A/N: Chapter 3! Hope you like! Thank you to all my readers! I had to re-post chapters 3 – 5, because I had been using triangular brackets for something and it didn't work… So now, ¤these are foreign language brackets¤. ¬¬;;
Vladislaus and the girl turned towards the voice, only to find Anna Valerious, Gabriel Van Helsing and Friar Carl galloping towards them.
Once in range, Anna hopped off her horse and stomped towards Vladislaus.
"Ah. Anna. How wonderful to see you again."
"You will not touch her!" Anna shouted, putting herself between the girl and Vladislaus.
"There, now. I understand that our previous encounters have left you wary of me, but I assure you that I mean her no harm. Nor do I intend any to you, unless you get in the way."
"You do not scare me, Dracula." and she drew her sword, as though to emphasise. Behind her, the girl gasped.
"Anna…" Gabriel, from further behind, said warningly.
"Have you forgotten so quickly?" Vladislaus said, almost sounding bored. "You can't kill me, Anna Valerious."
Then, he stepped forward, purposely impaling himself upon the sword, causing the girl to scream.
"I'm already dead."
Anna looked at him, furious, and withdrew her sword from him.
"Now, allow me to elaborate on what I said earlier: I have no intention of killing her, nor do I intend to sire her. I was given a mission to protect her from the true enemy which shall soon surface. I would not waste time trying to kill me."
"Mission?" Gabriel Van Helsing had approached.
"Yes. Death has seen fit to return me to this world, so long as I protect her." he gestured towards the blonde girl, who was standing nervously behind Anna and Gabriel.
"Uh, Van Helsing?" Carl approached cautiously. "I don't mean to be the devil's advocate, but the lightning did strike."
Gabriel looked defeated, but Anna did not give up so quickly.
"It can't be you! You made a covenant with the devil! And because of that, all my family is doomed to be forever without proper rest!"
"Ah." said Vladislaus, remembering what Death had told him. "For one thing, it was not the devil that I made a deal with. It was Death herself. And she has asked me to tell you, should we ever meet, that your family has been granted to enter the Gates of St. Peter. No problems there."
"Why should I believe you?" Anna spat viciously.
"Your choice. But either way, I have been asked to protect her," he pointed at the girl again. "And I shall do this. Death had told me that what I must do in exchange for eternal life would be revealed eventually, and this is it."
"Anna, as much as we hate him, Carl's right. We saw the lightning. He must be the protector mentioned in the prophecy."
Anna glared at Dracula, as if she sensed some hidden agenda, but laid off.
Gabriel looked at Dracula, but he was obviously not in the best of moods, either.
"Now. We are going to protect her together, because the Vatican sent us to watch out for her. However, it would seem that we'll have to endure you through this whole thing."
"I simply want to ensure that she survives."
"Would someone PLEASE tell me: WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS GOING ON?" the girl shouted.
Everyone turned towards her.
"I keep hearing everyone talking about me and how they have to protect me and things about lightning and I don't understand a DAMN thing! Why do you not talk to me? Why not explain things to me instead of just assuming I'll go along with them? I'm a person, I'm obviously included in whatever prophecy you mentioned," she pointed at Gabriel. "And I want to know exactly what it all means!"
She took several rapid breaths before erupting in loud sobs and tears. She sunk to the ground and sat there, crying bitterly.
Surprisingly to the trio, Vladislaus stepped forward and sat next to the girl, placing an arm around her.
"I'll tell you what I know, but it seems only they know about the lightning, so I'll have to give them their turn to explain."
He first explained about how he became a vampire, however he told the truth at last about how it was Death which had saved him. He also told how he knew the other three, and of his supposed death at the jaws of Gabriel Van Helsing in the form of the Wolf man.
"And then, about five days ago, Death reanimated me. And she told me of how I was to protect you until you could destroy the evil which is supposed to sprout from this country. As for the rest, ask them." he pointed at the others, and the girl looked at them, her face still tear-stained.
"I'll take this one." Gabriel said.
And he told her of the prophecy. The girl understood.
"Then I suppose I had better introduce myself." she said. "I am Ikalyia Aurore Nikolaiyvna. Daughter of the first house, and heir to the throne of Thianous. Which is now destroyed, but my mentor told me to say all that when I found friends."
Vladislaus chuckled; the others didn't know what to think.
"You should have checked to see if anyone was listening, your highness." a stranger's voice spoke.
Everyone looked to the far back right corner of the cemetery, where ten people emerged from the woods behind, and hopped over the fence. They walked slowly towards the group, quite menacingly. Vladislaus, Gabriel and Anna were immediately on guard, forming a wall before Ikalyia. Carl urged Ikalyia to her feet, and gave her a silver stake before drawing one of his own. This seemed to amuse the newcomers, who laughed.
"You cannot kill us. We are descendants of Akasha and Enkil." a man with brown hair in the center had spoken.
"Do not even try drawing a crucifix." said a black-haired woman on the left, as Anna reached for hers.
"There must be ways of killing you." said Gabriel.
"Only the sun can destroy us, and it's past ten o'clock at night." the man in the center had spoken again.
"Then we'll just have to prompt it to come early. Dracula, you may wanna duck. Anna, follow him with Carl and Ikalyia."
"I could get myself back together in five minutes following impact from the sun," Vladislaus pointed out. "But I'll do as you say." he turned towards Ikalyia and Carl. "Your highness." he offered a guiding hand. "You too, monk." to whom he offered no help.
"I'm a friar." Carl protested.
"Never mind. Just follow."
Carl followed hesitantly, mostly prodded by Anna, though Ikalyia allowed Vladislaus to guide her by the shoulders towards the mausoleum.
Once those four were safely inside, Gabriel withdrew a special gun from his bag. He loaded it with glass bullets which were filled with a glowing, blue liquid.
"What do you think you can do to us?" a younger vampire spoke up from the back.
"Kill you." he said simply.
The vampires laughed and began to attack. Quick as he had been trained, Gabriel shot at them, hitting each one neatly. One by one, the vampires he hit exploded as though hit by the sun, their body parts becoming pieces of charred bone. The other vampires screeched with anger. Unfortunately, the gun could only hold six bullets at a time, so there were four left when he was done.
One of the vampires charged at him, pinning him to the ground. The gun was knocked from his hands, and he felt the breath knocked out of him. It was the female which had boasted about the non-effectiveness of crucifixes. She grinned maliciously, baring her fangs. Suddenly, she gasped in horror, and exploded. Gabriel shut his eyes against the flying debris that her body had become, but soon looked up to see Anna in the door of the mausoleum, holding a recently fired gun of her own.
The three remaining vampires fled, and Anna rushed forward to help her husband to his feet.
"Just in the nick of time," he said. "As always."
She smiled.
"Just what are these bullets?" a thick, male voice had spoken.
Vladislaus had stepped forward with Ikalyia and Carl in behind, and he took Anna's gun before she could say anything.
"They're based on my sun-bomb that was used at your ball." Carl explained, eager to be congratulated on his genius, as Vladislaus withdrew one of the bullets and inspected it.
"Very good." he said, sounding genuinely impressed. "However, I believe they will not work on me."
"Well, if even a werewolf bite couldn't finish you off." Anna said viciously, taking the gun and bullet back aggressively.
"There is also a species that cannot be killed by the sun." Ikalyia said. "The vampires who attacked said that they were descendants of Akasha and Enkil. Those two are from Egypt, about 4000 B.C. However, there is another species from Egypt that is even older than that. They cannot be killed at all, even if they receive a fatal wound. However, while this does not kill them, they are rendered helpless. They cannot heal, but they continue to live. All blood leaks from the wound, leaving them thin and skeletal. A painful and morbid existence. It is a sort of death, even though they are still awake and aware."
"How do you know so much?" Anna asked.
"I read." she said simply. "Ten years with nothing to do but train and study, I would easily find time to read about things. My favourite read was to learn about the Vampires of the world. I was attacked by a Chiang-shih a few days ago. Chiang-shih, or Jiang-shih, is a Chinese vampire, and they are believed to be created if a cat enters the same room as a corpse that is to be buried. They also say that natural light of the sun or moon must never touch the corpse. Chiang-shih is the Cantonese name for them, Jiang-shih is the more general name."
Everyone simply looked at her, astounded. Ikalyia gave a sheepish grin and shrugged.
"Like I said: too much time on my hands."
"Well, we better find a place to stay before more attack." Gabriel said, remembering the late hour. "I'm also assuming that everyone is tired."
"Amen." Ikalyia said before releasing a huge yawn. "I didn't actually get much sleep lately due to attacks."
"How many times were you attacked?" Anna asked.
"Let's see: there was a Chiang-shih three nights ago, and a few Akashian vampires in the nights that followed."
"How did you escape?" Vladislaus asked, bewildered.
"I would have to explain that once we are somewhere no one will see us."
"Alright. There's an inn not far where we can rest, and you can tell us what happened."
They made their way for the horses and, due to the lack of warm feelings from Carl, Anna and Gabriel, Ikalyia had to share her horse with Vladislaus. Anna seemed to dislike this even more.
"Does he have to come with us?" she said, staying near Gabriel so that she could whisper to him.
"Until we catch him with an ulterior motive regarding Ikalyia, we can't exactly dismiss him. And she seems to trust him, so let's take that as a sign to accept him as part of the group. For now."
He didn't say it, but it was obvious that Gabriel didn't like Dracula's proximity either.
Carl seemed nervous, but he was holding faith in the prophecy.
Vladislaus had his arms around Ikalyia's waist, but he was trying to hold them at a respectable level: not too high that he may brush he chest, but not too low that he may brush her loins.
Ikalyia, though she trusted he would not sire her nor use her as dinner, was surprised at his attempts not to touch her in any inappropriate place. She thought he might be a little flirtier with her, based on books she had read about him. He was listed as the most notorious Vampire ever known.
Perhaps, as we are both royalty, he feels the need to respect me. Though I assume he expects me to respect him in return.
Ikalyia, of course, was ignorant of the time when he had attempted to sire Anna. Vladislaus was being respectful because he felt something strange that made him feel it would be better to be as respectful as possible to her. He didn't know what it was, though.
Then he remembered a question he had been meaning to pose for a while.
"Princess-" he began.
"If you would prefer that I address you by title," she interrupted. "That is fine. I, however, would prefer to be addressed by my name."
Vladislaus smiled.
"Ikalyia, then. One, you may call me by my name. None did before my second death, and I would like to hear it from time to time. Two, what is the date?"
"It is May 20th, 1920. And it's Friday."
Vladislaus was surprised.
Have I really been gone from this earth for over thirty years?
"I have much to catch up on." He said simply.
"In what year was you tussle with Mr. Van Helsing?" she asked.
"1888."
Ikalyia's eyes widened, but she said nothing.
"This is it." Gabriel said from the front.
The inn had three upstairs floors and there was a row of stables along the left side. A sign dangling on the corner said something Romanian in peeling letters.
"Carl, you go fetch the innkeeper; request a room for five, and someone to tend to our horses."
Carl got off his horse, handed the rein to Gabriel, and stepped inside.
"I hope they're not too busy." Ikalyia said, hoping that she wouldn't need to spend another night outside for a while. "If it weren't for the lights on, I'd say that they may have closed up for the night. It's late."
Carl returned a few minutes later with the innkeeper.
"I managed to tell him that we want lodging, but he doesn't understand much English. I was thinking you could help, Anna."
Anna got off her horse, handed the reins to Carl, and stepped up to the innkeeper.
¤We need a room for five people, and we have four horses that need tending.¤
¤Of course, madam. I will fetch someone immediately for your horses, and then I shall show you to a room.¤
The innkeeper left and reappeared a few minutes later with a young, teenage boy.
¤Get to the horses.¤ said the innkeeper.
The group got off their steeds, and the boy took the reins, two horses per hand, leading them to the stables.
¤Follow me, please.¤ said the innkeeper.
"This way." Anna said to the others.
The part of the inn they entered was a restaurant and bar, and was still quite full for the hour. It seemed to be one of the neatly run places, however, which was proved when the innkeeper had to stop on the way to break up an argument between two men before it became a fight.
The innkeeper led them upstairs to one of the larger rooms, which had six beds, all neatly made and in two rows: three on each side of the room.
Anna discussed the price with the innkeeper as the others got ready for bed; all except Dracula. He went out to get some 'food.' Anna handed the man the amount they had settled on, and the innkeeper left with a bow.
"Well, we'd better get some sleep." Gabriel began. "Carl has shown us your guardian's notes, Ikalyia. We're gonna help train you, along with some things of our own, to get you ready."
"Just don't wake me too early." she said warningly.
"Now listen here, missy: we're in charge of protecting you, and I'll wake you up when I see fit."
"Gabriel Van Helsing." Ikalyia advanced pointing a threatening finger. "Do you believe I'm royalty?"
"Why wouldn't I?" he said, wondering what this had to do with anything.
"Then stop bossing me around!" she said, ending the conversation.
Gabriel scowled as she drew the curtains which separated the two sides of the room, thus isolating herself from the others, so that she could change into her nightdress.
Anna was trying to hold back a grin. There were not many women who would stand up to Gabriel, and she found that Ikalyia had handled it well.
After Ikalyia had finished dressing, Anna went behind and changed, then she and Ikalyia stayed on that side of the room with Carl while Gabriel changed, then it was Carl's turn.
The four then turned to the matter of choosing the beds. It turned out thus:
The window on the rear wall was on the left, and three of the beds were in a vertical line in front of it. This side was taken by, in order from the window onwards: Gabriel, Anna, and Carl. On the right side of the rear wall, there was a huge wardrobe, and the three other beds followed from it in the same way, except that the foot of each bed was facing the foot of its counterpart across the room. Ikalyia took the middle one.
Vladislaus returned at around three o'clock well fed. He had picked a prostitute near a tavern on the other end of town. As the others were asleep, he sneakily made his way to the rear wall, drew the curtains, and then took the bed in front of the wardrobe; the bed to the right of Ikalyia's.
"Vladislaus?" a voice whispered.
Vladislaus turned over in bed, to see Ikalyia facing him, her eyes open.
"Yes, Ikalyia?" he whispered back.
"What will you do during the day?"
"I can use my cloak to hide myself so that I may be with you on horseback wherever you may go. I was thinking of convincing the people who are running my palace as museum to surrender at least one wing to us. We'd have more room."
"Vladislaus, do you truly want to protect me, or are you just doing it to remain immortal?"
Vladislaus thought it over carefully before answering.
"At first I would have said it was only to remain immortal. Now that I've met you, I'm not so sure."
Several minutes passed in silence between them, and just when Vladislaus was thinking of saying something else to her, he noticed that Ikalyia had fallen asleep.
A/N: Sorry about having taken so long in updating. I hope this chapter made up for it. I had the idea of the UV bullets from the movie Underworld (another Vampire movie with Kate Beckinsale, except she plays one of the undead. Definitely worth checking out for those who haven't yet).