Disclaimer: I don't own Van Helsing or related. The last name of Verona is made up;)
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Chapter 4
After an exhausting talk about what was considered art and the ways to describe art pieces, the class ended.
"What's with the old friar? He got all excited while talking about what was art! And he repeats the word 'yes' to often, don't you think?" said Van Helsing, while walking down a hallway.
"Well, it's obvious he likes arts...but I must confess his 'yes' is quite annoying... 'art is not beauty at all, yes? It has feelings as background, yes? And the best art is that one where you can feel what the author felt, yes?'" said Carl, trying to imitate the friar's way of speaking.
"Anyway, what's next?"
"You know, I think you should try to learn this schedule...or at least print it, what would you do when we have to go to separate classes?" said Carl, somehow annoyed by the constant question
"It's not my fault that from seven subjects, we have to share five...so, what do we have next?"
Carl rolled his eyes, knowing it was pointless to argue, and he extended the printed sheet of paper again.
"Here says 'workshop'...and we have three hours on a row!!"
"Workshop? I hope is nothing stupid like backing cookies...or reading hours" said Gabriel, picturing himself with a white apron, and flour covering all his arms. "That would be so disgusting!!"
The two walked until they arrived into a large classroom which had only two trunks and a closet.
Then, they saw Velkan, Anna, Frank, Aleera, Verona and Marishka (Among another thirty students more)
"Hi Anna" said Carl approaching to where Anna and Velkan were.
"Hey Carl...sorry I couldn't say good-bye"
"It's ok, Gabriel told me about the mistake"
"Hey Franks!" said Van Helsing "It's like the second time I see you, where have you been?"
"Well, monks have found me so peculiar that they want to study me most of the time" said Frankenstein bitterly.
"Sorry dude" expressed Velkan, still a bit shocked with the thought of having that thing as a roommate.
Then, Aleera, Marishka and Verona cried in excitement when a tall, dark haired man approached them.
"My Lord!" exclaimed Verona, throwing herself into Dracula's arms.
"Master!" said Marishka, throwing herself too.
"My beautiful girls!" said Dracula, embracing the two, then he gave Aleera a lusty look, and she approached also, and he embraced the three.
"That's so disgusting!!!" exclaimed Carl, staring at the scene, with his mouth wide open
"Shut up Carl" said Van Helsing almost in a whisper.
"But that's so gross!!"
Then, Dracula turned to look Carl, who still had his mouth wide open.
"Got a problem?" he asked, with a remarked Romanian accent
"No...Not really...I was just...I...I wasn't looking at you" said Carl nervous, and focused his attention on the monk and the Buddhist priest that had just entered.
"Attention please" said the monk, who was quite tall and muscular.
Everybody turned around.
"Well, now that we have your attention...the name of your workshop is 'Weapon implementation and self-defense techniques'. This workshop represents the 40 of the total grade of your subject 'Evil-Forces Defense'. It is supposed that in your one-hour classes, you will learn about mythological, evil and other supernatural creatures and how to defeat them. In the workshop, you will put all the knowledge on practice"
"He didn't said 'weapon implementation' right?" asked Carl shocked
"Yes, he did...I have the feeling this will be my favorite class" exclaimed Van Helsing, smiling at the memories when he used to hunt werewolves in the French provinces.
"So, you will have two professors in this work shop, the honorable Tibetan monk, Master Tenzing and me, Monk McGrath. Master Tenzing will teach you the self-defense techniques and I will be on charge of you weapon implementation."
"This sounds funny" said Velkan.
"Are you all nuts!? This is crazy!" declared Carl petrified with the idea.
"No, it seems interesting" said Frankenstein, sharing the enthusiasm of most of the students.
"We have three important points" said Master Tenzing, speaking for the first time. "One: You can't use all the learned in here outside of this classroom, unless you have a special permission from the headmaster. Two: As we don't want any injured or dead students, the nursery is at the end of this hall...and Three: we are going to make you a simple test, in order to prove your skills and abilities...please, before we start, all immortals left side, humans right side and..." the monk stared at Frankenstein "...creatures like werewolves or other in the center"
Soon, all the students were distributed, well if you count the only four vampires at the left and Frankenstein and a werewolf in the center.
"Excellent" exclaimed Monk McGrath "Now, the first part is individual work, and we will begin with bows and arrows, in the closet you will find bows and each one of you should take three arrows"
All students headed to the closet.
"When he said those things about dead students and all he was joking, right?" asked Carl, feeling goosebumps running through his body.
"No, I mean it is logical, especially when you have never shot before, or wrestle against someone" said Van Helsing, enjoying the suffering of his poor friend, whose hands were shacking uncontrollably.
"Carl, don't dare to shoot with those hands! You might kill somebody" added Velkan laughing.
"Please stop that!...you act like children" scolded Anna, poking her brother and staring at Gabriel. "Don't worry, it's very easy. You just have to focus on your target and pull the arrow to your chest. And keep the bow steady" said Anna to Carl, and then she took her bow and showed him what she had just said.
"It looks easy" expressed Frank, grabbing his own bow and the three arrows.
"Well, now that everybody has followed my instruction..." said the Monk "please form a horizontal line across the room and try and hit in the circular targets when I count three...Ready?"
All the students positioned their first arrow.
"One...Two...Three!!"
A lot of arrows flew towards the targets, but just seven hit on the center.
Of course, Carl missed the shot and hit Frankie's target, which was on his left side. On the other hand, Frank broke the string of his bow.
The ones that achieved the goal where Velkan, Anna, Gabriel, Dracula, Verona, Marishka and Aleera
"Well, that was nice...now, the targets will be a little further, when I count three"
Everybody positioned again
"One... Two...Three!!"
This time, just five hit the center; Gabriel, Anna, Dracula, Verona and Velkan.
"I'm improving my skills!" said Carl cheerfullywhen he managed to hit his own target, although he was fairly close to the center.
"Targets 4,5,6 and ,12,13 one step to the front" exclaimed the Monk "Your names"
"Velkan Valerious" replied Velkan, extremely proud of his work
"Anna Valerious"
"Gabriel Van Helsing"
"Verona Zyômvely"
"Vladislaus Dracula"
Then, Gabriel turned to his right to see Dracula's target...the arrow was exactly in the center, not one millimeter missed.
Then he looked at Velkan, the arrow had just managed to hit the center; Anna's arrow was also an impressive display, but it bent a little to the right.
Verona had also an exact shot.
"How could I have failed!" cried Aleera angrily, her arrow was by to centimeters out.
"Mine was close also" said Marishka, also disappointed; her arrow was slightly bent to the left.
"The last test...moving targets...this time, I will just ask the ten that hit or were closer to the center to participate...this is for your own safety" added the Monk, surprised by the skills his alumni had.
"Targets 4, 5,6 ,11, 12,13, 22, 27,29, 33, when I count three...One, Two, Three!!"
This time, just two hit the center.
"Targets 6 and 13 to the front please" exclaimed the Monk, impressed that someone had actually hit correctly. "Your names"
"Gabriel Van Helsing" replied Gabriel, proudly.
"Vladislaus Dracula...for the second time" replied Vlad coldly, as if nothing of matter had happened.
"There's no doubt our Lord is the greatest!" exclaimed Marishka, hugging Dracula quite affectionately.
"Yes, no doubt!" cried Aleera
"My Lord...what's the problem?" asked Verona, when she noticed that Dracula did not pay attention to them.
Dracula stared at Van Helsing, and Gabriel did the same; both arrows were perfectly centered.
"My Lord?" called Verona, trying to find out was had kept Dracula's attention.
"Nicely done" said Gabriel, approaching to him.
"The same for you" replied Dracula
"So you're the famous Count...I'm pleased"
"And you...you are young... for a wolf hunter...but that would explain your abilities." Said Dracula in an unappreciative tone.
"And you are a vampire... that would explain yours" replied Van Helsing
They felt fascinated by each other; neither of them had ever found such a formidable rival.
For Dracula was hard, he had supernatural powers, no mortal could compete with him...and although his brides had awesome conditions, he was stronger.
Van Helsing had fought against werewolves and vampires before, and they were hard to chase and kill...but he could recognize a challenge.
They remained like that for several minutes, just looking at each other, until Anna broke their contemplation.
"Are you done?" asked her, afraid of the look in both 'men' eyes.
"I was just congratulating him, my dear Anna...he has incredible skills" replied Vlad, smiling for himself.
"I was doing the same...his performance is worth to admire"
Both men then lost eye contact, and did not cross a word in the remain of the class.
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End of chapter 4...hope you have liked it! And I'm sorry I had took a while.
Suggestions, comments, other? Send me a review or email me at the-roman-guardian-68hotmail
aleKs!!!