The fifth chapter is up! I hope it was worth the wait! Once again, I tahnk you for your support, and I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter.
I spent almost the entirety of June writing this chapter between the heat waves, tiring hours at work and the stress of moving house, and what little time I had, I went back to this chapter, invested as I was and eager I was to get back to it, so I hope you'll appreciate the dedication I have for this fanfiction :P
As always, all my thanks to IDemon from Discord for beta-reading this story!
Alfred woke up the next morning feeling rejuvenated. Gone were the headache, the shivers, the dizziness, and the exhaustion. He was more alert and in very good health. If he didn't know better, he would have thought he never got sick in the first place. It seemed a good night sleep and Professor Abronsius' medicine did wonders!
He looked around him and saw the day was in full bloom. The sun was shining brightly through the window, so much that it was hard to imagine last night had been so dark and menacing. Near his bed, a trolley had been left where breakfast was waiting for him. Alfred was quite hungry, but he inspected the meal before him. The food looked and smelled delicious enough, and he didn't think it was in their host's interest to poison him. His suspicion satisfied, he ate, enjoying the warm bread with butter and jam. He held back a moan of pleasure as he found honey was added to his milk. It was the finest breakfast he had eaten in weeks!
After such a delicious breakfast, he wanted nothing more but to partake in a hot bath, but the thought of leaving his room all alone made him hesitate. One look at the castle from the outside had been enough for him to guess how vast the place was, and the prospect of leaving the safety of his room to wander alone in the castle didn't seem wise. Additionally, he didn't think its owners would have put up signposts for their guests.
He sighed. Now that they were in the castle, he wondered what will happen next. The best case scenario was the success of their mission: either they would manage to find and vanquish any vampire haunting the place – however improbable and unsettling the situation was for Alfred – or they would find enough evidence to prove the existence of vampires to the world and get out of the castle alive and unharmed. The worst scenario would be their own death… or becoming the very things they were hunting. He recalled Count von Krolock's words advising him against pursuing such dangerous studies - they would get more than they bargained for.
Was the Count warning them… or was he predicting their fate?
Alfred shuddered, then clutched his hand into a fist.
It won't happen! he vowed to himself.
He didn't know what fate had in store for him, for them, but he knew he wouldn't have to face it alone. As long as he had his old friend and mentor Abronsius by his side, he knew he could rely on him, and even the impossible would be possible. And while his situation looked like nothing they had ever faced before, Alfred wanted to cling to that hope. It was one of the only things he had left.
He wondered what the Professor had planned for them today, now they had reached the castle.
He slipped out of bed and quickly dressed himself before walking to the next room. He gently knocked to the door to announce his presence before opening the door. He quickly found Professor Abronsius getting dressed. The old man's eyes lightened upon seeing his assistant.
"Alfred, my boy! I was about to wake you up! How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?"
"Yes I did, and I'm feeling good," Alfred softly answered. He looked at his mentor from head to toe and was glad to find the old man in good shape. It seemed the night had been uneventful for both of them.
His professor approached him and checked his temperature with a wrinkled hand on his forehead.
"The fever is gone, that's good!"
"It did, all thanks to your med-"
But Abronsius wasn't listening to him, instead cutting him off.
"So, what do you think of our host? Pretty enigmatic, isn't he?"
Years of working with Professor Abronsius, first as his student and then as his assistant, made Alfred used to his mentor's habits. He would easily get distracted and change topics, sometimes even without realizing it, eager as he was to talk about whatever suddenly got his attention. Alfred couldn't help but feel downhearted, but knew it would be useless to try and get Abronsius' attention on another matter than the one he had his head on.
"His behaviour is certainly suspicious," Alfred answered, recalling Herbert's odd behaviour the night before. "He never gave us his last name, and despite it being pretty late when we reached the castle, he was still awake."
"Right, my boy! And why wouldn't he reveal his name to us, unless it would compromise him? 'A name too difficult for strangers to pronounce.' Pwah! I don't buy it! He is hiding something from us!"
"Do you think we're in Castle von Krolock, then?"
They had to be, Alfred thought. Their presence here couldn't be a coincidence, with Herbert's refusal to share his last name and their rooms being cleaned and dusted as if they had been expected. Not to mention, their host invited them in very quickly. Surely travellers were rare in this part of the country, yet Herbert didn't seem very surprised to receive visitors so late at night. It was as if he had been told of their arrival…
Abronsius seemed to share his suspicions, because he nodded. "I don't think so, my boy. I'm sure of it!
"I tried to get some information from him while he showed me my room... but our host is very secretive! As closed as a tomb! He wouldn't reveal anything! But I managed to get a small, but meaningful clue from him!"
"What? Did he reveal something?"
"Indeed he did! No doubt it wasn't his intention, but nothing can escape my notice! I played the gracious visitor… I apologised for our late arrival, he dismissed it and replied: 'I am a night owl, not very useful during the day.'. It was almost a confession!"
Alfred agreed it was an odd choice of words, especially coming from someone they suspected to be a vampire. He thought it could also be a coincidence. Alfred and Abronsius themselves were no strangers to late nights where they stayed up working. However, when he remembered their host, he couldn't think it was a simple coincidence…
"Vampires are creatures of the night. They fear the sun, and thus they hide in dark places. Where do you think they hide, my boy?"
Alfred only had to think for a couple of seconds.
"A cemetery… or a crypt."
He was fairly sure this ancient building would have one of those, if not both.
"Good, my boy!" Abronsius congratulated and Alfred flushed at the praise. "I hope you're in good shape, Alfred! We've got a lot on our plate!"
"What have you planned, Professor?"
"Why, investigating the castle to look for a crypt! That is much obvious!" Abronsius replied in a nonchalant way, as if he didn't just suggest to inspect a vampire's lair.
Investigating a castle full of vampires, with his stubborn, absent-minded mentor who had the nasty habit of getting lost, even in his own university.
Alfred had a really bad feeling about it.
They made their way down the hall.
Alfred wasn't sure what to think of the castle.
His eyes kept darting back and forth warily. Somehow, it felt wrong to wander into these dark corridors and disturb the quiet around him. He often glanced back and around himself. There were moments where he felt like they were being watched or even followed. But when he looked back, he saw nothing suspicious, and Abronsius scolded him for slacking off. Perhaps his mentor was right and that this place was simply making him paranoid.
Professor Abronsius remained calm and focused, and Alfred envied him. It seemed nothing could unsettle him! On the contrary, the old man inspected the castle through a scientist's eyes and he would give Alfred historical and art history lessons whenever he saw something peculiar. A couple of paintings from the 18th century, furniture from the 17th. Nothing seemed to escape his mentor's notice and not even a vampire hunt could shut up the Professor in him. Alfred listened to his lessons with rapt interest. Even if he was familiar with some of the topics, Abronsius' lessons were a nice distraction from his anxiety.
They couldn't see everything, for the castle was big, and the size was exaggerated further by the emptiness and silence. Surely, such a place should be buzzing with life, with servants going about their daily routines! Yet, their paths crossed no one's but a few mice's and spiders and so they remained undisturbed.
There was no trace of their host either, which only confirmed their suspicions. What kind of host wouldn't show his face during daytime, what kind of aristocrat would live in a castle devoid of servants and entertainment, unless he had something to hide?
The rest of the castle offered quite a contrast to his room, he remarked. The curtains and furniture were dusty, the air had a stale smell and most rooms were either closed or plunged into darkness, for nobody bothered to open the curtains. Yet his room had been dusted off and thoroughly cleaned, and Alfred was once again reminded of the dreadful fact: They had been expected. He shuddered at the realisation. Thankfully, it was daytime, so they should be safe for as long as the sun was up… hopefully.
Their wandering feet eventually took them to the great entrance hall and Alfred gasped. It had been plunged into darkness the night before and Alfred had been too worn by sickness to pay closer attention to his surroundings. It was so vast, a whole house could have fit inside. The daylight projected a sea of colours through the long stained glass windows on the polished floor. Portraits of gaunt, almost threatening faces were hanged on dark red walls. Alfred shivered as he looked at the portraits. It felt like every one of them were staring at him.
At the end of the hall, they spotted the massive wooden doors leading outside.
Cold air blew bitterly, chilling him to the bones. Amongst the trees, the wind seemed to whisper and a fresh chill ran anew down his spine.
They walked through the alleys until they reached the castle's cemetery. The iron gates of the entrance squeaked when they opened it, disturbing the unsettling quiet of the place.
Alfred shivered. He would never be comfortable with graveyards. He would go to Koenigsberg's cemetery to pay respects to his late parents and bring them flowers, but he never liked the heavy silence and the atmosphere of loss that resided inside.
They discovered crooked and unadorned headstones with dried flowers and wreaths, towering monuments, and even destroyed chapels. There were gargoyles that seemed to follow them with their empty gazes. Alfred knew they were lifeless, if not gaunt, creatures made of stone, but still he couldn't help but feel uneasy as he looked at them. In another part of the cemetery, he could see a marble sculpture of a winged skeleton giving a kneeling and half naked young man the kiss of death. On other graves, he saw statues of women laying and weeping on the lid of the tomb.
They could spot no religious symbols on the stones, which made sense if they were indeed in the home of vampires.
They wandered through the alleys of graves. Abronsius pushed away the snow and dirt on old carvings to reveal a name. Alfred leaned down when Abronsius gestured at him. Breda von Krolock were the words engraved on the stone.
Alfred stilled. He had his suspicions, but the truth was still unnerving. They were indeed in Castle von Krolock, the Count's residency, which mean His Excellency was there, somewhere, and the very thought filled him with dread.
In contrast, Abronsius looked like a child on Christmas day.
"Do you see? This is the grave of a von Krolock! I bet you a Nobel Prize other graves belong to this family!" Abronsius whispered excitedly.
"Do you think the Count might rest somewhere, in the cemetery?" Alfred nervously asked.
"Hum... it seems very unlikely," Abronsius replied, rubbing his chin. "Most of these graves are worn by time. I don't think this Count and our host lay here... No, no... This is a Count we're talking about! Surely, he must rest inside a crypt, inside a spacious sarcophagi! And this is precisely what we're looking for! Now, come, boy! We mustn't slack off!"
Abronsius was almost running through the alleys, excitedly looking around while Alfred trailed after him.
They eventually found a building resembling a mausoleum. However, when they opened the door, they could see no burial chambers, just a dark staircase that looked like a pitch black hole.
Armed with a candle, they descended on the passageway of a narrow staircase before reaching the underground. They found themselves in a large, circular room with damp, mouldering stonework. Though the air was musty and thick, it wasn't oppressive and they could breathe freely. Alfred looked all around him. Thick walls of stones were stacked right up to the ceiling with rustic pillars and frescos where they could still see the figures but that had long lost their colours.
"What a strange place," Alfred remarked.
"We must be at the entrance of a mausoleum," Abronsius replied as he gazed appreciatively at the handiwork. "This is good! It means we're on the right path, my boy!"
As they wandered through the place to explore it, an unnatural silence took hold. The only thing that broke it was the uneasy shuffle of their feet and the sound of a pen scratching on paper as Abronsius was frenetically writing down notes. He most probably wanted to memorize everything he was seeing.
They crossed a long and dark corridor until they reached another room.
It was the strangest place Alfred had ever seen in his life.
The walls of either side of them were composed of human bones, skulls and long bones arranged in changing, decorative patterns. Femurs were stacked like bricks, skulls sticking out with some missing orbitals and teeth or their lower jaw. Each of them seemed to look and grin at them, greeting them in a grotesque, morbid way and the hair of the back of Alfred's neck stood up.
"Oh," Alfred breathed. "This is…"
"Fascinating, I know!" Abronsius cut in excitedly. "We must be in an ossuary!"
Alfred looked at him, almost disbelieving. Fascinating wasn't the word he was thinking of when seeing the crypt. Dreadful most definitely. Also, unsettling. And yet, he thought back, perhaps Abronsius' interest wasn't so strange when you looked closely upon the room. Pillars, crosses and symmetrical designs were covering the walls, arranged alongside the rests of broken, nameless corpses. There was some sort of macabre beauty in this strange form of art. It resembled heathen temples of old, a place where mankind left its mark, yet forgot and left it to be reclaimed by time itself. It was grim yet strangely fascinating. Something writers and artists from the romantic era would have found inspiring.
Sometimes, he would see placards on the walls, cemented between the bones, but they did not help them in the slightest for they bore words centuries of neglect erased, or worse, some grim poem or quote written in Latin.
FOOLS!
Abandon all hope
You, who dare enter here.
You are in the realm of His Majesty, Death.
Where the dead lay
Awaiting another life.
Comforting, Alfred thought. So comforting, and helpful too! Just what we need!
"All of this isn't very reassuring, Professor," Alfred worryingly breathed.
Abronsius brushed off his worries with an energetic gesture of the hand, as if he wanted to shoo away a nasty fly. He tutted in a reproving tone. "Now is not the time to back away, my boy! Did Columbus hesitate when he was about to discover America? Did Daniel's courage falter when he was thrown into the lion's den? No, they stayed strong and true and so shall we!"
"Discovering a new country is very different from hunting vampires," Alfred dared to remark.
"Hush, boy!" Abronsius reprimanded him. "This is a serious matter. We can't overlook the goal of our mission! In the name of science, we must be ready for anything!"
Alfred internally sighed. There was no point in sharing his worries with his mentor. He simply wouldn't hear them. Either he would continue to scold him for his lack of enthusiasm and make Alfred feel like an inexperienced school boy, or he would ignore Alfred, much to his chagrin. He wished his professor would listen to him and take his worries seriously, just for once.
But no avail. When Professor Abronsius had his mind set on something, nothing and nobody could stop him. Alfred looked down. There were times he really longed for someone to just… pay attention to him, listen to his thoughts and worries without mocking or dismissing them, and make him feel like a person. He knew Abronsius was a good man deep down and Alfred was fond of him, this strange little man, but he could be difficult to live with.
He shook his head, and trailed after the other man, continuing on their journey inside the crypt.
Here and there, air changed temperature and scent. Some areas were damp, filled with puddles, ground water seeping through cracks in the rock. In other areas, the ground was dry and dusty. As they walked, they could discern a faint odour of decay in the air. It smelled like upturned earth, old stone and chrysanthemums.
It smelled like Death itself.
And Alfred understood.
They found a burial place.
The place they found was a vast vault supported by massive columns and where the smell was at its strongest. Before them, two rows of ancient sarcophagi made of stone.
They approached the tombs, examining them closely. They looked for clues, an inscription giving away a name, or any sign of wear that would betray the frequent use of the coffins. However, each sarcophagus was covered in dust and dirt and cobwebs. Some of them were demolished and devoured by time itself, reclaimed by nature. A couple of tombs were even devoid of bodies. It soon became obvious this burial place had been long abandoned. It most probably had been years, even centuries, since someone last laid a foot inside the crypt.
Abronsius huffed with disappointment. Alfred heard him muttering to himself and looking around the room. He was most probably looking for other clues, maybe something they missed.
Alfred took his notebook from his pocket, he opened it and began to write his observations, using the lid of a sarcophagus near him as support. His attention was brought back when Professor Abronsius tugged at his sleeve. Without a word, he gestured to the ceiling at Alfred with the tip of his closed umbrella. Through the light was weak, he could discern several black forms hanging upside down and recognize them. They were a small flock of bats. He couldn't tell how many they were, maybe five or more. They looked like they were sleeping peacefully. Alfred couldn't help but smile. You could trust his old professor to find bats, no matter where they were. Much like the creatures he loved to study, he seemed to have a radar capable of locating them.
"Well, what do you think, my boy?"
"They seem like an ordinary flock of bats, Professor."
"Hmm… yes. They seem like ordinary bats, aren't they? But are they? Think about that, my lad! We can't afford to be wrong!"
Alfred could see his point. The disastrous adventure with the Count von Krolock forever changed their perception of bats, and they needed – more than ever – to observe bats more carefully. They didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past.
He examined the small animals closely. While Krolock, as a bat, had been large with a black fur, the bats looked smaller and their fur more brownish than dark. However, he couldn't discern more through the darkness of the crypt.
"Professor, do you really think they might be… vampires?"
After all, bats were commonly known to use places such as crypts as shelter; he thought.
"They might be, my boy! That is a possibility we can't overlook."
"We're not sure about that, though. They could be normal bats, and not vampires."
"They could be, and I do hope so! However… we can't take any risks!"
"How can we make sure of that, without harming them?" Alfred asked.
Abronsius' lips were pressed into a thin white line. He disliked the thought of harming animals as much as Alfred did, and the very notion of harming bats, the sacred animals in his universe, was simply unthinkable.
He frowned, deep in his thoughts before his expression lightened up. He put his bag on the floor and looked inside while Alfred watched curiously, wondering what his mentor was looking for. He let out a triumphant cry as he showed Alfred.
It was a vial of holy water. Alfred stared at him in bewilderment before understanding shone in his eyes.
Oh.
OH!
He wasn't seriously planning to…
Abronsius opened the vial, his intent clear.
He was definitely planning to.
Alfred suddenly had a bad feeling about it.
As the professor walked closer to the flocks of sleeping bats, Alfred took a few steps back and warily watched.
Abronsius took aim.
And threw the holy water.
It turned out, in the end, they were just a flock of ordinary greater horseshoe bats, one of the largest species in Europe but insectivorous and quite shy and harmless to man, except when they were suddenly woken up from their hibernation by a bizarre old man mistaking them for vampires and throwing holy water at them to prove a point. The bats were most definitely upset by this unorthodox wake up call and Alfred and Abronsius both quickly found themselves before distressed bats, screaming furiously before flying. Right. At. Them.
There was something definitely impressive upon seeing those formidable bats forming a large and dark cloud but they couldn't and didn't dwell on that point. Survival instinct was kicking in and running away was the logical thing to do in that very moment.
Being chased, Alfred decided, was nothing like the books he so enjoyed reading. The character always looked heroic and in command of the situation, his steps controlled and sure. Reality proved things to be very different. Abronsius and himself most probably looked more like a pair of fools than brave and strong characters from storybooks. For one, they weren't being pursued by a formidable villain but a flock of distressed bats screaming furiously after them. Second, they were running in a scattered way; sometimes they slipped into a puddle or took a wrong turn, or their faces caught in a spider's web, making fools of themselves.
"No, no, no! This way, this way! Ach, wrong turn! Blasted place!"
Some vampire hunters they were! Alfred thought.
He could have cried with relief when they found their way out, the day's light greeting them with its comforting rays. Only when they slammed the crypt's door shut they allowed themselves rest. Leaning against the walls of the crypt, they panted, trying to catch their breath.
"Ah… Mein Gott! Such feisty little critters they are!" Abronsius breathed heavily.
"Are you all right, Professor?" Alfred inquired.
"Yes! Yes! Don't fret, my boy! It's just a couple of bites! A bit of disinfectant and I'll be as good as new!"
Alfred did not doubt it. While Professor Abronsius was past his prime, he never let his age slow him down and was as vibrant and quick as he must have been in his youth, his eyes always full of intelligence and vivacity and the way he moved was nervous and agitated.
He thought back on the strange afternoon they spent and almost snickered of the comedic aspect of it.
"I guess curiosity does bite, Professor!" he couldn't help but remark.
Abronsius frowned, he obviously didn't find the situation as comic as Alfred did. "Hush! Trying to get smart with me, boy?"
"Oh no, sir, I wouldn't dare!" Alfred replied. Still, he couldn't suppress his amused smile and teasing tone.
He shivered, suddenly feeling cold, the rush of the adrenaline of their escape slowly passing out from his veins. The wind seemed colder and he rubbed his hands together to provide some warmth. He looked up; while the sky was still bright with shades of grey and soft white clouds, he could see the glow was slightly fading away. The shadows of the trees and the tombs were growing closer to them, looking like crazy and clawed silhouettes awaiting to catch them. The branches swayed in the wind, creaking into the gusting air. The first sounds of the nocturnal animals could be heard from a distance, the slight hoot of an owl, bats flying away to the woods.
It would be only a matter of time before dusk would cover the castle into a cloak of darkness. Soon the safety of the day would disappear and the vampires would rise.
They headed back to the castle.
"So, am I to play host to our charming guests, again?"
Herbert's question was delivered shortly after their awakening. He and his Vater were making their way up from the crypt to the living-room.
He briefly wondered what the two mortals had been up to during the day. He very much doubted they stayed in their room, minding their own business. Amateurs as they were, they were still vampire hunters. People like them rarely minded their own business, instead they annoyingly poked around for clues, hoping to find his kind. However, he knew the castle was big enough for them to get lost in, or to prevent them from finding his father and he so easily. In case they fell victim to the dumb luck of hunters, he knew they had Koukol to guard their rest.
However, he had to admit, he was sure the young assistant would be a delight to have around…
Now the two mortals were in their realm, he wondered what would be the next part of his father's plan.
Fortunately, his father's answer came right away.
"Not tonight, for there is something I must do, and I need you to keep an eye on Alfred."
Herbert perked up at this and his lips curled up in a twist of pleasure. "Oh Vati, it would be my absolute pleasure!" he almost purred, like a cat before a juicy mouse. He sighed, almost dreamily but the predatory look in his eyes gave him away. "He's so cute I could just eat him up! Why, if I'm not careful, I might – "
Krolock interrupted him suddenly, with reproof. "You will do no such thing, Herbert. The boy must not be aware of your presence."
Herbert huffed in disappointment. He hoped watching Alfred, would mean keeping him company while his father would be doing whatever business he was planning to do tonight. It would have been so delightful, meeting him again and getting better acquainted with the cutie, and, most of all, have a better sight of this fair face - and his lovely backside, too… Ah, well, even if he couldn't have the pleasure of talking to him, as least he would still be able to look at him to his heart's content…
"You know, Vati," he said, lighthearted, "I was quite puzzled when you announced our guests a couple of weeks ago, but now I see the upsides. This odd professor seems like a senile old fool, but his assistant is quite delightful. I can see why you picked him!"
Krolock softly hummed, not letting anything betray his thoughts. Herbert slyly gave him a sidelong look.
"… Will you let me have a bite once you're done with the boy?" he tentatively asked. "He's too cute! I bet he would be delicious… in every way that counts…"
After all, he mused, vampires were hungry creatures who longed for more than just their victim's blood. In their culture, the thirst for blood and the pleasures of the flesh often went together as pair, like a delicate bouquet to tease at the senses and, oh! Alfred was just so delightful with his smooth skin unspoiled by the raw winds of Transylvania, his soft hair and blue eyes and pink lips, and he was sure his blood would be as delicious as his appearance was.
But Krolock looked at him, eyes like steel sharply cutting his fantasies. "You will keep away from him! Alfred is mine!"
Herbert's mouth hanged open at these words as he stared at his father, incredulously. Was his father actually serious? While he knew his sire had his sights on Alfred since the beginning, he didn't expect him to be so territorial about him. His father had been quite possessive over some of his past conquests, however he often shared his victims with his son. Most of all, as lovely as young Alfred was, he really didn't stuck Herbert as his father's type. The lad was a shy little thing, discreet and quite ordinary from what the Viscount saw yesterday.
Granted, Alfred was the cutest little thing he had seen in years, but Herbert was the one to pick up on such things, and it usually took more than just a fair appearance to spark the Count von Krolock's interest long enough.
His father was not usually impulsive. Was it possible Krolock saw something in Alfred the Viscount didn't? He knew his father had to stay concealed in his bat form for a couple of days while he had been in the care of Alfred and his old professor. Something must have happened, however small that thing might have been, for Krolock to take such an abrupt interest in this young mortal and become quickly possessive over him. What really happened, Herbert didn't know. He pressed his father with questions, but the man stayed annoyingly vague and only gave him the bare minimum he needed to know. It frustrated Herbert to no end, both worried about his father's disappearance and annoyed by his tendency to secrecy.
The point was, something happened and whatever his old father saw in Alfred, it must have been quite intriguing for him to take such an interest and drop the plan and the interest he had for Sarah Chagal and cast her aside in favour of the lad.
He couldn't predict what were exactly his father's intentions with the two amateur vampire hunters, most of all Alfred. He honestly thought his father had lost his mind when he shared with him his intentions of sheltering them. After all, who in their right mind would invite to their very home the people seeking to hunt them? What his father suggested was quite strange and potentially dangerous. Perhaps it was some kind of dark game his father wanted to play with these two mortals and, most of all, the young assistant for his own twisted pleasure or out of boredom. Perhaps it was some vampire trickery where he wanted to play with his food before going for the kill?
How far went his interest in Alfred? Herbert knew of his father's weakness, where he would find a human who would held his interest and he would try to hold some kind of relationship with them. Needless to say, it always ended badly.
What twisted game did he want to play? Did his motivations go deeper than that?
He hoped his father knew what he was doing.
Well, there was only so much a son could do for his stubborn and foolish father… and when his father had that look in his eyes, it was usually wiser to just stand back.
"Yes, Vater," Herbert said after a while, still feeling a little disgruntled.
"Good," Krolock answered and he looked more appeased now Herbert stepped down in his claim on Alfred. "Now, do you understand your part in tonight's plan? Did you pay enough attention to your… interest toward our youngest guest?"
"How could I not pay attention to such an interesting plan?" Herbert drawled.
"Your sarcasm is as necessary as ever." Krolock scoffed. "Now, off you go. I shall call for you later, once my part is done."
Herbert nodded at his father, then they parted ways.
They spent the rest of the day and the evening in a spacious living room, reviewing the day's events while Professor Abronsius was nursing the injuries he got from the bats. The little critters managed to scratch and bite him on his hands and his face; thankfully, the injuries weren't serious and didn't falter Abronsius' mood, as he complained about the lack of progress they made today and how disappointing it was they didn't find anything of importance. Alfred carefully tended to him, trying to comfort him, to soothe the man's bad mood. After all, it was only their first day and while time wasn't on their side, the odds of discovering Krolock's tomb on their very first day were very unlikely. If anything, Alfred trusted his mentor; he knew that, with his resourceful nature and his stubbornness, they would end up discovering something. Not to mention, his professor could be such a nightmare to deal with when moody!
They were interrupted in the evening by a familiar face. Koukol, the hunchback, who delivered their supper, as well as a note from their host. Alfred and Abronsius shared a meaningful glance as they recognized Koukol. They had been right in their suspicions and Sarah hadn't misled them. The hunchback did work at the castle for his vampire masters. Abronsius got up from his seat, trying to interrogate the servant but Koukol quickly left with a low, rude sound and gave a rude gesture when Abronsius attempted to speak to him.
They sat down at the table and read Herbert's note together and they began eating.
I will unfortunately be absent tonight, and for this, present to you my sincere apologies. An important affair is preventing me from my duties as a host. I will return to you as soon as possible. Until then, please enjoy your meal and feel free to walk around my home.
Yours sincerely,
Herbert
Abronsius mumbled to himself as he inspected the note. "Important affair… important affair… Hmm… All of this is very suspicious…"
"Do you think they suspect something?" Alfred asked as he paused in his meal.
"It's a possibility, but very unlikely! No doubt our host slept during the day, along with that strange Count! And I do not think there's another living soul in this castle. This hunchback is alone and can't be everywhere at once! No, no, Alfred… I don't think they know what we were up to this afternoon!"
Alfred hoped so, but wasn't fully comforted. They were in an unfriendly, unknown place, and they had no way to know when their host would appear again and how he'd choose to make contact with them again, or even… the Count himself.
How long would it be until their host became aware of his guests' real profession?
If he didn't know already…
His worry must have showed, for Abronsius softly patted him on the knee.
"Do not fret, my boy! We are stronger than they are!"
Alfred smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. His appetite was now long gone.
"Well, it has been quite an eventful day! We'll work do better tomorrow. Now is the time for the warriors' rest… or rather the scientists'!" Abronsius said, laughing at his own joke and Alfred cracked up a smile at that. Despite the frustrations the man sometimes gave him, Alfred really was glad for his presence. He was a familiar and comforting sight in this dark and menacing castle.
They called it a night and parted ways to enter their own rooms.
Alfred didn't feel tired, so he didn't prepare himself to bed just yet. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and worked to tidy up his room. His paperwork was scattered over the desk and his clothes were sprawled over the easy chair. He put his papers away, storing them inside the desk's drawer and put his precious notebook under his pillow. He took his clothes and folded them neatly inside his suitcase from where he drew a small portable picture frame which contained a picture of his late parents. He looked at the picture, his smile sad and nostalgic as memories of his parents flooded in. He shook his head, it wouldn't do him good to dwell on sad memories and it wasn't the time to do so; it didn't stop him from letting his fingers linger on the top of the frame as he put the picture on his bedside table. This way, his family would always be the first thing he saw upon waking up. A familiar and comforting sight before facing the unknown of a bright new day in this strange place.
He was about to pick up a book to read until his eyes felt heavy when something caught his attention at the corner of his eyes. He turned around to see a blurry form on the curtain rod of the room's window. Its form was strangely familiar. He walked closer and narrowed his eyes to catch a better glance.
He stiffened when he recognized it.
A bat. It was a bat, hanging upside down near the window.
His first question was, how did it get inside his room? From what he saw of the castle, it was vast and quite desolate in some parts. It wouldn't be surprising if wild animals, such as bats, occasionally took shelter inside the castle. That said, he didn't recall leaving his room with the door and the windows open. However, it was still a possibility that the bat, drew by the room's warmth, went to sleep inside.
His next question was whether it was a real bat... or a vampire. The thought filled him with dread.
Alfred drew back, a hint of caution in his step. Still, something in the bat's appearance made him pause. The animal was so unlike any bat he encountered before; he should know, as the assistant of bat specialist Professor Abronsius, he had seen his fair share of bats. The animal's body was lean yet strong, with short and pointy ears, and its fur was brightly white with yellow, almost golden wings.
He read about bat species with bright coloured fur that lived in warm and exotic lands in Africa or central America, feeding off fruits or insects, and living in jungle trees. However, they were far away from these exotic places and he very much doubted Transylvania could offer the kind of climate this type of bats so loved.
However, could it be a vampire?
He looked at the bat and its bright coloured fur and couldn't picture a grim, blood-thirsty vampire in such a disguise!
And yet, wasn't it precisely what he and Abronsius thought? While he looked unique as a bat, Krolock shared many traits with bats commonly found in Europe, so he and Abronsius had been easily tricked.
However, Professor Abronsius had been suspicions of the bats in the crypt, and they turned out to be ordinary, if not angry, sleep-deprived little mammals.
So, bat or vampire?
He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.
In any case, the bat couldn't stay here. It wasn't its place. It had to go outside and find its fellows.
The question was, what should he do?
Putting the bat outside was the best and only solution he had. Walking carefully, his eyes never leaving the bat who still seemed to be asleep, he slowly opened the window, as to not disturb the bat.
He looked around him, searching for something he could use to remove the intruder. A broom would have been useful. He would have opened the window and try to cautiously push the bat outside but the castle was such a maze. He doubted he would be able to easily find a broom.
Surely there was something in his room he could use…
His eyes fell on the scientific book inside his suitcase.
No, he wouldn't do that to the book. To any book, really. Life with Professor Abronsius taught him there was nothing more important than books, for they carried knowledge, as they had been for centuries. They were fragile, inestimable objects and you owned them respect, something Alfred always did. In Abronsius's life, books were the Holy Grail. For Alfred, they had been his most faithful and only companions for years. To use a book as a weapon… something to throw away…
No, he really couldn't do that. It wouldn't be proper and the book didn't deserve such horrible treatment, and the wanted to try and remove the bat without harming it, just to scare it away. He couldn't bring himself to hurt animals, even if they turned out to be bloodthirsty vampires.
He looked once again. There were his clothes… a comb along with a soap and a sponge… Another book, The Hound of the Baskervilles… A couple of pens, his notebook… his s…
Alfred stared.
Yes, he thought. He could use that.
He had to be careful, though. Nothing must betray his intentions, one wrong move and he would miss his chance.
The most important thing was to scare the bat away and not hurt it in any way if he could prevent it!
He bent down to take the object, then straightened again before staring at his aim.
Little bat, if you're not a vampire… I'm sorry!
It was fortunate for both Alfred and Abronsius that the castle was a vast place, otherwise they would have heard Herbert von Krolock's indignant scream and they would have questioned the situation they were currently in.
"VATI!"
The Count von Krolock didn't look disturbed as his son stormed inside the library he was occupying, with blonde hair flying in the air as he did. If he was surprised by this sudden and brutal appearance, he didn't let it show on his face as he was accustomed to his son's dramatic antics. Sometimes, he wondered where he got them from.
He winced when he heard the door slamming violently and he cast him a disapproving glance. "Is such a dramatic entrance necessary? What is it?" Krolock asked him sternly
"I have been outraged, father! Outraged!" Herbert fidgeted around him. "I can't believe such thing happened to me!"
Krolock looked at him, unimpressed. "You have to stop talking in riddles, my son. What happened to leave you in such a state?"
"Your little human happened!" Herbert complained.
Krolock raised up his eyebrows, wondering what the hell happened with Alfred to put his son in such a state of distress. He was a smart and capable young man, but he had a soft heart and thus, Krolock doubted he would be capable of killing anyone, let alone harming someone. He saw as such when the young man took care of him while he had been in his bat form.
"I went to watch him, just as you asked me to," Herbert continued on, "I used my bat form and concealed myself in his room. He noticed me after a while, so I pretended to be asleep and he... he…"
He paused in his words. To create a dramatic pause before the big reveal or because he was unable to continue for the moment, Krolock didn't know. However, he could hardly care about this matter as he disapprovingly stared at his son.
"It was very careless of you, Herbert! You are not so negligent usually. You need to be more careful. They may be fools, but to underestimate them would be a serious mistake we can't afford to make," Krolock sternly lectured him.
Herbert had the grace to look ashamed, briefly looking down. If he had been still a mortal, red would have coloured his cheeks and Krolock was briefly reminded of a long gone past when he would scold Herbert as a child after he had been naughty. He would fondly remember those times and tell them to his son, Herbert not so much.
Feeling more appeased, he asked him: "Now, will you tell me at last what happened to leave you in such a state? What happened with Alfred?"
Herbert grimaced before hesitating. Truth to be told, he was too embarrassed to tell his father but he knew once his sire's curiosity was sparked, nothing on Earth could change his mind and he would have his answer one way or another. It was best to give in and give the man what he wanted, as embarrassing the truth was.
"He…" he began before pausing.
His father looked at him expectantly. Ah well, Herbert thought, here goes nothing…
"He threw his shoe at me! Me!" Herbert cried out, at last.
Krolock's eyes widened. "I beg your pardon?" he asked, sounding bewildered.
Usually, Herbert would have been over the moon. It wasn't everyday one could brag about surprising the infamous Count von Krolock. He was such a difficult man to take off guard. Yet, Herbert had managed it with a few words. If the situation didn't cause him such embarrassment, he would have been proud of this accomplishment. However, he wasn't in the right state of mind to be able to enjoy it.
"The boy threw his shoe at me to chase me away!" Herbert stated, looking at him reproachfully as if the whole situation was his father's fault and, in a way, it was! It was his father who sent him to spy on Alfred, when it was Krolock who laid his claim on the lad. The whole thing was unfair and Herbert stated as much at his sire.
His eyes narrowed as he stared at his father. He looked composed as ever but Herbert knew him too well, there was no mistaking in the glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
"You find this amusing, do you? I can see it! You're laughing!" Herbert accused him.
"I am doing no such thing." Krolock answered calmly, but his eyes glinted and the crooked smile on his lips gave him away.
His shoulders shook in silent laughter before composing himself, gazing upon the fireplace in an absent-minded way.
"Well? Are you going to say something about it?" Herbert prompted when he saw his father with a thoughtful, faraway expression.
Krolock hummed. "Yes. I believe meeting Alfred in my bat form won't be a good idea."
Herbert howled in frustration.
"Do forgive me, son. I couldn't resist," Krolock teased him.
Herbert pouted, and Krolock told him he was positively endearing this way. Herbert stared at him, bewildered. It was so very rare to see his father acting this way, almost laughing and even teasing him.
Still, being himself, he didn't take being teased like that very well. It had been humiliating enough being attacked by Vater's little human. His ego couldn't take any more bruising this evening. All he wanted now was a long bath to recover from this nightmarish night.
"Why the need for secrecy, Vater? They may be fools but they're not idiots. They're bound to know the truth sooner or later."
While Herbert didn't think they could be an actual threat to them, vampire hunters were annoying, pesky creatures. The less they knew, the better. However, if his father didn't soon take matter in his own hands, the two mortals' inquisitive nature could lead them to discover some nasty revelations and things could get messy.
Short and skinny with a gentle face, Alfred seemed more likely to belong in a library, reading poetry to his sweetheart, while his professor was a senile old man, risible but annoying.
"I know, son," Krolock sighed, "I merely wish to buy more time before letting myself known to our guests."
Herbert stared at him, wishing – not for the first time – he would be able to read his father's mind. While he was a powerful vampire, he still hadn't learned all the tricks his father had mastered long ago. Many abilities – such as mind reading or controlling dreams – were still powers he had yet to learn. If he ever would – not all vampires were equals, and they didn't always possess the same abilities.
His father always had been hard to read, even during his mortal days. He was always a secretive man who loved the aura of mystery around him, even with his own son. While his father often confided in him, Herbert wasn't privy to all his secrets; thus, Herbert wasn't quite sure what his father fully expected to happen with their guests and what he had planned. He could only guess. Somehow, even when he guessed right, Vater would always end up surprising him.
"You, my dear father, are an old fool!" Herbert declared.
"There are worse things to be," Krolock answered softly, with a crooked smile.
Herbert: You HIT Herbert? You hit him with a shoe? Oh! Oh! Jail for Alfred! Jail for Alfred for one thousand years!
No bats were harmed in the writing of this chapter (Herbert doesn't count)
I had lots of fun writing this chapter, can you tell?
I can't tell you how much I wanted to share that one scene with bat!Herbert with you! I had planned it long before I even started working on the first chapter, before I even started planning "Der Vampire" and I couldn't wait to write it!
I based my descriptions of the Castle's ossuary/mausoleum on the catacombs of Paris.
Bat!Herbert is a mix between the yellow-winged bat and the Honduran white bat, whereas Krolock is larger with black fur and strong wings. Bat!Herbert may appear again in the story, should I have more ideas on how to bring him once again, but not now… Poor thing got slightly traumatised by Alfred. The lad has more fight in him than Herbert ever thought at first!
Alfred and Krolock meet in the next chapter, folks!
If you want to chat, squee about Krolfred or just say hello, you can find me on discord or on tumblr ;)