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Chapter 71
Anna cried out as Aleera dragged her mercilessly along the cold stone walls and through the many cobwebs hanging from the ceiling like tattered tapestries.
The vampiress continued her mad cackling as she swooped above the many dwergi servants filling the stone walls, all of which completely ignored her, much to Anna's relief. The last thing she need was to find herself dealing with Aleera and an army of Dwergi.
"I won't let the master have you; I want him all to myself." She was repeating madly, her jealousy rising as she remembered her master's fascination with the princess at his ball.
Anna winced when her claws began to tighten, grinding the bones in her wrist together. She had to find away to land safely.
Frantically she scanned the passage way ahead and noticed that it widened into what must have been at one time, a large library, at the center of which was a low hanging candelabra.
'Perfect'.
As they passed through the large doorway, she reached swiftly and ripped the small blade from the buckles at her thigh, slashing viciously across the clawed foot that held her. With an angry screech Aleera released her and she found herself momentarily airborne.
With a silent prayer to her ancestors, she twisted her body around with skill born of the gypsy performers of the past, and stretched out one hand, which grasped the long chain of the candelabra. Her swing was halted violently and she dangled from the old metal trying hard not to look down at the distant floor.
Her fingers slipped dangerously on the cool surface making her scramble to hold on as she dropped a few feet.
Just when she felt herself steady, the chain gave a violent jerk almost tearing her off. She screamed in shock and glanced up to see Aleera standing on the tiled ceiling having wrenched the chain from its anchorage. Anna's eyes widened in horror as she realized Aleera was the only thing keeping her from the long fall.
The vampiress laughed joyfully, "Good bye, Valerius." She said sweetly, allowing the chain to slide through her fingers.
Carl stopped running after they lost sight of Anna and Aleera, cursing in frustration when he found himself in amaze of identical corridors.
"Jesus, which way did they go?" asked Bob glancing first down one corridor and then down another.
"Don't blaspheme!" the friar scolded automatically.
"Carl your qualified to take confession right?" asked Chris breathlessly.
"Yes, why?"
"Just good to know when you're running around Dracula's castle."
Marston fingered the trigger on his shot gun impatiently "Come on what are we standing around for?"
Carl turned to look at all three of them. "Right the way I see it we have to help Anna and Van Helsing and that means evening the odds."
"What do you mean?" asked Bob suspiciously.
"Anna's keeping Aleera busy and Dracula's with Van Helsing. The only servants he has left are mortal and therefore vulnerable!" Carl explained quickly.
Bob, Marston and Chris exchanged a glance, manic grins on their faces. With identical metallic clicks they loaded a shell into their shotguns.
"Shall we gentlemen?" asked Marston grinning.
"We shall." agreed Chris.
Carl looked at them strangely "I'm starting to see why Amie didn't like you having guns."
Footsteps sounded moving swiftly along the corridor to their right, they froze listening.
"Dwergi!" whispered Carl his eyes wide with panic. "Bob you come with me to find Anna and the sword." He ordered quickly.
"What about us?" asked Marston eagerly.
"You keep them busy, if you run into Anna or anyone else; do what you can for them." He turned and began to make his way swiftly down the southern corridor, turning when Chris called after him.
"Isn't it murder if we kill these things?"
"They are unholy servants of the devil, what do you think?" Carl called back.
Marston tensed as the first of the dwergi came into view, throwing itself at him with an unearthly screech. He stood calmly as it approached levelling his shot gun at the grotesque mask covering its face.
"Wicket, your mine"
Chris shuddered as his friend fired at point blank range destroying the creature, the debris parted to reveal the small army of the creatures directly behind it. Glaring at them Chris raised his own gun, feeling the first shell slide into place with a satisfying click.
"Never liked Ewoks anyway." He muttered.
Bob ran beside the Friar glancing back at his friends only once as he heard the first shots echoing around the castle.
"Is anyone else thinking we should have stayed with the professional vampire hunter?" asked Jory tentatively, glancing behind him as he crept into the remains of a large kitchen, the pots and pans rusted and flung carelessly across the floor.
Amie stared determinedly ahead pretending that they didn't exist, while Tony prowled forwards like an animal sensing his prey.
"Just me then." Jory muttered, a sudden creak sounded behind him. He yelped loudly whirling to stare up at the dark ceiling.
"What?" asked Amie fearfully.
Tony hurried to their sides holding the flaming torch above their heads to illuminate the dark ceiling.
"There was something up there." Jory said stubbornly when Tony glared at him in exasperation.
Amie touched his arm sympathetically before turning and following Tony through the rubble.
Jory scanned the darkness suspiciously trying in vain to spot what lurked beyond his vision, movement teased the edge of his vision once again and he stepped back in alarm. Immediately he felt strong arms take hold of him, icy fingers clamped his mouth tightly shut, preventing him from crying out as he was lifted into the rafters above his head.
A hellish face appeared before him, framed by familiar blond hair, he gasped in shock, his fear lessoning as he recognised Sarah.
The Vampiress frowned as she saw recognition and happiness flash suddenly into her intended victim's eyes, but then her bloodlust drove any confusion from her mind. 'If he wishes to die smiling who am I to disappoint?' she decided her demonic mouth widening in anticipation of her fresh meal.
Jory's joy at seeing his friend alive once more, faded swiftly to alarm as she began to lower her fangs alarmingly fast to the flesh at his throat. A yell of fright was stifled behind her brutal hand, but his struggles caught her off guard. Unable to keep hold of his thrashing body Sarah allowed him to drop, catching him by the arm she gleefully plunged her fangs into his wrist.
Jory's strangled cry echoed around the dark room to be cut terrifyingly short. Amie turned quickly and screamed when she saw him dangling helplessly in Sarah's grasp, as she sucked hungrily on the freely flowing blood from his wrist.
"No Sarah!" she yelled rushing forwards.
With only a slight hesitation she put all her strength behind her sword, swinging it so it embedded itself deep into the young vampire's spine. Sarah immediately lost her hold on his flesh tearing her teeth away in a bloody scream, her pale arms reaching back to try and reach the blade.
Jory slumped to the floor in shock staring at the steady stream of blood flowing down his arm. Tony and Amie dragged him quickly out of the raging vampire's path and into a far corner.
"Holy fuck" he whispered "Sarah just…she…holy fuck!" he whispered going pale.
Amie quickly tore off a section of her trouser leg tying it tightly around the wound; Jory's cry of pain was lost behind the frenzied shrieks of the vampire as she finally succeeded in tearing the sword free.
Tony spun to face her, his shot gun ready as she turned towards him holding the sword and licking blood from around her mouth.
"Oh come on he was just standing there!" She said grinning "You can't blame me for wanting a taste."
Amie stared at her "How could you do this to him, he's your friend! We're your friends!" she yelled angrily.
Sarah gave her a bemused smile running her hands along the sword. "I didn't think friends attacked each other with sharp objects." She said silkily.
Tony stepped closer to her cautiously. "Your not our friend…your not Sarah." He growled seeming to take it as a personal insult that this creature would dare walk and talk, like the Sarah he knew.
She grinned at him "Or maybe I'm the real thing."