Shards of Salvation
folder
S through Z › Van Helsing
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
10
Views:
6,538
Reviews:
22
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
S through Z › Van Helsing
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
10
Views:
6,538
Reviews:
22
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Van Helsing, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Shards of Salvation Chapter 7
Shards of Salvation 7
TIMELINE : 4 years after Gabriel Van Helsing becomes a Hunter for the Order.
PLACE : Vatican City, Rome, Italy.
DISCLAIMER : I don’t own these characters. I make no money.
PAIRING : Gabriel/Carl
RATING : R to NC-17
BETA : No. Don’t use one. Don’t recommend it. Thanks. My writing is my own. My mistakes are my own. This is for fun, not for sale.
CHAPTER SEVEN
45 days later.
Carl hammered at the piece of wood with relish and reached up to brush the sweat from his eyes. “God Damnit.” he swore vehemently, much to the surprise of his lab partner. “Oh, sorry.” he crossed himself and sighed. “Hail Mary, etc.” He was too frustrated to really apologize to God properly. The weapon was not coming out how he wanted it to, in fact … not much had in the last few days. He finally got fed up with it and tossed it across the room.
“Brother Carl, is something amiss?” Brother Castor, his lab partner, took a couple of steps away just in case. “You haven’t been yourself in the last few days.”
Few days? Carl blinked and sighed. “I think I just need a little air. Maybe a walk.”
“You know the Cardinal’s rules. He has forbidden anyone to leave the Abbey with the riots in Rome and all.”
“I KNOW.” Carl grunted, “I will just take a walk in the garden.”
The friar turned and strode away, leaving Brother Castor to clean up the mess. He was tired of cleaning up messes. He took the steps two at a time, feeling a sudden need to put as much space between himself and the lab as possible. Finally he was outside, and he stole through a little side gate into the central gardens. As he shuffled along the sidewalk he kicked at a pebble. No word, at all. Nothing. Not even a letter. Not even : Hi Carl, I’m safe and well. How are you? The friar sat on the edge of a fountain, rested his cheek in his hand and pouted. He -despised- waiting. For anything, and this was even worse. It was not even half way into his … well … whatever he was sentence.
What would happen when he came back? Would he say anything? Carl knew exactly what he was going to do, he was -not- going to let Van Helsing get away with just -leaving-. “Big Jerk.” Carl murmured to himself.
He picked up a piece of rock candy from a pouch in his pocket and sucked on it. Honey and Cinnamon. He adored that combination, his mother had sent them knowing they was his favorite. He sighed, and thought again about visiting his family in England. No, that really would not be allowed. There wasn’t any funds for it anyway. He was pretty much stuck -waiting- for Van Helsing to return.
He reached down to scratch an annoying mosquito bite when a shadow loomed over him. He glanced up and nearly fell off the fountain when he saw the Cardinal. “Cardinal…” he composed himself and reached over to kiss the man’s ring as was traditional. “I’m sorry you startled me.”
“That’s alright Carl.” Jinette eased his bulk down to sit next to him on the edge of the fountain, “You’ve been troubled lately, would you care to talk about it?”
“I um…” Carl avoided the Cardinal’s eyes, good gods. Confess? No. He could not. “Everything is fine.”
“Carl, I may be old, but I’m not blind and I certainly know a thing or two about how the world works.” Jinette eyed the ring on his finger. “Do you know why I chose the order? Because I am a servant of God. I carry out his work. This does not make me dead, or make me blind to the rest of the world. You are young, and have many choices ahead of you.”
“What…what are you trying to say?” Carl nervously twisted his fingers in the folds of his robe.
“I am saying this. I know you do not want to be a Monk. Your heart is not completely with God. You are a man of science, not religion, Carl. You are a friar here, because this is your haven from the world, and we have need of your genius. I do not expect of you what I expect of the others. Just as I do not expect certain things from Van Helsing, though he needs to learn his place. Do not use the Abbey to hide, Carl, that is not what we are here for.”
Carl looked up at the elder man, trying to figure out what exactly he was saying. “But, I’m not hiding. I…”
“Then why when I offer you the chance to join a mission do you refuse? When Van Helsing returns.” The Cardinal gave the young man an unreadable expression. “You will go with him.”
“Me?” Carl squeaked… “But…”
“No buts. You are fluent in many languages, and you will be able to help him on this one. We are sending him to Egypt.”
“EGYPT?” Carl’s eyes bulged. “But its…so so….”
“Yes, Carl. Hot. At any rate. I also know a thing or two. I am old, and I am a catholic, but I am not blind. I know there is something between you two and if you are not careful, others will soon notice as well. Whereas, we do not condone such things, but in certain circumstances we -will- turn a blind eye. I have looked after you here since you were a boy, Carl. Have I not?”
Carl hung his head, feeling rather ashamed for not trusting the Cardinal. He may be annoying at times, but he truly -had- been like a father. Even though Jinette and Gabriel did not get along, he knew that Jinette was very dedicated to the cause and people whose methods were too flamboyant did not get on his good side. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I will go.”
“Good. Now, you will have to begin to design some new weapons and you have until Van Helsing returns. Those robes will be far too hot for Egypt, Carl. We shall think about something less course and heavy. I have left a manual in your room, read it. It is in regards to the monster Van Helsing will be fighting. A Scarab.”
“A scarab? But those are just little beetles, aren’t they?”
“This is no ordinary beetle, Carl. In Egypt, you will often find the extraordinary among the ordinary. The Scarab consumes the flesh, but in the guise of a mortal. Van Helsing will need his wits about him.”
“Why can’t we just step on it?” Carl puffed out a breath he’d been holding.
“Don’t be silly, Carl. Now, off with you to research and create.” Jinette watched with an amused expression as the young friar ran off, excitement in his eyes for the first time since Gabriel Van Helsing left. Youth. He shook his head. It was clear as day what was happening between the two men. He’d heard whispers among the other monks, he knew that kind of thing happened. The elder man looked up at the sky, “Forgive me, but you know as well as I do that he is not cut out to be a Monk.”
***
To Be Continued….
TIMELINE : 4 years after Gabriel Van Helsing becomes a Hunter for the Order.
PLACE : Vatican City, Rome, Italy.
DISCLAIMER : I don’t own these characters. I make no money.
PAIRING : Gabriel/Carl
RATING : R to NC-17
BETA : No. Don’t use one. Don’t recommend it. Thanks. My writing is my own. My mistakes are my own. This is for fun, not for sale.
CHAPTER SEVEN
45 days later.
Carl hammered at the piece of wood with relish and reached up to brush the sweat from his eyes. “God Damnit.” he swore vehemently, much to the surprise of his lab partner. “Oh, sorry.” he crossed himself and sighed. “Hail Mary, etc.” He was too frustrated to really apologize to God properly. The weapon was not coming out how he wanted it to, in fact … not much had in the last few days. He finally got fed up with it and tossed it across the room.
“Brother Carl, is something amiss?” Brother Castor, his lab partner, took a couple of steps away just in case. “You haven’t been yourself in the last few days.”
Few days? Carl blinked and sighed. “I think I just need a little air. Maybe a walk.”
“You know the Cardinal’s rules. He has forbidden anyone to leave the Abbey with the riots in Rome and all.”
“I KNOW.” Carl grunted, “I will just take a walk in the garden.”
The friar turned and strode away, leaving Brother Castor to clean up the mess. He was tired of cleaning up messes. He took the steps two at a time, feeling a sudden need to put as much space between himself and the lab as possible. Finally he was outside, and he stole through a little side gate into the central gardens. As he shuffled along the sidewalk he kicked at a pebble. No word, at all. Nothing. Not even a letter. Not even : Hi Carl, I’m safe and well. How are you? The friar sat on the edge of a fountain, rested his cheek in his hand and pouted. He -despised- waiting. For anything, and this was even worse. It was not even half way into his … well … whatever he was sentence.
What would happen when he came back? Would he say anything? Carl knew exactly what he was going to do, he was -not- going to let Van Helsing get away with just -leaving-. “Big Jerk.” Carl murmured to himself.
He picked up a piece of rock candy from a pouch in his pocket and sucked on it. Honey and Cinnamon. He adored that combination, his mother had sent them knowing they was his favorite. He sighed, and thought again about visiting his family in England. No, that really would not be allowed. There wasn’t any funds for it anyway. He was pretty much stuck -waiting- for Van Helsing to return.
He reached down to scratch an annoying mosquito bite when a shadow loomed over him. He glanced up and nearly fell off the fountain when he saw the Cardinal. “Cardinal…” he composed himself and reached over to kiss the man’s ring as was traditional. “I’m sorry you startled me.”
“That’s alright Carl.” Jinette eased his bulk down to sit next to him on the edge of the fountain, “You’ve been troubled lately, would you care to talk about it?”
“I um…” Carl avoided the Cardinal’s eyes, good gods. Confess? No. He could not. “Everything is fine.”
“Carl, I may be old, but I’m not blind and I certainly know a thing or two about how the world works.” Jinette eyed the ring on his finger. “Do you know why I chose the order? Because I am a servant of God. I carry out his work. This does not make me dead, or make me blind to the rest of the world. You are young, and have many choices ahead of you.”
“What…what are you trying to say?” Carl nervously twisted his fingers in the folds of his robe.
“I am saying this. I know you do not want to be a Monk. Your heart is not completely with God. You are a man of science, not religion, Carl. You are a friar here, because this is your haven from the world, and we have need of your genius. I do not expect of you what I expect of the others. Just as I do not expect certain things from Van Helsing, though he needs to learn his place. Do not use the Abbey to hide, Carl, that is not what we are here for.”
Carl looked up at the elder man, trying to figure out what exactly he was saying. “But, I’m not hiding. I…”
“Then why when I offer you the chance to join a mission do you refuse? When Van Helsing returns.” The Cardinal gave the young man an unreadable expression. “You will go with him.”
“Me?” Carl squeaked… “But…”
“No buts. You are fluent in many languages, and you will be able to help him on this one. We are sending him to Egypt.”
“EGYPT?” Carl’s eyes bulged. “But its…so so….”
“Yes, Carl. Hot. At any rate. I also know a thing or two. I am old, and I am a catholic, but I am not blind. I know there is something between you two and if you are not careful, others will soon notice as well. Whereas, we do not condone such things, but in certain circumstances we -will- turn a blind eye. I have looked after you here since you were a boy, Carl. Have I not?”
Carl hung his head, feeling rather ashamed for not trusting the Cardinal. He may be annoying at times, but he truly -had- been like a father. Even though Jinette and Gabriel did not get along, he knew that Jinette was very dedicated to the cause and people whose methods were too flamboyant did not get on his good side. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I will go.”
“Good. Now, you will have to begin to design some new weapons and you have until Van Helsing returns. Those robes will be far too hot for Egypt, Carl. We shall think about something less course and heavy. I have left a manual in your room, read it. It is in regards to the monster Van Helsing will be fighting. A Scarab.”
“A scarab? But those are just little beetles, aren’t they?”
“This is no ordinary beetle, Carl. In Egypt, you will often find the extraordinary among the ordinary. The Scarab consumes the flesh, but in the guise of a mortal. Van Helsing will need his wits about him.”
“Why can’t we just step on it?” Carl puffed out a breath he’d been holding.
“Don’t be silly, Carl. Now, off with you to research and create.” Jinette watched with an amused expression as the young friar ran off, excitement in his eyes for the first time since Gabriel Van Helsing left. Youth. He shook his head. It was clear as day what was happening between the two men. He’d heard whispers among the other monks, he knew that kind of thing happened. The elder man looked up at the sky, “Forgive me, but you know as well as I do that he is not cut out to be a Monk.”
***
To Be Continued….