Castlevania: Darkness Never Dies

Fan Fiction

Continued...

Part 1: Gathering Darkness.

"Then Jesus said. "You have come out at me, with swords and rods against me as if I was a rought. Day after day I spoke to you at the temple, but you did not take me." Then they all left him."

Mark: 14. 48-49.

Chapter 23: Tower of Dolls.
Tower of Dolls, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
It really was a tower, or so it looked. A long mirrored corridor branced off further into the building while stairs lead higher into the tower. John scrathed his ice-blonde hair as he wondered on where to go. "It's some stairs inside here to." Anna reported as she returned from a short scouting-expedition down the corridor. He nodded as he cleaned his blade off of the jacket of one of the vampires who'd tried to ambush.

Flashback.

Marina screamed to warm them but it was to late. Corpses fell from the ceiling and landed on the floor so dust rouse like clouds. A strange chewing sound was the only warning. He made a powerful flash of green light shine all about room and he made the sign of the cross as he noticed the phantom bat who rousted high above them. As he nearly gasped, as the phantom bat spread its wings and flew down toward them. "Watch out!" Thomas fired a boom from his shotgun as the giant bat breathed a ball of flames toward them. He fired a powerful green flame from his blade and the ball shattered into nothingness. Marina made it rain but the water didn't even harm it. "You and the other girls see to that those corpses really are dead." He informed them. "I and Thomas shall take care of that monster." They nodded as he again fired a second beam from his blade. The phantom bat shattered into a swarm of smaller bats and then flew at them. He cursed as he threw the axe and made it split into many and made lightning strike. The three beams took out three of them but that didn't matter as there was so many of them. He tossed daggers at it just as Thomas fired a repited series of booms. Just as Thomas stopped to reloud his shotgun the bat reformed. Now it was their turn to run as the phantom bat spew balls of flames at them. He jumped high into the air and slashed his sword at it. The giant bat shattered into many and he landed somewhat clumsy and nearly fell over. He managed to stabilize himself and tossed daggers at the smaller bats. "Watch it!" Thomas was finished reloading his guns and was now firing a new round of bullets. He did the sign of the cross and the bats reformed into its giant form once more. It suddenly dashed at him and grabbed him in its claws. He saw its teeth and he knew what was coming. "Creature of Satan." He said as he tore open its troath with his blade. The phantom bat screamed, he knew it did even dough it was a tone higher than he could hear, and collapsed toward the floor. "Don't go yet Jony." Thomas caught him in his man-beasts arms. "Thank you yourself old fur-ball." He said as he clasped Thomas on his back as he turned back into his human form.

End of Flashback.

He shook his head, returning from his thoughts. "I don't like this. But it look like we must split again." He quickly organized his friends. "Thomas and Anna. If you could please go down the basement?" Thomas grinned. "You sound like a stiff British sometimes." He couldn't help a sad smile cross his face. He hadn't seen his sister and mother for more than 5 years now. He hoped God and the Saints held their hands over them. ""Shut up you two." Anna joked-punched them. "Of course we'll go down there." She blew him a kiss as she drew Thomas with her toward the doors. "Marina, Ruth, sorry, I'll send you down the mirrored corridor." "Then where do you plan to go?" Ruth asked. He could see she already knew the answer. He saw it in her eyes, and in Marina's. "I'll go upstairs." Ruth shook her head. "You know Pazuzu will most likely be up there?" She asked. "Yes." He simply said. "But this is something I just have to do myself. A Kishine once betrayed the Belmonts to Dracula. So did a Graves. I just have to try make it up again." They bought gave him worried looks. Then Marina nodded. "I'll protect her John. May the One be with you." Before he knew it they'd bought kissed him before they ran down the corridor. "May He be with you all." He said as he did the sign of the cross. This was his first chance to really do something to make up for Maxim's and Clifford's sins. Removing the head-band from his brow he drew his blade and then went for the stairs.

Tower of Dolls, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
She shook her head. The basement of this place looked more like Dr. Frankenstein's lab than anything else. Large tanks of solid glass, filled with strange sluhish blue liquid stood six and six along the hall. Perhaps it just was some sort of attraction like the ones with the dead pirates and such. Dolls of all kinds was stashed all about like in some sort of doll-graveyard. "It's humans inside these things." Thomas suddenly said, bringing her back from her reverie. "Sorry." She said as she gave him quick smile. "It's just… This place gives me the chills." Thomas merely nodded. "I feel it too. It's like some sort of horror-cabinet. It's just like… See the dolls over there?" He pointed at three naked female wax-puppets. She nodded. "It's like they're going to wake any moment now." Just then they heard a strange giggle, giggle, coming from behind the stairs. "You wanna come play with us?" Two girls, no, two children, came out from the stairs and… They came not from behind the stair, they came right through it! She couldn't help feeling a chill go down her spine. They where ten or perhaps eleven years old. Bought dressed in simple dresses from the second Wolrd War and their hair-style and other dressings also concluded they belonged somewhere in the 1930s or 1940s. Again they giggled as they came flouting toward them. She swallowed as she noticed she could see right through them. "Back of your little sluts!" Thomas shouted, she could hear fear in his voice, and fired three shots right at them. "Do you wanna come play with us?" All childish joy seemed to have vanished from their faces. She saw a cold promise of death in their eyes. Suddenly something moved behind her. She whirled around, just in time to avoid the wooden fist of a marionette. "Go to Hell your bloody bastard!" She'd never heard him curse like this before. But she didn't care. He was back in his werewolf-form as he was tearing the attacking marionettes to fire-wood. Yes, that was it. They where made of wood. Smiling she began dancing as she tossed fireballs who turned the hellish dolls ablaze. "Come play with us." The two girls giggled as the very puppets began to come alive. "Run!" She shouted. This was a little too much to take on in this type of surroundings. If she only had a wall in her back then perhaps… She tossed the thoughts aside and instead ran. Thomas shut the doors behind them as they entered into another long cellar-room. After being sure the doors where shut, she looked around the new area. This room was like a giant children's room. Minus the bed, all the other garbage was in place. Toy-chests filled with toys of all kinds lay everywhere and on the walls pictures drawn by children's hands hung. "I just don't like this." She nodded. "I can agree on that." She picked up one of the dolls laying near the door. "This place is driving me insane I tell you. Aoch!" She dropped the puppet. "What is it?" Thomas quickly asked. "It, it stunned me." He shook his head. "Don't be funny. This place is scearing enough without you… " He fell silent as the puppet rouse into the air. Electric currents sparked around its tiny fingers. "A shock-puppet." Thomas mumbled. Then he grasped her and threw her to the floor and landed right over her. She was about to ask him what was going on as the room exploded. Or so it looked. A near blinding blue flash filled the room.

Tower of Dolls, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
Marina moved about the room. "I don't get it." She comfessed. "It looks like some sort of torture-lab. Giliotiners, hanging-axes, strech-benches, spike-beds, iron-maids and God knows what else." Ruth shook his head. "This is a house of wax. And this area of it look like some sort of horror-cabinet." Marina rouse her hans as if to summon the great One. "I don't think so." She finally said. "The blood look like human-blood." She shook her head. How the little naiad could see the difference between real and false blood she didn't knew. She shivered. Whatever the chase she didn't want to know. In her time in Dracula's army she'd seen even more brute than in this place. They hadn't bean this sophisticated as this, true, but it had bean more than she ever wanted to see again. The shattering sound of chains was the only warning she got. She took a few steps back out of pure instinct and the massive spike-bed fell right where she'd just bean. "Marina! Get out of there! It's coming more!" She'd just cried out her warning when the spike-beds hammered into the floor. It she hadn't bean that quick Marina would've bean reduced to hacked meat. "But who did that?" She wondered. This time it was Marina who saved her. A giant bouble-bladed axe swung right past her just as she'd done a back-flip. "Quick!" Marina told her. "He must be inside the control-room!" She gathered all her force and jump-kicked the door to pieces. Then she screamed.

Tower of Dolls, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
No sooner had the shock-puppet released its attack he was back on his feet. With a howl of anger he grasped the doll and crushed it to pieces in his bear hands. "Watch out!" He looked just as a princess-doll with a sadistic grin on its face dashed at him with claws at the ready. A quick fireball from Anna's hand turned it to ash before it could attack him dough. But he had a chilling feelings the little thing's claws was poisoned. Then it was a clown who attacked. It tossed about with small multi-coloured balls which exploded when they hit anything. "Killer-dolls." He growled as he shot the little thing to Hell. "This is a house of the Devil I tell you." He said as they continued to destroy puppets. "No." A strange voice said. "I am afraid it is not. But soon it will, that I asure you." "Who the… " He began as a living clown stepped forward. "Let me tell you a funny and spectacular tale." The clown said as it rouse its hand and strange photos appeared. "Once apon a time there was some human from the Belmont clan who tried to defeat the Devil." A picture of them all became visible. "Then they had to split up and some of them ended up in the house of horrors. There they faced enemies who defeated them. Oh how sad." A photo of their dead corpses appeared in his hand. "I didn't liked that story." He said. "Oh, that you say? Did I forget to tell you the story was true? Fools!" The clown started laughing and then it totally changed shape. Green blood-shot eyes looked upon them from a white-poudered face with a jugler's cap on top it. Red-painted lips parted in a wicked grin to expose sharp vampire fangs as he left his hand, dressed in a whitish-golden glove, fall to its side. The evil stars on each side of his jugler's cap only made him look even more insane. His long skeletal body was dressed in a light crimson silk-cloth of the finest fabric with a giant collard of whitish-golden laces. As he went toward them he noticed he had pointed Ottoman shoes on his feet. "Let's throw the dice." At his mid-section, keeping the two golden shashes together, a giant round pin with six dise-like paintings upon it caught his eyes. All the six sides of the dice was present. And they rolled and changed all the time. "Who are you?" "Have I really changed that much?" He blew a kiss with his hand and he noticed the four card-symbols, in red and black gems, decorated four of his fingers. "I am the lich your," He pointed a finger at them. "little marine friend killed when you first came here. But now," He straightened his pose. "I might show me as I truly am. My name is Pied Hellstrom. But you might call me, the puppet-master." He laughed, a high insane laugh, and he felt how chills went down his spine.

Tower of Dolls, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
The control-room looked like a butcher's yard. She understood wy Ruth bent over and threw up by the look. Boddies was cut, no. She corrected herself. The boddies was tore to pieces and blood was spilled all over. A skeleton made entirely of metal sat in the controller's seat, even it drenched in blood. "It's a shadow droid." Ruth whispered. Just then the horrible machine rouse from its seat and came limping toward tmen. It had to be damaged. But it wasn't entirely destroyed, that was their problem. She made water rain all above it but all which happened was that she cleaned the blood off of it. Ruth swung her axe at it but to no awail. "Run!" She told her. She wanted to stay. Wanted to help her. But instead she did as Ruth told her. If she could only find some of the others then they could help.

Tower of Dolls, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
"Now it's just you and me your bloody mother-fucker." She snarled as she generated flames to burn around the axe. The shadow droid looked upon her with empty dead eye-sockets. Then it swung its arm at her and she hacked at it. Sparks flew all about but she didn't managed to remove it. She stepped backward, out of the control-room and into the torture-lab. The thing inside the machine-room moved to follow her. Mowed but it wasn't by far fast enough. She swung the blade at its skull and even dough she managed to shatter it, it still continued to come at her. She just managed to tear loose the axe as it grasped for her throut. "Not this time." She growled as she again swung the axe at its hand who still tried to grasp her. Then she heard something from the aboce. A heavy spike-bed fell right at them. "Jawhe!" She cried right before it fell.

Tower of Dolls, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
With a snarl on his face the puppet-master tossed his hands forward and a hand-ful of seemingly mere playing cards flew toward them. This time however she didn't became fooled. She'd underestimated him the last time and had the wounds on her back to prove it. Thomas attacked with his lace from the other side just as he turned and tossed the four swords he had hidden somewhere in his loose garb. "I have allways bean fond of dance." The puppet-master laughed as Thomas had to dropp and then jump as the blades flew aside and then returned. She tossed her own daggers at him and hit him in his back. HE screamed and then he grew small as a puppet and the daggers just fell out of him. Then he grew back again and summoned a group of killer-dolls and shock-puppets to keep her busy. The shock-puppets was making her dance somewhat more frenetic, but she did manage to take them out before they took her. The killer-dolls's claws wasn't poisoned, but they where rather pesky never the less. Her soft shoes was not meant for combat. She hoped she soon would get her hand on some better foot-wear, but that was meaningless right about now. She grabed her rod and then went into hand-to-hand combat with him. He laughed at her but she'd grown to master the rod and even dough she was no master like John, she managed to keep her ground. But had it not bean for Thomas who attacked from the other side, she would never have made it. Sweat ran down her back and down beneath her breasts as she struggled to break through his defence. He was good, diabolically good. He used two of his swords to keep them bought at bey as he continued to keep them on the defensive. Then he just vanished and they nearly killed each other. "Trick or threat!" She jumped aside just as a Jack-o'-lantern-shaped object came flying through the air. It hit the wall and the explosion nearly threw her off balance. When she could see again, Thomas lay unmoving on the floor. "The final blow!" The puppet-master laughed as he again grasped inside his robe and tossed those four blades. Quicker then even she'd thought she could she tossed four fireballs who shattered the swords to pieces. "Trick or threat!" She gasped as he tossed a burning ring right at her. She curled together and managed to pass right through it. He didn't stopped surprising her however. "Trick or threat!" From his glowed hand he fired a burst of energy. She barely managed to dodge as he continued to toss either bursts of energy or rings of fire. She got in a shot on his pin but that didn't even seem to hurt him. The dices however finally fell to rest with the numbers of sic all up. "It look like you loose." He laughed at her. Just as he spoke, six powerful bursts of dark energy shot from his hands and then six more and so on. Suddenly a shield of a bubble, or was it water?, surruounded her. "Marina!" It couldn't be any other. She expected to see Ruth stand by her, but surprisingly she didn't. "Anna!" The naiad shouted. "Go and help Ruth. She's in the room at the end of the mirrored corridor." Without even asking her she did as she was told. She heard the puppet-master laugh behind her. She ran to get away from it. But it was like it stalked her, whipping her to run even faster. She hated herself for doing this. But somehow she knew Marina must have felt the same when Ruth sent her to get help.

Tower of Dolls, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
Electric shock-waves went all around the spike-bed as it shattered the shadow droid to pieces. But even so it was like the metallic hand around her throut continued to try squeeze her to death. Breathing heavily she removed the now limp hand. She wanted to destroy this place. She wanted to see it destroyed so that no others would have to be terrified or or tortured ever again. After throwing up she felt slightly better. If Pazuzu was nearly as clever as place concluded to, John had gone to a sure death. "Ruth!, Ruth are you all right?!" She whirled around in time to see Anna running inside the door. "Thank to Jawhe I made it." She said as she grasped for her star of David. "Then we must go downstairs to save Marina and Thomas." She nodded. They hadn't investigated the entire floor yet, but suddenly that wasn't important anymore.

She blinked as she noticed all the destroyed dolls when they came downstairs. Anna looked away as she didn't wanted to see it. But what did worry her was that they didn't found neither Marina nor Thomas. And if they had bean killed then their corpses where gone. Before they returned upstairs, she made sure to destroy all the cloning-tanks so the puppet-master would have to remain in the body he now had. Then she went where they where meant to go all the time, to the top of the tower.

Tower of Dolls, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
Jhon smiled as he opened the blue door. He couldn't help it. This was what he'd come here for. He knew he shouldn't rejoice or anything, so that he didn't This could very well be his final battle. He opened the door and came into a giant room. As he stepped onto it, the platform he stood on started rising. As he stepped away from it, a sound of hissing machinery sounded. A hatch closed the platform and he faced the master of the amusement-park, Pazuzu, the goat-demon. "I must congratulate you." Pazuzu said. "You have come this far and then choose to face me alone." He merely nodded. "You are however a fool." He snarled. "I stood there when lord Dracula seized the spirit of your ancestor. His power was far greater than yours." "If it is the will of God." He said as he drew his blade and put on the head-band once more. "I'm not him. He wasn't me. I am me. I'm a Belmont." As sometimes before he could feel how the blood of the house of the vampire hunter became stronger. "I see." Pazuzu said. "Yoou see I was right?" A vampire dressed in red and gold appeared from behind the giant curtain. "So you have." For a moment they stood looking at him. Then suddenly Pazuzu sat down into the giant seat at the centre of the room. "I whish to see how much a Belmont he is." The strange vampire-jugler bowed and then went to stand beside him. "Welcome ladies and jentlemen to the first round of "Who are a Belmont"." The two dark servants laughed. Then they grew serious. "Gladys if you would please help us?" The vampire said. A petite blonde vampire dressed in a short white dress came forward, then another vampire, a dark-haired dark-skinned female dressed in spiked black and crimson leather, appeared and bowed. ""Let me introduce the two concestors." With a dramatic wave of his hand the two vampires drew the curtains aside. Chained to the wall was Thomas and Marina. Between them stood a Succubus, her hands on Thomas's and Marina's brows. He blinked, then noticed they where sleeping. "Marina Seaflower is a naiad from the Mortvia fountain. She want to free her people from the Dark Lord's curse. But," He did a dramatic pause. "her dream is to be loved by John Kishine." The demons laughed. Then the lead-vampire spoke. "The other lucky contestor to be here today is Thomas Oldrey-Lecarde, a descendant of two old ally-families of the Belmont-clan. He believe to stand side by side with John Belmont as they do battle with lord Dracula." He knew where this was moving. "For the lucky winner he or she will leave this place alive. The looser will end up as crow-feed on the floor of the ground-floor of the tower of Dolls." The vampire smiled with diabolic glee. "Another thing, you must be quick, the floor is not stabile I'm afraid." Pazuzu laughed. "Now you have to choice. John's love. Or the ally of the Belmont-clan. Which one would it be, Belmont?" "It's no way out of this." He calmly said. "All this has bean one giant death-trap." "Clever, don't you think puppet-master?" Pazuzu said to his aid. "Say fearwell to your friends." Then many things happened at the same time. The floor shattered where the elevater was and Anna and Ruth stepped out. He threw his shuriken and cut the head off of the Succubus. The two vampires turned to bats and flew away as Marina created platforms of water under her's and Thomas's feet. Pazuzu got out of its chair just as his axe dug into it. He recovered his shuriken and then ran after the puppet-master who ran out a door behind the throne. "Bring down the demon." He shouted down the steps. Then he ran up the stair.

Tower of Dolls, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
Thomas snarled as a dark gate opened before them and a swarm of iny devils flew toward him. He quickly fired a round of bullets from his shotgun by suddenly some tiny devils came from behind and clawed the gun out of his hand. "Crystal waterfall!" Marina made a clear blue fall of water rain down upon the pesky creature and they all burst into fire. He smiled without humour and then grasped his lance and dug into the tiny devils. He swung the hilt right up and caught one of them off guard. If he'd only had some of the weapons John and the Belmonts possessed he could've taken out even more of these pesky devils. He felt once more how his body changed into the sleek strong blue werewolf-like creature. With a bone-shattering howl he went directly at Pazuzu who The goat-demon laughed at him as it spew a spread-shot of fireballs at him. He did a tossing motion with his hand and a wave of energy blasted forward and shattered the fireballs to pieces. A swarm of tiny devils flew right into his face and some of them clawed at him. The armour blocked their attack and he tore them to shreds. But he knew if it hadn't bean for Anna and Marina the tiny devils would most likely overwhelmed him. As he tossed the bloody remains aside and clawed at Pazuzu. Anna came dancing in from the lreft with fireballs circling all about. The goat-demon countered with his own fireballs. He grinned as he dug his claws into Pazuzu. He screamed as blood oozed from his wounds and his human-sidee felt sick as he saw how the organs inside him welled out. But how in Hell he managed it, Pazuzu continued to toss fireballs. He howled as some of the fireballs hit him and his armour felt like it was turn on fire. The splashing water of Marina helped him support the burning sensations, but they didn't have time to thing about damages. Anna tossed her daggers at him and even dough many dug into the demon, none hit a fatal mark. Marina made water rain down on the demon but with frustration they noticed it didn't damaged him. If only John or Ruth had bean there. Pazuzu was dying, nobody could survive such a fatal wound, but he was clearly bent on taking them with him to Hell. "Mother of the daughters of the rivers," Marina shouted as crystal-blue water gathered around the little naiad. "forgive me!" Just as he became hit by another fireballs as he pined his lance into Pazuzu's hearth. Then icicles, sharp like the hearth of the winter, rained down on the goat-demon and pieced his skull. "Bombs away!" Then Pazuzu fell over and burst into fire. "And what do you though he meant by that?" Anna asked. He felt how he turned back into his human form. But before he could answer, the answer came to them. "30 minites enounting." A computer-like voice sounded. Then he noticed the flickering crystals who was placed all around the rooms. "Don't touch them!" Anna sharply remarked as he went over to inspect them closer. "They'll most likely blow us all sky-high if you tangle with them." He nodded. They had 30 minutes to get out of here. Then he came to think about John and Ruth. What had happened with them? "Mone on." He nearly snapped at the girls before he ran upward.

Tower of Dolls, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
He tore down the gold and crimson curtain before the opening and then he and Ruth stepped out on the huge balcony right beneath the ceiling of the tower. "God in Heaven!" He cursed as he nearly slipped on the icey snow on the floor. "Die Belmont!" The puppet-master appeared at the far end of the balcony and fired a handful of playing-cards. He tossed his throwing-axe and made lightning strike down, destroying the cards. The lightning was something new, but right now he didn't care. He hadn't time to do anything but concentrate on any other thing than the battle. "You are no mach for me. You only have to axecpt it." The puppet-master smiled like a maniac as he went his hand outward. "Let's play ball." He laughed as he made a dotted yellow and black ball appear. As he tossed it tward them he blinked as it grew larger by each second. "Hardball." Ruth mumbled sarcastically before she dashed forward and hacked the ball to pieces. "Don't!" He shouted, but it was to late. The shards exploded and she became tossed hard against the wall. "Now," The puppet-master said with a face calm like death. "it is as it shall be. Just you and me." "You are wrong." He calmly said as he did the sign of the cross. "God are with me." Some would say it was mere arrogant words, but he knew they where true. He could feel a warm soft glow in his soul, was the power of the One. Christian had once told him it was the blood of the Belmont clan combined with the faith he had placed in God as he became a priest. "See my hand." He jumped, it was on pure reflex he managed to avoid the attack. That was the punishment for falling to thought within battle. He shot from his blade, green and purple energy shot forward and he managed to shatter the playing cards tossed at him. "You are good, but I don't see any future for you in my cards." He laughed of his own joke as he again tossed more playing cards at him. He rouse his crucifix into the air and balls of a whitish gold energy became shot forward. He couldn't help but blink as they shattered the cards. For his inner eye he saw a crest of white gold, the crest of life, no doubt about that. "You are not your Master. I can still destroy your body. Never forget that." He knew he was right, but that did not scare him. As the puppet-master laughed, he saw the sharp fangs of a vampire. He'd seen it in the throne-room but hadn't noticed it. He couldn't help but slightly shiver as he thought about what the vampires might do. He did the sign of the cross. He would rather die than become one of the living death. Just then the dices fell to rest and three had their eyes up. "Time to die." His enemy laughed like the maniac he was. Then he shot three blasts of energy, six time over. He prayed the unconscious Ruth didn't became hurt as he ran to avoid them. He fired beams to counter the blasts. Surprisingly he managed to damage him. God was still with him. "You are no match for me!" The puppet-master screamed and the dices turned and rolled faster than ever before. It was like some sort of madness had struck even them. It they would fall in the same speed he would be finished. "That isn't what I heard." He said as he tossed his shuriken. "Soma Cruz defeated you in 2036." "That is a lie!" The puppet-master shouted as small princess-dolls with sadistic grins on their faces appeared. With their sharp nails extended they homed onto him like missiles and he swung his sword at them. Some shattered and exploded, while some managed to claw at him. He thanked God for his tunic and breast-plate. Their claws became blocked and he managed to finish them off. "Die!" The puppet-master tossed rings of fire and he tossed the shuriken and the puppet-master screamed as they tore into him and blood splattered upon the snow. The colours of crimson, black and white was beautiful but he had not thank God for such beauty. He dashed forward and was met with the sword the puppet-master had set against him before. "You have become deceived by your own madness and thirst for power. The Dark Lord have many other more faithful servants who he place his faith in. You are nothing for him. And now I shall kill you. Ruth told me about what she did. You have no body to resurrect your soul within." The puppet-master snarled. He drew a gold knife and then hacked at him. He screamed as his arm became limp and blood ran down from the shoulder. "Curse you to eternal death and darkness!" He cursed as his arm became set on fire. He then pierced the dice-pin and it exploded right in his face. Then darkness took him. The last thing he felt was that he hit the wall. Then all vanished and he knew no more.

Tower of Dolls, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
Thomas came running out on the platform. "Curse it!" He shouted as he saw bought Ruth and John laying motionless on the snow-stained floor. "How the Hell are we going to get them with us now`" He asked. "Don't worry." Marina smiled. "I'll cary them inside such bubbles I use to sustain air-breathers underwater." She rouse her hands and his friends really did became surrounded by the bubbles. "Now I think it's best we get away from this place." Anna suggested. "I can agree on that." He sarcastically pointed out. But then he merely started running. If any stood in the way, he would tore them to shreds with his bare hands.

Aliba Amusement-park, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
They had not come far from the tower before it blast to pieces. John who sat leant to one of the walls of the narrow ally-ways was the first who noticed it. "The explosion have lit fires all about the park." Marina quickly used her water to flout into the air inside a pillar of water. What she saw really made her worry. "It would take a tribe of naiads to turn out all these fires." Thomas shrugged. "Suits me fine. Perhaps the fire will take the entire park. Then this accursed spot might became cleaned of all its bad memories." John nodded. "Fire is one of the best way destroying the realms of which the Dark Lord have sized control of." "It's all very interesting." Anna broke in. "But wouldn't it be best if we got out of here?" She couldn't help but smile. "That sound like a good idea for me. I hope you all agree." Ruth said as she tiredly got to her feet. "Of course." John said. "We're not stupid you know." Thomas added before they again got on moving.

Aliba amusement-park, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
Calmly he went down the street. He had promised to kill him and that he was bent on fulfilling. He should make that priest scream before he killed him, that was another promise. He laughed. He could not help it. There was so much who was funny if you just looked on it from the right point of view. His arm was already healing up. He giggled. The Belmont had thought he had killed him. Had he never heard about the healing power of laugh? He had taken time to gather some new swords and balls before he left his tower. Some new dolls was also inside his "toy-chest". Again he could do nothing but giggle. He knew he was mad, or that other called him mad. Fools! Just because he was an artist in murder that did not mean he was mad. Even a murderer should have some artistic pride in his art. He had a very good hand. It would be trumph on his hand this time. He laughed with malice as he looked forward on what he was about to do. And there it was. The main entrance. And the only exit if the Belmont would try to escape the fire behind him. He chuckled as he heard them come and chuckled even more when they came out on the street leading up to him. But it was nothing considered to the chuckle he gave when he saw the recognisable looks upon their faces. "Let me tell you an epic tale about heroism and tragedy." He said as he made a portrait of the Belmont and his allies. "They where trapped in the amusement-park of a mad clown. They decided that to escape they had to challenge him. But the evil clown defeated them. All wo sad." He chuckled so he nearly thought he would burst. "It was no nice story." The Belmont calmly commented. "Oh that you think." He continued laughing. "I forgot, the story is true." He grasped his four swords and tossed them toward them. "See my Trumph sword!" He giggled as they ran to avoid the deathly blades. Just to high the odds a little, he had poisoned the blade. A mere wound would lead to sure and painfull death. The poisoned would literally die of laugher. That was the real beauty of it. A spread-shot of axes rained about him as bolts of purple lightning struck down. He grew small and thus avoided them all. He grew large and then decided to play some more. "See my hand!" He used his best joke, who had never failed him, as he tossed his own spread-shot fire away. Cards flew all about and he heard them curse or scream as they hit or missed them. "Let's play ball!" He used another of his top-jokes as he tossed ball after ball at them. He chuckled as he saw them run to avoid his attack. "I have allways bean a master in soft ball." He laughed as he noticed he actually managed to knock out that little naiad of theirs. "I think things got a little fisky for her." He laughed as he fired a burning ring at them. "What I now show you are called the "Jump through the ring of death" trick. It is one of my clasics." He giggled as one of the girls actually tried to jump through the ring. "I have allways liked to collect puppets." He said as he picked up the little puppet the girl had turned into. "Anna!" The werewolf howled. "Oh," He gleefully smiled. "It is an easy spell. You must merely kill me and the spell are broken." He again tossed his blades and had the amusement to see them run away from him. "Want to see the rest of my collection?" He jested as he gave life to his asortement of dolls and puppets. The clown tossed small explosive balls around. The princess-dolls dashed at them with their poisoned claws as the shock-puppets elevated around and generated electrick attacks about. As they played with his dolls, he collected the naiad and then turned upon them. "Want me to give you a hand?" He laughed as he again tossed some of his cards. He would have to toss out all 53 cards before they returned to him. The 53d card, the Joker, to the last. He did not know why, but he somehow had more power than any other of his cards. "I shall kill you!" The man-beast came dashing right at him. "Shall we not play ball first?" He made a giant ball appear right underneath his feet and it did not take him long to fall over. He giggled like a little girl as he generated a burning ring right under him. Then he picked up the doll and put it inside his cloak. Only two more and he had the entire collection. He screamed as a dagger suddenly dug into his belly. Then some more daggers hit his legs and he fell down. He saw the axe-wielding girl rise before him. Good. He tossed another ring and then picked up the doll. "Time to play hardball Belmont." He chuckled as he turned toward him. It was then he tripped backward and tumbled down.

Aliba amusement-park, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
Dazed by all who had happened he went to the open rist in which the puppet-master had vanished. He would soon be back, but at least he could pick up the dolls that maniac had turned his friends into. He couldn't help but cry silently over what the puppet-master had done to them. At first he didn't noticed. But his tears made a pure silvery light shroud the little puppets. "God in Heaven." He mere whispered as he saw how his friends turn back to who they really was. How was this possible? Then he remembered that strange gold and silver crystal-thing he had found in one candle. He had read in Simon Belmont's journey that such crystals could breake whatever dark spell it might be. Or even rise the dead back to life. If this had bean some sort of game, he would have called it a 1-up or something. He shook his head and instead thanked Christ for his help to make this miracle. "We are not finished yet." From the sewer-opening the puppet-master rouse like a devil from Hell. His friends where sleeping, or whatever it was, and he would have to do this himself. Again his thoughts drifted to the idea of a game. For it really was like the puppet-master had two levels on which he must be fought. He tossed the fantasy aside and instead dashed directly at the puppet-master. He had his sword and one gold knife at the ready and it looked like the puppet-master had expected it. He had two of his tossing-blades ready to face him. It was like he had done this a hundred times over since he came here. BGut somehow he knew this would be the final battle. If he could cut of his head and pierce his hearth here and now it would all be over. He could see the same knowledge in his enemy's eyes. The puppet-master had trained all since 1830 or whenever it had bean. But he had learned to use it since he was old enough and had sine he was 13 he had fought in real battles. Battle was no good training-ground, but he had survied. But this time he not only had to survive, he had to win. He could see the black slime on his blades and knew it was poison. If it was only one way to defeat this bastard he would have used it. If only Torah had bean here. She was a true sorceress who might knew how to end this terror. Back and forth they fought and he was afraid he would fall into one of the holes or get hit by some of the falling bricks who fell as the fire came closer and closer toward their street. He blinked as he saw an icicle, sharp like a dagger, appear at the puppet-master's hearth. He knew it would melt and that it would resurrect him. Marina was clearly awake. But even dough she did her best the icicles hit him as well. It was the will of God he didn't became hit by any of his blades as he forced himself not to scream. "Watch it!" Anna was back in business and a dagger hit his enemy at the neck. The puppet-master collapsed before him and he nearly did to. The fight had really claimed all his strength. But he however managed to behead and pierce his hearth before anything else. And this time the puppet-master couldn't run. He turned in clear red flames and slowly burned away before them. But even so, even with his head gone and burning like a torch, he tried to crawl away. He gasped as the corpse first turned to ashes after five long minutes. "He is the most powerful vampire I have ever faced." He confessed as they tiredly linked toward the exit. "I hope we at least might get some rest now." Thomas mumbled. "Stop." He prayed. "I want to see it burn." "Of course you want." Marina hlped him to sit on the street as they all turned to see the amusement-park crumble to the ground.

Town of Aliba, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
He sat on the balcony, having a nice sip of blood when it happened. The town landscape had allways bean dominated by the tower of the amusement-park and now it was suddenly gone. And the amusement-park itself was on fire. "Gather the village-guard." He shouted as he jumped to his feet. "Yes sir." Monique and Jordan, one of the werewolves, dashed from the inn. "Get the lady away." He told the Inn owner and then went to bring on his armour and prepare for battle.

Town of Aliba, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
Bronze suddenly sat up, like if something had hit whatever was left of her soul. "What is it?" Yukuri asked in a thired tone. Even now she could not let feel adored by the Chinese vampire's attitudes who was still so much like that of her living days. "Don't you smell it?" Yukuri got to her feet and leaped from the coffin. As she followed, she noticed that other vampires in the crypt also where opening their caskets.. She made a demanding wave with her hand and the candles in the niche beside her coffin lit up with diabolic blue flames. "Follow me." She commanded the other vampires of her circle. It was a tiny circle. They where a a mere 7 in number and that was if she counted herself and Yukuri in. It had bean boyar Von Bork's revard for her to lore the vampire hunters to the city. But they had bought knew how much intention and how much luck it had bean in it for the recard to be as minor. But they where hers now and she knew her orders. "Awaken the other beast-riders if need be." They dressed themselves in the light armour and uniform the beast-riders used and then followed her. They had bean surprised when she had chosen to remain a beast-rider. That could be why her cicle was so little. She also commanded 11 of the blue werefoxes. It was always good to be in the black leather-trousers, boots, helmet and blue jacket of her rank. Now there was a dragon upon her helmet, the sign of a group-leader, and that her mail was slightly goldish instead of the normal steel-rings. As the left their crypt and later on the graveyard, she found that all eleven were-foxes was in their Raptors and that bone-archers or soldiers held the reins of her and the other vampires Raptors. "Von Bork have commanded that we go to the eastern gate and scout the valley beyond." The dark elf in command of the bone-men told her. "Thank you Earwin." She saluted him. "Yukuri, Edmund, prepare to move out." Edmund Bluedale was the were-fox she had chosen as her other second-in-command. A good choice she thought. He calmly gave the order without asking the question she could see in his eyes. She was thankful he didn't ask. It was just impossible to understand why she and her group, some of the most battle-hardened soldiers in the village, was sent out. Von Bork was to careful. Instead of sending the entire guard to investigate the burning area, which she now noticed was the amusement-park, but instead he sent civilists to turn it out. Just as he sent most of his soldiers away to guard the gates. Well, then again. He was, at least the chatter between the beast-riders told her so, that he was marshalling all the troops and volunteers he could gather at the centre of the village. To careful or not, she would do as he commanded. Now that the SS was gone and De Reis had left them, Von Bork was the leader of the town-guard and the head-administrator of the village. She gave the password to the gate-captain and then waited as they opened the gates forward.

Maw-instalation, command-centre. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
"What the status, commander?" The white-fured were-fox officer gave a command to one of the lieutenants and the main-view screen became activated. "The Belmont resistance have destroyed the amusement-park of the village of Aliba. We are not sure how yet, but it seems that bought the commanding officer and the leader of the magical-departement of SS are dead." He nodded. "Report to the castle at once. The Dark Lord wmight want to know about this." "As you wish De Reis." He turned to delegate the command to another lieutenant. "Prepare for stand by alert." He said as he went to sit at the commander's seat at the centre of the room. "Keep the status of alert until further information are available." Hurien, the name of the commanding officer, nodded. Then brought the command to the communication-officer. He brought up the pictures of the burning park. He was left in charge of this installation and he would keep his promise. Not to the Dr. Frankenstein, so at least to the Dark Lord Dracula. Outside of that, he would have to wait and bid his time. The Belmont would soon be his. It would really disturb him if Von Bork managed to destroy them. But he did not think that. Von Bork was a powerful vampire, through. But his power was like nothing considered to the blood of the Vampire Hunters. He was unsure if even he was strong enough. But if all went as it should, he did not have to challenge them. The war was coming and the soon the Dark Lord would summon him to be among his servants to lead his armies.

Town of Aliba, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
He slowly closed the woredrobe and then turned around. The hooded cloak would help him to keep his warmth out in the winter. "You really do look like a priest now." Marina calmly said as she lulled the last of the house's owners to sleep. "I still don't like this." Ruth said. "Breaking into another man's house and then cast spells upon them and steal… " She became silent as Thomas and Anna returned. "There are nobody left." Thomas said with a grim look on his face. "There was a vampire and a dark elf back there." Anna said as she pointed backward. He slowly shook his head. "John… " Ruth put a hand on his shoulder. He stepped slightly away. "Take what you wish and then pay the price." He said. Then his voice grew softer. "We can only hope God will forgive us." Thomas shook his head. "They're servants of Dracula. Why should we care for traitors?" He rouse his head and now it was he who was the grave one. "To forgive your enemy is the most difficult thing in the world. I would not let myself be killed. But I will not comit the sin of feeling joy when I defeat them." Thomas stepped back as his cheeks turned red. "Sorry." He mumbled. Now it was he who blushed. "It's I who should say that." "Nice garb you've got there." Anna said to light the tension between them. "But are you sure those wide sleeves wouldn't be in the way when in combat?" He slightly smiled. "That would have to be seen. But come. Let's go." Thomas shook his head. "Where to pal? That's something I have wondered since we escaped the amusement-park." Anna nodded. "There is no point going back. There is no other way across the mountains." He went slightly back and forth on the floor. Then he noticed something inside the pocket of his robe. "An access-card." He said as he held it up. "It's delivered to Albert Mole. Techhnican B-122, whatever that mean." "Whatever." Thomas said. "It lead to Maw installation anyway." "Maw?" Anna said. Then she ran out the room. "What's wrong with her?" He shook his head. "I think I might know what Maw is." Ruth slowly said. They turned at her and she slowly continued. "Among us soldiers," She began. "there was rumours spread that there was a secret installation somewhere in the countryside. It was where Dr. Frankenstein and his aids produced the droids and where machines of war was prepared for the coming war." "What war?" Anna asked as she returned with a pile of papers in her hands. "I don't know." Ruth frankly said. "But Dracula wouldn't set all this in motion without something big in his thoughts." He slowly nodded. "I think you might be right. After all we have seen I think Warakiya is just the first step on the road to something even more dreadful." "What do you have there?" The more practically Thomas asked her. "It's something I remembered when you mentioned the name Maw. This look like some sort of read-out for an enormous underground instaletion of sorts." He and Thomas again looked gazes. "It's a desprate chance to take." He pointed out. "I know." He took a deep breath to might calm himself. "But I think we don't have any chance." The others slowly nodded. Thomas was right. It would be near madness trying to get out that way. But he was also right. They had no other choice.

Underwater lantern, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
She shrouded her voluptuous body in black and then drew the hood over her head. She could not help but smile. It was the same dress she had wore in 1917. When even countess Elizabeth had fallen, the Dark Lord had turned to her. He had drained her of blood and such had amplified her own powers. And because he had not killed her she had defeanded him as he changed shape. When he had fallen, she had succumbed to the crimson baptize and rouse from her grave. She felt her smile grew wider as she noticed the human technicians cast glances at her. Many, bought human and undead, had told her she was attractive. "Drolt Tcuentes." She slightly bowed her head as Gilles De Reis stepped forward. "You are commanded to report to the castle guard and then await for new orders." "Yes my lord." She turned into bats and then to mist. She hoped that her failures was not an issue for her new command.

Castlevania, Warakiya. The 19th of December 2098 A.D.
The Dark Lord cursed the puppet-master as his piece crumbled to pieces. Because that mad clown had sized control of Pazuzu, he would have to find a new marshal of magic. It had bean his intention to make the goat-demon to his hand to lead the war, but now his intention lay in rumble. This would mean he had to place his faith in the dark wanderers. They where loyal servants, but he had not sent them into war before. He would have to test the warlock-lord. But not yet. Not before he came with the little Cruz. She was far weaker than Soma Cruz had bean. But she was the greatest threat to his power for the time being. "My lord, I have some good news." HE turned around, a delegation of lizard-scientists and were-spiders had come to meet him. "The project have shown to be 100% functional. We have bean able to resurrect the following samples. Mae Lin, Medusa and of course we have started re-producing the puppet-master and clones for Malpheffa Floridori and a few others. Oh yes. the sample you yourself gave to us." "Show them to me." He demanded. "Of course my lord." One of them said. "That is why we have come." He smiled inside his hood and then followed them out of the chek-cave. It had all went as he had planned. He would rise and then the world was his.

(A.N: This is a somewhat short chapter, I knew. But I hope you liked it. Even because of the clichés within this. Have a nice time.)

Chapter 24: The Story Continues | Back to Chapter 22