by E. C. Fisher
“The dragon part is true,” Vlad said.
“Come on, Vlad, dragons can’t be—”
“Real. You have seen werewolves, vampires, and undead but you have a hard time believing in dragons,” Mordekai interjected.
“That’s too many legends and myths converging into one. How do you expect me to react?”
“Well, I can understand your disbelief. He’s a very old friend; one of the last Ancient Dragons. He sleeps in the heart of the Earth, a slumber he would’ve still enjoyed if not for the circumstances as they were.” Vlad explained.
“He’s the only one left, what happened to them?”
“The stories about Dragon Slayers are true. Hunters found dragons to be a threat and treated them as such. There used to be thriving magic in the earth, but each death of a dragon caused that magic to be lost to this world.
Dra-carg’nar was the only one to survive by hiding himself in human form and living among them for centuries before he gave up on humanity and hid near the core of the Earth. He helped me during a bad situation against the Hunters. We bonded over our hatred for the humans, but as time went on, our ideals shifted. When I fled from the gargoyles, I went to him for help. I explained the situation and he agreed to help save Validina. He was the one who came to rescue you all.”
“It would have been nice to thank him.”
“I don’t think he would have appreciated it from you.”
“Father, you have to tell him the most important part?” Vali chimed in.
“I was just getting to it, Validina.”
“Most important part? What’s going on?”
“With the defeat of Dr. Frankenstein and the total destruction of the Hunters known to the underworld of creatures, many have come out of the woodwork, using this time to cause a massive amount of trouble. My kin have been working overtime to handle such problems, but there is only so much we can do.”
“I see, so my job isn’t over yet. This time will be different than what the Hunters did. I will try to find a place where they can live without being hunted. I must do this as a Guardian.”
“Do you believe you can accomplish that all by yourself?” Vlad asked.
“He won’t be by himself,” Jekyll said as he leaned against the wall of the living room entry with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Though he looked frail when Alex first met him, his body was very well maintained and muscular. And with his beard and hair cut short he was quite the handsome man.
“Jekyll, I'm glad to see that you’re all right,” Alex said.
“Well, Vlad has been kind enough to let me freshen up.”
Alex heard the familiar tone Jekyll used when he said Vlad’s name and asked, “Do you two already know each other?”
“From way back. It’s a long story. Are you sure, Jekyll?” Vlad asked.
“It’s thanks to Alex that I’m free and I plan to pay him back for the life he spared,” Jekyll answered.
“Looks like you’ve gained a strong ally already, Alex,” Vlad said.
“Don’t forget about me, Vladimir,” Mordekai added.
“I already included you in his numbers, Mordekai.”
“And me too,” Vali added.
“I don’t think so, young lady.” Vlad’s eyes turned crimson red.
“You can’t stop me; I’m going wherever Alex is and that’s final. Right, Alex,” Vali stared at him with puppy dog eyes.
“Vali, I’m not sure that would—” Vali squeezed his hand almost to the point of breaking it. “I think that would be a lovely idea,” Alex released the tension on his hand but didn’t let it go.
“See, Father, are you going to deny a request from the man who rescued your daughter,” Vali said as he glared at her.
“Very well, I’ll admit defeat, but don’t think for a second I’ve given up trying to persuade you otherwise,” Vlad said as his eyes turned back to normal.
“Thank you, Father.”
“You’re welcome, my daughter.”
“Mordekai, Vali, Jekyll, can you step out so I can talk with Vlad alone for a bit?” Alex asked.
“Sure thing, Alex.” Jekyll pushed off the wall and walked to the front door and left.
“I’ll be right outside, Alex.” Vali joined Jekyll outside with Mordekai right behind her.
“First, Vlad, I would like to apologize for not keeping my promise with you.” Alex stood and bowed to him as the front door closed.
“What promise?”
“To keep Vali safe. I wasn’t able to stop Dr. Frankenstein from taking her while you were gone. Anything could have happened to her while she was his prisoner.”
“Lift your head up, Alex. You’ve got nothing to feel sorry for. You did what you could under the circumstances. Not only that, you were able to rescue her and take care of Dr. Frankenstein. If anything, I’m in your debt. Which brings me to this, you’ll protect her while she’s in your care, I expect nothing less from you now, Alexander Van Helsing-Maximillian.”
“Of course, sir. I’ll make sure she stays safe.”
“I know you will. Now, what is it you wanted to ask me?”
“Do you have any idea what happened to me when I drank Vali’s blood? I felt a surge of power rush throughout my entire body. My wounds healed, my strength and speed were beyond comprehension. Even my eyes and hair changed colors. I don’t understand what happened, am I a vampire now?”
“No, you’re not a vampire. I’m not sure what happened. I speculate something occurred between the powers given to you by the Gods and the cursed blood of a vampire. It seems like you were momentarily given vampiric abilities, but what worries me is the fact that you displayed such heightened skills with only a quarter of vampire blood. Your level of abilities, if given pure vampire blood, would be beyond comprehension. That’s not to say the toll it may take on your body, for now, it should be a weapon used as a last resort,” Vlad explained with a serious and ominous look upon his face.
Alex could only sit in silence at the theory Vlad shared with him and trembled from the thought of it.
“I agree. I felt completely drained and tired after the ordeal. If, for any reason, I wasn’t able to complete my task even in that state, I would only be leaving myself open. Should we tell Vali and Jekyll about this?”
“For now, no, it’s best to leave them out of it until we can fully understand what happened to you. We’re in the dark as much as they are at this point, no need to worry them further about it.” Vlad stood up and walked over to him with his hand outstretched for him to take.
“Understand.” Alex stood and grabbed his hand giving him a firm handshake.
“Let’s go outside. The evening air is nice this time of night,” Vlad suggested.
They walked outside to join everyone else. Standing in the front yard were Vali, Jekyll, and Warren. Mordekai floated beside Vali.
“What do we do now, Alex?” Jekyll asked.
Alex glanced at each of their faces before he turned to look at Vlad. He merely stared back at him. The choice is yours to make, Alexander.
“Our job isn’t over yet; we need to bring the creatures of darkness under control due to Dr. Frankenstein’s demise. First, we rebuild the Guardians forces. We’ll look for allies among the creatures of darkness willing to help. We will send those who mean harm to this world, and with the aid of Mordekai, provide them with an alternative to Earth.”
“How do you plan to do that?” Vali asked.
“Mordekai, you created a separate space for Hunter HQ to reside in. Could you do the same for any number of creatures? In a sense, it would be a prison, but at least one that fits their needs better.”
“True. It’s possible. I don’t see why not; I’ll give it a try. I can’t guarantee anything more.”
“Alright, we’ll get started immediately, but first there’s something I’ve got to take care of. Can you send me to Hunter HQ, Mordekai?”
“Of course.” Mordekai floated over to Alex and glowed. They vanished in a m
oment. Alex and Mordekai stood in the courtyard on the Hunters headquarters.
“Do you have my weapons and coat with you, Mordekai?”
“One second.” A white swirling portal appeared, and a dark bag dropped out of it. Alex knelt down and unzipped it to find his guns, sword, and coat inside. Alex tossed the coat on, sheathed his sword, and placed the guns in their holsters.
“So why did we have to come here to do this?” Mordekai asked.
“It wasn’t for this. I wanted to place my father’s sword here while I had the chance. Did you make the sheath for it already?”
“Yes, it’s prepared.”
A leather-bound sheath appeared before me. Alex let it suspend in the air as he bent down to remove his father’s sword from the bag. He grabbed the sheath with his left hand and slid the blade inside. Near the entrance to the Hunters HQ were two large pillars. Alex instructed Mordekai to make hooks for the sword to rest with a plaque that read:
‘To those who’ve fallen
Remember and Fight on
In peace, be Guarded’
“I think this is a good place for it. Plaque’s a good touch too.” Alex bowed to give his prayer to the deceased and honor those who came before him.
“Thought it needed something to go with it. Was there anything else you wanted to do?”
“Yes. There’s still someone I need to take care of. I need you to track someone for me?”
“Who?”
“Malcolm Wolfrik,” Alex answered.
After ten minutes, Mordekai said, “I’ve found him. He’s in an old factory in Chicago; it’s abandoned.
“Great. Send me there.”
“I’ve already set the door to the warehouse's location; all you have to do is walk through.”
Alex stared at the massive steel doors that acted as the main portal back through any door on Earth. He pushed hard against the door as a slim amount of white light appeared and as the door fully opened, revealed a completely white vacant space.
“So, I just walk through this?” Alex gestured toward the area and passed the door.
“What happened to all the confidence a moment ago? Losing your nerve now of all times,” Mordekai joked.
“I’ve witnessed vampires, werewolves, undead, gargoyles, shit, even dragons, but when it comes to using magic, it still boggles my mind a bit,” Alex admitted before he stepped through the portal.
He appeared inside an empty room of an old warehouse. The windows were covered with old newspaper and cardboard boxes; they barely let any light through. He smelled a faint hint of burnt old rubber. He exited the room and entered a massive space; once filled with manufacturing machines and line workers.
“Do you think I’m a hypocrite, Mordekai?” Alex asked as he exited the room and strolled into the warehouse.
How do you mean, Alex? Mordekai answered as he floated nearby him.
“I call myself a Guardian, but here I am hunting a man.”
He isn’t a man any longer. He’s a dangerous creature. Being a Guardian means protecting, even if that protection comes at the cost of a life, even yours.
“I don’t think I can truly move forward if I don’t finish this myself.”
I’m not asking for an excuse. You merely have to do what you believe to be right. Do you believe you are doing the right thing?
“I need to protect her. I can’t leave the possibility of a threat to her lurk in the shadows.”
Then for now, be a Hunter, Alexander.
Alex nodded as he continued down the middle of the warehouse. Two rows of steel beams ran its length. He searched for any sign of Malcolm. Alex unsheathed his Hunter’s Blade as he reached the center of the warehouse. He paused. I can feel someone or something watching me. Malcolm.
Alex couldn’t perceive in which direction he was being monitored as he cautiously moved forward. His footsteps echoed in the empty warehouse. His senses were on alert as he reacted to any noise.
“What brings you here, Johnson?” Malcolm’s voice echoed in the hollow warehouse.
“You should know the answer to that, Malcolm. We’ve unfinished business to take care of.”
“What makes you think you can handle me all on your own?”
“You must be out of the loop, your master, Dr. Frankenstein, is dead. I killed him with my hands and there’s nothing a whelp like you can do against me. This is just personal.” Alex tried to press his buttons and make him reveal himself.
“You lie through your teeth, Hunter. There’s no way you defeated Master.” His voice reverberated throughout the warehouse.
“Why don’t you come out and test your theory?” Alex shouted back.
He only received silence as he stood still, waiting for him to pounce. He heard the sound of clothes being ripped as mild grunts echoed.
“You went ahead and transformed. Good, that will make this easier for me. Now show yourself, Wolfrik.”
Alex felt his presence from above and looked to see Malcolm descend from the rafters. He rolled forward and evaded his swiping claw. Alex twirled around and raised his sword to block Malcolm’s swing with the flatness of the blade. The silver burned against his paw and he retreated up into the rafters. He closed his eyes to focus on the sound of his heavy footsteps and labored breathing. Alex patiently waited until he was on top of him. He ducked under Malcolm's swipe and sliced through him, cutting him in half.
“My name isn’t Johnson or Hunter, Malcolm Wolfrik. My name’s Alexander Van Helsing-Maximillian and I’m a Guardian.”
Thank you
Thank you for reading this story.
Please consider leaving a review and let others know.
Also by E.C. Fisher
A Diary of Sweet Revenge
The Rain
At the Pier: A Short Story
Cotton Tale
Between the Page: A Collection of Three Short Horror Stories
Masked Conspiracy
Memorable Christmas
Re:Camelot The Complete Edition
Lucifer's Revelations
Wrath of Ice
The Last Peacemaker
The Hunter's Blade (Coming Soon)
Watch for more at E.C. Fisher’s site.
About the Author
E.C. Fisher is an emerging author who was born in Vandenberg, AFB, California. Currently, he happily writes and resides in Florida.
From 2007 to 2011, he proudly served in the United States Marine Corps. Three years ago, he was introduced to the writing world after a bout of inspiration drove him to write his very first story. After sharing his work with several people and receiving favorable feedback, he decided to continue treading on the creative path of storytelling.
When he doesn’t have a pen in hand, you can find him at the bowling alley getting strikes or at home reading fantastical books.
Read more at E.C. Fisher’s site.