A/N: To all the Izzy fans out there, well fair warning on this chapter, and that's all I'm gonna say, but no worries, it'll all turn out good in the end. Lol. Um, I'm hoping to have this story completed before Halloween, but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen, so please be patient with my updates.
Rating: R
And I already placed a disclaimer on this story, so I see no need for one on each chapter. Well enjoy!
The auburn haired girl sighed and shook her head. She seated herself on the floor in the candle-lit hallway and brought her knees up to her chest.
"I'm never gonna get out of here!" she said frustrated. With her arms encircling her knees, she rested her head on them. Sora had no idea what time of day it was, only that she had been searching for an exit for what appeared to be hours. Everything about her current location made her sick to her stomach. It smelled of blood and rotting flesh, and she had been subjected to the poor lighting so long, it began to make her eyes hurt. Sora squeezed her brown eyes shut and began to rub her temples. There had to be some way out of there. After all, how did she get there in the first place?
Preternatural eyes surveyed the hallway, eyeing their prey with the utmost scrutiny. The creature decided that it was the perfect opportunity to present itself. From out of the shadows, it emerged in front of the young girl, startling her.
Sora gasped in surprise and scrambled to her feet. "Who are you?" she asked timidly. The being merely stood in front of her with his cape drawn up around his face. His violet eyes of unfathomable brilliance were the only things he permitted to be shown. The teenager was somewhat hypnotized by his gaze, and she stood for a few moments in silence, before she broke her stare away from his.
"There is something different about you." He hissed, his eyes narrowing as Sora pressed herself up against the wall in fear. "Yes," he nodded, "You and those other children." The creature eyed her suspiciously before snaking his hand out and clutching the crest Sora wore around her neck.
"What sorcery is this?" the vampire snapped as he studied the foreign object.
"Hey!" Sora yelped, astonished by the speed in which he executed his move, but also in defiance. She didn't want him laying an undead finger on her crest.
"That's none of your business!" she said, yanking it from his grasp.
"My dear…" he coolly replied, seizing her by the throat, "I am a man of patience, but you WILL tell me what you bear around your neck!"
Her eyes welled up with tears, fearing he would break her neck in his tight grasp. The vampire watched as the tears trickled down her face. Upon noticing her lips turning a faint blue he released his hold.
"That's my crest." She finally replied, her eyes to the floor in defeat.
"A crest?" he repeated, "And what does this crest stand for?"
"Love." She stated, her voice echoing down the long vacant corridor.
The vampire pondered this revelation for a moment before introducing himself.
"Now that you have answered my question, I shall answer yours." He began, "I am Vlad Tepes, former Prince of Wallachia."
Sora's eyes scanned the ground in deep thought. She knew that name, but from where? Her eyes roved the carpeted floor for another instant before it dawned on her.
"You're Vlad the Impaler?" she choked out. The vampire nodded, seemingly satisfied.
"Ah, so you have heard of me. Excellent." He replied.
"Y-You're Dracula?" she stammered.
"It is what some wish to call me. Yes, I have gone by the name Dracul, son of the devil." He smiled fiendishly, as if something about his reputation gave him much pleasure.
"But…how?" Sora wondered out loud. "The history books say you died in the 1500's. You were beheaded!" she urged, as if trying to make him believe it.
"Tis true, I did die in the 1500's. The one thing your history book neglected to mention was that I was resurrected."
Sora's face held an expression of both shock and disbelief.
"I see you are skeptical." He commented. "Come with me Love, I shall explain."
Sora slowly began to follow him; it wasn't as though she had a choice in the matter. He led her into one of the rooms down the never-ending corridor. It was a parlor of some sort, as far as she could tell.
"Have a seat." He instructed her. The girl cautiously sat in a large armchair, watching the vampire for any sudden unexpected movement.
"Don't worry, if I was going to kill you, I would have done so by now." He smirked, fangs glinting in the firelight.
"What do you want with me?" she uttered.
"I sense an extraordinary power within you, and I am determined to find out what that power is."
Sora bit her lower lip apprehensively. She knew the only power he could be referring to was the power of her crest, that was bestowed upon her ever since she had become a digidestined.
"Now." He announced, "You wished to know more about me? It has been years, perhaps decades since I last spoke to a mortal. I shall enlighten you keeper of Love."
Vlad made himself comfortable in the chair he had chosen. With a flick of his wrist the candles lighting the room began to burn brighter. Sora watched with a hint of fascination.
"My family was involved with a group of knights, you may
know that the time period in which I was born into was the age of Chivalry.
Actually, it was towards the end of that era.
Sora flinched at the way he enunciated the word "death."
"The Order was extremely faithful to the Tepes family, especially my father. When he died, they swore their allegiance to my brothers and I." Vlad paused and cocked his head towards the ceiling, almost as though he were lost in thought.
"Under my rule, they had managed to master many fields in the art of black magic. When the day had come; the day they knew I would be captured, I made them all take an oath."
"And what was that?" Sora inquired.
"I told them, that if I were to die I request that they exhume my body and resurrect me through the black arts."
"So that's it then? They just said a few magic words and poof, you were alive again?"
"It is not that simple my dear." Vlad sneered, "In order to reincarnate me, they had to do more than just say a few magic words. I was dead. The only way I could come back was to take on the form of another being. Before I died, I was given many options, that of a wolf for instance, or a hawk. Any animal imaginable was at my disposal."
"So why didn't you just come back as an animal?" Sora asked, shifting in her chair.
"An animal is not immortal. I wanted infinite life. My last option was to bargain with Lucifer himself. My immortal soul for an immortal body."
"And that's what you did?" Sora's brow furrowed. "But…why? Why give up your soul?"
"My soul was a petty trifle. I had no use for it."
"But it's your soul! It's the one thing that makes you…you." She replied with a passion. Vlad noted how her eyes sparkled in the candlelight.
"I see this is something you feel strongly about." He said, raising an eyebrow. "Then this next part will be difficult."
"W-What do you mean?" Sora asked, a foreboding feeling began to wash over her.
"I had hoped that my little story would have persuaded you, but I see now that it will take force." He retorted.
"Persuaded me? To do what?" she asked meekly.
"Why, to become one of us. A creature of the night." He hissed, slowly approaching her.
Sora knew she had to think quickly. "May I have some time to think this over?" she queried.
The vampire stepped back. "I suppose…the years have made me a little soft. When I was a mortal I wouldn't have even asked. I would prefer you came to my side of your own will…but need I remind you, no matter what your decision, I shall have you." He said, exiting the room. He casually flicked his wrist at her, as to say take your time and disappeared into the darkness once again.
"I shall return in a few hours." His voice echoed through the hall.
Sora stood up from her seat and instantaneously dropped to her knees sobbing.
"What am I going to do?" she moaned, burying her face in her hands. "I have to get out of here!"
No sooner had Vlad left the ambivalent Sora, then his brother confronted him outside under the night sky with some rather disturbing news.
"Vladimir." He addressed him, "They have discovered us!"
Vlad angrily grabbed Mircea by his shoulders and squeezed them hard in a rage.
"Come now brother," he chuckled, "That will do you no good, have you forgotten that I too am a vampire?"
"I know that you fool! I know everything! It was I after all, who created the fog and that hail storm to ward them off!"
"Bravo brother." Mircea mocked, as he lightly clapped his hands. "I noticed, however, that your attention to detail has been slipping."
"What is that supposed to mean, you repugnant vexation!?"
"I'm referring to the blonde…" Mircea smirked.
"That!" Vlad hissed, "was an accident, that shall not recur!" he spat heatedly.
"And what are we to do about these nuisances?" a third voice rang in the shadows.
"Radu." Vlad glared, "I'll have no hindering remarks from you."
"I have seen the leader." He replied.
"Leader?" Vlad questioned.
"The brown haired boy and his sister. Surely he is the leader, can you not sense it?" Radu smiled smugly and folded his arms.
"Of course I sense that! I am your master! I surpass you in everything!!" Vlad roared.
"Calm yourself brother dear." Mircea said, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
"The leader is not our problem at the moment…I will take care of this matter tonight." He announced.
"If the leader is of no concern, then who is?" Mircea asked.
"The redheaded one. He knows too much." Vlad replied and stormed off into the night sky.
Mircea and Radu watched in amusement, as their brother flew off en route to deal with their latest dilemma.
"His eyes turn a lovely shade of red when he's flustered." Mircea remarked.
"You think?" Radu replied, as an eruption of sinister laughter emerged from the two.
Izzy sat at his laptop typing feverishly. He had just gotten off the phone with a very distraught Taichi, and was determined now more than ever to find all the information he could on vampires and how to destroy them. He had reminded his fellow digidestined to guard themselves against any future vampire attacks, for he was sure that eventually the vampire would try to finish what he had started. Izzy currently had his room adorned with bulbs of garlic; he had a wooden stake in his top right hand drawer and tied a crucifix around his neck.
A knock at the door made the redheaded boy jump from his seat.
"Izzy honey," his mother spoke softly, immediately her face twisted in disgust. "What is that putrid smell?"
"Uh, science project mom." Izzy replied nervously, minimizing the current open window on his computer screen.
"With garlic?" she said, a puzzled expression replaced the look of repulsion.
"Yeah," Izzy nodded nonchalantly.
"Okay," she shrugged, "Well, I just wanted to say good night. And don't stay up too late. I know your friend being kidnapped is rather upsetting to you, but please try and get some rest."
"I will mom." Izzy nodded, as she entered the room and walked over to give her son a kiss on the forehead.
"Good night." She smiled, and left the room.
As soon as his mother had left, Izzy brought the window back up to full view. He carefully skimmed the information on the page as he scrolled down. One name in particular brought him to an immediate halt.
"Mircea Tepes." He said to himself, "…Matt and T.K….they mentioned something about a Mircea Tepes." Izzy's eyes scanned the passage for more information.
"This is it!" he proclaimed, "This is what we're looking for!" No sooner had he said that, then he was copying the page's address and emailing it to Tai.
'Check this out,' he
wrote, 'I believe this is the information we have been searching for. Tell the
others.
"Done," he sighed, as he clicked the send button.
"That's right." A strange voice hissed behind him.
"Wha-?" Izzy whirled around in his swivel chair; shocked to come face to face with the vampire Vlad.
"How did you get in here? You have to be invited." Izzy stated.
"Through the front door of course, and don't believe everything you read kid." Vlad sneered, "There are many wives tales about us vampires, and that is all the majority of them are, tales."
"So the garlic?" Izzy began.
"Hollywood make-believe." Vlad scoffed. He glared at Izzy's laptop, "You will no longer be needing this!" he said, as he drove his fist into the screen. Izzy ducked out of the way of Vlad's menacing punch and ran for the door.
The vampire turned around and grabbed Izzy by his shirt collar, hauling him backwards. The young boy fell to the floor and he gazed up at the creature in fear.
"Uh uh." Vlad said, wagging his finger at the redhead mockingly.
Izzy quickly rose to his feet and stared about his room, desperately seeking a means of escaping.
"There is no escape this time boy." The vampire growled, "And you will no longer burden me with your constant prying."
"My what?" Izzy asked.
"You were the one who discovered my secret location. You brought the others there!"
"But I…" Izzy started, "I was only going by what I found on the Internet."
"Yes, and you shall not interfere anymore with your findings!" he said lunging at the teen. Izzy moved to get away, but the vampire was too fast for him, and he found himself pinned against the wall.
"I already know about you and your brothers!" Izzy choked, as Vlad constricted his grip on the boy's neck. "And I've already notified my friends."
"No matter, they cannot defeat me. Now I shall eliminate you." Vlad announced, as he sank his teeth into the flesh of Izzy's neck. The redhead tensed up in pain, as he felt his life's blood being drained from him.
Vlad feasted with large
voracious gulps as the color in Izzy's face began to go pallid. He moved in
closer as the warm sensation the blood brought drew him in.
Blood dripped from his fangs, and he swiped at it with the back of his hand. Vlad stared at the figure of Izzy as his lifeless form crumpled to the floor. His vampiric eyes gaped incredulously at the scar that remained in his palm.
"What is this!?" he shrieked, his eyes flooding with the color of crimson. He stalked back over to the boy, who was still lightly breathing. Vlad gazed down at the boy's chest, where a small crucifix rested. "It can't be." He murmured. He closed his injured hand painfully and let out an ear-piercing roar. Glaring back down at the inert teen he noticed that the rise and fall of his chest had ceased.
"It is finished." He stated. Eyeing Izzy's bedroom window he broke through the glass. It shattered everywhere, just as Izzy's mother and father burst into the room.
"Oh my God!!" his mother screamed in horror. "Call an ambulance NOW!!" she cried to her husband, as she cradled her lifeless son's head in her arms.
Oh I'm so cruel! I love cliffhangers, don't you? Well…I love writing them anyway. Hehehe. R+R please! ^_^