VAN HELSING 2: THE DEMON'S RISING

It was well into the second day of walking through the forest that the unlikely friends finally stopped.

"Exactly how long did you say it would take to get to the party, Antonio?" Furie asked with weariness.

"I don't think it's very far. We must've walked about ninety-nine percent of the way. We can stop here." he said.

Van Helsing sat down, looking at the world around him. It was a vast forest, filled with trees and hills. The leaves clinging to the trees were bright reds and yellows. Winter was approaching fast. He felt like he had been here before, but he couldn't remember when...

"You feel like you've been here too?" Furie asked as she sat down next to him.

"Yes. Maybe I've been here while on an assignment, but I don't think so."

"I feel the same thing. I know this place. I know it used to be safe, but not anymore." she said with sadness in her voice. She looked up into the trees, watching Shadow fly about. Furie let out a sigh.

"How'd you find Shadow?" Van Helsing asked, watching the bird fly.

"I didn't. When I began to fight against Dracula's brother and sister, Shadow found me. She showed up one day and ever since then she's been following me." Furie's eyes then widened when Shadow came falling to the ground, as if she'd been shot down.

As Furie got up to get her, a number of men came around her and Van Helsing. Carl and Antonio backed up into them.

"It's twenty-five to four! How many can you take?" Furie said as she brought up her fists.

"Five." came Antonio.

"Seven." said Van Helsing.

"None." whimpered Carl.

"I can take six." Furie said, but was aware that they were beaten. Anger pulsed within her. Her fists tightened. Van Helsing thought he saw smoke rising from her hands. A closer look revealed that smoke was coming out of her hands!

"Antonio, how many powers can an archdemon have?" he whispered.

"Besides two that all demons have, I think two." Antonio answered. "Why?" Van Helsing nodded toward Furie's hand.

"Get her angry." Van Helsing suggested.

Antonio gulped. "Furie?"

"What?" she answered.

"I have to tell you something before we die."

"Whatever it is, can't it what until after we meet the Devil?"

"No. Ummm...I kissed you once while you were asleep!" he lied.

"WHAT?"

"I couldn't help it! I-

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT!" Furie's hands were now ablaze.

"Now listen Furie. I need you to calm down-

"CALM DOWN? A GUY KISSED ME WHO'S LIFE I SAVED AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?" Furie yelled. Her anger diminished when the screams of men behind her came. She turned to see most of their attackers on fire. She looked down at her hands, her eyes wide.

"Did I just-

"Congratulations, Furie! You can now use fire!" Antonio said.

"So you didn't kiss me?"

"No! You know I wouldn't do that!"

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Van Helsing firing his revolvers. Demons fell about him. He rolled away from an attack and fired in response.

"Do you intend to help or not?" he yelled.

Everyone sprang into action. Furie and Van Helsing stood back to back dealing with most of their attackers. Furie punched and kicked, but it didn't do much against their attackers.

"Can I borrow a gun?"

Van Helsing passed one to her, who took it and fired almost instantly.

"We make a great team!" Furie commented.

"Do you always try to make conversation while fighting?" Van Helsing replied.

"No. Only with you."

"Why only me?" He fired a shot, which took out an attacker from seven feet.

"Because you don't tell me to keep quiet."

In an instant, neither gun held ammunition. The attackers swarmed in about them, but they abruptly stopped, falling to the ground.

"Why'd they stop?"

"From us!" came two voices. The two friends turned to see two figures emerge.

"Millie! Tom!" Furie called with joy. The two figures came to greet them. Both were older than Furie. One was a girl about fifteen, the other was a boy around seventeen.

"Van Helsing, this is Emily or Millie, and Tom. They're good friends of mine." Furie said. She hugged them tightly. "Where have you been?"

"Trying to find a place to call our own. Ever since we left we've beenun down by these guys. Where are you going anyway?"

Furie explained the whole story to them.

"Take us with you! It's time someone took a stand against them."

Van Helsing agreed, then turned to see Furie. She had large bags under her eyes. Her feet looked liked they would cave from under her.

"Furie, are you alright?" he asked. He saw her fall to the ground and caught her. He laid her on the ground when Antonio ran to them. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's alright. She just hasn't slept in a while. She needs sleep, but she hates it when she does."

"Why? I would think she'd enjoy it."

"She has nightmares. Big ones."

Antonio then picked up Furie and propped her up against a tree. "We'll probably need to wake her up when the sun begins to rise."

The fire was lit, and for a while no one spoke. They took turns keeping watch, while Shadow peered over her master with watchful eyes. When all were asleep, she changed into Anna, kneeling over Furie. "You're right, Furie. I should tell him. I was just so scared that he might feel guilty about this. I would never forgive myself. I'll tell him now." she said. Furie made no response.

Anna got up and paced over to Van Helsing. She extended her hand to wake him, but a scream woke him up. She quickly changed into Shadow as Van Helsing awoke. He turned to Furie, who was screaming bloody-murder in her sleep. He dashed over to her, and shook her hard.

"Hey! Furie! Wake up!" he yelled at her. Furie awoke almost immediately. She turned to Van Helsing, tears in her eyes. She grabbed him in a hug, letting her tears flow.

Van Helsing was shocked by this. He saw children cry before, but not like this. He couldn't think of anything else to do except return the hug.

Furie let go of him. "I'm sorry. I had a nightmare."

"I guessed. What was it?"

"I can't remember anything, except for watching someone die in front of me."

"Who was it?" Van Helsing inquired, trying to decipher what her dreams meant.

"It was someone here."

"It's alright. No one's dead." he said, putting an arm around her.

"I know, but I fear someone will be." Furie uttered.

The next morning they walked the rest of the way to the palace. "The place is huge!" Antonio said. The place was, as Antonio said, enormous! Many lights could be seen from inside. The door was shut tight to keep anyone from entering.

"Alright, here's the plan." Carl said. "We need to create a distraction while the others steal the book. Two people need to make sure that this whole thing runs smoothly."

"Tom and I can make sure this thing works." Millie said.

"I'll steal the book." Van Helsing offered. "That means Antonio has to create a distraction."

Millie scoffed. "No one's going to notice him unless he's got an incredibly good-looking girl with him."

All eyes turned to the one person who had no task yet.

"Oh, great." Furie rolled her eyes.

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