Chapter 3: Manor Valerious

As they walked down a hall in Manor Valerious, Anna introduced Nathalia more properly. Though Anna assured that both were not related, Gabriel had his doubts. Nathalia knew after the way he looked at them once again, not being convinced. Indeed, both herself and Anna looked identical, except for Nathalia's emerald yes and straight hair. Anna's was more.. puffed and curled.

Anna pushed two huge wooden doors and all entered inot the armory room. Many varieties of weapons filled the shelves, walls and displays. "So, how did you get here?" Anna asked the two guests.

"We came by sea." Carl replied.

"Really?" interest to the fact of their choice of travel, "The Adriatic Sea?"

"Yes."

"So where do we find Dracula?"

"Yes..." Carl said as Gabriel interrupted Carl's conversation with Anna. "He used to live in this very house four centuries ago." Anna said, walking forward. "No one knows where he lives now." Nathalia finished. Gabriel looked at her with unease. She sighed. Once more, she found herself upon another who could not accept who- no, what- she was.

"My father would stare at that painting for hours looking for Dracula's lair." Anna said, her head directing towards the detailed map on the wall. A well detailed painting, indeed, of all of Transylvania. Carl immediately took a fancy towards it. "So, that's why you've come?" she asked. She stopped before a display of revolver neatly ordered and sized.

"I can help you." Gabriel said. Anna looked at him momentarily and then back to searching as she said the next words; "No one can help me."

"I can try."

Anna scoffed. "You can die trying. All of my family has." She walked over to the sword's display, Gabriel still following her. Nathalia sighed. Anna was always to stubborn. It would be hard to try and convince her of something, but Nathalia stood for few more talk back from them. It was actually entertaining.

"I can handle this myself." she replied harshly.

"So I noticed." Gabriel said with much sarcasm in his tone. Having picked up a sword and about to place it in its holster, she stopped. An insulted Anna turned to face him, sword in hand. He didn't even flinch or try to dodge it when it was poked near his heart, not exactly piercing him. "The vampires attacked in daylight. They never do that." she retorted as she placed the sword in its desired spot. "I was unprepared. It won't happen again."

"You had a vampire beside you the whole time. Who knows, maybe even years. Don't you think that's strange?"

Nathalia hissed angrily at the sudden comment Gabriel had said. He looked back at her, his eyes showing a bit of annoyance. She looked at him with fierce eyes as they glowed and turned away, offended by his remark. Not exactly the Gabriel she had thought would be. She wandered off, but not leaving the room. Mad as she was, she still needed to look at the task in hand.

ooo

"She has a short temper." Anna warned him. Van Helsing looked at her as though he already knew that. "So, why did they attack in daylight?" he asked, changing the subject. "Clearly, they wanted to catch me off guard. They seem almost desperate to finish off my family." Anna answered. It was actually obvious.

"Why is that? Why now?" he asked.

"You ask a lot of questions." said Nathalia behind him. He turned to face her. She was examining the many varieties of stakes in a display stand. He was actually beginning to like the young woman. She seemed to never give up. "Hmm. Usually I ask only two-" he said. Then, he turned his attention to Anna. "-what are we dealing with and how do I kill it?"

"My father spent most of his life looking for answers year after year; tearing through the tower, combing through the family archives." Anna answered, searching for a switchblade to replace the one she had lost when Aleera had taken her for a flight.

"Carl," Van Helsing called the friar who was still examining the map when he looked up when Van Helsing called his name. "The tower, start there."

"Oh, right."

"The only way to save your family is to stay alive until Dracula is killed." the hunter reminded.

Anna had been placing a new blade into one of the straps of her boot when she stomped it hard on the floor at his reminder. She wasn't a child anymore. "And who will kill him if not me? Who will show courage if not me?"

"If you go out there alone, you'll be outmanned and outpositioned. And you can't see in the dark." he warned.

Tired of hearing him, Anna turned around to pick up a weapon she had seen to her interest when interrupted.

"In the morning we will hunt him-," as Anna turned around to continue to protest, weapon in hand, he had stepped closer in time to catch her hand and the weapon in it, "-but we'll do it together."

Anna let him take the weapon, her eyes not leaving his hazel's. "Some say you're a murderer, Mr Van Helsing," she began, their eyes locked, "others say you'e a holy man. Which is it?" she asked.

He sighed and thought about it for a moment. "It's... a bit of both, I think."he answered her rather trick question, more or so trying to convince himself. She smiled. "I promised you a drink." she said, not as a question.

"Yes, you did." he said, smiling as well. He hoped that maybe the change of topic would help her forget about her crazy crusade she was about to embark. And that she may join him on a drink or two.

"The bar is down the hall. Help yourself." she said as she took the weapon from his hand and walked past him. "As for me, I'm going to finish this once and for all." All hope was lost to him. He turned around as Anna walked away, noticing Nathalia was no longer there.

"You have to stop her. She'll get herself killed." she whispered to him. Now she made eye contact with him. "She is no good to you dead. Is that not what you said yourself?" she told him, reminding him of his remark to Anna.

"Let's see what I can do." he whispered back to her. He followed Anna and siad, "I'm sorry you have to carry this burden alone."

"On the contrary, I would wish for it no other way." she responded, not even pausing to face him.

"And I'm sorry for your father and brother."

"I will see them again. We Transylvanians always look on the brighter side of death."

Both had reached the door and Van Helsing asked her one more question, hoping to stall her. "There's a brighter side of death?"

This time, Anna turned around to face him and with a more calming and almost caring way. To him, her eyes were beautiful as they stsred into each other's eyes once more. "Yes. It's just harder to see." she responded softly. Before she even had the chance to walk out the door, Van Helsing placed a hand on her shoulder. Turning around to protest, Anna was suddenly struck by liquid that seemed to overwhelm her with sleep. A small gasp of surrpise escaped her lips as she collapsed into his arms, asleep. Looking more lovely to him than a bloomed rose, he whispered, "I'm sorry about that, too." It would take more than turning her back to him to listen to have his warning's heard. And more of a challenge.

A/N: Well, since I still had time to post another chapter, I took the liberty to type up the next chapter. Hoped you enjoy!

With much love,

Luna