Hey hey! Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday! Here is my gift to you: a brand new chapter of TLHoG. I've finished my first semester of college and it's going great! But who wants to listen to my ramblings, on with the story!
BTW, Anonymous person who said I didn't get my movie quotes right: I'm pretty sure the website I used for reference had it down pretty accurately. If you see any inconsistencies in the chapters that are part of the movie, please let me know what they are.
Chapter 8: The First Lost Fragment
Van Helsing decided that he needed to get to the bottom of this and fast. Every night he lay awake, afraid of feeling a pair of ghostly hands teasing his body again. Not that he usually got much sleep anyway, but this was more frustrating than waking up from the usual nightmares. At least Carl wouldn't notice anything, as he was certain the dark circles under his eyes were permanent by now and had been for a while.
After three more grueling days of travel, they finally reached the Valerious castle. Carl was hesitant to pass the gates after the last time they were almost welcomed. But Van Helsing was not deterred. He crossed the dirty stone arch marking the entrance to the Gypsy city with his companion scurrying at his heels. The peasants were still as dreary-looking as ever, but their faces held less somberness now that the Vampire threat had disappeared… or so they thought. When they noticed the familiar visitors slowly making their way towards the now deserted castle, many froze and began to eye them warily, but thankfully they did not approach them with pitchforks this time.
"You'd think that they would look more grateful," Carl muttered furtively, eyes darting from side to side searching for any signs of aggression.
"They probably think that if we're back, that can't be a good sign," Van Helsing whispered back.
Sure enough, one of the villagers approached them hesitantly. He was an old man, hunched over and covered in what seemed to be oily rags. Carl took one look at his crooked nose with a wart at the end and hid behind Van Helsing.
"Why have you returned?" he croaked fearfully, "Have you not defeated the Vampires?"
"Dracula is indeed dead," Van Helsing lied swiftly with a nod of his hat, "Unfortunately, the rest of Romania is not as lucky and we have decided to retrieve some information from the Valerious castle and take it with us, if you don't mind."
Carl stared at his companion open-mouthed while the other villagers remained silent. The old man turned to his fellows and saw that they were as motionless as statues, obviously not in any state to give him advice, so he turned back to the two and slowly nodded.
"The princess would have wanted you to destroy the rest of those creatures of Hell and save our country," he said.
Van Helsing felt a small painful twinge in his chest at the mention of Anna, but he gave a gruff salute to the man in response and marched up the hill towards the castle. Carl gave a frightful glance backwards at the still staring crowd and quickly followed him, trying not to trip on his robe.
The giant wooden doors opened with an uneasy creak. Van Helsing and Carl stepped inside and wrinkled their noses at the musty smell that infiltrated their senses.
"I suppose they haven't cleaned up since we last left." Carl kicked a goblet that had been lying on the floor. It rolled away in a circular motion, coming back to hit his toe softly.
"Come on." Van Helsing strode towards the staircase and jumped three steps at a time, eager to get to the top. He didn't even wait to see if Carl had caught up before barging into the library. All of the scrolls and books they had pored over weeks ago had remained untouched.
"Haven't the servants done their jobs at all?" Carl huffed, "I mean, the tenants might no longer be alive, but I think it's disrespectful to let it all – "
"Carl!" Van Helsing snapped.
"Right. Sorry."
Van Helsing pulled out more books from the shelves dealing with creatures of the night and began flipping through the dusty pages. "We need to find anything pertaining to Vampire resurrection."
"But why would they have this dangerous method of killing a Vampire if there's still a way to resurrect it?" Carl asked.
"We need to find it!" Van Helsing threw the book he had been flipping through over his shoulder and opened a new one. "Dracula is somehow still alive and we need to know why."
Carl didn't waste any time and immediately joined his friend in the research. They looked through scrolls and texts, neither of them noticing the sun slowly beginning to set behind the sharp mountains through the open windows.
Carl yawned as he closed the twentieth or so book he had been leafing through, but his face never lacked determination.
"Found anything?" Van Helsing asked, his eyes never leaving the scroll he was examining.
"No," Carl said pointedly, "We have gone through half the books on Vampires, re-read the legends of the Valerious family, even examined the painting that told us how to supposedly defeat Dracula and nothing! There are no loopholes! Dracula is supposed to be dead!"
"But he isn't, Carl!" growled Van Helsing, "He's still alive! He keeps talking to me in my mind, taunting me! There must be some explanation!"
"You don't think he's talking to you from Hell, do you?" Carl frowned.
Van Helsing smiled grimly. "I doubt even Dracula has that kind of power."
Carl shrugged and returned to poring over his parchment. His eyes stopped roving over the lines for a moment. "Strange…" he muttered.
Van Helsing leaned over to see what he was reading. "What is it?"
"Do you remember when I mentioned there being a vague reference to the left hand of God?"
"No."
Carl sighed. "Well it is mentioned in the text pertaining to Dracula's murder. I've just re-read the passage and it seems a bit odd to me."
Van Helsing pulled the scroll closer to him so he could read.
In fire did Dragul's body burn and his soul cast to Hell
Slain by the Left Hand of God
From Holy sword plunged into him he fell
But cursèd life anew may be breathed into him
If the spirit and hand that did the slaying did not mean it well.
"It's very unclear," Carl muttered, "Is the Left Hand of God a person? Or the weapon itself? "
"How could he have been killed twice and still return to life?" Van Helsing mused.
"If the spirit and hand that did the slaying did not mean it well. Well that's not very helpful," Carl huffed.
Van Helsing merely sat looking at the text, his index finger grazing his lips. Suddenly, he stood up and put his hat back on.
"Where are you going?" Carl asked, turning his head to follow his friend's movements.
"To Castle Dracula."
"We're not going back to that awful place, are we?" Carl said fearfully.
Van Helsing stopped in front of the giant map of Transylvania, the portal to Dracula's lair. He looked down at the small piece of parchment given to him by the Order, which Carl had put back in its original place.
"What if it doesn't work this time?" Carl asked, looking for any reason not to go back to that icy fortress.
Van Helsing spared him a quick glance before turning back to the painting. He pressed his palm against it and whispered urgently, "In the name of God, open this door."
The ice began to form under his palm and spread underneath his fingertips until it slowly engulfed the entire map once more. Van Helsing heard Carl whimper behind him but paid no mind.
"Come on," he said before pressing against the cold mirror and slowly walking through to the other side. He was hit with a blast of icy wind and quickly covered himself in his overcoat. Carl tumbled through the door after him and landed in the snow.
"Why are we here again?" he coughed and spluttered, trying to get the snow out of his face.
"Dracula will be in there." Van Helsing gestured towards the foreboding castle that now stood with its walls half crumbling. The horrid weather was not helping its condition.
As Van Helsing took a few slow steps forward, he narrowed his eyes. "Carl…" he said slowly, "Do you notice something strange?"
Carl swept the last of the snow from his robes and joined his companion. "What do you mean?" he looked up at the castle, trying to discern anything peculiar. He frowned for a moment, and then his mouth opened in slight apprehension. "The windows are lit."
They looked at each other briefly before looking back up at the castle.
"Someone is in there," Van Helsing said, "And I hope I know who it is."
The trek to the castle was no more pleasant than the first time, but they eventually made it. The doors were unlocked and they pushed them open, a more civil entrance than their last one. But Van Helsing no longer had his Werewolf abilities. The place was a mess, but they did not stay long enough to inspect anything once it seemed that the entrance held no signs of life.
"The lights came from upstairs," Van Helsing said. He ran for the staircase before Carl could react.
"Always climbing up things," the friar muttered exasperatedly, "For once I'd like to climb down something."
The circular staircase never seemed to end, but Van Helsing kept climbing until he finally reached the top. The scene before him was not what he had expected. Carl joined him moments later and froze as he reached the last step.
Several dwergei stood around what used to be the lab, weapons in hand, giggling in their high-pitched yet evil voices.
"You didn't kill all of them?" Carl yelled, his voice faltering.
"We were a little pressed for time before but if you want, now's our chance!" Van Helsing dodged a flying axe and hurled himself into battle. He swiped at the little creatures and managed to adjust his crossbow, shooting arrows at those farther off and kicking the ones that were closer.
Carl ran from a few dwergei who pursued him with unidentifiable torture instruments. Panicking, he grabbed a nearby piece of machinery and threw it at them, effectively knocking them to the ground.
Meanwhile, Van Helsing was having a little difficulty trying not to get his legs chopped off. One of the vile little things managed to jump onto his back and was attempting to strangle him. He swung around madly, trying to pry it off until a deep voice resonated throughout the destroyed lab.
"Leave him!"
Immediately, the dwergei released Van Helsing and the others scurried off to head towards the speaker. They stopped behind a tall, pale figure with black hair sweeping down his back. He grinned at the hunter, his fangs visible from under his upper lip and his cold blue eyes glittering with a force that could not possibly be life.
"Dracula."
"Gabriel! I knew you would come to me." The Vampire gestured towards a flustered Carl. "Take him away. I need to speak to Gabriel alone. And don't be too rough with him."
The dwergei obeyed and quickly grabbed a terrified Carl, who struggled against the grip of twelve pairs of arms.
"Van Helsing!" he cried out as the minions dragged him out of the lab.
"CARL!" Van Helsing ran towards him but was suddenly hurled against the wall and hit the stone with a crunch. He groaned in pain and could only helplessly hear his friend's cries for help. Dracula had him pinned between the wall and his body, his grin very close to Van Helsing's face.
"Don't you dare hurt him!" he threatened, trying to clear his mind of haze.
"Don't worry, Gabriel. I did not tell my minions to kill him."
Van Helsing struggled against Dracula's grip but was no match for the Vampire's superhuman strength. If he couldn't get free, he could at least get some answers. "How can you still be alive?" he asked with a snarl.
Dracula hummed quietly before running the tip of his nose down Van Helsing's cheek. His lips came to rest upon the hunter's ear and he chuckled, making his captive shiver despite himself.
"That is a question that you can answer yourself," he whispered cryptically.
Frustrated, Van Helsing renewed his efforts to free himself vigorously, but was no more successful. Dracula's grip on his wrists was so tight that he felt his fingers go numb from lack of circulation.
"Gabriel… There are no more plans to seek revenge against humanity. There are no more brides to hold and talk to. There is only you and I, as it once was."
Dracula's thumb slowly traced the ring on Van Helsing's finger, following the dragon's pattern.
"Take it back if you want," Van Helsing spat, "I want nothing of yours."
Dracula's smug face suddenly twisted with anger. He slammed Van Helsing harder against the wall and grabbed his jaw with a painful tightness that the hunter felt his teeth almost shatter.
"That ring was a gift to you!" the Vampire hissed furiously, "It was a promise made over four hundred years ago! You vowed never to part from it!"
"I'm breaking that vow as of this moment," Van Helsing said through Dracula's grip. His hate for the creature before him was rising steadily. If only he could reach for his crossbow…
Dracula gave a strangled cry that was filled with anger and also pain and lunged towards Van Helsing. The hunter shut his eyes, waiting for his neck to be bitten and devoured, but instead he felt a hungry mouth ravage his own and his eyes snapped up in shock. Dracula coaxed his mouth open and pressed his knee between Van Helsing's legs. The hunter's mind went completely blank but soon his instincts took over and he began to respond to the kiss, even letting Dracula lure his tongue into his mouth. The knee rubbing against him made him moan as he felt a strange pleasure stirring deep within him. But his mind soon regained sense and he realized what foolishness he was doing. In a fit of rage, he bit hard on Dracula's tongue, feeling the blood pour out of the wound. But the Vampire merely chuckled and thrust his tongue deeper into Van Helsing's mouth, letting his blood run over his teeth and palate. Van Helsing gave a strangled scream and finally, Dracula let go of him. He fell to his knees, coughing and spiting out the Vampire's blood. For a moment, he thought he would be sick.
Dracula watched him wipe a shaky hand across his lips, his face now looking melancholy. But Van Helsing did not care if he showed such emotions now. He would feel no pity.
"Gabriel…"
"You should have stayed dead." Van Helsing's voice was hoarse. He rose unsteadily to his feet and reached for his crossbow. He may not be able to kill him with it, be he hoped to God it could still inflict pain upon his undead body.
"Gabriel, you don't mean it." Dracula took a step forward, but Van Helsing pointed his crossbow straight at his chest. "You know you can't kill me."
Van Helsing narrowed his eyes. "I did it once!"
"Twice, actually."
"Third time's the charm."
Dracula chuckled. Oh, how Van Helsing hated seeing those pointed teeth peeking out so dangerously from his lips. The Vampire moved forward, waiting for Van Helsing to fire. But to the hunter's own surprise, his finger did not pull the trigger. He stared at Dracula, eyes wide, almost as if he were mad and his breathing shallow.
Do it. Shoot him now…
But why? It won't kill him.
Pain… Make him feel pain...
But what if he doesn't feel pain? What's the point?
Dracula took advantage of his petrified state to grab the crossbow and toss it out of the way. He curled his fingers around Van Helsing's and kissed him again. Only this time, there was no passion or aggression to it. It was very tender, a soft press of lips upon lips.
This terrified Van Helsing more than anything else. How could a Vampire be so gentle? He felt his whole body tense and Dracula's soft kiss lingered, still as gentle as a lamb.
Van Helsing heard ragged sobbing coming from the room. He was so confused that he didn't realize right away that the dry sobs were coming from his mouth. He felt pain suddenly erupt from his chest as Dracula kept on kissing him. He became angry when he felt his eyes well up with tears. He hadn't cried since Anna's death, and even then, he was certain he hadn't sobbed as he was doing now.
He felt like this was familiar, this soft touch and kiss from the creature before him. He couldn't remember ever doing this with anyone, yet his pounding chest was telling him that yes, he had done this before. In the life he could not recall; the one he had before the Order had found him passed out on the steps of the Vatican.
The frustration was too much. Dracula was making him feel sensations he thought himself unworthy of feeling after all the pain he had caused, and certainly not with a creature from Hell. They were both too steeped in sin to be able to feel such delights together. And this feeling! This nagging feeling tugging from his contracted heart telling him that he had once felt this joy. The joy that now made him feel disgusting and repulsed.
"ENOUGH!" Van Helsing's voice echoed and bounced off the walls of the destroyed laboratory. He shoved Dracula away with what little strength he had left and crumpled against the wall, feeling more vulnerable than he had ever remembered feeling.
Dracula was panting harshly and looking at the wreck of a bounty hunter with wide eyes, his hands flexing as if he were longing to touch him again. If he did, he restrained himself from doing so.
"Did you feel it, Gabriel? The sweetness? I have not felt that in over four hundred years!" the Vampire laughed, letting his long nails trail down his cheeks as if he were recalling a lover's touch. "Did you feel that joy, Gabriel? That was what you and I once felt."
Van Helsing refused to look at Dracula. He was still hunched over against the wall, covering his face in his hands so he wouldn't see his tears. But Dracula could tell by the uneven shaking of his curved back that he was still crying.
"What did you do to me?" he finally whispered venomously.
There was no response. Slowly, Van Helsing peeked out from under his arms, only to see Dracula still standing there. So, the Vampire wanted to look at him. Van Helsing stared back defiantly.
"I gave you a taste of your past," Dracula said, "I have unlocked the part of your memory pertaining to your emotions. You can now feel what you used to."
"I don't understand."
Dracula walked to the open window, sweeping up snow from the ledge onto his finger. "I know how to give you back your full memories. I can show you what you used to be… What I used to be. I can… give it all back to you." He blew the snow from his finger in Van Helsing's direction, although he was too far away to feel it.
"In Budapest," Dracula continued, "I will wait for you."
"What?" Van Helsing said disbelievingly, "You would have me travel all over Romania chasing you for my memories?"
"In Budapest," the Vampire repeated, coming closer now, "Only there can I help you regain your memories. "
Van Helsing stared at him for a moment before punching his face hard. Dracula's head reeled but he quickly spun back to face the hunter with glowing red eyes.
"You put me through my own internal hell just now and you think I will follow you like a puppy?" Van Helsing growled.
Dracula was obviously very displeased with his behavior and latched onto him with a screech worthy of a banshee. Van Helsing fell flat on the cold stone floor and had no time to protect himself as he felt sharp fangs sinking into his neck. He yelled at the pain, though he had been through worse. He scrabbled at Dracula's back, trying to pry him off, but felt his body weaken.
Dracula slowly suckled on his neck before suddenly letting him go. He stared at the drained Van Helsing in slight shock, before quickly pressing a shaky kiss to the wound. Van Helsing winced as he felt his muscle and skin sow back together until the pain ebbed.
"My Gabriel… Forgive me. I have been this… this thing for so long that I sometimes forget what little humanity I still hold on to."
Van Helsing slowly rose a hand to the wound, only to find no open punctures, but merely traces of blood. Dracula had healed his bite mark. He looked up at the Vampire, who bent down to press one last kiss on his lips. Van Helsing's protests were muffled. Once again, he felt the nagging of reminiscence, but it was thankfully brief as Dracula rose.
"I will wait for you in Budapest," he said in a surprisingly calm tone, considering his sudden fright just a few moments earlier. "I know you will come, Gabriel."
Before his eyes, Van Helsing watched as he twirled about, turning into the disgusting bat-like creature he had defeated in his Werewolf form… or so he had thought.
It screeched loudly, making his ears ring, before flapping its giant wings and flying out through the window.
Van Helsing stared, breathing harshly. He stood up and looked at the moon rising above the snow-covered mountains, completely silent.
He didn't move even as he heard stumbling behind him and Carl's frantic whimpers reached his ears.
"Van Helsing!" the friar panted, "Oh, thank Heavens! Those… awful things had me tied up and proceeded to tickle me! Now don't laugh, but it is pure torture if one does it to you without letting up! I nearly wet my robes and I never want to go through that again! But the moment we all heard this horrible scream, they all went into a frenzy and ran! I managed to untie myself because for some odd reason they only used rope! Then again, we did destroy most of their equipment and – "
A terrifying roar that came from Van Helsing interrupted Carl's monologue. He jumped almost a foot in the air, fearing that his friend had turned into a Werewolf again. But Van Helsing remained human; he merely acted like a beast, throwing broken pieces everywhere, kicking and tearing whatever he could get his hands on.
"Van Helsing, stop!" Carl pleaded, trying to get close to his friend, "You're only destroying wreckage!"
Van Helsing did stop in the middle of his carnage and slumped to his knees. His long damp hair covered his face, so Carl couldn't tell what his expression was, but the harsh panting was enough to worry him.
"Van Helsing?" he placed a tentative hand on his friend's back and was startled as he was grabbed into a fierce, desperate hug. Van Helsing clung to Carl's arms like lifelines, his frame trembling.
"He has my… my memories!" Van Helsing gasped, "But now, I… I don't know if I want to remember!"
Carl didn't say anything, but let Van Helsing hold on to him. The best he could do for his friend right now was let him lean on him for a moment. Soon, he would be back to the independent bounty hunter he always was. He had gone through the same thing after Anna's death.
Then again, Van Helsing hadn't been as shaken as this.
As usual, please leave a word if you have the time! Thank you and Happy New Year! Let's hope for great things for '09!