VAN HELSING 3: SOUL HUNTERS
(Disclaimers on pages 1-6) Chapter 9 : Half-angel Anna looked up at Gabriel, who was staring blankly ahead. He didn't look well, like he just watched a murder happen in front of him. She saw Victoria, who's face was buried in her knees. "Are you alright?" Anna asked. She took Gabriel's hand, who sighed and pulled her to him. "Gabriel, what's wrong?" Anna pressed. Victoria looked up. "We had a nightmare, but what happened in it did happen." Anna looked confused. "What?" The explanation of what happened came at length, but it came eventually. Anna was left speechless. What kind of consoling would help a young teenager get over the loss of her family? True, Anna herself lost her family, but she lost them one by one, not all at once. "Victoria, don't worry. You'll see them again." Anna reassured, but she saw that it didn't work. "She's been like that ever since we woke up. I can't say anything to her that'll make her calm down." Gabriel said. He felt a pang of guilt, which he was sure Victoria was feeling too. If they hadn't left their family behind at the safe house, maybe they would still be alive. He gripped Anna tighter, feeling a small amount of pain leave him. That was when Cornelius, Merlin's apprentice, came in the door. "Merlin wants to see you." he said. It took a few minutes to get fully awake, but everyone seemed to manage to go see Merlin. Instead of being on his feet, they saw him lying upon a bed, stroking his bird, who sat on a perch. "Ah, the hunters. How was your dream?" he said. His reply was a look of pure hate from Victoria. Gabriel saw this look. He had no idea if it was directed to Merlin or not, but either way, no one could blame Merlin for their loss. "There was nothing to be done." Merlin said. "However, instead of telling me what you saw, tell me of your experience of the woods." Everyone's perspective was given on it, until the point when the young boy came and saw Victoria, who took over the story. "He just had me hang there as he stood over me, he said that he thought he'd never see me again, although I've never seen him before. He also called me...Sabrina." she said at length. "What did he look like?" "Dark hair and eyes, pale skin, my age, wore military-style clothing." Merlin sighed. "His name is Vladimir, and he's actually a distant cousin of Dracula." "What?" everyone shouted. "You heard me. He was once a student of mine actually, for he did not know of his family or their cause. The reason why he is so young is that he vowed not to age until he found his love again. When he was thirteen, he met a girl named Sabrina, another student of mine. and claimed to have fallen for her, and she for him. As they got older, Sabrina became different. She tried to lead an uprising of witches and sorcerers against humanity... and paid the price." "But why would he call Victoria his old lover's name?" Gabriel asked. "I'm not sure. Then there comes two more problems." "Two more?" "Yes. In the woods, one of you was bitten by a werewolf. They do not know this yet, because the full moon hasn't risen and won't until many a day." "Who is it?" Victoria asked. Merlin pointed with a lean finger towards the one person whom Victoria hoped wouldn't get it. Antonio. Carl's eyes widened. Isabelle backed away. Victoria cursed aloud. "Great, this is going to ruin my day." Antonio said. He felt a sting of pain on his arm, and after a quick glance, he saw that the bite mark was on his forearm. "Now on to the second problem." Merlin said, breaking everyone out of their trance. "This problem doesn't concern Antonio, but of Gabriel and Victoria. Well, mostly Victoria." Victoria turned to him. Gabriel moved towards his sister. "You both know that you two are related by blood, correct?" "Yes." Victoria replied. "You know that Gabriel is the Left Hand of God?" "Is this getting anywhere?" "Do you know what that makes you?" "Ye-" Victoria stopped short. What did that make her. "Actually, I don't know." "I didn't think so. Your story begins hundreds of years ago, when an incarnate of the Left Hand of God-" "Wait. Incarnate? You mean that there have been others?" Gabriel asked in wonder. "Well, a new incarnate is created when the old one dies. One incarnate of you was the slayer of Dracula." Merlin explained. "Back to the story. When an incarnate of the Left Hand of God resurrected a young girl, she was blessed with black wings, showing she was half-human, half-angel. That day forward, she followed him, and soon she was also reincarnated. The line normally follows that the two incarnates are brother and sister. Therefore making you-" "Half-angel." Victoria finished. You two were lied to because one generation turned on the other in an attempt to gain power. Your family didn't want to see their family destroyed, hence why they lied to you." "The soul hunters need your blood to create a portal and unleash an army of darkness." Silence filled the room. To unleash such an army would surely end life as they knew it. "This could mean the extinction of the human race." Antonio said. "It does, and it is up to you to end this madness." Merlin said. "This still doesn't explain Vladimir." Victoria said. "That part of the mystery will be answered tonight." the old sorcerer said. And it was answered. &bnsp; The same sequence of events of Gabriel and Victoria falling back into the dreamworld happened again. "Well, let's see what this has in store for us." Victoria said as she stepped through the walls back onto the garden path. A new scene was soon laid before them. It showed two children sitting underneath a tree. One could instantly tell that the boy was Vladimir, but the girl next to him was a shock to see. "Is-is that me?" Victoria wondered. The girl looked almost exactly like her! She had the same hair, eyes, and pale skin. "No, that's Sabrina!" Gabriel said. The image soon changed to an open field, where the siblings stood in the middle. One glance to the left showed a massive army led by a woman, who was no doubt Sabrina. Vladimir stood next to her. On the other side was another army, led by two people on horseback. One appeared to be a man in his prime, while the other a young teenage female. A roar of battle cries was soon to be heard, and the armies charged. Gabriel grabbed Victoria's arm and ran out of the battle. It wasn't long until blood began to stain the world around them. They avoided flying arrows, corpses falling to the ground, and swings of swords. When they were far off from the fighting, the two watched the battle rage onward. As the sun began to set, an arrow sailed through the air, high above the fighting. Everyone turned to see Sabrina fall to the ground with the arrow pierced in her shoulder. Gabriel and Victoria turned to see a figure in the air, holding a bow. What was even more surprising to see was that he had on white wings! "Gabriel..." Victoria whispered breathlessly, realizing who the figure was. The figure dropped back down to earth to be greeted by many cheers. The vision soon faded away again to a small city square. A wooden platform was placed in the center. Upon it was a long wooden pole, with a woman tied to it, her frame lit by the moon. "VLADIMIR!" she cried out, hoping that her love would hear her. Her response was of a man rushing up the platform. "Sabrina, you won't die! I won't let them take you from me!" he said, holding Sabrina's shoulders. "It happens at sunrise, Vladimir. You won't have enough time. And even if you try, the guards will kill you." she said. "Yet do not despair. I shall return again. Look for the girl who shall bear my face." "How shall I live that long?" "You'll find a way." she said. It wasn't long until dawn came, forcing Vladimir to hide. The square was soon filled with people, waiting to see the death sentence of a witch. The executioner soon walked upon the platform, holding a torch. "Any last words?" he whispered mockingly. "Vladimir, remember what I said, and know that my heart will always be yours." she said. The torch came down upon the wood piled at Sabrina's feet. Vladimir watched his love by consumed by flames. "NOOO! SABRINA!!" he shouted, but it wasn't heard over the roars of the crowd and Sabrina's screams in pain as the fire crept around her. The dream soon vanished, sending Gabriel and Victoria back into Merlin's house. Victoria looked horrible. "Gabriel, I-I don't know what to do. He-he's coming for me, and by the looks of things, he'll do anything to get me." "Relax, nothing will happen to you." "Gee, your words are so comforting." Victoria said sardonically. She felt herself shake. "This isn't good. Not good not good not good-" she stopped her panicking when Gabriel took her hand. "Listen to me. If Vladimir is going to hunt you, you can fight back. Just because Sabrina said she'd come back, it doesn't mean you'll be taken. You'll be fine, don't worry. I'll protect you." Victoria looked up at him. "Promise?" "Promise." (Poor Victoria. Read and review please!)
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