Note: Thanx for all the great reviews!! You guys are really boosting my confidence with these chapters, their the hardest ones I've written so far and I keep having to read back to figure out where I want to go with it. Marston reviewed again and he says he'd buy me things to stop me dying lol
Neway here's the next chapter!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Anna thought fast as the cold stone floor rushed up to meet her. She swung up, planting her feet on the candelabra's outer-rim. A graphic image of what would happen if her timing was off rose unbidden in her mind; she pushed it aside with the discipline of a lifetime of combat training.
The instant the candelabra connected with the hard stone floor, she leapt up and off, wincing as her calf bones screamed in protest, tucking and rolling trying to absorb most of the impact.
At least that was the theory.
Aleera screeched her approval as the princess hit the floor, tumbling uncontrollably to land in an unconscious and bleeding heap against the far wall. She laughed ecstatically leaping from her perch and twisting neatly to land by the broken body, her gowns floating around her framing her briefly in a mockery of heavenly wings.
"Poor, poor little princess." she simpered lifting Anna's limp form into her arms.
The princess's head rolled to one side, a fresh cut above her eyes bleeding a steady line across her pale cheek as Aleera watched in fascination. The white tips of her fangs appeared unbidden as her mouth parted slightly and she reached out her hand to touch the crimson flow.
Her gaze soon shifted to the exposed throat, she laughed heartily transforming into the beast ever present beneath her skin. Fangs lengthened and she licked them in anticipation of a fresh kill.
"Your blood will keep me beautiful Anna." She whispered to the lifeless body. "What do you think of that?"
Chris winced as the sound of gunfire slowly died away replaced by his own raged breathing and Marston's heavy footfalls as they sprinted through the castle.
"Bloody hell those things can run fast!" he yelled to his friend ripping off the woefully empty, and now useless, bullet belt and throwing it down on to the dusty floor in the hopes that it would trip a pursuing Dwergi.
"Indeed! Damn midgets!" panted Marston, also shedding his empty ammunition belt.
Sure they weren't being followed they slumped to the floor in exhaustion. Marston hissed as he pulled aside his sleeve to inspect a deep bite in his forearm.
"I didn't even know the little demented Ferbies had teeth!!" he exclaimed ripping off a section of his shirt and wrapping it tightly around the jagged wound.
Chris glanced from him to the wound and back again looking worried.
"What?"
"You don't think it's like a werewolf bite do you?" he asked tentatively.
Marston's eyes grew wide in horror. "No way, Carl would have said…wouldn't he?" he stammered.
Chris was about to answer when they heard a startled cry coming from the corridor to there left.
They exchanged a panicked glance. "Was that…"
"Anna!"
They scrambled to their feet and ran towards the distant sounds of something large crashing violently to the floor.
The corridor opened out briefly into a small room with many doors leading off from it, here they paused trying to decide which way to go when Amie's anguished shout echoed from another passage.
"No Sarah!"
The two boys shared an anguished glance. They had to split up, if they didn't someone was going to die.
Cold beads of sweat gathered on Marston's forehead as he heard Aleera's gleeful laughter and Anna's cries ended abruptly.
He set his jaw and unsheathed his sword. "You go help Amie, I'll go after Anna." He decided quickly turning and entering the tunnel to his right. Chris nodded once watching him go before sprinting towards the sound of his friend's voices.
Marston raced towards the large wooden doors that were ajar at the end of the passageway, the heavy metal in his hand giving him courage as he entered the room, to see Aleera leaning in for the kill.
Automatically his hand flew to the silver dagger at his thigh, ripping it hastily from its sheath and launching it with practiced ease at the back of the vampiress.
He watched with great satisfaction and a small measure of disbelief as it embedded itself perfectly in her gleaming throat.
Aleera choked, stolen blood pooling up into her mouth to flow freely down the cold flesh of her bosom. Anna's body fell to the floor and Marston watched with relief as the princess groaned and began to regain consciousness.
"Typical." He muttered "I do a kick ass throw …and no-ones around to see it."
Rushing forward he grabbed a lit torch from the wall and thrust it at the wailing vampire, forcing her away from Anna who used the wall to pull herself to her feet, she looked somewhat surprised to see him but gave him a grateful nod.
Then suddenly she froze, her eyes widening as she looked over his shoulder.
"Oh my god that's it!" she yelled ecstatically.
With one quick glance at Aleera she darted past the boy heading for the ancient mantle against the back wall. Marston turned in confusion and caught sight of the large coat of arms above the mantle.
The surface of the ornamental shield glistened in the firelight, the dragon of the Valerius family, and Dracula's personnel insignia, rose from a great fire dark with blood. The painting it was mounted above depicted two battling knights, the flickering of the fire making them move eerily with the shadows.
But it was not this magnificent artwork that distracted him, but the ancient sword that hung below it all…the ancient blade that would spill Van Helsing's blood and destroy the monster it helped to create.
Movement out of the corner of his eye was the only warning he had before strong arms threw him across the room; he landed painfully on the cold stone. Marston gasped as the air was forced from his lungs, heaving and gasping he rolled on to his stomach as his chest constricted painfully desperate for oxygen.
Anna took her chance while Aleera was still clutching at the dagger in her throat, she sprinted across the room mere meters away from her prize when she heard Marston's gasp of surprise and turned to see him flung across the floor. Then she found her own feet leaving the floor, a vice like icy grip on her throat making her gasp as it began to crush her windpipe.
Aleera's eyes were wild with anger and hunger. "You can't go until I say you can go!" she announced her long reptilian tongue flicking out briefly to collect some stray drops of blood off her dead cheek.
Her mouth split into a mocking smile. "And I say you can go when your dead!" she shrieked.
With all of her strength she hefted the struggling princess over her head rushing hurriedly to the large glass windows, Anna didn't even have time to scream as the mad vampire threw her brutally through the glass and she began to fall the hundred foot drop to the sharp mountain rocks below.
Amie glared at the vampiress defiantly, standing in front of Jory protectively even as Tony did the same for her. Sarah grinned with amusement, crouching like an animal with her face half hidden in shadow.
"My master told me of you." She whispered fading into the darkness at her back.
Amie reached slowly into her simple woolen jacket and grasped the cool hilt of her silver dagger, bringing it out so that it caught the fire light. Tony glanced at her in surprise as she angled the shinning blade, reflecting the light in the deep shadows that concealed the vampiress; it acted as a modern torch illuminating one tiny area at a time.
"Poor little children who can't get home…lost little babes in the woods." came the ghostly whisper echoing off the walls around them.
Jory stumbled to his feet leaning heavily against the wall as he drew his own blade with a shaking hand, his other wrist held closely to his chest.
"Behind you!" he cried as Sarah materialized behind Amie laughing as she clutched the girl around the neck, bending swiftly towards the pale flesh of her throat.
Amie cried out in surprise and slashed out with her dagger opening dead flesh to the white bone beneath. Sarah found herself temporarily blinded by her own cold blood, she released her intended victim wiping at it calmly with her hand continuing laughing.
Amie staggered back and stared at her, her hands clenching tightly into fists at her side. "Stop laughing." She hissed through clenched teeth. The vampire merely laughed harder her face contorting as her fangs grew and her skin hardened.
"Stop it!" Amie screamed in fury.
Tony froze in shock as she launched herself at the creature, hacking mercilessly with her dagger.
"Stop laughing! You killed her! Stop using her voice!" she screamed hysterically, her blows becoming a frenzied attack on the monster wearing her best friend's flesh.
Dark cold blood splattered her clothes and angry tears leaked from her eyes and through it all Sarah kept on laughing, her wounds healing the instant they were created. She pushed Amie away as if she was an annoying insect, sending the distraught girl tumbling into Jory who cried out in renewed pain as her weight fell on his wrist.
Tony stepped in front of them both again, brandishing his dagger against his sword like a makeshift crucifix.
"I'm a Priest of the church of life." He announced impressively. "Get thee behind me Satan!"
The vampiress swept him aside easily; he landed painfully next to Amie who glared at him.
"You can't become a real priest just because you sign up over the internet! You didn't even use your real name!" she hissed pulling him to his feet and facing the advancing vampiress, who was humming softly to herself.
Tony scrambled to his feet. "Hey Anthony Chong is my name!"
"Alias's don't count!" she said furiously.
Jory stared at them both from the floor in disbelief. "I really don't think this is the time to argue about that."
Sarah approached slowly, her clothes were absorbed into leathery flesh and bony distortions replaced her eye brows with an unnatural ridge, she gasped slightly as her wings unfurled themselves and her friends caught sight of the predatory fangs once more.
She glared at them with furious pride taking a graceful step towards them.
"Have you never felt some sympathy for the devil? Has it ever occurred to you to pity him?" she asked seriously.
"Not really…" muttered Tony backing up slightly in confusion.
The vampire grinned displaying her vicious fangs, "Perhaps that's what made my master pick me." She said thoughtfully.
With a primal snarl, she rushed them grasping Amie and Tony by their throats and lifting them off their feet. Jory watched them struggling in horror as Sarah throttled them.
Ignoring his wound he began a relentless attack, hacking at the bat-like wings protruding from the creature's spine with Tony's discarded blade. Screams of fury tore from his throat making him sound little more than an animal himself as he fought to save his friends.
Sarah grinned wickedly as the teens in her grasp; choking and struggling kicked out and clawed at her hands. She barely noticed Jory's frenzied attack eventually kicking back and making him fly into a wall, to sprawl in an unconscious heap in the shadows.
Amie's lungs burned as she fought desperately to free herself, she watched in terror as Jory hit the wall and lay motionless in the dark. Tears fell freely from her eyes as she realized the last thing she was about to see before she died was the murderous glint in her friends eyes, she couldn't even turn her head to see Tony's last struggles next to her.
Darkness began to cloud her vision, her head became dangerously light. A shadow appeared behind the vampire and into Amie's line of sight. Before she lost consciousness Amie saw Chris raise the deadly Morningstar bringing it around in a swing for Sarah's head.
Sarah screeched in alarm at the impact, her skull caving under the blow. Blood and bone pooled at her feet as she staggered into the shadows, whimpering in pain.
Tony hit the floor hard, gasping and coughing as blessed air finally filled his lungs. He leant over the body next to him; white spots obscured his vision as he pressed his hand under Amie's nose and felt her warm breath on his skin.
"Thank god." He whispered harshly leaning back against the cold stone wall in relief and exhaustion.
The sound of someone retching broke through his oxygen staved brain; he turned to see Chris vomiting on his knees into the remains of a discarded saucepan.
The boy rocked backwards unsteadily, sitting heavily on the damp stone. "Oh god…oh god." He whispered trembling at the memory of what he had just done, retching anew when he remembered the crunch of Sarah's skull giving way.
Tony staggered to his feet, regretting it immediately when a fresh wave of dizziness assaulted him. Distorted whimpers came from the hidden vampire reminding him of the danger they were all still in, still he walked forward and knelt still panting at Chris's side.
"You did the right thing." He whispered to him with effort.
His friend turned to him "I did that to Sarah." He muttered in shock.
Tony gave him a hard look "You did it to a vampire to save me and Amie, Sarah's already dead…that thing is not her."
A small breeze distracted them and they both glanced to where the torch Chris had brought with him spluttered on the floor. Sarah stood next to it, her face back to normal save for a fast healing patch of exposed sinew and muscle on her cheek. She gave an exaggerated breath and promptly blew out the flame plunging them into darkness.
"I can see in the dark." She whispered silkily "Can you?"
Bob swore loudly as he tried to keep up with Carl, his metallic rollerblade taking every opportunity to lodge itself in the many large cracks and potholes of the ancient floor.
"Do you honestly think we'll find Anna down here?" he yelled to the friar.
Carl shrugged, "I don't know, I'm actually hoping we'll find some more weapons. You can never have too many you know."
They rounded a corner and saw lights flashing up a head, the hum of electricity filled the air and the hiss of working machinery echoed down the previously silent corridor. Carl hesitated while Bob rushed ahead, his shot gun cocked and ready braced against his shoulder.
"Er…don't you think a little caution would be wise?" the friar asked timidly scurrying reluctantly after him.
Bob ignored him, charging around the corner, he found himself in a vast laboratory.
Copper dynamo's spun wildly above him shooting random sparks of electricity into the air, wires hung like jungle vines covering every wall and surface in such masses that it was almost impossible to make out the machines buried beneath them.
"Ok…so where are we?" he muttered shivering as his hair began to stand on end.
Carl glanced around in fascination "It's some kind of laboratory." He decided blushing slightly when Bob smirked sarcastically.
"Ya think?"
"Well you did ask." Carl said sulkily.
Slowly they made their way into the centre of the dark room, jumping slightly to avoid falling sparks from the high ceiling. Bob frowned as he saw what looked to be sunlight shinning upon one of the far walls.
"Er Carl what time is it?"
The friar frowned. "I'd say about ten maybe, why?"
"So night time…then why is it sunny over there?" they walked cautiously towards the light source, approaching a large metallic archway set against the far wall.
Carl circled around the object admiring every angle. Bob frowned as he felt a warm breeze caress his pale face and the warmth of the sun touched his skin, he stepped to stand directly in front of the opening and staggered back in shock as he beheld the woodland scene beyond.
A sunlit clearing in the middle of summer, surrounded by ancient trees, a large oak in the distance strangled by chains pinning it to the ground…but before all that, barley ten meters from the portal stood his tent surrounded by two others in a large circle around a long burnt out campfire.
The entire scene enclosed within a barrier of yellow police tape.
"Carl…tell me you're seeing this." He whispered his voice catching as he saw his own world before him.
The friar hurried to stand beside him gazing with astonishment at the scene. "Is that…"
"Our home." Bob said, he reached out one trembling hand and passed it through the arch. His eyes closed rapturously as he felt the warmth of the summer sun on his palm.
"I never thought I'd see it again…this is it…this is our way back!" he said excitedly turning to the friar.
His smile melted away as a dark shape loomed up from the shadows, too late to shout a warning, he could only watch dumbly as a white flash illuminated the dim room.
Carl screamed as he felt a violent charge of high electricity rip through his body, he fell limply against the wall, his body trembling.
Igor stood proudly with his cattle prod and grinned at the startled boy. "You try to get Igor! Igor gets you!" he roared cackling madly as he thrust the prod towards Bob's chest.
Before he even realised what he was doing, Bob drew his sword and used it to deflect the on coming attack, throwing it harmlessly to the side where it sent sparks flying from a mass of wires.
Igor cried out in surprise as the shock reverberated along the prod, forcing him to throw it away.
Frightened eyes fixed on the sword in Bob's grasp.
Bob stared coldly at the wretch before him. "You have a choice here." He said dangerously.
"You run, you live. You stay…well you get the idea."
Igor hesitated for only a second before he raised both hands and back away, scurrying into the shadows like the lowly cowered.
"Everyone wants to kill Igor today." He muttered bitterly melting out of sight.
Bob released a sigh or relief scowling as his hands shook, god knows what he would have done if Igor hadn't taken the hint. Killing Vampires and little troll people was one thing but he didn't think he could ever take a human life…if Igor was eve human he reasoned, leaning down to help Carl to his feet.
Suddenly he was knocked off his feet as something rushed at him from the shadows. He cried out thinking Igor had come back after all, but turned to meet the manic eyes of a small greying man in a blood stained lab coat.
"No! Not my machine, my friend needs it!! He believes in my work! He needs it!" Victor Frankenstein shrieked clamping stick like fingers around the boy's throat.
Bob choked, his eyes bulging as he desperately tried to reach his sword, which lay some feet to his left. Carl leapt to his feet ignoring the white flashes across his vision; he grasped hold of the doctor's hair and pulled him off Bob who gulped in air gratefully scrambling to his feet.
To their astonishment, the madman ceased his shrieks and struggles. Sinking to the floor he hugged his knees to his chest beginning to sob and rock, his hands tearing strands of hair from his head frantically.
"Oh my god what am I doing…he's my friend…Elizabeth knew…my friend…she knew…believed in my work, he believes in my work." He muttered over and over.
Bob backed away slowly circling round the pathetic figure to stand by Carl who crossed himself and muttered a silent prayer. Bob rubbed the red welts on his throat trembling slightly.
"Ok…what do we do now?"
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Note: this one was a bit darker might try for more humour in the next part. Oh Bob and Amie have started reading it now and they both informed me that I didn't describe Bob at all in the first chapter so I have gone back and added a few things in it if you want to check it out, nothing majors been changed.
Read and Review lol feel free to yell at me for letting Igor electrocute Carl :)