Elise Westcove closed her eyes as the breeze sent ripples through her skirt. The Westcoves were powerful to say the least. Not powerful in a supernatural sense mind you, but powerful in a money rule-the-world sense. Elise was the sole daughter of Johnathen and Sasha Westcove. She wouldn't inherit anything outright—being a girl—so she would marry and thus her husband would inherit everything her parents had. Not that this bothered Elise, she could manipulate anyone if she set her mind to it, or at least she thought she could. Elise opened her eyes to see a man looking at her carefully. She looked away, knowing very well that he was probably another suitor her parents selected.
Suddenly a bell rang out followed by another and another until the sound filled the air. Elise stood up quickly and looked behind her.
"He comes! He comes!" someone yelled.
Elise picked up her skirts and ran as fast as she could towards the watchtower.
"Always head for the watchtower—he cannot climb well," her mother's voice echoed in her mind. Elise stopped at the base and looked up the latter, heasitating.
"Miss Westcove!" a voice yelled. Elise quickly put her hands on the rungs and began to climb up the latter. She scrambled up as the hoofbeats got louder. A rough hand gripped hers and pulled her the rest of the way up, slamming the panel in the floor shut. "Get down!" the man hissed.
Elise flattened herself on the ground, her heartbeat thudding in her ears. The next sound she heard was the one she hated: a chorus of human screams. Elise pushed her head down with her arms and covered her ears trying to block out the sounds.
"Miss Westcove," someone shook her. Elise opened her eyes and slowly put her hands down. She got to her feet slowly, taking the hand that was offered, "are you alright?"
"Fine," Elise said, putting as much force as she could behind the words.
"Good, because you won't be for long!"
"Let me out of here you filthy pirates!" Elise yelled.
"Shut up you!" someone shouted back.
"I most certainly will not! Now let me out of here!"
Laughter echoed in her ears and she stepped back, her blood boiling. Suddenly the door swung in to reveal Carl. Elise stared at him thinking the pirates now masqueraded as holy men. She stumbled back, falling. Elise pushed herself up and grabbed the candlestick that stood by her bed. She raised it.
"Miss—"
"Stay away from me!" Elise cried, "may God have mercy on your soul—dressing as a holy man when you're nothing more than a scoundrel!"
"Miss Westcove I suggest you put the candlestick down," Jim said coming inside, "before you hurt yourself."
"I'll hurt you first!" Elise gasped.
Jim rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow.
"Do you even know how to fight Miss Westcove?"
They never got the chance to find out because Dodger darted forward and wrapped his large hand around Elise's, pulling the candlestick away. He studied it and looked up at Jim.
"You're getting better goods," he commented dryly, "this is gold—" he turned back to Elise, "you wouldn't do too much damage to anyone with this—gold's one of the softest metals there is."
Elise had pressed herself into a corner and gone considerably paler.
"It's alright," Carl approached her, "I'm a friar—really I am—Carl," he said sticking out his hand. Elise just stared at him.
"Carl's a guest with us along with Mr. Van Helsing."
Elise gasped and tried to flatten herself more.
"It's not enough to be captured by pirates but now I must also endure being with the most wanted man in Europe—" she ended with a scream as Van Helsing and Raphael stepped through the doorway and Elise saw his eyes.
"Who is that?" Van Helsing demanded turning on Jim.
"Elise Westcove—she was dropped off here a little while ago for safe keeping, her father's willing to pay a hefty sum for ransom."
"Carl does Cardinal Jinette expect me to rescue a woman?" Van Helsing demanded turning to Carl who gave a barly disguised look of disgust at the thought of the Knights being reduced to rescuing women and shook his head.
"Did you say Westcove?" Dodger turned to Elise and looked at her angrily, "you're father's an insane bastard."
"Don't you dare talk about my father that way you-you thief!"
"I've been called that for years sweetheart—do you really think that bothers me?"
"Now now children, if you cannot play nice then you can't playing together," Jim said, as if he were scolding two young children.
"Capitan—we've got someone tailing us from the shore and you an't gonna believe it," a crewmember said. Jim's brow furrowed and he looked at the man.
"How can you see the shore from here?" he demanded following him.
"The holy man sir, he's got some weird gadget."
Jim looked at Carl who smiled faintly, clearly pleased with himself.
"Hell he's got no head!" Jim's voice echoed down the bow. Van Helsing looked at Carl.
"I think that's what we're up against," Van Helsing said.
"The Horseman? You plan to kill Him?" Elise laughed as if it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard, but the laugh was filled with sadness and pity.
Van Helsing didn't say anything, he heard that laugh many times before and it usually ended with screams of horror when the creature turned back into a 'normal' human—what they once were. Instead of picking a fight, Van Helsing turned and walked out of the room to get ready to fight the Horseman."You want us to what?!" roared Jim slamming his hands down on either side of the table, "that is a dangerous game my friend and not one I am willing to take part in!"
"Now wait Jim, lets not be hasty," Dodger said tapping his fingers, finally he stood up, "how far can a lycan jump?"
"A good 600 meters," Van Helsing said not missing a beat.
"And you'd say you're at what strength?"
"Half, probably less."
"But you don't remember your past so combined with whatever else you have you might be more or less depending," Raphael spoke up.
"Right so Jim, why don't you get Helsing as close as you can and let him jump?"
"Bring Miss Westcove here," Jim said to a crewmember who nodded and vanished only to return a minuet later with Elise and a bump on his head.
"Candlestick?" Jim asked, the crewmember nodded.
"Miss Westcove, have a seat," Jim said motioning to the chair. Elise sat cautiously, her eyes never leaving his, "you know the Horseman on the shore, tell us about him."
"No," Elise said.
"No?" Jim repeated, "and why not?"
"You kidnapped me! Why would I tell you anything?!"
"I did no such thing, I am merely holding you while The Heartstealer plunders a bit, then they'll come back and you can repeat that to them. In the mean time, what do you know of the Horseman?" Elise was silent and Jim sighed.
"Do you want the blood of an innocent man on your hands?" Jim asked.
"He is not innocent," Elise said bitingly standing up, Dodger pushed her down.
"For a rich girl your manners are horrible," he said dryly.
Elise lay her hand over his and pushed it away, standing up again.
"He doesn't fear anything! My people have tried what we can to get rid of him but the only thing that works is heights—he has trouble with them."
"What is he?" Van Helsing asked standing up to face Elise.
"Some say he was a solider—a great solider—who lived not for glory or love or joy but for the thrill of battle. He was betrayed and killed with his own sword, his head cut from his body and thrust upon it. The Devil cast him out of hell he was so wicked but someone took his head. So he seeks vengeance on those who wronged him, but they had descendants and the numbers multiplied until there were too many for him to kill at once so he lives on. He is not ruled by light or darkness but comes at will. They say the only giving him his head will stop him but no-one knows where that is and no one has time to look."
"Capitan Hawkins," Van Helsing turned to Jim, "how fast can you get us to Miss Westcove's town?"
"According to the Heartstopper it shouldn't be more than six day's journey," he said.
"So will you take us?" Van Helsing asked.
"I think I will," Jim said, "but if you want me to fight I'll need convincing.""You're Code clearly states you must trust in your fellow Knights!" Carl cried.
"He is not a Knight," Van Helsing said checking the blade on his sword, "I go alone."
"We don't know how weak you are after the transformation!"
"We'll find out soon enough," Van Helsing pointed out.
"Van Helsing I beg you, take someone with you on this, just to watch your back if nothing else! Last time--," Carl trailed off 'last time you had Anna' he finished mentally.
"Carl I go alone," Van Helsing said firmly wrapping his hand around the mace. Carl nodded in agreement, then turned and walked out of the room.
"You look troubled," Jim said looking at Carl, "Is there something wrong?"
'Yes!' Carl wanted to shout, 'there is so much wrong and nothing I can do about it!'
"Well," Carl began, "do you know anyone who can fight?"
"You're on a pirate ship," Jim laughed, "you'll have to be a bit more specific than that."
"Wait there," Carl said and ran back to his rooms. He pulled out the one book that he always carried along with the bible: a book of the Code. The Code was the rules for the Knights of the Holy Cross. Dodger hurried back up to the ship and found Jim standing by the wall.
"What's that?" Jim asked nodding towards the book.
"This is the Code for Knights of the Holy Cross," Carl opened to a page and held it out to Jim who took the book.
"Knights must be of strong in the Three Graces, body mind and soul. They must have faith in their God for his Left Hand is always with them. Knights but abide by the law—well you won't find that—but must do what is necessary to defeat evil," Jim looked up at Carl, "well I've got a few in mind just from reading this."
"Really?" Carl leaned forward, "because Van Helsing must not know they are with him until the last possible second."
"Ah, well then come with me."
He led Carl into another part of the ship where two figures were sitting.
"Carl here needs you two to go with Van Helsing and help him defeat the Horseman on shore. You're going to have to be sneaky and you'll be traveling with the most wanted man in Europe—though I don't think that will be an issue—and make sure he doesn't see you two. Up to it?"
"Absolutely," Raphael said turning around. Dodger was a bit more thoughtful, weighing the different outcomes and solutions before shaking his head. Carl decided it was time for drastic actions, he wanted the thief to go with them.
"You can't read or write can you?" Carl questioned. Dodger looked at him sharply, "I saw the bartender write words down for you."
"What are you asking?" Dodger questioned, his eyes guarded.
"I am asking if you would like to learn. I'll teach you how to read and write and all you have to do is help Van Helsing.""Delang!"
George Delang looked up quickly as a tall woman walked towards him, her steps slow and measured. A long black cloak hid her face and body. She stormed forward and grabbed the scientist by the collar, lifting his feet off the ground.
"What in the blazes is taking so long?" she hissed, her voice not rising past a harsh whisper.
"Well it's a bit more complicated—"
"Do not give me your pathetic excuses. My patience is wearing thin Delang and soon it will be out, you do not want my patience with you to run out do you?"
"N-no sir."
The woman threw George down and stormed out. George rubbed his neck and got to his feet, dusting the dirt from his pants. Delang cursed under his breath and walked over to a long table. There he pulled out a cage and opened it. Reaching in he pulled out a hawk. He scribbled a note on the piece of paper inside and walked to the window. Leaning out he thrust the hawk into flight.
The hawk knew its destination. It pumped its wings and flew forwards. A shot resounded and the bird fell to the deck of the ship as Jim lowered his rifle.
"Message intercepted," he said and picked the bird up by it's feet. The bird gave an indignant squeak as if it objected to the treatment. Jim pulled the message from where it was tied to his leg and walked below deck with the bird and the message.Van Helsing hadn't come out of his room in a few days. No-one saw him at meals and Carl tried to come in on a few failed attempts but Van Helsing let him in. Finally Carl had enough. Enlisting the help of Dodger and Raphael, Carl now stood before the rail of the ship.
"Now, if we go around the side we should be at his window. We break in there and we're inside his room," Carl said for the millionth time. He checked the grappling hook he had and looked at Dodger who gave an encouraging nod. Carl climbed onto the rail with Dodger right behind him. Raphael went to pick the lock and try to get in that way.
"Don't look down, don't look down," Dodger muttered inching out.
"Are you afraid of heights?" Carl asked looking down slightly. He paled as well, "we shouldn't chant—he'll know—"
"Know what?" Van Helsing stuck his head out the window, "what are you doing?"
Carl yelled and jumped back in surprise, nearly losing his balance. He steadied himself.
"Enjoying the weather, lovely day you should really come outside," Cal said smiling weakly.
"Carl," Van Helsing sighed, "come on you two, you're halfway there."
"Ha!" Raphael entered the room, took one look at Van Helsing leaning out the window and gasped, "Carl he's going to jump!"
"We're out here!" Carl cried back to him.
"Oh—"
"Get that rope," Van Helsing said pointing at the coil of rope that lay by the side. Raphael ducked forward and grabbed the rope, handing it to Van Helsing, "tie it to the bedpost," Raphael knotted the rope around the bedpost, "now hold on to it," Van Helsing said keeping his voice level, "Carl, I'm going to throw you the rope, are you ready?"
"Yes!"
Van Helsing tossed the rope and surprisingly Carl caught it.
"Alright now Carl, who else is out there with you?"
"Hello Helsing!" Dodger said smiling weakly, "I'm hurt you don't recognize me."
"You're going to be hurt more than that," Van Helsing said, "Carl give him part of the rope." Carl passed Dodger the rope, "good now you two come towards me slowly, steady—almost there—good."
Van Helsing let the rope drop as the thief and the friar stood in the room, visibly shaken up.
"Now that you're both inside, mind telling me what you were doing trying to sneak into my room through a window?"
"Well going through the door didn't work," Carl spoke up. Raphael made a face but kept silent. Van Helsing looked at Carl carefully, "what?"
"You haven't given me an answer."
"I'm worried about you!" Carl said angrily, "you don't come out of your room and you're about to kill a monster we know nothing about with no-one to watch your back! You're good Van Helsing but you are not immortal!"
"Then why can't I end this pain and die?!"