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 Six: Rebirth
"The girl cannot be used if her nature remains unchanged. She is one born of light, and her trusting innocence may lead to your destruction."
The child was suspended in thick, clear liquid. Dracula's eyes fixed the containment chamber with an intense, determined gaze as he stood among 47 Dwergi bustling about with circuitry and accompanying sorcery. From above, he heard his loyal Igor barking orders and procedures at the creatures noisily scuffling about on the catwalks.
The inane babble reached the Count's ears as Hungarian instructions and so had no difficulty in supervising the entire project.
Within minutes, the electricity began to surge through the liquid in quick pulses, radically altering the rhythm of her heartbeat, and blackening the heart into submission.
Strong, leathery wings began to appear under the bronze curls, catching the Count's awed gaze. The wings grew, connecting to the child's spine; they based themselves near the girl's shoulder blades, their growth bleeding the child's frail back, though there was no sign of pain. Her expression remained peaceful even as the black pulses won over her body.
The dark baptism commenced, with the Count's powerful voice ringing with the intonation of the Seven Capital Sins, the first of which, was "Pride!"
---oOo---
"This is the second time I've had to go through this passage…"
The hunter stood infront of the large mirror leading to the vampire's palace. Behind him, he could hear the friar busying himself with the Valerious arsenal, taking along those weapons that he thought worthwhile.
He smiled fondly at the soft clank of metal and drew comfort from the nostalgia.
Carl was at his side after a few more seconds of relentless puttering. Van Helsing warily pressed his hand against the glass and watched the mirror's silver give way under his touch.
---oOo---
"Envy!" The child began to twitch and absorb the Count's words, the blackened heart rapidly devouring every strong syllable's tone.
"Lust!" The walls themselves seemed to writhe against the reverberating sound.
Briefly, Igor wondered what lust would do to a little girl. He would soon find out.
---oOo---
Van Helsing sprinted his way past the great hallway, into the serpentine, firelit corridors that twisted, bent, turned, and intertwined with each other; the hunter allowing pure instinct to guide his every step. The staircases winded higher, quickly spiraling upward as Van Helsing's long legs skipped every other stone step.
Normally irreverent as he were, a silent prayer raced through his mind nonetheless; a simple memorized prayer… for Carl… for the girl… for the world… and…
…for himself.
---oOo---
"Greed!" The Count's voice increased its volume and enthusiasm, making the very chamber shudder in anticipation. The volume of his voice lent his heavily accented tone more depth, dominating the electric sizzle of machinery.
"Wrath!" Raw emotion filled the tower, his words influencing the entirety of the structure, as well as instilling great fear and respect among his servants.
---oOo---
The hunter's steps slowed as the crackle of electricity reached his ears. The prayer repeated in his mind as he hoped that Carl had found the route to the tower's catwalk, and that the friar's brilliant mind had somehow concocted a plan of action even as Van Helsing slowly advanced to the low mechanical whirring.
Beyond the closed metal doorway he could hear the intensity of the vampire's voice.
---oOo---
"Sloth…" His voice dropped to a low drawl as he uttered the word, effortlessly sending chills in the spines of the living that stood inside the large chamber, including one inconspicuous friar.
Carl stood on the catwalk, observing the scene; the Dwergi too occupied to notice him. He found himself in marvel of the Count's deep, Transylvanian speech as the next word spilled from the Count's tantalizing lips.
"Gluttony…" The voice lowered to a lethal hiss in memory of the blood his victims spilled for him, and the echoes of their pained wails, trapped in a loop inside the vampire's sadistic mind.
As the Count uttered the last of the Seven, the hunter took a daring, silent step into the chamber. He stared at the disturbing image of the girl in the containment glass and was utterly sickened by the mere sight.
Dracula continued with the baptism with the introduction of the last component… the key… the one of highest priority.
"All of these are bound within the shadows…"
The two men moved quietly, each silently signaling to the other.
"All of the Seven stem from One…"
Their hearts raced…
"One… that man has given evil the pleasure of observing multiple times…"
Wings spread in the shadows behind the friar, poised to strike…
"One…"
The hunter sensed the danger… too late.
"…Which many succumb."
Only a moment passed before Carl was enveloped in those wings and swept into the Count's firm hold. Carl, shocked out of all rational thought, could merely whimper as extreme terror held him in its claws. Alongside the Count was Verona, the second of the brides, standing with all the grace befitting royalty.
Her grey wings folded back as she watched the horror in the friar's eyes sink into the blue irises.
"FEAR." The vampire drew the friar's fear into the girl's containment chamber, allowing her heart to grip the sense of fear that Carl provided. A deep chuckle highlighted the glorious moment.
"The origin of all Seven…" To Van Helsing's horror, the Count released Carl to faint onto the cold flooring. To the hunter's greater suffering, the friar ceased to move.
Carl…
"With all the words of evil advent, I call upon thee, child…"
Van Helsing's fists clenched in suppressed anger as he watched Kida — or what remained — twitch and quake in response to the authoritative voice. Igor and all Dwergi ceased their activity and witnessed the birth of a new shadow.
"ARISE!"
The glass immediately cracked and liquid leaked, and the ground began to quake as the girl awakened. As her amber eyes opened, the glass broke, freeing the newborn evil.
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I don't know if you see where this is going. I guarantee, though, that you will see the reason for the overall title in the seventh chapter. There will be an epilogue. A short one. Narrative poem. Thank you for the reviews insert name here and Loki. And yes, I get what insert name here means by the lighthearted phrase "The result being that you get angry at me and stab me repeatedly with sporks…" Note that I call insert name here by the name insert name here because she (he?) fails to give me her (his?) name in her (his?) reviews. insert name here , your queries will be answered in the seventh chapter and the epilogue.
† Ciao!