Hello everyone. Just wanted to drop a note. Hope you are enjoying the story so far. Haven't gotten any reviews yet I do hope people are reading this. I think it will be quiet interesting though the first chapter may have been a little slow. Well to let you read…
Van Helsing, Carl, and Shamira had been on the train a litle over a day when they arrived at the station where they would depart their mode of transportation. It was located in a small town, having only a few buildings, among them a small hotel that accomidated at most ten visitors. There was also a small jail, barber shop, saloon and a general store. Along the side walks were various stands selling handmade wares. Though it was nowhere close to being a large town, the railroad brought enough people through for the merchants to make a living.
"You don't like to travel do you?" Gabriel asked as they stepped from the train, seeing Carl give a sigh of relief.
"I've lived in a monastery. Travel isn't part of the deal, normally." He shrugged.
"You are a monk?" Carl's statement had caught Shamira's attention as she scanned their surroundings, looking for the carriage.
"You'll have to get use to it my friend." Gabriel patted his shoulder as the friar replied to Shamira. "Friar. I'm a friar."
Shamira gave a short snort. "Doesn't matter, running around worshipping a being who has little time for you."
Carl quieted, not liking his choice of profession called into question.
Seeing his friend upset by her callous words, Van Helsing stepped in. "His choice."
Giving the dark haired man a brief nod, Shamira motioned them towards the carriage she had just spotted. As she noticed who stood next to the vehicle, their guide became angry. Primitiva stood there alone, waiting for them. Unlike the Guardian, the woman before them wore a simple blue dress and black, hooded travel cloak. Her ebony hair that hung past her posterior tossed slightly in the light breeze. Her almond shaped aqua green eyes took in the two men that where to be her guests for a short time. Primitiva, like Shamira, stood out from those around her. Unlike Shamira, it had nothing to do with attire, the elegant woman stood out due to her heritage, which was undeniably Asian, Japanese, to be exact.
As Primitiva looked over her guests, both Gabriel and Carl respectively took in her appearance sizing her up as well. Shamira, forgetting her charges, stopped inches from her mistress, eyes narrowing. "You should not be here."
"I am here. There is nothing to be done about it." Primitiva replied coolly. She did not like her decisions questioned, even by her Guardian.
While the two females had words, Carl looked form one to the other. "Are we only dealing with women?" He questioned Van Helsing softly, so that his voice would not carry to the other two.
"It would appear," the dark haired man replied just a softly, eyes on the debate that raged.
"You should have stayed in the forest," Shamira growled slightly. Her job was to keep the First safe, and twice in one week she had been kept from doing just that. First being sent as baby sitter, now this.
"I did not." Primitiva's eyes narrowed as well, her Guardian was pushing her patience.
"I can see that. It was stupid of you." Shamira would not back down on this; without the first she had no purpose, no reason for being.
"Do not question my intelligence, Shamira." No other would have been able to push this far and Shamira was quickly running out of room. Turning her attention back to her guests, she opened the carriage door for them.
"Then prove you have some," Shamira snapped back.
"I will do as I please Shamira. I am not incapable of seeing to my own protection for this small journey." Primitiva glared at her Guardian who returned her look stonily, unhappy an understatement for how she felt.
"Then why even make me?"
As the two women continued there discussion, Gabriel got into the carriage, more than slightly amused and intrigued at the display. Both women seemed strong and neither were about to give in. Van Helsing gave Carl an amused smile as his friend entered the vehicle. The blonde had a slightly worried expression written on his features as he heard Primitiva's reply, which seemed to come out as a growl. "Get into the Carriage."
"I will take the reigns, you will sit inside." Shamira was not setting foot on the carriage until her mistress was safely inside.
"Very well." Primitiva allowed her Guardian this one small thing, though she detested anything that even came close to being coddled.
Once her mistress was seated safely inside their transportation, Shamira closed the door and seated herself behind the reigns, putting the horses into motion. Carl watched the scenery as it passed, only half paying attention to the conversation Primitiva and Van Helsing were having.
"Why are we here?" Gabriel got straight to the point, tired of the run around he seemed to be getting.
"You are here to help in the fight against the Bitten." At the woman's answer, Carl gave them his full attention.
"The Bitten?" Van Helsing knew they were dealing with werewolves, but had never heard that term before.
"Werewolves taken by the curse through a bite."
"Great! More werewolves." Gabriel was less than pleased his last run in with the species still an open wound.
"They are part of this world. That is not likely to change anytime soon." Primitiva replied calmly, not allowing his anger to affect her; though, she worried slightly what his reaction would be when he found out the whole truth.
"It is my job to see them destroyed. All of them." There was a fire, a passion in his eyes, the woman has not seen in a long time.
"You refer to them as taken by the curse through the bite, meaning there are those that aren't?" Carl gave his full attention to the dark haired woman across from him.
"Yes, that is correct. They are at war. The Bitten are biting countless humans to strengthen their armies." Primitiva switched her gaze from Gabriel to Carl.
"Why are they at war?" Van Helsing drew the woman's attention back to him.
"The Bitten are condemned by the True Bloods."
"If they are condemned, why were they made in the first place?" He stated the one thing that confused him about the story.
"They were not in the beginning. They had purpose. Then they got out of control."
"How do you know this?" Carl eyed the woman; she seemed to know much about the inner workings of the werewolf civil war.
"I have volumes on the subject. You are welcome to read them once we arrive." At their host's offer Carl's eyes lit up, he loved knowledge.
"Well, he'll be in heaven for some time," Van Helsing stated dryly, though his eyes held a smile.
"I am pleased he will enjoy the knowledge." Primitiva gave a slight smile.
As the three passengers were engrossed in their conversation, none of them were aware that they had reached their destination. Shamira was quick to descend from her perch and open the carriage door, ever alert for danger. As Primitiva was stepping down from the carriage, the wind changed direction slightly and the Guardian picked up a feint scent. Immediately more alert than even her previous state, she began to scan the near by trees with ears open for the slightest sound. "Be quiet." Shamira looked at the other three, before walking a short distance away, sniffing at the air.
"What is she doing?" Gabriel asked on alert himself. The girl had no weapon, and he doubted she would be much good in a fight.
"Shhh." Their host silenced him, her eyes and ears straining for the tiniest movement or sound.
Shamira had circled the carriage and was on her way back to the group, still on high alert, when the attack came. A large from launched itself from the tree nearest Primitiva, growling lowly. Before Gabriel could react Shamira was running towards her mistress, changing form mid way there. Where her skin had been a flawless white it was now grey and armored, from her forehead jutted two small horns her eyes became completely black. Her legs, though keeping their main shape, became more muscular and the feet took on a slight resemblance to a bird's talons. Her arms also became more muscular and claws protruded from her fingers. Along with everything else, two large bat like wings grew from her back, shredding her shirt. As she neared her mistress, the now gargoyle like creature knocked the woman out of the way and hit the wolf mid leap knocking him back.
"What in the name of Hell?" Van Helsing finally got out, as Primitiva hit the ground with a curse, immediately pulling herself up. The dark haired woman did not think to answer Gabriel as she watched Shamira, having full confidence in her abilities.
Shamira let out an angry screech taking to the air to circle back around to the Bitten, who was slightly dazed but quickly regaining himself, getting to his feet and charging his target again, only to find he was unable to move. Turning around quickly he saw the gargoyle had him by the tail. Growling, the grey beast swiped at his captor, slicing into her arm. Letting out another angry scream, Shamira yanked the werewolf back and pounced heavily on the beast, going for its throat and ripping it out with her teeth and quickly devouring the flesh. Only a moment was needed for Shamira to regain herself, quickly stepping over the body and changing back to her human form before stopping in front of the group.
Carl had a feintly sick look on his face, having watched the whole thing from inside the carriage. He, however, did not say anything about the scene that had just played out before them, though Shamira did scare him slightly now. Gabriel, on the other hand, had his gun out and pointed directly at the Guardian. "What the Hell is she?"
"Pleasant as always, Shamira," Primitiva stated dryly, ignoring Van Helsing and noting the girls arm had healed nicely.
"Would you rather I let it attack you?" Shamira snorted, licking her lips to make sure all the blood was gone.
"I could have handled the pup." Primitiva answered, turning her attention back to Gabriel, pushing his gun down gently. "Many things. Let us go inside."
Shamira nodded at her mistress, eyes and ears still alert to any danger She motioned for everyone to head into the house, following close behind. As they moved closer to the building, Carl could not help but be impressed. The 'house' was more like a castle, made of dark stone; it stood three stories tall with four towers directly aligned with the compass points of north, south, east and west. A gargoyle statue sat facing each direction as protection. The whole thing felt ominous and made Carl shiver slightly inside. Van Helsing seemed not to notice, still worried about Shamira.
"I want to know exactly what she is and how she came to be." Gabriel turned to his host as they walked towards the house.
"She is part human, gargoyle, and grey wolf. Magic is a powerful thing, Mr. Van Helsing. The forces of nature mixed with it are very strong." She did not look at him, her senses focused on her surroundings.
"You allow her near you?" Gabriel asked as Carl came out with "Will she hurt us?"
Primitiva answered both at the same time. "I do not fear her. She will not harm you."
Van Helsing gave her a slight nod but turned towards Shamira. "One wrong move."
"You do not frighten me." Shamira looked him up and down, eyebrow raised. She had lived too long to be intimidated by a human.
"Enough of this." Primitiva stepped between the two as they entered the manor. "The books are that way." She then pointed Carl in the direction of the library.
"I've had enough of these people." Shamira eyed both men again, heading to her room, several feelings running through her. Primitiva allowed her to leave, sighing heavily.