The Forest of Stakes

Posted on Sun Oct 25th, 2026 @ 10:02pm by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Commander Samantha Howard & Lieutenant Kate Kono

1,310 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Creatures of the Night
Location: Planet Stoker - Vaseria

The howls grew louder. The sound of sharp claws piercing through brick and stone. Whatever it was, even if it was the creatures that Gabriel and Anna claimed them to be, they sounded large and they were approaching. Shran pulled his phaser and increased the setting to maximum stun.

"I'm afraid that will be of little use my dear captain" Anna stated in a lightly teasing voice.

Deanna was displeased with this. "Perhaps you could give us an option beyond our weapons then."

A sudden crash through a nearby window surprised everyone momentarily, as did the massive werewolf that now was in the room with them. The large black fur creature charged the nearest person, which in this case was Anna. She drew her sword and dodged the initial bull rush attack, swing at the creature and drawing blood as she slashed its back.

The creature showed no pain, only continued to attack. Deanna did what came naturally, and fired her phaser at the creature, as did Shran. It seemed to daze the creature, but nothing more. It looked up at the two and its eyes narrowed, the look of a predator before it strikes its prey. Suddenly, a loud bang and the creature fell to the ground, slowly reverting back to its human form. Gabriel stood there with his pistol, "We did say that your phasers were of little use, but thanks for the distraction."

"Somebody sent that creature here. We need to see him" Anna said aloud.

"Belmont is like there or on his way as well" Sypha noted.

"What about your friends here?" Gabriel questioned.

"If where you are going explains all of this, then we are going as well" Shran said emphatically.

"Very well captain. Prepare yourselves. We travel through the Forest of Stakes to Castle Dracula."


**************

Kate and Sam and the others had completed showering and were dressed now in the clothing Belmont had provided. It wasn't much, certainly not the form-fitting uniforms they had been wearing, but these clothes did provide an old-world comfort. They looked like they were locals now, except for their comm badges.

"You all look a bit more incognito. Hopefully it helps moving forward. Now we need to upgrade your armament, otherwise you are going to be lambs to the slaughter" Belmont said as he looked at the group. "What sort of fighting skills do you all have?"

Vincent scoffed from his position leaning against the cold stone wall, a clear dismissal of the question. His soft hands, unmarked by calluses or scars, told the whole story.

Mina stepped forward on the rough-hewn flagstones, her gaze fixed on the floor as if studying the ancient mortar. “I took my two weeks training course at the Academy.” The words came out small, swallowed by the cavernous hall.

Kate shrugged, the coarse linen of her borrowed shirt shifting across her shoulders. A faint smirk threatened the corner of her mouth before she mastered it.

“I trained with Jack the Ripper, Chuck Norris, and Bruce in the Holodeck.” Her voice echoed slightly in the vast space. “Lost track of my body count but they’re mostly all Starfleet personnel and mercenaries at this point. Unless you count walking machines, I got a few of those, too. Oh, and people from an alternate universe.” She left out the part about single-handedly clearing a merc vessel that tried to take her; without sensor logs as proof, it would just sound like baseless gossip.

"I'm still alive after spending most of my career on the Washington" Sam shrugged. She could rattle off her skills but didn't deem it necessary. "I can look after myself."

"Right, so three who novices and a doctor who is secretly a serial killer. I can work with that" Belmont said flippantly. He led everyone down the stairs and to the left, through two heavy reinforced steel doors into what appeared to be an armory. Weapon racks were filled with swords, spears, axes, and maces. He had whips, morning stars, countless knives and daggers, and more stakes than one could count, unless you were a Ferengi. Exotic weapons were hidden in the back, but he wouldn't let anyone back there. He handed Mina and Price daggers, "I believe you can handle these. They are silver blades and blessed, so apply liberally to the heart region of any creature and you'll be alright."

He grabbed a silver stake and a rapier and walked over to Sam. "Doctor, I think you'll be alright with these. I know you probably don't want to harm anyone, but just think of these like your phaser, items for defense should you need them. The rapier will handle most creatures we might encounter, even vampires. For vampires though, I would suggest decapitation, unless you want to use the stake to the heart. Your choice."

He then walked back and grabbed a dagger and then looked around for something he thought appropriate. He picked up a pair of silver fighting chams and then put them back down. He looked at a battleaxe, gave a wry grin, and put it away. He walked over and picked up a short sword. He took it over to Kate and handed it to her along with the dagger, "I think you can handle these. As I told your colleagues, just apply liberally to creatures trying to harm you."

"First, do no harm - unless someone is trying to harm you" Sam retorted as she accepted the weapons and tucked them into her belt.

Kate’s fingers closed around the hilt of a short sword. It felt right in her grip, balanced and light. She moved to an open patch of ground, careful not to let the blade whistle through the air as she swung it in a clean, testing arc. The steel caught the light, silent and sure.

Belmont looked to Sam, "Where we are going, that will be put to the test. The Plains of Blood and the Forest of Stakes have their names for a reason, as you will learn doctor." He walked to the back and grabbed gear for himself. He pulled back his cloak for a moment as he armed himself, showing off a symbol on the back of his tunic, likely his family coat of arms. He turned and looked back at everyone with a determined look in his eye, "I should get you all a meal before we go. I think I can provide you something worthwhile."

***

Kate sat at the heavy oak table and looked at the steak. It was a thick T-Bone, charred perfectly along the edges, with a heap of roasted potatoes and crisp green beans glistening beside it. The smell was rich and unmistakably real.

“Wow! At least your replicator works!” Kate said as she cut into the meat. The texture gave way not with the uniform softness of replicated protein, but with the honest grain and resistance of actual muscle. After the first bite, juices bursting across her tongue, she knew it wasn't pattern replication.

"Replicator...nice piece of technology. Never use one myself" Belmont quipped ironically. "Please eat, you'll need your strength."

Sam appreciated the food offered by Belmont and demolished the plate before her. It was relatively simple fare, but the nutritional value was high and the taste was exceptional. Having lived on replicated food it was a blessing to have real food for a change.

Belmont couldn't help but smirk watching the StarFleet personnel seemingly devour the meal like a pack of wild beasts. "I see you have managed to adapt to real food without much effort. Just remember, your body will handle it differently than the replicated stuff you are used to eating. If you are all ready, let's get a move on. The later into the night it gets, the more vicious things are going to be."

TBC

 

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