A/N: This story has the potential of becoming a blatant Mary-Sue, so I apologize in advance if that is the route it takes. Also a disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Van Helsing (this means, I do not own Velkan, very unfortunately, but I do own Reveka Kisslinger).

Chapter One: Vigilance

Reveka

It was far too early to be waking up. The sun had not even risen yet. With a heavy sigh, I rolled out of bed and rubbed my eyes. I did not want to be up yet, but I knew my limits. I could only stay in one spot for so long. I was being followed steadily along these mountains, and I did not even know what was following me.

I packed up my camp silently, loading my items onto the second of my two horses. It was very dark, and it looked like it was going to be a cloudy day. Mist hung in patches around the thick trees, and dew clung to the various ferns and mosses. There was a strange chill in the air and I did not care to know what caused it. I brushed back a curled strand of my golden hair and glanced around the dark trees. My horses were restless. They pawed the ground and whinnied softly. I mounted my riding horse and started off immediately. I wasn't about to wait around.

Riding through the forest was refreshing in some ways. It revived my soul and woke me up. Eventually the clouds were lit slightly by the sun, but it was still a dark day. I would reach one of the nearest towns by early evening, probably stay there the night, and then head off to Bucharest to catch the Transylvanian express and head on to Rome.

I had no official business in Rome; I was merely escaping the evils of this place. Being alone in Transylvania was not a safe thing. I was either to marry myself off or leave for higher grounds. If my parents were still alive, I likely would have been married off long ago. (Most women were married by 19 or 20 these days, and I was 24).

I had thought the forest would come alive at dawn, but it remained deathly silent. As I made my way along a narrow passage, I heard a snap and my horses bolted just in time to evade the spikes of a trap. We were all un-nerved of course. Glancing quickly at the device, I concluded it was set out for werewolves. This must have been an unsafe area. Crossing myself, I thanked God for helping me through the night. He had led me this far. I hoped He would continue to do so.

Velkan

It was just another day; another day to set out traps for the werewolves, another day to search for Dracula's hidden lair, and another day to return back to the manor exhausted with my sister. These expeditions were nearly worthless to me. The werewolves knew how to avoid the traps well, and it took much more detailed planning to catch them.

Anna was a bit more passionate about the hunting of werewolves than I, however. The proper power had been invested in her to obtain that fervent passion for the destruction of evil. To me, it was merely another task to be done, and it made the days longer.

The fact of the matter is that I was longing for something I could not see. I did not know what it was, but it hung there, just barely beyond my grasp, and I could never touch it. It was mysterious like the stars, but real like the forest. What did people call such things? It was no dream…

Sometimes I would ask Anna what it was, but she did not know. She was like a wild creature at times, but I adored her. After all, she was my sister. Besides, she carried her fate well, as if she had discovered it, and I had yet to uncover meaning in my life. Things seemed lost, and things seemed found. I only felt complete when I was within the woods.

Yet there was one thing I was concerned with, and one thing only: the destruction of Count Vladislaus Dracula. He haunted my family and he haunted my sister most of all. I did not like to see his shadow linger on her every thought and every action. It was dismal to see her having to be brave like that. She was a woman of action, and she was not afraid to take charge. I felt almost inferior to her in most respects.

Every morning I would greet her in the hall and kiss her forehead. "Hello little sister, did you sleep well?" She would giggle and smile, brightening up the room.

"As well as can be expected, Velkan dear," she would reply. And she would never reply otherwise. It was the same response. But I could expect nothing else from her in response to that question. I knew she was haunted, and I swore to myself that I would un-haunt her, if it was the last thing I did.

"Do not worry about me, brother," she would often say, "Why do you not think of other things for yourself? You never think of yourself."

But I would reply modestly, "No, Anna. When I do something for you, I do it for myself as well. You are the only person in this world that I can care about." She would just smile at me brightly. Sometimes she would blush, which reminded me of the portraits of mother. To me, she was the spitting image of her mother. Every little curve in her face was the same. Perhaps that is why I loved her so.

So it was another day in the forest, setting traps, taking down complicated data…I never understood most of the writings; they were far too scientific for me. All I knew was that the werewolf sightings were growing in number, and this could only mean one thing: they were reproducing. That only meant one other thing as well: we would have to try harder. The mere thought exhausted me. But dear Anna was undaunted.

I do not think she realized how much I cared for her as my sister. I would gladly sacrifice myself for her to live. I just hoped she would one day know that. I could not imagine ever feeling that way for anyone else. I felt very uneducated. I had not seen as much of the world as I would have liked, and I knew nothing of relationships outside of the hierarchy and family. Love was a foreign word to me, unless it was spoken of family members. But Anna and I were the only ones left, and that made it stronger. Thus, it was impossible to replace.

As the months slipped by, it became apparent that our day efforts were doing nothing to help slow the reproduction of the werewolf population. We would have to do night hunts. These were dangerous and they required great tracking skills. We lost some of our best warriors to these hunts. It was always sad to have to carry a fallen one back to the city, pay his family for his death, and burn his remains. We did not wish for their souls to be restless. God have mercy on the fallen.

The weight of the emotions accompanying these deaths grew on me, and aged me. When Anna asked me what was wrong, I would shrug it off with a simple, "Nothing," instead of the truth, which was that I could not bear this lifestyle any longer. But I endured it for her, because this is where she belonged. I knew I had to belong somewhere as well, but I had yet to find it.

Then days came to pass where people were feeling uneasy about the lands. They were leaving for safer grounds. It was just as well, I supposed. We could no longer guarantee safety in Transylvania. It was like the entire world was caving in around us, and there was nothing we could do to stop it. The amount of people leaving increased with the disappearance of my father. I always suspected deep in my heart that I would one day know what had happened.

Then came the one day I could rest; the Sabbath. It was a beautiful autumn day, despite the cloudy sky, and I was quite content to sit in my room and overlook the lands. Traces of mist swirled here and there. The day passed in solitude and evening approached. I could smell rain on the air when I went out into the courtyard. When I looked out over the fields again, I saw a figure emerge from the Northern mists. There were two horses and a rider, and they looked as if they had been riding for a long time.

Curious, I approached the gate and awaited this stranger. As they slowed to a walk, I could see the rider was definitely female, and a rather attractive one at that. But this meant nothing to me and I greeted her as she dismounted cordially at the gate. She took a long sweeping curtsy, realizing that I was the royalty of this town. Judging by her manners, her attire, and her overall appearance, I could tell she was not foe in the least, but very much a friend.

"I journey from afar," the lady said, "And I seek staying accommodations for the evening." Her mystic blue eyes regarded me warmly, and I was intrigued.

"What is your name, lady?" I finally asked.

"Reveka Kisslinger," she answered.

"I am Velkan Valerious, and I would be honored if you would spend the evening in the presence of my sister and I. Have you anything interesting to say of our lands?" I said respectfully, watching her reactions. I hoped I was not coming on too strongly. She smiled at me, much to my delight.

"I would love to stay with you, Prince Valerious," she addressed with good manners, "But I fear I cannot stay any longer than the night, and even at that, I must leave just before dawn. I am being tracked." I quirked an eyebrow at this information.

"Tracked?" I repeated, as if the word did not make sense to me. She nodded, frowning.

"I am on my way to Bucharest. From there, I will go to Rome," she explained, "I am not safe on my own anymore."

"You live alone?" I asked. I felt like I was asking too many questions now. But then again, she was still a stranger in many respects, so why was I trusting her to even enter my house? The wind tousled her hair gently as she nodded in response, and I felt half-enchanted by this traveling creature before me. I shook my head and pulled myself back to reality. "Allow me," I said, offering my arm. She smiled, taking it, and followed me along the street. "You can leave your horses in the barn," I said, pointing. She accepted this and I returned to the manor with this lovely woman on my arm.

"My sister will be back soon," I said, "And then we shall dine together. So why do you not tell me of what you have seen in your travels?" I offered her a seat, and she sat. I sat across from her and felt like a child again, sitting down to listen to my grandfather's stories. Though of that, I had little memory.

"I have been traveling for a few weeks from the upper ends of the mountains," she stated, "That is where my parents came from. But they have passed away, and after a few years by myself, I have realized that I need to find somewhere safer, if I am not to marry." I stared at her a bit incredulously. I could not understand why an attractive young woman would not find a husband. Perhaps she had high standards. Still I said nothing. I did not want to seem impolite. "I'm afraid I almost fell victim to one of your traps," she added with a wry smile, "Other than that, your lands are beautiful… but they are dangerous, Prince Valerious. I would be careful if I were you."

"I am careful only for my sister," I answered. Then there was that awkward silence that newcomers often face in their primal conversations. I tried to smile, but I really hoped that Anna was well on her way. As much as I enjoyed this woman's company, I felt that it would be easier to converse in the presence of Anna.

I was beginning to feel a bit stupid when Reveka finally regarded me kindly. "It takes a true heart to be so selfless," she said. I thought I would remember those words for my entire life. The way she said them was in utter perfection, like the words of an angel. I smiled at her.

"Thank you," I said, realizing the depth of that compliment, "Thank you very much." But inside, my heart was doing wild things. Once, it had felt so empty and all of a sudden it was flooded with warmth again. But I did not think of that. I only thought that this woman's presence was a gift from God. Her loveliness seemed to brighten the room with a golden happiness. Treasured heirlooms danced in her eyes as she looked about the room in interest.

"I wish I could stay longer," she said, rather darkly, "But I am being followed." Those words were dreadful and they nearly made me shiver.

"What follows you, Reveka? Is there anything I can do?" I asked, reaching across to touch her wrist. She pulled away rather abruptly, addressing me with stern eyes. Again, I felt that boundary which I had failed to open; the boundary that lay between the understanding of woman and man. How I longed to know the secrets to destroying that wall! But looking at her again, more closely, I realized that this woman was not driven by her purpose at the moment. She was running from something. Her eyes became downcast, and I felt as if I had lost the battle, but she brought them up to mine again. Her voice was soft like the wind.

"I can only help myself in these dark times," she said, "Prince Valerious…" She seemed to struggle with the words. I was in awe of her speech. It was dramatic, almost, as if it was delicately rehearsed, and yet, I knew it was not. "I am not certain how to phrase this without sounding overly personal…" I did not care if she was overly personal; I was practically hanging on her every word. It was awful too; like being hypnotized by some greater force. "Have you ever felt a part of you was missing, and that it existed somewhere else in the world, but you did not know where to go to find it?" I could have grasped her hands and bubbled over with excitement, but I contained myself. I smiled wryly.

"I feel that way everyday," I answered, trying to keep my voice low, "But I think God must know what he is doing, and somehow things will work out according to plan."

"I once believed that," she replied, looking forlornly and intently at her hands, "But I soon realized I had to somewhat take matters into my own hands, and thus I am led away to Rome…where I shall probably become a nun, and never reach a state of completeness." I wanted to tell her not to go, but it was not my place to do so. I was jumping to conclusions anyway…was I not?