lucca blushed on his very words.
The monk coughed to indicate the two were staring into each other eyes a little too intensely, "Hunter if you are going to travel to this tomb I will accompany you. I wish to see what foul being would do such a thing like this to an innocent town."
Debating if that was a good idea, Donnie didn't object, sure that the monk would follow anyways on the other hand he would be of some help.
Donnie had no idea who was doing this and what would happen when he got to the tomb, to have someone watching his shell would be an asset.
With a nod Donnie made his way towards the stairs, "We leave at first light, best to not travel at night and you need sleep anyways. I have some preparations to make, Lucca do you have a blacksmith shop and by chance I need some items, can you provide them?"
"Yes we do and we will provide whatever we can give you Donnie, thank you."