The door opened to reveal and old man. He hardly even reached Dooku's chest but made the Count feel uneasy.
"Who are you?"
"I am Tyln Dooku. I came by to see the castle before leaving town."
A smile that increased his unease, came to the little, old man's face.
"Please, come inside."
Dooku slowly stepped inside. The moment his foot touched the floor he felt the great evil within and nearly ran back the way he came.
"I'm afraid my master is no longer among the living, so he cannot join us."
"I'm sorry," the Count lied.
The servant studied Dooku.
"You look a lot like him."
"I've been told."
The man frowned.
"Those villagers speak nonsense! My master was all powerful, and they destroyed him!"
Dooku made a calm motion with his hand and followed Klove, that was the name of the servant, to a large room and was left alone. There, he pulled the cross from a pouch on his belt, put it on, and slipped it into his shirt.
*********
Stirred by another presence in the room, Dooku sat up.
The candles all lit up, and Dooku turned nearly as pale as a ghost as he stared almost at a younger, paler, red-eyed version of himself!
"So Klove spoke true. You wear my face, old man."
He felt a touch at him mind and held firm against the command to obey.
"What?"
He smirked and rose from bed.
"I am a master of mind tricks, myself. Who are you?"
"I am Count Dracula. Who are you to wear my face?"
Dooku scoffed.
"I am Count Tyln Dooku, Sith Lord."
"Sith?"
Dooku summonded his lightsaber to his hand and activated it.
"Interesting toy, old man."
Dooku pulled the cross from his sleep shirt and flashed it before Dracula.
"Ah!"
The creature, for Dooku knew he could not be human, recoiled.
"Get it away!"
The river, extremely deep, was below, and Dooku had no choice. He threw himself out the window, calling on the Force, and into the cold water. He swam to the other side and ran to the town inn as fast ss he could, unwittingly screaming for help.
He was yanked into a house by the priest.
"You old fool, I warned you."
A blanket was put over his shoulders and bowl of hot soup shoved into his trembling hands by a nun.
Teeth chattering, Dooku sat by the fire, noting the crosses at every possible entrance to the house. Once he was warm, however his trembling didn't cease.
The priest and nun knew that whatever Dooku had seen had terrified him for life.
