You approach the west side of town with a bit of nervousness. The priest has made this man out to be a killer, perhaps. But all of your weapons are at hand, so you think that you are fairly safe, even if you get attacked.
The last alley is very dark and the doorways are very unclear, even to the precision of your eyesight. But there is still no mistaking the last door. It is small and wooden. The building is small as well. You wonder if you are about to recruit a peasant and knock cautiously. There is a long pause inside, which you can almost sense. A muffled voice is heard inside.
"Who is it?" Asks the voice.
"My name is of no concern to you," you answer, "Only my quest is." There is another pause behind the door.
"I like that answer. But it gives me nothing to trust you on," replies the voice haughtily. You are flabbergasted he would say such a thing. Criminals want nothing to do with trust, do they?
"Listen," you say, leaning close to the door crack so no one can hear you but him. "Count Dracula has risen again. I must cross the country in search of Van Helsing. But I cannot go alone." There is another pause and then the door opens.
He is a rugged-looking character of about 5'11". His hair is a dark mop that hangs just below his shoulders. His eyes are a wild color of sky blue, and his chin and upper lip are covered with a bit of a scruff. His clothing is that of a ranger; all brown tones and mostly leather, except for his chemise, which is a yellowed out silk shirt of antique design. Behind him looms darkness, and a single burning candle.
"No, certainly not alone across the terrain, my Lady," he says, bowing. Then he reaches forward and kisses your hand. (How can he have committed sins? You ask yourself). "My name is Vladimir Theros; better known as the Rogue, or simply, the Outcast," he says, with a hint of sarcasm.
"I am Mira DeLune," you say, with a grateful nod. You seem to remember hearing his name from somewhere, but it escapes you. "The task is dangerous," you continue, "The Count came to me last night and threatened my life if I sent for Van Helsing. I promised I would only find the whereabouts of him. But it has become clear to both the priest and I that Van Helsing must be reached, and in order to accomplish this, I must ride to him."
"This all makes sense, Miss DeLune," says Vladimir, "And I can say you have come to the right place. Dracula and I go way back."
"Way back? How old are you?" You ask curiously. He cannot be more than 30, you decide, but he just smiles mysteriously in both a trusting and distrusting way.
"The point is that I know his methods, and can outrun him easily. But if you are to start out today, we must go immediately. For once the sun falls beyond those mountains, he will awake and he will come looking for you," says Vladimir. You nod, knowing this already.
"The priest will meet us at the South gate after morning mass," you explain, "To give us further instructions."
"I do not need any," replies Vladimir, "But the priest will likely have some trinkets that may aid our journey." You are a little unsettled by the fact that he is so mysterious. In fact, he makes you a little suspicious about his history even. But, you trust the priest with all your heart. And the priest would die before sending you into harm's way. He is glancing at your weapons. "Those will do you no good when he picks up the chase," he says finally.
"I was told to heavily arm myself, so I did as instructed," you reply. He shakes his head.
"You are not heavily armed to face vampires. You are heavily armed to face me," he says. You blink, looking at him. He smiles, shaking his head. "Nevermind Miss DeLune. Keep yourself armed if you believe it's necessary. Just know that when faced with the Count, your mortal weapons will fail you."
"Well then, what will defend me?" You demand, a bit annoyed by the fact that he seems overly prodigious.
"Your faith in God is the most likely," he replies, still looking at you. His gaze makes you feel a bit nervous, but maybe that is only because the priest warned you that he was a dangerous man. "Now," he says, taking his eyes off you, "I believe I have some packing to do. I trust you have the horses, and I will meet you at the south gate." He shuts the door, leaving you in the dark alley. You feel that this gesture is a bit rude, but then again, it seems as if he has not interacted with people for a while.
You walk away with the strange sense that something is not right about this man; whether good or ill, and decide to keep your weapons on hand. Even if they will not defend you from the Count, they will defend you from mortals with sinful hearts.
You pick up the two fastest horses from the stables and proceed out into the street. The sun is rising, but it appears that a storm is rolling in. This is not good. If it is a storm, it will be like racing across the west to find Van Helsing. Then again, it could be to your advantage. Dracula might have difficulty navigating in such conditions. You must go, regardless of the weather.
Morning mass will not be over for at least another hour, so you walk around town with the horses. The marketplace looks barren today, and the shopkeepers are restless. They know that something is happening. You always find it odd that people always seems to know when something is wrong.
You enter a general store to pick up some rations for the journey. You also pick up a new fur hat. The journey is going to be cold, and you would not want your ears to get frostbite. After some brief, mindless wandering about the town, you head to the outskirts of the south gate. It will be a while until anyone arrives there, but you figure it's better to be early anyway.
You have the keen sense that you are being watched. But no one is in sight.
The priest is the first to arrive. He carries a small bag with only a few things in it: a bible, a vial of holy water, some strange herbs you have never seen, and a curious looking device which the priest informs you will generate amazing amounts of light equal to the intensity of the sun. You place the small bag inside your saddlebag. The priest takes a map out of his carry-case.
"I have marked the approximate area of where Van Helsing should be. God willing, he is headed east and will meet you on your path," says the priest. You nod in accordance. "He will have with him, most likely, a friar by the name of Carl. Listen to Carl. He knows much of Count Dracula, and if he knows it not, he is the one that will find out." You nod again. You both look up as Vladimir approaches, loaded up with bags. You do not comment. He smiles when he reaches you.
"Good morning Father Delavego," says Vladimir.
"Good morning," replies the priest. "I have given Mira the map. You know how to read it, Vladimir." Vladimir nods. "Now, both of you be off at once!" Says Father Delavego. Vladimir mounts his horse and the priest stops at you, laying a hand on your shoulder. "Bless you, child. May God be with you always," he says.
"Thank you, Father," you reply, nodding your head in respect. Then you mount. The priest turns to Vladimir.
"I would bless you, Vladimir, but there is no sense in blessing a condemned soul. May God be with you," he says, a little sorrowfully. Vladimir nods in understanding. "One can hope that your transgressions will pass away once you have achieved greatness through the glory of God. If you succeed on this mission, your reward may restore your life."
"Thank you, Father," says Vladimir. He nods at you. "We must make speed. Dracula sends a storm to stop us," he says to you. You do not have time to react to this information, because Vladimir takes off before you. You quickly kick your horse into a canter.
The priest vanishes behind you in a matter of minutes, and soon, so does the city.
Then all you see for miles around is endless mountains and plains, and a threatening black cloud in the western sky. Your heart is in your throat as the cold wind whips your face and you purse your lips.
This could be your last ride ever…