Sorry about the long wait, internet connection broke and hitting it didn't work. Thanks to Indy for reviewing!! This chapter is a bit longer, i couldn't find a good place to end it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, as usual, except maybe Balfour.
Chapter six: Calling of the Spirits
Having finished eating an hour ago, they had been preparing to leave when Van Helsing breached the subject of where they were going. "Exactly who are we going to see?" Neither he nor Carl had asked the specifics since Tarja had mentioned that they were going to see an old friend of hers.
"We are going to see an old friend of mine, she taught me the Wiccan ways from since I was a child and has knowledge of both necromancy and the dead in their many forms. You could learn a great deal from her." Tarja answered appearing from the kitchen and walking into the main room. She had already dressed in preparation and was wearing leather from head to foot. A beige strapped leather jacket and corset were armed with a vast array of blades, many silver, but some made of steel. Her pants were similar in colour having boots strapped to just below the knees with blades again positioned in easy to reach places. Attached to her back was a crossbow and quiver.
Turning to look her way, both men had paused at her appearance with looks of bemusement and confusion on their faces. It was not everyday they came across someone, much less a woman who was just as armed as Van Helsing.
"Are we going somewhere extremely dangerous?" Carl asked, looking very perplexed at the thought.
Pushing her long hair away from her face, she turned and smiled. "No, but believe it or not, this is the same amount of blades I had on yesterday. The only thing new is the bow. Mercer doesn't only send ghosts after me but mercenaries too." At their dubious looks she continued. "This outfit doesn't allow me to hide them as easily, which is why you can see them. Don't worry; I'm even better in a knife fight than Nico. That was how I first met him."
"You met him in a knife fight?" Gabriel asked.
"Yes, he had got into a bar fight with a local gang of bandits. I happened to walk into the alley where they had him outnumbered and gave him a hand. He was quite surprised to find that I could kill as efficiently as he could, even more when he found out that I was a woman." She smiled at the memory. Shocked was closer to the reaction she got from him.
"You helped him even though you didn't know who he was?"
"Oh, I knew who he was. Everybody did, which was why he had ended up in the fight in the first place. They knew he was here to take down Mercer, who paid them lots of money to do his dirty work." Tarja replied beginning to braid her hair behind her. "We worked together for two years before we got married, three years ago. Back then Mercer was just a thug who hadn't really amassed much power, but now…"
"Balfour was sent here five years ago?" Van Helsing asked. "I thought that he had only been here a short time."
"No, but at the time we could handle Mercer. We didn't know that he had found the Cross of Rhade. Even having it in his possession raised what little power he had; now that he has figured out how to release its power he has become too strong. That was how he trapped Nico, why we needed help." Tying her hair with some cord she gave them an appraising look.
Both Carl and Van Helsing had finished getting ready and were in their usual gear. Van Helsing had his weapons and hat on and was placing the last of the supplies into his pack. "Will we need the horses?"
"Yes, I have already tacked them up while you were getting ready. You two take forever to get ready. Usually us females are the ones to take ages." She said, eyes twinkling with laughter. "If we set off now, we should reach the Coven before noon. Then we meet Andala, my friend. She will know how to get into Mercer's castle and how to stop him if he has already released the cross's powers."
"In that case, what are we waiting for?" Carl asked.
The journey to the Coven had been an uneventful one, coming across little or nothing in the way of life or death. Upon reaching the edge of the forest they had gotten their first glimpse of the Coven. Stood high on a hill, it was normally visible for miles around; however, since they had travelled through the dense woodland they had not been able to see it until then.
"Goddess help us….." Tarja gasped as it came into view.
The Coven was a tumbled ruin with smoke still coming from the remains of the timberwork, which had obviously been the roof. Faint cries could be heard coming from the ruins and the shattered remains of the gates.
Wrenching on the reins, Tarja thrust her horse into a headlong gallop and powered up the hill. Please be all right, please. If he's hurt anyone, I'll kill him, I swear it!
Reaching the gates she slowed, as the true damage could be visible. People were strewn around the courtyard, eyes glazed over and unmoving. Leaping from her horse she reached the guard form the gate. Collapsing at his feet, she pulled him into an embrace. "Calvell, please, no!!" she cried as his eyes stared sightlessly up at her, arms moving lifelessly as she held him close.
Appearing at her side, Van Helsing took in the sight of destruction before him. The main building was barely intact, the rook caved in and still smouldering. The other buildings had fared less well, having the appearance of being flattened. Bodies were everywhere, some looking as if they had been torn apart, others with no marks at all, as if they had simply just died where they stood.
"Dear God," Carl whispered, in shock at the scene before him. "What happened?"
Looking up from her place on the floor Tarja growled, "Mercer." Releasing her hold on the fallen Calvell, she laid him down closing his eyes and saying a prayer. "No one else would have the power to breach the Coven walls." Rising, she began to walk for the main building. "He killed Calvell, and the others. We need to see who else is alive."
"But what about these people here?" Carl asked.
"They're all dead, Carl. I can see their souls hovering over their bodies, feel their call, even I can't save them now." Her words were cold and threaded with grief and rage. "Right now I need to see if anyone is alive, the dead can wait."
Carefully picking their way through the bodies they followed her into the main building. Once inside, further carnage could be seen. Here had been the last stand of the Coven, and was now where the survivors had gathered. People were dotted around the large hall into which they had entered. Many were prone on the floor, some with visible injuries, other seemingly none. Tending to them was an array of people dressed similarly to Tarja or wearing white robes, now stained red and black.
"Kellan!" Tarja called, looking around at the many wounded and searching the faces of the walking. "Kellan, where are you?"
At the sound of his name, a tall blonde man wearing leathers similar to hers stood, and turned to look their way. Rubbing blood stained hands on a cloth he made his way over to them. "Tarja!! Thank the gods that you're okay. He was here, gloating that he had killed you and Nico!" Grabbing her in a huge bear hug, he laughed as he spun her around.
"Okay, Okay, you can stop now, I need to breathe," she gasped.
Releasing her from his hold they clasped forearms as he glanced over at Van Helsing and Carl who had been quietly watching the exchange. "And who might they be? Friends of Nico's?" He extended his arm to Van Helsing shaking it firmly. "I'm Kellan, and you are?"
"Van Helsing, and this is Friar Carl. We are here to help Nico stop Mercer." Carl who had been stood behind Van Helsing waved at the introduction.
"Kellan, where is Andala? And the others?" Tarja asked, urgency clear in her voice.
His face fell at the question; blue eyes shining with unshed tears. "She's gone, Tarja, she's gone. Mercer sent demons, zombies and Hunter ghosts after us. She gave her life to save us, forcing them away using the last of her strength to be the focus for a huge banishment spell."
At the look on her face, he pulled her into a gentler hug as she began to cry, wracking sobs. Taking this as a cue to make themselves scarce, they spread out among the wounded to lend a hand wherever they could.
"There was nothing that we could do, if she hadn't done it we would all be dead. She would not want you to grieve over her. She died defending all that she worked to create and preserve." Lifting her head he wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I know that, Kellan, but she was like a mother to me." Her eyes began to well up once more.
"Tarja, what else has happened? Even this wouldn't leave you in this state," he asked, concern etched on his face. "Where is Nico?" It had all suddenly clicked into place. "He has Nico, doesn't he? The bastard, I'll rip him limb from limb with my own two hands!!"
"We don't have time for this Kel," she said, letting him see the bottomless pit of rage in her eyes. "He has the Cross of Rhade, that was how he got through our defences. You didn't stand a chance. He sent a demon to my house, if Van Helsing hadn't been there then I would be dead too. We need to stop him, Kel."
"Yes, we do. But the others here need our help now. Many are wounded, and we are stretched to our limits." Releasing her from the hug he lead her to the nearest group of wounded. "They were attacked by a Hunter Ghost, we need someone with your strength to re anchor their souls to their bodies. They almost had their souls ripped out."
"I'll try," she said and got to work.
Being used to patching himself up in battle Van Helsing had seen a wide variety of injuries before. But never on this scale, or intensity. Noting the people who had obviously been torn apart by zombies, or had managed to escape with few injuries. He knelt beside a small girl who had a large gash on her arm, which had only been briefly tended to and needed the bandage changing on. Glancing back over his shoulder he watched as the man called Kellan comforted Tarja. Who was he, and how did he know Nico and Tarja? His musings were cut short as the person he was tending to suddenly sat upright and began to scream at the sight of the hunter, and began to attempt to scramble away, kicking him in his wounded arm in the process. Ignoring the pain, which flared in the almost forgotten injury he tried to calm the girl before him.
"It's alright, I'm here to help you. It's over, you're okay." He began to reach for her but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay, Merry, you're safe now." A woman had appeared at his side and was reaching a hand out to the injured person cowering before him. "He's a friend." The fear in the girl's eyes died as she looked up at the person behind Van Helsing.
"My name is Van Helsing, I'm here to help you. I need to finish tying that bandage or it will need to be done again," he said in a reassuring voice.
"I will stay with you Merry, nothing will happen, I promise." The woman knelt next to Van Helsing and reached her hand out to Merry, who was tentatively moving back to where she had been lying. "My name's Tyris by the way," she said to the hunter, giving him a quick smile. She too was dressed similar to Tarja only wearing red leather as opposed to the beige.
"Pleased to meet you," he replied retying the bandage he was halfway through.
"Is it over? Are the bad things coming back?" The girl's eyes looked pleadingly up at them both.
"Yes honey, it's over now." Tyris answered, ruffling the hair on the girl's head. "You just get some rest now."
"Andala is gone isn't she?" Merry asked as she lay back down, settling on the covers beneath her.
Tears formed as Tyris answered, "Yes, baby, she is. She sent the bad things away. Sleep now."
"Okay," the girl answered and closed her eyes.
"Andala is dead?" Gabriel asked, understanding the reason for Tarja's tears.
"Yes, she died using the banishment spell to force the demons and spirits away. There are only a few of us who are strong enough, who are knowledgeable enough in the ways of the Coven to call that much power." Tyris stood and pushed short brown hair behind her ears. "You came in with Tarja, didn't you?"
"Yes, we came to stop Mercer," he replied.
"Good, you can kick his ass for me. If you will excuse me, there are more people who need help." With that she disappeared into the crowd of people helping the injured.
Spotting Carl, Gabriel made his way over to where the friar was treating a man with a broken arm and multiple small cuts and bruises wearing a white robe.
"Ah, there you are, Van Helsing. Give me a hand will you? I need you to hold this tight while I set the splints," Carl called as he gestured at the straight pieces of wood on the floor beside him.
Smiling at Carl's eccentric way of dealing with situations, the hunter settled himself beside the friar. "Have you noticed that a few of the people here are wearing similar clothes to Tarja?" Gabriel asked pulling a bandage tight and giving the man whose arm they were tending a sympathetic look.
"Yes, yes, I have noticed." Carl said offhandedly as he began to place the splints against the wounded man's arm.
"And?"
"Hm, what?" Carl asked, not listening as he began to wrap a bandage around the splints.
"The clothes, why are they similar?" Van Helsing asked doing his best to not get annoyed at the lack of attention he was getting from the friar.
"I can answer that one for you," the man in the white robe said, gritting his teeth against the pain. "They are all part of the elite circle within the coven, high priests and priestesses. There have been Wiccans in their families for generations and are the strongest amongst us, and the only ones with enough strength to do some of the larger spells possible. They are also the guards of the Coven and protect us and the Coven."
"Well they didn't do a very good job, now did they?" Carl asked, absentmindedly, not seeing the look on the man's face and on the people around them who were in hearing distance.
"You are a stranger who does not understand and should show some respect," the man said, anger in his voice. "There were once thirteen of them, now there are only five of them. And now we have lost Andala, our guide and the strongest of us all. She forced the evil away, and died in the process. We would not expect a catholic friar to understand."
"Andala? Tarja's friend?" Carl asked genuinely surprised.
"Yes, Carl. And you should know better than to question their strength, you have seen how hard it is to banish a demon." Van Helsing gave him a pointed look.
"I, ah, yes, you're right. I'm sorry. I had no right to question their bravery or results. Many of you are still alive thanks to them." Carl gave the man an apologetic look and finished tying the bandages to his arm.
All three jumped when a voice came from behind them. "Come with me, Tarja wants to see you, I will take you to her." It was Kellan and another man dressed similar to Tyris, in red leather. "This is Cade."
"Pleased to meet you." He said stretching a hand out as Kellan had done.
"We need to discuss what to do about Mercer, and the cross. Especially now that Andala is gone. Follow us." Kellan said.
"Where exactly are we going?" Carl asked.
"To the Chamber, where we have placed Andala. Tarja is conducted the final rights. Tarja is now the leader of the Coven, and she has requested your presence at a Calling of the Spirits for guidance," he answered, leading them down a narrow hallway to the basement.
"Calling of the Spirits?" Van Helsing asked?
"Andala was unable to pass her knowledge on in the living so Tarja must undertake this ritual in order to gain the knowledge we need on how to stop Mercer. Andala was a necromancer like Tarja is, so their connection is strong, Tarja may be able to get what she needs even now." Cade responded. He was following the others as if guarding the rear.
"Why do I get the sense that this is very dangerous?"
"Because it is, Tarja could very well die in the process. It also requires the presence of five others to act as anchors to this world, which is why she had asked for you." Kellan said, a sigh escaping him.
"Why me?" Van Helsing was getting a tingling feeling as they continued down the hall. This part of the building felt steeped in death and magic, although there was no 'badness' to it.
"It requires someone with a strong spirit. There is something about you, Van Helsing that screams power." Kellan responded as they reached a large wooden door.
"Power?"
"We are here. You will understand eventually, I have the feeling that you need to figure it out on your own." Kellan smiled. "The others are here already. It is time." Without further preamble he opened the door and ushered them inside.
To be Continued... Honest.
I felt that i should leave it there, otherwise it would have been a monster chapter.
Well tell me what you think. Oh, and Paul, use the review button, it really doesn't hurt. :)