Chapter 12

Hunter becomes prey...

Van Helsing kept his guard as he traveled during the day to quickly get to Rome. He smirked at the idea that Carl probably said something to creature in a joke. 'Hopefully those chains will hold him,' he thought as he urged the horses to go faster.

For the past two to three nights he traveled nonstop from Transylvania to Rome. So far neither Dracula, his brides, nor Velkan have given him a surprise attack visit, not yet anyway. "So far so good," Van Helsing said as he passed the Carpathians. He did risk half a day to rest the horses and water them but soon as he felt enough was needed he got them back on the road again. Urging them to go faster in the snow of the mountains and again as they crossed over one bridge.

"We should be close to Budapest by now," he whispered to himself as night soon came. 'If they plan on doing something, now would be a good spot to do it,' he thought as he then saw that the mist and fog starting to surround them. The feeling of eyes came upon him as he also felt a chill go up his spine. He looked to the left side of the carriage as he heard a sound and a shadow come out of the corner of his eye. 'Guess I was right,' he thought to himself as he pulled out his crossbow ready to shoot. 'Let's hope Anna and Ana got no problems,' he added as he looked around searching for whoever would sneak attack him. As the carriage started to pass through an opening of rocks, Van Helsing was suddenly lifted off the driver's seat of the carriage which resulted him loosing his crossbow. Withing a second as he found that one of the brides had him, he grabbed at the wing his free hand could reach trying to make her drop him.

Which he succeeded as she let him go and fall down, landing on one of the leading horses. 'Thank God,' he thought to himself with relief. But his relief was short lived as he saw a few yards ahead of him a bridge that was completely destroyed.

'Oh no,' Van Helsing though as he turned around on the horse he was on, standing up carefully before he jumped onto the next horse and the next safely jumping to the driver's seat. But no sooner when he got to the seat, Aleera came out of nowhere and powerfully pushed him between the reins that held the horses in place. Van Helsing winced as he heard her screech fly over him. 'Great, now how am I going to get out of this?' he thought as he felt the horses get closer to the broken bridge. From above he could hear the brides gasps of worries, knowing that the carriage might not make it over the bridge.

Aleera and Verona gasped in horror as they saw the carriage where no doubt the to life for their children would be. They both held their breath as they watched the horses jump across the space of the broken bridge. Van Helsing's yelling echoed as he slowly flew up in mid air and then landed onto one of the horses in the back.

The carriage however wasn't able to make it across so easily as it broke from the reins and slowly started to fall into the cove of the bridge way. Van Helsing turned to look back at the bridge and heard the two brides screaming. "No!" they both screamed as they saw the carriage fall below them.

"We must not let the creature be destroyed!" Verona said as she and Aleera flew downward after the carriage as fast as they could. Verona managed to grab a hold on the top part of the carriage that was right where the door was. Aleera tried to get a good grip on one of the wheels but failed as she started to spin along with the wheel. "Save him!" she told Verona as she spun with the wheel. "Save the monster!" she added before her grip slipped and the powerful updraft of the wind bolted her upward.

Verona worked quickly knowing that she didn't have much time before the carriage would impact the ground. She ripped off the carriage door and started to look inside for the creature but she soon found out that as she looked inside that the carriage was empty! "What?!" she hissed in shock. Suddenly she spotted something at the door inside. Her eyes widen in fear as she saw sliver stakes! "Stakes!" she gasped in fear before screeching as she tried to fly away from it as far as she could. But she soon realized it was too late for her to escape as the carriage exploded and the stakes popped out of it like porcupine quills and some of them went right through her. She shrieked in pain as the stakes shot through her screaming no as she fell into the burning flames that soon turned her to ash.

-Meanwhile with Ana and the others.-

Ana sighed heavily as she urged the horses to go faster. For the last few days she and Anna took turns driving the carriage since they left Transylvania and Ana couldn't help but get annoyed with Frankie inside shouting and demanding they let him go. "If he demands that again one more time, I am going to kick him in his family jewels!" she softly whispered to herself as she had started her shift on driving early this morning.

From where she was, even with the loud horses hooves, she could now still hear him. "Let me go!" he shouted. "Where are you going to go?" she heard Carl ask him. "I don't know if you looked in the mirror lately, but you can stick out in a crowd," Carl added which made Ana snicker. 'Does he know his humor is going to get him killed one of these days?' she thought to herself.

She then heard a horse's neighing near by and she saw Van Helsing on the horses from his carriage. She smirked as she saw that his carriage was gone. 'Guess the red herring plan worked,' she thought as she saw Carl opened the door to look outside and potted him. "Get back inside Carl," Ana said in Anna's tone and accent. "We don't know if they saw inside the other carriage," she explained and Carl nodded his head in understanding before he shut the door. Van Helsing jumped onto the driver's seat next to Ana when the horses he rode on started to pass them. Van Helsing smiled at her in relief as he panted. "Did it work?" Ana asked him as she glanced at him.

"One down and one to go," he replied. "Verona just been vanquished," he added. "Then that leaves Aleera, Velkan and Dracula," Ana said softly before they heard a growling sound in front of them.

They both looked ahead to see Velkan in his werewolf form coming right at them head on! As soon as Velkan pounced at them both Van Helsing and Ana jumped to the sides of the carriage to avoid being Velkan's next kill. Velkan had landed on the roof of the carriage and busted one of the lanterns in the process making the roof light on fire. Van Helsing missed his chance to grab at the bar on the roof but he managed to grab onto a handle which he was relieved that he was safe. Inside Carl and Anna looked up as they had heard something land on the roof.

"Carl!" Ana shouted from outside as Carl turned to see Ana holding onto the bar outside. "Oh, my God!" he said as he then moved the curtain to see Ana better. He then opened the door and saw that they were now traveling on the edge of a ginormous cliff side.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked her in his panicked voice. "Carl!" Ana shouted at him as she tried to hang on as best as she could. "Right! Right! he said in an apologetic tone of voice. "Don't let go!" he said as he started to help her. 'What does he think I am doing now?' Ana thought to herself as he helped her. Anna stayed where she was in the carriage although she wanted to help Ana. 'I can't give myself away...' Anna thought to herself before there was a pounding on the other side of the door she was leaning against.

Van Helsing was starting to panic with fear as the handle he was holding was starting to break off of the carriage which would result him being killed by the wheel that was close to his family jewels. "Carl!" he shouted as he started to pound at the carriage door in a panic. "Carl!" he shouted again in a worried tone.

Frank looked at Carl and Ana with worry. "I can help!" he told them. "You won't kill me?" Carl asked in a scared tone. "Only if you don't hurry!" Frank replied as he showed Carl the lock. Carl then looked at Anna. "Help her while I free him!" he said before he quickly started to unlock the chains. Anna helped Ana hang on to the rail. 'I hope Carl makes it in time!' she prayed to herself.

Van Helsing was starting to panic as he felt the wheel between his legs start to be come really close to his jewels. Suddenly the handle broke off and Van Helsing braced himself to me killed by the wheel. But then he felt someone grab hold on him and looked up to see Frank holding onto him with super strength. Frank then lifted Van Helsing and tossed him to the driver's seat, making him land with his feet facing up and his back where his feet should be. Carl and Anna helped Ana onto the driver's seat laying right next to Van Helsing.

Carl and Frank nodded to one another for the good help. But as the Carriage was going into the woods in a safe area from the cliffs Carl, Anna and Frank saw through the back window Velkan growling at them. Frank yelled in fear as they watched Velkan climb to the roof.

Van Helsing and Ana looked up and as they both saw Velkan step on the roof roaring at them. Ana cried out in fear as she and Van Helsing watched Velkan slowly start to slowly become on fire. Suddenly Ana heard Frank yell in fear as she knew that Velkan must've cut the top of the room and the fire started to leak in. "Jump!" Van Helsing shouted as Velkan roared at them again. Ana nodded as she got up and jumped off from where she was, softly grunting as she rolled onto the ground after landing. She looked up from where she landed to see that Anna, Carl and Frank jumped off as well. "Hopefully Van Helsing made it," she softly whispered as she got up and limped to Anna who was closer. Ana felt a chill go through her as she heard Velkan's howl and the sound of a gun shot followed by the sound of an explosion...

Van Helsing had jumped off the carriage as he had missed as he landed on the ground with Velkan jumping after him. Thinking that he need a better advantage over Velkan, he started to run, hearing Velkan chasing him. Van Helsing then started to run and saw Velkan had pounced, Van Helsing took a shot before he quickly jumped to the side before Velkan could get him. Velkan had then sharply turned and knocked Van Helsing's guns out of his hands. Van Helsing struggled as he tried to keep Velkan's jaws away from his face.

Taking a risky chance, he then pulled one of his Tojo blades, pumping it up before making a cut at Velkan's arm and chest. Velkan howled in pain as he took a step away. Van Helsing rolled away and quickly got up leaving time to spare as Velkan tried to make a grab at him with one of his claws. Van Helsing took cover behind a giant rock to catch his breath before he heard a growl of anger right behind him.

Van Helsing jump rolled to the side and threw the spinning Tojo blade at Velkan. Velkan slashed it to the side with a growl before Van Helsing used the chance to go for one of his pistols and then pointed it towards Velkan's area but was shocked to find Velkan was gone. Van Helsing slowly stalked to where Velkan was but he then turned to hear Velkan's roar as he surprised Van Helsing and got a bite onto Van Helsing's chest making him cry out in pain. "Gahh!" Van Helsing yelled as he bashed a small stick into Velkan's eyes. Velkan yelped at that before he ran to the rocks where Van Helsing had started to run to, making another pounce to Van Helsing. But as Velkan was partly jumping up, Van Helsing took the shot with silver bullets into Velkan's chest making Velkan land on his back. Van Helsing sighed with relief as Velkan changed instantly back to normal. Velkan weakly looked at him.

"You have done me a great service," he said with a shaken voice. "You have freed me from my suffering," he added with a pained smile. "Now you must help my sister," Velkan said as he tried to speak more clearly before he would pass on.

"You must not let Dracula get the girl, the one called Anastasia," he added. "He wants her, and possibly will turn her into a bride is she gives into him," he said with fear in his eyes. "Protect her...and Anna," he said softly as he turned to his side laying against the rock. Van Helsing nodded his head as he got up. "I promise," he said softly as he saw Ana and Anna appear from the woods.

"Velkan," Anna softly whispered before she ran to him and gently turned him onto his back. She softly whispered his name as she gently made him look up at her. He looked up at her with a sad face. "Anna," he softly whispered to her as Ana looked at him trying to not cry as tears started to form in her eyes. "Forgive me," he softly said before he slowly shut his eyes and took his last breath, dying in her arms. Ana shed tears the same time Anna shed hers. "I will see you again," she softly whispered before she kissed Velkan's forehead. Ana made a soft crying sound before she heard Van Helsing walk up behind her.

"You killed him," she softly said forgetting to put on the accent and voice of Anna's. "You killed him!" she shouted as she pushed him against a small tree that was nearby. "Now you know why they call me 'murderer'," he said to her in a half pained and half angered tone of voice.

Ana was about to shout at him before she noticed that smear of red on his shirt. She moved part of his coat and her eyes widened in shock. "Oh, my God," she said with fear in her voice as Anna's. "You've been bitten," she said as she slowly started to back away from him fear shown on her face. Van Helsing turned away with a groan as he felt the venom of the bite go through him.

Ana had passed a tree backing away from Van Helsing before she had a chill go up her spine. She started to turn to her left and saw Aleera glaring at her. Before Ana could do anything, Aleera smacked her in the face making her run into a bolder rock that was near her. Ana rolled onto her back on the ground before she found herself being picked up by her leg by Aleera. "Van Helsing!" she shouted in Anna's voice as Aleera lifted her off the ground. Van Helsing and Anna looked up to where they saw Ana be lifted up off the ground. "Anna!" Van Helsing shouted as he and Anna ran after her through the woods following Aleera's cackling and Ana's shouts of struggling. When they were about to catch up with Aleera, they soon found themselves at a cliff area and were forced to watch Aleera fly away with Ana to where Van Helsing could see was a town or a city.

"Anna," Van Helsing softly whispered before he heard Carl and Frank ran up to them. Carl and Frank saw Aleera take Ana in the distance. "Now they got Anna," Carl said in a worried voice. "Not exactly," Anna said to them.

They all then looked at Anna with wide eyes. "Anna?" Van Helsing asked softly. Anna nodded her head. "If you're the real Anna," Carl said with worry. "Then the one they now have is..." he added before looking at where they saw Aleera flying to the city.

"Anastasia Ircus," Van Helsing softly said finishing what Carl was about to say. "We are close to Budapest," Anna said as she recognized the city. "We can try to find her there, and Dracula is going to want him if they are going to fulfill their plan," Carl nodded in agreement remembering what Van Helsing had told him before, pointing at Frank.

Van Helsing nodded his head in agreement before they all started to head to the city. Hoping that Dracula doesn't figure out that he has Ana and not Anna.

Author's note:

Here is my twelfth chapter of my fan fiction inspired by the Van Helsing movie and also a little written piece by a friend on Seduction of time!

After being sick with the cold for a few days I had to pause writing this moment in the story.

The fight between Velkan and van helsing took me a while to write out but after listening to the battle music I chose for it I think I got it down. And to figuring Ana is the one that is captured was something I wrote as a last detail since I couldn't see another change before my favorite scene in the movie which I am close to writing.

Hope you all like this chapter!

Here is the sound track for this chapter to help you with some of the bits in here:

26.) Transylvanian horses (starts at the beginning of the chapter and ends with Ana and the others jumping off.) [link]

27.) The circle by Blackmore's Night (starts at when Van Helsing jumps off and misses, ends when Velkan gets the shot. [Hope I got it that long... ] ) [link]

28.) Velkan Vanquished (Starts when Anna and Ana appear and ends at the end when Carl shows up with Frank.) [link]

Anastasia Ircus belongs to

Van Helsing belongs to Stephen Sommers and universal pictures/Studios

And all of the songs I place here for the sound track all belong to their movies, bands and composers that composed them.