Author's note: (Sorry for another cliffhanger last time but I've
been too busy to complete two consecutive chapters. Anyway, for story
purposes, I am making the time it takes to get to Rome shorter. Thank you
for reading.)
"Yes." Van Helsing and Carl replied. Van Helsing glanced over to Carl, who quickly stared at the floor.
Katalena set the card down. A wounded knight stood at a fork in the road, one way led to the castle--life--and the other led to fire--death. "You are at a crossroad. I cannot tell you what happens next because the present is too chaotic. There are too many disturbances, but I can assure you that the cards do not lie and are not mind tricks."
"Yes, I see that now, and I apologize for what I said earlier." Van Helsing added.
"This card means life and death. If we can get you to the Vatican before the serpent venom takes over your body, then you will go down the path to the castle, which is life. If this train is stalled at all and keeps you from reaching the Vatican, then you will go down the path of fire, which is--"
"Death." Van Helsing finished only to receive a nod from Katalena.
"That doesn't give us much hope, Ms. Girade." Carl told her.
"I am not suppose to provide hope, Carl. I only provide what I know."
"You told me about my life, something I have craved for many, many years. I am satisfied to know what my previous life was." Van Helsing told Katalena.
"There may be more to your past, but you just didn't shuffle the cards long enough for them to soak up your past." Katalena replied.
"Perhaps if I live, we try this again." Van Helsing suggested.
Katalena nodded. "But, they won't let me in the back of the Vatican, where you will be."
"I'll find a way to get you inside." Van Helsing assured her.
Monty had bathed and dressed in clean garments. 'How will I get Madeline out of this manor in daylight?' He glanced around the room and saw that the curtains blocked out all the sun, and did not even have a bit of it peaking through the cloth. 'Perfect,' he thought. Monty walked over to the curtain and pulled it down. 'I can hide her under this until she is in the carriage.'
Madeline was ready to leave, but she was waiting for Mae to bring her the food items that Monty had requested. She was sitting on the floor, her skirt billowed around her, thinking over what she was doing. 'I am doing the right thing,' she thought. 'Victoria must be stopped, and Van Helsing can stop her. He is a trained monster slayer with years of experience, and Victoria has definitely proved herself to be a monster. Also once I have unveiled her plan, Van Helsing's search for her will be purely personal.'
Mae found Madeline and knelt beside her. She handed her a pack and said, "That's what you asked for." Madeline set the pack down in her lap and asked, "Could you put a spell on me that could hide my fangs during my journey? Or at least while I am awake during the day."
Mae sighed. "I could, but why do you want me to?"
"I don't want to alarm Van Helsing when he sees me. If he sees I'm a vampire, then he'll kill me before I have a chance to tell him Victoria's plan." Madeline explained. She left out that she wanted to talk to Carl again without him noticing she was a vampire. Madeline felt it was best not to speak of her infatuation with Carl in front of anyone in fear that they wouldn't understand.
Mae agreed with her and whispered an incantation on Madeline and clapped to activate the spell. Madeline felt her fangs retract and said, "Mae, you did it. My fangs are not noticeable anymore because I can feel them with my tongue. They're normal." Mae nodded in response.
Anna was asleep again and saw Van Helsing on a train, and she noticed that he was not breathing at a normal rate. Carl was asleep, but there was a woman in the train car with them. Anna felt a little jealous of the woman just because she was with Van Helsing. Anna ignored the jealous thoughts and saw the woman was writing in her journal. Anna could read what it read. The woman's journal read, "Carl is an interesting friar. You don't see a friar away from his friary very often. But, Van Helsing is far more complex. He has something clouding his past, and it is something important. I'm afraid for his health, though. He appears to be a strong man, but his condition is far past worry. He's fighting the serpent bite with all he's got. I just hope that is enough." The woman stopped writing when she noticed Van Helsing's gasps.
Anna saw the woman wake up Carl, who helped Van Helsing regain his normal breathing. The woman soon pulled tarot cards from her dress and began reading Van Helsing's life off of the cards. Anna was wondering what the woman was up to, but she was stunned when the woman was getting all the information correct about Van Helsing's interactions with her.
Madeline and Monty made it out of Romania by dusk, and Madeline was glad. But, she had heard that Transylvanian horses were the fastest they could find. She saw that was very truthful and she leaned next to the wall of the carriage where Monty was on the other side. "Monty, where will we be by morning?" Monty thought about the route he'd taken with Victoria and her coven. "It should not be long. I got Victoria to Rome in close to a day. I don't know if she helped the process, but let us try for that record again."
"Yes." Madeline replied. "We need to get to Rome quickly."
"We'll be to the coast by morning." Monty told her.
"A boat ride will take days." Madeline sighed. "I suppose you didn't travel that way with Victoria."
"Well, even if we don't make it in a day, we will still get to Rome quickly." Monty explained. "But, that doesn't mean that the Vatican won't be there when we reach Rome."
Madeline sighed. "But, Van Helsing may not be there."
"Oh, dear girl, I think he will." Monty told her. "By the way, do you need to stop to feed?"
"No, I think I can wait until later. My cravings are not even bothering me. I think I will rest, though."
"Okay, Madeline, when you wake we will be at the coast."
Van Helsing was glad to see that the train had taken them into Paris during the day. "How much longer will it be from here?" Van Helsing asked Katalena, since she had been on the route for years.
"I must say we will be there in a few hours. It will still be in the early hours of morning whilst it is still dark." Katalena replied as she rested her eyes.
Van Helsing feared the sound of a few hours. His lungs were already beginning to tighten again, and he wasn't sure how long it would be before he could no longer move air. Van Helsing settled in the seat and thought of Anna. He thought about the night he spent with Anna, and the pleasures they shared. He was relieved to know that had not been a dream, and he desperately wanted to get back to Anna. 'Anna,' he thought as he slipped into sleep, 'I hope I have strength to make it back to you.'
Carl was the only one left awake at the early hours of the morning. He was staring out the window as he thought of Madeline. He kept seeing her green eyes and how they shined when he talked about his inventions. 'I wish I could see her again,' he thought. 'Although I would do something foolish if I ever saw her again. I'd marry her, maybe in secret so that the monks and other friars didn't find out. But, someone would find out. So, I would just marry her and let them deal with my actions that way." Carl wished that he would have seen Madeline once last time before he was put under by pixie dust.
Katalena woke up and looked over to see Carl staring out the window. "Carl," she said.
"Yes," he replied.
"Why were you headed to America, really?"
"Van Helsing and I had hopes to learn about the witches that have Anna captive. That way we could fight them and know their weaknesses." Carl replied. "But if the witches are no longer working with the vampire-- or man you spoke of, then we can head back to Transylvania."
Katalena looked over at Van Helsing, who was slouched down in his seat. "If Van Helsing pulls through," she said quietly.
"He's made it through worse." Carl replied confidently. "He's too stubborn to quit now. Besides, he'd just be sent back to finish is work against evil."
Katalena thought back to her reading on Van Helsing. "Maybe a second chance is all he gets. Maybe mortals just have to find someone new to take his place."
Carl shook his head, not wanting to hear what Katalena was saying. "No, Van Helsing can't be replaced."
"I didn't say he could be replace. I said someone could take his place. It's far from the same thing. Van Helsing has a good record of killing what he is sent after. Not many people can live up to that."
Finally, the train reached Rome. Carl and Katalena found that Van Helsing could not be awakened, and they panicked. "What are we to do, Carl?" Katalena asked. Carl thought for a moment. 'What are we going to do,' he thought to himself. "We will just have to get him on a horse." Carl told her.
Katalena disappeared as she left Carl and ran to the front of the train. Carl continued to shake Van Helsing's shoulders, hoping for some kind of reaction. Van Helsing was limp, and that put cold fear in Carl's heart. 'He is breathing. That is always good.' Carl assured himself. 'But, he doesn't appear to be well. He is quite ill, perhaps there isn't enough time left.' Carl's mind raced for a moment, as he feared what to do without his friend.
Men came into the room and interrupted Carl's thoughts. Carl jumped back from fright, them saw that the men were there to help. Katalena appeared behind the men and told Carl, "We're going to carry Van Helsing out to a horse, and he will be tied onto the horse. I will ride this horse to the Vatican where he will be taken care of." Carl nodded, and the men picked up Van Helsing.
Carl followed Katalena out into the darkness and found the horses by her lantern. The men had set Van Helsing atop a black horse's back. His head was leaning down, nearly on his chest, and Carl felt fear take hold of him again since Van Helsing was very ill. Katalena left his side and mounted the horse that Van Helsing was anchored to. She sat behind Van Helsing and took the reins.
"Come, Carl," she said. "We must hurry."
Carl ran over to the second horse and mounted it. He was ready to ride in a minute, and he led the way. Katalena did not know the way to the Vatican, so Carl had to be her guide. It was hard to see in the dark, but the little moon that was out gave a little relief. Carl listened to the horse's hooves gallop across the Roman land, and he tried to steel his nerves. There was little point in doing so since Van Helsing's condition served a reason to worry. Carl seemed to worry a great deal over a great many things, but he realized that he was worrying over something important for once.
The ride did not take as long as Carl figured it would; but with no sound other than the voices in his head, Carl found the ride seemed longer. Monks rushed out and took Van Helsing down from Katalena's horse. Carl got down off his horse and followed the monks, who were carrying Van Helsing off. "Hey!" Katalena called. "What about me?"
Carl turned around and told her, "I'll speak with someone. I'm sure they will let you in."
Katalena sighed. "Don't worry about it. I'll find some place nearby to rest."
Carl nodded and saw Katalena take off. He turned back around and raced after the monks carrying Van Helsing. "What happened, Carl?"
"He was bitten by a giant sea serpent. I had him chew mint. Then when he was having difficulty breathing, I gave him some feverfew." Carl told the monks.
"So, the venom was--"
"Neurotoxic." Carl finished.
Van Helsing was carried into the medical portion of the Vatican, and the monks quickly worked for a cure. Carl was told to stay there until the Cardinal arrived, but he had no intention of leaving. He wanted to make sure that Van Helsing would be all right. 'I should have done more to help him.' Carl thought as he watched the monks work frantically on Van Helsing.
Cardinal Jinette arrived quickly. "Carl, what happened. A sea serpent attacked your ship?"
"Yes, a very large one. Van Helsing saved us though."
Jinette looked over at the monster slayer. "Only to pay a price, I see. Is he going to make it?"
The monks replied, "At this point, your Eminence, it is all a matter of faith."
"Yes." Van Helsing and Carl replied. Van Helsing glanced over to Carl, who quickly stared at the floor.
Katalena set the card down. A wounded knight stood at a fork in the road, one way led to the castle--life--and the other led to fire--death. "You are at a crossroad. I cannot tell you what happens next because the present is too chaotic. There are too many disturbances, but I can assure you that the cards do not lie and are not mind tricks."
"Yes, I see that now, and I apologize for what I said earlier." Van Helsing added.
"This card means life and death. If we can get you to the Vatican before the serpent venom takes over your body, then you will go down the path to the castle, which is life. If this train is stalled at all and keeps you from reaching the Vatican, then you will go down the path of fire, which is--"
"Death." Van Helsing finished only to receive a nod from Katalena.
"That doesn't give us much hope, Ms. Girade." Carl told her.
"I am not suppose to provide hope, Carl. I only provide what I know."
"You told me about my life, something I have craved for many, many years. I am satisfied to know what my previous life was." Van Helsing told Katalena.
"There may be more to your past, but you just didn't shuffle the cards long enough for them to soak up your past." Katalena replied.
"Perhaps if I live, we try this again." Van Helsing suggested.
Katalena nodded. "But, they won't let me in the back of the Vatican, where you will be."
"I'll find a way to get you inside." Van Helsing assured her.
Monty had bathed and dressed in clean garments. 'How will I get Madeline out of this manor in daylight?' He glanced around the room and saw that the curtains blocked out all the sun, and did not even have a bit of it peaking through the cloth. 'Perfect,' he thought. Monty walked over to the curtain and pulled it down. 'I can hide her under this until she is in the carriage.'
Madeline was ready to leave, but she was waiting for Mae to bring her the food items that Monty had requested. She was sitting on the floor, her skirt billowed around her, thinking over what she was doing. 'I am doing the right thing,' she thought. 'Victoria must be stopped, and Van Helsing can stop her. He is a trained monster slayer with years of experience, and Victoria has definitely proved herself to be a monster. Also once I have unveiled her plan, Van Helsing's search for her will be purely personal.'
Mae found Madeline and knelt beside her. She handed her a pack and said, "That's what you asked for." Madeline set the pack down in her lap and asked, "Could you put a spell on me that could hide my fangs during my journey? Or at least while I am awake during the day."
Mae sighed. "I could, but why do you want me to?"
"I don't want to alarm Van Helsing when he sees me. If he sees I'm a vampire, then he'll kill me before I have a chance to tell him Victoria's plan." Madeline explained. She left out that she wanted to talk to Carl again without him noticing she was a vampire. Madeline felt it was best not to speak of her infatuation with Carl in front of anyone in fear that they wouldn't understand.
Mae agreed with her and whispered an incantation on Madeline and clapped to activate the spell. Madeline felt her fangs retract and said, "Mae, you did it. My fangs are not noticeable anymore because I can feel them with my tongue. They're normal." Mae nodded in response.
Anna was asleep again and saw Van Helsing on a train, and she noticed that he was not breathing at a normal rate. Carl was asleep, but there was a woman in the train car with them. Anna felt a little jealous of the woman just because she was with Van Helsing. Anna ignored the jealous thoughts and saw the woman was writing in her journal. Anna could read what it read. The woman's journal read, "Carl is an interesting friar. You don't see a friar away from his friary very often. But, Van Helsing is far more complex. He has something clouding his past, and it is something important. I'm afraid for his health, though. He appears to be a strong man, but his condition is far past worry. He's fighting the serpent bite with all he's got. I just hope that is enough." The woman stopped writing when she noticed Van Helsing's gasps.
Anna saw the woman wake up Carl, who helped Van Helsing regain his normal breathing. The woman soon pulled tarot cards from her dress and began reading Van Helsing's life off of the cards. Anna was wondering what the woman was up to, but she was stunned when the woman was getting all the information correct about Van Helsing's interactions with her.
Madeline and Monty made it out of Romania by dusk, and Madeline was glad. But, she had heard that Transylvanian horses were the fastest they could find. She saw that was very truthful and she leaned next to the wall of the carriage where Monty was on the other side. "Monty, where will we be by morning?" Monty thought about the route he'd taken with Victoria and her coven. "It should not be long. I got Victoria to Rome in close to a day. I don't know if she helped the process, but let us try for that record again."
"Yes." Madeline replied. "We need to get to Rome quickly."
"We'll be to the coast by morning." Monty told her.
"A boat ride will take days." Madeline sighed. "I suppose you didn't travel that way with Victoria."
"Well, even if we don't make it in a day, we will still get to Rome quickly." Monty explained. "But, that doesn't mean that the Vatican won't be there when we reach Rome."
Madeline sighed. "But, Van Helsing may not be there."
"Oh, dear girl, I think he will." Monty told her. "By the way, do you need to stop to feed?"
"No, I think I can wait until later. My cravings are not even bothering me. I think I will rest, though."
"Okay, Madeline, when you wake we will be at the coast."
Van Helsing was glad to see that the train had taken them into Paris during the day. "How much longer will it be from here?" Van Helsing asked Katalena, since she had been on the route for years.
"I must say we will be there in a few hours. It will still be in the early hours of morning whilst it is still dark." Katalena replied as she rested her eyes.
Van Helsing feared the sound of a few hours. His lungs were already beginning to tighten again, and he wasn't sure how long it would be before he could no longer move air. Van Helsing settled in the seat and thought of Anna. He thought about the night he spent with Anna, and the pleasures they shared. He was relieved to know that had not been a dream, and he desperately wanted to get back to Anna. 'Anna,' he thought as he slipped into sleep, 'I hope I have strength to make it back to you.'
Carl was the only one left awake at the early hours of the morning. He was staring out the window as he thought of Madeline. He kept seeing her green eyes and how they shined when he talked about his inventions. 'I wish I could see her again,' he thought. 'Although I would do something foolish if I ever saw her again. I'd marry her, maybe in secret so that the monks and other friars didn't find out. But, someone would find out. So, I would just marry her and let them deal with my actions that way." Carl wished that he would have seen Madeline once last time before he was put under by pixie dust.
Katalena woke up and looked over to see Carl staring out the window. "Carl," she said.
"Yes," he replied.
"Why were you headed to America, really?"
"Van Helsing and I had hopes to learn about the witches that have Anna captive. That way we could fight them and know their weaknesses." Carl replied. "But if the witches are no longer working with the vampire-- or man you spoke of, then we can head back to Transylvania."
Katalena looked over at Van Helsing, who was slouched down in his seat. "If Van Helsing pulls through," she said quietly.
"He's made it through worse." Carl replied confidently. "He's too stubborn to quit now. Besides, he'd just be sent back to finish is work against evil."
Katalena thought back to her reading on Van Helsing. "Maybe a second chance is all he gets. Maybe mortals just have to find someone new to take his place."
Carl shook his head, not wanting to hear what Katalena was saying. "No, Van Helsing can't be replaced."
"I didn't say he could be replace. I said someone could take his place. It's far from the same thing. Van Helsing has a good record of killing what he is sent after. Not many people can live up to that."
Finally, the train reached Rome. Carl and Katalena found that Van Helsing could not be awakened, and they panicked. "What are we to do, Carl?" Katalena asked. Carl thought for a moment. 'What are we going to do,' he thought to himself. "We will just have to get him on a horse." Carl told her.
Katalena disappeared as she left Carl and ran to the front of the train. Carl continued to shake Van Helsing's shoulders, hoping for some kind of reaction. Van Helsing was limp, and that put cold fear in Carl's heart. 'He is breathing. That is always good.' Carl assured himself. 'But, he doesn't appear to be well. He is quite ill, perhaps there isn't enough time left.' Carl's mind raced for a moment, as he feared what to do without his friend.
Men came into the room and interrupted Carl's thoughts. Carl jumped back from fright, them saw that the men were there to help. Katalena appeared behind the men and told Carl, "We're going to carry Van Helsing out to a horse, and he will be tied onto the horse. I will ride this horse to the Vatican where he will be taken care of." Carl nodded, and the men picked up Van Helsing.
Carl followed Katalena out into the darkness and found the horses by her lantern. The men had set Van Helsing atop a black horse's back. His head was leaning down, nearly on his chest, and Carl felt fear take hold of him again since Van Helsing was very ill. Katalena left his side and mounted the horse that Van Helsing was anchored to. She sat behind Van Helsing and took the reins.
"Come, Carl," she said. "We must hurry."
Carl ran over to the second horse and mounted it. He was ready to ride in a minute, and he led the way. Katalena did not know the way to the Vatican, so Carl had to be her guide. It was hard to see in the dark, but the little moon that was out gave a little relief. Carl listened to the horse's hooves gallop across the Roman land, and he tried to steel his nerves. There was little point in doing so since Van Helsing's condition served a reason to worry. Carl seemed to worry a great deal over a great many things, but he realized that he was worrying over something important for once.
The ride did not take as long as Carl figured it would; but with no sound other than the voices in his head, Carl found the ride seemed longer. Monks rushed out and took Van Helsing down from Katalena's horse. Carl got down off his horse and followed the monks, who were carrying Van Helsing off. "Hey!" Katalena called. "What about me?"
Carl turned around and told her, "I'll speak with someone. I'm sure they will let you in."
Katalena sighed. "Don't worry about it. I'll find some place nearby to rest."
Carl nodded and saw Katalena take off. He turned back around and raced after the monks carrying Van Helsing. "What happened, Carl?"
"He was bitten by a giant sea serpent. I had him chew mint. Then when he was having difficulty breathing, I gave him some feverfew." Carl told the monks.
"So, the venom was--"
"Neurotoxic." Carl finished.
Van Helsing was carried into the medical portion of the Vatican, and the monks quickly worked for a cure. Carl was told to stay there until the Cardinal arrived, but he had no intention of leaving. He wanted to make sure that Van Helsing would be all right. 'I should have done more to help him.' Carl thought as he watched the monks work frantically on Van Helsing.
Cardinal Jinette arrived quickly. "Carl, what happened. A sea serpent attacked your ship?"
"Yes, a very large one. Van Helsing saved us though."
Jinette looked over at the monster slayer. "Only to pay a price, I see. Is he going to make it?"
The monks replied, "At this point, your Eminence, it is all a matter of faith."