Uncle Vlad
Chapter 7: Old friends
Robin Branagh looked about the same age as Vlad. He had ghostly white skin and dark wavy hair and big chocolate brown eyes. He wore a brown jacket with a black shirt and jeans.
"Hi Vlad." He said with a smile. "long time, no see!" Vlad walked over to Robin and shook his hand and said,
"Great to see you Robin, how if life as a vampire?"
"Not bad" Robin replied "Chloe is getting old, got three kids already, in fact the whole family are old but not me, it's a real laugh and its all thanks to you." Vlad looked sad at that moment. I remembered what Wolfie had said, that vampires can live forever, but humans don't. He knew Robin won't be laughing when his family grows old and dies. Robin noticed me still sitting on the sofa "let me guess" he said pointing at me "you are Marlin, my name is Robin by the way, me and your uncle have been friends since we were kids."
I said hello and Vlad ordered Renfield to bring Robin an armchair and get some animal blood from the cellar and a drink for me called coke. Vlad asked Robin who was still standing "so Chloe has three kids what are their names?"
"Well the youngest is a boy he is about seven years old called Gerran and second is a girl called Morgana and another boy called Gwyn about Marlin's age they're twins you see."
"Interesting" said Vlad "three old Welsh names."
"Yes and what's better is that the twins are now going to Garside Grange tomorrow."
"Great" Vlad clapped his hands "hear that Marlin you might have someone to be your friend."
A friend? The closest to a friend I had was Timmy and he was only a voice in my head. To tell the truth I don't really know much about friendship, well I suppose I could call Wolfie a friend and maybe my Uncle Vlad and Miss McCauley (even though she will be my head mistress) Vlad seemed to read my mind.
"Don't worry about it," he said with his hand on my shoulder, "if you don't want to make new friends you don't have too, but It would be nice for you to have at least one normal friend."
Robin laughed,
"Trust me! Gwyn is not normal!" just then the door bell rung just as Renfield had brought the armchair though the door. Thinking Renfield had enough to do I got up.
"I will get the door," and before Vlad could stop me I rushed past Renfield down the stairs and opened the front door. The chilly night air came through the door and Miss McCauley was there with two other people behind her, a man about his thirties and a woman a lot older they were both dressed in normal clothes.
"Hello Marlin," Mrs McCauley said kindly "is your uncle home? Tell him I brought Mina and Jonathan VanHellsing too." She gestured to the two people stood behind her but they just smiled at me and said Hello. So I led them to Uncle Vlad's chambers. I thought he would be angry if extra people came as he only asked for Miss McCauley and Robin but he was more than happy to see Mina and Jonathan and ordered Renfield to bring more chairs and some tea and biscuits. Mrs McCauley and Mina being the nice ones helped Renfield with the tea while he got the chairs. Vlad didn't look to happy about that he would much rather see Renfield rushing around like a fool then punish him for being too slow.
So the meeting began. Mina, Miss McCauley and Jonathan sat dinking their tea, Vlad and Robin with a glass of blood and me with my bottle of coke which was really nice.
"Now" said Vlad settled in his seat "we all know that my father has been captured but the question is by whom"
"I wouldn't be surprised if Magda and her werewolf boyfriend are in on this" said Mrs McCauley bitterly "she wasn't happy when the Count dumped her."
"You may be right" said Vlad "but there are still the slayers we must think about what Marlin saw in his dream, that the person who held my dad hostage was a slayer."
"But the slayers could be working with Magda" said Jonathan, "I know some slayers will do anything to capture the mighty Count Dracula even if it kills them."
"I thought we had this all sorted," hissed Vlad, "why can't the slayers just accept that vampire don't kill people anymore."
"It is because they are stuck in the old ways," said Mina "not everyone see's the world as you do Vlad."
"Then we have to do something," said Vlad, "we need to locate every slayer base in the UK."
"We will do it" said Jonathan "we know all of them."
"Good, but still we need someone to find out where my mother is staying."
"I wouldn't mind doing it," Said Robin excitedly.
"You're only doing it so you can check her out," sighed Vlad "but very well."
"So what will you be doing in the mean time?" Robin asked Vlad.
"Me? Well I need to stay here to look after Marlin and teach him of the vampire world."
"But I want to help!" I cried.
"You already are" Vlad said to me putting his hand on my arm, "if you have any more dreams about my father I would like to know about it, it will help us a lot."
That was not really what I had in mind, I wanted to do something exciting and different not be Vlad's little spy "But..." I started but Vlad shot me a cold icy look, I closed my mouth. Robin gave me a sorry look.
"Don't worry Marlin," he said smiling, "your time will come"
Yeah but when months? Years?
"Well I think we should get to work immediately," said Mina getting up from her seat, "Thanks for the tea Vlad it was lovely, oh and Marlin," she turned to me, "If you need anything let us know, It was very nice meeting you."
"Here is our card," said Jonathan "just call us any time, but let's hope you won't have to use it."
"Naa" said Robin "with an Uncle like Vlad you should be fine". I read the card even though Timmy had taught me how to read I still had difficulty making out the words right but I could just read ;
Albert Dock
The Heritage Market
The Stanley Dock warehouse
"Not very specific are you?" Robin commented leaning over my shoulder to get a better few of the card "I mean there is no phone number or postcode."
"How is a postcode going to make any difference to a kid," sighed Jonathan , "all he needs to know is on that card."
"And we don't like giving phone or mobile numbers out to people unless we really know them well enough." said Mina.
"That's stupid," Robin spat, "you've known me for years and I don't know you number I don't even know where your house is."
"That's enough," Vlad snapped "the two of you stop arguing," he turned to Jonathan and Mina "thanks for your help. Call if you know anything."
"We will," said Mina and the two off them went on their way, no one willing show them out
"Vlad," said Miss McCauley standing up "Marlin is foreign and he's only been here for a few days maybe it's best to show him where The Stanley Dock warehouse is."
"Good point," said Vlad "I will take him once he's ready."
"Oh and Marlin," she turned to me, "I have got a present for you," and she handed me a plastic bag. I took it and looked in and pulled out the strange looking clothing there was a white shirt, a black jumper, black shoes, black trousers and a yellow and black striped tie" there was a lot of black.
"It's your school uniform" said Miss McCauley, "you must wear it while you're a pupil in Garside Grange." then she turned to Vlad, "and before I go there is something I would like to discuss with you."
Vlad looked unsettled.
"Maybe another time Miss" he said uneasily "as you see I have enough planed as it is."
"But we must do this at some point Vlad," she insisted, "You can't ignore it forever."
"I don't plan to; this is just not the right time."
"It never is" she stepped closer to Vladimir "you are so like your father he was always saying 'we will do this later' or 'I'm busy' I always got though to and I will get though to you too" then she turned his back on him and made her way to the door "I will show myself out and be careful on your night out the docks are crawling if blood sucking vampires at this time of night and would love to get there fangs into the chosen ones neck" and like that she was gone.
"Just forget that ever happened," Vlad said to me innocently "put that uniform somewhere safe you will need it tomorrow."
"Are we going that warehouse thing now?" I ask stupidly I couldn't pronouns the name of it.
"Yes but it's very chilly outside do you need a coat?"
"I've told you before uncle I don't get cold."
"Sorry I forgot," Vlad laughed, "but it's just nice to wear one, you can use one of my old ones until we get your own oh and by the way," said Vlad in wonder, "Wolfie didn't show up in the meeting we should go and look for him before we do anything else."
He sent me to put my uniform away first while Vlad looked for Wolfie, I had noticed Renfield didn't stay for the meeting either. I also remembered something that Vlad said 'can't the slayers just accept that vampires don't kill people anymore' that sounds like Vlad is against killing breathers then why did the slayer say he was a raving blood-sucker? Perhaps the slayer made a mistake I should ask Timmy tonight but right now I had something to do.
I got to my room and jumped in fear and horror as I saw the wolf, Zoltan standing at the corner of my bed I dropped the plastic bag on the floor.
"Hello master Marlin," he said politely, "did you enjoy your meeting with the grown up?"
"What are you doing?" I asked shaking in my shoes, I was still very scared of Zoltan I couldn't help it.
"You don't need be so frightened; I won't hurt you unless you try to test me for batteries." I calmed down a bit now. Zoltan didn't want to hurt me so I slowly walked up to him and knelt in front of him so we were face to face. Maybe this talking stuffed Wolf could help me somehow? He's been in the family for years surly he would know what my Uncle Vlad had been up to?
"Zoltan?" I ask nervously "you have known my uncle Vlad for quite a long time haven't you?"
"Oh yes," he replied, "I remember when he used ride on me around the castle yard back in Transylvania."
"And he took you with him when he left Garside Grange."
"Of course."
"Do know if my uncle has ever bitten anyone? Except Robin."
"Not that I know off."
"What's that meant to mean?" I demanded.
"It means I've never heard of him biting anyone, but you never know with vampires they are hunters of the night you couldn't possibly know what they're up to."
That info didn't help at all I sighed in despair and put my head in my hands, I didn't know what to think.
"But," started Zoltan as if he knew my misery, "if you want my opinion I don't think Vlad would ever kill anyone, I overheard your conversation with Vlad about that dream you had today and I can always tell when someone's hiding something and I bet Vlad knows it too." I lifted my head up to face Zoltan, could I really trust him? But if I tell him what the slayer had said about Vlad killing and betraying and lying to his people would he run off and tell people. But still I tell Zoltan the rest of my dream. When I had finished Zoltan sighed.
"You should of told Vlad this when you had the chance!"
"I know" I moaned "I could have warned him but I didn't Vlad's a killer Zoltan!"
Then to my surprise Zoltan laughed hard.
"Do really believe that slayer?" he mocked "you can't trust them, they get everything wrong!"
"How do you mean?" I ask.
"Well its kind of complicated!"
"Tell me anyway" I ordered.
"Well sixteen years ago when your uncle took the throne he banned vampires from drinking human blood but he noticed some problems, some of the vampires, particularly the young ones just couldn't stop themselves and a lot a young vampires were imprisoned by vampire and breather alike but Vlad knew he couldn't punish all the vampires and he wasn't too keen on executions so he passed this 'secret' law that only the vampires knew about."
"That you could take a little blood from the breather but keep them alive?" I guessed from what Vlad had told me.
"Yes and it's worked so far but you have to remember to make the breather forget what happened and you had to 'skin spray' afterwards to hide the marks."
"And the breathers don't know anything about this?" I asked in wonder.
"Nope if they did they would be panicking all over the place."
"That must have been what the slayer had meant," I stood , "that Vlad is letting his people drink fresh human blood when he said to the breathers it was forbidden but the slayer had also said Vlad had been lying to his people if it wasn't about blood then what was it?"
"Marlin!" boomed Vlad from down stairs "are you ready yet?"
"Coming," I called, "thanks," I said to Zoltan, but he stopped me.
"Oh Marlin you need to warn your Uncle, if the breathers find out about the secret law and the vampires find out this...er secret thing he's hiding he's going to be in a lot of trouble".
I sprinted down to the throne room where Vlad was looking out the window towards the night sky but dark clouds covered the stars and you could just see the half-moon peaking out of the clouds. To my surprise Vlad wasn't dressed in a vampire cloak and a smart suit instead he was dressed in breather clothes; a black hoodie, black jeans, black trainers and to top it all off a black cap but it looked good on him.
"I can't find Wolfie, he's not in the castle," Vlad sighed in frustration, "we might come across him on our way to The Heritage Market."
"How are we going to get there?" I ask hoping he was not planning to push me out the window again, I also asked, "and why are you dressed as a breather?"
"I can answer both of those questions all in one go," he smirked, "I'm dressed as breather because we're going to walk half way to the Docks and me being the leader off all vampires I don't want to cause a scene so I need to try to look as normal as possible. Renfield will meet us with the car by the taxi rank and he will drop us at The Heritage Marketthen I will walk you to The Stanley Dock warehouse."
"But why can't we just walk all the way there?" I asked "why are we not flying."
"Well let's say our home was attacked and you need to get to the Van Hellsings and the only way you know how to get there is by flight but as you jump out the window you suddenly remember you can't fly then you plunge to the ground and then your deader than you already are so that's why I'm going to walk you to the taxi rank where Renfield will be waiting but if you were in any real danger you will use a taxi"
"Right" I said stupidly I understood but I felt like Vlad was trying to give me too much information in one go.
"Oh and here is that coat" he threw something heavy at me but I caught it , it was black jacket with some pockets, it looked very nice "put it on" ordered Vlad, "it will look weird a young boy without a coat on in autumn." I put it on, it was nice and warm I have never worn a coat before it felt nice and smelly strongly of washing up powder.
"Come on," he said "let get on with it."
With his head down Vlad led me out the trees surrounding Garside Grange and we found ourselves in a small street with brick houses with nice little gardens with pretty flowers, ugly garden gnomes and water features. The wind howled in my ears and rustled my coat. The street was very quiet we saw the odd breather or two going into their houses or driving pass in their car but that was it.
We finally came to the taxi rank, Renfield was waiting for us with the car. He sat at the front seat reading the 'Vampire times'. Vlad knocked on the window and Renfield suddenly jumped in his seat dropping the news paper and rushed out the car and opened the back door for us and we climbed in and sat down on the car seat.
We needn't have bothered making ourselves comfortable with the speed of the car and the ability to avoid traffic we at The Heritage Market inseconds. Heritage Market didn't look like a very nice place; it reminded me of my tower back in Transylvania. The place looked old and deserted, wooden market stalls where set up on either side of the tall brick old buildings with small broken windows showing nothing but darkness. It looked like a ghost town. Vlad seemed to know what I was thinking.
"Scary isn't it," Vlad said, "this is the place where you see a lot of vampires hanging around so be on your guard." We walked down the cobbled path in-between the buildings. Something didn't seem right about this place ,like something evil was lurking in the shadows and something told me it wasn't just vampires who liked to hang around here, even though I wasn't cold it still gave me shivers down my spine I wanted to leave.
"Are vampires the only ones who live here?" I ask Vlad.
"Well," he replied "I suppose werewolves might come here too," then he paused "and maybe some ghosts."
"Ghosts?" I asked in horror "I thought they didn't exist!"
"Well I'm not so sure either" Vlad replied "even vampires are still curious about the mystery of ghosts but there are said to some sighting of them at the docks by the breathers but vampires haven't seen anything, but humans tend to have over active imaginations sometimes."
We reached the docks, the smell of sea water drifted in the air, I saw a steam boat in the distance and the sound of squawking seagulls. Tall. lit up buildings surrounded the area made the place look beautiful. With my lack of experience I've never seen anything like.
"If you look yonder," said Vlad, "you can see a big brick building, that's TheStanley Dock warehouse" He pointed the other side of the dock I saw a large bricked building lit up like the others but unlike the others building the light gave it sinister glow it looked to me like a prison with its small windows and high walls it made my hairs stand on end but it was most impressive.
"Huge isn't it" smiled Vlad "its one of biggest warehouse in the world."
"What did it store," I asked in wonder.
"Tobacco I think, but now it's used for importing blood to feed vampires also the Van Hellsings use it as there HQ for tracking illegal slayers it the perfect building."
"Sounds it," I said, a place that big It wouldn't be too hard to find and a perfect place to play the longest game of hide and seek ever.
But just then I saw a shadow in the gloom and he has a stake in his hand and it was pointing at Vlad. "LOOK OUT!" I screamed and Vlad spun around, the vampire with the stake used his super speed and charged at Vlad but luckily my uncle was faster and stronger. He grasped the vampires stake before it could reach his heart, lifted the vampire up by the wrist and flung him in the water.
Suddenly Vlad lifted me up in his arms and using his vampire speed making his way towards the exit but then five or six vampires wearing leather jackets blocked our path and another six came up behind us, we were trapped. Vlads disguise as a breather hadn't worked and Vlad couldn't fly because then we would just cause a scene and I don't think we want this on the vampire times, Headline 'Chosen One fights ganger vampires in Liverpool' or something like that...
"We have been waiting for you chosen one" sneered one of the men vampires.
"That little disguise may fool the breathers and maybe the other stupid vampires but it doesn't fool us." said another one.
"Just back off," Vlad snapped "I don't want to get into a fight when my little nephew is here do I?"
"No you wouldn't" said one of the female vampires "but what does it matter what you think there are twelve of us and one of you."
"I think you underestimate me," Vlad smirked his fangs pointing out. He held his free hand (the other still hold of me)up towards the vampires in front and then a wave of power came though and all the vampires fell back against the building and on the cobbled ground, just then a car came skidding towards us knocking over market stalls and boxes. The vampires moved out the way as the car came to us and the back door slammed open and young blond girl appeared.
"If you want to live get in!"
Vlad gasped "Erin?"
Gosh that was a long chapter and finaly a ggo place to get Erin in. In the next chapter Marlin goes to school and we learn more about Chloe's children