Velkan and Van Helsing raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time, then three. For the lycan, it was a personal mission, to stop Dracula if only so that his cousin's family could rest. A noble cause, to be sure, and he was not concerned much about himself. Such were qualities that renewed Van Helsing's own faith in humanity.
They were close, Van Helsing could sense it. Dracula was near...and so was Frankenstein. But at this rate, they might not make it in time to stop Dracula from bringing his creations to life.
Near the great spiral staircase was a large gash in the wall. Van Helsing stopped, looked to Velkan, then ran over to the fissure and looked through. They were about halfway to the laboratory, and below was a drop that when down for at least fifteen-stories. High above were flashes of light and the sounds of machines. They didn't have far to go.
"Can you climb fast?" he asked, glancing to his werewolf ally.
"Give me something to ascend upon," Velkan replied, now transforming into his powerful lycan form. "I shall conquer it."
His confidence was now rising with the courage of his companion, and Van Helsing leapt through the gash and grabbed the chain that hung down there. Velkan pushed his way through the crack, now scaling the rock face of the shaft while Van Helsing was pulling himself upon the chain. Some of his weapons fell out of his coat, but that didn't matter to him. They would be of no use in the battle ahead, he had only one weapon that might actually cause real harm to Dracula, and he carried it within him.
He continued to climb, his pace rapid as his hands became like a blur. Nothing about what he was turning into, what he truly was, could surprise him now. Nothing else mattered except to destroy Dracula and save all those who suffered from his existence. Even finding his own past meant nothing now.
And soon, he would have his battle.
Igor led the trio of Anna, Adrian, and Carl through up stairways of the tower. Clearly, he was conflicted between his loyalty to Dracula and his fear of his master's son. On the one hand, if he continued to help them, then Dracula was sure to kill him if he found out. On the other hand, if he didn't help them, then Adrian was definitely going to kill him now. Fortunately, the desire to risk a possible punishment and have a chance to making it out of this situation won out. As it had turned out, with a little prodding, he could move quite fast when he wanted to - and when his life depended on it.
They reached to the top of the stairway where they saw an arched doorway. And behind it lay salvation for Velkan. In the center of the room was a pedestal, upon which was a large sphere that looked to be made of crystal. A large physician's syringe with some kind of red liquid was suspended within.
Anna almost ran inside, but a look from Adrian made her stay. She had lost her cousin once already, but gotten him back thanks to Van Helsing, she didn't want to lose him again. It was best to stick together and play it safe.
Igor was about to enter the room, but Adrian held out his hand and pushed the man back. "I'll go first," he hissed. He could see the contempt in Igor's eyes, but that didn't matter. They could not risk him ruining everything. As he and Anna stepped into the room, they could see that the doorway they had entered through was the only way in or out, for the windows were barred shut, no doubt with iron. From Dracula's perspective, that made this room easy to defend. From theirs, it meant less chance of an unpleasant surprise.
There was a yell from behind them, and the two descendants of Corvinus turned to find that the nasty surprise they'd hoped to avoid had occurred regardless. Carl was sent sprawling on the floor from a push by Igor, and the twist man took his chance to pull a lever when dropped down a black gate. He laughed as they ran over, Adrian grabbing the bars only to pull away the moment they started burning his hands; iron.
"Stay as long as you like!" he said tauntingly. He could see the frustration in Adrian's eyes, the helplessness; iron was his bane. Such a good thing that this castle was laced all over with the stagnant metal. "You try to get Igor, but Igor get you!" And he headed back down the stairs, laughing all the way.
Adrian roared out in anger. "Damnation!" he cried. He grabbed the bars again, screaming in pain as the iron burned him, but still, he tried forcing the gate open. Finally, he let go and stepped away, holding his hands against his body. "Dracula must have counted on the chance that I might find this place, that can be the only reason there's so much iron here."
"Can't you just transform to mist and pass through?" Carl asked. It seemed the most logical method to use.
Adrian shook his head, now walking over to a large pile of snow and plunging his still smoking hands in. "Iron is the bane of dunpeals," he explained, still trying to force down the sensation of pain. "It is stagnant, unchanging, a symbol of death. For the dunpeal, that which is a life born from that which is dead, it is our weakness. We are something that defies the natural order, even more than a vampire."
He breathed heavily, now withdrawing his hands from the snow. Burned into his palms were the scarred imprints of the bars, physical proof of the effect iron had on the dunpeal. "We have to find another way out of here."
They were very close now. Van Helsing could hear the equipment accelerating and recognized the sounds from the count's previous attempt to bring his vampirling creatures to life at Castle Frankenstein. Now, however, with his inhumanly sharp senses, he could identify every minute change, and could even discern the footsteps of the Dwergi as they scurried about.
Both man and lycan emerged from the shaft, silently climbing up and hiding behind a large generator. Van Helsing looked around for any sign of Frankenstein, then saw Dracula. The count was shouting orders to the Dwergi, and thankfully was oblivious to their presence. With a glance to Velkan, he could see the man was barely holding his rage. No doubt, Velkan was ready to run out and attack Dracula now.
"Stay hidden," he ordered, while moving toward a wall. "I need you to go around and meet me on the roof."
Nodding, Velkan hurried away, now a blur of motion that moved from place to place. Van Helsing had to admit, Velkan knew how to stay out of sight. But right now, he had more important things to worry about.
Now scaling the sheer face of the wall, Van Helsing made his way upwards. It should have been impossible for him, but he knew that he was no mortal man. He was becoming less human with each memory that returned, yet he felt more filled with humanity at the same time.
With a grunt, he raced up a pillar, then turned his head to see a Dweger on the scaffolding, one that saw him. Leaping from the column, Van Helsing landed on the catwalk and grabbed the Dweger, slamming it head first into the wall. When he pulled it away, he could see that the blow had broken its goggles, and the large pure white eyes of the troll were visible. It snapped its teeth at him, and Van Helsing flung the Dwerger through a nearby window, sending it falling to its death.
"Kill it before it does worse to you," he said in an echo of Adrian's own words.
Together, Anna, Carl, and Adrian stared at the globe and the syringe inside of it. "Go ahead and grab it," the girl remarked to Carl.
"You go ahead and grab it," he replied indignantly. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's never be the first to stick your hand in a viscous material." He glanced to Adrian, then gestured to the globe. "Uh, you go ahead and grab it."
The dunpeal snorted. Like Carl, he was no fool. While his ability to heal was superhuman, he could not regrow limbs if he lost them, and there was only so much his power to heal could do in a short amount of time. This fortress was supposed to be impenetrable, after all, meant to keep Dracula in. It only made sense that Dracula would keep the antidote for the lupus curse in a fashion that only he could retrieve it from.
A chill went down his spine. Adrian felt a presence just seconds before they heard a vicious hiss from behind them. The three moved to the other side of the pedestal while Aleera dropped down and flipped to land on her feet. "Did I scare you?" she asked in delight.
"Not in the least," Adrian snapped back in reply. He drew his sword, letting Aleera see the silver and gold gleam in the torch light. When she merely laughed, his expression when dark. "You still desire me after all these centuries, don't you?"
Now there was a reaction from the bride. "How could I not?" Aleera replied, moving about while the trio stepped in turn to keep the pedestal between them. "So much like your father, Alucard. Yet, at the same time, you have the love that I seek, the heart that I wish to feel returning my passion."
The dunpeal scowled. It was bad enough that Aleera had been after him before, but to refer to him by a name which he detested and compared him to his father...that was something he could not forgive. "I'm afraid you misjudge me," Adrian hissed. "I'm nothing like my father."
With that, he pushed the globe, causing it to shatter upon the stone floor while the liquid contents sprayed upwards against Aleera. She grabbed her face as the fluid burned her, proving Carl's suspicions correct.
"Viscous material!" he exclaimed pointedly. "What did I tell you!"
The syringe rolled away on the ground, causing Anna to stare at it. "Grab it, grab it!" she cried. Carl quickly ran over and pulled off his coat to use it for grabbing the injector. The cloth began to burn, but not enough that it was eating through to Carl's hands. Anna took the chance to pick up a large piece of the shattered globe and scooped up some of the acid. Heading for the gate, she splashed it on the bars, and the fluid did its work quickly as the iron bars melted away in seconds. She turned to Carl and Adrian, noting that Aleera was still howling in pain. "Hurry!" she cried, waving for the men to get out of there. "We have to get the antidote to Velkan!"
Carl was the first to head out the gate, Adrian right behind him. As Anna was about to exit, she was grabbed form behind and turned around violently by Aleera. The vampire was glaring at her, her face horribly burned, but even now, it was regenerating. "You can't go until I say you can go!" she screamed.
"Keep going!" Anna cried. She saw Adrian move to help her, but she knew he couldn't afford this delay; he was the only one who had the ability to make sure the cure got to Velkan. "Don't worry about me, I can do this!"
He stared for a moment, then, realizing that the girl had to do this on her own, nodded and pulled Carl along down the stairs. He hoped that he could get back to Anna in time later, but she was right; this was her fight.
Aleera hissed, her face completely healed now. Her hate for Anna was painted all over her face, pure hatred and jealousy. "And I say you can go," she spat, gripping deep into Anna's shoulder, "when you are dead!"
The girl felt the vampire curse burning in her. She felt stronger, more powerful, and if only just this once, she was willing to relinquish herself to its power. If there was one grave mistake Dracula had made, it was letting her live after giving her his blood. "I say I can go when you are dead!" she hissed, her hand flashing up and slamming hard into Aleera's face. The bride let go, taken by complete surprise. Anna, however, backhanded her vampire foe, letting her growing strength take over and send Aleera flying back into the wall.
It was time that the last bride knew the wrath of the Corvinus.
Racing down the stairways, Carl held tightly to the syringe, Adrian right behind him as they hurried to find the bridge. Carl did the calculations in his head; in the time it would take them to get to the bridge, run across into the main foyer, cross the next bridge and go up the stairs of the other tower, it might be too late. Velkan was safe from the lupus venom driving him into madness, but there was still the risk that Dracula might be able to get control of him yet.
God favors the bold, came the voice of the professor. So far, heeding Abraham Van Helsing's words had not steered him wrong once, and it was not time to doubt the great professor's wisdom. Certainly, Carl had been bold in his life, especially when he had chosen to stay with the professor and join the Templar. His ideas and theories had been radical, groundbreaking, and he had been at odds with the more tradition minded members of the order many a time.
Adrian was concerned as well as they ran out onto the ancient stone bridge that connected the two towers. It was six feet across, with only a knee-high railing to prevent them from falling over. With all the high winds whipping about, Carl was the one more at risk here. The weather was insane, unnatural; it could only be Dracula's work.
Carl stopped. As Adrian ran over, he could not see why the man had halted. "What's wrong?" he asked, then heard a creaking sound coming from the tower behind them. He looked back toward the tower and saw something moving in the shadows. It wasn't clear at first, but as the source of the noise came closer, he saw what it was. "He did not," the dunpeal said.
"He did," Carl replied with a resound groan. Standing behind them, now walking out of the shadows, was a massive suit of black armor which was holding a large broadsword in its hands. It was obviously animated by Dracula's black magicks, and from the rust that was crusted over the plates, it was no doubt made of iron, just like every other metal construct in this accursed fortress. That meant Adrian couldn't fight it.
Carl held the syringe out to Adrian. "Take it," he said. When the dunpeal looked at him in shock, the man angrily shook it. "Take it, and go!" he ordered. As soon as Adrian had grasped the syringe, Carl reached to the back of his belt and pulled out his own revolvers. He opened the chamber and started loading a type of bullet Adrian had not seen before, then glanced to the prince. "We need to get that cure to Velkan now, and you're the only one who can make it in time!"
"That thing will kill you!" Adrian exclaimed in horror. Yet he could not help but admit that Carl's selflessness was encouraging. It was no wonder that Van Helsing trust this man with his life. "No bullet can stop that thing, even if it is silver!"
Carl gave his companion a sly grin. "These aren't silver bullets," he stated, now locking the chamber of one gun shut and starting to load the other. He and Adrian backed away from the armor while it moved toward them. "They're explosive rounds, using the same premise as the shells I gave Van Helsing, but with glycerine instead of silver nitrate." He locked shut the chamber and gave it a spin before redrawing his other revolver. "One of these could blow a hole in the walls of the Bastille, I'm certain our friend will find them rather nasty to be hit by."
There was a moment of silence. Adrian reluctantly nodded and ran across the bridge, leaving Carl to face the metal nightmare that was fueled by Dracula's unholy powers. With a sigh, Carl raised his guns, ready to fight, and if need be, die to help save a noble man's soul. "Van Helsing," he whispered. "You're not the only one who can pack one hell of a punch."
He was close, so close to Dracula. It was close enough to leap forward and tear the count to pieces. Velkan had to resist the urge to let his bestial rage take over. Van Helsing needed his help to first free Frankenstein. But the temptation was so great.
Dracula looked up, stopped in the middle of shouting out orders, and Velkan realized that the count knew they were there. Van Helsing, his mind screamed. The count was turning now, toward where Van Helsing was climbing up the wall. There was no denying it; Dracula could feel Van Helsing's presence. If he didn't do something now, the vampire was going to see Van Helsing and destroy their only chance.
"Anna," he whispered while his form began to change. "Forgive me." With a roar, Velkan transformed and sprang forth from his hiding place. Claws flashed out, and as he charged toward the vampire, he could see Dracula spinning to stare in shock.
Just as Velkan launched himself at Dracula, the count snarled and brought his hand up to catch the lycan. His grip was like steel, holding Velkan up and choking him. "Velkan Valerious," the count hissed while stepping forward and flinging the werewolf to the ground. "This is an unexpected surprise." He snarled, showing his displeasure at his servant not only having broken free of his command, but also at that fact Velkan was still alive. "I would have thought you to be dead, not scampering about to still seek revenge!" Dracula paused then, realizing something. Velkan looked different some how, his fur more silken and not so coarse. Something in his features as a werewolf. "You're a lycan!"
"Mothered by the moon," the werewolf growled, coming to his feet. "I may have the lupus venom in my blood, count, but until the New Moon, my actions are my own to choose!"
For a moment, the vampire only glared. Then, he began to laugh, apparently finding some great joke in this turn of events. "So indeed they are, Valerious! However, you know well that you can't kill me, I am immortal! Even the touch of the sun does little more than to burn me!"
The lycan roared angrily. Velkan fought to channel his rage, but minute by minute, the lupus venom was starting to awaken again. Already, he could feel Dracula's will trying to dominate him, to take over his mind again. He'd kill himself before that happened. Velkan glanced up to Van Helsing. He had to buy the man time. "We know of your cure!"
There was a twinkle in his eyes. "Yes, I would gather that is why you are here," Dracula replied. Good, he hadn't noticed. So long as he kept the vampire's attention on him, Velkan knew that this was the best thing he could do to aid Van Helsing. "I had wondered why I could feel Gabriel here. He must be in Mephisto's tower getting it why you fight me here." A smile. "How noble...and stupid!"
He launched forward, swinging a massive paw at the vampire, but Dracula simply changed into mist and reformed to deliver a vicious blow to Velkan's chest. The werewolf went flying back, hitting the floor and skidding for a good distance before he leapt back to his feet. The beast inside wanted this fight, thirsted for it, and right now, so long as he could be free to battle Dracula, Velkan was more than happy to indulge that thirst.
Hanging from the stone wall, Van Helsing stared down as he watched Velkan reveal himself to Dracula, engage the vampire king in battle. It was foolish, to be sure, but there must have been a reason the lycan had done it. It was certainly serving as a perfect diversion, and if Dracula believed him to be in the other tower, then he had a chance.
A loud report caught his attention. Van Helsing looked down through a window and could see, on the bridge to Mephisto's Tower, a series of explosions, similar to the one Carl had made in the Templar armory with that fluid.
Carl! his mind screamed as, his vision sharpening on the two pinprick figures, he could see his ally backing away from what looked like a magically animated suit of armor. So far, the man was holding his own, firing off rounds that were exploding against the armor's plates. Van Helsing had to admit, Carl's display of courage was unexpected, but not unappreciated. "You're a good man," he whispered. "I just hope that you make it out of this alive."
Now ascending the wall, Van Helsing reached the skylight and pulled himself up, feet firming planted on the stone roof. Lightning was crashing down around the castle, and so far, no bolts had struck the pod which held Frankenstein. he ran over to the giant, turning the flywheel furiously. "Are you alright!"
The giant registered what was going on at that moment. "What are you doing!" he cried. "You should be finding the cure for Velkan!"
"Our friends are getting it for him!" Van Helsing replied. He grabbed one of the straps, but his eyes then saw the bolts which were lodged into Frankenstein's torso. This was not going to be easy.
There was a look of amazement on Frankenstein's face. "Friends?" he asked, looking to the man who was struggling to free him, to save him.
"Yes," he quickly said, then glanced to the giant's face. "Want one?" He moved to twist out the bolts, but they were locked in tight. This wasn't going to be pretty at all. "I can't unscrew the bolts...this is going to hurt!"
The giant gave an understanding nod and braced himself. "I am accustomed to pain!"
"Let's you know you're alive!" With his powerful new strength, Van Helsing grabbed the end of the straps and pulled hard. The bolts were torn loose, blood now coming from the fresh wounds on Frankenstein's body. He could see the pain the giant was suffering, the urge to scream out, but Frankenstein did not give into that urge.
Before he could undo the other straps and restraints, a powerful bolt of lightning slammed down, sending Van Helsing crashing to the ground while Frankenstein yelled out in agony. Electricity cascaded over him, green crackles of energy building up before surging downwards into the lab.
He breathed heavily, getting back to his feet. With a groan, Van Helsing looked over just in time to see the energy surge. They were running out of time. "One," he whispered.
His face now bearing a set of deep claw cuts, Dracula grinned while the lycan charged him again. He hadn't had a battle this furious in ages, and he would greatly enjoy enslaving this creature once more, breaking him to his will. "This is foolish of you!" he cried. Velkan only roared, but the vampire laughed at the rebelliousness of his werewolf foe. "You cannot kill me, and soon, you will be my slave again!"
"I will die before I become your servant!" Velkan spat, flashing his claws out. "And Van Helsing will kill you, count!"
There was a dancing smile of amusement on the count's lips. "Please," he retorted stepping around the dead body of a Dweger who had gotten too close to Velkan. "He killed me once before, but he cannot do so again. Even God Himself cannot slay me!"
The werewolf bellowed again, jumping at Dracula only to be gripped once more by the throat. The count was actually tiring of this. He looked into Velkan's eyes and hissed. "As for you, lycan. Your cousin will soon be my Bride, and the world will be mine to reshape, but you sadly will not remain to see it!"
With a grunt, the vampire flung Velkan through a window. He could hear the howl, the anger, and he grinned while he saw the beast drop from his view. Even a werewolf was not invincible, and though he was bound to survive his fall some how, he could not do much more now.
A lightning bolt struck above, and Dracula could hear the screams of the creature as electricity rippled through it. A moment later, a massive surge of green energy flew downwards, coursing along the conductors and into the ground. As it hit the floor, the energy caused a rupture in one of the cables, sparks erupting all around as Dracula reveled in the coming of his age.
"Give me life!" he yelled out in triumph. He could feel the energy as it crashed through the stone, surged through the wires and routers. He could feel it as it entered his creations, giving them force, life.
And then, he saw something moving on the roof.
Twisting about in the air, he was falling, fast. Velkan roared, then managed to grip the outside walls. His claws dug deep into the rock, and he was still sliding downwards, but his descent slowed, and soon came to a halt. His mind was burning, desiring to get back into the tower and tear Dracula apart.
A loud explosion drew his attention. Looking out into the darkness, Velkan could see Carl trying to get away from what looked like an eight-foot tall suit of black armor. There was another explosion, the burst causing the armor to stumble back, but it persisted. Carl needed help, more than Velkan needed to get revenge.
There was a low growl, deep from in his throat. Now scampering along the walls, Velkan raced to help the human, knowing that he had to move fast. He launched himself across to the ramparts, hurrying toward Mephisto's Tower. Now within leaping distance of the bridge, Velkan pushed off and flew through the air, landing on the stone and howling at the unholy construct.
Carl turned, staring in horror for a moment, then realized that the werewolf was his ally. "Velkan!" he exclaimed just before firing one more round at the armor. "You're supposed to be with Van Helsing!"
"A change of plans," the lycan replied. He strode forward, moving to help Carl and lashed out at the armor just as it was swinging down with its sword. The impact of his attack knocked the blade off course, causing it to crash down on the stone of the bridge. The armor slowly lifted the blade back up, and, reaching back, prepared to swing again. It seemed unstoppable.
Lycan and man moved just as the sword descended. It crashed again into the rock, and Velkan swung hard to knock the armor away from its weapon. It stumbled back, hands empty, and the werewolf struck again, causing the construct to back away now. Still, if he let up for even a moment, Velkan knew that this thing would return the attack. He had to get rid of it.
Suddenly, his mind realized how. "Carl!" he growled, backing up and dodging just as the armor swung at him with a punch. "Do you have any more of those explosives!"
He opened the chambers, then nodded, locking them shut again. "One round left in each!" he cried. "What's your plan!"
The werewolf grinned and leapt back, landing just in front of the human. "Simple," he replied. "Blow up the ground under his feet and send him into the abyss!"
Velkan was right; it was simple. "Why the hell didn't I think of that?" Carl muttered while readying the guns. The armor came toward them, its simple mind thinking that Carl was going to shot it again, but then the man aimed downwards at the last moment and fired to blow open the bridge beneath its feet. The armor dropped like a rock, falling through the hole and vanishing into the darkness. Sometimes the best methods were the simplest after all.