Chapter 9- Shove off bat breath I'm not in the mood!
Sometime down the trail, the village was just coming into view, everything seemed eerily quite. The only sound that could be heard was the pounding of the horse's hoofs on the forest trail. The horses suddenly stopped, skidded to a halt nearly throwing Carl, but Kate and Van Helsing grabbed his robes and pulled him back onto his walnut brown mare.
"Why'd we stop?" Kevin said nudging his horse to move, it stayed put as if it was fused to the ground.
"Don't know." Van Helsing said, he to tried to move the horse but received similar results.
"It feels like I'm in that clearing all over again...." James said looking franticly around.
"No doubt." Kate said straining her ears for anything out of place, which seemed pointless since everything seemed out of place considering where they where.
"What clearing?" Van Helsing asked, too, listening for anything odd.
"We ran into a werewolf and the clearing felt like this right now...no sounds...thick air." James replied. Van Helsing shot an alarmed looked toward the two as he reached for his crossbow. "Don't worry Anna saved our bums." James added.
Kyle reached into another quiver at the side of his horse and pulled out a raven feathered arrow with a silver tip. The absolute quite of the forest was broken by the sound of breaking branches! A humongous dull silver werewolf burst out of the thick and tangled branches, throwing splinters in every direction. It landed and snarled at the group, bearing it large yellowish teeth.
"HOLY FISH PASTE!!!" James cried out. His horse reared up and bucked him off before speeding pasted the other panicking horses. Most of the teens where bucked, save Kevin, Libby, Kyle and Kate. "Raven. Don't be scared. Ok? Nothing to worry about. It's not gonna hur- WAAAHH!" Kate was violently bucked from her stead. She landed oddly. The rest were desperately trying to get them under control. With little success they, too where bucked. Anna and Van Helsing soon found themselves on the ground. The sound of a crossbow mixed with a normal bow sounded off as arrow after arrow flew through the air and buried themselves into the body of the werewolf. It howled and thrashed in pain.
One massive paw came swinging through the air toward Libby and James. Their screams filled the air only just below that of the flailing wolf. The next instant they where flying through the air and skidding over the rocky and stick covered ground. A smaller form, compared to the werewolf's, could be seen right in the path of its next blow. Van Helsing continued hammering away with his crossbow, Anna now on her feet shot, silver bullet after silver bullet into the hide of the great beast. Both hoping the same, that they could kill the wolf before it struck. The twang of a string bow seemed to echo out and above the other noises. The massive paw connected with the form and flung it aside. The form whizzed through the air and threw branches.
The werewolf finally collapsed into a bloody heap, it's breathing labored, a single raven feather tipped arrow was sticking out of its heart, slightly broken. Slowly it melted down into mere ash and was swept away with the wind.
"What. The. HELL! WAS THAT THING?!!??!!" James screamed, a hand over his heart.
"Werewolf." Alice answered from behind a log.
"No. That was no werewolf. This was something else." Van Helsing said as he looked at the pile of arrows and silver bullets on the ground.
"What could it be?" Anna asked looking around to see if everyone was fine.
"Forget what that thing was!! Kyle risked his neck to save James and me! We have to find him!" Libby said as she ran off into the woods following the trail of broken branches.
"No! Libby wait! There could be more a those monsters!" Kevin called after her, taking off into the woods. The remainder of the teens looked at one another before following. Van Helsing, scooped up Kate who seemed to have been knocked senseless and took off with Anna following, both trying to stop them in case of danger.
Out of the brush stepped a broken and bloodied Arsitoph. He pulled a left over arrow from his body and dropped it. He limped over to the place were he had fought only minuets ago. Even as he looked around his wounds fused together and soon where mere scars. He fixed his gaze upon the hole in the branches near his own. Shaking his head slightly.
"Master will not be pleased. Not in the least." With that sentence barely out of his mouth he changed into mist let the wind carry him toward the others.
"Libby! Stop! Halt! Cease and desist!!" Kevin yelled after his long time friend. The girl slid to a stop, causing Kevin to nearly slam into her.
"Oh. My. God......" Libby trailed off looking down at a broken, bloodied and heroic boy. Kevin looked, stunned, at Kyle. The others stopped and soon Van Helsing and Anna arrived. Kyle lay there unconscious, blood trickled from a rather long splinter that was wedged in his upper arm. He was in a funny position and had a large branch squarely on top of his legs, pinning him to the ground.
"We have to help him!" James suddenly yelped breaking his eyes away from the sight of his rescuer lying in broken shards and bruised flesh. He bent over and tried to move the heavy branch from the boy's legs. The boy he hardly knew, Kyle had hardly know him. Yet he risked his life to save them. He heaved and noticed the log suddenly got lighter. Van Helsing had taken up another end of the branch and lifted it out with little effort. Anna, along with the help of the others, carefully picked him up. They cradled his head and kept the neck straight. Van Helsing once again scooped Kate up and the solemn group began the long walk to the Valerious Manor.
Back at the Valerious Manor, Carl was taking a look at Kyle. Kate had woken up along the way and was filled in about what happened. At present everyone, save Libby and Kate who where in the next room, was gathered in the library awaiting Carl's diagnosis.
"What about the horses?" Kate asked a look of concern touched her eyes. "Have they been found?" Alice walked into the room.
"No.....They haven't." Libby said watching her friend.
"What about Raven? He hasn't come back yet. What if that thing got him.....UGH!" Kate now began to pace.
"Kate who's Raven?" Alice said raising an eyebrow.
"Not a guy, you. He's a horse, the most wonderful horse ever. He's so smart and is the color of a raven. He belonged to Valken and he didn't let anyone touch him except Valken and I." Kate finished and started to pace once more.
"I'm gonna go see if Carls done yet." Alice walked out of the room
"Grrr! Who cares about some horse! Kyle risked his life to save Jimmy and me!! I didn't see that dumb horse save anyone! All I saw it do was buck you off and run away with the rest!!" Libby yelled. That had done it. Kate stopped her pacing and faced Libby, a look of pure rage in her eyes.
"DUMB HORSE???!!!! RAVEN IS NOT SOME COMMON HORSE!!! HE SAW ENOUGH OF VALKEN IN ME TO ALLOW ME TO RIDE HIM!! HE UNDERSTANDS IT WHEN I SPEAK!! HE IS A INCREIDABLY INTELIGENT BEING, LIBBY!!! NOT SOME BLOODY DUMB HORSE!!!!" Kate roared clenching her fists together and squeezing. "HE ONLY RAN OFF BECAUSE HE WAS SCARED!!! KYLE WENT AND DID A DUMBASS THING!! HE STAYED THERE WHEN HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF THE WAY!!! HE HAD TO BE ALL HEROIC AND SHOOT IT THEN GET BLOWN THROUGH A TREE!!"
Libby now matched the look of rage that was in Kate's eyes.
"DUMBASS THING?!!! KYLE DID NOT DO A DUMBASS THING!!! HE TOOK THE OPERTUNE MOMENT AND SHOT THAT MONSTER THROUGH THE HEART!! HE KILLED IT!! IN MY BOOK WHAT KYLE DID IS THE BRAVEST THING ANY PERSON COULD DO!! HOW DARE YOU INSULT HIM!!! HE'S IN THERE PROBABLY ON HIS DEATH BED!! AND WHERE IS THIS HORSE?! STILL RUNNING SCARED!!"
"Your over reacting!! Kyle probably just got knocked out!!! He's not on his deathbed!!! And another thing!! Raven is smart enough to know when he's out of danger!! SO SHOVE OFF!!" Kate stormed out of the room and stiff armed Van Helsing as she made for the practice arena. Libby let out a furious scream and turned her back on the doorway.
"What was that about?" Alice asked confused and staring after Kate. "They where fine when I left them."
"Sounded like a fight....." Kevin said looking at Libby who's back was still to the doorway. "Musta been big. Those two never fight."
Van Helsing has disappeared someplace while Anna was in the room approaching Libby with extreme caution.
Outside in the arena Kate was taking out her fury a punching bag and some wooden sword dummies. She pounded her fists into the bag and spun around to kick the wooden dummy before placing a dagger square in its heart. She then rammed the dagger with a kick, it stopped only when the hilt was cracked.
"My, my, such rage for someone so small." Came a dark, heavily accented voice from behind her. Kate spun around to see Dracula standing on top of one of the dummies.
"Shove off, worm chow! I'm not in the mood." Kate spat.
"And so disrespectful. We will have to fix that, wont we?" He said his voice growing cold.
Kate growled loudly "What do you want?!"
"Well, are we a wolf now?"
"Shouldn't you be somewhere cowering?" Kate's fists clenched and unclenched.
Dracula bristled at this remark but remained cool. "You, I want you."
"Go to hell." Kate was starting to loose her temper. She could feel the rage build up inside her. His stupid gentleman act was starting to piss her off.
"I already have." Dracula's patients were beginning to wear thin.
"Then tell Hades I said hi!!" At that moment she spun around and delivered a bone crunching punch to the vampire's gut! She then took off toward the doorway. Much to her dismay she slammed right back into the Vampire upon getting close to the door. He grabbed Kate only to receive a hard blow to the ribs.
"Aren't we a fighter?" He glared. "Her rage and fury is perfect." Dracula thought.
"You want me? You'll have to knock me out first bat breath!" She bolted only to run into him again.
"That can be arranged." As fast as lighting he shot out and grasped her shoulder and applied pressure. She went limp and her caught her just as Van Helsing was rounding the corner.
"Dracula!" He shouted out.
"I would love to stay and chat but I must be off, these lovely clouds wont stay for long."
"Put her down!"
"Good bye Gabriel." Van Helsing raced for the vampire and lunged but was to late. Dracula transformed and took off.
"Damn it!" Van Helsing swore.
Sometime down the trail, the village was just coming into view, everything seemed eerily quite. The only sound that could be heard was the pounding of the horse's hoofs on the forest trail. The horses suddenly stopped, skidded to a halt nearly throwing Carl, but Kate and Van Helsing grabbed his robes and pulled him back onto his walnut brown mare.
"Why'd we stop?" Kevin said nudging his horse to move, it stayed put as if it was fused to the ground.
"Don't know." Van Helsing said, he to tried to move the horse but received similar results.
"It feels like I'm in that clearing all over again...." James said looking franticly around.
"No doubt." Kate said straining her ears for anything out of place, which seemed pointless since everything seemed out of place considering where they where.
"What clearing?" Van Helsing asked, too, listening for anything odd.
"We ran into a werewolf and the clearing felt like this right now...no sounds...thick air." James replied. Van Helsing shot an alarmed looked toward the two as he reached for his crossbow. "Don't worry Anna saved our bums." James added.
Kyle reached into another quiver at the side of his horse and pulled out a raven feathered arrow with a silver tip. The absolute quite of the forest was broken by the sound of breaking branches! A humongous dull silver werewolf burst out of the thick and tangled branches, throwing splinters in every direction. It landed and snarled at the group, bearing it large yellowish teeth.
"HOLY FISH PASTE!!!" James cried out. His horse reared up and bucked him off before speeding pasted the other panicking horses. Most of the teens where bucked, save Kevin, Libby, Kyle and Kate. "Raven. Don't be scared. Ok? Nothing to worry about. It's not gonna hur- WAAAHH!" Kate was violently bucked from her stead. She landed oddly. The rest were desperately trying to get them under control. With little success they, too where bucked. Anna and Van Helsing soon found themselves on the ground. The sound of a crossbow mixed with a normal bow sounded off as arrow after arrow flew through the air and buried themselves into the body of the werewolf. It howled and thrashed in pain.
One massive paw came swinging through the air toward Libby and James. Their screams filled the air only just below that of the flailing wolf. The next instant they where flying through the air and skidding over the rocky and stick covered ground. A smaller form, compared to the werewolf's, could be seen right in the path of its next blow. Van Helsing continued hammering away with his crossbow, Anna now on her feet shot, silver bullet after silver bullet into the hide of the great beast. Both hoping the same, that they could kill the wolf before it struck. The twang of a string bow seemed to echo out and above the other noises. The massive paw connected with the form and flung it aside. The form whizzed through the air and threw branches.
The werewolf finally collapsed into a bloody heap, it's breathing labored, a single raven feather tipped arrow was sticking out of its heart, slightly broken. Slowly it melted down into mere ash and was swept away with the wind.
"What. The. HELL! WAS THAT THING?!!??!!" James screamed, a hand over his heart.
"Werewolf." Alice answered from behind a log.
"No. That was no werewolf. This was something else." Van Helsing said as he looked at the pile of arrows and silver bullets on the ground.
"What could it be?" Anna asked looking around to see if everyone was fine.
"Forget what that thing was!! Kyle risked his neck to save James and me! We have to find him!" Libby said as she ran off into the woods following the trail of broken branches.
"No! Libby wait! There could be more a those monsters!" Kevin called after her, taking off into the woods. The remainder of the teens looked at one another before following. Van Helsing, scooped up Kate who seemed to have been knocked senseless and took off with Anna following, both trying to stop them in case of danger.
Out of the brush stepped a broken and bloodied Arsitoph. He pulled a left over arrow from his body and dropped it. He limped over to the place were he had fought only minuets ago. Even as he looked around his wounds fused together and soon where mere scars. He fixed his gaze upon the hole in the branches near his own. Shaking his head slightly.
"Master will not be pleased. Not in the least." With that sentence barely out of his mouth he changed into mist let the wind carry him toward the others.
"Libby! Stop! Halt! Cease and desist!!" Kevin yelled after his long time friend. The girl slid to a stop, causing Kevin to nearly slam into her.
"Oh. My. God......" Libby trailed off looking down at a broken, bloodied and heroic boy. Kevin looked, stunned, at Kyle. The others stopped and soon Van Helsing and Anna arrived. Kyle lay there unconscious, blood trickled from a rather long splinter that was wedged in his upper arm. He was in a funny position and had a large branch squarely on top of his legs, pinning him to the ground.
"We have to help him!" James suddenly yelped breaking his eyes away from the sight of his rescuer lying in broken shards and bruised flesh. He bent over and tried to move the heavy branch from the boy's legs. The boy he hardly knew, Kyle had hardly know him. Yet he risked his life to save them. He heaved and noticed the log suddenly got lighter. Van Helsing had taken up another end of the branch and lifted it out with little effort. Anna, along with the help of the others, carefully picked him up. They cradled his head and kept the neck straight. Van Helsing once again scooped Kate up and the solemn group began the long walk to the Valerious Manor.
Back at the Valerious Manor, Carl was taking a look at Kyle. Kate had woken up along the way and was filled in about what happened. At present everyone, save Libby and Kate who where in the next room, was gathered in the library awaiting Carl's diagnosis.
"What about the horses?" Kate asked a look of concern touched her eyes. "Have they been found?" Alice walked into the room.
"No.....They haven't." Libby said watching her friend.
"What about Raven? He hasn't come back yet. What if that thing got him.....UGH!" Kate now began to pace.
"Kate who's Raven?" Alice said raising an eyebrow.
"Not a guy, you. He's a horse, the most wonderful horse ever. He's so smart and is the color of a raven. He belonged to Valken and he didn't let anyone touch him except Valken and I." Kate finished and started to pace once more.
"I'm gonna go see if Carls done yet." Alice walked out of the room
"Grrr! Who cares about some horse! Kyle risked his life to save Jimmy and me!! I didn't see that dumb horse save anyone! All I saw it do was buck you off and run away with the rest!!" Libby yelled. That had done it. Kate stopped her pacing and faced Libby, a look of pure rage in her eyes.
"DUMB HORSE???!!!! RAVEN IS NOT SOME COMMON HORSE!!! HE SAW ENOUGH OF VALKEN IN ME TO ALLOW ME TO RIDE HIM!! HE UNDERSTANDS IT WHEN I SPEAK!! HE IS A INCREIDABLY INTELIGENT BEING, LIBBY!!! NOT SOME BLOODY DUMB HORSE!!!!" Kate roared clenching her fists together and squeezing. "HE ONLY RAN OFF BECAUSE HE WAS SCARED!!! KYLE WENT AND DID A DUMBASS THING!! HE STAYED THERE WHEN HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF THE WAY!!! HE HAD TO BE ALL HEROIC AND SHOOT IT THEN GET BLOWN THROUGH A TREE!!"
Libby now matched the look of rage that was in Kate's eyes.
"DUMBASS THING?!!! KYLE DID NOT DO A DUMBASS THING!!! HE TOOK THE OPERTUNE MOMENT AND SHOT THAT MONSTER THROUGH THE HEART!! HE KILLED IT!! IN MY BOOK WHAT KYLE DID IS THE BRAVEST THING ANY PERSON COULD DO!! HOW DARE YOU INSULT HIM!!! HE'S IN THERE PROBABLY ON HIS DEATH BED!! AND WHERE IS THIS HORSE?! STILL RUNNING SCARED!!"
"Your over reacting!! Kyle probably just got knocked out!!! He's not on his deathbed!!! And another thing!! Raven is smart enough to know when he's out of danger!! SO SHOVE OFF!!" Kate stormed out of the room and stiff armed Van Helsing as she made for the practice arena. Libby let out a furious scream and turned her back on the doorway.
"What was that about?" Alice asked confused and staring after Kate. "They where fine when I left them."
"Sounded like a fight....." Kevin said looking at Libby who's back was still to the doorway. "Musta been big. Those two never fight."
Van Helsing has disappeared someplace while Anna was in the room approaching Libby with extreme caution.
Outside in the arena Kate was taking out her fury a punching bag and some wooden sword dummies. She pounded her fists into the bag and spun around to kick the wooden dummy before placing a dagger square in its heart. She then rammed the dagger with a kick, it stopped only when the hilt was cracked.
"My, my, such rage for someone so small." Came a dark, heavily accented voice from behind her. Kate spun around to see Dracula standing on top of one of the dummies.
"Shove off, worm chow! I'm not in the mood." Kate spat.
"And so disrespectful. We will have to fix that, wont we?" He said his voice growing cold.
Kate growled loudly "What do you want?!"
"Well, are we a wolf now?"
"Shouldn't you be somewhere cowering?" Kate's fists clenched and unclenched.
Dracula bristled at this remark but remained cool. "You, I want you."
"Go to hell." Kate was starting to loose her temper. She could feel the rage build up inside her. His stupid gentleman act was starting to piss her off.
"I already have." Dracula's patients were beginning to wear thin.
"Then tell Hades I said hi!!" At that moment she spun around and delivered a bone crunching punch to the vampire's gut! She then took off toward the doorway. Much to her dismay she slammed right back into the Vampire upon getting close to the door. He grabbed Kate only to receive a hard blow to the ribs.
"Aren't we a fighter?" He glared. "Her rage and fury is perfect." Dracula thought.
"You want me? You'll have to knock me out first bat breath!" She bolted only to run into him again.
"That can be arranged." As fast as lighting he shot out and grasped her shoulder and applied pressure. She went limp and her caught her just as Van Helsing was rounding the corner.
"Dracula!" He shouted out.
"I would love to stay and chat but I must be off, these lovely clouds wont stay for long."
"Put her down!"
"Good bye Gabriel." Van Helsing raced for the vampire and lunged but was to late. Dracula transformed and took off.
"Damn it!" Van Helsing swore.