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The Black Flame, Chapter 2

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The silence was deafening. Soft wind gusts occasionally broke the quiet as they whistled through the thick pine trees. Snow was falling steadily on this cold winter's night, blanketing the forest. A full moon peered out from behind a veil of high clouds, casting an ethereal glow over the land. Under a tall pine the silhouette of a man stood surveying the scene.

Dracula scanned the dense foliage, puffs of steam rising in front of him with each deep breath he took. He was standing at attention, his back against the tree trunk. In one hand he held his drawn sword, in the other a silver-bladed dagger. He continued to search the trees. Where is Gabriel?

The snapping of twigs nearby alerted Dracula that he was not alone. Immediately his eyes darted in the direction of the noise. He could discern a dark shape moving slowly between the trees. His grip on the sword tightened, since he knew full well it could not be Van Helsing, as he had hoped. It had to be the werewolf they had been sent out to hunt. But in an instant, the figure was gone.

He looked around the clearing, searching for it. The snow became suddenly illuminated as the clouds lifted and moonlight shone down brightly. Dracula could feel the werewolf was close. He could almost see it breathing down his neck. Then, with a sinking felling, he slowly looked up into the tree above him. The werewolf was perched in the branches, snarling and eyeing him menacingly.

There was no time for Dracula to react as it sprung from the branch and pounced on him. The impact sent him sprawling into the clearing. He quickly got to his feet, standing firmly and holding his weapons out. The werewolf began circling him, growling and baring its teeth. Then it made its move.

Dracula lashed out at it with his sword, slicing the creature's arm. It howled in fury and swatted him viciously. Its claws raked across his armor and knocked him back. He raised the dagger and thrust it forward, aiming at its heart. But the werewolf was too fast for him. It saw his movement and powerfully swept Dracula aside. He went flying across the clearing and collided into a tree trunk with a sickening thud.

The crash left Dracula prone on the ground, gasping for breath and feeling pain coursing through his body. The sword and dagger were laying in the snow, too far from his reach. He stared up at the sky, watching the moon shining down ominously. Then he heard the crunch of snow and could feel the hot breath of the werewolf as it approached, moving in for the kill. Dracula closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

Then the werewolf let out an awful scream of pain. Struggling to sit up, Dracula saw it whirl around and pull an arrow out of its shoulder. Across the clearing, Van Helsing emerged from the shadows, a bow in his hand. The werewolf now turned its attention to him and began to advance in his direction. Van Helsing pulled another arrow from his quiver, set it to the bowstring and quickly let it fly. It hit the werewolf in the chest, only serving to anger it further. But Van Helsing was not trying to kill the werewolf. He was trying to buy Dracula some time.

As the werewolf moved towards Van Helsing, Dracula managed to stagger to his feet. He spotted the dagger a few feet away, glinting even more than the surrounding snow. Immediately he made a grab for it. But the werewolf had seen the flicker of movement and, quicker than either of them could see, launched itself at Dracula.

They collided hard before Dracula could reach the dagger. The werewolf landed on him and pinned him to the ground, its claws cutting deep gashes across his arm and face in the process. Van Helsing was there almost immediately, thrusting his sword into the back of the werewolf. Howling, it leapt off Dracula and closed in on Van Helsing.

Seizing the opportunity, Dracula reached out and grabbed the dagger. The werewolf was backing Van Helsing into a nearby tree. With a firm grip on the blade, Dracula ran at it, snow crunching under his boots. As he reached them, the werewolf turned and prepared to strike. But Dracula dodged it and shoved the dagger upward with all his strength.

The werewolf screeched horribly as the silver dagger sunk into its chest. Dracula's aim had been impeccable: the blade had pierced its heart. Giving a last wail of pain, the creature collapsed onto the snow, the white surface turning a deep crimson around it. Dracula and Van Helsing watched as it slowly reverted back into human form, leaving a young man with dark hair laying in the blood and snow. Van Helsing quickly made the sign of the cross.

Exhausted and breathing heavily, the two knights looked at each other. Their task had been accomplished. Dracula brushed his hand over his cheek and saw blood on his fingers from the wounds. His arm was feeling painful as well. Van Helsing approached him and looked him over.

"We had best get back to the castle," he said, "You need to tend to those wounds."

"Indeed. Thankfully it was only the creature's claws and not its teeth," Dracula said, with a weak smile.

"Excellent fighting. I wonder where you learned that?" Van Helsing grinned.

"From an experienced master, Gabriel," said Dracula, putting his hand on Van Helsing's shoulder.

They both went to retrieve their weapons, cleaning them off as best they could. Then they started back towards Valerious castle, as the night slowly gave way to early dawn.

~*~*~*~

Dracula stood in his chamber in front of a mirror, with a washbasin full of water on the table beside him. He dipped a cloth into the water and dabbed it gently over the gashes on his face. Despite Dracula's insistence that he could take care of it himself, Van Helsing had gone into the village to fetch a doctor. He had been gone for a while now and was likely to return at any minute. So Dracula was not at all surprised when a rapping came on his chamber door a moment later.

"Enter," he said, rinsing the cloth in the basin.

The door opened and, instead of Van Helsing, Sergi entered the room.

"Hello Vladislaus," he said, bowing slightly.

"Sergi, this is most unexpected," replied Dracula as he returned the bow, "What brings you to my castle?"

"Am I not allowed to call on my own brother if I feel the urge?"

"Certainly. I merely wondered since I have not seen you on nigh half a year now."

"The border conflict with the Turks is demanding, at best," Sergi sighed slightly, "Although I imagine the conflicts of the Order are somewhat more demanding."

Dracula smiled, knowing his appearance was most unflattering at the moment.

"I've just returned from a struggle with a werewolf," he said.

"I heard. And you apparently killed the beast yourself?" said Sergi.

"Not entirely. I had a great deal of aid from Gabriel. I could not have done it myself."

"Gabriel is a skilled fighter, as well as a fine instructor. I learned some of my best battle tactics from him."

"As did I," Dracula dipped the cloth back into the water and began dabbing at his wounds again.

"Vladislaus, I came to call on you because I am extending you an invitation," Sergi said.

"To what?"

"A gathering to celebrate the birth of my son, Peter."

Dracula looked at him.

"Sergi, you did not tell me your wife had been expecting a child," he said.

"My apologies," said Sergi, "I fear we have been separated for too long. Yes she gave birth several weeks ago. We wanted to have a celebration to honor the occasion as we did with Boleslaus and Nicolas."

"How old are they now?"

"Boleslaus is now fifteen and Nicolas will be ten come March," Sergi replied.

"Perhaps you should ask Gabriel to tutor them as he did for us," Dracula said.

"I'm certain he would if I asked it of him," Sergi smiled, "Although it does make me wonder about his age. Gabriel could not have been that young when he tutored us and yet last I saw him, it seemed he had not aged a day."

"He holds his age well, I suppose," Dracula wrung the cloth and set it on the table, "All the horrible things he has witnessed as a knight have no doubt hardened him against showing signs of the effects of age."

"I would like to invite Gabriel as well," Sergi said, "Is he here in the castle?"

"No. He went to the village to fetch a doctor, even though I told him I would not require any assistance."

Sergi shook his head.

"Well, better to be cautious than not, Vladislaus," he said.

"You were always the sensible one," Dracula said, approaching his brother, "And I will be honored to attend your celebration."

He extended his hand. Sergi accepted it.

"Then I shall see you there. It will be at the manor in a week's time," he said.

"I will be there," Dracula said.

Sergi nodded and exited the room. Dracula watched him go and for a moment envied him. He would have loved a wife and children, to have a family. But he had chosen a difficult life, a life of celibacy. He could never experience what Sergi could. He could never know a woman. Dracula had devoted his life to battling evil and he had to face it alone. Van Helsing was a friend, a good friend, but he could not help ease the burden of loneliness Dracula had been feeling these past ten years. Sometimes it seemed almost unbearable. But he would not give in. This was the path he had chosen and he was going to follow it faithfully until his dying day.

~*~*~*~
Chapter 2 :D
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razzie27's avatar
'Tis brilliant!
-awaits third chapter-