Chapter 17: Through the Ice: The door to Dracula.
Alvonia changed to a vampire and hissed. The many villagers looked up and screamed, then running away.
"Having a good time?" Van Helsing asked the shape shifter. She hissed more and flew in a circle.
"I guess you could call that fun!" Alvonia replied. Carl had his eyes closed. After most of the screaming people were back in their homes, she changed back to Banshee and scanned the ground. "Where did you say the Valerious home is located?' she asked them. Gabriel pointed down to a large mansion that was near a forest and a running stream. The Banshee flew them down to the home. The air was chill and made Carl's teeth chatter.
"Ladies first!" Van Helsing said. Alvonia smiled and opened the large glass doors. They walked inside to find it dark. Carl closed the door behind them and sighed. At least inside was slightly warmer. He turned to see that the snowflakes that poured before had grown larger and began to pelt down. The soft ground that was lit by silver moonlight was soon covered in heavy beds of snow. Van Helsing was haunted by the memory of this house. This very place was a portal to Dracula, where he had defeated him yet again. He could also feel Anna's presence.
"Alvonia, if Anna indeed has taken Harven and Miles here, would she indeed show them through the ice?" Gabriel asked. She closed her eyes and reached into her pocket. Out came the ruby. It glowed red.
"When this glows red, either and evil presence is here or something unholy is taking place! This was crafted by the gypsy kings of old! They needed a guide to help them stray from evil. I was handed this down from my many grandfathers. I don't know why one of my other of my sisters received this" she said. The ruby let off a large strand of red light that lit the hallway they stood in. This was the exact place where Van Helsing had ran after the werewolf. He had tried to communicate with the Princess, but she stood, tears in her eyes, for she had found out that Prince Velkan was indeed the wolf man that had stalked the residents of Transylvania.
"May I see it?" Carl asked Alvonia, staring at it. She brought it toward herself.
"This item is not to be used willy nilly! It has more power, like I said before, then Dracula and Harven put together!" she said to the friar. He nodded his head and then turned to Van Helsing. He looked around the room. Alvonia looked at him also.
"Van Helsing?" Carl asked. He looked at them.
"Do you hear that?" Gabriel asked. Alvonia's ears suddenly became larger and she closed her eyes. The shape shifter then shook her head.
"It sounds like crunching leaves, but softer then that" Alvonia said. The three thought for a moment and then gasped.
"The door!" Carl said.
"Follow me!" Van Helsing said. He ran down the hall and then through another. He turned and saw it: A wall of ice. A silver piece of cloth was on the ground. He went over and picked it up. Alvonia looked over his shoulder. A line of blood lay on it. Alvonia turned and looked at the ice wall.
"Is this the door?" she asked. Gabriel looked up and shook his head.
"Yes. This will bring us from Transylvania to another realm" Van Helsing said. She slowly walked over and put her hand through, then bringing it back out.
"Its cold!" she laughed. He smiled in reply. Carl now studied the cloth. Van Helsing walked up.
"Carl" he said. The friar placed the cloth in his pocked and walked up.
"You first" Alvonia said. He smiled and began to walk through. He had felt this ice before not too long ago. Only this time, there was more ice. Behind, Alvonia allowed Carl to go. The friar sighed and did the same as Gabriel. He walked through. Alvonia looked around the room. Out in the hall, she heard rustling. The shape shifter shifted to a Banshee and flew out. There was nothing there. Large footsteps sounded, and when she turned, the Gargoyle growled and hit her across the head. She flew down the hall and turned to a human. Alvonia was unconscious. The Gargoyle smiled and flew over to her. Its fingernails grew long. His wings flapped. Alvonia groaned. The creature grinned and attempted to hit her again. The nails dug deep into her stomach. They came back out, stained with blood. The Gargoyle smiled again and dissolved into Eyreyna, Alvonia's oldest sister. She laughed and grinned more.
Behind the long stretch of ice walked Gabriel and Carl. At last, they walked out and onto a large platform. Carl looked around. They were not at Castle Dracula.
"Where is Alvonia?" Van Helsing asked. The friar shrugged. Gabriel turned back to see a plain brick wall.
"Gabriel" a silky voice came. "Oh Gabriel" it said again. Carl shook his head.
"Isn't he dead?" he asked. Van Helsing turned to see Harven standing with a swiftly shape changing being by his side.
"Hello, Gabriel!" the shape shifter said.
Authors Note: If you are confused, don't be. All will be explained in the next few chapters.
Eyreyna, (ay-ray-nuh) is one of Alvonia's other three sisters. Ianna and Syreena are key characters later (not in Van Helsing 2)