Disclaimer: I own nothing!!
Chapter 67
They found themselves in complete darkness.
Backing up Chris stepped back through the mirror and into the sunlit library of Valerius Manor. He quickly retrieved a torch from one of the walls and lit it from the fire.
Van Helsing and Anna felt for each other in the darkness, grasping hands to verify their positions should they be attacked when they were vulnerable. The Hunter strained his eyes, trying to see through the darkness, uncomfortable that his enemies might see them before they could get their bearings.
Everyone blinked in surprise as orange light filled their vision, Van Helsing turned to see Chris stepping through the mirror bearing the flaming torch before him like a trophy.
The hunter nodded in approval as he received the torch before turning and scanning their surroundings. By the torches flickering flame they all beheld the damp stonewalls of what looked to be a small cave. Spotting a torch ring on the wall Anna borrowed the original from Van Helsing and made her way over, lighting the damp wick with the flame.
The light increased and more of the cave was revealed.
A long tunnel seemed to extend out into further darkness. Van Helsing eyed in with suspicion, he looked back at the pale faces of his younger companions grateful that they had remained silent so far.
"Stay close, and keep quiet." He ordered stepping forward to lead the way.
Anna fell into step beside him, covering him protectively with her sword. Every few meters or so another torch would materialize out of the darkness allowing them to light their way forward as well as mark the way back, should they need to find it quickly.
Tony, Jory and Marston followed in their wake, unusually silent and tense as they passed through the shadowy passage. Bob trailed behind them, unsteady and desperately trying to keep up, he allowed Amie to support his disabled side without making a fuss, having forgotten his crutches at the manor.
It was Chris and Carl who brought up the rear of the group.
"So your not in the least bit surprised at having walked through, seemingly solid glass and into this place?" the Friar asked his silent companion curiously.
The boy had his sword drawn and was glancing uneasily over his shoulder. "Between Vampires, Werewolves and other dimensions. This seems down right normal." He answered quietly shooting the friar an amused grin.
Turning another corner Van Helsing and Anna paused, though they couldn't see ahead through the darkness they had the distinct impression that they were in a much larger area.
Keeping her hand to the wall Anna felt for the next torch bracket, glancing over at Van Helsing and shaking her head when she found none.
The hunter frowned "Carl, bring me the last torch." He ordered straining to see beyond their small circle of light.
It wasn't long before the friar hurried to his side carrying the flaming torch. Carl whimpered slightly as he handed over the light, Van Helsing regarded his colleague with concern "What's wrong with you?" he questioned.
Carl shivered "Let's just say I have issues with small dark places." He said quickly.
Van Helsing raised an eyebrow "They had none of those at the friary?" he asked sarcastically walking away.
Carl glared after him "Actually no they didn't." he muttered.
Van Helsing held the torch high, disappointed when it revealed very little by it's meagre light.
"Lead the way Gandalf." Marston muttered as he stepped towards the far wall.
He watched the hunter's steady progress across the room scanning the small circle of light around him; suddenly the light caught something half concealed in the dirt of the floor.
"What's that?" the boy asked stepping beside the hunter and kneeling to examine it.
Van Helsing frowned scanning the ground "What?" he asked confused bringing to torch lower.
Marston felt around the dirt and his fingers found the small grove he had spotted. Cautiously he began to dig around it with his fingers trying to loosen the dirt to get a better look.
Course fibres itched his palm as his hands pulled up a thick length of rope; he hesitated before standing and passing the end of it to Van Helsing.
"Sorry, thought it was something helpful." He said sheepishly.
Van Helsing followed the rope into the centre of the room and grinned. "It just might be exactly what we need." He announced.
Everyone exchanged confused glances while he knelt with his back to them. Abruptly the room seemed to become lighter as Van Helsing stepped back to reveal the old Candelabra, now lit and lying on the floor. They watched in wonder as he crossed to one wall and threaded the rope through a ring, using it to hoist the ancient Candelabra up towards the ceiling.
The room was bathed in flickering orange light, which revealed it as a high ceiling chamber. Full suits of armour stood to attention in each corner, backed by elaborate tapestries depicting vivid scenes of battles past, including one identical to the mosaic Van Helsing had found so familiar at the palace in Budapest.
Carl's eyes shone as he caught sight of a pile of ancient books stacked delicately against one wall; eagerly he went over to inspect them.
"I don't get it. Where are we?" asked Jory in exasperation.
"We're in a tomb." Amie answered going pale.
Following her gaze they all beheld a large stone sarcophagus positioned in the shadows under the portrait of a knight in full armour being attacked by gargoyles.
They all stepped closer to the tomb, Amie hanging back slightly as she noticed the many spider webs stretching over its surface.
Bob smirked and glanced at Tony. "Spiders, Hongy." He said in amusement.
Tony rolled his eyes and stepped purposefully up to the sarcophagus, making a huge show of wiping away some of the many cobwebs coating the old stone.
"I got over spiders months ago." He announced trying to suppress a shudder as one crawled out from the shadows by his feet.
"What does it say?" asked Van Helsing.
Tony frowned "I can't read it…it's in Romanian or something." He said.
"Let me see it." said Anna walking up beside him.
"Si sunt voinic, I am Brave and strong." She translated "But I have failed in my duty, God have mercy on my children. Si te rog iubirea mea, prime ste fericirea."
Van Helsing watched her sadly trace the words of her ancestor with her fingertips. Gently he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Tonight we finish it." He whispered.
She smiled and nodded stepping away to retrieve her torch from the ground. "I'm going to explore the next tunnel." She informed him. Without waiting for his consent she walked away following the path that led from the tome.
Assaulted by thoughts of her family the princess stumbled into the dark passage, the thought that she might end it all that night… that the long war would finally end, was too much for her to hope for.
A light breeze ruffled her hair, chilling the lines of tears on her cheeks.
She turned the corner and froze as she found herself bathed in sunlight. Temporarily dazzled she blinked trying to focus on her surroundings.
Unfamiliar sounds reached her ears. The shrill cry of a strange bird, the crash of water on rocks, and the tangy scent of salt in the air. She closed her eyes against the light hearing Van Helsing approach.
Seeing what awaited them outside the cave his eyes shone and a wide grin stretched across his features.
Anna felt him place his hand over her eyes. "Keep your eyes shut." He ordered his voice light with anticipation, sending a shiver of excitement up her spine.
Taking her gently by the hand he began to lead her step by step out of the cave entrance.
The princess stumbled slightly; grasping his arm for support as the ground beneath her boots became unstable, shifting easily beneath her weight.
"Van Helsing what are you…?" She stopped mid sentence as the hunter gently removed his hand from her eyes.
Anna gasped her hand flying to her mouth in shock as she found herself gazing across a golden, sandy, sunlit beach and beyond it the rolling white tipped waves of the Adriatic Sea.
"Oh my god," she whispered leaning against him. "The sea…it's just as I imagined it would be."
She turned to look at Van Helsing who smiled brilliantly at her. "How did you know it was here?" she asked in awe.
He inclined his head "The map said "go brach go deo" it means by the waves side forever, it marked Valerius's tome but I didn't remember it at the time."
Anna turned and stared out at the waves, tears of happiness replacing those so sorrowfully shed over the years.
"Thank you." She whispered turning to embrace him.
When they pulled away their eyes met, slowly Van Helsing lowered his mouth as Anna raised hers to meet it.
The kiss was brief, a nervous expression of an emotion long felt by both. Anna kissed him with a longing that left him breathless; it was a kiss full of promise from a woman who had her whole life a head of her.
For the first time in many years Van Helsing could see a future, for himself and for her.
Chris held his torch up so the light could reach the corners of the room that the candelabra failed to illuminate. "Isn't there supposed to be a sword here somewhere?" he asked frowning.
Carl was too absorbed in his new books to listen; Jory rolled his eyes and began to push relics and tapestries aside looking for the ancient blade.
"What happens if we don't find it?" Marston asked fearfully.
Bob pointed to one of the more brutal mosaics, depicting a young girl being ripped to shreds by various creatures of the night.
"That'll be us." He said bluntly.
"Indeed." Marston muttered scrutinising the picture. "Cheerful people around here aren't they."
Amie groaned. "I'm going to die." Bob rubbed her back and kissed her forehead sweetly.
"Brighter side you'll never grow old enough that your top lip will vanish." He was rewarded by a large grin and a passionate kiss on the lips.
"See hunskull, that's why I love you."
Tony raised an eyebrow "So your new ambition is to die young, and leave a good looking corpse? Are you high?"
She shrugged "It was white; it was powder, who knows."
Carl had surfaced from his books and was regarding them all with disgust and horror. "How can you joke at a time like this? When you have just lost your friend." he said incredulously. "Don't you care?"
Amie glared at him, "you'd rather we were hysterical? We can't afford to mourn right now, the humours just away to push it back…even for just a little while." She whispered.
Bob nodded "its how we deal with it, so just leave it Carl." He snapped.
The Friar blinked speechless, he opened his mouth to apologise but was interrupted when Anna and Van Helsing entered the chamber.
"Where's the sword?" the hunter asked immediately.
The group froze, shifting guiltily in under his expectant gaze.
"Well?"
"We… er…can't find it." Marston answered slowly.
Anna and Van Helsing shared a concerned glance. "No…it's here it has to be." The princess stammered rushing forward and pushing piles of books and artefacts aside, searching in vain for the ancient blade.
Van Helsing walked over to the tome tracing his hand over the inscription. "It is here, I presented it to Valerius myself, and he swore it would never be moved."
Tony frowned "That was before he knew it could kill Dracula right? Or did he ever know?"
"He knew." Carl's voice drifted over from the corner.
Everybody turned to see him pouring over a large leather volume it's pages faded and brown with the golden dragon insignia of the Valerius clan on its cover.
The Friar began to read aloud his finger following the words on the page.
June 18th, 1482
Journal of Noceo Valerius
20 years I have allowed the demon to walk the earth. Two decades of slaughter and suffering I could have prevented.
Vladislaus torments me with his endless war on my people, three or four people a month satisfy his hunger, a small mercy that few needlessly die.
God forgive me, I can not murder my son and so I condemn my children and their children to this nightmare.
I will soon leave this world and the creature I created and I will take with me the secret of his destruction, the scribe I had employed was stalked by shadows in the night since the day he retrieved the sword from my future tome. Little was left when we found him, I shall follow him tonight.
Even now I sense the creatures approach, he intends to take the sword…he can not destroy it for it has been touched by God. He will keep it hidden and close always, until he meets his end at its tip, for all creatures must return to God.
But the sword alone is not enough,h a terrible debt floats around the blade echoing its history, its purpose. The debt must be repaid!!
He stands now waiting patiently for me to finish.
There is blood around his mouth…
Carl finished reading hands shaking as he passed Van Helsing the journal. "It ends there…there's…blood on the pages."
Anna sighed "He couldn't kill his son…"
"So the son killed him." Van Helsing finished.
Jory shuddered "Drac's got the sword…so we've got to go and get it before we can kill him."
Chris shrugged "You can't visit Transylvania without seeing at least one vampire inhabited castle, it just wouldn't be right."
"Like Disneyland without Micky Mouse." Amie agreed.
"Except micky wouldn't try to kill you." Bob pointed out.
Jory grinned "Don't be so sure."