Castlevania: Darkness Never Dies

Fan Fiction

Continued...

Part 1: Gathering darkness.

"I am the road, the truth and the life. The ones who knew me, knows the Father, and those who knows the Father shall be forgiven of their sins."

John 14.9.

Chapter 3. Heart of Fire.
Haunted marshland. The 6th of December 2098 A.D. The wet snow which constantly fell over the haunted marshlands made his midnight-coloured armour shine like diamonds as the equally dark cloak hung around him. On his lifted arm sat a pet raven, his eyes where just as cold as the raven's as he looked upon the blue/red-robed servants before him. "You are absolutely sure?" He asked them in a cold hiss, the servants took some steps back as Remises answered his question. "Yes, general Lupine. He betrayed us and made some of his kinds go over to him and his master." He snarled, whit the wyvern gone, and the skeleton ape dead, he was in control of this area. Although lady Armster controlled this quadrant and even if she was a child, she wouldn't go easy on him if he failed her. "Remises, Akmodan, I will go back to our lady's house to inform her of what have transpired here. In the meantime, you are in control of this area." They bowed before him and he turned away from them and took on his true form to move faster in the murky marshlands. If anything went wrong when he was gone, it wouldn't be his fault and his servants wouldn't do something like that. They where faithful to him and Lord Dracula, that was all which mattered at the moment. He would return later if need be, but he didn't think that would be necessary. He started running. He had run a kilometre, south and westward and had just arrived at the hillside, in the midst of Storigoi graveyard, where the mansion of his mistress was, when he saw something which made his blood go cold with shock. Outside the burning remains of Brahms mansion, was the erupting corpse of Wilhelmina Victoria "Mae-Lin" Armster, the mistress of this quadrant. "What happened, my lady?" He retook his somewhat human form and knelt down beside her. She looked up at him, her childish face filled with hatred and pain, and yet, with triumph as well. "Quick." She commanded him. "Take my crystal." At first, he was too stunned to speak. Then he took her hand in his paw and licked it as a sign of obedience. "Those fools went back to see if the ones I cast my curse upon is lifted." She told him, after he had received the crystal from her. "Gather what troops we have left and go to the other side of the ridges at the far end of the marshlands and establish a new camp there. And Lupine, make sure to kill them as painful as you can." He saluted her and a smile crept over her face before she burst into flames and burned away in blue flames. He again brought on his less humanoid form and started running again, this time the other way. He would see to fulfil her last request, but first he had to gather the servants and move on. He ran faster and faster. It would soon be dawn, but it would not hinder him. Not with the crystal, with it his power was great enough to do what he needed to.

Forest, Warakiya. The 4th of December 2098 A.D.
Christian Belmont was worried and he didn't mind concealing it. Noriko was freezing and it was nothing he could do to it. He had given her of the host and holy water, and even dough he had managed to rid her of the vampire curse who had nearly overcome her. It didn't make her any warmer. It was then he started thinking of the stories about Reinhardt Schneider and Carrie Fernandez and how they had gotten the artefacts they needed when they needed them the most. He had taken her with him through the forest to a ruined house. Or rather, what was left, of a ruined house. It was only some pieces of the first-floor ground who was left. And a partly broken wall with two window-frames and a stair leading up to the broken remains of the second floor. He had given her his jacket, which he had used to wear over his tunic, and was now watching a silvery-coloured lit candle-stand. "In the name of The Father, The Son and of The Holy Ghost, give me what I need. Not because I need it, but because she needs it." He closed the prayer with the sign of the cross, before he swung the Vampire Killer whip at the candle-stand. It vanished in a flash of light and when he could see again, a contract lay before him. "Forgive me my trespasses as I have forgives my trespassers." He then opened the contract and a man, dressed in light-grey suit, hat, with a pair of glasses and with a brief-case in hand, appeared before him. The stranger tipped his Bowler, as he bowed before him. "Good evening, young master. How may I be of service to you?" He smiled, but it was not from his heart. He knew who this salesman was and what he wanted with his services. "Renon, I need clothing for Noriko, the girl you see here." He told him as he pointed her out. "She's freezing and needs clothing and something warm to drink really fast. I know what you want in return. But please could you wait with taking my soul until I have finished battling Dracula?" He could see the sale-demon, for that was what he was, where taken aback with what he said. But he had to think about Noriko, not himself. It was enough that he dyed then that they bought should have to do it. "I cannot do that sir." Renon softly told him. "I cannot claim the soul of an innocent or one who know what he does. You may use my services, but your soul would be safe as long that you do not bay anything for yourself. You might purchase food or medicines from me. But you have to use them in this quest, not because you are afraid to die." He then removed his glasses and he saw that he meant what he said. Before he could say anything else, the demon brought out a poncho, a dress in the same type he had seen Carrie use on the family-portraits, knee-high white stokings, a pair of boots and underwear suited for Noriko. And yes, even a cup of steaming soup for her to drink. "There is nothing more modern I am afraid. But these articles of clothing would do their work just as well as the modern one would have done. It all comes to a price of 2.000 Euro in total. Anything else I might be of service for you?" He thought about it for a while and gave him a smile as he handed him the money. The pope had been friendly enough to give them a great amount of money before they left the Vatican. "If you want to, could you give me some purification crystals, Belladonna, antidotes and medicines?" Renon tipped his hat, opened his brief-case and handed him the requested goods. "Here you are, young master. That would be 2500 more Euro sir." He gave him the money and Renon disappeared into a coil of steam. He turned around as Noriko dressed herself in the new clothing and looked at the ruined towers and the fallen drawbridge over a frozen river between two rocky hills. "It's starting to get colder." He said as his eyes where fixed upon the ruins. "I think its best we starts moving." He felt the wind blew snow into his face, just as Noriko put a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a flouting female see-through figure over her shoulder. "Run!" He cried as he ran into the forest. Noriko was swift to follow him, but he could see on her face that she didn't understand why they did as they did. "It was a frozen shade back there." He told her. "They only guard their own territory, but if someone gets inside that territory, they will kill them with massive snow and ice attacks." She gave him a look. "But I thought you could kill any evil creature with a crucifix or your faith?" He cracked a smile before he shook his head. "I maybe could destroy it. But I must have done it before it killed me. I don't think I'm that weary afraid to die a humans death. But for me to die before I have done what I must, it would've been a disaster." He now slowed down to walk as they now was out of reach for the frozen shade, but there where other enemies to worry about. The ravens for example, although they just flied over them. But he knew that if they where seen, then they would be attacked by the entire flock. Therefore, just for security, he and Noriko his in the shadows of a pine-tree as the ravens passed by. But hadn't been for this, the gargoyle-statues at the top of the ruined gate would have hit them with their lasers and killed them. To get rid of them, he concentrated his faith and did an item-crush with the crucifix, which made the gargoyles burst into flames and the survivors to flee. "I hope the dark wanderers didn't see that." He mumbled for himself, although he knew it was a hopeless thought. He grabbed Noriko and pushed her down beside himself behind a cluster of old pine-trees, just as some of the dark wanderers appeared from behind a swing in the road. "Who are they?" Noriko whispered as she looked upon the two black wanderers who looked from side to side as they went along. "They where men once, but that was a long time ago" He told her in a low voice. "They where a sect. A sect who rouse from the mists of the Reformation and started studding the lore of wizardry and alchemy, but they did the same mistake as many before them did. They did the unspeakable act of studding the black arts of The Devil. In 1531 they tried to resurrect the fallen spirit of lord Dracula. But it was to early and they where not able to complete the circle. However, they did open the portal and Uriel, the angel of Death, returned to this world in physical form. On behalf of the dark lord he offered them eternal power in return for them pledging fealty to Dracula, and his master, forever. Blinded by their greed they took without question." The black wanderers disappeared and they rouse from the ground. "My forefather, Salomon, the grandfather of Christopher Belmont, who fought Dracula in 1588, sent Death back to wander the plains of the chaotic darkness. But the members of the sect lived on, as long as it lasted." He shook his head. "The thirteen members of the forsaken order, as the humans started to call them, lived on to the undoing of them all. It's sad to think of, that in the beginning, they used their powers in the name of God. They really did good deeds, but all which they had begun in light, ended in shadows. They became evil and power-greedy men and women. They started using their power to ensure their own glory. They came to fortune and fame, but it wasn't enough for them. They again started to study black magic and wizardry. Their knowledge became great and their power as well. But it gave them neither happiness nor peace." He turned to face her and he saw her surprise, as she could see the tears on his face. "They come to possess powers who no mortal shouldn't and can't possess. They could became invisible and see things far into the future. Their knowledge made them became great kings and queens among men. But then, one by one, they fell into darkness and their souls where forever lost. Noriko, they became living wraiths, creatures neither living nor death. Forever doomed to wander the world of the living. Not until the End of Days shall they find peace. They hate all living beings because of this. I tried to tell the others about this, but I don't think they listened that weary carefully to what I told them." He again shook his head. But this time it was for his friends. "They're eternal slaves under the dark rule of Dracula and will do his bidding without thinking twice. They will never stop hunting us, not as long as the dark lord is still in this world. They're gone and thank The Lord for that. But they will return." His voice sank to a whisper. "At all times they feel the blood of the living. They desire it and hate it, because they knew we may escape this world. And although they can't tell the exact location of the living's presence, they will at all time be drawn to the power of The Lord who dwell inside some souls." He gave her a stern look. "I hope you understand what I say Noriko. The dark wanderers are drawn to us, to me, because we are chosen by The One to do his task in this world. Let's go. Pray that they don't return any soon." He once again went forward and he could almost feel how she followed him deeper into the forest. They soon came upon the fallen draw-bridge. And thank to the item-crush the gargoyles where gone. Even dough he held a close eye on the frozen river. Who know, maybe there where fishmen down there who could crush the ice and attack them. But they crossed the bridge without meeting any trouble. He started hoping there would be little obstacles for a while. But he knew it wouldn't be so, and he was right. Behind the ruined towers, they came upon a high cliff with a cross in the road and they had to stop. "The northern road leads directly to the castle, although it would take us a week to get there." He pointed out for her. "But the small passage between the lake and mountains are sure to be guarded by the enemies." Noriko said. He shook his head. His strength had been information about God, Dracula and their servants, not in planning battles. If only John, Edward or Alicia had been there, but they weren't and he had to take care of himself and Noriko on his own. "The mountains are too high to climb so the only way seems to be either the forest of the marshlands." He turned to look and his companion. "What do you think? Dracula's minions brought you here so you must have seen something about this place." The Japanese girl shook her head. "Sorry Christian, but I was concentrating on getting away and not to look on the landscape as I went along." He clapped her on the shoulder. "Don't be sorry. Dracula has most likely twisted the land anyway so we would have been forced to choose our path either we like it or not." He stood silently as he thought. Then he opened his eyes. "I have decided, to try the road through the marshlands." He at last told her. "It'll be dangerous, but it's better to try there then go deeper into the forest." "Lead the way." She told him and he smiled thankfully. It gave him strength seeing there was someone who believed in him. They then started walking down the leftmost road. He was still on guard, but he couldn't see anyone. Noriko drew him backwards just as he was about to fall into a spike-lined fall-trap in the road. "Thank you." He said as he looked down in the spike-pit. He shuddered as they moved around it. "I think it's best we stay of the road until we are sure there is no more pits." She kindly suggested and he walked after her as she went of the road to walk among the trees at the left side of the road. "John allways told me to get myself some glasses." He truthfully told her. "But I think it's only me thinking that hindered me in seeing that hole." He brought out the Vampire Killer and looked around for a moment, before they continued through the forest.

Forest, Warakiya. The 4th of December 2098 A.D.
Noriko put her scarf back over her face. "Here, let me help you." He helped her place it, but the wind and falling snow was chilling them with its coldness. "Its beginning to clear up a little!" He shouted to be heard through the wind. "When Dracula is dead do the weather go back to normal?" He shook his head, then he noticed that she couldn't see him that clear through the snow and instead shouted. "The weathermen said that we would have a new ice-age at this time. Dracula may have used magic to unleash it, but it was already on the way." He stopped, then smelled the air. "Faire." He told her in a low voice. "Something is burning, tree I think, but I'm not sure." "I don't know either, but I could have told you that something was on fire." She pointed to a large cloud of dark smoke rising high into the night sky. "Let's take a look." He suggested, she nodded and they started walking. Then he came to thing on something and he again turned to her. "If there's a vampire there, don't look." She opened her mouth, most likely to tell him something not weary good about himself, when they heard voices coming toward them from somewhere in the distance. "Now that we're out of the way, what do you want with me. As you see, I have my own men with me. Come on, let's hear your stories about why it's right to burn churches and violate nuns." He slowly popped his head up from behind the bushes. "Take the hand off of that gun you wench, I knew how to shoot just as well as you and your butchers." A black man with greying hair, dressed in an worn-out army-coat and an captain's helmet, sided by two Romanian renegades, dressed in somewhat the same manner, faced by a raged female, another renegade dressed in rags, a were-skeleton dressed in a black wide-sleeved and hooded black shirt, light-grey tunic, breast and shoulder-plates and yet another human in a shabby, earth and clay cowered light-grey robe and a wide-brimmed hat. He grabbed his whip and brought out his crucifix, preparing himself for an item crush. "Don't even think about it. My men and lady Armster's servants is taking care of your friends as we speak." A shoot sounded, one of the black man's friends fell to the ground as he jumped from the bushes and swung the whip at the male renegade with the smoking gun in his hand. He didn't have time to be surprised by that he burst into flames as he next stood face to face with the were-skeleton. Something, he couldn't say what if someone had asked him, that it had been a female when it had been alive. He jumped to the side as it swung it left clawed hand at him, then he saw the right hand was cowered with a black glove. No, not a glove, it was a spell, a spell of darkness. "By the power given to the children of man by the crest of silver!" The fifteen crests where token of powers which the guardian spirits of the elements had given to the kin with had been parted when the tower of Babel had fallen. The Dark Lord had given them the three tokens of darkness, death and nothingness in regard to mans thirst for power. These tokens where long since lost, but those who still needed that power could either be borne with the ability, learn to use them or call upon them in prayers. That was the rules for bought the light and darkness. This information went through his mind as a silvery-white light burned around the leather of the ancient old whip. As the whip and the bones hitt each-other, blue light exploded around them, then he heard a shoot from a shoot-gun and the were-skeleton burst into flames. It took a time fore him to regain his breath, then he looked around. The renegades where dead, except for the black one. To his surprise, it was him who had killed the undead were-beast. Then he noticed that Noriko was gone and his blood sent cold with fear. "Where is she?" He demanded to know, the black renegade shook his head. "I don't know, I thought I saw her say some sort of spell at the grave-keeper. Then that wench tried to kill me and Tobias jumped before me and took the shoot meant for me." He shook his head then tried a smile as he presented his hand. "Samuel Kruger, former captain in His Majesty's Romanian army." "Just a moment, if you could please excuse me, there is something I must do here." He grasped his backpack and brought out a candle. He put it into the snow and enlightened it with his matches. "In the name of Christ, Father, please, forgive the spirits who have gone astray and take them into Your Heaven. Forgive them there sins and give them strength to do Your will. In the name of Christ, your Son, I pray for these poor souls. Amen." He closed the act of cleansing with the sign of the cross. He then turned to Samuel. "My name is Christian Belmont." The renegade again presented his hand, but then a look of pain appeared on his face. "The soldiers who follows me and those poor people of the church! We must hurry" He started running. He gave him a look, then, he also started running.

Chapel, Warakiya. The 4th of December 2098 A.D.
Smoke rouse from the burning chapel. A group of nuns, monks, priests, farmers and renegades was still battling bands of other renegades, grave-keepers, were-skeletons, armed skeletons and walking corpses. Samuel had run to his men and the other battling Dracula's forces. He himself ran toward the group of prisoners at the far end of the clearing. A group of armed skeletons, lizardmen and three wyverns where guarding them. He saw a grave-keeper standing at the side of a Japanese girl. "Noriko." He whispered and moved toward her. "Stand where you are Belmont." The grave-keeper stood with his hands on his friend's shoulder. "Surrender yourself and you shall have your girlfriend forever." He shook his head. "I gave her of my clothing, my few pieces of the Host and I was even willing to give her my soul to secure her life. If need be, I'll even give her the final stroke if that's her destiny." He brought out his crucifix and kissed it softly. "I'm not afraid to die. I know God is with me. He'll take me with Him into His Heaven. But what I fear is the ones around me to fall into darkness." He felt how his heart burned with faith and spoke what he had never told anyone before. He brought out the envelope which contained the pieces of the Host Mathew had given him when they left the Vatican. "You have a heart of fire, young Belmont." Even though he didn't saw his face, he could feel the smile of the creature. He could feel it just as well as he could smell the foul scent of rotten flesh, drifting from his enemy. "Weary well then. If you manage to defeat the guard commander, I may consider turning her over to you." The commander, which commander?" He looked around and then dropped himself to the ground when one of the wyvern's stung with it's pointed tail at him. "This is wrong." He shouted when he got back on his feet. "Bastards of Satan!" The curse sounded strange from his lips, but it was on its place, this time. "You have enslaved the allies of the paladins of the ancient time." He turned to the wyverns. "I don't want to do battle with you, children of the dragons." He thought that was the correct way to speak to them. He bowed, then did a sign of the cross. "In the name of Jesus Christ! The deliverer from Nazareth!" He jumped forward and threw a vial of holy water at the nearest group of bone-soldiers and then threw his throwing-cross at a were-skeleton. The prisoners had discovered that their watchers where under attacked and begun to attack them themselves. He didn't have time to thank God for this, as he now stood face to face with the grave-keeper. "Your pesky brat of a Belmont!" He jumped to his side several times as the creature did a impressive sets of punches and kicks at him. "My God forgive you of your sins." He swung the whip right at the grave-keeper, who did a back-flip and handed out a lamp and threw a massive ball of flames at him. His enemy was huger than him, but he was more agile and had more powerful allies. He saw that the throwing-cross was back in his belt. Without thinking twice, he threw it and cut the grave-keeper in two. He now saw that they where humans, not living dead, as he half had thought. A skeleton dressed in a tunic, boots, mail, helmet, wrist-protectors, breast and shoulder-plates swung it's sword at him. He swung the whip at it. The bone-soldier burned away in silvery flames. He said a short prayer over the fallen soldier from Veros, he could see its loyalty from the colours of brown and grey on its tunic. He had learned to see the difference between the colours of Dracula's soldiers in the Vatican from the books of his ancestors. Brown and grey from Veros, blue and white from Warakiya city, yellow and black for Bathory and black and crimson for Basraq. He was brought out of his thoughts when another bone-soldier attacked him. This one dressed like the other, but with a tunic and armour in yellow and black, armed with a round shield and sword. He managed to roll underneath him and whipped him from the back. He didn't feel ashamed. This wasn't drill and this enemy wasn't a honoured enemy either. The skeletons had hindered him long enough for a group of lizardmen and walking-dead to withdraw, with Noriko, a group of other prisoners and the wyverns among them. He saw a tiny creature on the back of the lead wyvern. He whipped at some other armed skeletons and then run after the withdrawing troops.

Forest, Warakiya. The 4th of December 2098 A.D.
He cast a look around and whipped at two arrows, fired from a cluster of bushes. He whirled around and threw the boomerang-cross at a walking-dead, armed with a crossbow. A shoot from a shotgun made him drop to the ground as a skeleton in red robes, golden body-armour and with a rifle in hands. He jumped to his feet and whipped the bone-musket into oblivion. "Impressive." He turned around and stood face to face with the wyverns, a group of walking dead and bone-soldiers. But it was the girl who he concentrated on. She was tall to be only fourteen years old. Her skin was so pale that the blue-greyish hint in it was almost invisible. Her long braided black hair almost hide her pointed airs and her natural red lips concealed her fangs from being seen. Her Chinese robes in Dracula's colours,.likewice concealed her petite forms, not that they interested him. But it wasn't that which assured him of her power, it was her burning eyes, which shone like the blue moon, the only feature who hinted to that she wasn't either a true Chinese or human. "Wore of Lucifer!" He snarled as the little vampire smiled. "The servants report that you care about my friends here. Then they, and all who know them, are traitors and must die." His gaze was fixed upon Noriko and that was the reason he didn't see the curse be cast upon the creatures he respected. Binders of black and blue flames braided themselves from his enemy's hands and bound the wyverns to the ground. "Hear my name mortal boy and shudder. I am Wilhelmina Victoria Armster!" The child-vampire declared as she ended the spell. He blinked, why should a Chinese would name her daughter with such a European name. Then something hitt him. "Armster you say?" He questioned. "Not a descendant of Joachim Armster?" The vampire stood tall. "I am. And I am prad of being a descendant of such a close servant of the lords of darkness." He shook his head. "You're wrong. Joachim was just another victim of Walter Bernhard's plays. He was a happy man who lived together with his sister and her husband. When she was kidnapped by Walter, they tried to save her and failed. His brother-in-law was killed and he himself became cursed by the same vampire. When he first tried to commit suicide and then revolted against him, Walther imprisoned him in the palace of waterfalls. My ancestor Leon Belmont saved him from his prison and together with a boy, another prisoner, they did battle with Walter. My ancestor himself freed him from the dark curse when the battle was won." Armster's eyes burned with unholy flames. "You are lying! Joachim was a faithful servant of The Master." She then smiled so cold that he stepped backward. "If you ever want to free your friends you will have to kill me first." She waved her hands and bought she, Noriko and the other prisoners vanished into the approaching dawn. Then, just as the light of the rising sun hit them, the rest of the undead army sunk into the snow. Only the wyverns where left. He looked sad upon them. "I'm so sorry for this." He told the one the grave-keeper had refereed to as the leader. "There's so few who remembers what I know among the children of man." The lead-wyvern shook his head, the only part of their body they still could move. "Don't be afraid little child. Don't cry. Long has we served the lord of darkness and you are the first of your house to remember the alliance long since lost." He dried away a few tears and smiled. " I swear I shall save you from the dark curse. I hope my friends will help you to survive the long and cold days until I return." He could see Samuel and some of his friends, together with some of the priests, came running toward them. When he had explained what had happened, they agreed in helping the wyverns. They started to rise a tent to block out the snow, although it wasn't snowing just now. "I'll go with you." "You're welcomed to follow me. Although I hope you know that it'll be more than dangerous." The black renegade nodded. "I know, but I think you'll need my help." He nodded and they went over to the head-priest, or so he thought. "It would be best for you to go down to the coast, when I return after having defeated Lady Armster." He told them. "That's if I ever return. If not, you must try to find me at all cost. The Vampire Killer must never fall in the hands of darkness." At first it looked like the greying priest would like to say something about his young years, but then reconsidered. "We shall do as you say." He smiled, then said a short prayer in Latin. The priest answered by praying another, then giving him some more of The Host and, to his surprise, some of the wine. "My God be with you." The priest then told him. "Tank you father." He thanked him. The surprisingly young priest smiled. "My name is Mathias, Mathias Bork. Call me by name, we're not that weary formal out here." They shook hands, before they went into the forest.

Brahms mansion. The 5th of December 2098 A.D.
She turned to her commander, a pirate skeleton, as they where called and he flouted toward her. The skeletal-looking ghost was concealed in a black see-through cloak and had a three-pointed hat on its head, bowed deeply before her. "What is my orders my lady?" She could see his hand clutched around his rieper, hanging from his leather sash. "How large is the area the castle control with its influence?" "The influence now controls the entire lake and its surrounding landscape. To the north and west we are bordered by the Carpathian Alps. South the control ends three kilometres into the Dora forest, straight south of the Mount Ravenberg. And you know well, or should know, are bordered by the lowland forests and the swamp within this mansion is situated." She nodded, smiling to herself. She reached into the power her unholy rebirth had granted her and combined air with frost and water. "Blow the winds!" She commanded as she walked over to the balcony at the front of her house. She could feel the blizzard she had prepared break out. "Gustav Werner." Another vampire went out from the shadows to great her. "I command you. Let loose your warg-riders." The male vampire, over thirty years older than her, A Nazi-officer from Austria, dressed in black, grey and golden uniform and with pale skin, vampireic features, silver hear and, most surprisingly, a metal hook instead of his right hand, bowed toward her. "It shall be as you command my lady." She smiled even broader than before. The blizzard would hinder the boy in his track and her servants would hunt him down. "Bring him to me." She hissed to the other vampire. "I want do dine on his blood personally." Werner looked like he would counter her command, but then saluted her and left her. "That is against the commands of Lord Dracula. And Werner knows it." The pirate skeleton said. "We will have no other choice than to report you to the count." He turned to leave her. She reacted before he had a chance to counter. "Yang pattern!" She again spread her arms and sent three Chinese patterns of utter blackness and cold blue light at him. Her servant exploded, sending frozen shard of himself flying everywhere. "Do you feel strong now?" A voice so cold and powerful that it made even blood as herself go cold with fear. She knew it wasn't Lord Dracula, but it was from someone with made her own power look as nothing compared to it. She turned and faced, if it could be called that, one of her count's black wanderers. She knew as well that it was a creature of formless shape and that its powers lay in the fear it cast upon others. But it didn't help her from taking a fearful step backward. "The lord of the caste gave you orders." The dark wanderer hissed. "But enjoy your little plays as long as it last." He then vanished Into the shadows which seamed to embrace him as they shrouded his leave. "It you ever put a hand on Werner, your life-force belongs to us." She took a deep breath and then stood her ground. She had let her hatred for the boy get the best of her. That was why she still lived. She knew that what she had left of soul was completely under the rule of Dracula and that was how he could know her betrayal so soon. She could take the boy to bed, but she couldn't curse him. Even so, she hungered for the moment when she would crush his innocence, just as she had done with so many before him.

Forest, Warakiya. The 5th of December 2098 A.D.
They hadn't gone long before more clouds started blowing from the north-east. He could feel the snow, whipped by the wind, blow into his face. He put his scarf over his mouth and brought out his gloves. He could feel the coldness growing even bitterer as he even put on his winter-hood to protect his airs from the wind and snow. "Blizzard like this often comes drifting from the haunted marshlands!" Samuel shouted to be heard through the hauling wind. "We use to cluster around our camp-fire when we heard the wind blow like this. Hear as if hauls!" He nodded. Then he stopped dead in his track. "Hear as wind hauls you say. That isn't the wind. The wargs is upon us." He silenced as he could hear evil laughter coming to them, carried by the gusts of wind. "Not only wargs." He said in a low voice. "It's warg-riders out here to. Without any doubt, they're hunting for us." He saw how his new-found friend's face became white with fear. "Is there not anyplace where we can hide?" He quickly asked him. "Yes, but that's two hours walk from here. It's a camp at the border of the marshlands." "Lead the way!" He shouted to be heard over the wild hauls of the wind. Their only hope now was that they only met these creatures one at a time. To break his hope, three of the armoured spirits came into sight. "In the name of Christ" He cried out as he grasped Richter's crucifix. "my the power of the crest of gold come to my aid now!" As he lifted it into the sky, an enormous burning image of a golden cross blasted from the old crucifix. "Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from all evil. The kingdom is yours and so is the glory and power ever lasting, amen." Even the sign of the cross, in which he ended the prayer, burst into golden flames and blasted the last raider. He then slowly turned to Samuel. "Now, run, if you want to live. The other warg-riders would be blind if they didn't saw that. And they aren't the one I fear the most. It's the black wanderers to. They're the ones who worry me the most. Run!" He put the image of Christ back under his tunic, grasped the whip and strted to run. It had taken him a great deal of strength to summon that much power, but even so, it had been necessary. He would have to relay on the crystals for a moment, but that would be no problem, since he had gathered as much of them as he had could. He once again heard the howling, but it was farer away then the ones he had killed. At least for the moment, or so he hoped, they was safe. They would have to keep running, he hoped the cold wind would be just as big a problem for them as it was form him and Samuel.

Brahms mansion. The 5th of December 2098 A.D.
She opened her eyes and looked around herself. Where was she? It looked like a harem like the ones she had seen pictures of in those old fairy-tale books in the old library in Tokyo where she used to hide from the evil men on the streets. She shook her head, then looked upon herself, like all houses where vampires dwelled, there where no mirrors inside the room. She again shook her head. She was dressed in a blue and yellow dresses that Fernandez-girl had showed her in her family chronicle. "I said you belonged to the master." She wanted to cry. She had heard that voice before, in the deserted streets in her hometown. The Japanese vampire was dressed in a high-cut sleeve-less crimson dress, with splits almost to her hips. She had soft red slippers on her feets and thick golden bracelets around her hands and a jewellery of crimson rubies around her neck and a gruesome smile upon her cute little face. The Egyptian vampire was there too. Dressed in a sleeve-less foot-long white silk-dress, closed at her shoulders with golden brushes, a golden headpiece and wrist-bracelets around her wrists and over-arms, all decorated with black and white jewels. She had sandals on her feet and she licked her fangs in a more than meaning gesture. The Brazilian vampire hadn't forget her either, but it was her outfit which made her gaze upon her. She had green silk around her breasts and mid-section and that was that. She blushed in shame of how these creatures, almost, showed their most private to the world. "Curse you oni." She whispered. The vampires just smiled. "Now you belong to us." The Japanese one told her, stil smiling her demonic smile. The Egyptian nodded. "We told you that you sooner or later would learn to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. Today is the day that will happen." She jumped to her feet and fingered inside her dress and thanked the God she only half-way believed in. "Take this!" She shouted as she brought out the crucifix she had carried with her this long. The Brazilian vampire snarled, she most likely recognised it. And although the others didn't, they draw back from the image of Christian's God. She thought about the nice boy and how he had helped her in any way he could. She abruptly opened her eyes when she heard the music of a harp be played. She looked around and behind the three vampires stood a creature dressed in a dark-brown hood and robe, playing on a silver-decorated harp. The vampires turned to face him and, almost on instinct, she jumped at the vampires. The Egyptian fell to the ground, burning away in green flames. But the two others turned into bats and flew off as fast as they could. "Who are you?" She asked him. The creature shook its head, she thought she saw locks of moon-coloured hair, and brought out its gloved hand. In it, lay two small pearls of ocean-blue crystal. She slowly piked them up and felt new power surge through her. "The essence of the vampire you destroyed." A clock-clear voice told her. "And the essence of a gargoyle and a winged guard I defeated outside this room. I cannot use them, but you can. Be careful though. Do not take the souls of humans, the black wanderers or the masters of the castle. It was who tore your great-grandfather's soul into shreds in such a young age." The greature then started playing its harp again. To her surprise she now saw that he, or at least she thought it was a he, had only four fingers. But before she could study it, the strange creature vanished in a blink of silvery light. She took a deep breath, then walked toward the door. She didn't know which time of the day it was, those onis had taken her watch, but she hoped that there would be no more vampires here. She hoped it was dawn, so that the other creatures would be gone. But she knew hat her hopes was small and that the strange creature had told her that there at least where some dark beings here. Clouse on guard, she opened the door. Outside there was a beautiful decorated hall of well-polished tree, red carpet, curtains, gold-painted half-tables with small Chinese porcelain upon them and golden chandeliers on the wall. The upper half of the wall and the sealing was decorated with paintings of night-landscapes and on the left side there where huge windows showing her the foggy hills outside. And to her right side, there where many doors, all crafted in black wood. Whit the candle-light as her main source of light, she started wandering down the corridor.

Camp, Warakiya. The 5th of December 2098 A.D.
"Listen to what I say now and listen well." Samuel told him with a grim expression on his face. "Don't summon any of your holy powers. Try to not even mention Him as long as you're here. It's mostly humans here but there's someone who aren't. They you don't fool around with, do you understand me boy?" He nodded as he put his whip into the backpack and hid his crucifix into his tunic. He had grabbed a gun from one of the dead renegade, he knew how to use it, but he didn't like shotguns that weary much. He hoped he wouldn't be forced to use it. The camp wasn't as much a camp as all the homes of the renegades was made out of wood, but there where mostly men outside. And the few women he saw, was either as ragged as the men or had become prostitutes to make their way in life. There where non-humans there to. Some vampires who where brave enough to travel outside during daylight, a few harpies and a group of blue female were-foxes. In the middle of the village there was a marketplace, on which stolen articles, food, weapons and sex where offered to those who had money to pay for. "It's on the market that people gather for news and goods. If you have enough money you can bay yourself almost everything." Samuel told him. "What we need, if you want to tray save your friend, is a passage-decree. I knew someone who make things like that, but try to not pay attention. There's few children in this camp and most of them are either borne by the prostitutes or are prostitutes themselves." He tried to not throw-up, but it was difficult. Mathew, Paul and the others had thought him about the dark things in the world, but he had hoped to not get in contact with them. But he now began to understand that battling Dracula meant to meet all the things which is dark and twisted in bought the natural and supernatural worlds. "I don't think I can act like one of them." He whispered and Samuel nodded. "Don't look at anyone then." A thought seemed to strike his new-found friend. "It anyone offers you something, you'll either have to by it or give them money so that they'll stop bothering you. Do you think you can remember that?" He nodded and Samuel smiled when he saw one of the sellers came walking towards them. "Hello George. I think I'm going to need some of your "special" services today." The man, a full-blooded Romanian, or at least he looked like, nodded. "I know, come with me then." He wanted he could've used his powers to see beyond the obius, like Sonia had learned from her uncle and which the family had possessed ever since. There where two harpies around and they may feel him doing that so he didn't. The man Samuel was talking with looked friendly but you could never know. His eyes then fixed upon a man in black robes, with a staff in hand. The wand had a yellow crystal at the end and the man himself had inhuman yellow eyes. It didn't take his magical looking to see that this was a man which the dark powers had overwhelmed and now used as a puppet for Dracula's evil biddings. "A darkside." He whispered. In the journals of his family, his forefather Christopher had written about a creature like this. It was a creature so obsessed with dark powers that he wasn't truly human anymore. They had become living wraiths, almost like the black wanderers, but less frightening but almost as powerful as them. They concealed themselves inside hoods and cloaks to hide their shapelessness and used powerful black magic to do what they wanted. He felt how his fear for the dark powers almost got the best of him. He concentrated on his faith and managed to calm himself. "Hey master!" One of the harpies called to him. Again his fear threatened to swallow him when the thought that they might had felt his concentration on God, but it wasn't that at all. "Are you in "shape" for the night?" One of them called to the darkside in a teasing manner. The other harpy giggled by her sister's jesting. "I don't think he's shaped for you Sibella." The other harpy said in response. "Don't do anything." Sauel said in his ear. "Don't do anything." The darkside turned toward the harpies and lifted his left gloved hand. "Night flames!" It hissed as a wave of blue flames blasted from his hand and slashed like a whip over Sibella, the first of the two harpies and made burns erupt on her smooth skin. "Run Gwendolyn, he's gone berserk!" But it was to late. "Darkside lightning!" This spell wasn't just a punish-spell but a spell designed to kill. The bolt of black lightning, shot from its rod, blasted into her and sent her burning to the ground. She screamed horribly as she burned to death, he felt tears form in his eyes. No living deserved this. Sibella seamed to agree with him, she spread her wings and screamed as she tried to do a dash-attack on her sister's murderer. "Night flames!" Again the darkside whipped her with his burning black whip-spell. Samuel saw that he brought out the Vampire Killer and moved to hinder him. The other man, George, didn't know anything about his legacy, but he saw the reflection of the holy rage in his eyes. It was the same flame which burned in his heart. He didn't care. This was nothing he just could stand by and watch. "Don't bother him." Samuel franticly told him. "He's Lady Armster's representation here." He shook his head. "When that thing kils and torture defenceless prostitutes he's an enemy of Christ. And that goes even when the prostitutes are harpies." He stepped forward and cracked the whip in front of the darkside. "Darkside lightning!" Feeling his adversary's power the wizard lifted his staff and from a dark cloud which appeared over their heads, three parallel bolts of black lightning struck down. He jumped to the side, but had to roll away when blue flames erupted from the craters. Sparks erupted from the snow and the frozen pools of the marketplace exploded. He got to his feet. This was indeed a powerful creature, Christopher hadn't been wrong when he told about its power when he met it. In one of the legends of Richter Belmont it was said that he'd battled another darkside deep under the halls of the castle. And although Richter himself didn't say anything about it in his journal, he could understand why. And even that he knew how to defeat this thing, he was sure that it would not be easy. "Night flames!" A leach of the dark spell came flaying at him. He answered by slashing his own whip against it, making the spell explode between the dark creature's hands. "This is for Gwendolyn!" The harpy attacked from behind and the darkside teleported to avoid the furious creature. He smiled. This was what he'd waited for. The darkside reappeared elsewhere, in the form of a crystal, he threw two vials of holy water at him. The crystal shattered and the dark spirit inside staggered backward. "Darkside lightning!" Three parallel bolts of black lightning blasted from the dark cload. He rolled to the side but not fast enough to be hitt by some of the flames. He could feel the dark spell burn the flesh of his left foot but he managed to regain composure and threw the boomerang-cross at his enemy. Again his enemy teleported away to avoid his attack and this time he didn't manage to counter swift enough. The harpy threw herself at the crystal and managed to make some miner splints crash from it but it wasn't enough. When the darkside returned from his crystalline form he cast a spell at her. "Shadow curse!" Three shards of blue flames shot at her and although she managed to avoid the two first ones, the third hit home and made a bleeding wound open in her right wing. The shot from two shotguns made the darkside teleport again, reappearing elsewhere in crystal form. Christian again threw his boomerang-cross at him and this time he again managed to crush the crystal. It was like he could see the text of his forefather's journal form in front of his eyes.

"From Christopher Belmont's journal." I threw the axe at him in one last ditch-effort to kill this hell-being. Two times before had I destroyed his crystal, the only which seamed to damage this creature of chaos. My crystals was almost out, this would be my last attack. The crystal shattered and to my surprise and my utter relief, the darkside exploded in a flash of black flames. I had only enough time to leave the castle of crystals before it shattered. I had not found my son, but at least one danger was taken care of. I thanks God as I write this and pray that I my find him before Dracula can be fully resurrected."

"End of journal-outclip."

"One more time and he's finished!" He called to his friends as he tried his best to keep himself on feet. The wound burned like Hell's fire and he didn't have time to see to it just now. Samuel nodded as he and George again shoot at the dark spirit. The darkside teleported and this time the harpy managed to crush the crystal. The evil spirit staggered backward, then lifted his rod to attack. But this time the flames he spawned set himself ablaze. It was over in a matter of seconds and that he was thankfull fore. He didn't like anyone to suffer, not even the dark servants of Dracula. Now he felt the pain of his wound take the best of him. His friends had to carried him inside the tent in which George dwelled.

Tent, camp, Warakiya. The 5th of December 2098 A.D.
The boy tried not to scream when they cleaned his wound but she could see it pain him. George used one of his healing remedies, which he only sold to those with the most money, looked worried. "I don't think the few soldiers who's left in the camp will try to kill us, at least not now. They'll wait until the men and skeletons from the day-watch returns." Christian nods and then turns toward her. "I'm afraid to ask you of this, but can you carry us over the soldiers? You and some of your sisters?" She flayed shocked backward. A Christian asking her for help, it was amazing. Then it sunk in, what he actually asked for. "I think so." She slowly remarked. "It'll be difficult, but I think I can make it." She turned around to fly and Christian put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't force them into anything. Tell them that I shall pray for them and ask forgiveness from God." She looked at him in surprise, then smiled. "I shall do as you say." She then spread her wings and flew off.

Brahms mansion. The 5th of December 2098 A.D.
She opened the door and found herself inside a combination of a school, music and toy room. A grand piano stood at the head of the room, playing itself. And beside it, stood a black girl, at the age of sixteen, dressed in the clothing beard when Queen Ann ruled Great Britain, playing a violin, but it wasn't that which drew her attention to them and makes her shudder. It was the dolls, in the chests at the further side of the hall. She had heard the stories of her great-grandfather, how he'd battled evil dolls inside the castle. This wasn't the castle, but it was a vampire inside this manor and she was dangerous. "At last you have come." From one of the desks at the head of the school-room addressed her. It was a girl, a year younger than herself addressed her. "Who're you?" She asked, first in Japanese, then on English, the ghostly presence smiled. The playing of the violin was like an accompaniment of its smile. She could see that the other spectre was now weeping, but continued to play. "My name is Marie Brahms, the last descendant of the house of Brahms. You might call me a puppet-master. Watch and I shall show you why." She lifted her hands and the toy-chests opened and a set of toys came into view. Small toy-bats, balloons and small clowns and dolls came flying toward her. She grasped inside her dress, as she had hoped, they hadn't been aple to remove the crucifix. "In the name of Christ!" The prayer sounded strange on her lips. She still had a little doubt in this new God, but she didn't doubted the God's power. The toys blasted into oblivion in silvery flames as she lifted the crucified image of Christian's God at them. "Not bad, not bad. Try this!" The youthful-looking ghost again lifted his hands and a swarm of toy-bats came flying from the chests. She lifted the crucifix at the bats, but this time, the explosions threw her backward and she lost the crucifix. "He cannot help you now! Prepare to die." "Not today, oni." She lifted her hand and, to her own surprise, the hand turned into a skeletal one. She didn't care, as she threw a bone of knuckle-white flames at the ghost. The little ghost screamed in fear and pain. "How, how could you?" She said in a shocked voice. "I'm a descendant of Soma Cruz. I can use the spirits of the fallen enemies and use them to defeat the enemies of God!" She didn't know where she got the words from, but she knew they where through. But in her mind, she didn't step away from the faith of her ancestors. But she hoped that Christian's God was there, beyond the world, taking the holy kamis into his hands and giving them power. She was afraid that she was doing blasphemy, but she hoped she wasn't right. She felt inside herself three powers and she could now choose between. How it had started, she didn't know, but she knew they was there. She now called upon the power of the gargoyle and threw a lance at the ghost. She tried to avoide it, but became pinned to the wall, where she burned away. "Now," The other ghost, which at last had stopped plying its violin. "you must destroy me." She glanced at her. Was this another threat? No, she couldn't see any darkness in her, only a great sorrow. "Hear my words, then you can decide what to do." She nodded and sat down on one of the small chairs.

Haunted marshlands. The 5th of Decembger 2098 A.D.
The marshlands lay around them. The fogg made it difficult to see even what lay a few meters away. They had said fearwell to the two harpies Sibella had summoned to help them and now, they where completely alone. He said a short prayer and did the sign of the cross. It made the fogg clear around them, but only for a moment. "This fog isn't natural." He heard George whisper behind him. He nodded, the renegade-salesman was right. It was the vampire controlling this area who produced it. This bog should have been just as frozen as the rest of the land, but wasn't. "Victoria." He said calmly for himself. "Victoria Armster, its you who's behind this. I can feel it." Then, without warning, small flickering sorces of light appeared around them. "Was is this." Samuel said fearfully. "In the chronicles of the Belmonts, it's told that one of the great battles of the "demon castle war" was fought here." He slowly told them. "And even though the world didn't know about it, because they didn't believe in it, there where used terrible powerful spells of bought sides. This place is one of those places, and now, combined with the power of the castle, this will be a long day." "He don't act like a thirteen-year-old." He heard Sibella say to the others. She was right, bought his family and friends, if he only could see them again, had also thought that way about him. He shook his head and brought out a rope from his backpack. "Tie yourself togheter, so that we don't get away from each others." They nodded and did as he said. He spoke a short prayer in hope of getting an idea to where to go. Then some knocked him down. He turned around and saw George walking as a dream-walker toward one of the lights. "Don't follow the lights!" He shouted. "I'm at him." Sibella flapped her wings and managed to capture the salesman before he fell into one of the pools. "It's Will-o-wisps, they try to lure you into the swamp, where you will go down and die." How long had he used in the libraries of the Vatican, reading about these things? He didn't have time to think about that, out of the mist came a towering creature. It looked like a lizard, but with two heads instead of one. "A two-headed beast!" He screamed. "Watch out for the fireballs!" The creature opened its mouths and fired six fireballs at them. He manadeg to slash two of them with his whip, but it was Sibella who took out the rest. She flapped her wings, opened them and shot a spreadshot of feathers. The fireballs exploded and he threw his boomerang-cross at it. The creature rolled into a ball and avoided the boomerang, but not his next attack. He cought the cross on its return and brought out his crucifix. "In the name of Christ!" A flury of silvery flames made the creature burst into flames and burn into nothingness. "I hope the black wanderers didn't see that." He said to himself. He put the crucifix back under his tunic and started walking. "Watch out for anything which moves." He told them. "Even if its only the mud or water. And don't follow the light."

Brahms mansion. The 5th of December 2098 A.D.
"This house has not always been a hotel of evil." The spectre began. "For four houndred years ago it was one of the boyar houses of Warakiya. Then, in 1689, the house was attacked by evil forces under the control of Death. I was the caretaker of the young mistress you destroyed inside this room. We did not understand it then, but now I clearly see that it was she who invided the evil inside. I do not know if you know that evil forces cannot enter any place inhabited by man before one of the dwellers invide them, but that was what most likely happened." The ghost took a moment to rest and she could see that this pained the poor ghost to tell, but it was interesting to hear this. Maybe this spectre knew how to exit the house? The spectre continued to speak. "Joseph Brahms, the lord of this house, took with him the servants he could gather and consentrated the defence from the house's chapel. It was there she betrayed us. She stapped her own father in the back and then committed suicide to make the place loose its holy defence. The few who managed to run where lucky. The mistress thought I was a very good violin-player and chooce to keep me here as one of her marionettes. Now, please, in the name of God, destroy me, so that my true soul may find peace." She looked upon her, how could she do this? In her religion, it was a crime to try to do any harm to the spirits of dead people. She shook her head. "Why you don't gow there yourself and lay your cause before… before the great ones." The spectre gave her a look, then slowly shook her head. "You are a Japanese female are you not? Then let me tell you something, no religion is more right than any other. I know you don't believe in Christ, but He once said that if you could not believe in Him and The Father, then at least believe in the good things He did. Any religion that speaks the celestial peace of the body and soul, which believe that there is goodness in this world, is a righteous religion. The wrong is when the religious people starts thinking their religion is the only right one. Thought like that is the lies of the dark powers, I pray that man may never listen to them again, but I fear it cannot be. May my God strike me down right now if I am wrong and if I have committed blasphemy." She gazed upn her. Never before hat she heard anyone talk like this. Slowly, almost on instinct, she picked the crucifix from where it lay and rouse it at the spectre. "Dear Father," She bought slowly and clumsy started. But her voice became stronger as she prayed. "my You forgive this poor soul of her sins and give her peace, amen." A beam of light struck down, the spectre smiled. "Oh thank you. At last, the light, the blessed light. My God be with you and give you strength in faith." The creature disappeared and she looked down at the object in her hands. She then put it back inside her dress and walked toward the door she could see behind the giant piano. On the way, she noticed which song it was it really was playing. It was "Love from God", how she knew it, she didn't know, perhaps it was one of the laments sung in her great-grandfather's funeral, but she wasn't sure. She opened the door and exited the room. She once again was taken aback by what she saw. This was a room which looked alike the shrine of her own religion. The urn with the spiritual money for the ancestors, the mirror at the head of the alter, it all was there. She knelt down in front of the mirror and knoked the little gong, signing she wanted to speak with the Kamis. She looked at the mirror and saw herself, then the reflection started to fade. At first she smiled, hoping to see the world beyond this, then she screamed and tried to rise and run, but the reflection in the mirror, started coming out. It arms stretched to grab her. She at last managed to scream and rouse from her kneeling possision, but to no awail. The reflection was still coming at her. She got up, getting into a defensive stance. Whatever this oni was, she didn't want it to see her curled together on the floor.

Haunted marshlands. The 5th of December 2098 A.D.
The fogg was clearing somewhat, but only to let them see another nightmare. "Watch out!" He cried to his friends. "Those things are called marshmen and they are not to be underestimated." "Got it Chris." Samuel answered and drew out his shotgun. "Take that you worthless piece of mud!" The marshman was hit dead on, but the bullet just sunk into the mud and rotting vegetation and didn't even managed to slow it down. "I summon the power of God, lead us and give us strength in the name of Christ!" He did a sign of the cross and out of the mist they could see a cople of silvery-lit candle-stands. "Go for them." He tild them, then threw the boomerang-cross at the marshmen. The sign of his faith made the ones hit be set on fire. He saw that Samuel and George had found a set of vials with holy water and another throwing-cross. "Thank you, my God." He said before he cracked the whip into the face of another marshman. Sibella screamed as she let loose another spreadshot of feathers, at one of the two-headed beast. It had tried to attack them as they where occupied with the marshmen. He brought out his crucifix and finished it off. "What in God's name is that!?" George turned his attention on a group of mudmen, rising from the muddy water of the surrounding pools. "That's mudmen. Ghosts which possess the element of earth to form human form to attack the enemies of Dracula." He cracked the Vampire Killer at the aproching mudmen, but got knocked to the ground by one of the still surviving marshmen. Samuel threw a vial of holy water and destroyed bought the marsh and mudman, just as they where about to kill him. "Thank you." He said as he came back on his feet. But he didn't have much time to speak as a group of mutated frogs attacked them. He thanked God in his heart for baying the antidotes from Renon. Now he could heal his friends if they became wounded by the toads. He felt a desire to throw up as he saw one of the toads be cut in two by George's throwing cross and them turn into two new toads. "Use holy water when you fight these creatures." He adviced. "You have to destroy them completely in effort to kill them." He brought out the vials of holy water which he had recived from Mathew in the Vatican and threw one of them at a cluster of frogs and his plan seamed to work as they all burned into oblivion. After a while, the lasts of the toads where destroyed and they got a chance to regroup. He cured George and Samuel, himself too, before George gave them something to eat from his backpack. They then got up and started walking again. He didn't tell the others, but he was worried. So far they hadn't faced that much resistence. The inhabitants of the marshlands yes, but he had expected more than this. As if it had been a summoning, the fogg cleared as they stood on the shore of a little lake. The lake was completely blocking their way. And, which was more important, small fangs of mist had began to shine with a yellow glow. "When the dead awakens." He whispered as the mist subsided and they saw that he was right. Walking dead, dressed in rags and different pieces of armour, started to rise from the ground. "The sun has gone down." Sibella said as she came flying back to them, then she saw the walking corpses and became silent. He hadn't seen her since the battle with the marsmen, he'd had an absurd thought she had abounded them, but now he saw how absurd it really was. "In the name of Christ! Deliver us from evil and give us the strength to do your work!" He rouse the vial of holy water to the heavens and to his joy and relief, it started raining holy water. He had heard that Richter, the last true Belmont in bought name and blood, had been able to summon this power, but aside from John Morris and him alone, he hadn't heard of anyone since that time to do things like this. The walking dead burst into flames and so did the next group of them, but the water started to subside and there came more walking dead as he watched on them. "Run!" He told them. "Run if you want to live. There's to many of them." Again he wondered why they wanted to follow him, but they did and together they started running around the little lake. They came around it and started running upward but he didn't have time to think further about that. Some of the walking dead was following them and some of those corpses had crossbows. He saw the last hints of mist clear and then the landscape became clear to him. They now stood on a row of hills, which became even higher as he looked westward. The walking dead fired and he brought out his throwing-cross. One of the legendary powers of the family's mystic weapons had worked, now it was time to see if another was. He held the object in his hands to the heavens and prayed as intence as he could, then it happened. A shield of holy light surrounded him before it blasted outward and destroyed the walking death's arrows and some of the closest corpses too. The rest of the corpses sunk back into the ground and there wasn't any other who rised to do battle with them. "I think something terrible is going to happen." He whispered. He was right, from the lake, a towering creature rouse to face them. "Prepeare yourself for battle." His friends nodded and drew up their weapons. "Your friends can't help you now. Paralyzing beam!" The watery creature opened its eyes and shot a blue beam at his friends. Sibella was the only fast enough to avoid it. But bought Samuel and George become frozen in place. "It's a water-elemental." He slowly said, as he prepared out his whip and throwing-cross. "Sibella, listen to me now. This is an plane-walker demon, a creature spawned from the plane which generates its power. Its attack is also dependant on the elemental it consists of. The water -elemental can fire paralyzing beams and become one with bought snow and water. But the thing which is more interesting is that this kind of creature can attack us with powerful acid and poison-based attacks. Its lance is just as dangerous. It can turn our own attacks back and slash water-blocks at us." He silenced as the water-elemental started walking toward them. He didn't wait for it to reach them. He jumped toward him and slashed the Vampire Killer at the water-elemental. "Watch it!" Sibella told him and he rolled right between the enemy's legs just as it splashed a wave of acid at his former direction. "Demonic bastard!" She spread her wings and did a spread-shot of feathers at the water--elemental. The elemental-demon countered with a new wave of acid. She screamed as the acid flushed over her body. She fell back in the snow and although it felt a little better with the cold snow, but it didn't help to sustain the pain. "In the name of Christ!" He held out the whip to the heaven. "Grant me the power of the crest of sapphire!" A beam of blue light struck down into the Vampire Killer and he smiled thankfully. This would be a better power against a enemy borne out of water. The crest of sapphire was the crest who gave the world frost. And if there was a elemental to defeat water, not that it was anything wrong with the element of water, but the dark lord could misuse all the powers of this world, he could only pray for forgiveness for this creature. But first he had to destroy it. He swung the whip at him, just as he threw the cross. In his hearth, he thanked God for that He had given the boomerang-cross the same power as He had given the whip. The water-elemental tried to block the whip with its lance and managed in doing so. And then threw a block of solid water, he managed to jump to the side. But the ice-powered cross cut into the arm of the creature and managed to freeze its arm. He was glad for it, although his foot had healed somewhat, he was still a little slower than he used to be. He did a sign of the cross, before he threw the same image at the water-elemental. The cross split into five and with the power of the crest of sapphire within them, they hit the water-elemental. "Blood of Christ!" He brought out the wine of the sacrificial meal and threw it at the elemental. The water-elemental melted into the dirty snow. He felt a sudden pain in his back as the water-elemental reappeared behind him and threw a block of solid water. He managed to get back on his feet and brought out the last of the blood of his God. He knew this would be his last effort and that he wouldn't get another chance. "God!" HE cried as he threw the vial. "Give me strength!" The wine flushed over the water-elemental's face and made it burst into flames. He fell down on his face and then laid there, only having enough power to breath. Then his friends came over to him and helped him to rise to his feet. "Sibella?" He asked them. "How it is with Sibella?" Samuel shook his head and he felt tears roll down his face. "She is dying." Samuel softly told him. He nodded and, with the help of his friends, he went over to her. "How's it going?" He bent down beside her and and helped her to lay straight. "Confess your sins, I shall take it upon myself to give you the last oil." He tried to sound strong and comforting, but the tairs on his face and the sadness in his voice couldn't be hid. Sibella smiled to him. "I know you are no priest, but I know you only try to be my friend. I shall do as you say." She took a deep breath. "I misused the younger sisters-in-spirit and later continued to do so with visiting children. I was turned into a harpy because of that. I confess that I even after my transformation I continued my sinful life." At first, he drew off from her, then set aside his disdain and gave her the last oile as he had seen and learned from the priests in the Vatican do. Then did the ritual prayer for the one who was about to die. Then he did the sign of the cross. "I know you have done unspeakable sins in your life. I'm your friend and can't judge you. I can only pray that the ones you have trespassed against may forgive you. God be with you and forgive you your sins." She smiled up at him, although he could see the pain in her face. "Take this, I beg you. It's the only gift I have left to give a friend." From behind her wings, he didn't know how she did it, but he didn't care. It was a harp, a harp decorated with silver and a strange white metal. "I didn't tell you," She softly said. "I was a nun, at the chapel your friend Sauel attacked. I played harp there and was the leader of the music-group there. I loved to play it, and still does. I continued to do so even after I was banished. Use it to summon harpies when you need help to fly. May your, and I hope, my God, will forgive me." He nodded, then closed her eyes as he could see her pain. He then did something he knew was something which might could've be considered a heresy as he brought out a piece of the Host and made her eat it. "You have no part in this happening." He softly said as he did it. The dark powers in her body exploded and he cried as he witnessed her death. When she had burned away, he spread her ashes and let it fly with the wind Then he riesed and again did a sign of the cross. "It's time to do battle." He cracked the Vampire Killer. The compassion for his friends and his faith in God burned in hearth. As some had told Simon Belmont, he had a hearth of Fire. He lifted his head and gazed upon the mansion looming on the highest hill. Ii looked all like a Christmas-card, cowered in snow and with the moon behind the mansion's tower. But he knew better, he could feel it. It was a lair of darkness. He knew it was so and that he would find Noriko inside it. George and Samuel prepared themselves, reading their shotguns, holy water and throwing-cross. "Let's go." They nodded and followed him up the hillside. The manor was surrounded by a great fence with ravens at the top of gate-pillars. "I don't like this." He heard George whispered and he agreed on his opinion. The ravens seamed to look at them. The gate cracked open on they where surprised by the barking of huge hounds. "Get down!" He fell to the ground and two huge hounds jumped at them. "Shoot it, shoot it!" He heard a shot from behind him and one of the huge hounds growled and fell back, then rouse again. "Corpus Christi!" He held up the envelope containing the Host and the first hound growled and crawled backward with its tail between its legs. The second hound jumped at him and made him loose the envelope. The first hound then opened his mouth and spew a ball of blue flames at him. He cracked the whip at the hound and hit it in the head. Samuel threw a vial of holy water at the unwounded hound and it exploded into flames. The second hound, bleeding from the wound in its head, started spitting a spread-shot of blue fireballs made them jump and hide behind the nearest stones. The stones, he shuddered as he saw what they really wass. They where gravestones. The entire eastern wing of the house was surrounded with these graves. Now he understood what that little tower at the end of the wing was. It was a chapel. But it was not a holy place now if he knew these creatures right. But he didn't have time to think further about that as he found the envelope. "Corpus Christi!" He did something which he knew was a heresy, he threw the envelope at the hound and it exploded into flames. But the battle was far from over. They heard barking and three even huger black dogs jumped from behind a wall of dead vegetation. He jumped forward to retrive the envelope, but instead found himself face to face with another even huger dog. It was coloured like that of an German Shepard dog and had three heads. At firs he thought it was Cerberus, Dracula's personal watch-dog, then he noticed the colours and readied his whip. "Wath out!" He heard Samuel cry and then saw a throwing-cross and a fireball exploded on itself. He cracked the whip at the lead hellhound and braided it around its leftmost head and small clouds of smoke started to arut around its necklace. He had to roll to the ground as the twin heads started blasting at him with small flame-blasts. He heard one of his friends scream something in pain, the bang from a shotgun and the explosions of one of the hounds, or at least he thought so. The first lead-hound broke free from the grip of the whip and tried to blast him with a set of small steam-blasts. He brought out the throwing-cross and prayed as intense he could. A barrier of silvery light surrounded him and blocked the hound's attacks. "Take this you hound of Satan!" HE cried just as he threw the cross at the enormous dog. One of the heads where cut off and the two other looked almost perplexed at him. "Forgive me for doing this. But it had to be done. Corpus Christi!" HE jumped for the envelope and pushed it right into the face of the second head. The last head looked upon him, in some strange manner, the other neck had melted into this one head, not that it looked any friendlier with just one head. It howled and fired a blast of blue-green flames right at him. Had he didn't cracked the whip then and there he would've been blasted into oblivion. The Vampire Killer made the fire-blast explode and, without thinking, he threw the crystal at it. He knew he'd thrown away his other weapons, the Host and throwing-cross. He could of course used the holy water, but the vials where amity and he didn't have time to refill them. The crystal made a huge flash of light appear right in front of him. The hound burst into flames just as he was threw far back. When he opened his eyes, the crystal lay in his hands and the envelope lay at his feet. He picked it up and then shook his head. There where only a few pieces left, he would have to use it more carefully from now on. He soon after found the throwing-cross and decided to go and look for his friends. They where still battling the surviving hounds. They had managed to kill one of them but the other two where still around and ready for battle. Bought of his friends had bite and claw-marks on their clothing and bodies, but they had managed to hurt the hounds in the same manner. He made sure to refill the vials with snow, saing a prayer over them, turning them into holy water, before he joined his friends in the battle. It was one hour after sundown and he was sure the vampire who ruled the manor would make sure to "entertain" them before they went to bed this night. He cracked the whip and threw the cross at the nearest hound.

Brahms mansion. The 5th of December 2098 A.D.
He was good, no doupt about that. She smiled as she watched the viewings of the crystal-orb, flouting atop the little round table where it used to rest when she didn't use it. She knew the girl which could destroy here where somwhere within the house, but for the moment, it was the Belmont boy which occupied her thoughts. She had no doupt he would manage to fight beyond the guards and to the tower. But no matter, she was prepared to take cear of himself until the black wanderes could come and take him to the master. She again smiled, she was indeed looking forward to this. She was bent upon to at least taste some of his blood before they brought him away. She had ordered all of the commanders away from the tower, Werner had protested but done as she commanded, as she knew he would. It was mo meaning in drawing this out. He would come and she would do what she wanted with him. She leaned back and focused on the crystal-ball once again.

Chapter 4: The Story Continues | Back to Chapter 2