Emmy
My head!
Ow… Even screaming in my head hurts… Where am I?
My heavy eyes open, the soft light filtering through the sheer white curtained window may as well be the Saharan Desert sun shining into my eyes. With one eye I look down at my naked body.
I'm in my human body… ok… so I shouldn't be in her house.
"Good morning, dog."
The smell of fresh roasted coffee hits my hyper sensitive nose like an out of control semi. The only thing my throat is able to produce is a low, wretched grumble.
"I believe the proper response would be, 'Good morning Vivienne, thank you for letting me sleep in your king sized bed when I have not bathed after nearly killing a couple of Hunters and other werewolves." Her tone is clipped.
I raise a hand at her. "Sh-Shut up…" I groan. "Please." My hand rushes to my head as it begins its slow and steady 'thudding'. "Would you happen to have an aspirin? Or a gun?" It feels like I'm having an incredibly bad hangover. I take the proffered aspirin and water from her. "Thanks."
She takes a seat in the nearby recliner, waiting for me.
The blanket is pooled around my waist, my chest bare. I'm going to have some new scars thanks to those Hunters. Silver burns are very difficult if, at all, to heal for someone like me. "I-"
"Would you mind explaining why I found you half dead on my doorstep with a silver arrow jammed into your leg?!"
If I didn't know any better I'd think she was hysterical. "… Actually, I can't really." I rub the area of my leg where the afore mentioned arrow was just hours ago. "I definitely remember being chased by Hunters and Pups… I also recall trying to get to Callahan's house. I believe the wolf figured this would be the safest place to rest, seeing as she sees you as an ally." The wound is scabbing.
"So what you mean to say is that dog inside you decided that leading a pack of raging hounds and Hunters to my doorstep would be the best idea in the world?"
"We wouldn't want Callahan to get hurt." I answer truthfully. "We have a duty to protect her, ya know?"
Her pale finger rub circle around her temples. "What happened last night exactly?" Her tone turns inexplicably cheery.
"Uh…"
A Couple Of Days Ago
True to my word, after a week of rest at Callahan's, I show up at the vampire's house to explain my situation. I let myself in without knocking. "Lucy, I'm home!" I'm greeted with a shrill scream. "Julian?" I hear a crashing sound as I close the door. "Pup!"
"Hi Keeper." He walks into the living room from the kitchen, rubbing his butt. I cringe at the name. He smiles widely at me.
"Julian" I groan as I fall back into the plush sofa. "I've told you countless times to call me Emmy, or Emily. The whole Keeper gig isn't mine anymore."
"Are you kidding me?! If the stories are true, not that I'm saying they're not, you being Keeper is in your birthright. You're Mother Earth's Sentinel!" He finishes, I can see he's star struck.
I roll my emerald eyes. "I was a glorified watch dog." I chuck a throw pillow at his head that he easily catches with a small smile.
"A watch dog with immeasurable power and skill?" He tries.
"I will bite your throat." I threaten mock seriously. " Where's the bat?"
He shrugs. "Miss Vivienne doesn't really tell me where she goes honestly."
I raise an eyebrow. "Miss Vivienne?" I chuckle. "What century are we in?" He responds with a shrug again.
"I honestly don't mind it. She's letting me stay here for free for the most part." He falls into the couch next to me. "Why are you here? If you don't mind me asking?"
"As promised I am here to explain to 'Mistress Bat' as to why I am but a wandering mutt strolling the world trying to find my furever home." I lift my legs to put them on top of the coffee table. I think it's mahogany…
"I would highly appreciate it if you would take your dirty shoes off my table." I hear her before I sense her presence.
"Hi Miss Vivienne." Julian welcomes her back, and if I'm not mistaken, I'd say his tail is wagging.
"Vivienne! My semi-dead friend who I like to the point where I don't wanna kill her anymore! How the hell are you?" I leap off the couch to stand directly in front of her.
"What do you want?" She crosses her arms.
"Lighten up grumpy fangs, I'm here to give you the explanation I owe you, of course. Since I more so or less got you caught up in things you'd rather not be in…." I trail off. She raises and eyebrow, her pale pink lips crease into an almost perfect straight line.
"What did you do mutt?" Her fingers start drumming on her arm.
"Ok so get this, you know how last week I turned into that giant werewolf straight out of the things of legend? Yeah, so word got around and now we're gonna get visits from certain people."
"Mutt, I swear to whatever gods you worship that if a Hunter comes to my front door looking for you or me I will personally hand them over your bleeding carcass."
"Well… I mean you won't have to necessarily?" I rub the back of my neck sheepishly. "Just let them know that you're father, my tiny and very small little brother, would not appreciate his only child, whom I'm assuming he loves with all his dead heart, being harassed."
Her eyes light up in surprise. "He is your brother?"
"Well Mother did create the both of us so…" I shrug
"Who's her dad?" Julian, who'd I almost forgot was in the room with us asks.
"Dracula." I answer.
"The Dracula is your father!?" He nearly shrieks out.
Vivienne lets out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, he is my father. And I would appreciate that bit of information not being known to others." She shoots me and icy glare.
My smile is all teeth. "So what do you say, from one frienemy to another? Mind helping a sister out?" I clasp both my hands under my chin, and put on my best puppy dog face.
"No" Is her quick and direct answer.
Rats
"Figured that wouldn't work…" I say under my breath
"Wait, wouldn't he being the original vampire make him all vampire's dad?" The confusion on Julian's face is admittedly adorable.
"Nope!" I answer cheerily. "I'm assuming the ass got himself married proper and impregnated the unsuspecting wench. Or she was some sort of sacrificial lamb." I roll my eyes. "Poor woman. What's her name again?"
"Camilla." Is Vivienne's curt response. I sense mommy issues! Filing that away for later.
"Huh, asshole never sent me a wedding invitation…"
"Wait, if he's your brother, wouldn't that make Vivienne like, your niece?!"
He's on a roll today. "Oh no, me and lil' Vlad ain't no where near blood related, he's my brother only in name. I have a few thousand years on the little leech. "And please, if she where my niece you'd think I'd let her bad mouth me the way she does? Disrespectful…" I huff. "Kids these days.
"Enough!" Vivienne is gonna leave skid marks on her temples at the rate she's going. "Unless you needed something else, I implore that you leave my house. Now."
"Well I was going to tell you about my deep, dark, secret of a past, but yeesh. Fine, I'll leave." I make my way to the exit, not before I give Julian a quick pat on the head. "Take care kid."
"Mutt." I turn on my heel to look at the brunette vampire.
"What up?"
"We will speak tomorrow, in private."
"Aye aye, captain." I pause. "Call Dracula, about the Hunters and werewolves. I can't protect you, but he most certainly can." Another pause. "Where it the past, I would order the Enforcers to do this but, alas I am but a shell of my former glory." A wry chuckle leaves my mouth.
"You care too easily Dog." Is her response. "It will be your end."
I shrug. "It is my curse and duty." I bow out and make my way back to Callahan.
A day ago
The day after I tried to speak with the vampire I spent most of the day with Callahan, up until she left to go spend the rest of the day with Andrea. Having been left alone for the rest of the foreseable future, I decide to go for a walk in the nearby mountains. Turning into the beast still had me a bit worn out. Technically, I could turn into that form as many times as i needed, but the closer the nights where to the full moon the less energy I had to use .
I reach the area where I first found Julian. I walk around the perimeter I set up the last time I was here. There are a couple of scents of other wereanimals that have come by for a momentary relapse. I'm glad they where able to take a break from their travels. My scent has the ability to have a calming effect on other animals. Unless I'm angry. Then they tend to give me a large amount of space. If only humans where so understanding.
Snap!
I quickly stop dead in my tracks and turn to an area downwind. I'm still able to catch a scent. Silver and rage... and teenage angst?
Oh great...
The fur on my back shoots straight up, I let out a warning growl to the young Hunter.
"Good afternoon Hell Beast."
If they could, my eyes would have rolled all the way back into my head. I decide then to turn into my human form.
"You're pretty young to be a Hunter." I look him up and down. He has scars on the back of his hand. Punishment from the Vatican no doubt, trying to beat the child out of him. "Let me guess... You're about... 27 years old..." I take a deep breath of air. "Is that the stench of a son of Van Helsing?" The smile on my face cannot get any wider. "Did you know that your Great grandaddy had a weird complex about me? He thought that I was the spawn of some evil powerful being sent to wreak havoc and spread lust amongst good christian men?"
The boy brings up a crossbow and aims directly at my head, it's loaded with a silver arrow, the tip of the arrow is slathered with wolvesbane. "Silence you bitch!" A bit of overkill but, eh.
I click my tongue. "Do you know how to use that thing?" Now he's aiming for my heart. "Okay look. You obviously know who I am. What say you to a brief truce?"
"I was told not to listen to a word you say. All you do is speak lies and try to pervert young boys into doing your bidding. You create harems of brainless men to follow you around and fulfill your evil, and sinfull commands.
"Dude."
He may be nebulously misinformed but be wary of him, he still smells of death.
"Oh hey Falin. Thank you for dropping by. Lovely that you made your presence known. How ya doing?"
I was awoken by the stench of a Hunter and look who we find ourselves with, a Helsing.
"Great, ain't it? I was just telling him about Abraham."
Ah yes, that pitiful excuse of a human.
"What manner of demon do you speak with?" The youngh british lad asks. I had forgotten he was there. With the arrow still pointed at my... Leg?
"I'm not speaking with a demon, boy. I'm speaking with Falin." With that response, he lifts the bow back to my chest.
"I should've known that She-Wolf was here." He looks around, left and right, up and down. His eyes are frantic, but his motions are steady.
"Oh you're not going to find her here. At least not right now."
And why not?
"Falin, this boy thinks you're some sort of furry succubus, and by the looks of it he thinks you're your own being.
Dumb boy. The Helsings haven't grown much in intelligence.
"Yeah. So, gimme a minute to figure out a way out of this."
"So, baby Helsing, I'm a werewolf. THE werewolf. The Keeper. You know this, I know this. I was just in the middle of leaving. And, for your FYI I haven't killed any humans. Remember, I was responsible for you pitiful lot. So, I'm just gonna..." I point to the general direction of the town.
"Not so fast hell dog." He shifts his aim back to my leg. "You honestly believe I would take your word just like that?"
"It was worth a shot." I sigh and shrug. "Look, kid. My guess is you're the Vatican's golden boy right? All of you of the Helsing line are all treated the same. Like you where formed with gold and jewels by the hand of your god. You had the best tutors, education, weapons learning, and so on and so forth..." I let myself begin to change. "But I've been alive longer than your bloodline, boy." Fangs and claws start growing, jagged and deadly, I can see myself begin to cast a shadow over the Helsing son. "You and yours have been hunting me for hunreds of years, congratulations young one," I stand to my full height in the form of the bipedal wolf. Pitch black fur and menacing, toothy grin. "You found me."
He didn't flinch. I was, begrudgingly, impressed. One of his grandfathers from 100 years ago pissed himself and left running, turned to the life of a simple farmer, so I heard.
"I've fought ogres bigger than you, Hell Hound." He smirks.
"Tell me, was it by yourself or did you have a pack of Hunters by your side?" I'm in front of him in a flash, holding his bow away from my chest. "Bet you've never fought an ogre as fast as me." I'm caught by surprise when he pushes me back. "What the hell?"
"There have been some fascinating new sciences we've applied up in the Vatican." He goes to stand by a large boulder inbeded into the earth. I watch warily as he lifts his hand and forms it into a fist. There's a crackle in the air that makes the fur on my arm raise that could only mean one thing. Magic.
The pounding of his fist on the bouder sounds like a clap of thunder. It doesnt take long until I start seeing small, thin lines forming around the area where his fist landed, like shattering glass.
"You've never fought a Helsing like me." He inspects his hand, it's surounded by a green shimmering light, it fades away as soon as he drops it to his side.
"So you have the strength of an ogre." I look unimpressed. "I've fought ogres before. This is nothing."
He's going to fight like a Helsing. A Helsing with the strength, and who knows what else, of an ogre. This is new, Salimah.
"Yep." Falin sounds worried. She only ever uses my true name when she is. "Also, thanks for the vote of confidense, it's appreciated."
Do not act like you aren't afraid, Heart.
"I don't do afraid, worried maybe, but not afraid."
Be careful.
"Always." I assure her before she leaves again, retreating into the farthest reaches of my mind.
"So, baby Helsing, Let's see what new skills you have."
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KILL BILL SIRENS
HHHwhat is up my dudes!
Hola, como estan?
Err one good?
Sweetfangz, you still there?
hey so, it was gonna be 3 years in june that i had updated...
To all the new folks that have been liking and favoriting this story within that time... How? Like, wow. that is some... wow. Thanks?
I honestly don't deserve your patience?
I can go on and on and give you a million reasons and excuses as to why I'm taking so long to write but, ugh. that's a book in itself.
What better way to express my gratitude than giving ya'll a new chapter, though a bit rushed. I started writing this chapter almost 2 years ago and finished it jan.18 2019 at 10:25pm have fun!