Van Helsing traced Anna back to her home in Vaseria, and he wasted no
time in making his way to the Valerious home. Van Helsing knew Anna was
nearby because his heart told him so. Normally, Van Helsing relied on
survival instincts, but he was using an instinct that had never been there
until he met Anna. He was using a form of love to find her, and he knew
that he was not being steered off of course. He would bet his life that
Anna was in her family's manor. Carl was trying to keep up, but his horse
was not as fast as Van Helsing's horse. 'At first, I didn't believe Van
Helsing could find Anna. But by the way he's rushing, I think I may be
wrong.' Carl thought.
Van Helsing felt his heart pound, and he knew it pound because he was anxious to see Anna again. He was so close, and he could barely control the joy that was rapidly building up inside his body. 'I can finally have a life with Anna. We have another chance to be together.'
Victoria knew Van Helsing was coming, and she had a plan to keep him occupied until the sun had set. Adam wanted to meet the well-known monster slayer, and he was curious to know if he was good enough for the beautiful Princess of the Gypsies. He wanted to make sure Van Helsing was the man that he had heard about, the man that had killed Dracula. A strong monster killer that supposedly only had one human equal, Anna. Victoria was sure that Van Helsing was the man the lore said he was, but Adam just figured that she wanted to rush the deal. But, Adam didn't want to mess up his plans. He needed to mix Anna's talents with someone that held talents as strong as Anna's. Nothing less would be acceptable for Victoria and Adam's plans.
Van Helsing dismounted his horse and left him with servants that rushed over to him. Carl was not far behind Van Helsing, and he was running as fast as he could just to keep up with Van Helsing's hurried pace. Since Van Helsing had nothing but Anna on his mind, he forgot to wait for Carl. Victoria sent one of her coven, Tabitha, to capture Carl to keep Van Helsing occupied for a while. Tabitha watched the blonde friar running after the monster slayer, and she was humored seeing the friar's robes flowing about him. He was close to her and would soon be close enough for her to ambush Carl.
Tabitha waited until Carl was only ten feet from her before she jumped out and grabbed a hold of Carl's arm. "Hello there," she said in a scratchy, abnormal voice. Carl yelled out, "Van Helsing," as Tabitha began pulling him away from the town square and towards the back of the manor. Van Helsing turned around to see Carl being pulled out of sight by what appeared to be a woman. He cursed at this occurrence that hindered him from reaching Anna, but he didn't want harm to befall his friend. So, Van Helsing ran after Carl and his captor.
Tabitha smiled at the very frightened friar and told him, "Your friend is fast." Then, she used her powers to run even faster than the monster hunter following her did. She found the whole process amusing, and she hadn't been amused in ten years. Being cooped up in that Salem forest never allowed for fun like she was having. Witches capturing villagers from Salem often led to a hanging or being burned at the steak. On a rare occasion, a witch would be drowned. But, Tabitha put that aside as she pulled Carl beyond his limits. She almost felt sorry for the cute-boyish- looking friar, but she was just toying with him. She would leave him for Van Helsing to take back after the sun had set.
"Don't worry, I won't harm you," she told Carl. "I'm just having a little fun."
Carl swallowed hard, but he didn't have the courage to speak. He feared the woman dressed in a dark corset top with a black linen blouse under it, and she wore a layered, black cotton skirt that covered her brown leather boots. Her straight long brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail on the top of her head, and she had large hoop earrings dangling from her ears. She looked rather strange to Carl, and he knew she was not an ordinary woman. So, he was afraid of her because of her appearance. "What do you want," he asked trying to maintain the normal tone of his voice with little success.
Tabitha grinned at him, " I want to keep you and your friend there occupied for a while."
Carl stared at her wide-eyed. "Then, what," he asked.
Tabitha told him, "My leader wants to see your friend after the sun goes down."
Anna spent all day first relaxing in the hot water then sitting in a warm blanket daydreaming. Anna finally slipped into the dress that Victoria had brought her, then she looked into the mirror and liked the image staring back at her. "The dress isn't dreadful." Anna said to herself. "I just wonder who will be here?" Anna thought hopefully, 'Perhaps Van Helsing.' Anna closed her eyes and began to see Van Helsing in her mind and all the times he had rescued her when he had come to Vaseria to kill Dracula. She even remembered the strong feelings that she had when she decided that she wanted to have a future with him. Then, that all crashed as she laid on that broken couch in Dracula's castle unable to move or speak before her end. But, she felt justified in saving the man who'd saved them all, and stolen her heart in the process. She wanted to see Van Helsing more than she wanted to escape, which she wanted to do desperately.
Anna was disturbed by the sound of the door being unlocked, and she turned to see Victoria swing the door open. "Ahh, good, you are ready. The sun will set soon, and your appearance shall be wanted. But for now, come down and have a drink with all of us at the bar."
Anna accepted the offer, not like she had an actual choice, and followed Victoria down to the bar. Anna did not know that Victoria had mixed Anna's drink with magical ingredients that would put Anna into a trance. Then, Anna would follow the orders that Victoria said while mixing up the drink. Anna sat down in a large, solid wood chair and was handed the reddish purple drink. She was suspicious of the drink, but she was thirsty and took a sip of the liquid. It was a cold drink, and it had an irresistible flavor that Anna adored. So, Anna continued to drink from the cup naive to the fact that the drink was enchanted.
Victoria watched excitedly since she knew that the drink was enchanted. 'Anna will do everything that the drink's powers make her do. The best part is that she won't remember a thing after tonight. She'll believe it all to be a dream!' Victoria thought enjoying her success.
Van Helsing was amazed at how fast the woman in front of him could travel, but he was glad she was hindered by Carl's inability to travel so fast. He could see Carl, very far ahead of him, struggling to maintain such a demanding pace. Van Helsing knew he had to act quickly and save his friend from the strange woman. "Carl, listen to me. Just stop running!" Van Helsing called out to the friar.
Carl turned to face Van Helsing as he spoke, but Carl couldn't believe what he was hearing from Van Helsing. If he stopped, Tabitha would drag him along. He didn't see how that would help him, but he was growing incredibly tired from trying to keep up with Tabitha. So, he slowly quit running.
Tabitha, cursing at the fact that Carl had followed his friend's orders, used her powers to shove Carl against a wall of the Valerious manor. Carl cried out in pain, and he felt a little dizzy. 'I think I'm going to pass out,' he thought as everything began to spin and blur. Van Helsing saw Carl slump over, and he became very angry. He was afraid that Tabitha had killed Carl, so he was action the only way he could at that moment. He drew out his shotgun, and aimed for Tabitha. He had Tabitha aimed up, and he pulled the trigger.
Tabitha stopped the bullet midair just by holding up one of her hands. Van Helsing let his arms drop a little as he stood staring that the bullet in shock. 'How is this possible,' his mind asked. Tabitha grinned and tossed the small piece of metal aside. "I welcome you back to this village, Mr. Van Helsing." Tabitha said as she curtsied. "I am Tabitha, and I have been sent by my superior to keep you busy until the sun sets."
Van Helsing became curious. "Why until the sun sets?"
"Because my superior's employer awakens right at sunset, and he would like to speak with you before everything." Tabitha said dancing around in a wild sort of way.
"I see, but why should I attend?"
Tabitha stopped dancing. "Because it would benefit you to meet with him. And, his daughter would be very heartbroken if you declined the offer."
"Now would she?" Van Helsing asked with a hint of defiance.
"Yes, now come, let us continue these shenanigans until the sun sets in a little while." Tabitha said to Van Helsing.
"I'm afraid Carl is--"
"Out cold, but he'll come to soon enough." Tabitha cut off Van Helsing's sentence. "Come," she said using her magic, which clouded Van Helsing's mind, "Dance with me."
Van Helsing could not stop himself from walking up to Tabitha and allowing her to dance with him. It was a lovely ballroom dance, that Van Helsing didn't recall knowing. But, Tabitha's powers gave him the ability to dance with ease. Tabitha giggled and enjoyed her time with her playmates. She had not ballroom danced longer than she recall, but she loved it. "Why, Van Helsing, you make a wonderful puppet!" Tabitha exclaimed.
The sun set quickly, and Tabitha sighed when everything was shrouded in a blue light from the absence of sun. She stopped and let Van Helsing out of his trance. "I fear, Van Helsing, I must release you for it is time to meet with my superior and her employer."
Van Helsing nodded and began to walk over to Carl. Tabitha grabbed him by the arm. "He will be all right. You go in the front door. I shall see that Carl is taken care of."
Van Helsing listened to Tabitha, mostly because she used her powers to keep Van Helsing from walking over to Carl. So he walked back around to the front of the manor. He looked up at it before entering right away. 'Just think, Anna is in there.' Van Helsing told himself. 'So, just spend enough time in there to figure out where Anna is being kept.'
Van Helsing felt his heart pound, and he knew it pound because he was anxious to see Anna again. He was so close, and he could barely control the joy that was rapidly building up inside his body. 'I can finally have a life with Anna. We have another chance to be together.'
Victoria knew Van Helsing was coming, and she had a plan to keep him occupied until the sun had set. Adam wanted to meet the well-known monster slayer, and he was curious to know if he was good enough for the beautiful Princess of the Gypsies. He wanted to make sure Van Helsing was the man that he had heard about, the man that had killed Dracula. A strong monster killer that supposedly only had one human equal, Anna. Victoria was sure that Van Helsing was the man the lore said he was, but Adam just figured that she wanted to rush the deal. But, Adam didn't want to mess up his plans. He needed to mix Anna's talents with someone that held talents as strong as Anna's. Nothing less would be acceptable for Victoria and Adam's plans.
Van Helsing dismounted his horse and left him with servants that rushed over to him. Carl was not far behind Van Helsing, and he was running as fast as he could just to keep up with Van Helsing's hurried pace. Since Van Helsing had nothing but Anna on his mind, he forgot to wait for Carl. Victoria sent one of her coven, Tabitha, to capture Carl to keep Van Helsing occupied for a while. Tabitha watched the blonde friar running after the monster slayer, and she was humored seeing the friar's robes flowing about him. He was close to her and would soon be close enough for her to ambush Carl.
Tabitha waited until Carl was only ten feet from her before she jumped out and grabbed a hold of Carl's arm. "Hello there," she said in a scratchy, abnormal voice. Carl yelled out, "Van Helsing," as Tabitha began pulling him away from the town square and towards the back of the manor. Van Helsing turned around to see Carl being pulled out of sight by what appeared to be a woman. He cursed at this occurrence that hindered him from reaching Anna, but he didn't want harm to befall his friend. So, Van Helsing ran after Carl and his captor.
Tabitha smiled at the very frightened friar and told him, "Your friend is fast." Then, she used her powers to run even faster than the monster hunter following her did. She found the whole process amusing, and she hadn't been amused in ten years. Being cooped up in that Salem forest never allowed for fun like she was having. Witches capturing villagers from Salem often led to a hanging or being burned at the steak. On a rare occasion, a witch would be drowned. But, Tabitha put that aside as she pulled Carl beyond his limits. She almost felt sorry for the cute-boyish- looking friar, but she was just toying with him. She would leave him for Van Helsing to take back after the sun had set.
"Don't worry, I won't harm you," she told Carl. "I'm just having a little fun."
Carl swallowed hard, but he didn't have the courage to speak. He feared the woman dressed in a dark corset top with a black linen blouse under it, and she wore a layered, black cotton skirt that covered her brown leather boots. Her straight long brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail on the top of her head, and she had large hoop earrings dangling from her ears. She looked rather strange to Carl, and he knew she was not an ordinary woman. So, he was afraid of her because of her appearance. "What do you want," he asked trying to maintain the normal tone of his voice with little success.
Tabitha grinned at him, " I want to keep you and your friend there occupied for a while."
Carl stared at her wide-eyed. "Then, what," he asked.
Tabitha told him, "My leader wants to see your friend after the sun goes down."
Anna spent all day first relaxing in the hot water then sitting in a warm blanket daydreaming. Anna finally slipped into the dress that Victoria had brought her, then she looked into the mirror and liked the image staring back at her. "The dress isn't dreadful." Anna said to herself. "I just wonder who will be here?" Anna thought hopefully, 'Perhaps Van Helsing.' Anna closed her eyes and began to see Van Helsing in her mind and all the times he had rescued her when he had come to Vaseria to kill Dracula. She even remembered the strong feelings that she had when she decided that she wanted to have a future with him. Then, that all crashed as she laid on that broken couch in Dracula's castle unable to move or speak before her end. But, she felt justified in saving the man who'd saved them all, and stolen her heart in the process. She wanted to see Van Helsing more than she wanted to escape, which she wanted to do desperately.
Anna was disturbed by the sound of the door being unlocked, and she turned to see Victoria swing the door open. "Ahh, good, you are ready. The sun will set soon, and your appearance shall be wanted. But for now, come down and have a drink with all of us at the bar."
Anna accepted the offer, not like she had an actual choice, and followed Victoria down to the bar. Anna did not know that Victoria had mixed Anna's drink with magical ingredients that would put Anna into a trance. Then, Anna would follow the orders that Victoria said while mixing up the drink. Anna sat down in a large, solid wood chair and was handed the reddish purple drink. She was suspicious of the drink, but she was thirsty and took a sip of the liquid. It was a cold drink, and it had an irresistible flavor that Anna adored. So, Anna continued to drink from the cup naive to the fact that the drink was enchanted.
Victoria watched excitedly since she knew that the drink was enchanted. 'Anna will do everything that the drink's powers make her do. The best part is that she won't remember a thing after tonight. She'll believe it all to be a dream!' Victoria thought enjoying her success.
Van Helsing was amazed at how fast the woman in front of him could travel, but he was glad she was hindered by Carl's inability to travel so fast. He could see Carl, very far ahead of him, struggling to maintain such a demanding pace. Van Helsing knew he had to act quickly and save his friend from the strange woman. "Carl, listen to me. Just stop running!" Van Helsing called out to the friar.
Carl turned to face Van Helsing as he spoke, but Carl couldn't believe what he was hearing from Van Helsing. If he stopped, Tabitha would drag him along. He didn't see how that would help him, but he was growing incredibly tired from trying to keep up with Tabitha. So, he slowly quit running.
Tabitha, cursing at the fact that Carl had followed his friend's orders, used her powers to shove Carl against a wall of the Valerious manor. Carl cried out in pain, and he felt a little dizzy. 'I think I'm going to pass out,' he thought as everything began to spin and blur. Van Helsing saw Carl slump over, and he became very angry. He was afraid that Tabitha had killed Carl, so he was action the only way he could at that moment. He drew out his shotgun, and aimed for Tabitha. He had Tabitha aimed up, and he pulled the trigger.
Tabitha stopped the bullet midair just by holding up one of her hands. Van Helsing let his arms drop a little as he stood staring that the bullet in shock. 'How is this possible,' his mind asked. Tabitha grinned and tossed the small piece of metal aside. "I welcome you back to this village, Mr. Van Helsing." Tabitha said as she curtsied. "I am Tabitha, and I have been sent by my superior to keep you busy until the sun sets."
Van Helsing became curious. "Why until the sun sets?"
"Because my superior's employer awakens right at sunset, and he would like to speak with you before everything." Tabitha said dancing around in a wild sort of way.
"I see, but why should I attend?"
Tabitha stopped dancing. "Because it would benefit you to meet with him. And, his daughter would be very heartbroken if you declined the offer."
"Now would she?" Van Helsing asked with a hint of defiance.
"Yes, now come, let us continue these shenanigans until the sun sets in a little while." Tabitha said to Van Helsing.
"I'm afraid Carl is--"
"Out cold, but he'll come to soon enough." Tabitha cut off Van Helsing's sentence. "Come," she said using her magic, which clouded Van Helsing's mind, "Dance with me."
Van Helsing could not stop himself from walking up to Tabitha and allowing her to dance with him. It was a lovely ballroom dance, that Van Helsing didn't recall knowing. But, Tabitha's powers gave him the ability to dance with ease. Tabitha giggled and enjoyed her time with her playmates. She had not ballroom danced longer than she recall, but she loved it. "Why, Van Helsing, you make a wonderful puppet!" Tabitha exclaimed.
The sun set quickly, and Tabitha sighed when everything was shrouded in a blue light from the absence of sun. She stopped and let Van Helsing out of his trance. "I fear, Van Helsing, I must release you for it is time to meet with my superior and her employer."
Van Helsing nodded and began to walk over to Carl. Tabitha grabbed him by the arm. "He will be all right. You go in the front door. I shall see that Carl is taken care of."
Van Helsing listened to Tabitha, mostly because she used her powers to keep Van Helsing from walking over to Carl. So he walked back around to the front of the manor. He looked up at it before entering right away. 'Just think, Anna is in there.' Van Helsing told himself. 'So, just spend enough time in there to figure out where Anna is being kept.'