Author's note: This is the second chapter, hope that all of you will enjoy. And I hope that for everyone interested to watch the 2 series Horseland and School for Vampires head to those 2 sites to view both them:
/ School for Vampires
/Cartoon/Horseland
_
Chapter 2 Meeting
Three days later both the horses and the riders from Horseland were on the first flight that goes directly to Munich in Germany. The flight itself was in all cases uneventful but it took them 10 hours till they crossed the ocean to reach Europe. It wasn't for many the first time they went to Europe since some of them traveled once to France. After the plane landed however the riders and the horses have to take another ride by the road to reach their destination that is close to where Molly's pen-pal lives. The riding complex however interconnected 3 roads that lead to 3 other towns aside from the city of Munich the capital of the region. Many had expectation in what they will do in those 20 days aside from training for the competition that was in 15 days some made plans to ride in the surrounding country side and this was the most appetizing for Noni, for the Cherokee girl this was the first time she was in a foreign country that was outside the Americas.
"The country side is really wonderful, no wonder there are many stories that are happening in the black forest. I wonder how it is in other parts of Europe." She said.
"Is this the first time you went in a foreign country?" Asked Alma who was near her.
"It is, Germany is the first country I see outside the Americas and I can tell Europe is really different from what we have, it is smaller than the US but it is way more animated in culture and architecture." Noni said while looking outside.
"Too bad you weren't in France." Chloe said she was staying near her sister who admires the view, the other Stilton noticing a castle on a mountain in the distance.
"Hey Molly isn't that the castle your pen-pal Sunshine told you about?" Zoe asked pointing outside and the others started to look at the castle while the Afro-American pulled out the photo.
"It really is, from the distance during the day, it doesn't look too scary." Molly said.
"We might see it scary pretty soon, it is almost dark." Sara said noticing that the sun was settling.
"Really wonder if there is a vampire in that castle." Chloe said gesturing with her hands as if imitating one.
"Highly unlikely." Will said smiling while the bus was still going on the road. Behind them was the trailer where the horses were staying and were also admiring the countryside.
"Really can't wait to be outside." Sunburst said while admiring the view it was a perfect landscape for calming and relaxing walks around the forest, both in the evening and during the day.
"You are not the only one if I manage to get a bit outside I will be most happy." Aztec said the Mustang out of everyone was the main horse who just wanted outside and while all the horses were enjoying the view Calypso was the only one who on seeing the castle was concerned.
"Calypso, what's the matter you seem concerned." Button asked.
"I am fine it is just…." She started while peeking at the castle in the distance.
"You are not happy of meeting Molly's pen-pal?" Scarlet asked.
"It isn't that. How could I put it, I am not feeling too comfortable with that castle in the distance. I know I have seen castles before while in France but this one gives me a sense of something unpleasant."
"Please don't tell us you believe in that stuff that there is a vampire living in that castle." Pepper asked.
"Well no I don't believe in that, it is just I simply don't like the castle it seems it might hold something, unpleasant there."
"Well it surely has seen better days, by how it looks." Chilly said.
"Calypso, you don't need to worry about that old castle. It is only abandoned." Scarlet said.
"Scarlet is right Calypso there is nothing to be worried about that castle, besides we might never have to go around it." Scarlet said while the three mares looked back at the castle on the mountain, although they see it that it doesn't present much of a threat, it had somehow an eerie aura.
It took another hour till they reached their final destination, that of the stables where a woman with short black hair Wilhelmina Von Orenburg came to greet them before presenting the accommodation center where they will be staying. After that the girls immediately went with their horses to the stables to spend some while it was still light outside. Near the stables was a girl with a Prussian blue riding uniform that was checking inventory on her clipboard, Molly immediately recognized her from the photo.
"Sunshine?" Molly asked and the girl moved her view in her direction.
"Molly!" She said going to her. "It is so nice to meet you at last."
"Feeling is the same I didn't expected that you will be here."
"It is a summer job that I took, gives me some opportunity to ride as well. Don't want to lay low when meeting you or your friends from Horseland on one side and on the other I do love animals a lot." She said smiling.
"I can see that." Molly said before Sara, Noni and Alma arrived as well.
"Hey, you must be Sunshine?" Sara said.
"I am and you must be Sara, Nani and Alma. I managed to learn all you names and the names of your horses you will ride. Frau Wilhelmina gave me the list with all the riders that will participate in the show. It is really great that all of you are here." Sunshine said showing the list on her clipboard.
"Pleasure is all ours amiga." Alma said while tying the bridles to the wooden pole near the barn like the others.
"So, what would you like to do now, you are the first team to arrive and the place will be quite deserted for at least 2 days." Sunshine said.
"Would you like a ride on Calypso?" Molly said.
"Sure let me just finish checking the list. You can take her to the training arena I will come shortly."
"By the way where is your friend Oskar I really wish to meet your mystery boy."Molly asked.
"He will arrive soon." Before hearing a blitz came luckily all the horses were tied to the pole and they only got a neigh out.
"What was that blitz?" Noni asked.
"Grandpa." Sunshine said angrily at a short older man with a grey moustache wearing a long robe and a tall hat.
"Sorry sweetheart, I just wanted to do a momentum of the occasion. One picture is for a vampire's eternity." He said while taking the picture with everyone in it smiling. "And at least I didn't forget the leans cap this time."
"Good to know. What brings you here Mr. Polidory?" Sara asked.
"Oh just waiting for my granddaughter to finish, night time is not a good time to be alone on the road, one never knows what kind of creature with fangs could be outside at this time in the forest." He said.
"Like bears and wolves?" Noni asked.
"Them, together with some others whom I will not mention. By the way weren't there suppose to be other 2 girls and 2 boys?"
"Chloe and Zoe are taking their horses from the car they will arrive shortly alongside Will and Bailey." Molly said.
"Call me when they arrive, I want to take another photo with the group." Polidory said taking the camera to go in the direction of his car.
"Your grandfather Sunshine is a bit weird, but he is nice." Molly said.
"He is, the only thing that makes him weird is that he believes that vampires are in the castle."
"Yet is it true that in the castle lives a real vampire?" Sara asked.
"No, it is just an old castle, maybe he believes that there are vampires because there are lots of bats living inside. Plus even we have our weirdoes, probably emos and Goths that could make some acting as if they are vampires." Sunshine said.
"Surely that is the case." Noni said.
_
In the meantime
Oskar in his bat form was flying in the air towards the stables that in a sense weren't that close to his school that was also his home on one hand and on the other a vampire's promise was in all cases sacred plus he really wished to try how horse riding was. Ever since Sunshine took this summer job he went to visit her and saw her riding he thought that maybe this could be a good opportunity to try it and also meet her pen-pal from America. However he was partially discovered of where he was going, good thing they don't think he was going to meet up or watch the local vampire hunter's granddaughter riding horses.
"Ohh, can't believe Lady Kryptina find out about where I was going and put all of us yesterday to go flying all the way here. And yet it builds some strength in the muscles." Oskar said before finally seeing the stable complex, he immediately went behind a bush to turn to his normal form for him to enter inside without looking suspicion. He noticed the bus and the trailer for the horses with the Horseland logo on it, from what looks like it was the only one that arrived.
"Really wonder where they are now." He said before turning around and stumbled into a boy at the age of 13 who was carrying some bags fell to the ground. The boy is wearing a dark sleeved shirt with sleeves rolled up has tan skin, dark blue eyes and dark brown long hair.
"Oh my, I am sorry I haven't seen you." Oskar said.
"No worry is all right." The boy said calmly trying to take the bags up.
"Here let me help you." Oskar said taking 2 bags to help the boy.
"Are you a rider here?" Asked the boy.
"Actually I have a friend who is working here, she told me that her pen-pal will arrive today and I came to meet her and her friends." He explained.
"Oh you must be Sunshine's friend isn't it?"
"Yes that's me; my name is Oskar by the way." He said extending his hand to shake his.
"I'm Bailey I was also about to go meet Sunshine as well, but as you can see I am a bit weighted down." He said smiling.
"Those bags aren't all yours isn't it?" Oskar asked.
"No most of them belong to the girls; they are with their horses getting them to the stables while my dad and my cousin Will are talking with the administrator." Bailey said taking some other bags up.
"Maybe you would need a hand; I can help you with that if you want."
"Sure take some of those bags and follow me." Bailey said and Oskar complied taking some of the bags before another a blond boy the age of 15 came.
"Hey Bailey sorry it took long." He said.
"No worries Will, by the way this is Oskar, Sunshine's friend." Bailey said presenting the deathly pale boy.
"Nice to meet you Oskar." he said taking one bag he had before taking another 3.
"Pleasure is mine Will. Boy to whom those bags belong, is riding equipment so heavy?" Oskar complained.
"No it is not. Those bags belong to Chloe you will meet them soon alongside her sister Zoe." Will said explained while walking towards apartments. In the meantime Sunshine managed to finish all her work and was able to start riding for a bit inside the arena, Since she managed to ride and learn basics she was able to ride to trap without Molly having to hold the bridles she was of course staying in the arena nearby looking alongside her friends including the twins who just arrived.
"You know, looking in the distance the castle really looks creepy during the night." Zoe commented.
"No wonder you grandfather thinks there might be a vampire living in there if he leaved all his life in its shadow." Chloe said.
"I mostly don't mind paying attention to the castle, however I do admit that I agree with him, the night could really be spooky and who knows what kind of people move around, but there were mostly no incidents." She explained.
"Glad to hear, but you know I wonder how the castle is up close." Sara said making Calypso a bit nervous now.
"You might see soon, of course it is better during the day."
"It is funny that your grandfather thinks there is a vampire there since Romania is declared their realm." Alma said.
"It surely is, but I believe vampires there are as real as they are here, close to none, but of course I will not say that around you grandfather." Noni said.
"I am glad to hear that." Sunshine said.
_
In the meantime the 3 boys had managed to get all the bags inside the rooms the last ones that they had to bring were the ones destined for Will and Bailey. For the moment all 3 were taking a break before heading to meet up with the others.
"Those bags really were heavy." Oskar said sitting on a bed.
"I know the ones from Chloe and Zoe were the heaviest."
"But what do they got in there?"
"Better not to know Oskar." Bailey asked while his cousin was looking in the distance towards the castle.
"By the way Oskar, I wish to ask, what do you know about the castle in the mountain? Sunshine wrote to Molly that her grandfather believes a vampire lives in there." Will said, which made the boy stunned and to get stressed up on how to explain "However it is highly unlikely, but what do you know about it?" The boy inhaled in relief and started to think of what to say.
"Well the castle is primarily old, and with the vampire thing it is home to hundreds of bats."
"Bats don't attack if they are not provoked." Bailey said.
"B-but aside from that, around it there lives a giant wolf that I hear sometimes at night when I am going outside."
"A wolf?" Will asked confused.
"Well, yeah it is one who is a leader of an entire group, how is it called."
"A pack?" Bailey asked.
"Yes, a pack, which has its territory around the castle, and mostly comes out at night but in the rest things are usually fine if you don't get too close to the castle." Oskar explained with a bit of stress hoping they buy it.
"It isn't something we would do, especially if there is a whole wolf pack there." Will said.
"Glad to know." Oskar said in relief.
"By the way shouldn't we go and meet up with the rest." Bailey said.
"Yeah let's go." Oskar said and the boys left the room to go to the arena.
_
"You know Sunshine, I really wonder, why your friend wanted to stay at school during the summer vacation." Chloe asked while Sunshine dismounted.
"He didn't told me the reason actually." Sunshine said before noticing her friend in the distance with other 2 boys.
"Here, there he is." Sunshine said and the rest turned around to see Bailey and Will with a deathly paled boy around their age in the middle.
"Hey." He said shyly.
"Oskar I am glad you arrive." Sunshine said.
"I promised I would come and here I am." He said smiling not showing his teeth.
"Hey Oskar I am Molly." Said the afro-American before turning to the others " This is Sara, Alma, Noni and the twins Chloe and Zoe."
"Hey there." Sara said.
"Nice to meet you." Noni said.
"Pleasure, is all my." Oskar said smiling not paying attention to the horses that were looking at him.
"He seems like a nice boy." Scarlet said.
"Too bad he didn't ride before." Commented Chilly.
"It isn't as if he will ride on you Chilly." Calypso said.
"And yet it seems there is something….off about him." Pepper said while looking at him with suspicion.
"Pepper you say that to almost every time a new person no matter horse or human." Aztec said.
"I am telling you, there is something off about him. I mean I never saw a human with a skin as pale as his."
"She might have a point he does seem off." Chilli said.
"Come on you two, there is surely nothing to worry about him." Calypso said.
"Really, you who didn't liked the castle when we came here." Pepper said before Molly got Calypso by the bridle for Oskar to mount up, the once he was in the saddle he felt a weird experience that was totally new for him.
"You don't need to be scared Oskar, riding is very fun." Molly said.
"I don't say it isn't." Oskar said fixing the riding helmet on his head.
"First time on a horse?" Zoe asked.
"Unfortunately yes, I never got to ride until now, wasn't around big animals in general actually." Oskar said stressed a bit.
"It is the same for everyone who does it the first time, don't worry. You will get used to after you start." Will said before Molly made a sound for Calypso to go on pace around the arena while Oskar was holding the reins, although he didn't rode before he watched to see how he should do while on a horse. It took him only 5 minutes to get adjusted, and already is feeling very relaxed when on a horse and in a sense he started to enjoy it a lot remembering something he read about riding.
'No wonder humans use them for therapy and riding competition, it is much more enjoying and relaxing.' He thought to himself, knowing that in the case of vampires they have to enjoy stuff like scaring animals, not that much riding horses.
"Got used to?" Molly asked.
"Yeah, really very enjoying and relaxing, then to what I am used to." He whispered the last part.
"So we heard you go to a boarding school nearby. How is it there?" Zoe asked.
"Ohh well, it's the usually stuff for every school mostly with the exception that rules are very strict, but me and my friend manage to pass the dullness of time in lots of ways." Oskar said with a stressed smile not wanting to tell in what ways.
"Wonderful, yet I wish to know why your skin is so pale. It looks like you don't go outside that much." Sara said making the boy stressed.
"Well, like I said the rules are usually strict, and we aren't that much allowed to go outside especially during the day. Not to mention that my skin is quite sensitive to sunlight, not enjoying it that much."
"Maybe, but you know a small tan wouldn't kill anyone." Chloe said smirking.
"It wouldn't." He said before whispering "but some turn to ash."
"Even with that I hope the school lets you in the weekend when the show starts." Sunshine said.
"We will be allowed and due to the fact that part of it is in the evening there will be no problem."
"I still don't know why they put it in the evening; they could put it in the afternoon." Noni said.
"I don't think there is something weird, I heard many competitions are holding in the evenings in Berlin, Munich or other cities when important riding competitions are held. By the way Sunshine how many people will there be?"
"From what I know many are from our town, alongside others from the surrounding."
"Probably, they put it in the evening for the spectators to arrive." Oskar said before hearing the clock sounding it meant it could be late in the evening but not too late for other people he knew to find out he is absent, the boy then pulled the reins to stop Calypso.
"Could you tell what time is it?"
"Nine o'clock, why?" Molly said looking at her watch.
"Nine o'clock, oh my, I will be late." Oskar said dismounting quickly and getting the helmet off.
"Hey but what is the problem?" Alma asked.
"I-it's the curfew, if I don't get there on time I am in trouble." Oskar said.
"Come on Oskar, it isn't as if you will be in boiling water with the head of your school." Molly said.
"Actually that's the main problem, the headmaster is my uncle." Oskar said in a panic jumping the fence before running as fast as he could to the exit.
"His uncle is the headmaster of the school?" Molly asked.
"He never told me that, well actually I never asked him, he told me once however that he lives with his uncle and is afraid to not disappoint him. He isn't speaking too much about his uncle actually." Sunshine said.
"By how he ran away I guess that having his uncle as the headmaster of one of the strictest boarding schools, he must be afraid of him or something." Zoe said.
"Who wouldn't be." Bailey said shivering a bit not wanting to imagine their relationship.
"Come on I am sure his uncle couldn't be that bad. I mean no one has a heart made of stone." Sara said not knowing that Oskar had eavesdropped on them and he was feeling in a sense bad all of them are nice people and friends with Sunshine which makes them indirectly his friends as well, the only thing he could do is to try to prevent something happening to them or their horses. He immediately turned into a bat ready to leave before noticing a stack of brochures on riding and immediately took one alongside a pamphlet about the competition and immediately flew away, passing the group just after they lead their horses in the stables. That ones that were out were Will and Zoe who noticed him in a bat form.
"Sure lots of bats here." Will said.
"Ohh, I don't like bats." Zoe said.
"Well I better leave, see you all tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow Sunshine." Molly said while the local girl left and the group was preparing to go for night of sleep. Inside the barn the horses were also prepared for the night.
"At last we can sleep." Pepper said ready to go to sleep before Chili felt a slight smell coming a window and he noticed a stash of garlic hanging.
"It seems Sunshine's grandfather left us a souvenir." Chili said not very happy.
"Boy, he really thinks vampires are around." Aztec said.
"If they do exist a small kick and they should run away." Chili said in a confident manner.
_
In the meantime
Oskar had flew all the way to the castle without any interruption reaching the courtyard he immediately turned back to his normal form and hide both the brochure and pamphlet in his coat. He was in all senses tired from the flying he had done thus far.
"Oh, really was tiring all the flying but at least no one saw I was gone." Oskar said resting for a bit.
"Oskar, where have you been?" The teenage vampire turned around to meet eye to eye with one of his teachers Lady Kryptina and she wasn't alone his friend Gothetta Gothetticus was behind her tending to her plants noticing the situation.
"Just, evening flying Lady Kryptina." Oskar said stressed.
"Hmm, from how you look it is almost like you had made a flapping marathon. Were you again at the stables?" Lady Kryptina asked with a smile.
"It became like a happy place."
"Well from what I can tell flying there and back is really a wonderful distance for a flapping marathon, as for the horses, a small race to beat their speed limit is also a wonderful exercise. Keep it on." She said before leaving while the boy exhaled in relief.
"So, care to tell what the reason was for your leave Oskar?" Gothetta asked.
"Just wanting to look how things are there."
"Please, Oskar I know you are visiting you mortal friend Sunshine in the evenings at work there, plus I never saw you scaring horses when I went to see where are you going." She said.
"Ohh right I admit that." He said walking inside.
"But in my defense I am looking forward to see the horse riding show." He said taking out the pamphlet to look in it.
"I heard it will be great, show jumping, cross-country race, obstacle race, dressage. I heard from uncle that those events were very popular during his younger days." Oskar said.
"I don't say they might not be, however I did noticed that there might be another reason for it." The vampire girl said pulling out a picture with the whole group from Horseland.
"Sunshine's pen-pal and her friends, you probably went there to meet them."
"Oh, ok that is also a reason. But listen all of them are nice people besides their horses are wonderful when Molly let me rode on one I felt very relaxed it is no wonder they use them as a therapy sometimes for both socialization as well as other things, besides they will only stay here for 20 days."
"Ohhh, listen Oskar the only thing I am trying to tell you is only to be careful, my only concern is only with Polidori's granddaughter as for her pen-pal and the others I have no concern, except for the possibility to somehow they by any chance discover what you are." Gothetta said.
"No they will not suspect a thing at all, everything will be fine. Aside from that I am more afraid for the horses."
"Oskar, nothing will happen to them, or their riders the only way for that to happen is only if someone else might try to harm them, or if something unexpected will be set up." She said.
In the meantime in the office of the headmaster, Count Alaric von Horrificus a tall, slim vampire with sharp facial features, long brown hair and moustache wearing a long trench coat and top hat was looking through the mail. Even for a vampire, administrative and organization of paper work was always dull activity the letters were coming a variety of ways, some of them were normal letters, but sometimes there were case that of others that happen to be much more interesting. But for the moment it didn't seemed so.
"The dullness of doing paper work, what an activity." Said the count said before the Professor Oxblood who had a big resemblance to count Orlock from Nosferatu came in.
"Ahh professor, what might be the pleasure?" The count said.
"I only came to see how things are, your lordship." Said Oxblood.
"For the moment nothing too important." Said the count before noticing a red envelope under the papers, the blood red wax seal showed it was from the ministry of vampire education or more specifically from Dr. Ironfang.
"Hmm." The count said rubbing his moustache before opening the letter to read and it was something he didn't expected.
"What might be the problem?"
"It seems Dr. Ironfang had convinced the Vampire Council that human events should be used by vampire schools to teach the students the art of scaring humans." The count said not too excited.
"We need to know what kind of human event we could use." The professor said.
"Problem is that today, humans are very hard to scare. Not to mention the fact that despite our efforts the students don't seem too great at this subject on one side. On the other we need to find what kind of competition to use." Said the count thinking while looking in the horizon where aside from the town he could see far in the distance the stable complex.
"Hmm, bring Lady Kryptina, I believe a small field trip at the stables tomorrow for a little practice will do for now, scaring some of the horses and then probably whoever comes out will do for when the test must come." Said the count before moving towards the door with Oxblood, before even touching the handler the door opened and the janitor of the school, Lenny came in with another letter.
"Your fangliness we got another letter."
"Not now Lenny put it on my desk." He ordered and Lenny obeyed however when the door closed Lenny looked at the letter with concern. The envelope of this letter was black sealed with black wax with the insignia of the council, in the vampire world this kind of letter with either red or black envelope, if the seal on it was black it meant one thing, a warning. But even with that concern he didn't wanted to disobey count von Horrificus so he placed the letter on a small pile of white paper in the middle of the desk so it will be catching to the eye and the count would notice immediately.
"Oh I wonder what bad thing could come." Lenny said he been the only one between the grownups knowing about Oskar's human friendships he will surely have to inform him after the content of the letter will be known, especially if it will be a danger for either Sunshine or that team from America.
_
Author's note: Chapter 3 will come out, eventually, when I will have enough time to write. And the characters in the School for Vampires are the same age as the team from Horseland including Sunshine.