AN: Big thanks to all those lovely persons that reviewed to me, such as Irena, Michelle and Lady Wednesday.
HelioQueen from Finland. I hope to hear from you in the future. Are you truly from Finland? Puhu totta, tiedän jos valehtelet!
The heavy grey clouds covered the sky above the land of Transylvania, not allowing any ray of the sun shine directly to the ground. Even though two huge bats that were flying fast knew that clouds wouldn't move away, they still from the time to time glanced nervously to the skies. This wasn't their natural time to be awake, but when their master gave order they obeyed. Today following orders had cost a life of one like them.
The bats finally reached their destination; a well hidden castle. They flew closer to its huge towers that from far could be mistaken as a sharp end top of a mountain. They flew in one of the windows and landed to the stone floor in a chamber filled with candles and marble statues, where they transformed as two young beautiful women. They both had a robes made by the finest dressmakers of the Europe. One of them, the black ebony haired one, had slightly green robes. The other, red haired one had purple robes.
"This is your fault, Aleera!" ebony haired vampire woman hissed to the other.
"My fault?! How is it my fault, Verona?" red haired barked.
"It is your fault that we didn't get what master wanted! They were in a simple carriage and you just kept running around it while Marishka and I fought against Valerious and her soldiers".
"For your information the carriage was all over in holy water! How could I have entered? And that man, damn him whoever he is, was not a soldier of Valerious woman. No mortal has ever managed to kill any of us" Aleera said.
"I know that! How do you think Master is going take the news that not only did we fail to bring him what he wanted we also lost Marishka to a mere mortal? I'll tell you how he is going to take it: he is either going to make us watch the next sunrise or we shall spend at least the next 70 years in our coffins" Verona spitted angrily.
"You lost Marishka?" asked a low voice from the other end of the room. Both women turned around to see a little deformed man.
"Igor, how long have you been listening to us?" Verona asked angrily.
"Since you arrived, I was already here" Igor said, not caring of the two women. "Pity about Marishka, she was always nicest to me. Sad that it couldn't be neither of you" he added.
"What?" Verona asked shocked.
"How dare you talk like that to us?" Aleera shouted, her eyes becoming dangerously red.
"I wouldn't recommend you to do something impulsive now" Igor said. "You already have too many bad news for the master. I don't think he would like to hear you also killed one of his faithful servants" Igor said, his deformed lips twisting to a smile.
"Someday I'll wash that smile off your face" Aleera hissed.
Any other person would have been terrified by the threat of a vampire woman. Igor however was used to the killing threats. He was used to them by now. He got them five times a day at home from both of his parents and little brother who all hated and despised him because of his deformity. Some would say that it was because of cruel peoples that Igor became as he became. Other says he was born that way. Whatever the reason was Igor had by the age of 11 shut down his quilt and shame when he set his house on fire and listened the dying screams of his family. After that he did anything to survive; rob, blackmail, killed etc. By now Igor had lost the account of in how many countries he was wanted criminal. For a brief moment he thought he couldn't go anywhere without running in to an angry mob. But he found a sanctuary in Transylvania. Work for a powerful boss loyally and without disobeying and you get to live for a long time, he thought. He had enjoyed the protection of his latest boss for seven years now.
"Maybe someday, Aleera", Igor said, enjoying the fact that his Master had ordered women not to harm him, "but not today. Master is about to wake".
Behind the grey clouds the last rays of sun disappeared behind the snowy mountains. The black coffin, which lay in the end of the chamber, slowly opened. The long figure of a man stood up from the red velvet. He was dressed all in black, with a long black cape covering him. He had a sharp face and long black hair. His steel blue eyes scanned the environment.
Count Dracula had risen.
"Three I send to the village and only two I see has returned. Anyone cares to explain?" he asked. His unearthly voice filled the chamber.
Verona took one step towards Dracula and bowed her head. "Master, I'm afraid we lost Marishka" she said quietly.
Dracula looked at them, slowly walking towards them. "How can this be? No-one has been able to kill any of us in the last four centuries. Was it Anna Valerious?" he demanded.
"No, Master," Aleera sobbed, "it was a foreign stranger who arrived with the carriage. He decapitated Marishka, after burning her face with a crucifix".
"It must have been a warrior of the Holy Order. We've managed to beat every one of them before, why is he so different?" Dracula muttered to himself. Then his voice was loud and clear. "Marishka will be avenged. Death of her murderer will be slow, painful and humiliating".
Brides nodded their heads, both filled with desire to avenge one who had been their sister for centuries.
"Now, I also see that you have failed also in your mission" Dracula said suddenly.
Both brides fell to the ground. "Master, forgive us!" they cried.
"SILENCE!" his voice boomed like a thunder. Both women instantly took few steps back. "You're not weak mortal women who cry. You are Dracula's brides, proud vampires who will not let anything stand on their way. I summoned the clouds to you and still you failed. You disappoint me greatly!" he said.
Neither of the women dared to look at him. He opened his cape like a huge wings and called them to come. Both hurried to his embrace and he closed the cape around them.
"Do not disappoint me again. This is very important to me, something I have waited for centuries. Both of you know this and neither will let me down again". It wasn't a request but a command.
Both shook their heads and he kissed both of their foreheads.
"I shall go to collect what I want myself tonight" Dracula said simply.
"But Master…the hunter, what about him?" Aleera asked.
"You shall have a chance to avenge your sister".
"And Valerious?" asked Verona.
Dracula raised his head to the little man in the room. "Igor, gather my werewolves and bring me my carriage".
"Yes, Master" Igor said and left as quickly as he could.
"Time to act is now! I'm through with waiting any longer!" Dracula said.
I know I promised to have more of Anna and Van Helsing and Isabella in this, but they will appear in next chapter. Hope you enjoyed and don't forget that there is a reason why "review" rhymes with "love you".
Yeah, there will be none of those little creatures that served Dracula in Van Helsing- movie. I mean c'mon…