Dracula's Lost Love

Chapter 7

Two days have passed before Van Helsing and Carl made it to port. Both men wasted no time as they made their way towards the merchant man who rented and sold horses for a living. The young merchant looked up in time to spot both men walking towards him. "How can I be of service to the two of you gentlemen?"

"We are looking to purchase two of your finest horses that will help us get to our destination," Van Helsing said.

"Where is your destination, if you don't mind me asking," the merchant asked.

"Transylvania. Have you heard of it," Van Helsing asked.

"Heard of it? Why many of us won't venture towards that land. We fear that it's cursed. And those who live in that land are very unfortunate. They are the ones who have to deal with the things that go bump in the night over there. I even tried to talk a beautiful young woman out of traveling to those lands. The poor thing stated she didn't have much of a choice. She had to go back there before her father took his last breath. I believe a vampire got to him, and that he's already halfway to becoming one of the damned beasts," The merchant said.

"How do you know about vampires," Carl asked.

The merchant leaned in close before speaking in a low tone. "I used to live in Transylvania. I managed to gather enough money, so I could leave and open shop in a land that wasn't plagued by monsters and other strange things waiting for you to turn the corner to get you. If you happen to see the young woman, would you be kind to tell her that I had been worrying about her. No woman should go to those cursed lands without someone alongside her to keep her safe."

"We will," Carl said.

"How much for the two horses," Van Helsing asked.

"I won't charge you for them. My gift to you two. As well as my prayers that you, your friend and that young woman keep safe in the horrid land that you are riding into. May you all make it out of that land alive," the man said while leading Van Helsing and Carl to the two horses.

Van Helsing and Carl wasted no time in climbing up on the horses, before leaving the port area to make their way to the village, that is being tormented by all sorts of monsters.

"What do you suppose he meant by 'I hope you all make it out of that land alive," Carl asked.

"Think about it Carl, we are entering a land that has been plagued by monsters ever since the first vampire made his home there. Because of a mistake one man made, now all of the rest of the villagers have to pay the price for it. I can only hope that Lilith is still alive and not one of the many creatures that I have to kill, just to keep the village safe," Van Helsing said.

"Well, maybe if you didn't make her feel like she had to prove to you that she can do all of this on her own, then she maybe wouldn't have run off the way that she did. She only ran off because you made it seem like that you always have to save her from danger," Carl explained.

"I didn't mean it like that. I do save her from extremely dangerous situations. and if me saying anything to Cardinal Jinette about what happened when we were chasing down Jekyll and Hyde made her upset, I don't regret saying anything to him. I feel that Cardinal Jinette had every right to know about that. It was wrong of her to want to keep that secret from him," Van Helsing said.

"But did you stop to think about how that would make Lilith feel? She trusted you with a secret, that she strongly believed that you would keep. You are her partner. You're supposed to have her back through all of this no matter what," Carl said.

"I'm only trying to do what is best for Lilith! I would not be able to live with myself, if something were to happen to her. Forgive me for being so overly protective of the only person who understands what it feels like to be called a murderer. Though the people who call Lilith a murderer assume that she is also a male, since she's so good at hiding from their sight," Van Helsing said.