Chapter XIII

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Lady Nessa- you are probably right!

Everyone tried to sleep in the next morning. Aluka's shoulder was feeling much better, but most unfortunately, Van Helsing's was not. It still hurt him a great deal, but he decided that no matter how much pain he was going through. That was the fighter in him.

When Carl woke up, he immediately went back up to the library. Aluka and Gabriel, knowing that Carl would be up in the library, went up there to meet him.

"Good morning," said Carl cheerily to Aluka and Van Helsing as they walked in. Both looked very tired and in a bad mood.

"Morning Carl," muttered the two of them.

"What do you two suppose we should do today?" asked Carl, still in his happy I'm-in-a-good-mood voice.

"Go back to sleep," said Gabriel.

"I'm with him," agreed Aluka.

"As much as I do want to go back to sleep, I guess that we should do something today. We still have our assignment."

"Yes, I guess that we should do something, but what? Where should we look for Dracula? We know he most likely isn't staying at Castle Frankenstein, especially after we met up with him."

"We could go down to the village and see if anyone has noticed that the vampires are back," said Carl quickly, as if he knew this by heart, having carefully thought over what they should do.

"Nice, Carl. Good idea," complimented Aluka.

"Yeah, Carl, that's a really good idea," added Van Helsing, impressed with Carl's sudden genius.

"So, then, it is decided that we shall all go to the village today. Are we all ready to go right now?" questioned Aluka.

"Yeah, we're ready," said Van Helsing, looking at Carl, seeing that he was fully and properly dressed.

"Right, okay then, follow me!" said Aluka, walking out of the library and heading towards the stables. They went and got their horses, and rode into the village.

"Well, we can't exactly just go and ask people about Dracula or anything, so how do you think we should find anything out?" asked Aluka.

"I don't know, well, there are always people at a bar," said Van Helsing, looking at Carl grinning slightly evilly.

"You have a friend there, don't you Carl?" said Van Helsing, smirking.

"Yes well, let's keep going," said Carl, very red in the face, and in a hurry to change the subject.

"What?" asked Aluka in interest.

"Nothing. Actually, something, but I'll tell you later," said Gabriel smiling.

"Okay."

"Aluka?" asked Gabriel tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever had a dream that you knew was real? I mean, your dream wasn't just a dream, and it actually was happening, or was going to happen, or had already happened?"

"Yes, I have," said Aluka quietly.

"I had a dream the other night that not only Dracula was back, but that his brides were too," said Gabriel to Aluka, hoping that she would think he was telling the truth.

"Dracula with three women?" asked Aluka sincerely, without any disbelief.

"Yes."

"Marishka, Verona and Aleera?" asked Aluka, looking sharply at Van Helsing.

"Yes, but how do you know their names?"

"I just do-I don't really know how, I've never even heard of them. I just feel like I know them, somehow-"said Aluka slightly nervous.

Van Helsing raised an eyebrow. Maybe there is more to her than meets the eye. She looked up at him, and he smiled. What meets the eye is fine though-Gabriel found he was thinking.

"I know what it feels like to recognize something and not know why."

"Oh, then I'm not crazy," said Aluka, smiling.

"Not necessarily-"Aluka just rolled her eyes and followed Carl. They reached the village without much entertainment, and headed to the small bar. Once they had tied their horses up and entered, Aluka was having second thoughts about this. Drunken lonely men don't do well with a girl like her.

"If any of the men touch you, castrate them," said Van Helsing to Aluka, seeing the hesitation in her eyes.

"Don't worry, I will," said Aluka, putting her hand in her pocket, which obviously had some sort of weapon hidden in it.

"So what am I supposed to do? Go ask the bar man if he has seen any vampires lately?"

"Do something a little less inconspicuous," said Carl, talking for the first time in a while.

"What do you suggest?"

"Just think of something."

"Great," said Van Helsing, walking into the bar.

"Just perfect," said Aluka, following him.

"What? Do you have a problem with thinking? With using the brain that God gave you?" Carl continued to ramble like this for a few moments, before Aluka came back out and pulled him in with her.

"I think we should just follow your lead Carl," said Van Helsing, once they were in the bar.

"Oh, well, I don't think that's fair-"started Carl in protest. He was cut off by Aluka and Van Helsing.

"I do," they said together.

"Majority rules," said Aluka before Carl could open up his mouth to dispute again.

"Oh, I see. I suppose I'll need a method," said Carl, thinking out loud.

"While you think about that, I'm getting a drink," said Aluka.

"Me too. Have fun Carl," said Van Helsing, smiling slightly wickedly.

"Yippee for me," said Carl dully, taking a seat next to Aluka and Van Helsing, trying to think of an inconspicuous way to speak of vampires to a village who was tormented by them for a very, very long time.

That is all for chapter XIII. I hope that you like it. Cheesecake for reviewers! I love cheesecake and I hope you do too! Please review!

-the evil platypus of doom