Shirra awoke on a bed. It looked grand-but it wasn't a room in Castle
Dracula.
"Where am I?"
She thought. She tried to move her hand-her eyes widened when she saw that her legs and hands were chained to the bed. She snarled and tried to pull at the chains. No such luck. They were industrial-strength ones-and she was tired.
"Who did this?"
As if on cue, Alina, Karen, Gabriel, Anna and Velkan came in.
"We had no choice,"
said Gabriel.
"Cassandra, don't you remember us-
"My name is Shirra!"
She snarled, baring her bleached fangs. Alin and Karen leapt back. Carl eeped.
Velkan walked towards her.
"Velkan, No!"
He ignored Anna and continued walking towards her. He held out a torn piece of fabric.
"Remember this?"
She took her human form and looked at it. He placed it before her.
"Where did you get this?"
She asked, her tone somewhat human.
"A fallen angel gave it to me when I was a prisoner of the Devil's son-this is all I have of her. Please tell me she is not lost."
Then, an onslaught of memories came rushing back at her-at full throttle.
"Velkan lying facedown in the water..."
"Cassandra-was that her name? - tearing off a piece of fabric to wrap around his neck after he was bitten..."
"Cassandra hugging him after giving him her cloak..."
"Velkan being scourged by Dracula..."
She looked up.
"I remember...my name is... Cassandra Mouskeri...Your name is Velkan Valerious...you became a werewolf...I was turned by Dracula...."
She covered her face in her hands. Gone was the fighter of darkness. In her place, was a girl trapped in a young woman's body. And she was confused.
"Why...why can't I remember the rest?"
Velkan unchained her and held her gently.
"It doesn't matter, Cassandra. You will remember all in time to come. But now-
Screams from the village interrupted him. Gabriel grabbed his crossbow at once.
"Stay here,"
"I'm coming with you,"
said Anna, not about to take no for an answer. Gabriel rolled his eyes-and they both left.
8888888888888
Dracula was angry-and hungry. He grabbed a fool villager who had stayed outside-and tore his neck out. He swallowed the pain and inhaled the fear in the man's eyes along with the warm scarlet substennace. Aleera and Marishka whooped with joy as they spotted their prey scampering like frightened rabbits (A/N: Which reminds me...its been 3 weeks or so since the death of my beloved rabbit Velkan-thanks to my kid brother feeding it leaves and giving it indigestion.... Sorry..back to the story..). Gabriel aimed-and fired a series of shots at them. Marishka dodged them-and swooped down towards Gabriel. Gabriel sprinted-and dipped the arrows in holy water.
'Look out!"
shrieked Aleera.
Too late. Gabriel fired with deadly accuracy. Marishka fell-in similar fashion to Shirra hours ago-and impaled herself in the village square cross. She became ash in seconds. And did NOT come back (Thank God).
"Sister!" wailed Aleera. She had to dodge a trail of silver bullets fired by Anna's pistol.
Dracula -who had seen it all- was insanely furious. Though he never really loved Marishka, seeing Gabriel turn her to ashes did not make him the least pleased. He flew at Gabriel. Anna pushed Gabriel down at once. Dracula swooped over them, screeching with rage.
"Stay here. He's after me,"
Gabriel ordered, flipping her over and pinning her down.
"No! You stay here!"
She replied, flipping HIM over.
Both got up and ran like Hell as Aleera and Dracula flew after them.
8888888888888888
Marishka's unholy shriek before dying sent chills down Alina and Karen's spines. Velkan sat up.
"Anna..."
Immediately, Shirra drew her wings.
"Where-
"Let's go. We have to help them. Whether I trust them or not, I simply cannot let Dracula tear them to shreds."
With that, a vampire and a werewolf were in pursuit of Dracula and Aleera, who were in pursuit of Gabriel Van Helsing and Anna Valerious.
888888888888
Anna was quite the runner, Gabriel noticed. Anna was also so concentrated in reloading more bullets into her pistol, Gabriel had to ensure that she didn't hit a tree. They were in the woods now, after 15 minutes of running. They stopped at the edge of a cliff. Then, the screeching stopped. Silence took over, screaming in the princess and the monster hunter's ears. Anna took in sweet lungfuls of evening air. So did Gabriel. Suddenly, without warning, Dracula-in demon form- leapt out of the darkness at them both. A growl from behind him announced Velkan's presence. The werewolf leapt upon Dracula's back and ripped out a wing. Dracula howled in pain and batted him aside. Aleera tried to help but was thrown against a tree by Velkan. Anna did not shoot for fear of hurting her brother.
As Dracula threw himself at Anna, who was frozen at the spot where she stood, Shirra leapt out in front of her-and she and Dracula slammed into each other on impact, sending them falling into the cold waters before. Aleera flew off. The Sun would rise soon. Velkan regained his human form as the sun slowly rose. Anna ran to him. Gabriel looked down, wondering what he was going to tell Alina Velastock and Karen Mouskeri.
"Where is Cassandra?"
Gabriel's eyes said it all. Velkan ran to the cliff edge and screamed her name, grief and hatred-at Dracula, at himself and even at Cassandra herself for leaving the safety of the Valerious manor- coloring his voice. Anna placed an arm round her brother. Things were getting more and more complicated-and they were pretty much back where they started.
"Where am I?"
She thought. She tried to move her hand-her eyes widened when she saw that her legs and hands were chained to the bed. She snarled and tried to pull at the chains. No such luck. They were industrial-strength ones-and she was tired.
"Who did this?"
As if on cue, Alina, Karen, Gabriel, Anna and Velkan came in.
"We had no choice,"
said Gabriel.
"Cassandra, don't you remember us-
"My name is Shirra!"
She snarled, baring her bleached fangs. Alin and Karen leapt back. Carl eeped.
Velkan walked towards her.
"Velkan, No!"
He ignored Anna and continued walking towards her. He held out a torn piece of fabric.
"Remember this?"
She took her human form and looked at it. He placed it before her.
"Where did you get this?"
She asked, her tone somewhat human.
"A fallen angel gave it to me when I was a prisoner of the Devil's son-this is all I have of her. Please tell me she is not lost."
Then, an onslaught of memories came rushing back at her-at full throttle.
"Velkan lying facedown in the water..."
"Cassandra-was that her name? - tearing off a piece of fabric to wrap around his neck after he was bitten..."
"Cassandra hugging him after giving him her cloak..."
"Velkan being scourged by Dracula..."
She looked up.
"I remember...my name is... Cassandra Mouskeri...Your name is Velkan Valerious...you became a werewolf...I was turned by Dracula...."
She covered her face in her hands. Gone was the fighter of darkness. In her place, was a girl trapped in a young woman's body. And she was confused.
"Why...why can't I remember the rest?"
Velkan unchained her and held her gently.
"It doesn't matter, Cassandra. You will remember all in time to come. But now-
Screams from the village interrupted him. Gabriel grabbed his crossbow at once.
"Stay here,"
"I'm coming with you,"
said Anna, not about to take no for an answer. Gabriel rolled his eyes-and they both left.
8888888888888
Dracula was angry-and hungry. He grabbed a fool villager who had stayed outside-and tore his neck out. He swallowed the pain and inhaled the fear in the man's eyes along with the warm scarlet substennace. Aleera and Marishka whooped with joy as they spotted their prey scampering like frightened rabbits (A/N: Which reminds me...its been 3 weeks or so since the death of my beloved rabbit Velkan-thanks to my kid brother feeding it leaves and giving it indigestion.... Sorry..back to the story..). Gabriel aimed-and fired a series of shots at them. Marishka dodged them-and swooped down towards Gabriel. Gabriel sprinted-and dipped the arrows in holy water.
'Look out!"
shrieked Aleera.
Too late. Gabriel fired with deadly accuracy. Marishka fell-in similar fashion to Shirra hours ago-and impaled herself in the village square cross. She became ash in seconds. And did NOT come back (Thank God).
"Sister!" wailed Aleera. She had to dodge a trail of silver bullets fired by Anna's pistol.
Dracula -who had seen it all- was insanely furious. Though he never really loved Marishka, seeing Gabriel turn her to ashes did not make him the least pleased. He flew at Gabriel. Anna pushed Gabriel down at once. Dracula swooped over them, screeching with rage.
"Stay here. He's after me,"
Gabriel ordered, flipping her over and pinning her down.
"No! You stay here!"
She replied, flipping HIM over.
Both got up and ran like Hell as Aleera and Dracula flew after them.
8888888888888888
Marishka's unholy shriek before dying sent chills down Alina and Karen's spines. Velkan sat up.
"Anna..."
Immediately, Shirra drew her wings.
"Where-
"Let's go. We have to help them. Whether I trust them or not, I simply cannot let Dracula tear them to shreds."
With that, a vampire and a werewolf were in pursuit of Dracula and Aleera, who were in pursuit of Gabriel Van Helsing and Anna Valerious.
888888888888
Anna was quite the runner, Gabriel noticed. Anna was also so concentrated in reloading more bullets into her pistol, Gabriel had to ensure that she didn't hit a tree. They were in the woods now, after 15 minutes of running. They stopped at the edge of a cliff. Then, the screeching stopped. Silence took over, screaming in the princess and the monster hunter's ears. Anna took in sweet lungfuls of evening air. So did Gabriel. Suddenly, without warning, Dracula-in demon form- leapt out of the darkness at them both. A growl from behind him announced Velkan's presence. The werewolf leapt upon Dracula's back and ripped out a wing. Dracula howled in pain and batted him aside. Aleera tried to help but was thrown against a tree by Velkan. Anna did not shoot for fear of hurting her brother.
As Dracula threw himself at Anna, who was frozen at the spot where she stood, Shirra leapt out in front of her-and she and Dracula slammed into each other on impact, sending them falling into the cold waters before. Aleera flew off. The Sun would rise soon. Velkan regained his human form as the sun slowly rose. Anna ran to him. Gabriel looked down, wondering what he was going to tell Alina Velastock and Karen Mouskeri.
"Where is Cassandra?"
Gabriel's eyes said it all. Velkan ran to the cliff edge and screamed her name, grief and hatred-at Dracula, at himself and even at Cassandra herself for leaving the safety of the Valerious manor- coloring his voice. Anna placed an arm round her brother. Things were getting more and more complicated-and they were pretty much back where they started.