Haha! I said I'd update 'LeN' before this, and I have, so now I update this one! This chapter is quite short, I'll admit, but I felt that to stop where I did was the right thing to do. Although what I find is the right thing to do might not be the right right thing. Ugh... Anyways, enough of my senseless ramblings!

The Left Hand of God

Chapter 2: To Transylvania

Van Helsing and Carl passed through the rotten wooden gates into Transylvania. With each step they took, more people began to huddle behind them, eyeing the two strangers with intense distrust, many of them holding rusty weapons or gardening tools.

Carl, feeling quite distressed at the growing mass of peasants, once again asked Van Helsing about any of his memories. He knew that this mission might be the key to unlocking Van Helsing's past.

"So, what do you remember?"

"Not now, Carl," Van Helsing hissed, also not liking the way the crowd advanced on them.

"There must be something," the friar pressed on.

Van Helsing sighed. "I remember fighting the Romans at Masada."

"That was in 73 AD!" Carl said, surprised.

"You asked."

Their conversation was cut short as a beautiful woman appeared before them. Van Helsing recognized her as Princess Anna from the slides he had seen back in the Vatican. Her piercing blue eyes made his heart thud, and yet… He felt as though this shouldn't be. And besides, this was no time for romancing.

"Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Van Helsing," she said in a low voice.

"I've come to help you," he declared.

"I don't need any help," she retorted.

"Oh, really?" Whipping out his crossbow, he shot at the flying Vampiress behind Anna, secretly thinking that these blood-suckers were ugly.

Is Dracula as horrible as this?

But he quickly changed his mind when he saw one of the Vampiresses turn from a shrieking white harpy into a beautiful blonde woman.

I suppose I have underestimated them.

She sneered at him, poised to fight. Van Helsing was alerted by a cry from Carl, who pointed at the church, where holy water dripped from a tap. He ran as fast as he could, splashing his crossbow in and rapidly firing at the blonde Vampiress, who shrieked in agony and her whole body blackened to a crisp and blew into ashes to the winds.

Van Helsing slumped backward, spent by the fight. He felt a strange tugging at his chest, but merely brushed it off as his heartbeat pumped up with adrenaline. He quickly hurried off to find Princess Anna, his secret anticipation at meeting Dracula growing. He didn't know why, but he seemed to shiver at the mere sound of his name. No other creature he had to hunt down did that to him. He wondered if it wasn't one of Dracula's many powers, but somehow, he didn't believe so. Dracula seemed such a mystery; to meet him face to face was a moment that couldn't come soon enough.

Dracula cried out as he felt the loss of one of his wives. He burst forth from his coffin, breathing hard. He felt a sense of emptiness in his already hollow soul. It was painful in a way, but the pain was nothing compared to what he had suffered centuries ago.

His other two wives backed away, frightened. He glared at them angrily before striding towards the window, looking out into the dark night sky. His eyes narrowed as he picked up the musky scent of Gabriel, a scent he knew so well. As one of his brides tentatively placed her hand on his shoulder, he impatiently brushed it away.

"Do we mean so little to you?" Aleera sobbed.

Dracula hissed, "You mean a lot to me, yet not enough for me to grieve for long. Now leave!" And with that, he turned back to staring out the window, as though hoping to catch a glimpse of the bounty hunter, even for a second.

The two Vampiresses gave him a withering look before gliding out of the room. Dracula paid them no heed as he continued to stare out the window.

"Gabriel," he murmured softly.

He thought back to his plan. It was going to attract Van Helsing to him instantly. Turning, he walked down to his dungeons, nearing roaring screeches. Pushing the wooden double doors open, he looked at the huge shaggy brown Werewolf chained to the floor, thrashing about as his Dwergei minions tried to subdue him with pitchforks.

"Werewolves are so disobedient during their first full moon," he observed quietly, approaching the snarling creature without a trace of fear on his face. He stared deep in the Werewolf's yellow eyes and smirked. "But you'll soon come to help me…"

The Werewolf growled and snapped its jaws, still trying to break free.

"… Won't you, Velkan?"

So, what did you think? Any comments, feedback? Please review, even just to say hi!