Loving A Monster (Van Helsing)

Three || Mission Transylvania

It took about a year of killing monsters and travelling across the rocky terrains of Europe for Shade and Van Helsing to reach Rome. Shade sighed in relief as she spotted the Roman Cathedral, the sun reflected off of the marble church which created a beacon of light in the middle of the darkness that plagued the world. The two hunters came to a stop as they reached the church, Shade groaned as her bones popped and creaked in protest while Van Helsing got off of his horse and laughed at her.
"I told you to get a horse but no, you wanted to run," Van Helsing chuckled.
"Well I love to run and horses hate me," Shade growled. "Plus, I'm glad to be home."
"I'm not," Van Helsing grumbled.
Shade and Van Helsing walked side by side as they entered the church, they looked around before going over to a confession box that sat in the far right corner of the church. Van Helsing entered the box while Shade sat on the floor by the door, Shade sat crossed legs and made a bow and arrow appear in her hands. She polished the golden coloured wood and sharpened the silver arrow heads, a disapproving grunt caused Shade to look up and meet the strict glare of Cardinal Jinette. Shade smiled sheepishly and made the bow and arrows disappear just as Cardinal Jinette walked pass her and into the confession box with Van Helsing.
"Bless us, Father, for we have...." Shade heard Van Hesing start say but was cut of by Cardinal Jinette.
"Sinned. Yes, I know. You two are very good at that. You Shattered the Rose Window."
"Not to split hairs, Sir, But Mr.Hyde did the Shattering," Shade said through the door, she laughed as Cardinal Jinette kicked the door to tell her to be quiet.
"13th century. Over 600 years old, I wish you a week in hell for that," Cardinal Jinette said.
"It would be a nice reprieve," Shade and Van Helsing murmured.
"Don't get me wrong. Your results are unquestionable...but your methods attract far too much attention."Wanted" posters? We are not pleased."
"Do you think I like being the most wanted people in Europe?" Van Helsing asked. "Why don't you and the Order do something about it?"
"Because we do not exist," The Cardinal argued.
"Well, then neither do we," Shade growled which earned her another kick to the door.
"When we found Shade in the street and you crawling up the steps of this church, half-dead...it was clear to all of us that you had both been sent to do God's work."
"Why can't he do it himself?" Van Helsing said angrily.
"Don't blaspheme," The Cardinal scolded."You already lost your memory as a penance for past sins Van Helsing. If you wish to recover it...I suggest you continue to heed the call. Without us, the world would be in darkness. Governments and empires come and go...but we have kept mankind safe since time immemorial. We are the last defense against evil. An evil that the rest of mankind has no idea even exists. To you and Shade, these monsters are just evil beings to be vanquished."
Shade was pulled through the door of the confession box by Van Helsing before following the Cardinal through a hidden door and down a flight of stairs that lead to the underground headquarters of the Order. Shade turned towards the Cardinal with a sad expression.
"We're the ones standing there when they die...and become the men they once were," Shade replied sadly, talking about the monsters that the
Cardinal mentioned.
"For you, my daughter, this is all a test of faith," The Cardinal said to Shade who looked down at the floor. "And now, we need you to go to the East. To the far side of Romania. An accursed land...terrorized by all sorts of nightmarish creatures. Lorded over by a certain Count Dracula."
"Dracula?" Van Helsing and Shade questioned in confusion.
"Yes," The Cardinal replied casually as they walked pass men who were building ad creating new creations and weapons. "You've never faced one like this before. Our story begins 450 years ago..." The Cardinal took the two hunters to a large projector where an image of a man appeared, he had a long hair and beard and he look older then Cardinal Jinette which is really old. "When a Transylvanian knight named Valerious the Elder...promised God that his family would never rest nor enter heaven...until they vanquished Dracula from their land.They have not succeeded...and they are running out of family.His descendant Boris Valerious, King of the Gypsies.He disappeared almost 12 months ago. His only son, Prince Velkan, and his daughter, Princess Anna. If the two of them are killed before Dracula is vanquished...nine generations of their family...will never enter the gates of St. Peter. For more than four centuries...this family has defended our left flank.They gave their lives. We cannot let them slip into purgatory," The Cardinal announced.
"So....you're sending me into hell?" Shade asked.
"In a manner," The Cardinal replied as he walked over to a table, the two hunters following him. He handed a small scroll with a small torn piece of paper to Van Helsing, Shade looked at it carefully as she tried to read the writing."Valerious the Elder left this here 400 years ago.
We don't know its purpose...but he would not have left it lightly. The Latin inscription translates as:" The Cardinal was cut off by Shade.
"In the name of God, open this door"
"There is an insignia," Van Helsing said.
"Yes, it matches your ring," The Cardinal replied."I think that in Transylvania you may find the answers you both seek." The Cardinal walked off, leaving the two hunters to look around for their friend. Shade caught sight of the familiar blond hair of her friend and grabbed Van Helsing's hand without thinking, she dragged him towards the figure dressed in a brown robe that was looking at some men that were building a new weapon.
"Carl!" Shade exclaimed happily as she and Van Helsing came to a stop in front of the figure.
"Ah there you are. Did you bring Mr. Hyde back, or did you kill him?" Carl questioned as he began to walk towards his work bench.
"Um..." Shade hummed.
"You killed him, didn't you? That's why they get so annoyed. When they ask you to bring someone back, they don't mean as a corpse," Carl ranted as he stopped and turned towards the two hunters who gave him a look of annoyance. Carl turned away quickly and started towards his work bench again.
"All right, you're in a mood. Come on. I have some things that'll put the bit back in your mouth," Carl announced as they walked pass a black smith. "Any idiot can make a sword." The black smith glared at Carl who gulped and bowed. "Sorry, Father."
"Come along, Carl. Here, take this:" Shade said as she and Van Helsing started to grab weapons and put them in a bag that they gave to Carl.
"Rings of garlic, holy water...silver stake, crucifix," Shade listed as she went, she had to duck as a giant arrow from a catapult flew pass her head.
"Sorry," The men at the catapult shouted.
"Why can't I have one of those?" Van Helsing asked as he pointed to the catapult with his free hand since Shade was still holding his other hand and she didn't realize it.
"Because it nearly killed me," " Shade replied as she continued to collect supplies.
"You've never gone after vampires before now, have you?" Carl asked Van Helsing since he know Shade had killed plenty of vampires.
"Vampires, gargoyles, warlocks, they're all the same.Best when cooked well," Van Helsing said with a smile as he watched Shade observe the equipment.
"No, they're not all the same," Carl argued. "A vampire is nothing like a warlock. My granny could kill a warlock."
"Carl, you've never even been out of the abbey. How do you know about vampires?" Shade asked in confusion.
"I read and listen to your stories of vampires," Carl answered as he and the two hunters came to a small contraption with a bottle filled with a clear liquid.
"Here's something new. Glycerin 48," Carl said as he put a drop of the liquid o is finger before flicking it onto the floor, creating an explosion that caused a few people to scramble away shouting angrily.
"Sorry!" Carl and Shade yelled.
"What in Allah's name is wrong with you?" A man shouted at Carl.
"The air around here is thick with envy," Carl said jokingly as he walked to a crossbow.
"This is my latest invention. It's gas-propelled.Capable of catapulting arrows in rapid succession...at tremendous velocity. Just pull the trigger and hold on. I've heard the stories from Transylvania.Trust me, you'll need this. A work of certifiable genius."
"If you don't say so yourself," Van Helsing mumbled.
"No, I did say so myself," Carl said. "I'm a veritable cornucopia of talent."
Shade saw a contraption that held a glass ball filled with a glowing green liquid and picked it up.
"Did you invent this?" Shade asked Carl.
"I've been working on that for 12 years.It's compressed magma from Mt. Vesuvius...with pure alkaline from the Gobi Desert.It's one of a kind," Carl replied as he tried snatched it out of Shade's hand.
"What's it for?" Van Helsing asked.
"I don't know, but I'm sure it'll come in handy," Carl replied.
"Twelve years, and you don't know what it does?" Shade said in disappointment.
"I didn't say that. I said I didn't know what it's for.What it does is to create a light source...equal to the intensity of the sun," Carl snapped.
"This will come in handy how?" Van Helsing questioned in boredom.
"I don't know. You can blind your enemies.Charbroil a herd of charging wildebeest.Use your imagination," Carl said.
"No, We're gonna use yours. That's why you're coming with us," Van Helsing said back as he put the glass bal into the bag and headed towards the exit..
"Holy hell be damned I am!" Carl exclaimed as he followed Shade and Van Helsing, Shade gasped and whirled around to look at Carl.
"You cursed.Not very well, but you're a monk," Shade accused.
"You shouldn't curse at all," Van Helsing added with a nod.
"Actually, I'm still just a friar. I can curse all I want..." Carl argued. "Damn it!"
"The Cardinal has ordered you to keep us alive.For as long as possible.," Shade stated.
"But I'm not a field man," Carl countered.
Shade and Van Helsing ignored Carl as they started to walk up the flight of stairs that lead to the outside of the church.
"But Shade, Van Helsing," Carl shouted. "I don't want to go to Transylvania," He cried, as he followed after the hunters.
"Shade?" Van Helsing said causing Shade to look at him.
"Yeah," Shade replied, Van Helsing laughed.
"You can let go of my hand now."
Shade looked confused for a second before realizing the heaviness of her hand, she looked down and saw that her and Van Helsing's hands were intertwined so she quickly pulled her hand away and looked down blushing.
"Uh...Sorry," Shade mumbled quickly before walking away, leaving Van Helsing to look at her retreating form in sadness.