Chapter 5: The Issue of Trust
Miruna rushed into the entrance room where Anna and Van Helsing were talking quietly and ugrently. Anna turned immediately at seeing her cousin. Miruna looked at both of them and frowned at seeing they were unaccompanied.
"He wasn't lying. Velkan really is dead to the curse, isn't he?", she asked sadly. Van lowered his gaze and focused on her. Anna did the same, but out of concern.
"Who wasn't lying, Miruna?", she asked.
"The prince, Draculea.", she replied softly. Van Helsing reached into his belt and grabbed a spinning blade, rearing back to throw it at Miruna. Anna saw this first and gasped. She grabbed hold of his arm and held it tightly. Miruna jumped behind a chair and shuddered as she looked up at them. "I know you told me to stay here, but I had to find a way to help when I saw the little monsters attacking the village! One of the vampires kidnapped me and took me to an old castle, or the roof of it anyway."
"Did they bite you?", Van Helsing demanded. She shook her head madly, staring up at him in fear. "Then would you care to explain the blood on your collar?"
Miruna pulled the clothing in front of her and stared at it. She felt ill at seeing her own blood, but there was no wound to intesify anything terrible she might be feeling. She looked back at him. "The vampire dug her claws into me as we flew away. Draculea was very angry with her for it. It was the one with red hair, he called her Aleera I think.", Miruna explained. Van Helsing frowned and calmed himself, shaking free of Anna. He walked over to Miruna and firmly lifted her in front of him to examine the wounds. She tried to get away from him desperately. "He healed me, I'm fine."
"I doubt that. What does he want with you?", he said holding her in front of his face. "You'd better not lie to me, are you aiding him?"
Miruna stayed silent for a moment. He growled a little and pulled out another blade, holding it menacingly in front of her. Anna shouted at him from accross the room as she raced to her cousin's aid. Miruna felt her mouth go dry and her mind go numb.
"I'm not helping him. He helped me. A long time ago. He helped all of my family.", she said softly as she looked into his eyes fearlessly.
"If he helped your family, then why are more than half of them dead and calling for retribution against him?", he demanded.
"He only helped my family. Tata, mamika, and my brothers. Tata made a bargain with him since he knew how to kill him.", Miruna said as Van began to slowly lower her to the floor. He pulled her back up again harshly at her last statement.
"How do I kill him?", he demanded.
"I don't know! Tata knew! He kept it a secret as part of their bargain!", she shouted defensively.
"So you came here to make sure I didn't kill him and keep your father's bargain, is that it?"
"No! I didn't know about all of this until last night! The friar let me read parts of tata's journal that survived the ages. I didn't remember anything about Transylvania until last night!", Miruna exclaimed. She felt truly terrified at the hands of this man. He hadn't really harmed her yet, but the wanted posters had to be around Bucharest for a reason. "You have to believe me, I don't know who to help and who to trust! Tata has been cruel to me since we left Vaseria and I don't remember the kindness Draculea showed my family."
"If you're so confused, then perhaps it is best for you to leave.", Anna said. She looked a little hurt at Miruna mentioning what she had prayed had not been true. Rumours of Christobel betraying the family for selfish reasons had exsisted among her relatives and friends of the family for years. Anna had broken protocol in begging for his help, but now she felt foolish for doing so. Christobel had indeed betrayed them so many years ago. Anna looked at Van Helsing directly as he set Miruna down. "She should go back to the Vatican with you. From there you can send for Christobel to come and collect her."
"I'm not going to the Vatican! The village needs to be protected, and I want to know more of my past!", Miruna said firmly. Van turned to her and smiled slightly. She took a step backwards and gulped. "Tata's journal says that to undo Draculea's evil you must..."
"Now you remember?", Van said in amusement. Miruna glared at him.
"To undo Draculea's evil, he must be redeemed. Tata did not know how, but I'm sure that if I can speak with some of the villagers and choovihni, then I can find a way.", Miruna stammered.
"Redeemed? How can you redeem a monster?! He's without a soul to redeem!", Anna exclaimed. "You don't know what you are saying, Miruna. You will go with Van Helsing and Carl."
Van kept looking over his shoulder out the door every now and again. Miruna wondered briefly if he had something waiting outside for him. He turned back to her.
"Come on, we need to get ready.", he instructed.
"I'm not going!", Miruna shouted indignantly. Van turned to Anna and shook his head. Miruna probably would have started running under any other circumstances, but sleep deprivation and curiosity were getting the better of her. She made no effort to move out of the way as another spray of the blue powder from the previous night hit her. Miruna crumpled to the ground, sleeping peacefully.
Again, Miruna felt calm and serene. Surrounded by a sea of warmth like the last glow of a fire from the hearth. She smiled and stretched in it. The soft sounds of surging water were all around her and constant. Miruna realized that she was hearing her own blood pulsing through her veins. It was a comfort to know that she was alive and still feeling so wonderful. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was back in the forest in which she had re-lived so many nightmares. This time it was peaceful and quiet. The last orange rays of the sun were streaming through the branches. She breathed deeply and inhaled the scent of autumn. Autumn smelled like fire and tree bark most anywhere, but especially in Romania. She sighed and stood up to walk around a little. As she rose to her feet, the dark prince appeared in front of her again. This time, Miruna could clearly see his features and recognize him. The two simply stared at one another and smiled for a moment. He reached down and took both of her hands in his.
"Whatever happens, child, you must not be afraid. I will be with you.", he soothed. Miruna loved the sound of his voice. It was like the sea, commanding but fluid. He reached down and softly kissed her forehead. "Now, awaken."
At his last words, Miruna shot bolt upright. Or at least, what she thought was sitting up. She could now feel that she had already been sitting up all along. She looked around her. She was moving, but not walking. She suddenly recognized the jostling and sounds of clattering hooves. She was in a carriage careening accross the countryside. She groaned and held her aching head once more. She saw the friar sitting next to her. She looked at the seat accross the way to decide if it was large enough to lie down on. Instead of a seat, Miruna saw a hideous man! Perhaps it was something else, but it definitely resembled a man. She gasped and jumped, trying to get behind Carl for the moment. She felt something tug at her wrists. As she looked down, she noted that her wrists had been tightly bound by rope. She growled and cursed Van Helsing quietly. She looked over at Carl.
"What are you looking at? Help me out of this!", she demanded. She felt it best to not ask questions about the man/thing in the carriage with them given Van Helsing's reputation and the nature of her need for coming to Translyvania in the first place. Carl frowned.
"I'm afraid I can't do that.", he replied simply.
"Why not?", she whined helplessly.
"Because I'm a coward, that's why. If I set you loose then Van Helsing and your cousin will make me look like him.", Carl explained pointing to the creature. The creature snarled at him, showing all of its rotting and coppered teeth. "No offense."
"Then you help me!", Miruna shouted at the creature. To which the creature replied by holding up both of his shackled wrists. Miruna groaned and looked out the window. "Are you another vigilante sent by Rome?", she muttered to the creature.
"No.", he rasped back. Miruna turned to him in surprise. "I am the creation of Doctor Victor Frankenstein. Count Draculea needs me to unleash a terrible plague on mankind."
Miruna gulped slightly. Perhaps the handsome prince truly was a servant of pure evil. If he was, then he was a servant of pure evil with incredibly polished good manners. She looked up at the creation nervously.
"Do you have a name?", she asked softly. He smiled, seeming almost touched by her asking for something so simple.
"My father called me Adam, just as God called the first man.", he explained. Miruna nodded and smiled at him.
"My name is Miruna Toscava Valerious. I am pleased to meet you, Adam.", she replied politely holding out both of her hands bound as one to him. He cautiously took the fingers of one and shook them akwardly. Carl snickered to himself at this display. Miruna was obviously a well-sheltered and well-bred young girl. She couldn't possibly bear any blood in common with the unfriendly gypsies and peasants that dwelled in Vaseria. The carriage began to lurch to one side. Carl felt this and looked out of the window. He gasped and opened the door. Miruna looked over him and cried out. Anna was dangling from the door-facing and the carriage was making a very narrow turn on a very narrow mountain road! "Carl, do something!", Miruna cried.
"Trying to!", Carl replied. He slammed the door shut and allowed Anna to try and get her bearings before trying to help her. Miruna shouted at him a little louder and a little crueler. He ignored this and opened the door again. He reached out and began to help Anna climb back up to the driver's seat. Anna was surprised, as were both spectators to this, that Carl had such strength in his arms. Just as Anna was about to make a good grab for the roof, Carl's grasp on her arms slipped and Anna fell backwards a little. Miruna jumped forward and took hold of her cousin's arms with her bound hands. She groaned and began to pull her cousin to safety as another banging came to the opposite side of the carriage. Carl turned and looked out the other window, leaving Miruna to struggle with Anna momentarily. He cried out at seeing Van Helsing struggling for help at the bottom railing of the carriage on the opposite of Anna. Frantically, he unlocked the chains on Adam and instructed him to 'hurry up and help'. Adam moved quickly to pick Van up and fling him back to the roof of the carriage, then did the same for Anna. Miruna fell back into her seat, exhausted.
Adam sat back and smiled at her as the two caught their breath. Miruna watched the expression on Adam's face change to terriffied. She turned and screamed as well noticing that the roof of their moving carriage was aflame! Miruna and Carl jumped away as the flames continued to lick hungrily at the cieling. Suddenly, the carraige hit an enormous rock in the path. The right rear wheel caught it at an odd left angle, sending the vehicle hurtling through the air still on fire. Miruna shrieked as she and her two travel-mates were tossed about inside the burning carriage. The rolling mass of shouts and injuries finally came to rest in a far part of the forest. Adam wasted no time in pushing the other two out of the way and breaking the door off of the carriage. Miruna groaned and looked up into Carl's face. He looked down at her and smiled akwardly for a moment.
"This is would be the wrong time to tell you you're actually quite pretty for a gypsy, wouldn't it?", he said innocently. Miruna growled and hit into the side of his head with her bound wrists. Carl grunted in pain and fell over to the other side of her. Adam's large hand reached back through the doorway and lifted Miruna up and out. He set her down a few feet away and looked her over to make sure that she was alright to stand on her own. She seemed to be alright for the time being, so he turned his attentions to getting Carl out of the wreckage. Miruna suddenly heard Anna cry out. She frowned and ran to follow the sound. She ran towards a clearing and saw Anna tying angrily into Van with tears in her eyes. Miruna looked to the side facing away from the Valerious princess. Lying motionless on the ground was a handsome young man with features very similar to Anna's. Miruna's heart sank, that must have been Velkan. She knelt beside him and tried to find his pulse before noticing the large bullet wound. Though Miruna hadn't known this cousin, she felt uncontrollable sorrow in her core at losing him. Bitter memories of standing over her mother's mangled corpse screaming, as Draculea fought off the werewolf and sent it away came flooding back. Miruna remembered how torn she had been at losing Mamika at the young age of six. Anna had been blessed with far more years than that with Velkan, her pain was immeasurable. Miruna wiped the tears away and looked back at Van Helsing and her cousin. She was startled to see that in her momentary lamenting, she had not been able to hear the two of them leave. She stood up akwardly moving around her bound wrists, growling with frustration and sadness. Van came walking back over to her quickly. He grabbed her and took one of the blades from his belt. Miruna shrieked and tried to pull away as he sliced at her.