Chapter 3: Return to Transylvania
It was even harder to go back to Transylvania than Van Helsing thought it would be. The closer he got, the more painful the memory of Anna's death became.
"Why did she have to die?" Van Helsing thought to himself. "Why must everything I love be taken from me?"
It was true too. Everything Van Helsing did love was taken from him. His whole past was wiped from his memory, he never knew what became of his family, and then the woman he loved was killed. By him.
Van Helsing tried to put the thought out of his mind. He couldn't afford any distractions in this mission. He learned how dangerous vampires were when he faced Dracula and his brides. But once he killed Count Orlok, all vampires that he sired would die with him, then all the vampires that were sired by the vampires Orlok sired would die, and so on and so until all vampires were gone. Yes this mission was very important. Too important to mess up.
Van Helsing and Carl arrived at Transylvania. The villagers greeted them warmly; for once Van Helsing wasn't considered a murderer.
A middle-aged man approached the two travelers. "Welcome Mr. Van Helsing, Friar Carl." he said. "It is good to have you back. You may call me Mr. Reinfield. If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know."
Van Helsing got off his horse. "Thank you Mr. Reinfield, but I'm hoping to make this a short visit. It's not easy coming back."
Reinfield nodded sadly. "Yes, I know what you mean. Princess Anna's death has been hard for us all. Damn Dracula for taking her life; may he burn in Hell."
Van Helsing flinched at Reinfield's words. The Transylvanians believed that Anna had been killed by Dracula, but Van Helsing knew the truth. And as tragic as her death was, the villagers couldn't help but to be overjoyed by Dracula's death. Enough to celebrate rather than mourn Anna's death. At the time, Van Helsing had been so affected by her death that he barely spoke a word to anyone, even Carl. He had gotten better over time, but it still affected him greatly. Losing a loved one was one thing, but killing a loved one was even worse. How did someone deal with that?
Van Helsing was brought out of his thoughts by Carl attempting to get off his horse and getting his foot stuck on the saddle. Van Helsing got off his own horse and helped free Carl.
"Please tend to our horses," he said, "and tell me everything you know about Count Graf Orlok."
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Count Orlok walked through his castle. He still cursed Dracula for kicking him out of his own home for 400 years, and taking over his castle. But now it was his once again. And with Dracula gone, he could freely look for the Necronomicon with out worrying about the so called vampire king finding him.
"Why did the Devil make him stronger than me?" Orlok thought in irritation. "I was the first. I should have been the strongest. Now thanks to Dracula, I've had to wait four centuries to fulfill my destiny."
A Dwergi came running up to Orlok and tugged on his robes. Orlok gave the creature an angry look. The Dwergi muttered something in its own language and Orlok raised his eyebrows.
"A monster hunter you say." Orlok said curiously. "Well now that's interesting.
Who would be brave enough to challenge me? Or should I say, foolish enough."
The Dwergi spoke in its weird language again. Orlok nodded then dismissed the little monster. Orlok walked across the room to where another man was standing, wrapped up in bandages.
"I want to who this hunter is." Orlok told the man. "I want to know everything about them."
The man nodded. "As you wish, master."
He turned to leave ad Orlok called after him. "I don't want them to be aware you're following them. Make sure you're not seen."
The man turned back to Orlok. He took off his hat and pulled off his bandages. There was nothing underneath.
"That won't be a problem." the Invisible Man assured him.
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"Count Orlok hasn't been seen in 400 years." Reinfield explained. "But a few days after you defeated Dracula he came back. We know almost nothing about him. He attacks the village for food, but other than that he leaves us alone for the most part."
Van Helsing and Carl followed Reinfield through the Valerious Manor. It was even harder being in here. Everywhere he looked he saw Anna's beautiful face. If only there was a way to have saved her.
"Gabriel Van Helsing, you stop thinking like that right now!" Van Helsing scolded himself. "You have to stay focused."
"However, his minions have been sighted in the Black Swamp a lot." Reinfield continued. "We have no idea what they're looking for in there, but no one wants to find out. And apparently Orlok does not want us to find out either. Anyone who approaches the swamp when Orlok's minions are in it never come back."
Van Helsing found this news very interesting. "What would be in a swamp that Orlok would want so badly?"
Reinfield shrugged. "To tell the truth, we do not care. As long as we are left in peace."
Well Van Helsing sure cared. If Orlok was looking for something, it couldn't be anything good. But what could it be? Then another thought came to him.
"You say Orlok's minions have been the ones searching the swamps." he said. "What sort of minions?"
"Dwergi mostly." Reinfield replied. "But occasionally there is a strange masked man. No one knows who they are; they arrived when Orlok did. And some people have claimed that an unseen presence has been around at times."
"An unseen presence?" thought Van Helsing. "What does that mean?"
"There is also another creature that has been found in the company of Orlok's minions." said Reinfield. "It is said to be a monster even more vicious than a werewolf."
Van Helsing turned to Carl. "Any ideas on that?"
Carl blinked in confusion. "What? Oh, uh, no. There aren't many creatures more vicious than werewolves. Has anyone seen it."
Reinfield shook his head. "No. At least not anyone alive. All those that have come across it have ended up dead."
Van Helsing nodded in understanding. It sounded like this mission wasn't going to be as simple as just killing a vampire. Something was hidden in the swamp, there was a mysterious presence around, a masked man that sided with Orlok, and a beast more vicious than a werewolf. Yes, this mission was going to be very difficult.
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"Carl you've been reading for hours," said Van Helsing impatiently, "and we're no closer to finding out what Orlok is planning then we were when we first arrived."
Carl looked up from the book he had been reading. "Who says we're no closer? There is much research involved with all of this. How do you think I found out everything I did about Dracula? Just be patient."
Van Helsing dropped down into a chair. Carl had insisted that they do some research on Orlok's background before they went after him. 'We need to find a way to kill him without one of us becoming a werewolf,' he had said. Van Helsing was in no hurry to become a werewolf again so he agreed to try and find out something about Orlok. But it had been several hours now and Van Helsing didn't want to wait around much longer.
Reluctantly he turned the page to the book he was reading, 'Noseferatu: the Phantoms of the Night'. Everything in these books were about average vampires. But Orlok was not a normal vampire, and nothing in these books seemed to be helping.
The door to the room opened and Reinfield came in with some food and wine. "Is everything alright in here?" he asked.
Carl nodded. "Oh yes, everything is just fine." Van Helsing merely grunted. This research thing was not his field.
Reinfield set the tray down by them. "Well if you need anything..."
"We'll call you." Van Helsing finished for him, not hiding how irritated he was all together.
Reinfield exited the room to leave the two to there research. Carl immediately went back to his reading while Van Helsing started on his dinner.
The two were silent for quite some time. Carl was completely absorbed in his book. Van Helsing had stopped eating and appeared to be concentrating on something. He was sensing something. There was something in the room. It had come in with Reinfield, but had not left with him. Carl didn't seem to notice anything.
Slowly Van Helsing got to his feet. He took his glass of wine and took a sip. "Hey Carl." The friar kept reading. "Carl!"
"Hmm, what?
Van Helsing rolled his eyes at how much Carl could get into his reading. "Do you feel anything?"
Carl raised an eyebrow. "Feel anything?"
Van Helsing nodded. "Yes, like we're being watched."
Carl looked around the room in confusion. "Ummmm, no."
Walking into the middle of the room, Van Helsing continued looking around. "Do you remember Reinfield saying something about an unseen presence?"
"Yes."
Van Helsing suddenly splashed his wine. It covered something, or someone unseen. The Invisible Man cried out in shock. He was no longer invisible. Carl jumped back, causing his chair to fall over.
The not so Invisible Man seized a stool and swung it at Van Helsing. The monster hunter ducked and viciously slammed his elbow into the Invisible Man's head. Dropping the stool, the Invisible Man stumbled backwards. Van Helsing grabbed him by his throat and slammed him against the wall.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
"What are you?" Carl asked, cautiously approaching.
The Invisible scratched at Van Helsing's iron grip with his unseen hands. "What does it look like I am?" he managed to choke out.
In truth he looked like a floating puddle of wine shaped in the form of a man. But Carl and Van Helsing were able to figure out what they were dealing with; Carl had just automatically asked the question.
"Well, you appear, or don't appear, to be an invisible man." said Carl, stating the obvious.
The Invisible Man continued to struggle. "My, you are the smart one, aren't you."
Van Helsing tightened his hold. "Well it looks like we've discovered the mysterious presence. Now what are you doing here?"
Slowly the Invisible Man reached for a weapon. His arm was not covered in wine, easily hiding it from view. "I was sent to spy on you." he said. "My master wanted to know who you were."
His hand closed over a candlestick. Neither Carl or Van Helsing could see this.
"So Orlok knows we're here." said Van Helsing, guessing who the Invisible Man's master was. "Where is he?"
The Invisible Man didn't reply. He smashed the candlestick against Van Helsing's head. Van Helsing stumbled back, releasing the Invisible Man, who kicked the monster hunter in the gut and headed for the window. Without hesitating, he jumped through the window and vanished into the night.
Van Helsing ran over to the window. He looked around for the Invisible Man. Predictably there was no sign of him, not that there ever was. Carl came up beside Van Helsing.
"Now what?" he asked.
Van Helsing thought about it a minute. There was no point in laying low anymore. Orlok knew they were here. There wasn't time to go through anymore books. It was time for action.
Van Hellsing turned to Carl. "Tomorrow, we're going into the Black Swamp.