The Sacrifice (Legends Of Transylvania) (8 page)

8.
The dreaded Castle

Hearing about the loss of the two members of the clan, Volod headed quickly to Alexander's house at the same time when the old man accompanied by Zinon came that way too. As they saw each other the animal slowed down cautiously and approached Volod looking straight into his eyes.

“Oh what a surprise! The cats have a master! Do you give them mice to eat?” Volod scorned as the beast approached and he looked at the large animal's tusks. “Although I must admit he is a little high for some cats.”

“A lot of time has passed since we last saw each other Master. “The old man remarked as he settled down on a tree stump.

“Oh what a honor! So we know each other?” Volod said mockingly. “But wait a second. Perhaps I need to rephrase it? How do you know me? I did not realize that I'm so famous!” The vampire twirled a black rose between his fingers as he spoke.

“You do not know me, but I have known you for many years.” The old man continued. “Take a look into the eyes of the beast and tell me what you see?”

“I see a frightened cat!” Volod chuckled defiantly.

“Look more closely, and maybe you'll remember those whom you murdered two hundred years ago.” The old man said angrily. “One hundred and ninety-three years to be exact. You destroyed a whole village; you burned houses and separated mothers from children, men from their women, and brothers from sisters.”

“You came to our village to quench your blood thirst, to make havoc and fill yourself with power.”As he spoke Zinon moved closer to Volod and stared at him with great fury.

''Listen to me you crazy old man,” Volod demanded, “I came to your village to mark my territory. Your folks weren't the first or the last humans we picked satisfaction from!”

“To mark your territory? The old man retorted, “It's our territory and you should return to where you came from. Although I do not think you have time. Two vampires are already gone, and we will destroy all of you even if we will have to come up in Transylvania! Someday you will face the consequences and pay for what you do. You will feel in the throat the teeth of our wild animals, just as our people have felt your teeth. Everyone that you've attacked and you've left laying in pools of blood are alive today, ready to destroy all your clan so do not underestimate us. You may look once again in the panther's eyes, do you recognize Zinon's gaze?''

“Zinon! The boy whose father was a wizard or witch? Volod rebuked, as he returned the glare of the beast. “It means the same anyway. At that time people were speaking about the great healer who reigned abroad and healed people. They say you perform magic. Huh, I came to your village to show the world that no one is more powerful than us, in our veins flow the blood of king and nobody will destroy us! Do you understand Benjamin?”

“I'm glad you remember my name and you will die with it on your lips.” said Benjamin. “Beware of Ariana. You thought she was fragile and you can do whatever you want with these two young people? Stay away from the wild and bright eyes of the night, or you may find your end in the fangs of some of your victims!” With those words the old man disappeared into the night leaving Zinon to cast a last threatening look.

“Hmm!
That is something I didn't expect!” Volod mumbled to himself as he arrived at Alexander’s house. “So now there is another reason why I want Ariana dead.” Then he turned his attention to Alexander and spoke out loud, “But this time it's me who is gonna take care of it because you are too stupid to do carry out my orders. I had planned to kill you both anyway, because nobody disturbs my roses. Is that clear young boy?”

“So you planned to kill us both? Alexander cried out in a tone of realization. “But why didn't you kill me when you had the chance? Why have you made me become a vampire?”

“It wasn't me who pushed you to steal the roses. I wanted another vampire in my clan but now I realize you are an idiot and I can’t have someone so weak!”

Hearing those words Alexander became confused as all the things that had happened didn't make any connection.

“You're lying,” he fumed, “and maybe you didn't push me to touch the rose but you pushed our parents to death! Why did you do that if you had no bad intention?”

“Okay, I will tell you why I pushed your parents to death.” Volod remarked, as he walked menacingly around Alexander. “I didn't plan to kill four people at once, but I guess that was just my luck! Anyway, I lived for long time and I knew your ancestors. I know who your grandfather was and even the grandfather of your grandfather. He was the son of the one who married the woman Vlad the Impaler desired.”

“Bullshit!!”Alexander shouted.

“Then let me convince you?” Volod sneered. “He was serving Vlad at the time, but they were both killed because Vlad didn't want her to be with anyone else. Are you curious to know who that woman was? Well she was one of Ariana's ancestors! So now you are paying for their lustful stupidity. I wanted you to serve for me, but it seems that the same thing will happen to you as happened to them. Their names were Elida and Pilade. Perhaps I will decide that I want Ariana as my woman, and for you to serve me while the love of your life will become my love, that would be so fun! And Benjamin and his jaguar clan will also work for me if I so desire!”

“I won’t let you harm
Ariana,” Alexander vowed sternly. “Even if I will live for the rest of my life as a vampire as we agreed. But I can’t trust such monsters as you can I Volod? Alexander grabbed Volod's coat and swore to him again, “You and your clan will end very bad. You have my word on that. And it's not the word of a vampire but the word of the human still within me!”

Mad and confused Alexander turned around to leave, but as Volod liked to have the last word he stopped him and said, “My clan isn't the only one I rule, and you will have a big surprise soon just like you surprised me by killing Clarissa and Ethal, Ariana will pay dearly for that!” No sooner had he finished his words that the wicked vampire had vanished.

The thought of Volod hurting Ariana gave Alexander bad feelings. But what could he do to prevent it? He searched his mind for answers, but it was too twisted and confused so he decided to go to Ariana's house.

She was sleeping when he arrived, but something prompted her to wake suddenly and she saw a shadow behind her window.

“Who is there?” She asked.

“Open the window,
Ariana, we need to talk.” A familiar voice asked.

She opened the window and saw Alexander's worried face.

“What happened? Why are you so scared?”

''
Volod wants to kill us both to take revenge for Clarissa and Ethal.” Alexander explained. “We must do something to defend our lives.”

Ariana fell deep into thought and after some moments she responde:

“It is getting dark, I have to leave soon,
I'm going to talk to the old witch.”

“No I won’t have it, Ariana!” Alexander said with deep concern, “you might get hurt or even killed. I will leave this city, and you can go somewhere far away so he won’t find you ever again. I will live as a vampire or I will die I don’t care, but either way is better than to let him kill you. Please understand?”

“I will not leave you for one minute,” said Ariana, “if I will die then we will die together. I left you once and I will not leave you again. I have an idea, and tomorrow night I'm going to solve this I promise. Now please leave because I don't want Clara to find you here.”

Alexander reluctantly agreed, and as she said the last words she kissed him and pushed him back through the window.

Next day
Volod called all his clan together and told them:

”Tonight is the 193rd anniversary of the day when the
Zinon clan was first created. It will be their night but our victory. I want you all to be ready at midnight to go to make them pay for what they did to Clarissa and Ethal. Is that clear? Soon we will be the only ones who will lead!”

As darkness fell, Ariana was walking along the edge of the forest the forest when she suddenly detected the smell of panthers. Then she hurried to the abandoned house where she knew she will find Alexander. He was there as always, looking through the window.

“Alexander, please stay here and don’t go into the forest,” she begged, “they are many and they hate you as they hate the whole clan. I will take care of this, but I won’t be able to stop them all if I have to look out for you too.”

“Okay, Ariana, I understand.” said Alexander. But in his mind he was suspicious of something else. However, he agreed and Ariana left. The night was bright and quiet, until unearthly growls could be heard one by one. Ariana quickly became a dark creature and ran through the woods towards the place from where she heard the animal noises. She stopped and at the top of a hill she saw about twenty panthers looking agitated and nervous. They had gathered there for the purpose of waging a fight with the vampires, and with another few growls Ariana made them follow her.

As they were walking through the forest, a vampire suddenly attacked a jaguar and the fight started. With terrifying growls they began biting and scratching and ripping each other apart.
Ariana was caught between two vampires and was in mortal danger when Zinon attacked them and saved her. When she got free another evil tried to throttle her but while she was struggling on the ground she was surprised to see that another vampire came to her aid and took the evil with incredible force and tore its neck. She looked her rescuer in the eye and saw that it was Alexander. She gave a sign that she might be hurt, so while the others were still fighting, Alexander took his most loved creature into the trees to hide her.

“I will always feel when you need me as you will always feel when I need you,” he said, “Now go quickly and get out of this before you get killed.”

As soon as she left into the night he looked back one more time and all he could see were few lifeless vampires and some bleeding jaguars. Realizing that his plan had failed, Volod became furious and yelled angrily”

“Alexander and
Ariana are still alive you idiots!! Many of our clan is dead for the sake of just a few damn cats. You are cowardly bastards! Leave from my eyes at once!” His madness and his voice were so strong that the whole surviving clan became scared and they ran off into the shadows.

Alexander visited Ariana as soon as the fighting was over. She was in bed feeling weak from loss of blood. She was nursing a bandaged leg and some scratches on her arm.

“I came to take the rose and after that I will leave you forever.” Alexander vowed. “But at least I know you are alive.” As he said these words he got close to her bed and touched her face.

“So you want to leave me after all we have suffered together?” Ariana asked with words were full of pain and her body trembling.

“Look at you,” said Alexander, “one more fight and you will surely be killed. Do you think I am going to allow it to happen? Please tell me where the rose is so I can put an end to all this suffering and sorrow.”

''I won’t tell you where it is unless you kill me.” Ariana replied in grief. “If you promise to kill me you can take the rose because I want to die knowing you will be normal again.”

A tear rolled down from his dark eyes.

“I'm not going to be normal ever again,” Alexander cried. “Even if I become human again, your memory won’t let me be normal. I will leave and I'm going to be a vampire for eternity and serve for Volod knowing at least that you are alive. Goodbye Ariana. I will love you forever.”

As he kissed her forehead while she was laying there powerless to stop him, Ariana whispered:

“This is the price I have to pay for leaving you when you most needed me.”

Alexander looked at her with compassion in his eyes, and said:

“No, this is the price we have to pay for your life, Ariana. Please go as far away from here as you can, and I will take care of them and prevent them from coming after you.” Ariana could do no more than turn her face to the wall.

  While he was sitting on his knees looking at her he noticed the box under the bed. He slowly took it out hoping that the rose would be inside it.

“Goodbye my fragile girl.”

As he finished his words he quickly climbed out through the window leaving Ariana watching after him. On his way back he met Volod and his clan.

“It’s over!” he exclaimed, “I will serve for you till the end if there will be an end. Let's go back home. Here is your rose and you can eat it or put it on your chest? I don’t give a damn what you do with it, and the deal was if I don’t kill her I will live as a vampire forever, so this is what I have decided.”