New Generation
Chapter IV
We'll know for the first time
if we're evil or divine
we're the last in line
"Last in Line"-Ronnie James Dio
Christian's brown eyes blinked in surprise from the revelation he received from his uncle, Adrian Tepes. "You're what?!"
"You heard me correctly, Christian. I am the son of Vlad Tepes."
"But…that's impossible. Vlad Tepes was a man who lived hundreds of years ago, and became a vampire."
"That's true, but it's also true of who I am."
"He's correct, Christian," Richter Belmont said jumping in. "In 1797 your aunt and future uncle saved me from Dracula." Richter noticed the confused look Christian gave him, and added to his confusion by informing him, "furthermore, your uncle helped our ancestor, Trevor Belmont, defeat Dracula in the late 15th century."
Adrian chuckled after his brother-in-law's statement. "You know Belmont, Christian reminds me a little bit of Trevor in terms of appearance. He has his brown eyes and brown hair. Yet it's interesting that the most famous of your clan is Simon Belmont. Trevor is very rarely talked about in the history of the Belmont clan, like Simon is."
"Uncle Adrian," began a confused Christian Simon Belmont, "if you are Vlad the Impaler's son, just how old are you?"
Adrian placed his chin on his hand and replied, "Well, Christian, I was born in the year 1478, so that would make me 341 years old. The interesting union between a vampire and a mortal woman."
"So you're partially a vampire?"
"Well, no, at least not anymore. I was partially a vampire until you're father was able to perform an ancient Christian blessing that cleansed me of the vampiric blood that existed in my body. In fact, my young Riff," Adrian said, referring to Christian's childhood name with a smile, "when you first met me I still had the traces of vampiric blood in my body, although I don't know if you can remember our first meeting since you were only three years old."
"I can remember something about how you were asleep for a long time, or something like that."
Adrian's eyes grew wide at his nephew's memory. "Very good, Christian. I'm surprised that you were able to remember that. Nevertheless, what's interesting is that despite the fact that the vampire blood is gone I still have some of the powers and abilities of vampires. I must have received a blessing from God or something."
"But how do you know the vampiric blood is gone? And does Sander or Cander have the blood in their systems?"
"Let me answer your first question by asking you a question, Christian. You've seen me at Mass with my family before, right?"
"Yes."
"You've watched me receive Communion, right?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever seen me become sick after receiving Communion?"
"No."
"Well, then that answers your question. If the vampiric blood was still in my system I'd get sick after receiving Communion. Now as to your second question, you were three years old when I received this blessing from your father, and I'm sure you can remember when Lysander and Alcander were born, right?"
"Yes. I was five when Sander was born, and seven when Cander was born."
"Right, they were born after the blessing took place therefore, no, they don't have the blood of a vampire in their veins."
"Since you're close to 400 years old, are Lysander and Alcander your only children?"
"Yes."
"Do they know that Vlad the Impaler is their grandfather?"
"No, and I don't want them to ever know. The only people that know Vlad Tepes was my father are your mother, father, and aunt. Your grandparents, cousins, and sister know nothing; and I don't want you to ever tell them. I don't want Lysander and Alcander to ever know."
"Your secret is safe with me, Uncle."
"Thank you."
*
"She does it so well sometimes," Adrian said to himself, while he looked at his wife sleeping peacefully at his side. Unable to sleep, Adrian first tried to look at some of the objects in the Master Bedroom, which included two drawings of Lysander and Alcander when they were babies, and the small crucifix that hung over the bed that was worn by Maria on her and Adrian's wedding day. Family memories were not enough for Adrian. He finally resolved himself to visit the cellar and drink a few glasses of wine until he felt tired.
When his body finally succumbed to slumbering Adrian's subconscious took him to a place that he often tried to forget. The castle he had grown up in as a child. In his dream he saw himself surrounded by bookshelves, with a small, but growing, stack of books on the floor that had not yet been returned the shelves. The books informed him that he was standing in the Castle's library. Then he captured the familiar scent of the wax candles burning on the tables that provided him light during the late hours of the evening when all he wanted to do was read. He also remembered the dust that collected on some of the discarded books in the library, usually Bibles and prayer books. On one particular table was a 'thank you' letter from Pope Pius II to Vlad Tepes for fighting off the threat of Islam to Christianity. Imagining the letter made Adrian remember his father telling him how some Orthodox Church leaders were upset when he received that letter from the Pope, due to the bitterness that still existed between Catholic and Orthodox Christians since the Great Schism.
"You always enjoyed this room, did you not?" asked a familiar voice. Adrian's subconscious created the form of his father, dressed in his typical black robes with the emblem of a dragon on his chest.
"None of this is real," replied Adrian's inner thoughts. "I'm having a dream."
"Well?" the dark prince asked again.
"Yes," replied Adrian.
"I thought so, that's why I brought you here."
"Brought me here?"
"Yes, I know how much you enjoyed reading. I've also noticed how the boys do too."
"The boys?" asked a confused Adrian.
"Yes, my two grandchildren.
Lysander and Alcander."
"Huh? What?
This is a dream, isn't it?"
"I've noticed that both of them enjoy reading books on history, but I see that Alcander enjoys it more than his older brother."
Adrian said nothing; he was dumbfounded.
"Well, I just wanted to say 'hello' to you. I thought about saying 'hi' to Lysander and Alcander, but neither one of them would've recognized me. Take care my son."
*
"Alcander!" shouted Lysander, as he tried to wake his younger brother. "Get up!"
Although he preferred to stay asleep, Alcander finally opened his eyes to his older brother's shouts. "What is it, Sander?" asked a groggy Alcander. "It's too early in the morning."
"Look outside!" Lysander exclaimed, as he pointed to Alcander's bedroom window.
Regretfully, Alcander removed his bed sheets and peered outside his window. What he saw forced his eyes to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. From his window he saw what appeared to be a castle in the distance, but he never saw the castle before. "What the hell is that?" he asked.
"It looks like a castle," replied Lysander, "but I've never seen it before, and I know damn well that castles are not built over night."
"Wait a minute! Isn't that around the location where Mom and Dad told us Castle Dracula was located?"
Lysander's mouth fell open. "No…it couldn't be!"
"Mom! Dad!" the two brothers shouted at the same time.
Adrian and Maria were reluctant to leave their nice warm bed, but nevertheless, they answered the call of their sons. "Yes, what is it?" asked their mother.
"Mom. Dad. Look outside the window," Lysander replied, pointing to the castle.
"Oh, my God!" Maria said in almost a whisper.
"What is it, Maria?" Adrian asked, until he too, saw what was in the distance. It was at that moment that he recalled his dream. Was his father back?
