Before Henry had opened his eyes, he felt that his body
was moving by itself. After awakening he realized he was on some kind of
moving belt. Sitting on this belt, Henry did not have to walk at all. Wherever
the belt led to, he would find out soon enough. As the belt moved along,
Henry saw that there was a square hole in part of the approaching wall. Henry
got up from the belt and stood ready to inspect it. A hair before Henry was
in front of it a large square block emerged from the hole in the wall. It
surprised Henry but it seemed harmless. Henry hurried up so that he could
inspect the block. Before Henry could touch it, the block sprouted spikes.
Henry looked behind him and saw that another block was now behind him, it
too had also sprouted spikes. Henry passed another hole in the wall and yet
another block was behind him. The space between Henry and the blocks was
getting shorter. If another block joined the line then Henry would either
be crushed or impaled. Henry could not swing along the side of the block
to get in front of the first one because the belt was running in too narrow
a pathway. Henry would have to jump over it. Henry grabbed the spike coming
out of the first block and climbed it like a ladder. Henry immediately jumped
off of the block. As he did, smaller spikes emerged from where he had touched
the block. Now that Henry was in front of the block, he could see that the
belt was reaching it's end. At the end there was a single iron door. When
henry reached it he jumped off of the belt and onto safe ground that was
in front of the door. Th belt meanwhile turned off to the right where there
was a hole much like the ones that the blocks had come out of. When Henry
walked up to the iron door it instantly flew upwards. Henry walked beyond
the doorway and into a round chamber. Henry took several steps forward and
the door slammed shut behind. Henry looked down at his feet and saw that
his foot had broken some kind of light beam. The room enormous and the walls
had small square openings in them. Inside those openings were either a mirror
or some kind of lighting device. As a result of walking through the chamber
Henry broke various light beams which then caused reflections in certain
mirrors. When Henry broke a certain light beam he heard a small clicking
noise. Henry then noticed that there was a third kind of square hole in the
wall. Out of one of those square holes came out a long steel barrel. The
barrel resembled that of Henry's own pistol. The barrel then fired and Henry
found himself dodging a bullet. The bullet struck exactly where he had been
standing. As Henry had dodged the bullet, he broke other beam of light and
then heard more clicking noises. Bullets began to spray all over the chamber
and Henry found himself on the run for cover. Henry looked all around the
room and could see no such cover. For him it was inconceivable how this could
be happening. Henry allowed his instincts to guide his body while his thoughts
centered on how to escape this.
Above the chamber where Henry was now fighting for dear life was a panel of windows. Behind the windows was an observatory. From this observatory, a single person could observe the actions of those inside the lower chambers. This observatory also had access to other such rooms above all of the chambers inside the tower of science. This tower was Coller's contribution to Dracula's forces. The tower was a death trap at every turn. Every death trap in every chamber of this tower was made from science. It was science that allowed Coller to calculate the different angles of the light beams to control the guns that were armed in the chamber. In order to walk one step in the room, you had to break at least one beam of light. By breaking a single beam you would cause a new reflection unto a certain mirror. By light hitting a particular mirror, a sensor would be set off informing the large machinery in the walls of the chamber to release one of the guns hidden behind the walls and to have it come out at a certain angle. That angle was mathematically determined by calculating which light beams would set off each individual mirror. The computations took months. The result was an almost infallible death trap. Coller was now standing in the observatory. He came to the tower for the first time in years. After Henry and his group had been taken, they had left a fully functional lift. Coller thought about just leaving. Then Coller thought what if Dracula really was back? So he took the elevator to his worst creation because somehow he knew that he might find one of Henry's group trapped here. Somehow it was fatefully ironic. The even greater irony is that Coller had designed that this tower should last forever. To walk in through the wrong door was almost certain death. There was no way to stop all of the thousands of machinery at work in this tower. That was not actually true Coller thought to himself as he entered another chamber. The chamber that Coller now entered was a central one, in fact the center for al of the chambers in the tower. At a far end of the room was a wall completely filled with moving gears and cogs. The walls of the towers were lined with such gears and cogs. They were what kept this tower alive and running. Stop or jam any one of the gears and a back would continue to run the machines. Everything had a back up, except this one section. This wall was a nerve center. It was from this central point that all the cogs in this giant machine start from. There was a space in an inch between two sets of moving cogs. With a big enough object you could jam the both of them and stop this tower dead. The only problem was that this space was covered by layers of moving parts moving at high speeds in front of it. Coller grabbed the piece he had designed specifically for the purpose of shutting the tower off. It was dusty because it had lay untouched for years. Coller made for any unlucky soul that was prepared to make a great sacrifice in order to turn off this tower. Coller never dreamed that he would be the one to make that sacrifice. Coller looked at the moving parts as the rushed up, down, and sideways before his eyes. His lizard body had given him greater speed, but it would not enough. Coller stared at the parts trying to memorize the timing of the machines. Coller took a deep breath. He thought of Ana and then thrust his arm into the empty space that was open for just a split second of time. In that split second Coller knew he would not have to worry about removing his arm, only that he must thrust his arm with the object into the machine as far and as fast as possible. A split second later, Coller felt as metal began to crush and slice through the skin of his arm. Coller felt as the machinery tore through his bone crushing it into dusty particles. Finally the machines stopped but his arm was still inside. Coller felt himself locked in a eternity of pain. Coller's moans echoed in the chamber as he pulled hard on his arm until finally…
Henry lay on the ground, exhausted from running, rolling, and jumping across the round chamber. He had no idea why the guns stopped. Perhaps they ran out of bullets, he thought. It then that henry noticed a door opposite where he had come in. Henry stood and walked towards it. It did not open and so he was forced to push it open himself. Henry did so with the doors of all the chambers he entered. Henry passed through the chambers of the tower of science, which was now dormant. None of the many traps moved a inch. Henry marveled at the assortment of traps that awaited him had he found a way past the first chamber. Now more than ever, Henry was puzzled by why the tower stopped working. After Henry had moved through several chambers, one of the doors opened up before him. A green skinned arm reached out from the other side and opened it completely. Coller stood before Henry leaning against a wall grasping a blood gushing stump of his right arm. Coller spoke softly in his slithery voice.
"Don't worry, it will grow back." Coller fell to the ground before Henry. Henry knelt beside and inspected the wound. Coller had had his arm literally torn off. The stump was uneven with some excess skin hanging off of chipped bone. Henry had no idea what to do for his old friend. Henry just started to say a prayer. Henry removed his helmet for the first time since he had began this journey. He wanted Coller to see his face. He then quickly began to search his backpack for something to tie up the wound.
"Your friend will live…" a voice from behind said. Henry turned and a fist hit him hard across the face. Henry tasted blood on his lips.
"…Unlike you my little grand pup."
Henry looked up from the floor and saw Gilles De Rais staring down at him. His appearance had not changed in the eight years since he had last seen him. The face and eyes of the man who took away his father's soul enraged Henry. Henry got up and rushed at him in blind rage. Henry managed to push him to the ground. On top of him, Henry began to strike him repeatedly.
"Murdering bastard!"
Gilles caught both of Henry's punches and pushed him off of himself. Gilles stood and kicked a kneeling Henry in the side of the face. Gilles then dragged him by the collar and threw him against the iron wall of the chamber they were in.
"I will make something known to you, Henry De Rais."
"Don't…call me that," Henry said from the floor.
"With my powers as a vampire, I could bite you and turn you over to my side. I could summon hordes of bats to come and feed off of you. I could also transform myself into a wolf and eat you whole. But I find that with all these powers, nothing would be more pleasing than to beat you into a pulp with my bare hands!" Gilles picked up Henry and threw him across and he landed on top of Coller.
Gilles continued even though Henry began to crawl away slowly. "In the time of my youth I was a great soldier. I fought alongside a great prince of Wallachia. I served him until enemies beheaded him, then they did the same to me." Gilles kicked Henry in the chest and Henry rolled. "In death he recruited me to serve him again. I have served him through life and through hell! Now I serve him through death, as a vampire!" Gilles looked at Henry. "I had a child once. The wimp was born of a lowly servant girl of the court. I tried to make a ma of the boy. He was soft. I beat him to try and discipline him. So stupid was he that he would not respond. He would not learn. An unbeaten child was a spoiled child." Gilles picked Henry up and head butted him before throwing him to ground once more. "That is what your father was! That is what you are! Spoiled! I thought I could teach your father by turning him over, he was repentant."
Henry opened one eye and looked up at Gilles. Gilles returned the gaze. "Yes, your father took his own life. He staked himself." Tears rolled down Henry's cheeks. Gilles spread his fangs and hissed at Henry. "Weakling! Just like you!" Gilles picked up Henry and lifted him off the ground. "I will not allow such vermin tarnish my family name! The De Rais will always be strong."
Henry spit blood into Gilles face. Gilles licked it like it was water. "I could stake you. I could throw holy water and burn you." Henry coughed. "But what I would find more pleasing…" Gilles felt cold steel press against the side of his head. "…is to blow your reanimated brain out of your skull!" Henry squeezed the trigger of his pistol and blood and bodily fluids gushed out of the holes that Henry made in Gilles skull. Henry unloaded all six bullets from his chamber. Gilles grip on Henry loosened and they both fell to the ground. Henry looked at Gilles motionless body. "On second thought, I think I will stake you." Henry grabbed a stake from his backpack and drove it through Gilles heart. The body twitched for a moment and then fell motionless again. Henry grabbed Gilles body and ripped up his fancy jacket and returned to Coller's side.
"Coller?" Coller grunted. "I'm going to wrap this around your wound to stop any further bleeding. Alright?" Coller was silent. Henry did as he said and Coller slowly opened his large lizard eyes.
"Killed him?"
"Yes."
Coller nodded his head. "Your father would be proud of the man you are today."
"I hope so."
"Your father was a good man, Henry. He was only unfortunate enough not to know where he was from. Finding his roots destroyed him, but you came out stronger."
"I have missed him. I have missed my mother."
Coller nodded. Coller then began to sniff. His eyes widened. "Actrise!" Coller sprang up from the floor using his one arm and tail. He looked all around the room and searched for his prey. Actrise appeared behind both Coller and Henry. Coller turned and tried to grab her by the neck but her form was not solid. She was like a ghost.
"You bitch! How many years since you last tormented me!"
"Coller," Actrise signed. "Always such a delight to run into you." Actrise turned to Henry. "Wondering where your friends are? Try the tower of execution. Save them if you can. But hurry, time is short." Actrise turned back and faced Coller. "It has been a long time since I have tormented you, hasn't it? Perhaps just once more for old times sake."
"Do your worst witch."
Actrise winked at Coller, "I already have." Slowly she faded away. Henry looked at Coller. "What did she mean, she already has?"
"How should I know? She has taken my wife and murdered her soul, she has transformed me into a lizard, and she trapped me here in this castle for years." Coller looked at his stump. "At least as a lizard this will grow…" Coller looked at his own skin. "…back." Henry saw that Coller's skin was slowly changing from green to a sort of each color. Coller began to scream and fell to the ground. Henry was motionless as he watched Coller's body mutate before his eyes. His tail grew shorter and his snout was being sucked back into his face. Slowly and painfully, the Coller that Henry remembered was coming back into form. Within minutes Coller lay nude on the ground, a normal human being once more. Coller opened his eyes and looked at Henry. Coller felt almost exhilarated. His vision was back to the way it was before. Coller felt the hair of his head and body. Coller even looked downwards just to be sure that all his equipment was back to its normal state. For the first time in eight years, Coller was truly human again. It almost felt uncomfortable to him. Then Coller realized something. His hands, his hand. Coller looked at his right arm or what was left of it.
"My God." Henry said.
Coller yelled at the top of his lungs. Actrise had given him back the humanity that she had stripped from him eight years ago only to keep him from having his arm back.
Above the chamber where Henry was now fighting for dear life was a panel of windows. Behind the windows was an observatory. From this observatory, a single person could observe the actions of those inside the lower chambers. This observatory also had access to other such rooms above all of the chambers inside the tower of science. This tower was Coller's contribution to Dracula's forces. The tower was a death trap at every turn. Every death trap in every chamber of this tower was made from science. It was science that allowed Coller to calculate the different angles of the light beams to control the guns that were armed in the chamber. In order to walk one step in the room, you had to break at least one beam of light. By breaking a single beam you would cause a new reflection unto a certain mirror. By light hitting a particular mirror, a sensor would be set off informing the large machinery in the walls of the chamber to release one of the guns hidden behind the walls and to have it come out at a certain angle. That angle was mathematically determined by calculating which light beams would set off each individual mirror. The computations took months. The result was an almost infallible death trap. Coller was now standing in the observatory. He came to the tower for the first time in years. After Henry and his group had been taken, they had left a fully functional lift. Coller thought about just leaving. Then Coller thought what if Dracula really was back? So he took the elevator to his worst creation because somehow he knew that he might find one of Henry's group trapped here. Somehow it was fatefully ironic. The even greater irony is that Coller had designed that this tower should last forever. To walk in through the wrong door was almost certain death. There was no way to stop all of the thousands of machinery at work in this tower. That was not actually true Coller thought to himself as he entered another chamber. The chamber that Coller now entered was a central one, in fact the center for al of the chambers in the tower. At a far end of the room was a wall completely filled with moving gears and cogs. The walls of the towers were lined with such gears and cogs. They were what kept this tower alive and running. Stop or jam any one of the gears and a back would continue to run the machines. Everything had a back up, except this one section. This wall was a nerve center. It was from this central point that all the cogs in this giant machine start from. There was a space in an inch between two sets of moving cogs. With a big enough object you could jam the both of them and stop this tower dead. The only problem was that this space was covered by layers of moving parts moving at high speeds in front of it. Coller grabbed the piece he had designed specifically for the purpose of shutting the tower off. It was dusty because it had lay untouched for years. Coller made for any unlucky soul that was prepared to make a great sacrifice in order to turn off this tower. Coller never dreamed that he would be the one to make that sacrifice. Coller looked at the moving parts as the rushed up, down, and sideways before his eyes. His lizard body had given him greater speed, but it would not enough. Coller stared at the parts trying to memorize the timing of the machines. Coller took a deep breath. He thought of Ana and then thrust his arm into the empty space that was open for just a split second of time. In that split second Coller knew he would not have to worry about removing his arm, only that he must thrust his arm with the object into the machine as far and as fast as possible. A split second later, Coller felt as metal began to crush and slice through the skin of his arm. Coller felt as the machinery tore through his bone crushing it into dusty particles. Finally the machines stopped but his arm was still inside. Coller felt himself locked in a eternity of pain. Coller's moans echoed in the chamber as he pulled hard on his arm until finally…
Henry lay on the ground, exhausted from running, rolling, and jumping across the round chamber. He had no idea why the guns stopped. Perhaps they ran out of bullets, he thought. It then that henry noticed a door opposite where he had come in. Henry stood and walked towards it. It did not open and so he was forced to push it open himself. Henry did so with the doors of all the chambers he entered. Henry passed through the chambers of the tower of science, which was now dormant. None of the many traps moved a inch. Henry marveled at the assortment of traps that awaited him had he found a way past the first chamber. Now more than ever, Henry was puzzled by why the tower stopped working. After Henry had moved through several chambers, one of the doors opened up before him. A green skinned arm reached out from the other side and opened it completely. Coller stood before Henry leaning against a wall grasping a blood gushing stump of his right arm. Coller spoke softly in his slithery voice.
"Don't worry, it will grow back." Coller fell to the ground before Henry. Henry knelt beside and inspected the wound. Coller had had his arm literally torn off. The stump was uneven with some excess skin hanging off of chipped bone. Henry had no idea what to do for his old friend. Henry just started to say a prayer. Henry removed his helmet for the first time since he had began this journey. He wanted Coller to see his face. He then quickly began to search his backpack for something to tie up the wound.
"Your friend will live…" a voice from behind said. Henry turned and a fist hit him hard across the face. Henry tasted blood on his lips.
"…Unlike you my little grand pup."
Henry looked up from the floor and saw Gilles De Rais staring down at him. His appearance had not changed in the eight years since he had last seen him. The face and eyes of the man who took away his father's soul enraged Henry. Henry got up and rushed at him in blind rage. Henry managed to push him to the ground. On top of him, Henry began to strike him repeatedly.
"Murdering bastard!"
Gilles caught both of Henry's punches and pushed him off of himself. Gilles stood and kicked a kneeling Henry in the side of the face. Gilles then dragged him by the collar and threw him against the iron wall of the chamber they were in.
"I will make something known to you, Henry De Rais."
"Don't…call me that," Henry said from the floor.
"With my powers as a vampire, I could bite you and turn you over to my side. I could summon hordes of bats to come and feed off of you. I could also transform myself into a wolf and eat you whole. But I find that with all these powers, nothing would be more pleasing than to beat you into a pulp with my bare hands!" Gilles picked up Henry and threw him across and he landed on top of Coller.
Gilles continued even though Henry began to crawl away slowly. "In the time of my youth I was a great soldier. I fought alongside a great prince of Wallachia. I served him until enemies beheaded him, then they did the same to me." Gilles kicked Henry in the chest and Henry rolled. "In death he recruited me to serve him again. I have served him through life and through hell! Now I serve him through death, as a vampire!" Gilles looked at Henry. "I had a child once. The wimp was born of a lowly servant girl of the court. I tried to make a ma of the boy. He was soft. I beat him to try and discipline him. So stupid was he that he would not respond. He would not learn. An unbeaten child was a spoiled child." Gilles picked Henry up and head butted him before throwing him to ground once more. "That is what your father was! That is what you are! Spoiled! I thought I could teach your father by turning him over, he was repentant."
Henry opened one eye and looked up at Gilles. Gilles returned the gaze. "Yes, your father took his own life. He staked himself." Tears rolled down Henry's cheeks. Gilles spread his fangs and hissed at Henry. "Weakling! Just like you!" Gilles picked up Henry and lifted him off the ground. "I will not allow such vermin tarnish my family name! The De Rais will always be strong."
Henry spit blood into Gilles face. Gilles licked it like it was water. "I could stake you. I could throw holy water and burn you." Henry coughed. "But what I would find more pleasing…" Gilles felt cold steel press against the side of his head. "…is to blow your reanimated brain out of your skull!" Henry squeezed the trigger of his pistol and blood and bodily fluids gushed out of the holes that Henry made in Gilles skull. Henry unloaded all six bullets from his chamber. Gilles grip on Henry loosened and they both fell to the ground. Henry looked at Gilles motionless body. "On second thought, I think I will stake you." Henry grabbed a stake from his backpack and drove it through Gilles heart. The body twitched for a moment and then fell motionless again. Henry grabbed Gilles body and ripped up his fancy jacket and returned to Coller's side.
"Coller?" Coller grunted. "I'm going to wrap this around your wound to stop any further bleeding. Alright?" Coller was silent. Henry did as he said and Coller slowly opened his large lizard eyes.
"Killed him?"
"Yes."
Coller nodded his head. "Your father would be proud of the man you are today."
"I hope so."
"Your father was a good man, Henry. He was only unfortunate enough not to know where he was from. Finding his roots destroyed him, but you came out stronger."
"I have missed him. I have missed my mother."
Coller nodded. Coller then began to sniff. His eyes widened. "Actrise!" Coller sprang up from the floor using his one arm and tail. He looked all around the room and searched for his prey. Actrise appeared behind both Coller and Henry. Coller turned and tried to grab her by the neck but her form was not solid. She was like a ghost.
"You bitch! How many years since you last tormented me!"
"Coller," Actrise signed. "Always such a delight to run into you." Actrise turned to Henry. "Wondering where your friends are? Try the tower of execution. Save them if you can. But hurry, time is short." Actrise turned back and faced Coller. "It has been a long time since I have tormented you, hasn't it? Perhaps just once more for old times sake."
"Do your worst witch."
Actrise winked at Coller, "I already have." Slowly she faded away. Henry looked at Coller. "What did she mean, she already has?"
"How should I know? She has taken my wife and murdered her soul, she has transformed me into a lizard, and she trapped me here in this castle for years." Coller looked at his stump. "At least as a lizard this will grow…" Coller looked at his own skin. "…back." Henry saw that Coller's skin was slowly changing from green to a sort of each color. Coller began to scream and fell to the ground. Henry was motionless as he watched Coller's body mutate before his eyes. His tail grew shorter and his snout was being sucked back into his face. Slowly and painfully, the Coller that Henry remembered was coming back into form. Within minutes Coller lay nude on the ground, a normal human being once more. Coller opened his eyes and looked at Henry. Coller felt almost exhilarated. His vision was back to the way it was before. Coller felt the hair of his head and body. Coller even looked downwards just to be sure that all his equipment was back to its normal state. For the first time in eight years, Coller was truly human again. It almost felt uncomfortable to him. Then Coller realized something. His hands, his hand. Coller looked at his right arm or what was left of it.
"My God." Henry said.
Coller yelled at the top of his lungs. Actrise had given him back the humanity that she had stripped from him eight years ago only to keep him from having his arm back.