The question 'Who is The Council?' was no longer a question by the time a span of ten minutes or so had passed.
Within the said time, Drac and Mavis had explained to their spouses all there was to know about the ancient group of vampires, their strict practices, and how they oversaw all matters that came up not only in the vampire world, but in the affairs of monsters overall. As Grand Vamp, a title Drac had been bestowed years and years prior, he himself had dealt with the board members and had a significant hand in contributing to their operations.
"But that was years ago," Drac said. "Once I had Mavy and the hotel, and everything else that happened after that, we rarely kept in touch. There was only that time, around when Mavis was 114 or 115, when I was called in. But after that..." He put his hands up, making a zero shape and swiping it across the air.
"Yeah, but that's about to change reeaal soon," Johnny said. He had been at the wheel with Ericka, helping to maneuver the blimp. "How much further along is it, Drac?"
Dracula paced over to the gondola window and looked outside. They were deep into the tall, rocky mountains of the Transylvanian Carpathians, the landscape having looked the same for some time now. But, despite his last visit having been over a decade ago, Drac could still very well remember where he was at. And Johnny had been right. It wouldn't be long now before they approached The Council's headquarters.
"Just keep going straight," he said, scanning the area below. "We are getting closer."
With Dracula keeping tabs on the navigation, the blimp continued trudging along in the sky for several minutes more, until the vampire-turned-human raised his hand in the air.
"Wait," he said, looking below. It was a little harder to see without his vampire vision enhancing the view, but even so he could still tell that they were where they had to be. He nodded to his daughter. "This is it. We still have a little ways to go to actually reach the entrance, but it would have to be on foot." He turned and began pointing out. "Mavis, Johnny, Ericka, you come with me. The rest of you, stay in here. We shouldn't be too long."
With Mavis flying each of the humans down to the ground in her bat form, she, Johnny, Ericka, and Drac were soon off, covering the rest of the path. They trekked along down a dark, windy trail that continued to dip lower and lower into a steep ravine. Then, the path hit a dead end. Confused looks were sent Drac's way, but he didn't fret. He guided them along down an even darker hill, the rock faces that jutted up around them creating ominous shadows in the moonlight that took on various shapes and sizes. Then, at the bottom of the hill, a staircase of stone appeared before their eyes, and the group walked down.
As it turned out, this particular staircase ended at a hole. It wasn't small, but it wasn't too big either. It seemed just large enough to fit a person at a time if they were to crawl through. Which is exactly what they resorted to doing. Getting on his hands and knees, Drac bent down and began to shuffle his way inside, not unlike the manner in which he did when first entering the Crystal Cave back in the Amazon. Ericka went in next, followed by Mavis and then Johnny. This confined tunnel led them into another hole. This one, thankfully, was a bit wider than the last, but was also occupied. And the mice and moles who had burrowed into the earthen walls did not appreciate the disturbance of the four figures clambering through their home and disturbing the peace. They squeaked in defiance, hissing at the newcomers, and some of the more daring ones running forward and attempting to nip at them. But Mavis was able to shoo them away, giving the pesky rodents a throaty vampire roar that immediately frightened the little creatures and got them scurrying away. But all was not done just yet. When the group reached the tunnel's end and exited, they were met with the sight of a steep cliff.
"Oh, gimme a break already!" Dracula moaned. He had forgotten how annoying it was to try to get to The Council. Its hidden location had been ideal for when humans were still persecuting their kind. But now that they got along with monsters, it was unnecessary for it to be so tucked away, annoyingly so. It was almost as annoying as trying to get to his father's cliffside home! And all the walking and crawling and scampering around was exhausting his weaker human body. He was already panting heavily, and felt silly doing so when seeing how unfazed Ericka and Johnny appeared to be.
Mavis noticed and scrunched her brow in concern. "Um... Dad? Are you doing all right? We can take a break if you need it."
But Drac shook his head. "Oh, no, no Mavy-Wavy, I'm okay. Come now, let's continue." However, as the man went to take a step forward, his knees buckled beneath him, and he collapsed on the stone-cold ground with an oof.
"Dad!" Mavis exclaimed, reaching down to help her father to his feet again.
The man dusted himself off, trying not to make a big deal of it. "Really, honeybat, I'm all right. I am!" he insisted.
Mavis shook her head. "I don't think so. Come on now, up you go, Dad." Without so much as any effort, she easily lifted her father up in a fireman's carry, the tired man dangling limply from her shoulder.
"Mavis!" Drac exclaimed in surprise. "Devil chops, this is not necessary, you don't have to trouble yourself!"
"Eh, it's no big deal," Mavis replied with a shrug. "Honestly, you weigh as light as a feather." Not wanting to argue the matter further, Mavis proceeded down the steep cliffside, sliding down and catching branches to slow the sudden descent a little before landing hard. Ericka and Johnny kept up at her sides.
"Okay," Drac said, looking around from his perch on Mavis's shoulder. "I believe it should be straight aheEEEEAAAAAAD!"
Drac's cry was joined by those of Mavis, Ericka, and Johnny as the four suddenly plunged down a trapdoor that had opened up beneath their feet. And they fell.
And fell...
And fell...
And fell...
A long, long ways down, almost as though it were a seemingly endless vacuum of space. Having been absent for what felt like forever, the bottom suddenly came into view, rushing up fast at them. Acting quickly, Mavis engaged her magic, using it to freeze the four of them midair. Then, slowly, she lowered them all down in a safe manner.
"Whew!" Ericka breathed out once her feet were securely planted on the ground. "That sure was a close one."
"You're telling me," Drac mumbled, a little rattled by what had occurred. "I've been telling them to remove that trapdoor for years. It's always a doozy. Right, Mavy?" He looked over at his daughter for affirmation, but saw that her attention seemed to be taken by something else. Johnny was at her side, his gaze also fixed on the same thing. Soon Ericka had followed his line of sight, and finally, Drac.
Before them, was a dank, shady cave, its entrance enormous and its depths a black void.
"We're here!" Drac whispered.
The four cautiously approached the cave, apprehension obvious in their stances.
"Soo..." Johnny said, taking a look around. "How exactly does this work? Is there a doorbell, do we knock, or – "
A bone-chilling snarl stopped the redhead from saying anymore, the sound taking him by such surprise that he stumbled backwards and instinctively took cover behind his wife. Out of the cave emerged the creature to which the hideous noise had belonged to. It was a curious looking thing, with a wiry frame and a sort of hunched back. He appeared to hobble from foot to foot, almost like he had a limp of some kind as he hopped towards them. Large incisors jutted out from his jaws, and cold, beady eyes were narrowed with suspicion as his gaze flitted from individual to individual, looking them up and down and trying to get an impression of each one.
"Who dare goest there?" the creature asked with a most unpleasant voice, sounding as if the words left something foul lingering on his tongue.
"Oh, uhm..." Johnny started. "It's just... us! I mean, um..." He looked over his shoulder at Drac, hoping he could figure out how to respond to the monster.
Gesturing for Mavis to put him down, Drac got to his feet before the creature and presented himself. "It is I, Count Dracula, and his companions," he stated as formally as he could. The man then attempted to stand up straighter, but in doing so accidentally threw out his back. He yelped, and his hands immediately flew to the affected area, rubbing it in hopes that the pain would go away.
The creature saw this and became even more skeptical. "Thee one and only Count Dracula? Yeah right." He hopped closer to him and spoke mockingly. "You're just a silly little human who wants to get his way and get into the secret headquarters of The Vampire Council!"
"Well, not exactly a secret if you announce it out like that," Ericka muttered under her breath.
Dracula on the other hand could already feel panic begin to seep into him. "But I really am Count Dracula! Just look at me!"
"I am looking at you," the creature sneered. "And what I see is a pink-skinned, fangless human man with a... what the heck is that thing on your stomach?" He reached a pointed finger out to poke at the fat on his belly, to which Drac swiped his hands at him.
"Hey, hey! Hands off!"
The creature rolled his eyes. "You're going to have to do better than that if you want to convince me."
Drac tried again. "I am Count Dracula, Grand Vamp of The Vampire Council. I never lie!"
"Err..."
Drac whipped around to face his son-in-law at the uncertainty in his voice.
"What?"
"Not that I wanna disagree with you Drac," Johnny began, "but, uh... you can't exactly make that claim."
Drac scoffed. "Come on, Johnny. When have I EVER lied?"
Almost instantly, all three sets of eyes from Johnny, his wife, and his daughter glared at him, and Drac quickly shut his mouth. After all, how could he forget when he made that fake village for Mavis. Or when he'd told the guys that Johnny was Frank's party-planning right-arm's cousin. Or how he'd told Mavis Camp Winnepecaca fire was just a cookout at the hotel. Or when he'd said he was going to spend time with Dennis when he was really out to go on a date with Ericka on the cruise. Or when he'd followed Ericka down into the rubble of Atlantis and told her that vampires could predict the future when in truth he just wanted to spend some time with her.
Drac grinned sheepishly. He sure did lie. And it was a LOT.
"All right," Dracula said reluctantly. "So I do lie maybe a teensy bit."
"Not a very good matter to argue for your case," the creature said.
"You hush," Drac hissed. He stepped away and consulted with his family. "That guy is just full of hot air. He knows it's me!"
Mavis shook her head. "Whether he knows it's you or not, he's the sentry, and if we don't have proof, he's not going to let us in. Lucky for you, Dad, I think I might know a way to resolve this preeetty quickly." There was a twinkle of mischief in her eyes and a smirk on her face.
Drac snapped his fingers, thinking he got it. "You're going to eat him!"
Mavis's little smile fell. "What? No!" She motioned for her dad to come closer, and she cupped her hands around his ear to whisper what it was. Dracula's expression grew into one of mortification.
"You've got to be kidding me!" he cried.
"It's the only way, Dad!"
Dracula still refused. "But what about the pouty bat face? Hmm?"
"But Dad, you can't even turn into a – "
"Still worth a shot!" Drac interrupted. He hurried over to the sentry and tried to put on the most enchanting face he could. But his eyes looked bulging and in no way cute, a face that was meant to be adorable instead twisted into a strange, strained look.
The sentry was confused. "What in the world is the matter with you? Are you constipated? Here." He handed Drac a leaf intended to be a makeshift toilet paper piece. "Go off and do it in the bushes, not in front of me!"
Dracula groaned in exasperation. He was getting nowhere with this, and it would look like he would have no choice but to go with his daughter's plan. So, sucking it up, the man put his arms up, made his hands into a claw-shape, and exclaimed the dreaded phrase he so loathed with the most gusto he could muster.
"BLEH-BLEH-BLEH!"
For a moment there was silence in the clearing, as his voice echoed off of the mountainous rocks. Then, a new sound started up, a bit low at first, but then loud enough, maybe a little too much. Because it was the sound of laughter. The sentry had tumbled to the ground in hysterics, clutching his stomach and kicking his legs.
"So...! So, you are Count Dracula!" he wheezed in between his laughs, wiping joyous tears from his eyes. "Nobody says bleh-bleh-bleh as on point as you do!"
Dracula felt himself bubbling with anger, and exploded. "HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW IT WAS ME WHEN I DON'T EVEN SAY BLEH-BLEH-BLEH?!" he demanded to know.
The outburst got Mavis, Ericka, and Johnny snickering behind him. "Honey, you do say it," Ericka giggled.
"But I only say it when I say that I DON'T say it!" he whined.
Johnny patted him on the back. "Ah, come on, Drac, lighten up! Look!" He pointed at the sentry, who had hopped back up to his feet and stepped aside from the cave entrance, extending his arm inward.
"You may proceed," he said, the merriment still evident in his voice.
"Well, it's about time!" Drac huffed, storming off inside the cave. Mavis and Ericka followed, but Johnny hung back with the sentry for a brief second. He put his arms up, copying Dracula's motions and repeating the phrase in a hushed voice.
"Bleh-bleh-bleh!"
"I HEARD THAT!"
Johnny and the sentry cackled amongst themselves, and then the redhead dashed off to catch up to his father-in-law.