CHAPTER FOUR:
A Close Call and a Gentle Touch
"I think Olrox has better taste in interior decor than Dracula does," Maria commented as she followed Wolf up several flights of stairs. Green-gloved skeletons watched boredly while leaning against the wall. "It's rather nice in here."
Wolf laughed. "Maybe you should tell him that, I'm sure he'd appreciate the compliment."
"I don't want to give him a big head," Maria joked. She looked around as they walked through a long hall. Two huge men or monsters in armor stared at them, unmoving. She shifted her gaze. "How far is it to the cells?" She asked, shuddering. Olrox's quarters were beautiful, but they gave her chills. She could faintly hear the big clock ticking far below them.
"Just a little bit more," Wolf said, helping her up onto a platform. They walked down another hall, and Maria began to think that they were lost. She said so.
"No, no, we aren't lost," Wolf assured her. He slowed, then stopped and looked at her. "Why do you say that?" He lowered his voice. "Are you scared?"
Maria swallowed and nodded. "A little," She said softly. "This place gives me chills..."
Wolf put an arm around her to comfort her. "It's alright," He said in her ear, pulling her closer. "It's only a draft form the courtyard."
Maria drew a shaky breath, calmed somewhat by the feel of Wolf's warm breath on her face. She felt his lips brush against her ear gently, then he was pulling away. "I'll give you my coat," He said, pulling the faded black thing off of him. Underneath he was wearing a black shirt, plain, no ruffles. He didn't look wealthy enough to have those sorts of things, and if he really had been in the castle for hundreds of years, he certainly wouldn't be wearing the latest fashions. With a nod, he slipped the coat over her shoulders. It was warm, like he was, and Maria's mind strayed from her fears.
"Thank you," She smiled. "I feel a lot warmer now."
Wolf chuckled. "You're welcome." He walked to the end of the hall, a few feet away. "There's a hole in the floor here," He said, gesturing to a pit that dropped down into blackness. "I'll go down first, and then you can jump down after."
"You want me to jump down into that hole?!" Maria exclaimed, horrified. "But--"
"I'll catch you," Wolf interrupted coolly. "Don't worry. I won't let you get hurt." He touched her hand, then leapt down into the hole. Maria gasped and leaned forward to watch him. He landed safely a few yards below. When he looked up and saw her, he smiled. "It's alright," He called up to her. "Come on down. Just close your eyes and jump!"
Maria tried to steel her nerves and jump down to Wolf, but she was too afraid. "I-- I can't!" She shook her head. "I can't do it."
Wolf held out his arms. "Come on, Maria. Come down so we can go find Richter." His voice was soft and welcoming.
Maria swallowed hard. Find Richter... And then... She shut her eyes tight and jumped feet first into the hole with a yelp. She fell for a terrifying two seconds, then Wolf caught her and held her close. "It wasn't so bad," He said, setting her down. "Though you-- um--" He looked away.
Maria pulled down her skirt, blushing. "So-- down into the courtyard, right?"
Wolf nodded. "Right. There should be some stairs over--" He stopped cold, standing in front of the remains of an ancient stairway. Beyond it stretched a long empty space. For the first time, he seemed shaken. "I guess I haven't been to this part of the castle in a while," He said, turning to face her. "We can't get to the cells unless we go down to the courtyard first."
"Isn't there another way?" Maria asked, her voice trembling. They had been so close-- so close!
Wolf shook his head. "No." He sat down on the ground, thinking. Maria sat with him. Time passed in uneasy silence, then suddenly Wolf looked up. "We can jump again."
"Are you crazy?! That has to be a two hundred foot drop!" Maria peeked over the edge of the crumbled stairs. The sheer height made her dizzy.
Wolf came to look with her. "Do you see the fountain down there?" He pointed. "If we jump and land in that, we'll be fine. Especially if I take the landing first." He looked at her. "You don't have to jump alone this time. I'll be holding onto you the whole time, and you'll be perfectly safe. Alright?"
"Alright," Maria said shakily. She crawled over to Wolf, who wrapped his arms around her and brushed his lips against her cheek.
"Ready?" He asked. "Okay. Close your eyes!" And he jumped, holding Maria tight to him.
They fell for what seemed like forever, Wolf going first, careful to hold Maria on top of him. Somewhere in his mind he was worried that the fragile Maria would die of fright before they reached their destination, but he was mainly concentrating on landing them in the fountain. Both their lives were at stake in this jump. He considered briefly praying to Satan, then decided that it probably wouldn't do much good, seeing as the Prince of Darkness would most likely enjoy watching them fall to their deaths. Cold air rushed past them almost endlessly, then abruptly Wolf smelled water and they plunged into the icy fountain.
After floundering around under the surface for a few seconds, Wolf kicked up to the surface, pulling Maria's limp form up with him. Their heads broke the surface and Wolf gasped for air. Maria did not.
"Maria?" Wolf shouted over the roar of the fountain. "Maria!" He shook her, alarmed. Such a waste to have come so far, only to have the stupid bitch die now--! He pressed his lips to hers, forcing air into her lungs.
Maria sputtered, then coughed up water and gasped. Her eyes flew open, and she clutched at his soaked shirt, coughing. "Wolf," She gasped, clinging to him.
"Maria, are you all right?!" Wolf exclaimed, trying his best to sound worried and not irritated. "I-- thought--" That he would have to eat her cold.
"I'm all right," Maria said quickly. "But the water is so cold!"
"Let's get you somewhere dry," Wolf said, climbing out of the fountain and then helping her out. "What happened to you?"
Maria was ringing out her skirt as best she could, showing off more of her shapely legs. Wolf looked on appreciatively. "I don't know-- I remember falling, and being so scared-- I must have fainted."
Wolf tried not to roll his eyes. How typical. "Well I'm glad you're all-- Maria! Look out!!"
Maria whirled around just in time to be knocked over backwards by a headless knight riding half a bloody horse. The horse's hooves came dangerously close to crushing her fragile bones before it shot past her prone body. Wolf leapt into the fountain, out of the way. He watched as the knight wheeled his horse around to try and kill Maria again, and thought he'd better get her out of the way before the dumb thing ruined his meal. He growled, his eyes swiftly changing color, and lunged at the knight's back. His claws and momentum were enough to pierce the thing's armor and kill it. It and it's horse flew forward, over Maria, and burst into flames. He landed in the middle of the inferno, unharmed, as the flames died. After waiting a moment for his eyes to change back to their original color, he turned to help Maria.
She was curled up on the ground, shaking. Wolf knelt next to her and nudged her. She looked up at him, her face deathly pale, and immediately burst into tears. Wolf sighed and helped her to sit up, then wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. "You're okay," He whispered. "I killed it, it's gone." He looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry. Those things-- they're just dumb, they don't know to stay away."
"I thought I was going to die," Maria whispered, almost inaudibly.
Wolf started as she threw her arms around his neck, sobbing. With a smile, he ran his fingers through her silky hair. "Don't waste your tears here," He thought gleefully. "There'll be plenty of other things to weep over." Aloud, he whispered, "I'll always be here to protect you."
"Wolf, I--"
"Shh." He stood up and then extended a hand to her. "Come on. The cells are that way."
Maria stood, still gazing at him. Her eyes sparkled with tears and emotion. "Thank you for saving me," She said quietly.
Wolf smiled at her, then took her hand and started towards a wooden door at the far end of the courtyard. Behind them, the water in the fountain slowly turned into flowing red blood.
"Do you really think we'll find Richter in these cells?" Maria asked, wiping tears from her face.
Wolf nodded. "If Dracula really kidnapped him, where else would he be? There aren't many places you can keep a master vampire hunter."
They went up the stairs into the dungeon, where a long line cells was carved into the stone wall. Many of the cell doors were falling apart, a few of them looked like they had been chewed through. Maria scanned each and every one, and when they were halfway down the hall, she started to shout Richter's name, in hopes of hearing him call back to her. She heard nothing but the shuffling of zombie feet and the groans of the monsters that watched them pass. As they neared the end of the hall, she felt a tear roll down her cheek. Wolf slipped his arm around her shoulder. "Oh, Maria," He said softly, "I'm so sorry... But this is a large castle, he could be lots of other places."
Maria choked on a sob. "B-but I was so hoping to find him here," She sniffled. "And we came all this way..."
Wolf held her close and slid his hand down to her lower back, closing his eyes and brushing his lips against her cheek. "I'm sorry I got your hopes so high," He said in her ear. "Let me make it up to you."
Maria looked up at him, her face tearstained, her hair wet and clinging to her shoulders, her clothes also clinging to her in most interesting ways. Wolf lifted her chin and pulled her closer, then kissed her. He could feel her heart beating, sense her warm blood pulsing through every vein in her body, her soft skin yielding to his touch. Her lips felt like they were formed to fit his, and seemed to welcome the touch of his tongue. After a heated moment, he pulled away. "Maria," He breathed, "I love you."
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GASP! Dun dun DUN!! Give me reviews, I live on reviews, I must have reviews, gasp sob... give them to meeeeeee....
-- Samalander
A Close Call and a Gentle Touch
"I think Olrox has better taste in interior decor than Dracula does," Maria commented as she followed Wolf up several flights of stairs. Green-gloved skeletons watched boredly while leaning against the wall. "It's rather nice in here."
Wolf laughed. "Maybe you should tell him that, I'm sure he'd appreciate the compliment."
"I don't want to give him a big head," Maria joked. She looked around as they walked through a long hall. Two huge men or monsters in armor stared at them, unmoving. She shifted her gaze. "How far is it to the cells?" She asked, shuddering. Olrox's quarters were beautiful, but they gave her chills. She could faintly hear the big clock ticking far below them.
"Just a little bit more," Wolf said, helping her up onto a platform. They walked down another hall, and Maria began to think that they were lost. She said so.
"No, no, we aren't lost," Wolf assured her. He slowed, then stopped and looked at her. "Why do you say that?" He lowered his voice. "Are you scared?"
Maria swallowed and nodded. "A little," She said softly. "This place gives me chills..."
Wolf put an arm around her to comfort her. "It's alright," He said in her ear, pulling her closer. "It's only a draft form the courtyard."
Maria drew a shaky breath, calmed somewhat by the feel of Wolf's warm breath on her face. She felt his lips brush against her ear gently, then he was pulling away. "I'll give you my coat," He said, pulling the faded black thing off of him. Underneath he was wearing a black shirt, plain, no ruffles. He didn't look wealthy enough to have those sorts of things, and if he really had been in the castle for hundreds of years, he certainly wouldn't be wearing the latest fashions. With a nod, he slipped the coat over her shoulders. It was warm, like he was, and Maria's mind strayed from her fears.
"Thank you," She smiled. "I feel a lot warmer now."
Wolf chuckled. "You're welcome." He walked to the end of the hall, a few feet away. "There's a hole in the floor here," He said, gesturing to a pit that dropped down into blackness. "I'll go down first, and then you can jump down after."
"You want me to jump down into that hole?!" Maria exclaimed, horrified. "But--"
"I'll catch you," Wolf interrupted coolly. "Don't worry. I won't let you get hurt." He touched her hand, then leapt down into the hole. Maria gasped and leaned forward to watch him. He landed safely a few yards below. When he looked up and saw her, he smiled. "It's alright," He called up to her. "Come on down. Just close your eyes and jump!"
Maria tried to steel her nerves and jump down to Wolf, but she was too afraid. "I-- I can't!" She shook her head. "I can't do it."
Wolf held out his arms. "Come on, Maria. Come down so we can go find Richter." His voice was soft and welcoming.
Maria swallowed hard. Find Richter... And then... She shut her eyes tight and jumped feet first into the hole with a yelp. She fell for a terrifying two seconds, then Wolf caught her and held her close. "It wasn't so bad," He said, setting her down. "Though you-- um--" He looked away.
Maria pulled down her skirt, blushing. "So-- down into the courtyard, right?"
Wolf nodded. "Right. There should be some stairs over--" He stopped cold, standing in front of the remains of an ancient stairway. Beyond it stretched a long empty space. For the first time, he seemed shaken. "I guess I haven't been to this part of the castle in a while," He said, turning to face her. "We can't get to the cells unless we go down to the courtyard first."
"Isn't there another way?" Maria asked, her voice trembling. They had been so close-- so close!
Wolf shook his head. "No." He sat down on the ground, thinking. Maria sat with him. Time passed in uneasy silence, then suddenly Wolf looked up. "We can jump again."
"Are you crazy?! That has to be a two hundred foot drop!" Maria peeked over the edge of the crumbled stairs. The sheer height made her dizzy.
Wolf came to look with her. "Do you see the fountain down there?" He pointed. "If we jump and land in that, we'll be fine. Especially if I take the landing first." He looked at her. "You don't have to jump alone this time. I'll be holding onto you the whole time, and you'll be perfectly safe. Alright?"
"Alright," Maria said shakily. She crawled over to Wolf, who wrapped his arms around her and brushed his lips against her cheek.
"Ready?" He asked. "Okay. Close your eyes!" And he jumped, holding Maria tight to him.
They fell for what seemed like forever, Wolf going first, careful to hold Maria on top of him. Somewhere in his mind he was worried that the fragile Maria would die of fright before they reached their destination, but he was mainly concentrating on landing them in the fountain. Both their lives were at stake in this jump. He considered briefly praying to Satan, then decided that it probably wouldn't do much good, seeing as the Prince of Darkness would most likely enjoy watching them fall to their deaths. Cold air rushed past them almost endlessly, then abruptly Wolf smelled water and they plunged into the icy fountain.
After floundering around under the surface for a few seconds, Wolf kicked up to the surface, pulling Maria's limp form up with him. Their heads broke the surface and Wolf gasped for air. Maria did not.
"Maria?" Wolf shouted over the roar of the fountain. "Maria!" He shook her, alarmed. Such a waste to have come so far, only to have the stupid bitch die now--! He pressed his lips to hers, forcing air into her lungs.
Maria sputtered, then coughed up water and gasped. Her eyes flew open, and she clutched at his soaked shirt, coughing. "Wolf," She gasped, clinging to him.
"Maria, are you all right?!" Wolf exclaimed, trying his best to sound worried and not irritated. "I-- thought--" That he would have to eat her cold.
"I'm all right," Maria said quickly. "But the water is so cold!"
"Let's get you somewhere dry," Wolf said, climbing out of the fountain and then helping her out. "What happened to you?"
Maria was ringing out her skirt as best she could, showing off more of her shapely legs. Wolf looked on appreciatively. "I don't know-- I remember falling, and being so scared-- I must have fainted."
Wolf tried not to roll his eyes. How typical. "Well I'm glad you're all-- Maria! Look out!!"
Maria whirled around just in time to be knocked over backwards by a headless knight riding half a bloody horse. The horse's hooves came dangerously close to crushing her fragile bones before it shot past her prone body. Wolf leapt into the fountain, out of the way. He watched as the knight wheeled his horse around to try and kill Maria again, and thought he'd better get her out of the way before the dumb thing ruined his meal. He growled, his eyes swiftly changing color, and lunged at the knight's back. His claws and momentum were enough to pierce the thing's armor and kill it. It and it's horse flew forward, over Maria, and burst into flames. He landed in the middle of the inferno, unharmed, as the flames died. After waiting a moment for his eyes to change back to their original color, he turned to help Maria.
She was curled up on the ground, shaking. Wolf knelt next to her and nudged her. She looked up at him, her face deathly pale, and immediately burst into tears. Wolf sighed and helped her to sit up, then wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. "You're okay," He whispered. "I killed it, it's gone." He looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry. Those things-- they're just dumb, they don't know to stay away."
"I thought I was going to die," Maria whispered, almost inaudibly.
Wolf started as she threw her arms around his neck, sobbing. With a smile, he ran his fingers through her silky hair. "Don't waste your tears here," He thought gleefully. "There'll be plenty of other things to weep over." Aloud, he whispered, "I'll always be here to protect you."
"Wolf, I--"
"Shh." He stood up and then extended a hand to her. "Come on. The cells are that way."
Maria stood, still gazing at him. Her eyes sparkled with tears and emotion. "Thank you for saving me," She said quietly.
Wolf smiled at her, then took her hand and started towards a wooden door at the far end of the courtyard. Behind them, the water in the fountain slowly turned into flowing red blood.
"Do you really think we'll find Richter in these cells?" Maria asked, wiping tears from her face.
Wolf nodded. "If Dracula really kidnapped him, where else would he be? There aren't many places you can keep a master vampire hunter."
They went up the stairs into the dungeon, where a long line cells was carved into the stone wall. Many of the cell doors were falling apart, a few of them looked like they had been chewed through. Maria scanned each and every one, and when they were halfway down the hall, she started to shout Richter's name, in hopes of hearing him call back to her. She heard nothing but the shuffling of zombie feet and the groans of the monsters that watched them pass. As they neared the end of the hall, she felt a tear roll down her cheek. Wolf slipped his arm around her shoulder. "Oh, Maria," He said softly, "I'm so sorry... But this is a large castle, he could be lots of other places."
Maria choked on a sob. "B-but I was so hoping to find him here," She sniffled. "And we came all this way..."
Wolf held her close and slid his hand down to her lower back, closing his eyes and brushing his lips against her cheek. "I'm sorry I got your hopes so high," He said in her ear. "Let me make it up to you."
Maria looked up at him, her face tearstained, her hair wet and clinging to her shoulders, her clothes also clinging to her in most interesting ways. Wolf lifted her chin and pulled her closer, then kissed her. He could feel her heart beating, sense her warm blood pulsing through every vein in her body, her soft skin yielding to his touch. Her lips felt like they were formed to fit his, and seemed to welcome the touch of his tongue. After a heated moment, he pulled away. "Maria," He breathed, "I love you."
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GASP! Dun dun DUN!! Give me reviews, I live on reviews, I must have reviews, gasp sob... give them to meeeeeee....
-- Samalander