I washed the blood from my hands in the nearby stream. The broken bloodied bodies of a dozen vampire hunters lay around me. I heard I groan of pain and I walked over to the man desperately trying to crawl away. Drawing my sword I stabbed it through his leg, pinning him to the ground. His scream for help fell on deaf ears, the lifeless eyes of his colleagues stared at nothing. Squatting in front of the man I put both hands around his head and sharply jerked to the right, breaking his neck.
Standing I wiped my hands on his cloak and pulled Excalibur free. Sheathing my sword, I called Roach, she came galloping in moments later and I pat her on the side. It had been nearly a decade since that day, my hunt had led me all across Europe. The church grew wary and stopped sending hunters after me. Not that I cared, there were still hunters out and about hurting innocent people. Those hunters I killed without mercy. This last group had been going village to village finding "witches" and burning them at the stake or downing them in rivers.
The occasional hunter would pursue me in an attempt to get the massive bounty the church had put on my head. Month after month I would send their hearts back to the pope. Eventually the hunters stopped coming and the church fell silent. I rode back to the small camp I had set up and dismounted. Nearly a decade of slaughtering these fanatics and I was nowhere near wiping out the church.
"Maybe I should just burn the Vatican to the ground." I thought out loud.
"That wouldn't be such a great idea."
My sword was in my hand almost instantly as I spun around to face the voice I recognized. There standing by Roach running a hand through her mane was the One Above All.
"What do you want," I sheath my sword. "Haven't you taken enough from me?"
"Look kid, I'm sorry about your wife and daughter, but it is all part of the plan, don't forget we made a deal."
"Fuck that plan, they're dead. Kill me, see if I care."
"Will you calm down, I'm not going to kill you. Besides, I bet that you'll get to see them soon enough."
I narrowed my eyes at the God. Before I could speak he continued.
"And no, I don't mean you'll die and meet them in heaven or anything like that. I won't spoil anything by saying anything either so don't even try I'm giving you enough information as is. Look kid, I'm just telling you to keep living. One day you'll be glad you did."
Questions shot through my mind and the being wearing Stan Lee's face smiled.
"Now back to business, a demon messed with the flow of time and things got a little screwy. I need you to head to France and sort things out. Don't worry your fight with the church can wait."
"What am I even supposed to do in France?"
"You'll see when you get there," One Above All started to fade away. "Oh yeah, and don't forget to have fun."
I felt my eye twitch, I sat back down by the fire and thought about what Stan just told me. France in the early fifteenth century wasn't the best of places to be. Civil unrest and a war torn country still recovering from the Hundred Years' War. I sighed as I watched the fire crackle sending embers off into the wind.
Half a month later I was leading Roach off of a boat in a Parisian dock. The smells of the city made my nose wrinkle in disgust. I mounted Roach and rode out until the smell of body odor and shit faded away. I slowed to a canter as I observed the people around me. They didn't make eye contact, avoiding me as they walked. The amount of people I ran into dwindled down as I reached the countryside. Stopping at an inn I got myself a room for several nights and I asked for any news around town.
Apparently there was a witch burning in a few days. Some woman who's name sounded familiar had been caught pretending to be a man. I scoffed at the notion that a woman wearing pants was considered a witch. I thanked the inn keeper for the information and walked back to my rented room. Eyeing the mattress I sat on the chair and pulled out my journal.
June 4, 1489
It's been nine years since I lost you and our daughter and not a day goes by where I don't think of you both. I know you made me promise to move on all those years ago but how can I. You were the only one that truly understood me. Dorina, I am so lost without your guiding light. Mina would be twelve years old today. I can only imagine the hell she's putting you through wherever you two are. I am in France now, 'Stan Lee' finally showed up and told me to clean up a 'mess' here. I know you've always wanted to visit Paris but this place stinks. Wait for me love, once I avenge you and Mina I will join you wherever you two are and we can be a complete family again. Until then, I love you both.
Casimir Tepes
I let out a sigh as I closed my journal and put it back into the rift. Writing was the only way other than slaughtering vampire hunters that alleviated the void in my soul that Dorina and Mina's death had left. I didn't even know if I could actually die, I had attempted multiple times but I always healed too fast for the damage to even affect me.
Leaning back on my chair I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
The next day I was walking through the streets of Paris looking at the various buildings. The architecture was vastly different in comparison to the architecture back in Wallacia. It seemed like the city was stuck in the dark ages, people still flung their chamber pots out of their windows without a care. I ducked into an alley and avoided a group of monks. I didn't know if they knew about me too but I wasn't going to take that risk in the middle of a crowded city. The collateral damage would probably lead to 'Stan' vaporizing me.
Stepping back out onto the street once they passed I continued to explore the city. I passed by a poster and my eyes widened. I had figured out who the 'witch' they were going to burn was. Cursing under my breath I walked back to the alley, I concentrated and felt my bones reshape and feathers sprout from my skin.
Three years ago I worked on the theory that given the universe I was in and the fact that I had taken 'Dracula's' place that I would have his powers. I could already do the bat thing, and the weather manipulation thing, so I figured why not test for his other powers. Turning to mist was the easiest, it was like turning into a cloud of bats just with less detail. My consciousness occupied the whole cloud much to my surprise. I was like a sentient cloud that could potentially shred you to pieces. Shapeshifting came later, it was a pain in my ass but I figured it out after months of focusing on random things like the shape of an animal and whatnot. Only problem was getting my belongings to shift along with me. Figuring that out took another month and eventually I got it down.
I felt my height drop substantially as I turned myself into a crow. Looking around to see if anybody noticed me shifting I stretched out my wings and flew into the air. Flying around as a bird was not as fast as flying as a cloud of bats, but being able to fly without having to split my mind between a hundred or so bats wasso much more liberating. I had also felt that each time a cloud of bats I was killing off my brain cells but by bit. I flew around the city for a bit before I found what I assumed was the prison. Checking each and every cell I looked around until I found her.
Unknown POV
I heard cawing at my window and I looked up. A crow was perched on the bars looking at me.
"Did you get lost, monsieur?"
The crow cawed again and jumped from the window landing on my knee. I looked at me and tilted its head in an almost human manner.
"I'm sorry, I don't have much food to give you."
Breaking a piece of the stale loaf of bread I offered it to the crow who looked at me and cawed again. It took the bread and flew back to the window before flying back out.
"Oh to be free like you again monsieur corbeau. They locked me in here after I fought for them. Such a pitiful state I am in."
A caw drew my attention back to the window. The crow had returned. It held a key in its beak. It dropped to my knee again before setting the key on my outstretched hand.
"Oh! Did you bring me a gift monsieur corbeau? Where did you get this key?"
I felt silly talking to the crow, but the bird flew to the cell door and started pecking at the lock. My heart began to pound faster. As I slowly made my way over to the cell door the crow cawed again and jumped onto my shoulder.
The key fit! Holding my breath I twisted it and nearly cried out in joy as the lock clicked open. The crow cawed again and I stroked its small feathered head.
"Thank you monsieur corbeau" the bird cawed in response and I restrained a giggle.
Making my way over to a sleeping guard I took his key ring and snuck to the rear doors of the prison. Using the guards keys I opened the door and felt fresh air wash over me. The crow stayed on my shoulder as I made my hasty escape through the woods. Once we were far enough the crow jumped from my shoulder and landed on a low branch. It jumped up and down before cawing.
"Do you want me to follow you Monsieur Corbeau?" The crow cawed and jumped up and down on the branch again.
Any other day I would have laughed at what I was doing, who in their right mind would follow a bird into the forest? I followed the strangely intelligent bird as it flew in short distances before landing on a branch to wait for me. Soon I found myself in a clearing with a horse with a saddle already on it. The crow flew over and landed on the horse's head before flying back to land on my shoulder.
Getting the message I mounted the horse and the mare immediately started to gallop as I clung on to the reins for dear life. The crow followed close by flying next to me. Occasionally cawing and turning to look at me. Eventually the horse slowled and led me to a small cave, I dismounted and watched as the crow landed in front of me. Cawing it started to shed its feathers and grow in size. I watched in shock as the crow was soon replaced by a hooded man.
Stepping back in fear I looked for something to defend myself with. Picking up a large branch I held it like a club ready to swing at the strange man standing before me.
"I mean you no harm."
The man's French was good, I could hear a faint accent in his tone that I just could not place. I didn't lower the branch. The man stepped forward and lowered his hood. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at the man's face. He had an unnaturally attractive face and the most piercing eyes I had ever seen.
"Wh- who are you? What are you?" I called out to him as he raised his hands in peace.
"You can call me Casimir, I was sent here by someone to rescue you."
Someone sent this man to rescue me? That can't be true, the church had excommunicated me and branded me a heretic and a witch.
"Why should I believe you?"
"Lower your… branch… uh fuck how do I put this. Joan D'Arc I have been sent by the One Above All to save you. Fuck that sounded stupid as shit. "
More questions sprang up in my mind. What had those words he had said? It had sounded familiar, a red haired woman I met several years ago had said something in that same language. Before I could say anything the man rushed forward faster than I could defend myself. Closing my eyes preparing for death I felt him crash into me. I let out a yelp as the man pinned me to the floor. Fighting back a blush I looked up at him but he had disappeared again just as the sound of clashing swords drew my attention. I sat up and immediately dodged a body that fell towards me. I took the sword stabbed into the body and prepared to defend myself just as Casimir returned holding a severed head. He drops the head and looks at me, sword still in my hand.
"The prison guards must have followed you."
Looking at the bodies I recognized their uniforms, they must have noticed my absence from my cell and tracked me here while Casimir and I were talking.
"Come on, there will be more guards coming for you."
Before I could protest he lifted me onto the saddle of a nearby horse and mounted his own.
"Follow me and remain close."
Nodding I followed my mysterious savior out of the forest and into the unknown.
We rode for nearly a few days, stopping once or twice to get a change of clothes for me, and a sack of provisions. We didn't speak much as we rode, the few encounters we had with guards showed me that Casimir was skilled. No, that wasn't the right word, Casimir was ruthlessly talented in battle. The few guards we ran into did not stand a chance. Casimir's sword was a blur as he dispatched the men, occasionally he wouldn't even use his sword. Instead ripping the men limb from limb with his bare hands.
I knew he was dangerous, yet when we stopped for the night I could sometimes get a glimpse at his eyes. There was a deep sadness there. He had mentioned that the church had killed his family. On the seventh day of our journey Casimir finally revealed what he was to me. I felt fear at first, that one night he would get hungry and drink my blood. He insisted that he didn't need blood and he was content in eating food. I also learned that he was the son of a Romanian Prince, a prince that I had only heard stories about as a little girl. Vlad the Impaler, they called him. Casimir told me that in his age his father had mellowed out. I laughed at some of the stories he shared with me. Soon I started telling Casimir my own story. About how I was the daughter of a peasant and that I only fought so that my family wouldn't have to. He smiled at this, it was something as rare as diamonds, his smile. Losing his family must have really broken him.
We rode for a few more days and the terrain turned from the rolling hills of France to forests and mountains. On one particular night Casimir started to thrash about in his sleep, crying and calling a name into the night. I got up and lay next to him rubbing his back slowly as he calmed down.
"I'm sorry Dorina." He whispered before turning and pulling me into his arms.
Fighting off my raging emotions I lay still as he held me close. His breathing had returned to normal and I struggled to free myself from his arms without waking him. Resigning to my fate I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.
The next morning I found myself curled up on my side, Casimir clutching me close from behind. I felt something poking me in the back and I immediately stiffened up. Feeling heat creep onto my cheeks I lay still hoping that he wouldn't notice. I felt it poke me again, this time closer to my bum. A small 'eep' escaped my lips before I could contain it. My hands snapped to my mouth as I felt Casimir stirring behind me.
"Wh- what are you doing in my bed roll?" He grumbled
I shot up to my feet and rushed towards the horses to hide the growing blush on my face.
"Hey! What were you doing in my bed roll!"
Ignoring him I ran to my horse fishing the water skin on the saddle and splashing my face with the cool water. As I turned around I nearly ran into Casimir who had appeared behind me. He looked at my reddened face and touched my forehead.
"I didn't do anything did I?" I shook my head and he sighed in relief.
"But it did poke me." I whispered
Casimir tensed up, I looked at his face and was shocked to see a light tinge of red on his cheeks. He quickly apologized and turned around. Smiling to myself I watched him begin to prepare our breakfast.
We ate silently as he avoided my eyes, cleaning up we broke down our camp and started off again. My thoughts returned to the previous night, the warmth I felt being held in his arms. Shaking my head free of the scandalous thought I looked at his back as he rode ahead of me. My thoughts wandered to impure thoughts again as I imagined myself beneath him, moaning out his name.
I slapped myself in the face hard to free myself from such un-maidenlike thoughts and he turned to look at me. I waved awkwardly at him and he shrugged continuing to lead me towards a lone mountain in the distance.
Casimir POV
It had been five years since I came back to this place. The memories plagued me to no end. As I rode on the trail I heard a loud slap behind me. Turning to my traveling companion I saw her wave at me, she had a red handprint on her face.
When I thought about who she was I couldn't help but to draw up comparisons to her historical legend and the woman I had saved from a cell less than a few weeks ago. Who would have thought Joan D'Arc would be a blushing French woman. Then again she did look like she was barely in her twenties. Maybe the hormones were getting to her. Then there was the incident the previous night. I had a particularly bad nightmare and felt a warm presence appear next to me.
"I can't believe I poked Joan of Arc with morning wood, fuck that was embarrassing."
She caught up next to me and looked at me with concern.
"Are you alright? Did you say something?"
'Fuck I'm thinking out loud again.'
"Nope, everything is okay. We're almost there, just hold on for a bit longer."
"No oh ope? What does this mean Monsieur Corbeau?"
Fuck she's too adorable, must contain the 'nghhhhs'
"It's a way of saying 'No'."
Joan 'hmmed' as she rode next to me. I looked at her short cornsilk blonde hair, her thin lithe body, no wonder people didn't bat an eye when she was pretending to be a knight. Other than the feminine face she was too malnourished to have developed a figure that would have given her away.
'What even am I doing, Dorina, what would you do in this situation.' I thought as we neared the edge of the forest.
Joan looked around at the trees.
"Monsieur Corbeau, I can not hear the birds anymore."
I turned to her and smiled deviously.
"It's because this forest is haunted. They say that the spirit of a woman wanders these woods looking for women to strangle when they get too close to the trees."
Joan paled and looked around, I silently laughed to myself as we made our way deeper into the forest. I didn't see her throw a rock at a tree as we continued to ride forward.
Once we reached my old cottage I dismounted and led her to where she could tie her horse down. She thanked me and walked her horse over. Looking at the cottage I smiled at the memory that emerged. A mirage of Dorina laughing as she chased Mina around the front yard danced across my vision. I had returned once two years after their deaths to rebuild the place. Cleaning up the burned wreck had taken most of the time. In its place stood a log cabin twice the size of the original cottage. I had made it a sort of home base, I'd come back once or twice every few years to unwind. Legends of the forest being haunted were cemented once I started hunting down any vampire hunters who came too close to the forest. Displaying their corpses like marionettes in the trees. The people gave the mountain a wide breadth once again and I for one couldn't be happier.
I heard Joan finishing up unloading her horse behind me and I opened the doors to the cabin. Flashes of the painful memory invaded my mind before I pushed them aside, I held the door open inviting Joan inside. She offered me a sympathetic smile before she came in looking around.
I don't know why I told her about my past, maybe it was because I felt for her. She had been put through exactly what I had been put through. Except at the time she had no one. She took her boots off and stumbled over to an open bed in a spare room and collapsed with a sigh. I smiled as I made my way over to the main room and sat down on the bed.
Laying back I closed my eyes, I'll visit them tomorrow. I felt sleep slowly sneaking it way into my body.
"Cas, wake up it's your turn to change Mina's diaper."
Grumbling, I sat up from the bed and walked over to Mina's crib. She was crying her eyes out, lifting her gently. I began to change her soiled 'diaper', using a rag and some water I cleaned her and put a clean 'diaper' on her. She giggled happily as I carried her and started rocking her in my arms.
I hummed a slow lullaby to her and smiled as her small face relaxed. Eventually she fell asleep and I lowered her back into her crib.
Making my way over to my bed I noticed Dorina was gone. I felt the hairs on my neck tingle and I looked around the cottage. Rushing back to the crib to get Mina only to realize she wasn't in there. I began to panic, looking around I noticed smoke begin to billow in from the corners of the cottage. I burst out of the door and slipped on the mud.
Groaning I got back to my feet and looked at my hands, they were stained red with blood. Around me piled obscenely in a wall that surrounded the cottage were the bodies of all the hunters I had killed. Blood pooled into the ground and I felt a hand on my face.
Looking up I saw Dorina holding Mina, their cold lifeless eyes looking at me. Blood gushed from the wounds on Dorina's chest and I felt my world shatter again.
"I'm sorry" I whispered
"Why did you let us die Cas?"
"It's all your fault Cas."
The specter drew closer, I stood frozen on the spot tears escaping my eyes.
"You let us die Cas."
I screamed and the world burned around me. I felt warm hands cupping my face.
"Love it's okay, it was just a dream."
I looked around, I was back at the villa. My head was on Dorina's lap as she read a book. Sitting up I immediately back away. She looked at me confused.
"Cas what's wrong?"
I couldn't do this, not now. This was agonising torture. I ran.
The world blurred and I was back in my mothers garden. Dorina in front of me, holding my hand.
"Cas, it's okay. You don't have to run anymore. You promised me, remember?"
I shook my head and pulled away,
"I should have never made that promise Dori, I can't live without you."
"Then live for me Cas."
I looked at her as the world around us began to fade.
"I want to be with you." I whispered.
Dorina smiled as she wiped a tear from my cheek.
"In my dreams, we are always together."
Her voice echoed in the world as the dream faded to darkness.
Pain flared in my arm and I sat up clothes stuck to my skin with sweat. Joan was at my side with a large needle in her hand. Looking at my arm as the wound healed Joan sat on my bed.
"You were not breathing, I heard you shout and I came in to check on you."
She was shaking, I pulled her into an embrace. She sighed and slumped in my arms. She looks up at me and smiles.
"I never thanked you properly for saving me."
She leaned forward and our lips met in a kiss. A wave of emotion washed over me and I pulled her in closer. She yelps in surprise before shoving me backwards, straddling me and kissing me again. I groaned into her mouth as she grinned her hips into mine. She deepened the kiss as she tore at my shirt. I pulled away looking at her. She stands back up and her nightgown slips off her shoulders and onto the floor. I felt my blood boil over a haze of emotion wiping all thoughts from my mind as I pulled her back into the bed.