Chapter 7 Vampirism Spreads

Lecarde and Henry finally arrived at the temple of Ecclesia in the afternoon on the 27th of October. The last two nights had not been the social event they originally planned on showing up here for two days ago. It was to be a simple ritual; one old vampire hunter passes his whip to a young one. Nothing turned out simple.

Battered and tired, Lecarde and Henry arrived hoping that Coller had been stopped. Fear came over them when they got on the grounds and all was deadly silent. Lecarde was armed with two spears that had been strapped to his horse while Henry pulled his revolver and short sword.

"Carrie!" Henry called out.

"Be silent Lieutenant," Lecarde commanded, "let's not give away our position."

They opened the door silently and proceeded through the temple up the stairs to Richter's room. They saw it empty and the bed broken in half.

"Where are they?" Henry worried.

Lecarde studied the massive blood stains on the stone floor. "Something happened here. Let's check Sister Tera's room." As they went in they saw Richter lying besides her in the bed where a large crucifix hung over her bed.

"Mr. Belmont, Mr. Belmont," Lecarde nudged Richter.

"Water," Richter ordered.

"What has happened?" Lecarde asked giving him drink.

"No one fed me this morning, I should just die."

"What happened to the ladies, was Coller here?"

"He is dead, Hugh and Carrie destroyed him."

"You know of your great-grandson?"

"Yes, he has died because of me, as did Professor Vincent."

"The Professor?" Lecarde asked.

"Yes, an accident, but all will be finished here when Alucard arrives. Then your mission, cousin Lecarde, will be explained."

"Sure, is everyone well?" Henry asked.

"They were last night. Tera still breaths too."

"I will get you food, cousin," Lecarde said as he exited with Henry. "Find the others, Oldery. We must find out what the hell is going on. The Professor dead. Alucard? I am tempted to remove Rosa and Carrie out of here tonight and the hell with whip, Baldwin can have it."

"Not Carrie, she is my betroved now."

"Of course, but I am her kin now, I will make sure she gets back to the Schneider home where you can call upon her. Maybe I should just take the Vampire Killer from the old man."

"Well, regardless we will get out of here tonight. I must find Carrie."

The day dragged on but Henry was unable to find Carrie. He searched all over but began to panic. He checked the grounds and the stables. Although he grew fearful when he saw the pit where Coller was burned, he put his mind at ease when he examined the size of the large bones that still remained. Henry then decided to check the crypt where Shanoa had been mauled. He took a lantern and made his way down the stairs and into the cellar after the long tunnel. When spotting the fallen brick wall he moved in and saw an empty room with two columns.

"What is this?" He scanned the walls to see if any other passage could be discovered but he found none. He returned up out of the cellar and up the stairs to find Lecarde coming down.

"Did you find anyone?" Lecarde questioned.

"No, not Carrie, Rosa, or Baldwin," Henry said with panic. "Do you suppose that scoundrel took them? Is the whip still with Richter?"

"Yes, he has the Vampire Killer still so Hugh could not have left."

"Let us start a search of the grounds sweeping in opposite directions, its getting late. I must find Carrie."

The two went out of the temple when they saw Hugh approaching them.

"Don't fear gentlemen, I slain the monster," Hugh boasted.

"Where is Carrie?" Henry demanded.

"Lt. Oldery, I have not seen Miss Fernandez all day. I assumed she removed Vincent's body on her own though to the stables. He is dead you know."

"There is nobody in the stables."

"Well, I don't know then, cannot imagine she would burn it in the pit where I disposed of Coller."

"So that was what the ashes in the hole with the bones belonged to."

"What of Mrs. Schnedier?" Lecarde inquired.

"There maybe tragedy in that case," Hugh lamented. "She was distraught over her husband's death. She seemed to blame herself. She said she was a vampire and asked me to slay her. She may have been suicidal."

"And you lost sight of her, man?" Lecarde asked in disbelief.

"I was tired," Hugh explained, "I don't think she was really going to do it."

"What if she killed herself and Carrie," Henry speculated.

"Lets not jump to conclusion," Lecarde calmed him. "First, where the hell have you been, Baldwin?"

"Doing a public service in burning the remains of Sister Shanoa."

"That was my duty," Henry protested.

"You can dig her back up and bury her in Rome if you like, Oldrey," Hugh responded annoyed, "first grave freshly dug as you enter the main gate."

"What do you know about Professor Vincent's death?" Lecarde asked.

"Seems Alucard killed him according to the old man and the hysterical ladies."

"So that story was true, but can Alucard spread vampirism?" Henry asked.

"Maybe. Or maybe he wasn't Alucard," Lecarde stated with fear. "I now have a bad feeling about this Oldrey. Let us all spread out and search, one of us back to the graveyard."

"The graveyard is about three miles away Lecarde," Hugh informed them, "So I'll wait here inside the temple to see who shows."

"Fine, you do that. Oldrey, you search the grounds as you will. I will go to the graveyard. Be on extreme guard. We may have vampires to deal with."

Hugh returned inside the temple, while Henry and Lecarde went out to search. The sun was set and 20 minutes afterwards, a thunder storm came in. Henry took shelter in the stable.

"Damn it. Carrie where are you?" Henry took off his helmet throwing it against the wall. He unhooked his body armor and dropped it to the floor. He sat on a hay stack and put his hands in his face. "Carrie, let me find you."

Suddenly, from inside he heard a sweet voice call his name, "Henry."

He saw her dripping wet as lighting lit her body as she stood outside the rear entrance. He rushed to her pulling her in and closing the doors.

"You look exhausted, and pale, where were you?"

"I buried the Professor at the graveyard," Carrie said as Henry led her to sit down next to him in the hay.

"Really, Baldwin never helped you? He said you were taking the body here and he was at the graveyard burning Shanoa."

"No, he helped me but wanted me to offer payment for his assistance."

"What? Did he harm you?"

"No, Coller tore part of my dress yesterday, but Baldwin didn't touch me. I was tired and he left me out there."

"You are freezing Carrie," Henry said as he held her.

"Warm me Henry," she said as she began to kiss him and split open the tear exposing her flat belly, "take me here."

"Carrie, my love? Now?"

She got up boosting herself on his shoulders putting her bare toned navel in his face sliding down until her breasts rested upon his brow.

"I thought we were going to wait to do this again until I proved my commitment with marriage?"

"Prove it now, Henry," Carrie panted placing his hands on her butt. "This is what you wanted, I want it too." As he gave in she suddenly opened her mouth wide with large fangs biting into Henry's neck.

"Carrie!" Henry yelled as lighting muffled the impossible chance that anyone would have heard.

Hugh in the mean time was loitering in the main hall when he heard one knock on the temple door. He rushed down the stairs and opened the door where he saw a beautiful woman in a red dress and a veil over her head soaked in the rain.

"Rosa?" Hugh asked.

"No, Liz. Please help me, sir."

"What are you doing in this forsaken place alone? Quickly, come in."

"My coachman seemed to have died on the road of a heart attack and tipped it over. Fortunately, I found you in this strange place."

"Yes you did, my lady. You will have to stay here for the night. I can help you in the morning."

In the graveyard, Lecarde walked through the storm becoming drenched. He took cover aside a mausoleum.

"Damn, I'll have to head back," Lecarde commented to himself flipping a hood over his head.

"Let me send you on your way hunter," Vincent replied barreling into Lecarde. Lecarde stuck out his spear and Vincent grabbed it flinging him while he held on to it into a tomb stone where he slammed his head. Lecarde crawled dazed over to the entrance of the mausoleum.

"Where do you go, boy, you cannot escape me, I am the ultimate vampire with this knowledge of the ultimate vampire hunter."

"You were, or you still are?"

"I am always."

"Prove it. How would the ultimate vampire hunter handle your present situation?"

"I am the ultimate vampire hunter."

"Then the question becomes what would you do."

"Watch and learn as I destroy you."

"No, I mean as the ultimate vampire hunter. You cannot be the ultimate vampire hunter if simply becoming one costs you your ability to see your hunting through."

"Yes, I should have found a way to destroy myself by now."

"You have failed thus far."

"No, I was acting in what was my new nature."

"You must cease this, it is not becoming of an ultimate vampire hunter."

"But my theories, they must be supported with evidence. My actions now validate my theories."

"Then do a scientific experiment, test your ability to destroy the evil you have become."

"What?"

"Prove you have lost your soul and cannot fight the will of your new evil nature."

"Yes I must. You will publish my theory if the results prove me wrong. I must have my results printed in the circles of academia."

"Yes, of course, just spare me if you are right so I can publish it for you."

Vincent took an empty bottle and dunked it into the Holy Water at the entrance of the mausoleum and begun to poor it over his face. He screamed out in pain burning his face and blinding himself. Lecarde took the opportunity to rush upon him staking him through the heart with his spear. Vincent screamed in agony. Lecarde pushed deeper until the spear came out the other side of Vincent's chest. Vincent fell into the holy water fountain tipping the stone over spilling more water all over his body. He burned until his evil nature was gone.

"Thank you my boy, ask Reinhardt to forgive me for what I did to Carrie," Vincent spoke. His last words began to grieve Lecarde.

"What did you do to Carrie, Professor?" Lecarde cried. "If only I could ask Reinhardt to forgive you. But that will be up to you if your spirit can find his. Sleep well, I will find who did this to you and destroy him."

Lecarde stumbled out but felt his head get light. He had tunnel vision and felt he must have had a concussion. He began to stumble back to take cover from the storm so not to pass out in the grave yard. As he crawled back to the stone floor so not to collapse and take a further damaging fall. He looked at Vincent's body and blacked out.

Back in Ecclesia, Hugh led the stranded woman to the bed where he slept last night. He hoped in his heart that she would be less a lady when he brought her in the chamber.

"If that is all madam, I will bid you good night."

"Wait," she asked him. "Can you stay with me, I am afraid of the lightening."

"Of course, I can remain with you all night if you like, if you find it proper?"

"It is not, but I am afraid."

Hugh moved over a chair placing it by her bed to sit on. A lightning blot went off and she leaped at him.

"Nothing to be afraid of," Hugh said holding her.

"You being here is already improper so would you hold me in bed so I don't jump again, please."

"As you wish my lady."

"You are so strong," she said laying aside him with a hand and cheek on his chest.

"You are cold, Liz."

"Maybe you can do something about that."

"I'll see what comes up."

"What do you do?"

"I am a hunter."

"Of what?"

"All the things that could scare you in the night, but don't worry. I am the best and nothing in this realm will harm you tonight as long as you are with me."

Hugh began to slide his hang between her legs under her night gown and suddenly found it odd how cold she really was.

"Then this is where I will remain until the sun peaks over the mountains," she said looking into his eyes in the darkness as suddenly her eyes glowed red. Before Hugh could react, she was on his neck tearing in.

"Arrrrahhhhhh! Damn!" Hugh yelled and cursed, "Why do these things always happen to me?"

It was Countess Elizabeth Bartley, obviously, and no mercy would be shown to Hugh that night. She took every drop from him slowly for the next hour. When morning came Hugh was dead and Bartley was gone. Ecclesia was silent. Richter yelled from his bed unable to move.

"Water! Someone," he called out. He had barely half a small glass and he was so weak. He looked over to Tera and she still breathed. "We are going to die soon, Sister. If you can hear me, thank you for all you have done. Alucard is not coming back I suppose. The coward found out the truth and couldn't face it. I never knew myself until last week all these years. Hopefully, Lecarde shows up and takes the whip. If it kills him, we will have to take that chance. Hopefully he can find a true Belmont someday… Forgive me for getting you tied into this. You were with me, through this since the beginning. You were so dedicated to me. I shouldn't have left you open to such heart ache and what could never be. After Annette died I should have loved you myself if it would have grounded you to reality. Maybe it would have stabilized me too. But I never seen you that way. You were a true sister to me. And after you were in that presence… it was too late for your heart to love fully any man." He reached over and kissed her forehead. "Oh God, I didn't see what I had. I thought this whip was all that mattered. Now you have taken everything from me, left me alone to die. How I envy the youth. I long for nothing more than to be back in the 90s when I was young and had hope, and Annette. Leon, if only our clan stuck to winning the crusades and battling those of the satanic verses rather than those of the satanic legions." Richter drifted off into a deep sleep.

The hours of day light on the 28th of October were passing quickly. Lecarde finally came to. He was shaky and the three miles would take him an hour in his dazed condition. As he finally got to the temple the sun was already beginning to set. It was fortunate that he had finally come to getting some water out of the well.

"Oh Christ," Lecarde prayed, "let them still be alive." He entered into the temple and ran up the stairs to the room where Richter and Tera laid.

"Cousin," Richter greeted him. "This is it. I suspect there was a break out of vampirism, and the others turned out to be poor hunters most likely."

"No."

"You must take the Vampire Killer as the Church wanted all along. It may kill you however since you are not a true Belmont if you can even unlock its power. Still, hold it until you find a Belmont."

"What about you?"

"Any vampire will back off from me as long as I stay in bed under this cross for protection. I will protect her too."

"Maybe I should stay here too under the cross."

"Sorry cousin Lecarde, I would rather you die by the vampires then have to explain you to my peers as another Juste Belmont."

"What peers, you are dying old man?"

"Truth always gets out."

"Right, so it is death before dishonor. But who tells the story of another Desmond Belmont, anyway."

"You are a Lecarde, show courage, man. Besides, you are all that is left here. Make a stand. If you truly carry some of the same blood as Leon Belmont's father, you will find a way to succeed. If you run, they will still be out there spreading their curse to others and they will be emboldened to hunt you down and destroy you. Make the preemptive strike now."

"You are right cousin Belmont. I must make a stand. There cannot be that many of them. Carrie, probably Rosa, maybe Henry or Hugh, and the one who started this. Possibly Alucard?"

"You know cousin, I don't even know anymore."

"Well, I have the Vampire Killer, and even without extensive whip training, I can take them down with a few blows with this, correct?"

"I'll move over," Richter said sliding over in the bed.

Lecarde laughed.

"That's the spirit, lad," Richter encouraged him. "God's speed."

Lecarde went out of the room into the hall locking the door and proceed to creep around the stairs. The sun had now set. This was it. Lecarde was about to find out what out of the shadows awaited to face him. But after a few minutes, no creatures came out. He roamed the halls and went down the stairs but there was no one. He began to think maybe the Vampire Killer scared them off, so he walked into the living room where Vincent had been laid out two nights ago. Lecarde took a breather reclining on a love seat. Suddenly he saw a figure in the room standing at the bay window.

"Cousin," Carrie spoke gazing into his eyes as her dress and long black hair flowed blowing in the wind.

"Carrie? Did you make it? Where are the others?" Lecarde nervously asked praying that she had some how managed to emerge the last two days untainted by the curse and that Vincent's harm he spoke of was something trivial.

"We are all who remain, Cousin, all alone. Embrace me, I don't want to face what awaits us alone," Carrie spoke as she approached him.

Lecarde began to fear the worst as he started to become entranced by her.

"We may only have this one moment left," Carrie said grabbing Lecarde's hand and holding it between her chest. "From the moment I saw you, I wanted you," Carrie went on as Lecarde clenched the whip in his other hand trying to snap out of the moment. "I know you wanted me too; every man here lusted for my young suckle, able, and willing body. Come take me now, I'll let you taste all of it for yourself."

"Carrie my dear, I preferred your bronze look," Lecarde remarked. As Carrie reached for Lecarde's collar her hand burned on a scapular. Lecarde got to his feet and Carrie ran out of the living room.

"You degenerate!" Carrie yelled in pain. She went out into the main entrance of the temple where Lecarde followed and felt greater evil presence than just Carrie. He started to look in all directions while walking backwards up the stairs. He turned and noticed a figure at the top.

"Henry?" Lecarde asked as the figure raised a gun at him and fired. Lecarde jumped over the railing. Hanging by his hands over the side, another figure grabbed him by the leg and flung him off the railing 6 feet to the ground. It was Hugh who hissed at him, exposing his fangs and stabbed at Lecarde with his sword. Lecarde rolled away into the feet of Carrie. He flipped over his head and drew back the whip. Suddenly laughter came from atop the stairs. It was a woman. To Lecarde she looked like it could have been Rosa. but Lecarde could not tell for sure.

"There were two ways to make this hard on yourself, and you choose this one," the voice said laughing. "Now its over, just surrender the whip and save yourself the prolonged agony."

Hugh was suddenly behind striking at him and Lecarde side stepped but lost the whip as it slide to the front door. Lecarde had failed. There was no way he could win this battle. He was outnumbered at least four to one without his weapon of choice and made poor use of the Vampire Killer. Hugh and Henry closed in on him while the front door strangely opened behind Lecarde.

"Oh God," Lecarde cried out, "how much more of a disadvantage can I get?"

7