Journia
3rd Level Blue Feather
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General Soltikov
Saul was in a cold snowy city. The snow about him whipped and burned as it tore through his robe. He felt like himself again, not that he felt any different when his body was turned into the surprising legionnaire. For a moment Saul did not know where he was, but as the winds shifted, he saw in his view, the very familiar, onion shaped roofs of Russian buildings. He turned to see many people walking down the snow covered streets with their children. He ran to a window and wiped the snow from the glass. He looked in and found a dark room. But that was not what he was paying attention to. Saul could see he was himself again. He was very happy. He was so happy in fact, that he leapt into the street and was almost run over by a beautiful carriage drawn by horses with long hair, and luxurious gold ornaments. It went right past him without stopping and headed off into the snowy fog. Saul stared, on the ground . A long shadow came over him.
“Do you need help?” asked a soft, whisper. Saul turned to see Necrae Morba draped in a luxurious black dress. She kneeled to help him up. Her accent was perfectly naturalized. Her skin had whitened since last he saw her.
“Necrae Morba?” Saul asked in disbelief. The girl smiled and helped him up. “Who is this Necrae Morba?” She produced a hard sound on the ‘cr’ and ‘orba’ She smiled again. “Come, you must be freezing. I will take you to my father and our house.” She pulled him to a carriage. They both climbed in and the carriage took off in the opposite direction of the racing carriage before hand. The carriage left the vicinity of the town. They rode into the countryside and for sometime were in the midst iof a snowstorm. Saul could only see white around the carriage, he began to have a feeling of nothingness. His attention was turned suddenly to the girl who sat beside him smiling with very white teeth. This Can not be Necrae Morba. The Necrae I know never cracked a smile in her life. Her smile was dazzling. I suppose Necrae’s smile would be like that if she never smiled. The carriage came to a stop in front of a huge house situated on a hill. A large Christmas tree was in the middle of the yard, surrounded by firewood.
“That is a beautiful tree.” Saul said.
“It is the same as all the other trees around this area.” Necrae Replied. A small man ran toward the tree holding a torch. The man was stark naked, his skin was a blistered red color. Necrae jumped out and ran to him while screaming, Escobar! Don’t! Put that down you damned lunatic! But she was too slow, the man dropped the torch among the logs and flames immediately engulfed the tall tree, and the tree became sort of a flaming flag in the blowing wind. It reminded Saul of an image he saw in another time. Long, very long, before this. He shuddered, then stepped out of the carriage and walked up to the house. Before he reached the door, it swung open and there stood prince Vlad.Saul gasped, he noticed that he had gotten thinner, and taller. He bowed his head and began to speak.
“Sir, I am a lonely person, orphaned and I wish to gain entrance to you—” Necrae pulled him by the neck and brought him inside.
“When you are with me,” she said as she closed the door, “You can come right in.” She led him through a long dark hallway, where he bumped into a table, a lamp and tripped over a large furry cat. They entered a large room where there were people dancing the waltz. Each person wore white, yet Saul could see, there was a spot of black. Necrae took him up a flight of stairs AND INTO DRACULA’S ROOM.
Thirty minutes later Saul left the room dressed in a black suit It reminded Saul of the suit DRACULA WORE IN Van Helsing. Dang man, I make this suit look good! He thought to himself as he looked at himself in the mirror in the hall.
“There is only one thing that could make this complete.” He said as he looked at Necrae, who had been looking him over. Her eyes lit up and she ran back into the room, only to reappear a moment later with a hair clasp made of gold.Saul shouted as she pulled back many long locks of hair and arranged them withn the clasp. This was the first time that he noticed he had very long hair.He looked at himself. Complete.
The dancing had finished and all but the violinists who had played before had gone. At the base of the stairs Saul turned to necrae and held out his hand.
“May I dance with a woman of such kind and generous upbringing?” Necrae took his hand and they danced out to the center of the room. The violinists began playing, the dance of the hours. And Saul and Necrae began to dance to the paced beat. After the song ended, five times later, there were many claps. Saul looked up to see Many people on a balcony overlooking the room. Among them was Dracula. Their rate of claps proved their superior breeding, or their impersonations, whichever it was.
Necrae curtsied deeply, Saul bowed to the same effect.
In the next room, a man read a letter made of yellowing parchment. The hand writing was very neat, and fancy. The man read intensely, his brows meeting at a point. He folded up the paper and threw it into a pile of such things and left the room. A little woman came in the room and picked up a number of the papers and took it outside. She put them inside a barrel and lit a match. Suddenly a strong wind blew out the parchment letter and it floated toward a second story window. The window swung open and shut as the parchment letter entered. It landed under a large bed. A dog entered the room and jumped upon the bed. It curled up and went to sleep.
Dracula finished clapping and came to the edge of the rail. He looked down at the two in what seemed to Saul, a villain’s stare. Dracula kept his eyes locked on them as he slowly descended the stairs with all the other partygoers behind him. WHO IS THIS BOY WHO DANCES WITH MY DAUGHTER? It seems almost as if I had met him before, somewhere. Wait, could it be? No. Could it? Dracula thought as he came toward the two standing teenagers. Saul watched as Dracula held out his hand to greet him. It was about thirty seconds before Saul realized what was going on.
“Oh, I am so sorry, to keep you waiting sir.” He cried as he shook his hand furiously. He was about to say more when he froze, his mind was drawn back into the darkening atmosphere of Dracula’s home in Pest. In the hakks, he heard Sobbing. It must be Necrae Morba. He thought as he made his way toward the sobbing. As he entered a lit hallway, a shadow flew past him, followed by a rush of cold wind. The shadow bounced upon the walls, and flew through the closed door from whence Necrae’s wails were emanating. He ran to the door, stooped and listened. Oh father why did you have to come? If you hadn’t come, you would not have gotten captured by the turks, you would not have been burnt alive, and your eyes would not have been gouged out. I have caused your pain, I am your pain, I will end it! Saul burst in the room just in time to see Necrae plunge the old bloody dagger, into her chest. As she fell to the bed, the shadow enveloped her and she floated softly to the floor.Two marks appeared on her neck for only an instant, then closed back up. Necrae sat up for a moment and looked at the dagger in hier chest. She laid back and moaned. Then he was pulled into the darkness again.He found himself in another city, it was by the looks of it, france.He looked about him and cried out in surprise, he was on a rooftop.Below him he could see a man in a harlequin’s suit, the man sang to a group of children who played about his legs
And into the night aturo ran,
To rescue Maid maid Marian!
And out of the darkness Figaro ran,
Both with bow and arrow in hand!
They fought for the lady’s hand
And ne’er was a battle so fought,
To charm a woman from other lands,
To enter the warmth of hearts
Da duh!
SaulLeapt from rooftop to rooftop as he looked for a spot near the ground. Oh why up here, I have a fear of heights he thought. He stopped to hear a conversation between a quarreling woman and her lover.
“How dare you sleep with madam Hallet! You are not a man! You are a *****!”
“How darest you say such things, when you yourself asre guilty of such pleasures. You and Madame Regite both partake in them, together! The only reason I still love you is because you—” Saul slipped from a roof and fell into the river. As he submerged, he cursed himself for eavesdropping. Though he knew he would do it again. He floated in the water as he slowly drifted along the meandering path of the river.
Man, think stinks. I wonder what happens now. I am in a river, floating to god knows where, and I don’t care. What am I saying here? I have to get out of here! He began swimming in the direction of the wall enclosing the river. He could hear people talking as he climbed upward. He found to his delight a carriage. A driver was being yelled at by a man of apparently high prestige.
“You idiot! How do you mix up cabs? Do you know who I am?”
“Yes sir I do know.”
“Did you know I could have you executed for this?”
“For mistaking you for my master?”
“Of course!”
“You are evil.”
“You are a wretch!”
“you are a commoner.”
“You sleep with women of Ill repute.”
“I will have you hanged for that!”
Saul climbed over the wall as the nobleman stormed off. Leaping over the wall and hiding behind the carriage, Saul made his way into the driver’s seat. When the driver came up, Saul knocked him out with a blow to the side of his head.
“Is there anything wrong out there?” Came the high pitched voice of a nobleman.
“No.” Saul replied with the guttural tone of the driver. Saul stole the man’s coat which reached his ankles, his pants, shirt and boots, and pushed the man out of the carriage.
“What is that sound?” Asked the nobleman as he stepped out of the carriage and fell on the unconscious driver. “Holy Blue!” he cried. Suddenly, the carriage sped off with a crack of a whip and the shriek of the horses. The nobleman tried to keep up with the carriage, but lost it as it turned and went over a bridge. The man was less than five feet in height, with red eyes, magnified by thick-lensed pince nez.His hair was wispy and gray, he wore a black suit with a white shirt. The cape about his shoulders was black with a great, white, fleur de lis in the back. He snatched off his pence nez and stuffed them in his piocket.
“Damn! Not again!” He shouted. A carriage was just coming down the road. He flagged it down and walked up to the man who stared at him in a mix of fear and respect.
“Give me your horses!”
“What?”
“Did I stutter? Give me your carriage!”
“No, I can’t I—Ooof!” The Nobleman punched the man in the throat sending him out of the carriage. The nobleman climbed into the carriage and cracked the whip. The horses sped off over the bridge.
Necrae bounced about the carriage as each wheel unbalanced it upon the cobblestone streets. She could only think of the bouncing at the moment, how she could stay seated was one of many problems she had to sort out. Another of her problems were how to evade her kidnapper, and who was the person driving the carriage? That person never drove off without the Comte before. Blatantly leaving him in its dust. Right now, her kidnapper would be following her right now. She reached over to the seat across from her and pulled herself to the other end of the carriage. Saul who was now looking around at the people who dodged the carriage.
“Excuse me. Excuse me!”Saul shouted as he nearly missed an old woman crossing the lane. A young man ran in front of the carriageHe ducked as the horses went around him. He looked up to see the carriage. “Oh, I am so sorry!” He said as he looked back at the boy, who had been knocked out by the carriage. Suddenly a small black and white cat leapt upon him. Saul nearly lost control of the carriage. The cat did nothing to frighten him more, it just sat down and watched the ride.
The count rolled along the streets, about a block behind the carriage, though he could not see the carriage itself, Saul, made it quite clear where he was headed, especially since everywhere he went disaster followed. Each turn was filled with more people on the ground, market stands overturned, fruits and boxes about the street. The count stopped in front of the unconscious man, got out of the carriage, picked him up, and placed him at the right front wheel of the vehicle. Then he cracked the whip again and the carriage rolled over the man’s head, crushing it. A young woman saw it and was horrified.She ran into her house and reappeared minutes later with three of her hand servants, armed with revolvers. They marched down the street after the carriage. Moments later, there were three more people with revolvers pursuing the count.
Saul stared in utter amazement at the girl who now sat beside him. Yes, it was Necrae morba, She smiled the way an anime girl would. Her head cocked to the side, in a wide fanged smile.
“Hi!” She said with a wave. “How are you?” She seemed so calm in this situation.
“Hello.” Saul said thirty seconds of staring at her later, “I…am well.”
“Look out.” she said cal,mly as she pointed forward. Saul turned and ducked as a large branch went overhead.. “Look, I want to be taken out of paris now. I must get back to my father in Marseilles.” she said in a more serious tone. “I am…No we are being pursued by a kidnapper, who will stop at nothing to recapture me. He will kill anyone who gets in his way.”
“Oh? Who is this? Jack the ripper?” Saul replied in a more relaxed tone. He didn’t believe a word she said. Suddenly there was a bump. Saul almost fell forward and off of the carriage. Saul looked back and saw the nobleman on another carriage coming up on the side. Necrae looked simply horrified. She shrunk into the cat she was before.
The nobleman was very pale, he was thin, but muscular, his white hair was bordered by a great balding area. His nose was hooked, his eyes were a bit sunken. He stared at Saul for a moment with an expression of twisted rage, then he shouted, “Give, me the girl!”
“nO!”
“I want the girl, either give her to me or I will take her by force, and kill you in the process.” He pulled from his pocket, a carbine and aimed it at Saul. He ducked as the trigger was pulled. Shrapnels flew all over. The nobleman reloaded his weapon as Saul sped up. The nobleman looked up in surprise and hurled his carbine at the carriage. Saul weaved around a corner and sped downhill.
My goodness, look at the view of the city! Saul thought as he sat staring down at the city of Marseilles below. Soon he remembered the carriage and began screaming.
I knew I shouldn’t have gotten out of bed this morning! He thought as the carriage sped toward the buildings.Suddenly there was a blasting sound, Saul turned as a ball bullet, flew through his hat. The nobleman’s carriage was right behind him, getting closer with each bullet fired. Which gave him enough time to make distance from him Near the bottom of the hill, there was a sharp turn, the horses obviously had gone this way before, because saul didn’t know it was coming. He nearly fell out of the carriage as it swerved to make the dangerously placed curve. The turn brought themn over a bridge and into Marseilles.
Saul relished the sight for only a few moments when another bullet whizzed by.The nobleman was on his tail again. Saul urged the horses on, but to no avail, they stayed their slow pace. The carriage of the nobleman came closer, soon it was next to Saul.
“My boy, you don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
“Who are you?”
“Where is the girl?”
“Who are you?”
“If you do not tell me where the girl is in the next minute I will kill you.”
On the other side of the hill the group of pistol and gun wielding people had grown to more than thirty, they quickly ascended the hill. As the carriage barreled down the streets, Saul could only look on in terror as the horses came so close to smashing into other cars as they carelessly weaved in and out of the paths of carriages.Suddenly as they turned another corner, Saul was flung from the carriage and rolled past three carriages. The carriage came to a halt fifty yards from where he stood. Or sat I should say. The nobleman’s carriage came past him, Saul reached out to grab the nobleman’s cape,and was pulled along with it. He was swung upon the carriage and, when he found out what was happening, grabbed the nobleman by the neck and began wrestling for control of the vehicle. The nobleman fired the pistol and the bullet flew through Saul’s left hand. He clutched his hand as he fell from the carriage. He woke from his dream to find the Count staring at him.
“Your name sir?” Saul stared for a moment, Necrae Morba nudged him in the small of his back with her sharp elbow. He seemed to gather his senses then answered.
“Oh, I am Nikolai…Nikolai Soltikow. General of the Siberian underground forces. Dracula’s eyes burned into him as he stared wide eyed at the crossbow on the second floor. My, I wonder who used that. He thought as his eyes met Dracula’s.
“It is an ancient family relic. Very valuable, not so much monetarily, as it is protectively.”
“So is it a protective family heirloom?” Dracula nodded.
“Ah, General Soltikov, you would not happen to be related to our guest of the party tonight would you?”
“I don’t know who might this so honored guest be?” Saul asked like a wealthy and arrogant father. “He is the General of the Russian army, one,” Saul’s mouth dropped when he heard the next words. “General Ladislaus Soltikov.” Saul began to stumble on his words.
“You know, I have a policy which does so abhor those who lie. Eh? Are you bleeding?” Dracula pointed at Saul’s right hand which was leaking red blood. Hmm.. That is strange, I had been shot by the nobleman in my left hand.Why is my hand bleeding from the right? He glanced at Dracula who stared at his bleeding hand. He realized one important thing that Dracual had not told him.
“Excuse me sir, what might your name be? You have asked for mine and I willfully gave it. Now I would like to know yours.”
“I, am Count Kalashniakov.” He shook Saul’s hand and looked toward Necrae Morba, ”And this is the heiress Kalashniakov.” He pulled her close to him.
“I am the Heiress Farei Kalashnikov.” She smiled her white fangs glistening. A servant rushed through the crowd of partygoers and came up to the count. He whispered into his ear, and the count frowned, turned his head toward Saul, then turned away again. The servant ran back into the crowd. Kalashniakov turned with a menacing glare, his left eyebrow was raised much higher than his right, giving him the look of an insane man. His eyes were turning red.
“Farei, leave this room immediately.”
“But father I—”
His expression calmed almost instantly, he turned to his daughter and spoke in a calm voice. “Farei, you know everything I tell you is in your best interest correct?”
“Correct.”
“Then get out of this room.”
“What is going to happen to him?”
“Out.” Farei quickly left the room. She reappeared on the stairs Kalashniakov had descended from minutes earlier.
“You!” Kalashniakov said with fury. “You are not what you seem.”
“What? What is this rot you speak?”
“You have lied, you have given a false name, and a title which is blatantly false.”
“I am Ladislaus Soltikov. I am a leader of the—”
“Shut up!” He drew a sword from his robe. Saul bolted across the room and leapt upon the stairs. He dashed up the flight of steps and entered a room. Dracula leapt from the floor to the railing, landing upright on the wooden bar. Saul sat at the door quivering in fear, he never dreamed he could have gone through this much trouble.
“I know you’re in there boy.It’s the only room up here.”
Shoot! He thought after Kalashniakov said that.
Then all was quiet, Saul silently sighed in sweet relief. He glanced up and saw a large sword hanging from the wall. Ah. He thought as he lay there against the door. There was a loud sharp sound, like an inhuman squeal, then the blade of Kalashniakov’s weapon burst through the door, just under Saul’s ear. At that moment he leapt up, yanked the sword from the wall and walked toward the door. He lifted his foot and kicked it open. He saw Kalashniakov falling over the banister.Saul ran down the stairs and into the next room. Farei who watched silently from the other stairwell, followed him. Saul looked around the Foyer for the entrance. All he could see were large old, paintings. He left the room and ran right into Farei.
“You! Who are you really? Have you led me into a trap on purpose? Is this part of some sadistic plot to kill me?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about. All I know is that my father heard something from his servant and then flew into a rage. If we find Hiralgo, we may be able to find out what is wrong.”
“Let us be off then.” They began running down the hall. Saul stopped and turned to Farei. “Where are Hiralgo’s quarters?”
The servant, Hiralgo stood in the darkness of his room, staring intensely at the mirror. In the darkness, his form was a bit nightmarish. As he stared longer, his eyes became adjusted. Suddenly, the room brightened, flames leapt from the floor, molten flames floated in balls from the floor, to the ceiling, which was covered in a film of molten rock.
“Salzair.” A calm, urbane voice called. Hiralgo turned to see a great thronein the middle of a rocky plain. The dark blackish red rocks with lava flowing beneath them glowed eerily off of the jet throne. “Salzair, what is the meaning of my summons. I have told you to wait for me to arrive. I will be there within the hour, have you no patience you fool?”
“I am gifted with the most patience of any animal devised by my creator. But I do fear, my lord,”
“What do you fear?”
“I fear, that we are both at our ends.”
“You fool, nothing can kill me. You on the other hand…”
“Oh my lord, such confidence in your powers. But unfortunately, you forget that sometimes you are yourself, a creation. And where you had a beginning, you will also have your end.”
“I would tame that tongue before it runs away.”
“Fact is the only leash my tongue has. And it goes only so far as my mind allows it. Appear!”
“Immediately, a cloaked figure appeared in the seat of the throne. It did not sit in the way of a king though, its position was much ore relaxed, one leg hung over the seat, while another was on the arm.
“You are foolish Salzair. Has anyone other than myself told you that?”
“No, and therefore you can’t be believed.”
“Up here, the quarters are down this hallway.” Farei shouted as she and Saul made their way down the long dark corridor. Near the end they saw an orrangeish light emanating from a small door.
“I am guessing this is Hiralgo’s quarters?”
“I never said he gets the best doors..” She opened the door, stooped, and walked in. Saul followed suit. Saul stood in amazement at what he saw when he entered the servant’s room. Farei also was amazed. They had walked right into the middle of a meeting with Hiralgo and what seemed to be the devil.
“Salzair, you have slipped up, when I arrive, you will be nothing more than dust.” The hooded figure said in his urbane, calm manner. The figure faded into dark smoke which dissipated in seconds. The whole room went black, Saul couldn’t even see the palm of his hand. A moment later, he was knocked to the floor by Hiralgo, running from the room. Farei followed, leaving a bootprint in his face. Hiralgo leapt ovewr the railway and landed on the first floor in the main hall. He ran through a corridor leading to the back of the house. Farei seemed to be a blur of motion as she leapt from stair to stair. She disappeared down the corridor. Saul came running down the stairs, tri[ped and tumbled the rest of the way. He landed on his bottom at the foot of the stairs. Dazed, he stumbled down the dark corridor after Farei.
Hiralgo sped down the corridor opening doors to block Farei who skillfully made her way around them without missing a beat. He stopped and waited for a moment for Farei to catch up, then swung open a door, hitting her square between the eyes. As she rubbed her injury, Hiralgo dashed off to a room at the very end of the hall and closed the door. He heaved with a smile on his face, he had evaded her finally, and now he had to figure out how to get rid of the master. The door burst to pieces as Farei came through the sturdy wooden barrier and tackled him to the floor. After a struggle, she turned him over on his back, stared him in the eye and said, “Now, about this master.”
Saul still dazed, stumbled about the corridor, closing doors and looking around. His bottom was as sore as a bird in the sky.
“Farei, where are you?” He called. His answer was only silence. Death-like silence, he was beginning to become afraid. No, I can’t be afraid. My life depends upon this. If I give up now, I will lose everything…probably. Oh Jesus! What is that! He screamed when he saw a movement in the darkness, as it came forward, it resembled more of a wolf than anything else. He shielded himself with his arms when it came closer, and he was picked up. He screamed and flailed his arms.
“Oh will you stop that?” came a familiar voice, “That is very annoying.” Saul opened his eyes and found to his surprise, Farei was carrying Hiralgo and himself. “We have to stop the master. He is trying to kill me.”
Outside the house, a carriage rolled up to the door and a man of medium height stepped forth. He wore a black cape with white trim. The door of the house opened and Kalashniakov walked out to greet the visitor.
“Ah, General Soltikov, I am glad to see you have arrived. We have anticipated this.”
“And I have anticipated such a greeting as yours. Please let us enter so that we may be warmed.”
As the two entered. Kalashniakov whispered to his manservant. “Find the impostor and kill him.” the manservant nodded and walked up the stairs to the second floor. He opened his door and walked to his closet. He drew from it a chest, and opened it. There were two pistols with six bullets each with them, a thick wire, a dagger with a long crooked blade and a small gold mace. He dug deeper into the mess of weapons and drew from it a cross bow, a bolus, and the dagger. He shut the chest and left the room, locking the door as he did so.
“General, how do you rate the improvement of the army of Alexander?”
“It is coming along well. Further training is needed for it to become a supreme defense for the country, but their morale seems indestructible.”
“Have you thought of Guerilla warfare?”
“What do you mean?”
“Emulate Guerilla attacks, their morale needs to be crushed if they are to learn, and if they can survive, they will be able to battle the French.”
“My interests are not in beating the French, for they have done nothing as of yet. My focus is simply to get these men assembled into an elite Russian fighting force.”
“So I was right, you are Necrae Morba and that is drakulya and you are some monk that was follwing the guy around for the past five thousand years.”
“Right. So, now that you have most of the story, somewhat understood, you can help us. We must kill General Soltikov. He is coming here tonight, He really should be here now.”
“I can’t kill somebody, it will disrupt time and space.”
“Wht do you mean, you are from this era right?” No.”
“Then you must fight him on your own terms.”
Saul was in a cold snowy city. The snow about him whipped and burned as it tore through his robe. He felt like himself again, not that he felt any different when his body was turned into the surprising legionnaire. For a moment Saul did not know where he was, but as the winds shifted, he saw in his view, the very familiar, onion shaped roofs of Russian buildings. He turned to see many people walking down the snow covered streets with their children. He ran to a window and wiped the snow from the glass. He looked in and found a dark room. But that was not what he was paying attention to. Saul could see he was himself again. He was very happy. He was so happy in fact, that he leapt into the street and was almost run over by a beautiful carriage drawn by horses with long hair, and luxurious gold ornaments. It went right past him without stopping and headed off into the snowy fog. Saul stared, on the ground . A long shadow came over him.
“Do you need help?” asked a soft, whisper. Saul turned to see Necrae Morba draped in a luxurious black dress. She kneeled to help him up. Her accent was perfectly naturalized. Her skin had whitened since last he saw her.
“Necrae Morba?” Saul asked in disbelief. The girl smiled and helped him up. “Who is this Necrae Morba?” She produced a hard sound on the ‘cr’ and ‘orba’ She smiled again. “Come, you must be freezing. I will take you to my father and our house.” She pulled him to a carriage. They both climbed in and the carriage took off in the opposite direction of the racing carriage before hand. The carriage left the vicinity of the town. They rode into the countryside and for sometime were in the midst iof a snowstorm. Saul could only see white around the carriage, he began to have a feeling of nothingness. His attention was turned suddenly to the girl who sat beside him smiling with very white teeth. This Can not be Necrae Morba. The Necrae I know never cracked a smile in her life. Her smile was dazzling. I suppose Necrae’s smile would be like that if she never smiled. The carriage came to a stop in front of a huge house situated on a hill. A large Christmas tree was in the middle of the yard, surrounded by firewood.
“That is a beautiful tree.” Saul said.
“It is the same as all the other trees around this area.” Necrae Replied. A small man ran toward the tree holding a torch. The man was stark naked, his skin was a blistered red color. Necrae jumped out and ran to him while screaming, Escobar! Don’t! Put that down you damned lunatic! But she was too slow, the man dropped the torch among the logs and flames immediately engulfed the tall tree, and the tree became sort of a flaming flag in the blowing wind. It reminded Saul of an image he saw in another time. Long, very long, before this. He shuddered, then stepped out of the carriage and walked up to the house. Before he reached the door, it swung open and there stood prince Vlad.Saul gasped, he noticed that he had gotten thinner, and taller. He bowed his head and began to speak.
“Sir, I am a lonely person, orphaned and I wish to gain entrance to you—” Necrae pulled him by the neck and brought him inside.
“When you are with me,” she said as she closed the door, “You can come right in.” She led him through a long dark hallway, where he bumped into a table, a lamp and tripped over a large furry cat. They entered a large room where there were people dancing the waltz. Each person wore white, yet Saul could see, there was a spot of black. Necrae took him up a flight of stairs AND INTO DRACULA’S ROOM.
Thirty minutes later Saul left the room dressed in a black suit It reminded Saul of the suit DRACULA WORE IN Van Helsing. Dang man, I make this suit look good! He thought to himself as he looked at himself in the mirror in the hall.
“There is only one thing that could make this complete.” He said as he looked at Necrae, who had been looking him over. Her eyes lit up and she ran back into the room, only to reappear a moment later with a hair clasp made of gold.Saul shouted as she pulled back many long locks of hair and arranged them withn the clasp. This was the first time that he noticed he had very long hair.He looked at himself. Complete.
The dancing had finished and all but the violinists who had played before had gone. At the base of the stairs Saul turned to necrae and held out his hand.
“May I dance with a woman of such kind and generous upbringing?” Necrae took his hand and they danced out to the center of the room. The violinists began playing, the dance of the hours. And Saul and Necrae began to dance to the paced beat. After the song ended, five times later, there were many claps. Saul looked up to see Many people on a balcony overlooking the room. Among them was Dracula. Their rate of claps proved their superior breeding, or their impersonations, whichever it was.
Necrae curtsied deeply, Saul bowed to the same effect.
In the next room, a man read a letter made of yellowing parchment. The hand writing was very neat, and fancy. The man read intensely, his brows meeting at a point. He folded up the paper and threw it into a pile of such things and left the room. A little woman came in the room and picked up a number of the papers and took it outside. She put them inside a barrel and lit a match. Suddenly a strong wind blew out the parchment letter and it floated toward a second story window. The window swung open and shut as the parchment letter entered. It landed under a large bed. A dog entered the room and jumped upon the bed. It curled up and went to sleep.
Dracula finished clapping and came to the edge of the rail. He looked down at the two in what seemed to Saul, a villain’s stare. Dracula kept his eyes locked on them as he slowly descended the stairs with all the other partygoers behind him. WHO IS THIS BOY WHO DANCES WITH MY DAUGHTER? It seems almost as if I had met him before, somewhere. Wait, could it be? No. Could it? Dracula thought as he came toward the two standing teenagers. Saul watched as Dracula held out his hand to greet him. It was about thirty seconds before Saul realized what was going on.
“Oh, I am so sorry, to keep you waiting sir.” He cried as he shook his hand furiously. He was about to say more when he froze, his mind was drawn back into the darkening atmosphere of Dracula’s home in Pest. In the hakks, he heard Sobbing. It must be Necrae Morba. He thought as he made his way toward the sobbing. As he entered a lit hallway, a shadow flew past him, followed by a rush of cold wind. The shadow bounced upon the walls, and flew through the closed door from whence Necrae’s wails were emanating. He ran to the door, stooped and listened. Oh father why did you have to come? If you hadn’t come, you would not have gotten captured by the turks, you would not have been burnt alive, and your eyes would not have been gouged out. I have caused your pain, I am your pain, I will end it! Saul burst in the room just in time to see Necrae plunge the old bloody dagger, into her chest. As she fell to the bed, the shadow enveloped her and she floated softly to the floor.Two marks appeared on her neck for only an instant, then closed back up. Necrae sat up for a moment and looked at the dagger in hier chest. She laid back and moaned. Then he was pulled into the darkness again.He found himself in another city, it was by the looks of it, france.He looked about him and cried out in surprise, he was on a rooftop.Below him he could see a man in a harlequin’s suit, the man sang to a group of children who played about his legs
And into the night aturo ran,
To rescue Maid maid Marian!
And out of the darkness Figaro ran,
Both with bow and arrow in hand!
They fought for the lady’s hand
And ne’er was a battle so fought,
To charm a woman from other lands,
To enter the warmth of hearts
Da duh!
SaulLeapt from rooftop to rooftop as he looked for a spot near the ground. Oh why up here, I have a fear of heights he thought. He stopped to hear a conversation between a quarreling woman and her lover.
“How dare you sleep with madam Hallet! You are not a man! You are a *****!”
“How darest you say such things, when you yourself asre guilty of such pleasures. You and Madame Regite both partake in them, together! The only reason I still love you is because you—” Saul slipped from a roof and fell into the river. As he submerged, he cursed himself for eavesdropping. Though he knew he would do it again. He floated in the water as he slowly drifted along the meandering path of the river.
Man, think stinks. I wonder what happens now. I am in a river, floating to god knows where, and I don’t care. What am I saying here? I have to get out of here! He began swimming in the direction of the wall enclosing the river. He could hear people talking as he climbed upward. He found to his delight a carriage. A driver was being yelled at by a man of apparently high prestige.
“You idiot! How do you mix up cabs? Do you know who I am?”
“Yes sir I do know.”
“Did you know I could have you executed for this?”
“For mistaking you for my master?”
“Of course!”
“You are evil.”
“You are a wretch!”
“you are a commoner.”
“You sleep with women of Ill repute.”
“I will have you hanged for that!”
Saul climbed over the wall as the nobleman stormed off. Leaping over the wall and hiding behind the carriage, Saul made his way into the driver’s seat. When the driver came up, Saul knocked him out with a blow to the side of his head.
“Is there anything wrong out there?” Came the high pitched voice of a nobleman.
“No.” Saul replied with the guttural tone of the driver. Saul stole the man’s coat which reached his ankles, his pants, shirt and boots, and pushed the man out of the carriage.
“What is that sound?” Asked the nobleman as he stepped out of the carriage and fell on the unconscious driver. “Holy Blue!” he cried. Suddenly, the carriage sped off with a crack of a whip and the shriek of the horses. The nobleman tried to keep up with the carriage, but lost it as it turned and went over a bridge. The man was less than five feet in height, with red eyes, magnified by thick-lensed pince nez.His hair was wispy and gray, he wore a black suit with a white shirt. The cape about his shoulders was black with a great, white, fleur de lis in the back. He snatched off his pence nez and stuffed them in his piocket.
“Damn! Not again!” He shouted. A carriage was just coming down the road. He flagged it down and walked up to the man who stared at him in a mix of fear and respect.
“Give me your horses!”
“What?”
“Did I stutter? Give me your carriage!”
“No, I can’t I—Ooof!” The Nobleman punched the man in the throat sending him out of the carriage. The nobleman climbed into the carriage and cracked the whip. The horses sped off over the bridge.
Necrae bounced about the carriage as each wheel unbalanced it upon the cobblestone streets. She could only think of the bouncing at the moment, how she could stay seated was one of many problems she had to sort out. Another of her problems were how to evade her kidnapper, and who was the person driving the carriage? That person never drove off without the Comte before. Blatantly leaving him in its dust. Right now, her kidnapper would be following her right now. She reached over to the seat across from her and pulled herself to the other end of the carriage. Saul who was now looking around at the people who dodged the carriage.
“Excuse me. Excuse me!”Saul shouted as he nearly missed an old woman crossing the lane. A young man ran in front of the carriageHe ducked as the horses went around him. He looked up to see the carriage. “Oh, I am so sorry!” He said as he looked back at the boy, who had been knocked out by the carriage. Suddenly a small black and white cat leapt upon him. Saul nearly lost control of the carriage. The cat did nothing to frighten him more, it just sat down and watched the ride.
The count rolled along the streets, about a block behind the carriage, though he could not see the carriage itself, Saul, made it quite clear where he was headed, especially since everywhere he went disaster followed. Each turn was filled with more people on the ground, market stands overturned, fruits and boxes about the street. The count stopped in front of the unconscious man, got out of the carriage, picked him up, and placed him at the right front wheel of the vehicle. Then he cracked the whip again and the carriage rolled over the man’s head, crushing it. A young woman saw it and was horrified.She ran into her house and reappeared minutes later with three of her hand servants, armed with revolvers. They marched down the street after the carriage. Moments later, there were three more people with revolvers pursuing the count.
Saul stared in utter amazement at the girl who now sat beside him. Yes, it was Necrae morba, She smiled the way an anime girl would. Her head cocked to the side, in a wide fanged smile.
“Hi!” She said with a wave. “How are you?” She seemed so calm in this situation.
“Hello.” Saul said thirty seconds of staring at her later, “I…am well.”
“Look out.” she said cal,mly as she pointed forward. Saul turned and ducked as a large branch went overhead.. “Look, I want to be taken out of paris now. I must get back to my father in Marseilles.” she said in a more serious tone. “I am…No we are being pursued by a kidnapper, who will stop at nothing to recapture me. He will kill anyone who gets in his way.”
“Oh? Who is this? Jack the ripper?” Saul replied in a more relaxed tone. He didn’t believe a word she said. Suddenly there was a bump. Saul almost fell forward and off of the carriage. Saul looked back and saw the nobleman on another carriage coming up on the side. Necrae looked simply horrified. She shrunk into the cat she was before.
The nobleman was very pale, he was thin, but muscular, his white hair was bordered by a great balding area. His nose was hooked, his eyes were a bit sunken. He stared at Saul for a moment with an expression of twisted rage, then he shouted, “Give, me the girl!”
“nO!”
“I want the girl, either give her to me or I will take her by force, and kill you in the process.” He pulled from his pocket, a carbine and aimed it at Saul. He ducked as the trigger was pulled. Shrapnels flew all over. The nobleman reloaded his weapon as Saul sped up. The nobleman looked up in surprise and hurled his carbine at the carriage. Saul weaved around a corner and sped downhill.
My goodness, look at the view of the city! Saul thought as he sat staring down at the city of Marseilles below. Soon he remembered the carriage and began screaming.
I knew I shouldn’t have gotten out of bed this morning! He thought as the carriage sped toward the buildings.Suddenly there was a blasting sound, Saul turned as a ball bullet, flew through his hat. The nobleman’s carriage was right behind him, getting closer with each bullet fired. Which gave him enough time to make distance from him Near the bottom of the hill, there was a sharp turn, the horses obviously had gone this way before, because saul didn’t know it was coming. He nearly fell out of the carriage as it swerved to make the dangerously placed curve. The turn brought themn over a bridge and into Marseilles.
Saul relished the sight for only a few moments when another bullet whizzed by.The nobleman was on his tail again. Saul urged the horses on, but to no avail, they stayed their slow pace. The carriage of the nobleman came closer, soon it was next to Saul.
“My boy, you don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
“Who are you?”
“Where is the girl?”
“Who are you?”
“If you do not tell me where the girl is in the next minute I will kill you.”
On the other side of the hill the group of pistol and gun wielding people had grown to more than thirty, they quickly ascended the hill. As the carriage barreled down the streets, Saul could only look on in terror as the horses came so close to smashing into other cars as they carelessly weaved in and out of the paths of carriages.Suddenly as they turned another corner, Saul was flung from the carriage and rolled past three carriages. The carriage came to a halt fifty yards from where he stood. Or sat I should say. The nobleman’s carriage came past him, Saul reached out to grab the nobleman’s cape,and was pulled along with it. He was swung upon the carriage and, when he found out what was happening, grabbed the nobleman by the neck and began wrestling for control of the vehicle. The nobleman fired the pistol and the bullet flew through Saul’s left hand. He clutched his hand as he fell from the carriage. He woke from his dream to find the Count staring at him.
“Your name sir?” Saul stared for a moment, Necrae Morba nudged him in the small of his back with her sharp elbow. He seemed to gather his senses then answered.
“Oh, I am Nikolai…Nikolai Soltikow. General of the Siberian underground forces. Dracula’s eyes burned into him as he stared wide eyed at the crossbow on the second floor. My, I wonder who used that. He thought as his eyes met Dracula’s.
“It is an ancient family relic. Very valuable, not so much monetarily, as it is protectively.”
“So is it a protective family heirloom?” Dracula nodded.
“Ah, General Soltikov, you would not happen to be related to our guest of the party tonight would you?”
“I don’t know who might this so honored guest be?” Saul asked like a wealthy and arrogant father. “He is the General of the Russian army, one,” Saul’s mouth dropped when he heard the next words. “General Ladislaus Soltikov.” Saul began to stumble on his words.
“You know, I have a policy which does so abhor those who lie. Eh? Are you bleeding?” Dracula pointed at Saul’s right hand which was leaking red blood. Hmm.. That is strange, I had been shot by the nobleman in my left hand.Why is my hand bleeding from the right? He glanced at Dracula who stared at his bleeding hand. He realized one important thing that Dracual had not told him.
“Excuse me sir, what might your name be? You have asked for mine and I willfully gave it. Now I would like to know yours.”
“I, am Count Kalashniakov.” He shook Saul’s hand and looked toward Necrae Morba, ”And this is the heiress Kalashniakov.” He pulled her close to him.
“I am the Heiress Farei Kalashnikov.” She smiled her white fangs glistening. A servant rushed through the crowd of partygoers and came up to the count. He whispered into his ear, and the count frowned, turned his head toward Saul, then turned away again. The servant ran back into the crowd. Kalashniakov turned with a menacing glare, his left eyebrow was raised much higher than his right, giving him the look of an insane man. His eyes were turning red.
“Farei, leave this room immediately.”
“But father I—”
His expression calmed almost instantly, he turned to his daughter and spoke in a calm voice. “Farei, you know everything I tell you is in your best interest correct?”
“Correct.”
“Then get out of this room.”
“What is going to happen to him?”
“Out.” Farei quickly left the room. She reappeared on the stairs Kalashniakov had descended from minutes earlier.
“You!” Kalashniakov said with fury. “You are not what you seem.”
“What? What is this rot you speak?”
“You have lied, you have given a false name, and a title which is blatantly false.”
“I am Ladislaus Soltikov. I am a leader of the—”
“Shut up!” He drew a sword from his robe. Saul bolted across the room and leapt upon the stairs. He dashed up the flight of steps and entered a room. Dracula leapt from the floor to the railing, landing upright on the wooden bar. Saul sat at the door quivering in fear, he never dreamed he could have gone through this much trouble.
“I know you’re in there boy.It’s the only room up here.”
Shoot! He thought after Kalashniakov said that.
Then all was quiet, Saul silently sighed in sweet relief. He glanced up and saw a large sword hanging from the wall. Ah. He thought as he lay there against the door. There was a loud sharp sound, like an inhuman squeal, then the blade of Kalashniakov’s weapon burst through the door, just under Saul’s ear. At that moment he leapt up, yanked the sword from the wall and walked toward the door. He lifted his foot and kicked it open. He saw Kalashniakov falling over the banister.Saul ran down the stairs and into the next room. Farei who watched silently from the other stairwell, followed him. Saul looked around the Foyer for the entrance. All he could see were large old, paintings. He left the room and ran right into Farei.
“You! Who are you really? Have you led me into a trap on purpose? Is this part of some sadistic plot to kill me?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about. All I know is that my father heard something from his servant and then flew into a rage. If we find Hiralgo, we may be able to find out what is wrong.”
“Let us be off then.” They began running down the hall. Saul stopped and turned to Farei. “Where are Hiralgo’s quarters?”
The servant, Hiralgo stood in the darkness of his room, staring intensely at the mirror. In the darkness, his form was a bit nightmarish. As he stared longer, his eyes became adjusted. Suddenly, the room brightened, flames leapt from the floor, molten flames floated in balls from the floor, to the ceiling, which was covered in a film of molten rock.
“Salzair.” A calm, urbane voice called. Hiralgo turned to see a great thronein the middle of a rocky plain. The dark blackish red rocks with lava flowing beneath them glowed eerily off of the jet throne. “Salzair, what is the meaning of my summons. I have told you to wait for me to arrive. I will be there within the hour, have you no patience you fool?”
“I am gifted with the most patience of any animal devised by my creator. But I do fear, my lord,”
“What do you fear?”
“I fear, that we are both at our ends.”
“You fool, nothing can kill me. You on the other hand…”
“Oh my lord, such confidence in your powers. But unfortunately, you forget that sometimes you are yourself, a creation. And where you had a beginning, you will also have your end.”
“I would tame that tongue before it runs away.”
“Fact is the only leash my tongue has. And it goes only so far as my mind allows it. Appear!”
“Immediately, a cloaked figure appeared in the seat of the throne. It did not sit in the way of a king though, its position was much ore relaxed, one leg hung over the seat, while another was on the arm.
“You are foolish Salzair. Has anyone other than myself told you that?”
“No, and therefore you can’t be believed.”
“Up here, the quarters are down this hallway.” Farei shouted as she and Saul made their way down the long dark corridor. Near the end they saw an orrangeish light emanating from a small door.
“I am guessing this is Hiralgo’s quarters?”
“I never said he gets the best doors..” She opened the door, stooped, and walked in. Saul followed suit. Saul stood in amazement at what he saw when he entered the servant’s room. Farei also was amazed. They had walked right into the middle of a meeting with Hiralgo and what seemed to be the devil.
“Salzair, you have slipped up, when I arrive, you will be nothing more than dust.” The hooded figure said in his urbane, calm manner. The figure faded into dark smoke which dissipated in seconds. The whole room went black, Saul couldn’t even see the palm of his hand. A moment later, he was knocked to the floor by Hiralgo, running from the room. Farei followed, leaving a bootprint in his face. Hiralgo leapt ovewr the railway and landed on the first floor in the main hall. He ran through a corridor leading to the back of the house. Farei seemed to be a blur of motion as she leapt from stair to stair. She disappeared down the corridor. Saul came running down the stairs, tri[ped and tumbled the rest of the way. He landed on his bottom at the foot of the stairs. Dazed, he stumbled down the dark corridor after Farei.
Hiralgo sped down the corridor opening doors to block Farei who skillfully made her way around them without missing a beat. He stopped and waited for a moment for Farei to catch up, then swung open a door, hitting her square between the eyes. As she rubbed her injury, Hiralgo dashed off to a room at the very end of the hall and closed the door. He heaved with a smile on his face, he had evaded her finally, and now he had to figure out how to get rid of the master. The door burst to pieces as Farei came through the sturdy wooden barrier and tackled him to the floor. After a struggle, she turned him over on his back, stared him in the eye and said, “Now, about this master.”
Saul still dazed, stumbled about the corridor, closing doors and looking around. His bottom was as sore as a bird in the sky.
“Farei, where are you?” He called. His answer was only silence. Death-like silence, he was beginning to become afraid. No, I can’t be afraid. My life depends upon this. If I give up now, I will lose everything…probably. Oh Jesus! What is that! He screamed when he saw a movement in the darkness, as it came forward, it resembled more of a wolf than anything else. He shielded himself with his arms when it came closer, and he was picked up. He screamed and flailed his arms.
“Oh will you stop that?” came a familiar voice, “That is very annoying.” Saul opened his eyes and found to his surprise, Farei was carrying Hiralgo and himself. “We have to stop the master. He is trying to kill me.”
Outside the house, a carriage rolled up to the door and a man of medium height stepped forth. He wore a black cape with white trim. The door of the house opened and Kalashniakov walked out to greet the visitor.
“Ah, General Soltikov, I am glad to see you have arrived. We have anticipated this.”
“And I have anticipated such a greeting as yours. Please let us enter so that we may be warmed.”
As the two entered. Kalashniakov whispered to his manservant. “Find the impostor and kill him.” the manservant nodded and walked up the stairs to the second floor. He opened his door and walked to his closet. He drew from it a chest, and opened it. There were two pistols with six bullets each with them, a thick wire, a dagger with a long crooked blade and a small gold mace. He dug deeper into the mess of weapons and drew from it a cross bow, a bolus, and the dagger. He shut the chest and left the room, locking the door as he did so.
“General, how do you rate the improvement of the army of Alexander?”
“It is coming along well. Further training is needed for it to become a supreme defense for the country, but their morale seems indestructible.”
“Have you thought of Guerilla warfare?”
“What do you mean?”
“Emulate Guerilla attacks, their morale needs to be crushed if they are to learn, and if they can survive, they will be able to battle the French.”
“My interests are not in beating the French, for they have done nothing as of yet. My focus is simply to get these men assembled into an elite Russian fighting force.”
“So I was right, you are Necrae Morba and that is drakulya and you are some monk that was follwing the guy around for the past five thousand years.”
“Right. So, now that you have most of the story, somewhat understood, you can help us. We must kill General Soltikov. He is coming here tonight, He really should be here now.”
“I can’t kill somebody, it will disrupt time and space.”
“Wht do you mean, you are from this era right?” No.”
“Then you must fight him on your own terms.”
