Vampire guts for this kind of vampire truly stick out. They're half-bodied creatures of Philippine mythology. All right…no more time for explaining. This is chapter 2. Thanks to all those who reviewed. You really inspire me to continue. I might have some historical facts here.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Van Helsing and its characters. I only own my characters.

Chapter 2: Entry into the Cursed Village

Vatican City, about 5 in the morning…

A knock broke the silence of Felipe's quarters. "Felipe, wake up!" "Huh?" the Knight said, and took his pistol. "Who's there?" he said, swinging his pistol back and forth. "I have a gun! No vampire can kill me!" Bartholomew opened the door slowly but when he opened the door, Felipe shouted, "VAMPIIIIIIIIRE!" and shot at his door.

"Felipe! It's me!" Bart said, cowering. "Oh, Bart! I'm sorry. I thought you were some vampire!" "No, it's alright. Now, go take a bath and get ready to leave. But before we leave, the Cardinal would want to have a few words with you. And…don't you think I can't speak in Spanish! I'm a fluent speaker!"

With the Cardinal in the Vatican laboratory…

"Felipe, Bartholomew, I have here an artist's depiction of the manananggal terrorizing the village of Roxas. I also received some stories that there is not only one manananggal here. Maria Cayetana de Agoncillo, the lady who will help you in your mission, belongs to the most prominent clan in Roxas and I believe it will not be hard to find her. You know what you both have to do. Good luck and God be with you." The Cardinal said.

"Thank you, Cardinal. We will try our best." Felipe said as he and Bart left for the Philippines.

Their journey…

Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, journeys to Asia were shorter. Instead of the old sea routes that took years, the new route to Asia took months. From Rome to a port in Cebu, the 2nd largest city in the Philippines after Manila, the capital, it only took them 8 months.

From Cebu, they took a barge from there to a harbor in Capiz. After a few days on horseback, they reached Roxas, which evolved from village to town.

Arrival at Roxas…

"I feel like I'm at home again!" Felipe said, as the warm morning sunshine shone on the town of Roxas. The stone houses lined the cobbled roads. It was the miniature version of Spain, his home country.

"It is a nice town…I wonder what made it cursed." Bartholomew said as little Filipino children flocked around them. "Mabuhay! (Welcome!)" The poor children said. "Hello…" Bart said queasily.

Felipe said, "Hello, little children. Do you know where Maria Cayetana de Agoncillo lives?" in Spanish. "Huh?" the children said, scratching their heads. "Felipe, you're really a dolt for a Knight. They can't speak Spanish. Didn't you forget that the conquistadors didn't want them to learn Spanish?" Bart said snappily. "I'm sorry. Well, we'd better walk on." Felipe said, flipping a coin and left it on the street for the children.

They walked on the streets, seeing some beautiful Filipina ladies going around their chores in simple baro't sayas. They also saw some playful children chasing each other as some carriages pulled by. Some of the civil guards and the police were on their rounds but saluted when they saw Felipe, a peninsulares, a Spaniard born in Spain.

"There are many policemen here. If they find out I'm English, they'll kill me." Bart said. "No, as long as I'm here, you're safe." Felipe said. They arrived at the church and they looked for the parish priest.

"The parish priest, sirs, is in the convent. Let me guide you there." A sacristan said, as the two monster hunters followed.

Office of the parish priest…

"So you are Felipe de Lopez y Rodriguez and Friar Bartholomew Altarcross, the help that Cardinal Jinette of Rome has sent. Welcome to Roxas." "Thank you very much, Father. What can we do for the town?" Felipe inquired.

"I am Father Jose Marquez-Villalobos. Our town is plagued by three vampire sisters. They have made the people lose their faith in God. They have also taken some of the children of the town. The mothers and fathers are grieving. It pains me. Please, kill the three sisters before all of the children of this town are dead…" the parish priest said, almost sobbing.

Felipe and Bart exchanged glances and nodded. "We will try to do something for this town. How do we kill them?" Bart asked. "The civil guards have tried all methods, including suggestions from the Church. Nothing has worked. I believe you must trick it out yourselves. But be careful when the manananggals are in human form, they can be very seductive. Also, take this bottle of specially-brewed coconut oil. It will bubble and unmask the pretty vampire when used." The parish priest said. Bart took hold of the bottle.

"Father Marquez-Villalobos, do you know how we will find Maria Cayetana de Agoncillo?" Bart asked. "She belongs to the governing clan in this town. Sadly, only she and a few of her relatives are left. I remember giving the final blessing to her mother who died during her birth. Her father died trying to kill the manananggals. Her elder brother was killed during a war where he was one of the commanding officers." The priest said. "She lives somewhere here, in a mansion that's hard to miss."

"Thank you, Father Marquez-Villalobos. We'll try our best to rid the town of this threat." Felipe said. "May God be with you, Knight Felipe and Friar Bartholomew." The priest said as they departed.

Outside the parish…

"How will we find Cayetana?" Felipe said. "Well, Felipe, the parish priest said that she lives in a mansion that's very hard to miss." "Let's walk some more." The knight said as suddenly, a beautiful black stallion jumped over his head and landed gracefully on the cobblestones.

"Hey!" Felipe said, running to the horse. "Your horse almost trampled on my head, you careless idiot!" The rider took off the hat on her head.

Her shiny black hair was tied in a ponytail and the tied hair was curled yet the remaining hair on her head was straight. She had a complexion fairer than most of the women in the town. Her deep, dark eyes sparkled and she had an aquiline nose. Her cheeks had a natural red tinge in them and her soft, pink lips were in a small smile. From her ears dangled chandelier earrings. She was dressed in the black dress, leggings and boots of the equestriennes in her time. She was tall and looked regal on the horse.

"Oh, I'm very sorry, sir. Please excuse my horse, Blanco. He is quite hyperactive today. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you and your friend?" the beautiful lady said. "May I know your name?" Felipe asked. "It is Maria Cayetana de Agoncillo." She replied.

"I am one of the Knights of the Holy Order. My name is Felipe de Lopez y Rodriguez and this is Friar Bartholomew Altarcross, an English friar of the Vatican. We are the help the Knights of the Holy Order have sent. But you must not tell anyone that I am from the order." He said, bowing in front of her. "So you are the one our town has been waiting for. Come with Friar Bartholomew and I will welcome you to my home." She said, leading the way down the road.

At Cayetana's mansion…

Felipe and Bartholomew were stunned as they came upon a large manor. It had a stone wall enclosing the perimeter and tall steel gates. The house itself was an architect's masterpiece in wood and stone. Several flowering tropical plants and fruit-bearing trees surrounded the house. A fountain stood in front of the house.

"Welcome to my home." Cayetana said, dismounting her horse like a man. One of the servants took her horse to the stables. Felipe couldn't say a word. Bartholomew said, "Bless me Lord, I am in heaven." "Well, stop staring. Let's go inside." She said.

They entered the grand doorway and sat down at the living room, where Cayetana's aunt was finishing her embroidery. "Aunt Teresa, I am home." The middle-aged woman put down her embroidery and embraced her niece. "How was the equestrian's competition?" she asked.

Cayetana pulled out a gold trophy with her name inscribed on it from the folds of her dress. "Now, let's put this in your rack of trophies. Who are your visitors?" the aunt asked. "This is Felipe de Lopez y Rodriguez, a Spaniard from Spain, a holy warrior. This is Friar Bartholomew Altarcross, an Englishman, a friar of the Vatican. They were the help from Rome."

"I hope you two can help our town. We might be a childless town if the terrorizing does not stop." Aunt Teresa said soberly. "We will help the town. I assure you of that." Felipe said. Aunt Teresa gave a smile and put the trophy in a spacious rack filled with her niece's other trophies.

Felipe, Bart and Cayetana sat on the chairs in the living room. "Does anyone else live in this large house of yours?" Friar Bart asked. "No one else except me, my aunt and the servants." Cayetana said.

"When should we begin the search for the manananggal sisters?" Felipe asked. "We should start tomorrow in the morning. It's still early today. It's just…1 o' clock in the afternoon." Cayetana said, pulling out a gold pocket watch. "You're too excited, Felipe!" Bart said. "Well, I think you wouldn't want to be in the house. I don't do much in here. My life is with the horses in our stables. I'm an equestrienne." Cayetana said, leading them out.

In the stables…

"Can I try riding them? Please! Please! Please!" Felipe said like an excited child. "Whatever you're thinking, Felipe, I'm not going. I'm just going to watch." Bart said, sitting by a bench. "Alright." Cayetana said. She called one of the servants in the native Filipino tongue. "Hilario…ready Blanco, my stallion. Put reins and saddles on Fernando."

After a few minutes, a white stallion and a black stallion were led by a servant to Felipe and Cayetana. She mounted Blanco and told Felipe to mount too. As soon as Felipe got his feet in the stirrups, his horse began to run.

"Felipe! What in heaven's name are you doing?" Bartholomew screamed. "I don't know with the horse!" The knight exclaimed. "Pull the reins, Felipe, pull it." Cayetana said. Felipe pulled the reins and the crazed horse stopped.

Cayetana rode near Felipe. "Are you alright? You seem like you need a horse riding lesson." She said. "I do need one…" he said. "When you kick or hit the horse's flank, you make it trod or run. If you will do a half-stand, you will not fall off. When you pull the reins straight, you stop it. If you lead the reins to another direction, you can lead the horse to another direction." She said.

"Thanks, that was…helpful." Felipe said. Cayetana sneakily took out her riding whip and hit the horse's flank. Fernando, the horse, ran. "Oh my Lord!" Felipe screamed as the horse ran like the wind. "Remember what I taught you!" she said. Bartholomew stood up and tried to hit Cayetana behind her back for what she did. She knew that he was there and she constricted his hand then let him go.

"Cayetana whipped the horse…What did she teach me…of course!" Felipe said, panicking. He did a half-stand on the horse and put his weight on the stirrups. He sat down again and pulled the reins hard. The horse whinnied then came to a halt. He said, "Fernando…please don't do that again." The knight kicked the horse a bit and led him back to the stables.

"Very good, Felipe." Cayetana said, "I think I had enough horsing around today," Felipe said. "Go and dismount." She said. Felipe dismounted as Hilario, one of the servants, took Fernando away. She took her feet off the stirrups and stood on her horse's back.

"Stand back, Felipe!" she said. "Are you contemplating suicide?" Bartholomew said. "No, I'm doing an unconventional way to dismount a horse." She said. She jumped off the horse. Felipe thought she was falling so he ran and caught her. "Are you okay?" he asked. She exhaled sharply. "I am. You know I can jump off a horse myself. Please, put me down. It looks awkward." She said as he gently put her down.

They heard a woman's screech as the sun started to set. "What was that?" Bartholomew asked. "Look in the sky!" Cayetana said, seeing the split-bodied vampire flying in the air. Felipe took out his pistol then tried to shoot into the sky.

Cayetana held Felipe's hand. "It's no use. Save your bullets…" "How are we going to beat them if we don't try?" he retorted. "We should get our holy items, Felipe." Bart said. "Bart…I think it is the best time to search. We can put an end to the terrorizing. We just have to patrol the city by night." Felipe said. "It's going to be the end for them."

"No…" Cayetana said, "It's only the beginning of our battle." She added, looking at the dark sky. "In that case, let's go inside." Felipe said, pulling his two companions back inside the house.

And that was chapter 2! Updates will come as soon as possible.