Hey All, here's the last part of Van Helsing Von Furret's story!  I
really hope you enjoyed it, I can tell cause I've only received one
comment on it.  Let me know if you enjoy my stories, maybe I'll write
another before too long!  Have a great day!  Dooks to all your fuzzies
- Jules
 
Part Seven
 
Recap: After traveling to Transylvania with a young rat that had shown
up at his door with a message of a phantom haunting the town.  Van was
attacked by the very phantom he came to capture.  He suspected that the
phantom was a vampire and had brought a potion that his inventor friend
claimed would turn the vampire into a juice drinking un-vampire.  Upon
discovering that the phantom was a vampire bat, He and Ioan (the rat) set
a trap for it.  On the third night of having their trap set up, they wait
with it for the phantom to appear.  They wait until the sun has almost
risen with out even catching site of the bat.  Ioan who is anxious to be
out accidentally lets his arms rest outside their shelter.  They are
suddenly attacked and the vampire grabbed Ioan's arms.  After battling
with it and freeing Ioan, the pair managed to capture and inject the
potion into the bat.  It falls unconscious and we rejoin the story after
they had carted it back to Ioan's home and hoisted it into the loft of
his family's barn.
 
Van sat in the loft with the bat sprawled out in front of him.  The only
sign that showed the vampire was alive was the steady rise and fall of
its chest.  Van spread out one of its wings and proceeded to sew up the
holes with a needle and some horse tail hair.
 
"You'd better appreciate this and you'd better wake up tomorrow!" he
said gruffly to the sleeping bat.  "Carlos will be awful mad if I let
you bleed to death or bring you back full of holes."  The bat twitched
as Van closed up the last hole.
 
"There, good as new.  Ioan, are you down there?" he called down the trap
door.
 
"Yes, should I hand up the vegetables now?"
 
"Yes.  Send them up!"  Van and Ioan spent the next 20 minutes hauling
vegetables and one of their recovered beasts up to the loft.  Then they
boarded up the windows and climbed down out of the loft, locking the
trapdoor behind them.  Ioan's father waited for them outside of the barn.
 
"You don't think it can get out?" he asked for the umpteeth time.  "I
don't want it escaping and seeking its revenge on my children!"
 
"No, Octavian, I don't think it can get out," Van said soothingly.
 
"And if the potion worked, it should pose no danger to anyone now."
 
"How will you know if the potion worked or not?" Octavian eyed the barn
and frowned
 
"We've left a beast up there, along with a pile of vegetables.  We'll
come back tomorrow and if the vegetables are eaten, then we'll know it
worked."
 
"Do you think it will be able to speak?" Ioan interjected.
 
"I don't know, I've never encountered a vampire bat before and no one
seems quite sure if they are creatures of intelligence."
 
The next morning Van and Ioan rose early while everyone was still
sleeping.  If the potion did not work, they did not want any curious
onlookers around while they put the thing out of its misery.  Van
signaled for quiet as they entered the barn.  Climbing the latter they
listened for any movement coming from the loft.  All was silent.
 
"Okay, I'll peek in and if it doesn't attack me I'll go in.  I'll call
for you if everything's all right.  If I don't call for you, do NOT come
in.  I'll deal with it myself if the potion didn't work.  I don't want
you to get hurt."
 
"But Van!" Ioan protested.
 
"No buts!  Now hush, I'm going to look in."
 
Van lifted the trap door a crack and waited.  Nothing flew at them or
even made a sound.  He lifted the door more and lit the candle he'd left
next to it the day before, nothing moved.  Van peered into the shadows
but couldn't make out if the bat lurked in any of them.  Finally he
opened the door all the way and climbed in.  Winking at Ioan he closed
the door again.  He picked up the candle in one hand and held a throwing
knife in the other, walking towards the far end of the loft he stared
into each and every rafter looking for the bat.  After a few minutes he
heard the soft rustle of wings, shining the candle light in the direction
it came from, he finally illuminated the bat.  It hung in the farthest
corner from the door, wrapped tightly in it's battered wings.  One eye
glinted through the gap between its wings.
 
"Don't hurt me!" its voice was pathetic sounding.
 
"I won't harm you if you do not harm me." Van said, wary of possible
trap.
 
"I will not harm you!  I cannot stand the thought of blood or killing
now.
 
What have you done to me?" it whimpered.
 
"Then, you no longer can drink blood?"
 
"No" the vampire wailed.  "I drank the juice of the vegetables that were
left me.  The beast is unharmed."
 
"What is your name?" Van questioned as he sheathed the knife.
 
"Dragomir"
 
"Dragomir, I won't harm you.  My friend concocted a potion to cure you of
blood drinking, from all appearances it has succeeded!  Now, why don't
you come down out of that corner and we'll talk," Van turned back to the
other side of the loft and called for Ioan, who immediately scrambled
into the loft and came over.  "Ioan, this is Dragomir.  He's about to
tell us his story."
 
For the next few hours Dragomir told them of how he had been driven out
of his homeland after he'd been bitten by a vampire that he had later
slayed.  The creatures had not wanted to deal with a vampire bat in their
ranks and forced him out.  Dragomir had traveled from town to town,
preying on the beasts and when necessary, the villagers.  He told them
that he hated to harm any creature that held intelligence, but had needed
to in order to survive.  He had never murdered and had only killed beast
or pets when he had not fed in weeks.
 
"I wish this had never happened to me!  I feel so awful for all that I
have done," he concluded.
 
"It is not your fault.  You saved your town and they should not have
forced you out.  The creatures in this town are forgiving.  I believe
that if you tell them your story, they will welcome you, or if they do
not you may come live with me."
 
"Oh your kindness is overwhelming Mr. Von Furret!" the bat nearly melted
away into the floor.
 
"Call me Van.  Dragomir, you can't be blamed for this.  Come, let's go
call a town meeting and you shall tell your story."
 
With some coaxing Van and Ioan managed to get the bat to come out of the
barn.  They indeed called a town meeting and through many tears Dragomir
told his story to the towns folk.  After hearing his story and being
assured that he would no longer be a threat to their livestock, all but
a few town's creatures forgave the poor bat.  But because not all of the
folk were ready to forgive him, Dragomir chose to return to England with
Van.  Until then, he remained at home with Ioan's family.
 
Now that Van's quest was over, he had time to enjoy his visit to
Transylvania.  He spent the next week visiting with the friends he had
made and exploring the town.  Since there was no phantom to worry about
any longer, the night became full of activity once more.  The taverns
were again filled with customers and parties and celebrations popped up
all over town and last well into the night.  Dragomir had been invited
to a few, but had declined to attend.  He still had not forgiven himself
for what he had done, and Van knew that he probably wouldn' t for years
to come.
 
Finally it was time to return to England.  Van said goodbye to all his
friends in town.  Children and mothers cried over him, while fathers and
grandfathers shook his hand and told him it was an honor to have met him.
Ioan's family gave Van a standing offer that he would have a bed in their
house for as long as he liked whenever he came to visit.  They all hoped
he would return soon.  They also gave Dragomir the same offer.  The bat
had smiled sheepishly, his fangs not looking menacing in the least.  He
had earlier confided in Van that he loved the Bratiano's and hoped that
he would be allowed to visit.  Van had assured him that he could do what
ever he pleased; he was not a slave.  Finally Van and Ioan embraced and
said their goodbyes then Van and Dragomir headed out to the road.  All
of the Bratianos spilled out into the lawn and waved goodbye.
 
"Would you care to fly?" Dragomir asked as they walked.
 
"What?" Van gave him a quizzical look.
 
"Would you care to fly?  I can carry you.  We would reach England much
quicker if we flew.  My wing is healed enough and I do not mind."
 
Van broke into a grin.  "I've always dreamed of flying!"
 
With that Dragomir launched himself into the air, pulling Van with him
at the last second.  Van whooped with joy and waved goodbye to all the
villagers who looked up at them as they flew over and away from the town.
Ioan stood watching for long after he could detect their forms and as he
stared into the sky he thought that perhaps soon, he would again journey
to 15 Cherry Lane Windy Willows, England.  He hoped that next time it
would not rain and with a happy sigh he turned and went into the house,
where his family were beginning an impromptu celebration.
 
The End
[Posted in FML issue 4683]