Castlevania: Darkness Never Dies

Fan Fiction

Continued...

Part 1: Gathering darkness.

"Then he did came out to them and he said, 'See, see this man.' "

Johannes: 19. 5.

Chapter 14: Silence of daylight.
Britza, Warakiya. The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
It was a miracle, a dark one at least. The commanding general, Dimitri Blinov, a rather pompus laidback individual, of the 5th brigade of the dark lord's army. The former handsome light-blonde vampire had heard about his problems and come to aid him. Of course, the creature who had once held the possibility to become the new body of lord Dracula, the dark lord had seen to that he had bean punished greatly for his failures. His spirit, or the chaotic darkness who resembled a soul for the dark servants, had bean trapped so clouse to the reality of this world, he had become an ancient and deformed being. He did hide his scared body in the black hood and cloak the vampires liked to use. And even dough he didn't knew much of what had happened, being a mere soldier of the new order, he did shudder every time he saw the scared and heavily burned ancient face. Vampires did possess eternal life, but in lord Blinov's case, it looked like even that dark gift had bean taken from him and tore into shreds before giving it back to him. When it did all came around, he really wondered why the dark lord had let him live. After what he'd heard, lord Dracula hated the Cruz for what he'd done to him. He was the first to admit he didn't understood magic, but how he put it, the young Soma Cruz was the very person responsible for the dark lord's weakned spiritual state. HE shook his head as he did try to clear his mind. What did matter was that lord Dracula was back in this world and that he would lead the dark forces of the magical world to a new era of dominance. Thank to the dark creature, he didn't really knew if he should call it a vampire or darkside or whatever, vampire he settled for, had helped him end this little rebellion. It was like killing birds with bazooka, something he liked that. Not to mention that this was the first time the army had to put their new and powerful battle-machines to the test. Nazi-zombies, riding motor-cycles and gun-seats, small one-piloted chair-tanks with side-cannons and guns placed bought in front of the seat and over the head of the pilot, did roam through the streets, taking out the last pockets of resistance. While lizardmen, were-spiders and droids, all armed with blasters and armoured with the new techno-armours the industrial-branch had supplied for them, where occupied with marching prisoners out on the village square. He knew that outside the town spider-tanks and bat-shades where patrolling to make sure none had escaped the village to spread words about the new "toys" the dark lord had to his disposal. Dead soldiers, bone-troopers and Nazi-zombies where all over, destroying the town piece by piece to make sure to make this an example to all who wished to oppose the true lord of darkness. A smile crept over his face as he noticed that human traitors and a mixed force of hammer-knights, maze-knights and axe-lords did keep a good eye on the commander. His teatchers had hammered into him the doctrine that nobody betrayed the dark lord and got away with it, perhaps that was the reason Dimitri Blinov had bean granted new life. There where rumours about that Dario Bossi, another who'd marked his presence as a possible new body for their master had also bean called out from the hiding the covard had resorted to when his connection to lord Dracula had bean broken by Soma Cruz and the Belmonts nearly 70 years ago and had bean taken care off. Then again, that priestess who'd risen to a supreme rank in the sect of the dark lord's followers and still remained loyal, had gotten a new command in the new order. However his state, he got to attention as the general and his staf of "aids" came over to him. "General Lupine I presume." Dimitri jested. "As you say." He said in return of the decayingt old vampire. They where bought generals, but he where a mere local commander, while Dimitri was a leader of one of lord Dracula's brigades. "Sir." One of his own aids, a true one, a vampire dressed like Blinov, came over to them, unsure of which of them to report to. He was his true commander, but Dimitri had a more supreme rank. After some wavering, he chose to report to bought of them. "Oikawa reports that one of his aids have reported contact with the Belmont rebel and the Cruz-child." "Cruz." Dimitri nearly whispered. "Sir," One of his aids said. "do remember that we where only assigned to manefacture this battle and then report back to Orlock and De Reis." Dimitri's dead old hands formed into fists of the human's words. "Yes. I do remember your… Regroup and withdraw back through the portals of our darksides." "As you wish, my general." The man sent away some other humans in his party and soon they where all gone, so where the prisoners and troops he'd brought with him. Only the two vampires who served as his aids where left to assist him. Dimitri hated him, that was obvious. But he wouldn't let that take him down. He lifted his hand and activated his personal holo-ring. "Jhenrya Oikawa." He said, opening a channel to the lighthouse who'd bean the vampire's home until recently. He didn't know much about the man. Merely that he'd bean one of the aids Graham Jones had taken with him into the demon castle in 2035. But unlike Dario and Dimitri, who'd risked poising as candidates for new leaders of the dark forces, and paied a terrible price for their tiny revolts, he'd remained loyal to the memory of the dark lord. Awaiting at the return of their master near the foggy lake where darkness slept and had bean called to the castle. He was still preparing for his journey, but was until he left still one of the commanders of the local devil cells. Now the raven-haired vampire, dressed in a black suit of the finest fabric, answered to his call. "General Lupine." He said as he presented a courteous bow. "I know you would summon me after my last communication with your kind aid." His somewath slippery yet polished Japanese accent sounded clear through his German speaking-language. He couldn't help a smile crossing his face. Oikawa was a true aristocrat, having even given himself to vampires so that the full embodiment of darkness could possess him if it should chose. "It was a real pitty you was not strong enough for our lord to use." HE said and ment it. Oikawa again bowed. "It is the fate of those loyal to the dark lord. I and Death had to watch on as traitors, fools and creatures lusting for power rouse to the rank of command within the sect. All because they did not listen to our argument that lord Dracula would someday return to this world." "Howver nice this small-talk is," He was sorry to correct. "you have to tell me where our enemies are." "Of course." Oikawa corrected himself and again offered a bow. "They are, or where last spotted, in the dead forest. The Cruz-child think she's a new Soma Cruz and managed to chase off my commander of the forest. No matter. The Belmont know that to cross the frozen lake, he have to come here and take something which let him pass." He nodded. "I understand. Just leave your commander in the tower and go to the castle if you wish. I shall take care of those fools who thinks they can destroy lord Dracula." "As you say." Oikawa bowed again and the hologram vanished. Even dough he'd said he would not, he had a bad feeling he would stay to face the descendant of the one who'd killed his friends. Even dough, again a smile crossed his face, they didn't deserved it. Graham had bean just as pompous as Dimitri was, although he had to admit he'd never met the creature. And Dario was a coward clinking to others in search for power. But they where more powerful than he was and could ask for his head if they wished. Lord Dracula had may made clear he didn't trust them, but he would most likely give them the life of a lesser servant like him. Again he corrected himself. He was not out here to create servant readout on the ones trying to resurrect the dark lord the past hundred years. This could, if everything went as it should, be the same shift in power like in 1999, when his father had served lord Dracula. "Come with me." HE commanded his aids as he brought on his more animal form. They changed into bats and cept following him. Long live the count, he praised lord Dracula in his hearth. And the servant's moto he'd heard they use lately, Satan give us power. Must he really do that towards their all dark lord. He kept on running. This time they shouldn't get away this time, not if he would have anything to say about it.

Forest, Warakiya. The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
"Who are you?" HE softly asked her as he let his hand go through her soft black hair. She'd surprised him when the Legion had tried to destroy them and she'd just reached out with her powers and started absorbing the creature's power on direct contact. After what he'd read from his great ancestor Julius Belmont's journal, not even he or Genya Arikado had understood what the Cruz clan really was. Sparks struck from the fire he'd prepared for them after the Legion had ran off and he became a bit startled. HE smiled, but the smile soured and disappeared from his face just as it appared. The counter-strike of the Legion had knocked Noriko cold and she'd still not came about again. Dark thinks he'd read in his family's books and memories of tales told by pope Johannes drifted through his mind.

Paragraph from Julius Belmont's journal. Mountain range, Spain. The 21st of November, 2036 A.D.

I saw how Arikado stood alone at the end of the shore of the frozen river. By the look in his eyes I could guess what he was thinking about. Leaving Soma to the care of Hammer and his girlfriend, I went over to where he stood. Yoko moved to follow me but after a quick look from me, she shrugged and stayed, which seamed to please the merchant deeply. "Belmont." He greeted me as I came over to him. I nodded as he again let his eyes wander out to where the last pieces of the cult's hideout was still burning. "How do you think they managed to summon some of the parts from my, from the dark lord's castle." The man asked me. "You know you cannot keep the secret forever." I said as softly I said. "Even dough we where the only survivours of the demon castle war who still remembers it, we cannot keep it away forever. The Cruz most sooner or later come to know that he doesn't only carry Dracula's powers within him, but also have his spirit encapsulated in his being as well." Arikado nodded. Even dough he didn't faced me. "Our spell cast in 1999 can't hinder him forever. We all knew that when we created it. And when that happens, when or if the seal should, no, will, give way, the dark lord will try to force himself into total control of his hoast's body." Again Arikado looked away. "A.." I began, but was cut off by a harsh wave of the man's hand. "He would be safe." HE coldly said. "Dracula would take at least 100 years to regain enough power to fully awake himself and by then the Cruz will most likely be dead of age or, which is more likely, torn apart by the raw darkness sleeping in his body." I almost took a step back from him. I know he was a cold man, but this was a little to much. "I know what you must feel." He said, and now he was facing me. "I have no hearth. It died a long time ago. But one thing I still have left. I will not let Dracula return to do war against the world as he did in the old days. What I hope is that God once again let him be reborn into a body he cannot control like he did with the young Malus." This time it was I who nodded. "Hello there. J, Genya. Still talking about good old times?" It was the youth, with Mina at his side, who'd come over to us. I still felt a shudder hearing the ancient Walachian dialect of Dracula who sometimes seamed to blend into the man's Spanish language sometimes. That was one of the things who had brought back my memories the year before. I forced a smile as I answered his question. "Yes, you might say that. I was just telling Arikado about the happenings in 1999." He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I think I know what you feel old timer. I might only hope you have somebody close to you to comfort you." Now the strange accent was gone and all I felt was the pained presence of a boy to young to fully comprehence with what had happened. This time I didn't have to conceal anything as I told the truth. "Members of the Grant family, descendants of the DaNasty clan, have bean kind enough to take care of my grand-children while I was wandering around the world." By my mentioning of the DaNasty clan, something dark appared within his eyes but where gone before I could make out what he really felt. "I hope I might come and visit you in the Vatican someday." I nodded. "I hope so." "Mr. Belmont," The young Hakuba said. "might I have some words with you in private?" I nodded and the Cruz and Arikado went down to join with Yoko and the Hammer. "My father told me the arts of magic." She softly began. "I know what you and Genya spoke about. But I didn't tell Soma about it. He think you are his friends. Perhaps Yoko and Hammer truly are so. Arikado is my friend and I know who he must be. I wouldn't tell him your secrets, but I must ask one question?" I nodded and the kind-hearthed girl looked me steadfast into my eyes. "When the time commes, will you, or your descendants, strike him down?" I shook my head. "He I would never have stricken down, but the dark lord I would have battled to the last breath of my life." A smile crept over her face. "Thank for being honest." She said. "And one other thing. I won't speak in prophecy, but I think you might be sure and rest in peace. Soma is a good man. He will not give in to Dracula. His body might become a host for darkness, but his spirit will never become a part in the dark lord's game." "You're truly a good woman if nothing lese." I said as it was my turn to look away. "I can only pray you're correct." We walked to join with the others.

End of paragraph.

If there had bean some more ordeals, he hadn't have time to read about those battles. But that didn't matter now as it was Noriko, not Soma, who needed his help. Soma Cruz had bean a young man, nearly a child like himself, when he did first face the forces of chaos. But Noriko was far younger than even him. She was a mere 8 years old and after what he'd heard about her exploits, he wouldn't be surprised if her soul where in danger. He couldn't forget how she'd grasped on to him when they'd bean sent different ways when the castle rouse, pleading him to save her from the demons. He wasn't suited for this, he was only a child himself. He wasn't old enough to take care of anybody. Rather, somebody should be looking out for him. A glowing light from the Vampire Killer, as if it wanted to submit its support, made a smile appare on his face. He laughed out into the night, the laugh of a boy. With the Vampire Killer at his side and the aid of God, he could do whatever which needed to be done. A scream from Noriko made him look down upon her. She didn't look wounded or… Another scream cut of his train of thoughts and he knew what was going on. "Paranoia." He snarled. The demon who searched out beings connected to the flow of dark powers and linked themselves on to them to drain them of their power and soul to in turn become more powerful. After what he'd heard, that was what had happened to the poor Dario Bossi in 2036 and… This time he cut himself off. HE didn't have time to fool around. Taking a strong hold around his crucifix, he closed his eyes and focused upon the plane right above the one he was on right now and focused, focused.

Astral-plane, higher levels, The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
He was a creature of intense chaos. She could feel it even through the pain flowing through her soul. He did change appearance all the time, but it was the giant burning eye behind him who froze her and made her stif with fear. "You belong to me." She wasn't sure if it was the demon or the eye who spoke. "I am Dracula, lord of darkness, prince of chaos. Now I reach forward with my hand and summons you to my service." She didn't want this, she wouldn't serve him. The pain was overwhelming her, feeding upon her very being. The voice laughed at her. "There is no life in the great darkness," He told her. "only death. Obey me, obey me, now!" She screamed like she'd never done before as she felt her spirit crumble, soon she would do whatever the voice demanded of her. "Noriko!" That was another voice, a voice she knew. A voice she connected with faith, love and determination. She looked away from the eye and saw a tiny individual, shrouded in grey but with a cresence which made her feel the power beyond his tiny apparence. "You don't belong here." The individual calmly remarked. "By the name of God and with the power of Christ, leave this realm and let the spirit who wanders the world be with their God." A light, a clear silvery light, shone from the beings left hand, forming into that of a burning cross. "Kill them." The voice declared before it vanished into the void in which it came from.

Forest, Warakiya. The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
As he opened his eyes, the demon was there, as he knew it would be. He jumped to his feet with the whip at the ready. Paranoia screamed a fierce war-cry as mirror-like portals opened around them. "Let's make this straight." He mumbled as he grabbed one of his vials of holy water. Paranoia leaped into one of the portals just as a chilling ice-beam shot from one of the other portals and went crisscrossing from around the clearing from the other portals. "As John would say," He mumbled as he threw the vial at one of the portals. "show him what you got." The portal blasted into burning pieces of meaningless magic and so vanished into nothingness. The demon came staggering from where the portal had bean. But instead of attacking it, he dashed at one of the other portals where the real Paranoia where cleverly preparing to blast him with another of its ice-beams. "Power of Christ!" He summoned as he threw yet another vial at the ever shape-sifting demon. It roared with pain as burnst erupted upon its body. He dashed to where the duplicate was also preparing to fire and cracked the whip into it so that it exploded into silvery flames. "One down one to go." He mumbled as he looked about for the true form of the demon. Then he screamed as a burst of ice hit his arm and made wounds of frost appare upon his flesh. He felt it from the bought burning and chilling sensation from within his clothings. "God shot Paranoia." He said as he noticed it sneak into one of its portals. "Come on." He mumbled as he threw another vial at the nearest portal. Again a staggering demon appared, so did two more demons from some of the other portals. "Not good." He cracked the whip at the nearest one who vanished into nothingness as he hit it. "Oh no." This time the demon hit him in his back and made him stagger forward and drop to the ground. "Eat fire demon!" HE smiled as he heard she didn't stop to pounder the words this time as they came out in good English. That wasn't the only thing coming from her. She spread her arms and three spiky orbs of black energy blasted from her and made the other duplicate burst into nothingness. He got to his feet as the demon leaped into yet another portal and two new duplicates came roaring out from some of the other portals. "By the power of Christ!" He chanted as he made it rain down a flood of holy water. The two duplicates vanished and the real demon roared and staggered with pain. "Saionara Oni!" Noriko lifted her hands into the sky and a bombardement of tiny bolts of lightning shot down. The Paranoia screamed and blinked through a series of shaped before it exploded into burning pieces of itself. Again Noriko reached out and captured a tiny crystalline ball, or so it looked like to him, from the demon's inner-sides. "Impressive." He wheeled around and saw, from the trees, a vampire dressed in a black coat and heavy shoes coming drifting towards him. He threw his boomerang-cross at the beast and gasped as it went right through the image. "Put down your weapons." The vampire said. "I am Jhenrya Oikawa, servant of lord Dracula. And I am a mere hologram." "What do you want?" He demanded as he grasped the cross on its return. "I was born in 1999, at the exact same month and day Julius Belmont defeated our lord and sealed him away inside the eclipse." Oikawa said. "I was gifted with the virtues of the element of lightning, knowledge and scholarship. I was allways the best student during my time. I was drawn to the dark side of nature. The evil and wicked beings of the schools looked to me for leadership. But it was in these years I first learned about my power to control and manipulate lightning and electricity. When Graham Jones refounded the sect of the dark lord's followers, it was I who was drawn to him. My official work as a professor at the school of mythology gave him many good contacts and new followers. I, Dario Bossi, Dimitri Blinov and Charl Forster, a Wall Street banker whit the power to control the element of ice, grow to power within the sect. Death, who had come to us when we did pray for his embodiment, entrusted to me and Forster the truth about over lord. Forster was foolish enough to relay the information to Dimitri, who killed him. I did try to warn Graham, but he had already left for the castle and I did not reach it before it was all over. I became trapped inside the castle and there learn to know the members of the circle of blood who had by then reached embodiment within the chaos of the darkness. I was watching as your beloved grand-father, and your great ancestor defeated bought Dario Bosssi, who I tried to warn about what his powers truly came from. I where to late. And bought Death and Agoni where sent back to the chaos before I could do anything about it." A smile crept over his face, it made him shudder. HE tried to stop it, but couldn't help it. The vampire continued speaking. "I did however manage to escape through the rift in the reality and then searched for Dario who was the only survivor of our sect. He was shaking with fear when I met him. But I learned him how to again break the seal and tap into the darkness beyond. Death appared before us and lead us to the ruins of our lord's true castle. There where still some of the vampires serving the dark lord who lived there and when they felt our power, not to mention the apparence of Death, made them serve us. At Death's command, they turned us into vampires, which made our power reach new levels. The dark wanderers came to us and we began to resurrect the dark spirits. And so, one by one, they returned to this world. I was pleased to see that my old master, Graham Jones, now was one of them. But more so when I again faced Dimitri and saw which price the dark lord had claimed from him after his betrayal." He did gather himself. This holographic image hadn't come just to chat with him. "Why do you tell me all this?" He asked as he again recoiled the whip. "You know where to go." Oikawa said. "And you know what you must do to go there." He nodded. "So all this is to make me come to you so that you might fight me?" Oikawa spread his hands. "How so? When I might see you die right here. You did use quite the power to defeat my servant." The hologram became silent before it vanished completely. "What do he means?" Norkio asked. "That." He said and pointed toward the two hooded and cloaked figures coming towards them.

Forest, Warakiya. The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
She immediately recognised them as two of the black wanderers. The spirit of the Paranoia had lended her the skills to teleport and brush up her ice-powers somewhat, but against these foul wraights she was afraid it wouldn't be enough. The black wanderers grasped inside their cloaks and swords and daggers appared in their hands. Gold and jewels shone around their fingers and caught the moonlight, so did the steel of their weapons. She nervously licked her lips before she summoned the dark powers within her and called forth the powers of the gargoyles and threw three blobs of magma. The black wanderers just vanished and reappared just to appare somewhere else and tried to stab her. The attack was hindered as Christian cracked his whip and threw the boomerang-cross at the other one. The Vampire Killer seamed to fasten in their cloaks, like their where sticky with some evil goo. She felt a desire to throw up, but continued to press forward. "Sta. Lucia, thou who enlight the path for thee who wanders under the shadow of death!" She heard him call as she summoned the gargoyle once again and threw three lances at the nearest wanderer. "By the name of Christ, our Lord, enlight out path and let the blessing of Christmas be with us, amen." HE did end the prayer with the sign of the cross and then poured some of the holy water over the Vampire Killer. To her utter surprise, the wanderer swung its blade and a rift in reality opened and swallowed her spears. Christian struck with his whip, who burned with silvery light, and the shining unicorn she'd seen in the bottom of the well galloped forward and speared the first wanderer disappare. She reached forward and a yet-black orb appared from withing the burning cloak and other clothings. "Noriko, no!" Christian shouted. "Don't absorb that! It's a black wanderer. It'll destroy you!" She let go of her power of dominance and let go of the wanderer's soul. It flead with a scream which made her fell to her knees. The other wanderer screamed and she lifted her hands to defay it. She summoned the essence of the Paranoia and made a portal of her own appare. "God save us from darkness." She heard Christian call as he did throw that strange crystal forward. She saw male and female angels fly around as the crystal shattered and the wanderer was consumed within a multi-coloured flash of light. "Amen." Christian smiled, doing the sign of the cross, before he fell forward and didn't move again. "Good, sister." She wheeled around as fast she could, this time it was no hologram. Two vampires, dressed in their usual black cloaks and hoods, looked upon her. "I have watched you a long time. No longer shall you enslave the spirits of the dark lord." The first of the duo lifted her hands and removed her hood, almost making her scream. "Drolta! But you're dead! I saw you die!" The old vampire laughed at her, then the other vampire removed her hood, making her look aside. From a pale hearth-shaped face, with blackish-brown braids falling down beside her childish-round cheeks, a set of large dark-brown eyes burned at her. As she looked back at Drolta, she'd retaken her young attractive form once again. "The black wanderers are not the only who might feel your power." The witch said. "Then if you so much want it," She snarled. "then come and fetch it." "Book of Exodus!" If she'd thought she could never truly be surprised again, she felt herself done wring as the unicorn fired a devastating golden beam from its mance, sending the two vampires far back. "I was a fool letting me join you in this suicide." The other vampire snarled as she got to her feet and then brought on her bat form and flew off. "Looks like it's just me and you now." She said as she again summoned the spirit-essence of the gargoyle. "Try this!" She spread her arms and sent a trio of lances right forward. Drolta turned into mist and then reappared somewhere else. "Balls of Destruction!" The vampire spread her cloak and fired away three blue balls of bat-inhabited flames. "Not today Oni." She mumbled as she let go of the gargoyle spirit and instead summoned the Paranoia spirit. "Away with you!" She opened a portal and caught the fireballs right on, before she let a chilling beam blast forward. "Crimson shield!" Drolta made a swarm of bats appare and fly before her, taking out her ice-beam. "Grasp of Hell!" The enemy lifted her hand and created a portal of her own, sending a giant claw forward. She tried to jump, but yet another portal opened and another hand grasped her and held her tight. "Now," Drolta said as she was breathing heavily. "you are going back to the dark lord. I doubt your spirit is strong enough to house lord Dracula, but I think he might still find something he might use you for." "Perhaps." She snarled, as she summoned the very core of her dark powers, throwing them right at Drolta. The vampire gasped as her eyes became blank. Then she spread out her arms and exploded into darkness. She gasped as she felt the power of the old witch flow into her, giving her own spirits new power. "The shadows are rising." She wheeled around, Christian had came back up on his knees and was clasping the crystal in his left hand. "The lord of the vampires are out there, now. He's searching for you. I'll tell you this, he'll never stop hunting you." She felt fear well up inside her, together with the darkness she'd thrown at Drolta. "What must I do?" She whispered. "Believe." He said. "Have faith and he'll never be able to corrupt you." A smile crept over his face, making him look as young as he actually was. "You don't want to end up like Oikawa and Graham, do you?" She nodded, her eyes caught the crucifix who hung around his neck. It was like a ray of sunlight pierced through the darkness within her, making her fear diminish. "I must find a lighthouse." Christian said. "How so?" She asked as she to got back upon her feet. "You see the fog clouding the lake?" She nodded. "Well, I need a lantern, a dark lantern, to penetrate it." "So that was what Oikawa was babbling about." Christian smiled. "You're quite bright, you know. Beside the darkness within you." He made a scawl. "Sorry, I didn't meant to…" She cut him off. "Don't be. Tell me about it, as often you see fit. We cannot afford forgetting it. Not now, not ever." HE nodded as they started walking.

Forest, Warakiya. The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
He couldn't belive it. But there they stood, right before them. "You are ordering me to do what?" He repeated. "To report to the castle emiiately." Jones said. "You are to bring with you Oikawa on the way there." Dimitri concluded. Taking a hold upon himself, he nodded. "As you wish my lord. But I must say that I strongly disagree with this new command. Lady Armster gave me strick orders to haunt down the Belmonts." Graham snorted. "What power she had have bean transpired to us. Now, go." He nodded, bowed and saluted before he commanded the rightmost of his aids to open a portal. "As you command." She said and executed the spell. He only waited long enough for her and the other aid to follow him through, before he fixed his eyes on the vampire standing at the other end of the room to greet them. "General Lupine." Oikawa did a small nod as he approached him. "Lord Jones sent me to escort you to the castle my lord." HE said. "This is not the proper time." Oikawa answered. "I have a conference I cannot afford to let down." "I think I might know how you feel my lord. But the orders where not to delay." He knew it was the possible embodiment of lord Dracula he was watching him, but somehow, he didn't cared. "Vergy well then." Oikawa finnaly said. "When the circle of blood commands, you must obey. Even dough," A smile crept over the vampire's otherwise immovable face. "you should expect they would show some more gratitude." He shrugged. He didn't know much about this person, and to be true, he didn't care about that either. He knew that his disappointment was clouding his judgement right now, but didn't care about that either. "If you are prepared my lord, we should go." Oikawa waved his hand. "Just a moment my dear werewolf, there is just one other business I must attend to before we make our departure." He cloused his eyes, then opened them. "I did just remove power to ensure my servants bean cept in good order for my absence. Now we might leave." He nodded and once again gave the aid the command to open a portal.

Forest, Warakiya. The 13th of December 2098 A.D.
He saw how the last remains of the magic vanished after the portal. "Now when we are alone. I make one thing straight. You are one of the most hated members of our lord's followers. I do not understand why our lord made you follow me out here, but no matter. I am still a member of the circle of blood. You do as I command." "No, njet, nada." Dimitri mumbled. "And that was?" He asked, well, snarled, at the rotting creature. "Yes my lord." Came the replay. Then, as if to end their argument, a wing of bats came drifting through the mist, descending upon the forest. "Vampire." He said as the young creature morphed back into her human form. He was pleased with her apparition. He did not endure sexual pleasure with his servants or those he did host blood from for what did indeed interest him, was their grace and beauty. And she was indeed a beauty to behold, with a petite hearth-shaped face and pleasant round feminine features. "My lord," She gasped and fell to her knees. "they have put Drolta to rest." He nodded. "Then you are to witness one of the miracles of darkness." He said as he gave Dimitri a sign to bring him the artefacts he needed. "As you wish." Dimitri said as he, from his backpack and brought out four black crystals and a simple black cloak. "Fours of darkness, by the true name of The Dark One, open the portal to the realm of shadows and realise the spirits of thouse who serve You. Open the gates of shadows." The glory of The Dark One's powers shone from the combined fours of crystals and a portal of shadows opened before them. Screaming and burning spirits struggled towards the portal, just to be embraced with red flames. A apparition, shrouded in black cloth and with a black rod in his hand, approached him. "The gate-master." He did whisper with great respect. "Why have you summoned me?" The demon roared. "From the shadows I summon the spirit of Drolta Cuentez." He did the act of summoning, pouring out his cursed blood on the pure white snow. The gate master laughed a roaring laugh. "Your spirit belongs to darkness. Be as you wish." Then, from spirit, to bone, from bone to blood, from blood to flesh, from flesh to skin and then back to her full devious splendour.. He smiled with please. She had grown strong, that he could see as she did turn young, round and stunningly graceful, like a true Brazilian should be. "So beautiful and yet so evil." His underling said as he let his hand went over her cheek. He did in turn smile as her eyes blazed back at Dimitri. "Give her the cloak Blinov." He demanded, Dimitri bowed with jested movements. HE did not take any care. "We must hinder the Belmont in aiding the Cruz.. I intend to have you Drolta you use your talents to unsure his abseance." Drolta nodded and brought on the form of a bat and then left them. "I know you might summon 50.000 troopers if you pleases. If you might could summon 1.000 or so of them they could break chaos upon this area." Dimitri smiled at him, but the smile never reached his eyes. "You want to create a villain for our enemies to hate." At the last word, the smile did indeed reach his eyes. "You there," He gestured at the female vampire who stil stood faithful at where she had knelt before them. "what are your name?" "Ingrid Sophia Perkins, my lord." HE nodded. "Then you are to go with him and aid." She did salut him and she and Dimitri changed into bats and left him. He smiled and then changed form himself and then ran into the forest.

Forest, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
He janked upward. With fear in his eyes, he looked around the camp they'd set up. "What is it?" Noriko, laying close behind him to keep her warmth, said as she did also jank upward. "It was the dream again." He said as he gasped for air. "The dream I never told his eminence about." "What was it?" She worridly said as she put her arms around him. "I have never told anyone about it." HE said as his hand grasped at his crucifix. "Only God have I told what's going on. But HE must know it already." "But what is it?" She said, more worried than ever. "The dark ocean." He said. She shuddered. "Have you also sean it?" He asked as he felt her shudder, more scared them him it looked. "He never told anyone about it." She said. "When my grandfather Soma followed the Menace beyond Genya, he saw the ocean open to swallow it after its defeat." He nodded. "You think the dark lord is powerful enough to again summon and control the spirits of chaos." He said. And even dough it was formed as a question, it wasn't. Julius Belmont had, they'd all had, underestimated the power of Dracula. Even without his body and cut off from his source of power, he'd waited and planned for this time to come. He should've heeded the warnings Sonia had written in her chronicle and Trevor again had told in his journal. "Every 100 year the forces of God mysteriously weakens and the power of darkness would grow strong and manifest in the form of count Dracula, the lord of the vampires." Now that he thought about it, Sonia had also written about dreams she'd had about a dark ocean stunning her with fear. Then, as if to confirm his his fear, he heard footsteps coming towards them. He got to his feet and cracked his whip. ""Is that your slut?" He staggered backward as a boy, ragged and freexing due to his half-nakedness, stepped into the light of the fire. He was skinny, with blue eyes and raven-black hair, with somewhat Japanese features, dressed in a ragged shirt, black trousers and boots. In his belt, there hung an empty scabbard, pointing to that he'd bean armed when he ran away. His simple black woollen jacket and white scarf was shredded and stained with blood, as was his shirt. But what made him truly a sight to behold, was his pale skin, his deathly pale skin. He was cute, handsome and with the promises to grow up into a true man when he became an adult. "Who're you?" Noriko asked in Japanese, most likely she hoped she'd foung someone from her home. "My name is Iori Bukama." The boy said, offering a courteous bow. "I'm sorry I was so rue." A shy smile went over his face, as his pale starved cheeks became slightly red. His voice was deep for a boy merely 10 years old, soft, warm and sensitive and it fited him. "My mother was one." He comfeced. "And a vampire turned her over to the dark side." His cheeks became even redder. "She then tried to do it with me, my own mother." Now his face was even paler than it naturally was. "She gave me an oral, before she tried to bite me. I killed her, with the dagger she'd given me on my birthday." The last words he said with such a hollow voice that he put his arm on his shoulder. "You did what you had to." He said. "You saved her soul from the darkness." "You don't understand!" Iori nearly screamed. "I didn't free her," Tears flowed from his eyes. "I absorbed her spirit." "Get away from him Belmont." He looked up, a goat-man, two lizardmen and some bone-soldiers came crashing out from the forest. "The boy belongs to the darkness." "He might have dark magic in his soul," He said as he cracked his whip and brought out his boomerang-cross. "but his spirit have no evil within it. Be gone in the name of Christ!" He rouse his cross into the air and a blur of cross-shaped silvery-coloured energy-blasts shot out in a perfect circle and sent the enemies blasting into oblicion. "Not again!" Iori cried. "No! I won't…" A storm-cloud of crystal-orbs came flying from the fallen enemies and hammered into him. "There they are! Fire away!" A group of bone-archers, bone-soldiers, crossbow-zombies, as they'd began to call the wandering corpses dressed and armoured in black and armed with crossbows, more lizardmen and goat-men came springing from the forest. "Christ!" He called as a barrier of silvery light appared before them, blocking the arrows. "We must run!" Iori screamed. "You don't know what they might do to us." "Let me take them!" HE shot back. "You two run. Now! And don't forget, Christ will allways be with you." Noriko gave him a smile and Iori a worried look, before they ran away. "Time for iron." He said as he threw the bommerang-cross at the nearest bowmen and then dashed at the bone-soldiers and goat-men who'd already drawn their blades. "Christ!" HE called out. "Into Your hands I entrust my soul!" The whip shone with silver and as the boomerang-cross flew through the air, it was like silver drops came from it like tears from a widow. "Christ!" He again called out his war-cry as he hammered into them. Then she was before him and he gasped. "You?" He gaped. "But I saw you die." The vampire showed her fangs and then dashed at him. He rouse his crucifix and a blur of silvery light and red flames shone around them as their powers made contact.

Forest, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
Blue crystals flew from the slained enemies and into Iori's body. The boy screamed and dark flames spread from his hands and made the bone-soldiers and goat-men be set ablaze. "Get away!" A voice with a Russian accent, or so she thought, called from behind the burning or fleeing soldiers. "So, it is you." A crippled old vampire, leaning heavily upon his cane, did limp towards them. His black hood and cloak made her shiver with fear. He looked so alike the necromancer who'd nearly killed them in Brahms mansion. "Who're you?" She whispered, fearing the answer. "My name is Dimitri Blinov." HE did stop to lift his hands to lift his hood so that she could see his face and this time she really screamed. His eyes, yellow and with a diabolical youth, looked upon her from a decaying wrinckled and destroyed face. Fangs and pointed airs, not to mention the eyes, made him look the most hideous apparition she'd so far seen. "I see you recognice my face." He said. A flash went through her head and she remembered all of it.

Flashback.

Tokyo, Japan. The 1st off October 2098 A.D. She sat at her usual table inside the destroyed restaurant. Junk and bricks where all over the room. She could hear laughter and moaning from deeper inside the building. The new owners of this condemned building ran it as a "vingin's house", where she worked from time to time bought in cleaning out the most immediate junk and with helping them get drugs and alchohole transported from their other houses and here. Zikura, the leader of the BP's, the so-called "baby-prostituetes", had offered her a job but so far she hadn't bean desperate enough to take her up. But now she hadn't eaten for two days and she deathly wanted to get her hands on some food. "Zikura," She called. "I think I might take you up on your kind offer." The 11 year old girl, already somewhat developed, dressed in the same rags as she did use, with false-red hair and some glasses she'd gotten from one of her customers to see better with, smiled. "Good Noriko." She did rub her body. "There's an old big who want some threesome and you and I might take him up?" She nodded and got up from her seat, well, box, and they went up the stairs and walked inward. At the end of the left corridor, where the BP held house, she stopped and asked Niko, one of her best friends and one, after what she'd heard, was her "private" lover, and asked her where the man was. She said some words in Chinese, a language she didn't understood, Zikura nodded and they went down to the last room in the corridor. She could hear how the other rooms must have already bean taken. But she didn't care as Zikura opened the door. "Master Blinov, we are here." From the box beside the window, an old grey-haired wrinkled man in a black suit rouse. "Who is this." The man asked in a voice heavy with his Russian accent said."It's Iko master Blinov. Didn't you instructed a threesome?" A smile crept over the customer's face. "Indeed I did. Strip so that I might see if you are suitable foramy whises." With a belly roaring for food, she did as she instructed and so did Zikura. But unlike herself, she did it with a smile showing she looked forward to this. "You will pass as there is no better in this house." The old man said and starting redress himself.

End of flashback.

"So that was how the vampires knew where to look for me." She screamed, before felling forward and throwing up all she had inside her. It had bean hurting to do it the first times, then it've bean something she somewhat enjoied. Even dough she would never comfess that for herself or for Christian who thought she was such a good little child. The truth was as she'd told George. She was a used up girl, a fallen girl, who didn't deserved his friendship or caring. But one thing was for sure. She hated Malus for what he'd done to her in his dark rituals. She hailed the good Kamies of Japan and had grow to respect and to some degree even believe in Christian's crucified God. She was none to turn to the Onis or the one Christian called Satan. She did now rip out her family's crucifix and rouse it before herself. "Do not place your faith in such meaningless trickery." Dimitri said as he lifted his other hand and sent a gust of wind, knocking the holy emblem from her. "Give in to your hatred against me." Dimitri said. "I know you hate me. I forced you to do unspeakable things for food to eat. I destroyed your childish purity and sent vampires to destroy even your souls." He did limp even clouser. "I can feel your anger. I am not as powerful as you are. Strike and take my place at lord Dracula's side." The last words made her smile. After all what had happened, they thought they could tempt her with power. She was a power. Never before had she thought about it that way, but now she understood it was true. She could destroy this monster, she could seal his dark lord inside her very being and become the lady of shadows, the dark child the legends told about. She didn't realize she'd reached out with her hand before she did throw her blackness right at him. Dimitri smiled, he actually smiled. A smile who made her shudder. "I might not have the strength needed for lord Dracula to possess me. But I do know how to control and defay the power of dominance when it come from someone like you." The dark powers seamed to vanish as they reached him and she felt how the darkness shot back into her, making her scream in pain. "Now I might show you how it really is." Dimitri rouse his hand and a ball of concreat blackness shot from her hand. Then the ball vanished and a pained look appared upon his face. "The crucifix." HE snarled. "Of course. How could I forget about that." Then he did straighten his pose and again the smile appared upon his face. "I might not absorb you as long the image of God is near. Your faith has founded a connection between you, but I might still destroy you." "Do it!" Iori encouraged. "It was him who killed my mother and turned her into a vampire." "Silence boy. I will deal with you later myself." Then he stood still for a moment, as if to rethink his strategies, then he lifted his hand once more and a beam of darkness shot forward. This time she didn't stepped back. She summoned the soul of the gargoyle and countered with three balls of magma. As they flew forward, Dimitri laughed at her and then sent three magma-orbs of his own to destroy the attack. When her attack was destroyed, she noticed he fired away three new orbs and thus summoned three lances and trusted them at the orbs, destroying them in the process. She nearly gasped when Dimitri in turn sent his own trio of lances to counter her next barrage of magma balls. "His power is to duplicate other's spells!" Iori shouted. "You need to attack and then quicly change into another." "I told you to be silent." Dimitri snapped and shot another wave of air, sending the boy flying. "Bastard!" It was the first time she actually cursed someone. Filled with rage over that a boy without any part in this madness could be punised like this. She summoned all the spirits she had harvested and blasted them outward. "Do not despear." Before she could do anything with the combined spirits she'd summoned, the morphed entity hammered into Iori and sent him flying further away than Dimitri had managed. The boy rouse and she gasped as she saw his hair had changed from raven to a snowy white. She looked around, searching for the one who'd distracted her. From the forest, but from a fidderent direction than they or Dimitri had come, there now came yet another creature hooded and cloaked like Dimitri. But unlike him, this creature did made fear well up inside her. She knew him and she was corrected as he brought forth a harp. "The harp-playing druid." She smiled. She'd feared he had perished in the ruins of Brahms, but here he was once again. "Do not despear." He once again said. "Here, they may have stripped you of all your harvested spirits, but here. Take these and defeat those who threats you." "You are an elf? Are you not?" She couldn't see his face, but felt a smile. "Do never despear. There is other forces in this world than those who gave birth to the dark lord. The One is with you and all who have faith in Him. The spirits of light and darkness are all needed. Never forget that." As he said so, Dimitri finally seemed to gather himself. "Angel!" HE shouted. "Don't try to involve yourself with this. She belong to darkness." The cloaked figure stepped backwards. "All have a reason to be." He said. "I have seen it. One day I hope you might to. Only in balance between The One and the pieceful darkness you might find peace for your sins. I only pray you might find forgiveness." The elf, angel, or wathever the celestial apparition was, did the sign of the cross and then disappeared. "You have powerful allies, but that alone will not help you." Dimitri lifted his hand, but she was prepared this time. The trio of spirits the harp-playing druid had given her was one harpy spirit, one Malphas spirit and a heat shade's essence. She did summon the heat shade and blasted away a blurry of fireballs. Dimitri quickly duplicated her attack and then she spread her arms and summoned the spirit of the harpy and sent a spread-shot of winds and this time it was Dimitri who was sent flying. Dimitri was, beyond his age, was quick to his feet and the eyes he then hammered into her, made her shudder and step backward. "He'll never give up." Iori said from where he lay in the snow, at the foot at a great tree. "You must kill him." "Your traitor!" Dimitri snarled and turned upon Iori. The enigmatic boy struggled to his feet and then reached out his hand and all the spirits he must've absorbed and they seemed as if they drew out all the other spirit Dimitri himself had absorbed. "You think you might defeat me?" Dimitri screamed at her from within the storm-cloud of spirits. "I might die here, but I belong to the castle. And you my dear are to face your deepest darkest fear. Chaos! Avenge my fall!" She thought she saw an apparition, hooded and cloaked like Dimitri, spread its cloak and the spirits morphed into one giant bat-like apparition. "God." She whispered as she did look upon the essence-bat. But that wasn't all about it. Bone-soldiers, lizardmen, goat-men and other troopers, who'd heard their commander's final call. This time she really summoned God to aid her as she summoned the essences she'd received from the apparition as she prepared to meet them.

Forest, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
He did kneel down to lit two candles before the statue of the holy mother of God. The first light was for St Maria, but the second one was for St. Lucia, the saint of the day he was borne. A swarm of bats came into the clearing and changed form back into her human form. "How long do you plan to haunt us?" He said as he got to his feet.

Forest, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
She gazed upon him. What was he speaking about? Then she remembered what lady Elizabeth had told her about the Belmont's powers to see beyond the obvious. She showed her fangs, there where others who could play that game. She taped into her newfound source of magical powers and looked beyond him. Her eyes then grew wide with fear. A boy, 15 or 16 years old, with light skin, messy brown hair and determined brown eyes. Clad in a blazing orange armour, with two swords on his back. One for courage, one for determination, that she knew from her magical schooling. Fire, an embodiment or shape he could take when he had with humans and elves to do. There was another one, a girl, more or less 13 or 14 years old, with long strawberry-blonde hair and soft eyes, dressed in a robe decorated with flowers which made her think about the minerals of the earth. That was Earth, she was sure of it. But it was the third one, a child, a girl, with brown hair who went around her face, warm brown eyes looked at her with such intensity that she turned away. But she couldn't whipe out the image of the white-dressed mile-looking embodiment of Light. "I know who you saw." Christian said. "As I saw the ones behind you." She half-way turned around, almost expecting to see the forms of Darkness, Ice and Death. Not that any of them where evil, but they had permited her to tap into their elements. She gathered her powers and stood her ground. "I cannot battle you here. Do leave your barrier and let us battle." The boy nodded and did the sign of the cross, who made her step back. But he did walk away from the clearing and then cracked his whip. She spread her arms and a trio of fireballs blasted from her.

Forest, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
She'd instructed Iori to throw his souls to her and even though she'd only managed to absorb some of them since he didn't know how to do this. But that didn't mattered as she'd bean able to harvest bought the vampire and the Agoni spirits from him and they where really all she needed. Or, she corrected herself as the giant bat-thing did blast down uncountable bolts of lightning, she hoped that would be the chase. She opened a portal, well, a lot of portals, and made crisscrossing ice-beams shot between the openings in time and reality. The bat shrunk and then grew larger as the giant skull-formation overhead did blast down a spread-shot of skull-projectiles. She made another myriad of portals and then spread the poncho she'd found in Brahms mansion and made three-prolonged spell of bat-inhabited fireballs and smiled as she this time hit the bat-thing itself. It screamed and sent out a wave of bats. Iori did do a throwing motion and a hand-full of bones struck into the skull-formation. She knew it was the only part of this chaotic creature who could be damaged, or killed she hoped, prayed actually. She shook her head and screamed in her own turn as one of the skulls hit her and sent her flying far back. She gasped as she felt the chilling sensation of the winter and did then, still gasping, blast energy-sceptres from her palms. As they hit the bat, it shrank into the size of a natural bat, before it grew back into the size of a man again. Another wave of skulls came blasting down from the skull-formation and even though she did manage to get back to her feet, she was shaking with cold and damage and started blasting away energy-sceptres This was not going good at all. Some of the skulls crashed but the remaining ones started blasting new bolts of lightning. She summoned the powers of the vampire and generated a shield to defend them and she became thrown far back. She staggered to her feets and again started channelling more power into her sceptres.

Tower of Ondol, Warakiya. The 17th of December 2098 A.D.
He did walk down the corridor of his new residence of command. At his side, Lupine, his military advisor and, to his please, a Zaphyre, one of those seldom demon who could stop, absorb and control the element of life itself, as his magical attaché at his other side. At the end of the corridor, beside the door to his chamber, axe-knights and hammer-knights was lining the carpet-lined corridor. He waved his hands to the possessed armours who stayed outside. The giant room was only lit by one single candle, just as he liked it. He waved his hand again and nearly thousand candles lining the platform and the high walls of the giant organ at the long end of the chamber became lit. As became the fire-wood in the marble fire-place at the short end. Here, at the top of the tower and with the giant stain-glass windows lined with red velvet-curtains, it was freezing cold. The fire-place and the thick row of carpets where good even to his undead state. The cold could immobilize him just as well as it could with mere living creatures. He did move to the high-backed chair in front of the fire-place and Lupine sat down in the other seat while the Zaphyre elected to stand. Again he waved his hand, covered by a black silk-glove, and a holo-map table rouse from the granite floor, the carpet cowering it, gliding away through magical means at the table rouse. "The last report was that they had involved themselves in battle with the Belmont and his Cruz-throwback." Lupine commented as he did take a sip from one of the golden goblets who the table had presented to them. "I did feel a shift in the balanced powers." The Zaphyre said. A grin crept over his face. The Zaphyre seldom spoke and when he did, he did so in short snappy comments. "In that chase, I suspect one or bought of them might have given up their earthly bodies." Lupine gave him a look. He'd began to learn that the creature did not understand magical chases very good. "I tried to read the shift in power. But the change went to fast for me to read it." He nodded inside his deep hood. The Zaphyre didn't like to fail in any way and especially not when it came to magic. He did gaze upon the holo-table. "Whoever he might be, they still remains in the death forest." Lupine sat his goblet back on the table as his eyes started glowing with his own kind of supernatural powers. "Then I know perfectly well who might take care of them, if you let me handle handle this affair, my lord Rowdain?" He nodded and the military advicor left them. "He is a good soldier." The Zaphyre said. "Don't blame him for his short-comings in magicial affairs." Again a grin crossed his face. It was a surprise, a pleasant one, to discover that his two aids had developed a strange form of friendship. A philosopher would've said it was a paradox having friendship on the side of darkness, but to some degree bought sides where infested with the virtues of their other sides. He did rise from his seat. "I must report to the circle about what has happened." He said. "You are to stay here and keep an eye over our potential host-bodies." "Yes my lord." The Zaphyre said and bowed. He did walk over to the door at the other short-end of the room and entered into the communication chamber of his apartment. He sat down in one of the thirteen chairs inside the room. Only four of them where filled now. The dark lord was there, as was Death, Gilles and Carmilla, and himself of course. The others where involved in preparation of the army and special task-forces. The last time they'd all bean there where when droid-general lord Tyrannos had bean permitted a seat in their council. And when the warlock lord had bean given his new assignment and Dario Bossi and Jhenrya Oikawa had bean presented as new potential hosts for their lord's spirit and power. He did gave forth a quick report about what he knew about lord Blinov and lord Jones. "I know about Dimitri's fall." Lord Dracula said. "It magnified my power." He seemed to drift off, then he did turn to Gilles. "You are to resume command of his brigade. Go and inform Orlock to intensivate the indoctrination of our human helpers." The elderly vampire did nod and rouse and was gone. "Lady Carmilla, you are to resume your connection with Shaft, now." A scowl went over the beautiful vampire's face, before it vanished. "As you command my lord." She said in her youthful musical voice and then she left her seat too. "Now that we are alone," The dark lord said. "we could go down to the important matters. The Master did ensure Dimitri revenge, or so the gate-keepers informed me." He wasn't alive more than a rock, but even so he felt a shudder go through him as lord Dracula mentioned The Master and the gate-keepers. He did however nod. "What is thy biddings my lord?" He asked. "Your magical attaches are to continue to search for the best point to break into the dimensional wall." He nodded again and prepared to rise, but the dark lord was not finished. "You know what to do with those other little problem?" "Yes my lord." He said before he left his seat and the others did vanish as well.

Forest, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
It felt like clean torture. Even dough the skulls had bean destroyed, the pain from the skulls and static electricity the chaotic creature had bombarded her with, did tore through her body and the candle-stand who did lit the trees shone at her with a frantic light. Or so she felt like. She summoned the spirit of the harpy and shot a spread-shot of feathers and a strange-looking contract did drop from the flash of light. "I don't think you should touch that thing." Iori said as he threw worried looks into the forest. He'd brought on the black cloak Dimitri had left behind and had given her his jacket. But she was wounded, shivering in sickness and cold, then she grasped the contract. "How might I be of service my lady?" A man in an elegant business-man's light-grey suit appared right before her. "A heeling-potion, please?" She pleaded, in her weakened state she spoke in Japanese. The man, looking at her through a pair of black glasses, a faint smile went over his pale, thin hungry-looking face. "It do not come for free you know." This time it was her time to smile, a painful humourless smile. "It you give me one I'll pay you with the money Christian used." Renon, she remembered that was his name, bowed, flipping his hat, as he opened the brief-case. "Here my lady." Having earned his pay, he did help her to drink the strange-coloured liquid inside the crystal-container. "Is there anything more I might be of service with my lady?" She did shiver, the clothings she'd bought from him before and the snow and winds did make her shiver even dough the shivers of the wounded sickness was gone, the cold did make them continue. "You must sell me clothings." The demonic salesman nodded and again opened his brief-case. "This time I do have some more modern clothing for offer." He brought out a pair of black leather-trousers and a jacket of the same colour and fabrick. She shivered as she changed from the tore remains of her former outfit and quickly brought on the new clothing and the few object she'd gathered along the journey. She handed him the money and he tipped his hat and vanished into a cloud of smoke. "We have to find Christian." She said as Iori came over to him. Iori, who'd brought on some strange black glasses with thick golden brims, did nod. She felt how a new shudder went through her, even dough she didn't knew wy. Perhaps it was since he'd changed so much? She shook her head and brought on the poncho she'd gotten from Renon the first time and they started walking, the snow cracking under their feet as they went on. The forest was silent, but she wondered how long that would last.

Forest, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
Bone-captain Redhill did wander back and forth inside the tent. He knew he would be in danger if either Lupine or general Blinov ever came back. He'd denied a direct order to withdraw to Aliba and present himself and his troops to the SS-general Stern. Instead he'd stayed behind when the commanding foursome had based their new stand north of the foggy lake. He'd gathered what soldiers the locals had or Lupine had left behind and also some of the stray troops the 5th brigade of lord Dracula's new order. He did the salute of lord Dracula as he stopped at the table where the maps over this area and the other areas around the lake lay. The light of the sun did shine through the opening of the tent, but thank to a moon-pearl, an artefact the dark lord offered to his undead lieutenants, he could be awake during day-time. He did carrece the whip at his side and then threw a look at the black rod leaned to one of the pillars supporting the tent's cloth. "My lord, I have the words you asked for." He roused his skull as a goat-bowman, a higher-ranking leader of the ordinary goat-men, did walk inside the tent, lined by two boar-men, a muskular yet short-built pig-like spiked-armoured spices, at his side. "Very good." He went over and lifted his staf. "Prepare to move out." The goat-bowman pointed his fist to his hearth and bowed. "As you command sir." He did follow them out as other bone-soldiers did start taking down his tent, intending to put it on one of the sledges, transporting their belongings. Brash, one of the other goat-men, with the uniform of a commander, did come over to him. He gave him his orders and the creature ran off. He went over to where the horses and mounted his skeleton-horse. More bone-soldiers and crossbow-zombies did the same. A grin crept over his face. They where not zombies, but fore simplisity's sake they did call the helmed and robed walking deaths with that name. Bone-archers, boar-men and more goat-men did line up around them and as soon the bone-soldiers where done taking down their camp, they started marching.

Forest, Warakiya. The 14th of December 2098 A.D.
He stood perfectly still, holding his crucifix high. He did concentrate his mind. The Vampire Killer hund in his other hand, shining with holy energy. The swarm of bats Drolta had turned into did flutter some distance away, waiting for his next move. "It don't have to be like this." He softly said as he rouse his throwing-cross, pushing his crucifix against it, granting the boomerang, granting it more power. "Just open yourself to God and he will free you from the curse." The bats formed into the shape of Drolta Zuentes, who did merely chuckle at him. "Curse?" She mocked. "Fool! This state is a blessing. I cannot be harmed, I cannot be destroyed, I am immortal!" A weak smile went over his face. "You are deceived by a lie. You exist outside of time. You will stay an eternity on this globe, hunting for blood, hurting and destroying peoples as you go along." "So then God must've meant for them to suffer!" She dashed at him from her flouting stance He rouse the cross and she became hit by it square in her chest. He blushed as he felt her breasts push against his body. Even dough she was mouning with pain she did manage to lean forward and kiss him. He did feel his body start to react like Mathew had told it would. He dropped the cross and pressed the crucifix at her belly as he did search for a vial of holy water. "Love me." Drolta said, now down on her knees. Almost in a daze he wondered how she could stand having the crucifix burning at her belly. "God." He whispered as he did try to open the vial as Drolta pressed him down on the ground. "give me strength." He couldn't see it and didn't want to do either, but somehow he was sure she didn't have clothings underneath her cloak. Finally he managed to open the vial and almost cried as he noticed it was empty. He didn't have time to refill it now. "Give in to me." Drolta whispered as she tried to force his free hand to caress her body. "I'm sure Noriko have learned you how to do this. I know you enjoyed it." She was different than Mae Lin, who'd just offered herself to him, she'd not tried to force him. His other hand still tried to find her hearth so the crucifix might burn it. He'd comfessed for Mathew the things he and a novice for St. Maria's order and did what he deserved after having lead her into temptation. But this was different, this was wrong. She was not only an adult, she was a vampire, an undead, an enemy of God. Finding nes strength he dropped the crucifix and instead drew one of his silver-dagger, stabbing her as fast he could. With a terrible scream which nearly made him drop the dagger, she jumped from him. "Murder!" She spat at him, blood oozing from the wound and running from her mouth. He couldn't possibly have wounded her that much with that little dagger? He picked up the crucifix and did also see to refill the empty bottles with snow, speaking a prayer to turn them into holy water, before he again turned at her. "I'm no murderer." He calmly said as he dried the blood from the dagger in the snow. "That you are, you who kill to get blood." The vampire nodded, but not as if she agreed, more like she'd come to a conclusion. "I will have to kill you then." She said as she did lift a hand. "Not today I think." A new voice said. "Try tomorrow instead." Then she did just vanish and the harp-playing druid went in from the forest. "Who are you? What did you do with her?" HE questioned as he picked up the throwing-cross and then recoiled the Vampire Killer. "As I said, I sent her to tomorrow." "You're a time-watcher." He gasped. The cloaked creature brought out his harp and started playing. The soft tones sounded beautiful there they drifted over the snowy landscape. "I an nothing more than a wanderer." The druid said. "But I have always bean friendly toward your family and have sometime leaneded to them my talents." Slowly he nodded, as memories of other tales told by his ancestors. "I am here to train you in controlling the totems of the elements you summon." He gazed upon the druid. Then he remembered the unicorn who'd kame to him when he'd defeated Medusa. "Your soul is combined by five elements who is open to your disposal." "Which are they?" He asked, even dough he was partly sure he knew it. "Fire and light is in your hearth. As life, wind and earth is in your soul. Take this." The druid reached out his hand and as he grasped the object, he recognised it as the instrument called an ocarina. "I shall teach you special song in which to summon them and ask their help." He lifted the instrument to his lips and the druid placed his hand upon his harp. "To summon the angel of light, play the prelude of Light. Its none-describable being of power will grant you exit to the Heavens and to some of the One's being." The druid started to paly and he did join him as if he'd allways known the musical-piece. "Let go of yourself." The druid softly said as he continued. "Wander beyond this world and feel the power of the One." There was as something shining, something huger than he could ever imagine, embrazed him. "Fcous so you don't loose this world. Be at bought realms at the same time. As if you where to fall asleep but still not yet asleep." He did as he said.

Castlevania, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
He gazed down upon the check-table. One of his most prominent pieces had fallen just as another had turned over to his enemies. "I want Graham Jone." He looked over his new pieces. "I want him alive." The hologram of Stern bowed. "It shall be as you command my lord." He did not pay him any attention as the hologram vanished. He could not afford loosing jet another of his attaches. "Bring Carmilla to me." He commanded Nipora. The crimson-fured were-fox princess just turned around and left him. "You know she love you." Death said as he drifted out from the wall to the right of his throne. "I know." He said. "Not that it mean anything." He rouse from his throne. "Come, go with me. I want to see the preparation of my resurrection site." "Of course my lord." Death said.

(A.N: This chapter is written in honour of of the two new Castlevania games. Until next time, see you.)

Chapter 15: The Story Continues | Back to Chapter 13