Van Helsing was in an ancient dilapidated mansion, his footsteps raising the dust that had been on the floor for God knew how long. He was looking for a group of 5 goblins that had been murdering people in a quiet Italian village near Rome. Gabriel had seen a creature running in here, a creature with red, slightly webbed, feet.
"Hello?" He called casually, walking along the corridors.
"Hello." A creature said mockingly to his right. Gabriel spun, facing a closed door. Van Helsing ran in the room and saw two goblins, both 8 feet tall, all with red, scaly skin.
"Mr. Van Helsing, so nice of you to pay a visit." One said in a deep voice as the other snickered. Van Helsing rolled his eyes; all evil things had a horrid sense of humor. Van Helsing got his spinning blades out and quickly disposed of one, the things bright blue blood coming out of the wound in his head. The other hissed and jumped at Gabriel, knocking the other blade out of his hand. Van Helsing gave the goblin a kick in the stomach that sent him flying across the room. The goblin snarled and stood up, but this time Van Helsing was ready, his sword drawn. He rushed at the demon and chopped its head off.
"Monsters are just getting easier and easier to kill." He sighed, disappointed. He sheathed his sword and went to look for the other three. He walked slowly through the manor, his ears alert. Van Helsing was about to think they had left when heard a hiss at the other end of the hall. He ran towards the noises, his crossbow ready. He was trying to decide between two doors when he heard two THUNKS like bodies hitting the floor to his right. He spun around and went to the door. As Van Helsing opened the door, he saw a young, raven-haired girl fall on the floor, a large goblin standing above her. Van Helsing quickly got another spinning blade and threw it at the creature's head, killing it instantly.
"WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" The girl yelled at him, getting up.
"It looked like you needed help." Gabriel said.
"I did fine with the other two," the girl gestured at two other dead goblins, one stuck on the wall with a spear in its chest, the other with its head two feet away from the body, "I could have easily disposed of that one."
"Sorry, but-"The hunter noticed a long gash on the girl's arm, bleeding. "SEE!" He exploded, "You shouldn't take on more than 1 creature, especially the more powerful goblins like these, I knew taking you tonight was a mistake!"
In the excitement of the battle, the girl hadn't noticed the wound, which now began to sting, ignoring it, she yelled,
"SO WHAT! I got a scratch, I'm not gonna come away from every battle unscathed Van Helsing!"
He sighed inwardly at the name. It was his fault Deianira never called him father; he hadn't liked the idea of being one until the girl was 5 and constantly called him Gabriel or Van Helsing. A bit late to change his title, but he brushed that thought away as he argued with her.
"You should be more careful! What were you thinking taking three goblins on at once!?" He yelled.
"I did just fine and could have killed all of them if you hadn't interfered!" She said, glaring. Van Helsing sighed,
"Let's just go home Deianira, the horses are waiting."
He turned and walked out the door, followed by the still-P.O.ed Deianira.
When they got to the Vatican, Van Helsing went to the confessional and Deianira went to the infirmary to bind her now aching wound. A monk did it easily and even put a nice balm on the linen wrapping that would help it heal faster. Deianira thanked him and went to search for her friends.
"Malak! Bahlal!" She called, seeing them. The twins, who had been with the other young smiths making swords, turned at the sounds of their names and walked towards Deianira.
"Deianira!" Malak said, getting to her first. "How was it fighting goblins?"
"Great, it's such a step up from wizards." Deianira said.
"What happened to your arm?" Bahlal asked, noticing the bandage.
"Oh, when I fought the third one, he wasn't as easy as the other two." Deianira said, tactfully avoiding the fact Van Helsing had killed the last one. "I can't believe you two want to make weapons as opposed to using them."
The twins merely shrugged, identical grins on their cinnamon faces. "But without us, you wouldn't have the secret weapon we're working on." Bahlal said.
"What is it?" Deianira asked, intrigued.
"Secret. Father said not to show it to anybody until we have a large monster problem."
"When will that be, you think?"
"The way this place tracks monsters? About a week." The twins answered in unison. The three friends laughed and felt an air of comfort around them; they had no idea how short it would last.
Transylvania
A group of maybe 30 men, women, and children walked into a castle, they were all dressed in black and red. Their leader, a young man with short blonde hair, lighted a torch as they proceeded. As they walked into a particular room, a hush fell over them. "This is The Place." The leader, Jacob, said reverently. Broken machines lay all around them, broken for 18 years.
"The Place." The whisper traveled along the room in a hush.
"Yes, The Place." Jacob repeated. "The Place that Dracula was sent back to our master, Satan, before his work was complete. Where Dracula died at the jaws of the despicable Van Helsing" he spat the word out like a curse. It had been a curse for 12 years, ever since Jacob received the vision of the devil telling them to worship Dracula and resurrect him when he was 11, making him the youngest leader ever.
Jacob had the ingredients for the resurrection, a human skull filled with blood and the wing of a bat. The only thing was, Dracula had to be resurrected at a full moon, and in the spot he had died, though his brides would be resurrected wherever Dracula was.
"Set up." Jacob commanded. Everybody formed a large circle around the spot Dracula had been killed, the spot with the black stain on the floor. Jacob stood next to that spot, holding the skull and wing. Jacob dipped the wing into the blood and sprayed it on the floor, on The Place, as he chanted.
"Macabre skull
Blood of mortal
Wing of bat, your kin
Rise up
Devil children
Aleera, Marishka, Verona, and Vladslious Dracula!" At the last syllable, Jacob threw the skull on the floor, breaking it neatly in two, spilling the blood. The floor began to glow, and in front of Jacob, four forms began to rise from the ground. The forms resembled bats, the largest one surrounded by the other three, all of them were screaming, as they rose, they began to take on human form. When they were completely out of the ground and fully human, Dracula walked forward and said, grinning,
"And to whom do I thank for my brides and mine resurrection?" His eyes began to glow. The circle took a step back, all pointing at the tall hooded figure of Jacob. Dracula turned to Jacob, "And why, my good sir, did you resurrect me?"
"I received a vision from Satan to worship and resurrect you, his best wreaker of evil, my lord." Jacob said, getting on his knees, the rest of the cult did the same. Dracula looked surprised as his brides came up.
"Master, do we trust them?" Verona asked.
"Yes, Verona, the devil informed me of this." Dracula whispered.
Flashback
"Dracula!" A deep voice full of menace roared. Dracula walked swiftly into the chambers of Satan, "Yes, Lucifer?"
"Vladslious Dracula, you failed to kill Van Helsing, yet again were killed by it, by Gabriel, you deserve 1,000 times worse than the hell I gave you!" Lucifer roared, Dracula stood his ground, the devil continued, "Be that as it may, however, you are one of my best men, therefore, you shall live again. But! I will not send you up this time, Dracula, you and your brides must wait for my worshipers to resurrect you! Now go!" Dracula turned on his heel to leave, but the devil summoned him back, "All your powers will be restored to you, also, any male turned by you shall also have your mind control powers, my worshipers will not fail, see to it you do likewise."
Dracula bowed, then left the chambers, eleven years ago.
"Very well," Dracula said, "But after the journey, my brides and I are hungry, who shall we dine on?" This was the test to see if they were worthy.
"We have these four people prepared for you." Jacob answered, rising. He motioned for the chosen to come forward. A man in his 50's, a woman in her 60's, another woman in her 40's, and a young boy in his teens stepped forward, all had delighted grins on their faces as the vamps bit down on their necks and drank ravenously. When the vampires had finished, another matter came to Dracula, his army of the undead.
"Which of you mortals will become undead to serve me?" He asked with a sweep of his hand. "Do you have those prepared too, boy?" He asked Joseph.
"Yes sire, how many do you wish?"
Dracula thought, he would usually turn all into his minions, but his last experience showed he might want mortal followers as well. Besides, he had not used all the undead at his disposal at the masquerade ball, he had used maybe half, which meant half were still intact to do his bidding.
"I will choose 10 of you." Dracula said. He walked in the excited crowd, looking everybody over; he would not make a mistake. He chose a tall man, Adam, his wife, Natasha, twin boys of 9, Abram and Adrian, a young 8 year old girl, Rubina, an 18 year old boy, Henrik, a 19 year old boy, Peter, a 16 year old girl, Eva, her 30 year old cousin, Stefan, a 24 year old woman, Viorica, and the youngest of the group, a 7 year old boy named Aiden. After their transformation, all of them tried out their bat shapes and hissed. They were not hungry, vampires seldom hungered.
"Ah, yes, now we shall go to Rome to take revenge on that fool, Van Helsing." Dracula hissed.
"Master, if I may?" Henrik said, quickly changing to human. Dracula gave a lazy wave of consent. Henrik continued, "Sir, why should you and your brides have to go search for Van Helsing?" Henrik said.
"Are you suggesting I do not extract revenge?" Dracula said in a menacingly cool voice.
"NO! Of course not!" Henrik exclaimed, that idea was preposterous to him. "What I am saying is, why not make HIM come for you? Here, in your own territory?"
Dracula considered this, yes, it seemed much easier that way. "Good idea, boy. We shall stay here, and draw Van Helsing back to the place of his nightmares."
"But, master, why will we attract them with our attacks if we have food here?" Aleera asked, gesturing to their followers.
"Yes, we have plenty of food here, Aleera, but that takes away the fun of the hunt!" Dracula said, grinning and growing his fangs. He flew out the window with the other vampires, they may not be hungry, but they needed to learn how to feed.