Amira barely felt her feet touch the floor as she sprinted through the corridors toward the sound of the last scream. At last she reached the large ornate doors to the front hall from which she could hear the now muffled screams. Her mind had gone completely blank, leaving it with only the objective of helping whoever was in trouble. She rammed into the doors with a shoulder. It creaked open loudly but Amira wasn't exactly going for subtlety at the moment. She charged into the front hall with her scimitar in hand, though still in its sheath.
A lean vampire with short spiked white blond hair had backed a girl into a corner and now had one of his hands covering her mouth. When the vampire turned his head to see who the intruder was, Amira got a good look at the girl's face. She immediately recognized her as the timid servant Aida.
Its prey forgotten, the vampire snarled and leapt at Amira, clawed hands outstretched. Amira quickly rolled out of his path and unsheathed her scimitar. The vampire crashed into doors directly behind her with a loud crack as half the door exploded into a thousand splinters. He stood up and brushed off the pieces of wood stuck in his skin, the wounds that had been created healed almost instantly.
"Aida. Leave now." Amira commanded in a harsh voice, her eyes never leaving the vampire. Aida left through a side door immediately, too terrorized to even look back.
"How very brave of you, challenging me all by yourself." The vampire hissed, his bright green eyes glinted dangerously as they rested upon her collar. "I did not know Dracula allowed his pets to play with sharp things." He eyed her scimitar with some amusement.
"Daybreak is in just a half hour." Amira called from a safe distance, ignoring the insult that she knew was supposed to make her angry. You'll never make it out alive.
"What makes you so sure that you're going to be able to fight me for that long? You will surely run out of stamina before I run out of time."
"Count Dracula will be coming any minute, now." Amira lied, praying that he would believe her.
"You know just as well as I that that is not true. I know that your master has gone to sleep." He grinned evilly as he advanced on her slowly. Amira held her ground, knowing that getting herself backed up against a wall would be a bad idea.
Amira's arms were trembling in either anticipation or fear; she wasn't sure which. She knew that Dracula wouldn't be here to save her this time, but she hoped with all her will that Aida hadn't passed out with fright and was now getting help.
The vampire watched her with calculating eyes, trying to decide what would be the best way to kill the pet for his master. He flexed his claws menacingly in anticipation of the battle that was sure to come in a few mere seconds. Without warning he lunged at her, easily crossing the twenty-foot distance between them in less than a second. Amira barely managed to duck, but the vampire was still able to scratch one long claw across her back. Amira hissed in pain but forced herself to not think about it. She whirled around and swung her scimitar, wildly hoping she would catch him off guard and hit him. He easily dodged out of the way of the swings, laughing at her attempt to injure him.
"Oh come now." He taunted, "I knew humans were weak, but I never expected them to be this pathetic."
She stopped trying to hit him; he was far too fast and she didn't want to waste her stamina. The vampire took this pause in fire as surrender, he rushed at her but she was ready. The instant before he was on her, she pointed her weapon straight in front of her. The vampire didn't have enough time to stop before the blade slid cleanly through his gut. He howled in anger and pain and pushed her back. Amira was shoved off her feet and flew ten feet backwards and landed with a thud on her back. She groaned and stood up. A dark smear of blood was left from where she had hit the ground. The vampire had already removed the sword from his stomach and had thrown it across the room.
Blood was pouring freely from his wound but he didn't seem to care. Before Amira had any time to react, the vampire had latched his hand around her neck and collar and had pushed her up against the wall behind her. Amira struggled vainly to breathe as black spots began to appear in front of her eyes as she slowly lost consciousness but his grip was far too strong. She knew that if she didn't do something soon he would crush her windpipe. She kicked out blindly with all her might and was rewarded with a sharp yelp as he released her and fell to the ground, clutching his groins and howling in pain. Amira kicked him again in the stomach and once more in the face before he fell still.
Only when she was absolutely certain he was unconscious did she allow herself to slump against the wall as she waited for help to arrive.
xxxx
Five minutes later Aida came running into the front hall with a dozen of servants at her back. They streamed in front of her when they saw Amira sitting against the wall and the vampire lying next to him. A team of five servants immediately picked him up and carried him into the dungeons while the rest tended to Amira's wounds before carrying her to her chambers. Aida picked up Amira's bloody scimitar and followed the servants back to Amira's room.
xxxx
Amira awoke at dusk with a pounding headache. She groaned and rolled over onto her back and flinched in pain as the scratch on her back was pressed against the sheets.
"Oh thank goodness you are awake." A servant girl cried out.
Amira began to rub her temples as her headache worsened due to the loud noises.
"She's awake?" Aida asked anxiously and ran over to Amira's bed. Aida clasped Amira's hands in hers. "You saved my life If you hadn't been there to save me I surely would have died. I owe you my life."
"No no it was nothing." Amira protested, feeling very awkward about someone owing their life to her.
"Oh and she's so modest." The servant who had woken her up called out.
"And brave too." Another added.
Amira began feeling intensely uncomfortable with all the sudden praise so she changed the subject. "Why was the vampire after you Aida?" She inquired.
"Oh he wasn't after me." Aida explained in hushed tones as if afraid that the vampire could hear her. "He was looking for you. I just happened to be cleaning the hall when he just appeared out of nowhere and demanded to see you. I of course said that he most certainly may not and he got very angry. He hit me across the face," she pointed to a bruise that had formed on her cheek from where he had hit her, "and I began calling for help. Lucky for me you were still awake and you rushed to my rescue." She then proceeded to thank Amira again and again.
"Now why would some vampire want to see me?" Amira asked herself thoughtfully.
"Because you are intimately connected to Dracula."
Amira jerked her head to the speaker and realized it was Zane. He had appeared on her bed without her knowing. The three servant girls gasped and gave him disapproving looks but did nothing more.
"Intimately connected? Just because he likes feeling me up doesn't mean I'm intimately connected to him." Amira said, taking offence.
"Not connected in that manner. You two are soon to be married, and Dracula's enemies are doing all that they can to stop this." Zane explained.
"Why?" Amira asked, surprised that anyone other than herself wished to stop this wedding from happening.
"Because they wish to weaken him." He stood up and began pacing back and forth as he further explained. "Life was so much easier for the powerful vampires after Dracula was killed. They had divided up his power over the vampire kingdom amongst themselves soon after he died. Once he returned he took all that power back shortly and now they're looking for revenge."
"But I thought all the vampires died after Dracula was killed?" She searched her memory of the Van Helsing movie for some sort of explanation.
Zane shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Only the ones had been bitten directly by him or created by them were killed too. Everyone else survived."
"Ah." Amira said softly.
"You fought well against Ryker." Zane complimented.
"Who?"
"The vampire that you kicked in his balls." Zane replied crudely.
"Oh. That was just luck. In fact, I've won all of my fights with sheer luck." She stared down at her hands.
"Hardly!" Zane half shouted, causing everyone in the room to jump. "It's your fast reflexes and your ability to think straight even during battle." He cocked his head to one side in thought. "And your four years of fencing lessons might have helped too." He added, smiling slightly.
"Thank you. You are a very kind friend." Zane beamed at her in delight. "I'm still not forgiving you for making me Dracula's pet." She added stubbornly.
Zane brushed it off easily. "Oh well. You can't win everything." He twitched. "Ah. Time for me to go. Dracula will be awake soon." He waved goodbye and disappeared.
"Your friend is very...strange." Aida commented idly.
Amira nodded in agreement. "Yes, he is."
xxxx
Dracula awoke with an immediate feeling of unease in the pit of his stomach. He felt the urge to visit Amira to see if she was awake. He gained a very cool composure and left his rooms to go to Amira's. He was about to put his hand on the doorknob when he drew back in alarm. He smelt blood. Her blood. He threw open the doors and looked left and right for the perpetrator of the hideous crime of spilling his lovely Amira's blood.
"Amira!" He shouted when he saw her in her bed.
Amira jerked from her light slumber and stared at Dracula, feeling slightly annoyed. Aida was cowering behind an armchair, feeling most unhappy that her servant friends had just left a few minutes before and she had not gone with them.
"What?" She asked.
"I smell your blood. Are you hurt?" He asked almost frantically. Aida peeped over the armchair to stare at her master.
"A vampire somehow broke into your home this morning just before dawn. I fought him and he hurt me."
Dracula was at her side in the blink of an eye. "Where did he hurt you?"
"On the back." Dracula made a move to turn her over and look for himself but she raised her arms in protest. "It's just a scratch though. Nothing to worry about."
Dracula looked doubtful but did nothing else. Instead he turned to the armchair in which Aida was hiding. "Aida." He called.
Aida peered over the top of the armchair again. "Yes, Master?"
"Where is the bastard vampire that hurt my pet?"
"In the dungeons, master."
Dracula nodded and left the room without another word.
When he reached the dungeons he knew which cell the vampire was in almost immediately. He could smell the vampire's blood, sharp and salty in his nose. And his cell happened to be guarded by several servants who all bowed low when Dracula entered. He ignored their bows and pushed them out of the way.
"Give me the key." He commanded. A servant handed it to him. He unlocked the door and opened it and slammed it shut. Ryker jerked awake and barely had time to look up before he felt icy cold fingers wrap around his pale neck. He was thrown against the slimy stone wall. Dracula was loomed over the vampire menacingly.
"Who are you working for?" Dracula demanded fiercely. Ryker cringed from the harsh tone in
Dracula's but did not answer. "ANSWER ME." Dracula roared.
"I-I can't tell you." Ryeker, stuttering in fear. Dracula raised his fist to strike Ryker. "No no. I really can't! I've sworn a blood oath of secrecy." He pulled back his sleeve to reveal a long cut on his forearm that was just beginning to heal. "You see? It would have healed by now if it were anything other than a blood oath"
Dracula stared at the cut on his forearm for a long moment. "If you cannot reveal any information to me then you are useless." Dracula informed him in an emotionless tone. Ryker saw the cold, blank look in the powerful vampire's eyes and knew that he was going to die. Dracula struck lightening fast, ripping his throat out with his bare hands before he could plead forgiveness. Blood oozed from his open mouth as he slumped over. Ryker's brilliant green eyes clouded over as the last of his life ebbed away.
Dracula wiped his bloodied hand on Ryker's coat before turning his back on the corpse and walking away.
"Dispose of the body." Dracula ordered to his servants as he licked the remaining blood off his hand. He was in a sufficiently happier mood by the time he left the dungeons.
xxxx
"Dracula's going to kill Ryker isn't he?" Amira asked mildly several minutes after Dracula had left the room.
Aida looked up from cleaning her nails. "Probably." She replied.
Vasilios burst through the doors and rushed over to Amira's bed.
"Amira! Are you alright?" Concern was etched into every line in his face.
"Err...I'm fine Vasilios, thank you for asking." Amira was taken aback by this sudden display of affection.
"I came here the moment I heard about it. I'm terribly sorry I didn't escort you back to your chambers. If I had been there I could have killed the vampire myself and you wouldn't have to go through all this pain."
"It's alright Vasilios. Really, it's just a scratch." Vasilios nodded and shook his white hair out of his face before standing up a little stiffly.
"That is good to know." He had suddenly reverted back to his more formal nature.
"Err..." Amira was a little bemused.
"Are you quite sure you are alright?"
"I'm perfectly ok."
"Good. Meet me at the library at nine o'clock then so we can continue our lessons. And make sure continue to balance that book on your head. I'm not letting you slack merely because you have a small scratch on your back." He nodded to Amira and then Aida before exiting the room.
Aida tilted her head to one side. "That was...weird."
"Yes, yes it was."
Amira bathed and ate before it was nine. Her back was stiff and sore but she felt restless, so she spent the remaining time practicing the book exercise. She noticed idly that she was improving already.
xxxx
A/N: Nehe. That was fun to write. All of these chapters are fun to write. I love writing. Hah. But hmmf. I think I could have done better with this chapter, but I've been using all my creative energy on the chapter after this. It's turned out really well so far and I should have it up by Saturday:D
A/N: Mmf. I'd just like to add that yes I do ACTUALLY REALIZE that that was terribly OOC for Vasilios to come bursting through doors and have concern etched in his face. He was just high...off life of course oO