Chapter Nine: Shadows
Pain. All he could feel was white-hot agony, searing through him. He was standing in direct sunlight; a certain death-sentence for any vampire...and could just barely see the two Vampire Hunters standing there before him; holding Charlotte captive and making her watch his torment. The Hunters had forced the carriage to stop, intruded into the carriage itself, and grabbed Charlotte. Now they stood on the bridge that spanned the distance between a life of eternal loneliness, and freedom. And Meier knew he preferred the latter.
"I...will not...let you have her!" Meier gasped, from between gritted teeth, as he struggled forward; each step bringing its' own brand of intense pain. It was only added to when silver arrows imbedded themselves in his flesh, and he uttered a groan when some found their way into his legs, as well.
"Can't walk...Can't move...Is this the end for me?" Meier wondered, the pain of all his injuries almost forcing sobs from between his lips. With a grimace, he fell to his knees; his injured legs unable to hold him up anymore. He started when someone wrapped two arms around his neck, and knew that Charlotte had somehow broken free of the two Markus brothers and rushed to his side.
"I love you." Charlotte whispered, those words alone almost seeming like a soothing balm for the intense pain she knew Meier was feeling.
"I..." Meier struggled to say, through a throat that was burning as well.
"Shh. Don't speak. I know...and I can't go on without you." Charlotte whispered, tearfully, as she pulled one of the arrows from Meier's shoulder (getting a pained grunt from Meier as a result) and pointed it at her own throat; her eyes telling him that she was ready to die along with him.
"Borgoff, we should let 'er kill herself. We'll get the money, either way." Kyle reminded, as an almost sinister gleam appeared in Borgoff's eyes at that.
"Hey, you're right! Okay!" Borgoff agreed, before two things happened; Mashira roared into view, killing Kyle in one swipe, and the bright flash of a sword knocked all of Borgoff's arrows out of the air.
"D..." Meier wondered, before his vision cleared enough to see that it wasn't the Vampire Hunter that had done the deed, but the Hunter's son!
"The boy is going to be quite strong, when he's fully grown. Of that I have no doubt." Meier mused, then asked, "Why are you doing this? I thought you yourself were in this to take Charlotte back as well."
"It's like I told Miss Elbourne before; I can't deny what my eyes have seen. Just because my parents may have been sad and lonely for the rest of their lives, doesn't mean you two should be. Call it the last of my naivete, but I'd rather see at least somebody get a happy ending from this, than death...Especially when it comes to someone who has called himself my father's friend." Dirk declared, boldly, as he got on one side of Meier, and helped him limp back to the carriage.
"And yet, this boy's heart is too kind to be that of a Hunter. I can only wonder which parent he'd gotten it from..." Meier thought, listening vaguely as Mashira fought Borgoff Markus off, and giving the horses the mental command to get moving.
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"D, do you have any idea where the carriage is going?" Belladonna asked, a little while after they had picked up the trail of the carriage and started on their own hot pursuit.
"Yes...And I don't like it." D muttered, with only the barest hint of unease in his voice. Belladonna heard it clearly and knew of only one place that could evoke such a reaction in the normally stoic Vampire Hunter.
"It isn't...that castle, is it?" Belladonna again asked, her face paling when D somberly nodded.
"The Castle of Chaythe." D murmured; his eyes narrowing as he thought of the potential danger they would all face, once within its' walls.
"Yeah, we're getting close. Should almost be able to see it...the home of Carmilla, the Bloody Countess. For five thousand years her reign of terror lasted, and then that was that! The vampire king, Dracula, grew angry; he had become impatient with her vanity, and offended by her bloodlust and gluttony. He grew so tired of it, that he killed her while she slept; impaling her on a sword." Left said, as Belladonna shuddered at the thought.
"Then why's the place so dangerous, Lefty? There must be a reason that it has remained so for so long." Belladonna almost whispered; the history of the vampire castle chilling her soul to its' core.
"Her spirit haunts the place, along with phantoms and demons. It is, in no uncertain terms, cursed." Left replied.
"And we've sent Dirk right into the center of it..." Belladonna said, as dread and some fear entered her heart for the first time during the journey...and it was destined not to be the last.
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"Ouch...This is gonna leave a mark later." Dirk muttered, wincing as Charlotte dabbed at his shoulder with an alcohol-soaked cloth.
"I, also, have seen better days." Meier stated, agreeing wholeheartedly with Dirk, at that particular moment. The carriage was now well on its' way again, and the three people within it were resting up and taking care of the wounds from their most recent encounter with the Markus Clan.
"Thank you for helping us, Mr. Lang. It's most appreciated." Charlotte said, getting a look of almost chagrin from Dirk for that.
"Please, Miss Elbourne, call me Dirk. I'd rather be called that than by just my last name, any day!" Dirk said, getting amused laughter from both vampire and human.
"Then you have my permission to call me Charlotte! 'Miss Elbourne' sounds so stuffy!" Charlotte chirped; her airy voice a welcome sound to both of the men.
"And you may address me by my first name as well, Dirk." Meier added.
"Thanks." Dirk replied, glad that he could be a little more informal in the way he spoke to the pair. As comfortable silence settled on the trio, Dirk found himself wondering where they were headed.
"Mind if I ask you two something?" Dirk asked, after another long moment.
"Go ahead." Meier encouraged.
"Where are you two eloping to, anyway?" Dirk again asked. This got a sigh from Meier, and a wistful smile from Charlotte.
"The Castle of Chaythe is where we are going now. From there, we'll head to the City of the Night." Meier responded; sensing when some fear made itself known from the young quarter-vampire.
"And that place is the only way you know of to get from Point A to Point B?" Dirk asked, nervously.
"Unfortunately, yes. It is the only castle I am aware of that still has a workable starship..." Meier explained.
"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds..." Marv chimed in, getting a collective cringe out of the three that spoiled the moment beyond repair.
"Where's that spool of masking tape when I need it?" Dirk growled, giving the possessed sword a scathing glare as he put his shirt back on, and replaced his pendant back around his neck.
"I can only hope I'll be strong enough to handle whatever that castle throws at me." Dirk thought, grimly, as he put his cloak back on as well.
"I've got the sinking feeling that I'm gonna be in some pretty deep shit soon...Please hurry, Dad."
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Deep-seated anxiety had rooted itself firmly within D, as he and Belladonna finally got the castle within sight. Left, and even Belladonna, could sense it; D was beginning to show true parental worry for his son. Not only was the quarter-vampire now, potentially, within the haunted castle itself, the pair had also learned that it had been Carmilla, and not Meier Link, that had hired the Barbarois assassins; thanks to what Mashira had told him before the wounds D had given him in their brief altercation had done him in.
"The closer we get to that place, the less I like it." Belladonna muttered, and D could only agree.
"I got Dirk into this...And I hope I can get him out. Doris would never forgive me if something happened to our son...I know that much." D thought, as he determinedly pressed on.
"Don't you dare die on us in there, Dirk." Belladonna unknowingly added, feeling for her guns to reassure herself as they closed the distance between them and the shadow-cloaked building.
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Dirk looked around in wonder as he followed Meier and Charlotte out of the carriage and into the castle courtyard. All around him, he could clearly see the statuary of what appeared to be an ancient eighteenth century castle.
"Nice place...if you want to get the classic 'Bram Stoker' feel." Dirk thought, darkly.
"I see you have finally made it! Welcome!" a ghostly voice greeted, nearly making Dirk jump out of his skin.
"Greetings, Countess. Sorry to have kept you waiting." Meier said, gracefully, as the ghostly vampire countess approached, and smiled warmly at them.
"Think nothing of it! I gather from your letter that you have had a rather difficult time, and I think I can understand what it is like. Love isn't exactly unique to humans, you know. We vampires are also very susceptible." the countess amended.
"I'll bet." Dirk murmured; remembering only too clearly the love his mother had had for his father, and the moment of grief his father had shown, betraying his own feelings before his very perceptive son. D had loved Doris just as much, if not even more. For a moment, the countess shifted her gaze and blinked at the black-clad youth that stood alongside the couple.
"Who might you be? You're not young enough to be their son!" the countess stated, flinching when Meier tried to prevent himself from falling over in surprise. Dirk's expression deadpanned.
"I'm the chaperone." Dirk muttered; cringing when Meier finally fell face-first in the dirt. Charlotte, in the meantime, only blushed deeply. The countess chuckled, as Meier picked himself up and tried to salvage what was left of his dignity.
"Of course, now I see. What is your name and title, young one?" the countess asked, curiously.
"Dirk Lang, Werewolf Hunter." Dirk replied, purposefully leaving off the fact that he was an apprentice Vampire Hunter as well.
"I have heard much about you, young Hunter. Your reputation precedes you." the countess said, seeming to be quite surprised when Dirk politely bowed his head.
"I'm surprised any word about me has reached this area, milady, seeing that I have come from such a small town as Ransylva." Dirk replied, humbly.
"Indeed. In any case, I can only hope I can be of service to you two." the countess said, once again turning her attention to the eloping lovers. Meier in turn gave her a weary smile.
"We're very grateful, Carmilla." Meier said, not noticing when Dirk's stance went rigid.
"Carmilla?.! The Bloody Countess?.!.? Freakin' hell! How'd I forget such an important fact like that?.!" Dirk wondered, as he followed the pair and their ghostly guide into the castle, listening carefully as the conversation continued.
"You three must be exhausted. Perhaps you should rest first. I'm sure the young lady would like to freshen up." Carmilla stated, then added, "I'm quite certain you have all heard the rumors about me, but, I can assure you, they are just that. Rumors that were started out of envy and jealousy. I'm not the 'Bloody Carmilla' they like to portray me as."
"I'll bet..." Dirk mentally muttered, before Marv disrupted the conversation once again.
"I am the Eggman! They are the Eggmen! I am the Walrus! Googoogajoo...!" Marv sang, before Dirk's hands found themselves over his metal mouth.
"Quite the obnoxious one, that sword." Meier stated, dryly, as he gave the weapon what could only be his version of a deadpan look.
"You're tellin' me...One more word outta you, Marv, and I'm sendin' you to the Capital so they can dissect you and see how you work!" Dirk threatened. Marv immediately went silent.
"I have heard legends about singing swords...and this, most certainly, isn't one of those." Carmilla added.
"Got that right..." Dirk mumbled, with a blush of his own. Within moments, they had reached what appeared to be a huge window. And, just beyond that, stood an equally large, tubelike object.
"Whoa..." Dirk whispered, "Is that a ship?"
"It is indeed. It will take Lord Meier and his young lady to the city of the night where they can both live peacefully at long last. A place where they will both be happy. There was a time, long ago, when every castle had a ship like this, and the night sky was full of their flashing lights. Those were the days when vampires flourished, and a love like yours wasn't so desperately impossible. So very different from today...Now, our numbers are dwindling, and we are hunted and doomed to be alone. Hopelessly misunderstood...And yet, you two have beaten the odds. I am very, very happy for you both." Carmilla said, gently, then wistfully added, "This ship hasn't been used in years, though. I honestly don't know if it will even fly safely...But I am sure that it is a risk you are willing to take."
"We're truly very grateful, Countess Carmilla." Meier stated, gravely. This got what could only be called a sad smile from the ghostly countess.
"I only wish I could go with you." Carmilla sighed.
"Well, milady, not to sound rude or anything...but the old saying is, 'Two's company, three's a crowd'." Dirk said, as he tried to inch away from the group discreetly. Carmilla then gave him an almost mischievous smile.
"Then four means a double date!" Carmilla crooned; laughing softly when Dirk again blushed; his face turning even redder than it had before.
"Eheh...Don't think so, sorry! Let me...go find a nice spot to dig a hole for myself, okay?" Dirk muttered, turning and racing away from the group as he did that; getting soft laughter for his parting comment that was a much-needed relief from the stress Meier and Charlotte had been feeling up until this point.
"This proves, after all, that young Dirk still has some growing up to do. But with a father like D, he'll turn into a fine man...An honorable man...The likes of which is so rare, in this day and age." Meier mused, watching with almost a hint of pride as the youth disappeared from sight into one of the hallways; intent on either finding a place to recover his own dignity, or explore the castle in detail before Meier and Charlotte left the earth behind forever. It was an unfortunate fact that none of them had any idea of the sort of horrors coming their way...Horrors that could very well spell their doom within the shadowed halls of Castle Chaythe.
Author's Note!
Okay, not a whole lot of excitement in this chapter, but pretty much trying to build up to it. Wish me luck in the coming chapter, though!
Gemini14