Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Van Helsing characters. I only own Kida. The italicized composition also does not belong to me. It belongs to an anonymous writer.
Van Helsing: Blood Rain
Chapter Two: Heartbeat
He resisted the urge to cry, now alone in the desolate chamber, chains, blood and rotting bodies accompanying him.
He was cold.
His body couldn't withstand the freezing climes in which Castle Dracula now stood. His muscles still convulsed and shivered, and even the searing pain hadn't reduced the chill biting and gnawing at his scarred skin.
He knew, though, this wasn't his worst. Though the pain had seemed to take on its own will and had restrained him from the recall, he realized that even his own fervent want and sheer will would not be able to keep him from the memories that Dracula had recently revealed to him.
It was the eternal curse of the great monster hunter — to remember.
---oOo---
A small girl was brought into the Holy See; clad in all pink, but looked very adorable in some way.
Gabriel Van Helsing waited impatiently for the monk to release her into his care. He was very fortunate that Cardinal Fraunz — a strict, by-the-book follower of the See — had allowed this after the hunter had shown some degree of polite reasoning and pointed out some undeniable dangers if the object the accursed Dracula sought after was not properly taken care of.
Little had he known that this "object" was a small, three-foot-tall female child.
He looked down at the trembling little girl. "This is it?"
The monk nodded curtly. "This is the Host."
The "Host", not knowing what was conspiring between the two tall, intimidating figures, gave a soft whimper and shifted nervously.
The hunter, having quite an attraction to small children, gave her a soft, charming smile and kneeled to her eye level, taking her hand in his — it was a very frail hand, very small compared to his well-matured, trained one. She must've felt more secure at this show of comfort and relaxed her hold on a small, stuffed griffin.
He wondered about it for a moment, finding it strange for a small girl to have a stuffed mythical creature as a comfort object, but after a while, decided it would be best to ask about it after he'd provided her with a place to sleep.
"What's your name?"
The little girl hesitated, but then smiled back in the most peculiarly endearing way. "Kida." Van Helsing was in wonder at the little voice. "Kida Prasarn."
The hunter brought the little girl to his lodgings just outside the See. He had provided her with a small cot next to his bed. Van Helsing seemed to have met his match argumentatively; the little girl refused to sleep on the cot and insisted she sleep beside him on his bed.
After much difficulty on both parties, Kida ended the victor.
Van Helsing at last surrendered to the persistent little girl's pleas, on the condition that Kida recount all that had happened to her these past few days in addition to giving him the stuffed griffin's origins.
Having no other option, Kida agreed.
"The tall man saved me from the big wolf that killed my daddy…" She continued, holding the griffin firmly. She snuggled closer to the hunter's naked chest, in innocent pursuit of warmth.
"He took me somewhere cold…" Van listened intently to the girl. "I was scared of him."
"Why? Did he hurt you?" Van Helsing asked with renewed worry. Much to his relief, she shook her head. "He saved me, silly!" She said with a soft, childish giggle. "He was the one that gave me this flying lion…uhm…bird…? Thingy…?"
He chuckled at the girl's precious attempts at enlightening him on the stuffed animal. She blushed cutely, and buried her face in his chest. "I see.
"But, if he saved you, and never hurt you, why would you have any reason to be afraid?"
The little girl fell silent, seeming uncertain whether to express her opinion or not.
After much gentle prodding from Van Helsing, she produced this disturbing statement: "He was dead."
Van's brows knitted, and failing to interpret the girl's statement properly, he asked, "He was… dead? How can that be?"
The girl hid her face further in his blankets and chest. "I don't know… But he was different…"
A long, eerie silence passed before the girl's words came, "His heart…wasn't beating."
---oOo---
"PSSST!" A voice called from between the stone window's iron bars. These were some of the rare moments he loved to hear Carl's nagging voice. "What are you doing? Throw off the chains and let's go!"