Chapter 2: The Prince Shows the Way
The carriage arrived two days later. The secluded village seemed to be slumped over the landscape as if the buildings themselves had grown weary with age. Miruna watched the dreary villagers walk past as the carraige skidded to a halt. The driver climbed off and began unloading Miruna's luggage. She looked up at the sky and then surveyed the village itself. Very dark, very dirty, and very very unfriendly. She sighed and turned to speak with the messenger again.
"Where does Anna Valerious live?", she asked. The messenger said nothing as he climbed back onto the carriage and took the reigns. "Excuse me, where does my cousin live sir?", she asked louder.
"Castle Valerious, it's hard to miss. Down that path at the very end.", he said as he readied to leave.
"Help me get my things to it, then.", Miruna stated promptly. The messenger laughed as he snapped the reigns and sped away. "Wait a moment! You can't leave me here! What kind of messenger are you, anyway!?", she yelled after him. She grumbled and took as much as she could carry in her arms. "Running off like a coward. Can't even help a young lady. That's the last time I trust a strange man."
"Did you talk to a stranger?", a small voice said from behind her. Miruna whirled around. Standing behind her was a little boy. He couldn't have been older than seven and he looked like a younger version of the messenger. He was obviously no mere peasant here, he must have been one of the local gypsies. She sighed.
"No, he was a messenger for my cousin. Now I don't even know where to go to find her and I can't carry all of this by myself.", she whined. Miruna was brave and smart enough, but still quite a bit spoiled and obstinant from her up-bringing. She looked at the boy who smiled back brightly. Something that seemed very out of place in this village, even for a small boy.
"I can help you with both. No one knows the village better than my family. I will help carry those and show you the way if you like.", he offered blushing slightly. Miruna's eyes softened and her feeling of frustration ceased. This little boy was experiencing a large crush, but he was old enough to know better than to faun over her. She smiled back and fished a small pouch from her skirt folds. She held it out to him.
"I would be most grateful of an escort.", she replied. He beamed and waved a hand dismissively.
"I couldn't. It's only proper for a gentleman to aide a woman in need.", he said with a slight bow.
Miruna took his hand firmly and placed the pouch in it. "I insist. No skill or work should go un-rewarded.", she instructed. He nodded and placed the puch in one of his vest pockets. "Now, what is your name?"
"My name is Printz.", he said with another bow. Miruna looked at him curiously. He smiled and chuckled. "Mamika always called me her little prince, that is the only name I know in the village."
"Very well, Printz. Please lead the way.", Miruna said as she extended her hand. He picked up the largest bag and held out his arm. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was short in this instance. Miruna didn't bend down to hang off of him, instead she rested her hand atop his arm and walked beside him very ceremoniously. The villagers glanced up at her in curiosity and anger. They didn't at all match eye contact with the boy. It was almost as if he was invisible to him. The boy had typical slavic dark hair at his shoulders, fierce blue eyes, and sharp pale features. Miruna looked down at him every now and then. She gasped when she noticed that the boy had a tiny gold hoop in each ear. He must have sensed her reaction when she noticed this. He immediately looked up into her eyes.
"Noblemen who embrace their pasts, pleasant or not, are truly amazing yes?", he asked. Miruna was taken aback by such a grown-up observation from this little boy.
"Beg pardon?", she stammered. He gave a half smile and continued looking ahead. They walked down a long and winding dirt path towards an enormous fortress. The fortress had been made into a comfortable manor, but still held the architectural remnants of feudal Dacia. Miruna took in every sight and smiled happily. As they reached the door, the boy set down her bag and cleared his throat. Miruna wondered if he was catching a cough from this ghastly air. It was thick and cold, saturating lungs with all manner of unpleasant germs. She shuddered in the cold. It was late October, so Romania would be near frozen solid shortly. Thick clouds still hung ominously in the sky, but seemed to be stemming from the sky over the fortress itself. It was as if the castle produced within its stones the oppressive atmosphere that was Transylvania.
"I must go now. I have enjoyed our time together.", he said playfully with a bow. Miruna smiled and patted his shoulder.
"I thank you for your help, Printz. I will be glad to see Anna.", Miruna replied.
"Why have you come here? Did someone send for you?", he asked curiously.
"Yes. Anna needs my help in a land dispute I think. It will be over shortly.", Miruna explained. "I don't know who Draculea is, but he has me to contend with now."
The boy's eyes flashed as he gave an almost evil grin. "Yes, he does. Perhaps you will prove a more worthy adversary than any other of the Valerious.", he said in a low voice.
Miruna stared at him silently for a moment. "What has he done to the Valerious?"
He shrugged. "Matters of state, far above me.", he said. "Goodbye for now, Miruna." Miruna's eyes widened and she felt her voice catch in her throat as the boy simply disappeared into a mist and dissipated. Miruna stood stunned for a moment. How had that little noy known her name? How had he disappeared like that? Why did he seem to speak more maturely than even the messenger she had been brought with spoke? She shook her head furiously and then went to knock on the door. A butler answered the door. Miruna cleared her throat and explained her presence to the older man. He nodded politely and stepped out onto the stoop for a moment, taking two of her bags and walking inside. Miruna took the third and followed him. The manor's interior was almost as grand as the decor in the large estate they kept in Bucharest. Miruna took in the warmth of the manor, the beauty of the tapestries, the brilliance of the ornate colours and statues. The butler set her bags down in front of a staircase.
"I will bring you some tea in the drawing room, you may wait there until Princess Anna returns.", he said. Miruna nodded. She sighed and walked with him to the drawing room. She strode quietly around the room admiring all of the different artifacts from Romania's history that seemed to be in their rightful place here. She studied the paintings of the family members carefully. Some of them were familiar to her from history lessons and some weren't. She didn't notice the swift passing of time as she last herself in the room. The doors behind her suddenly burst open. She turned. There stood a magnificent woman. She had dark, cascading curls; deep brown eyes, and fierce features like the rest of the locals. Miruna was mostly impressed with the beautiful clothing that this woman wore, despite the fact that she was dressed in pants she seemed quite regal. This must have been Anna. Miruna rushed to her cousin. Anna looked terrified and happy to see her cousin, as well. The two met in a firm and thankful embrace. Miruna didn't remember meeting Anna in her life, but already she felt deeply connected to her. Anna must have felt the same. The two let go of one another as two other figures entered the room. Miruna recognized the garb of the first as being a simple friar, while the second she recognized from 'wanted' posters that her father had set out in Bucharest. She gasped.
"Van Helsing.", she whispered. He gave a half smile and walked past them. Anna patted Miruna's shoulder and then headed out of the room. Miruna hurried after her, confused. "Anna, what is going on? Why did you send for help?"
"I need your father's knowledge of Draculea's weakness.", Anna said. She frowned as they entered the armoury. "I suppose he has chosen to abandon the family once again. No matter, I don't need any other help in this."
"I beg to differ. The church sent me because your family is almost dead. I think that constitutes a need for assistance of somekind.", Van Helsing interjected.
"I came here to help.", Miruna argued. "I'm family."
"Yes, but too young.", Anna said as she continued adding to her personal arsenal. "As for you, you don't know what you are doing."
"I just killed a vampire for the first time in a century.", Van argued back. "Top that."
"You killed a vampire? There's vampires? I thought they were silly superstition!", Miruna exclaimed in fear.
"I think it's fairly safe to assume from here on out that silly superstition and cold hard fact are closer than you and your cousin here in Transylvania.", the friar added.
"I can do this by myself. It is my destiny.", Anna announced as she took a pistol and began to load it.
"You can't kill a vampire with that.", Van said as she walked past him to retrieve a sword.
"No, but it will hurt him for a good few hours before I end him.", Anna said proudly.
"End who? Wait a moment!", Miruna said as she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Is Draculea a vampire?" Everyone in the room looked at one another and then laughed loudly. Anna stopped laughing instantly when she saw that her cousin was serious. She frowned and took her hand.
"Miruna, Draculea is an enemy of both our family and Romania. He is the oldest and most terrible of the nosferatu.", Anna explained. Miruna winced at hearing this. She had truly prepared herself for a political skrimmage. "Now, I must be off to destroy him once and for all."
"You really shouldn't be doing this.", Van said following her. Miruna followed behind him, while the friar stayed in the armoury studying a large map of Transylvania.
"Give me one good reason why not.", Anna said as she whirled around.
"I'll give you three; night vision, keen smell, and perfect hearing. And that's just the werewolf, that's not even touching what powers Draculea has aquired in the service of the devil.", Van replied.
"He serves the devil!?!", Miruna exclaimed. Van rolled his eyes and then focused on Anna.
"I said give me one good reason, not three pertinent observations.", Anna said as she turned to walk away. Van grabbed her by the shoulder, forcing her to face him. As she glared at him, Van raised a small vial with a tiny pump and puffed a small amount of blue dust into Anna's face. Anna fell forward into his arms, unconscious. Miruna gasped.
"There, one very good reason.", Van said triumphantly. Miruna jumped onto him. Siezing his throat with both of her arms from behind him. He stood, trying to maintain his composure. "Get off me.", he growled as best he could.
"You murderer! What did you do to my cousin!?", Miruna exclaimed. Again, Van Helsing rolled his eyes. He let Anna sink to the floor and grabbed hold of the vial again. This time he simply aimed it behind him and pressed the trigger. He felt Miruna's grip loosen until she fell to the floor behind him. Miruna felt everything become warm and dark all at once. Terror instead of peace gripped her. Sleep always held something horriffic. She felt herself sinking into the realm of her nightmares once more. She saw the same two glowing eyes that had pursued her for all of her life. She screamed silently as the beast once again began to advance on her, but she found herself this time without the strength to run from it. Miruna felt her heart give one final brave thump as the beast attacked. She kept her eyes open wide. As the creature leapt forward, a flash of black flew at the monster. The figure that had just appeared attacked the beast as if it were nothing but an unruly dog. The creature howled in pain and ran away, fading from Miruna's mind for a beautiful moment. She tried to focus on the figure. She gasped. The fierce blue eyes of the little boy from the village met hers. But this was no small boy, this was a handsome nobleman of about 30 years. He was dressed in fine black military garb, long dark hair still about his shoulders, and the same gold earrings. He knelt and looked directly into her eyes. "Who are you?", she squeaked.
"I was right. You proved stronger than any of the Valerious then, you will prove most courageous now.", he said. Miruna watched as he stood and sprouted wings, morphing into a large living gargoyle. Despite his monstrous appearance, Miruna didn't feel afraid of him. Instead, she felt that she had to follow him. Anna didn't hold the answers to the family's problems and her past; he did, the prince did.