Pairing: Richter/Annette, Maria/Alucard, Richter/Alucard
Timeline: Post-SOTN, prior to OOE
Warnings: Explicit, disturbing content to come.
Spoilers: Spoilers for Rondo Of Blood, Symphony Of The Night and Order Of Ecclesia
Disclaimer: Castlevania is the property of Konami, yada yada yada. I'm getting too old for this.
Summary: After the events of SOTN, Richter finds that the Vampire Killer no longer responds to him, and his worst fears are realized.
I came across a request in LiveJournal asking for a Richter/Alucard fic with some plot outlines already drawn up for whoever filled the request, so I decided to try my hand at it. I hope it goes over well.
The moonless night provided the perfect shade of darkness for the figure striding through the forest. Unknown creatures howled through the mist, but she did not slow her pace until she found herself at the door of a wooden hut. Without considering what dangers may have awaited her on the other side, she slammed the door open with all her might.
"Were you followed?"
Her glare was response enough for the man waiting in the shadows for her. She pulled the hood of her grayed and shabby cape off her head to better see him as he approached. Contrary to her, with a head of flowing golden hair and tired but bright eyes, he looked haggard and haunted. A mane of once rich brown hair now hung limply across his broad shoulders.
"What is this, Richter?" Maria Renard demanded of her brother-in-law. "Three months without word and now these mysterious orders – Annette nearly went mad tonight when I wouldn't tell her where I was going."
"How is Annette?" Richter questioned casually as he closed the door, taking care to peek outside to make sure they were truly alone.
"The same as she was the first night you stopped writing," Maria informed. "She's convinced Dracula has risen again and that you've been killed. And that's only after I've comforted her."
Richter didn't seem to be listening anymore. He was now back to his darkened corner, busying himself with something she couldn't see. When he turned around, she found the Vampire Killer clutched in his fist.
Maria raised her eyes to meet his. "Why am I here?"
"I need you to come with me," Richter informed her, holding out the whip to her.
Maria took a step back. "Why?"
Richter took a step forward. His eyes gained a new intensity, and for the first time since she had known this man, Maria felt afraid.
"I need you to find a certain friend of ours," Richter almost sneered. Maria knew who he meant, of course, but she didn't give him the pleasure of aiding him.
"Why?" she demanded again.
Richter lowered the hand in which he gripped the whip. The hold his gaze had on her broke as he hung his head in shame.
"It doesn't work," he confessed. "The Vampire Killer … it no longer responds to me."
Maria blinked, not comprehending his words. When she found her voice again, she could only dumbly ask him what he meant.
Richter let out a withering sigh. "I hold it. I feel it. It's not the same. It's power is gone, Maria." His voice broke. "I don't know what to do." He raised his head and stretched his arms out, gesturing to the walls around them. "For months I have wandered out in these realms, waiting to feel the will of God flowing through it. The whip rejects me, I can feel it. I vowed not to return until I broke whatever curse plagues it, but I cannot. Months I have tried to make it remember me, and still nothing."
"And what do you want with Alucard?" Maria asked coldly.
Richter's desperate eyes were on her again. "He can help me," he breathed. "He will know what's wrong. He must. His father would have told him of whatever curse he unleashed on me. He will know how to undo it."
Maria barked with laughter. How ridiculous this all was! "Richter, do you hear yourself?" she said loudly over his rambling voice. "You think that monster would have told Alucard anything of his plans? He nearly killed his own son!"
Richter allowed her to finish her tirade. A heavy silence followed in which he locked his eyes on her with all the hatred he could muster. Quietly, he said, "I have no choice."
Pushing her way past her, he pulled open the door again and turned to look at her over his shoulder. "If you will not help me, I will seek him out on my own." He very nearly slammed the door shut, but then caught himself. Keeping his gaze steadily on the darkened forest, he addressed her, "If you go back to Wallachia, I only ask that you lead Annette back here. It may not be home, but she will be safe here."
"What is this?" Maria wondered, for the first time allowing herself to appreciate her surroundings.
A bitter smile crossed Richter's lips. "Three months' work."
"You will not find him, Richter," Maria called behind him. Against her better judgment, she had decided to follow her brother-in-law in his quest that was proving as futile as she had feared. "I told you before, I don't know where he lies – no one does. Please, come back to the towns with me," she implored.
Richter had steadfastly ignored her pleas, but felt close to breaking. Maria was right; Alucard had disappeared in the glowing rays of the sun that morning so long ago; neither of them had been able to find him then; they would not be able to find him now.
A tear escaped him and he quickly wiped it away, hoping Maria could not see. He leaned his head back, relishing in a nonexistent wind, then turned on his heel to stare at her. He wanted to scream at her, wanted to make her understand. How could he return as the failure he was? But when he took in her form, the dirt that caked her pale skin, her wide eyes begging him to listen to her, his anger vanished only to be replaced by defeat, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Have it your way, Maria," he said lamely. "Let's go back."
She took his free hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "You're doing the right thing," she assured him. "Annette will be pleased to see you – as will your people."
He let her drone on as she took the lead. The sky was lightening by the time they found the steeple of the chapel peeking through the tops of the trees that surrounded them. Bolstered by this sight, Maria grabbed Richter again and hastened their pace.
The town was only just waking up when they made their way through the town center. Richter buried his head in attempt to avoid stares, failing to realize that this only made him all the more worthy of unwanted attention. He broke away from her grip when they found the house he so dreaded going into. Undaunted, Maria ran forward and pounded on the door unrelentingly until it opened and a woman cautiously peered out. Upon finding her sister beaming at her, Annette Renard threw the door open and enveloped her in a hug.
She froze when she saw who was standing a mere three feet away. Maria tried to explain, but Annette seemed to be in a trance, pulling away and stepping forward.
Richter opened his arms to take his beloved wife into his arms, but before he could go to her, she reached out and planted a painful slap across his cheek. His arms dropped and he stared at her, wordless. Tears brimmed in Annette's eyes and she buried her face in her hands as her shoulders shook with sobs. Richter glanced at Maria for advice, and she nodded towards her sister, indicating he should hold her. He clasped his hand around her tiny wrist, but she jerked away violently. "Don't touch me!" she hissed.
"Annette … I—"
"How could you, Richter?" Annette snarled. "Three months I waited – three months! You walk away without a word; I tell myself, 'That's just his way.'"
"Annette—"
"Don't!" She was screaming now. "I was so scared. So man y nights, I would lie awake wondering if you were even alive. Look at me, Richter!" she spread her arms wide, and Richter gazed down in shock.
Annette was pregnant. Not heavily so, but it was enough to show through her clothing.
"I … I didn't know."
"What would I have done?" she demanded. "If you had been taken from me, what would I have done? If they had come after me for this child, how could I have stopped them?"
"I—" Richter swallowed, burdened by the true weight of the danger he had left his wife in. "I'm sorry, Annette. If you only knew why; I never wanted to. I left you as much protection as I could. Weapons; Maria—"
"Maria!" Annette shrieked. "She is a child, Richter!" Normally Maria protested to being called a child by her older sister, but this time she wore a humble expression on her face, silently urging Richter not to make it worse for himself, but he had to explain. He felt so ashamed of himself, leaving her and his unborn child without his care. Annette was right – what if Dracula had been awakened? If he had been killed, the Vampire Killer would have been lost; Annette had never learned to use it, but had he been killed, his next of kin would have never been able to either.
Then Richter felt anger rising within him. What was he thinking? Was this not the risk he took every day of his life? If he had died in the castle, the bloodline would have ended with him; if a betrayer had sought to kill him in his bed, the bloodline would have ended with him still. No, he had left to protect them. If Annette would only let him explain, she would have understood.
Her shouting was drawing attention from the neighbors. They had come out of their houses now, forming a circle around them, wanting, but not quite daring, to get involved.
"Annette, enough!" Richter roared, grabbing her by the wrists. She would not stop, not giving him an opening to defend himself, so finally he yelled as loudly as he could, "The whip no longer works!"
A deathly silence fell over the crowd. Annette looked as though he had struck her. Feeling embarrassment rising through him and realizing that he had just spilled his secret for all to hear, he muttered quietly, "Let us go inside."
Annette did not object, so the three of them entered the threshold and closed the door.
"What did you say?" Annette whispered. Richter turned to Maria for support.
"Go on, Richter," Maria folded her arms protectively across her chest.
Richter perched himself on the uncomfortable stool. For the first time all night, he loosened his grip and the whip fell to the floor in a heap. "When I was taken to the castle, I remember I could feel it; I felt stronger than I ever had in my life. But afterwards … afterwards I felt … lost. Don't ask me why, I've spent three months trying to understand, and I simply can't."
Annette and Maria shared a glance.
"Have you actually tried using it, Richter?" Annette asked tonelessly.
"Of course I have, Annette!" Richter snapped. "Hunting down the wolves that come by – they should have been dead after one blow; instead they scamper off. The trees should have fallen to the earth after one strike; instead they bear little more than a scratch."
Annette gazed out the window into the now-bustling streets. "So what are we going to do?"
Richter couldn't bear to look at her. "We pray that Dracula doesn't rise until the whip has passed from me. And we hope that it will work for the next Belmont."
"And if he does rise?"
Richter raised his tired eyes to his sister-in-law. "We place our faith in Maria."
Annette refused to speak to Richter from that point on. Both she and her husband privately begged Maria to remain with them to some unforeseen time when everything would be alright again. Maria acquiesced, and spent very unpleasant nights mediating through silent dinners. She slept with her sister on Richter's bed, while the male made up a cot for himself in a separate room. Such was the luxury of being a Belmont, whereby they had enough money to afford the luxury of a house larger than those of the rest of the commoners.
Maria tried to reason with her sister, but Annette wasn't having any of it. Richter had failed as a father, and as a Belmont. How could he even think to place the title and burden of protector on the shoulders of a little girl. Maria didn't object to being called a child, partially because she had resigned herself to always being seen as a child in her sister's eyes, and partly because she agreed. Certainly she had some wits about her, but she did not believe herself to be capable of defeating Dracula should his awaken once again. Despite her steely resolve when she had gone hunting for Richter in the castle last year, she had been all too glad to pass the task on to Alucard when she had met him. Fate had always favored her, she knew, protecting her as she wandered through the haunted castle not once, but twice in her lifetime, and fate had handed her two warriors to fight the battle for her when she feared she was alone, but she was nowhere near capable as Richter believed her to be.
So it was because of this that she ushered Annette into their private quarters one night and quietly told her she had to leave.
Annette's eyes widened. "What? Maria, no!"
"Annette, I must," Maria said resolutely. "Something must be done. We cannot simply hide ourselves away hoping for the best. I need to find Alucard."
"Who?" Annette frowned. Maria had never spoken of Alucard to anyone aside from Richter before. They had both agreed it would be best for everyone involved, including the dhampir himself.
"He is a warrior of whom I know. Do not concern yourself with it," Maria consoled. "I believe that if things take a turn for the worst, he is the only one who can save us. I have to find him."
"But where will you go?" Annette tried to reason with her. "It is a treacherous land out there."
"I don't know," Maria confessed, "but I have to try. Don't worry," she attempted a brave smile, clutching at her lucky brooch. "God will protect me." She gave her sister a quick kiss on the head. "Stay safe."
"I should be the one saying that to you," Annette said mournfully. "Oh, Maria, don't go! You don't know what's out there."
"I will be back soon," Maria promised, digging out her old cloak and pulling it over herself. "If I do not find him within seven days, I will return."
She left Annette miserable in her room and went to bid her goodbyes to Richter. Her brother-in-law sat up rapidly as he saw her approach. "Where are you going?" he demanded.
"I'm going to try and find Alucard," she informed him curtly.
Richter got to his feet and pulled his silk clothing over his bare chest. "I will come with you."
"Richter – no. Your place is here," Maria said sharply. "You cannot leave Annette, not again, nor can you abandon these people. They need you more than I do."
"Doesn't feel like they would care," Richter muttered darkly. As a Belmont, it was easy for him to achieve a high position of government in their little town since he had returned from his exile, but the nature of his work put him directly in the middle of the townspeople's gossip, and made it hard for him to escape their whispers. His outburst on the day of his return had come back to haunt him as the frightened stories about Richter Belmont losing his powers swirled all through the city. Maria didn't try to comfort him.
"I'll be back in seven days," she said.
"You told me you didn't know where to find him," Richter reminded her.
"Yes, well, I have to try, don't I?" Maria was already opening the door.
"Take the whip with you," Richter offered.
"No," Maria refused. "You need it, whether you think so or not."
"It cannot protect me," Richter told her. "Not anymore."
"Trust me, Richter," she finally turned to face him with a piercing gaze. "When the time comes, that whip will be all that stands between you and certain doom." And with that, she stalked out of the house and shut the door behind her.
"Maria!" she heard a voice call behind her. She turned around to find Annette leaning out the bedroom window. Pulling something from her nightgown, she tossed it to her. "God's grace be with you."
Maria caught the flying object and without even looking at it she could feel that it was Annette's cherished rosary, the one she had previously given Richter on his excursions into the darkness. Annette shut the windows and disappeared from sight. Raising the rosary to her lips, she kissed the beads tenderly. "I love you, Annette," she murmured.
Once out of the towns, the muted sounds of the night rose to a symphony. Maria shivered, and clutched at her brooch. There was nothing to fear; animals had always left her in peace. Annette had never given them a chance, fearing that there might be some creature from the pits of hell waiting out there, but Maria had always felt that creatures favored her; so much so that when she gazed to the sky and caught sight of a flock of birds flying southwest, she took it as a sign and followed their lead.
As she had hoped, she met no unholy creatures during her journey; but now she was terribly lost and found no sign to guide her. "Dear Lord," she whispered into the night, "I need Your guidance. Bring me to the one I seek." She raised the rosary and formed the sign of a cross over her head and shoulders. As if in response, an owl hooted directly behind her. Maria jumped.
"Whooooo?" it seemed to ask. Maria blinked.
"I am looking for the one named Alucard," she said after a momentary pause, feeling quite foolish.
"Whoooo?" the owl questioned again.
"He is the son of the Dark Lord."
"Whoooo?"
Maria stamped her foot. "The Dark Lord Dracula!"
"Whoooo?"
"Fuck this," she muttered, turning back around.
The bird fluttered its wings and leapt off the branch of the tree it had placed itself on and soared into the night. Maria spent a moment wondering whether she ought to follow, then decided she had nothing to lose. So, squaring her shoulders, she marched on, keeping her eyes on the brown tail. As she hadn't been paying attention to where she was walking, she was taken by surprise when her feet were suddenly wet. Stumbling over her own feet, she fell face-first into the wet mud. Picking herself up, she groaned when she found herself staring at the breadth of a vast lake. Her lead had taken her to another dead end.
She was about to turn back and concede to failure when she heard splashing. Her eyes widened when she saw a turtle reach the surface right by her feet and pull itself onto the grass. Unafraid, it actually glanced at her before waddling over to a rock. Maria crouched, curiously watching the creature as it closed its eyes. To her amazement, a pure white circular egg rolled out from the depths of the animal, followed by another, followed by another, followed by another.
After it was done with this process, its tiny paws kicked up as though it was struggling. Part of Maria wanted to help the creature, but she held herself back. Clumps of dirt flew about, dirtying the eggs and hiding it from sight. Finally, the turtle stopped and crawled back to the water, pausing to stare at her, as if asking if she was going to follow it.
Blankly, Maria agreed, crawling on all fours into the water with it. The water creeped around her hands and the dress that bunched around her knees and went in deeper, deeper. She was swimming now when her guide sank into the icy water. Maria sucked in a deep breath and swam after it. She could barely see around her, but blind faith had gotten her this far, so she closed her eyes tightly and pushed herself forward.
Though she was swimming deeper into the black depths, she found a sliver of light penetrating through her shut eyes. Opening them, she found the source of the light emanating from a lumpy figure perched on a rock. Strands of light seemed to be floating around the top of the lump. It reminded her of … but no … it couldn't be.
Alucard.
Refusing to believe it, she paddled her feet faster to propel forward. Her arms reached out, and as the desperate need for air began to burn her lungs, she pulled the lump close to her bosom and rose upward. Breaking the surface, she gasped for air and paddled backwards to the surface. Groaning with effort, she pulled the mass with her on to safe land. It was so heavy.
Pausing to regain her strength, she rolled the thing over and her breath caught in her throat. It was him.
Alucard's pale skin glimmered in the faint moonlight, but his once ethereal pallor had faded to a blue hue. His face, previously so hollow, was bloated. His skin was cold as … well, Maria had never before had the opportunity to touch him even after she had tried to profess her love after that horrible night, but she imagined that his skin had always been cold. He appeared … dead.
"Oh, Alucard," Maria sighed. Putting her palms together over his chest, she pumped down on it over and over and leaned forward to place her lips over his and blew breath into him. She wondered if vampires, even half-vampires, could even breathe, but didn't stop. She continued to pump his chest and blow into his mouth, praying, but not believing, that he could still be alive.
She broke away when something swatted at her. Alucard's hand had moved. His eyes fluttered open and darted to her face. "Maria?"
"Alucard," she murmured. "You're alive."
"Of course," he pulled himself up to a sitting position. Neither of them said anything while Alucard took in her form. Maria quite enjoyed it if she were being honest with herself. "Tell me, Maria," he said finally, "why have you awakened me?"
There was a soft tap on the door. Annette jolted awake and glanced out the window. Morning was breaking.
"Maria?" she cried hopefully.
There was a pause. "It's Richter," a low voice sounded on the other side. "May I come in?"
Annette hugged her knees. Weeks had passed since she had had a proper conversation with her husband, and yet she still wasn't ready to see him. But she knew this couldn't be avoided forever. "Come in," she said.
The door opened and Richter stepped in halfway, as though afraid she would throw something at him. The sight only made her hatred for him flare, but she quashed it. Richter looked as though he hadn't had a wink of sleep all night.
"Annette," Richter began, then faltered. He turned his head away, unable to look her in the eye. "I'm sorry." Every part of him told Annette he was begging for her to take him back, but she felt some sort of sadistic pleasure in making him suffer like this. When she didn't reply, Richter approached her, wringing his hands together. "I'm sorry for everything I've done. If I could fix it … I've been trying to fix it. That's why I left you. It was wrong of me, but I—" a sob escaped, "—everything I've done, I've done it for you, Annette. I'm sorry."
Finally, pity broke through her icy demeanor. Annette looked at him, this man that she had loved for so long. His words echoed in her head. Everything I've done, I've done it for you. It was incredibly romantic, and not unexpected. The Belmonts were chivalrous to the end, if not for their women, then for the citizens who depended on them.
"I'm sorry too," she finally said. Richter raised his head, hope and wariness evident in his watery eyes. "Oh, Richter, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blamed you so. I knew when I married you what kind of life I was in for." She gave a tender smile. "The fact that I was kidnapped on our wedding day served as a big clue."
Richter gave a hopeful, if forced, laugh. He rushed to her. Annette steeled herself, but allowed him to wrap his arms around her. "I want us to be a family again, Annette," he murmured, caressing her hair. "I want us to be happy."
Annette hugged him closer. Now that she felt his touch again, she never wanted to let go.
The moment was broken by a rude hammering on the front door. Richter pulled away in alarm.
"Open up in there!" a rough voice called through. "Belmont! Open this door!"
Panic seemed to grip Richter. His body went rigid.
"Richter?" Annette jostled him. "See what he wants." There was no response. Richter seemed paralyzed. "Richter?"
"Belmont!"
Richter held her wrists. "Richter! What—"
"Annette, listen to me," he said urgently in a low voice. "You have to get out of here."
"What are you talking about? Richter, open the door!"
"No, Annette, listen! You have to get out of here. Go out through the window, get to the woods. Follow east and you shall come across a hut. I built it for us, it will have to do for now. You have to get there and hide. Hide, Annette. Do not open the door for anyone."
"Richter, what are you talking about?" Annette's voice had adopted the urgency of that of her lover. "What's going on?"
"When I learned the Vampire Killer would no longer respond to me, I built us that house for us to hideaway in. The villagers will no doubt find it soon; you have to go there and wait for me to find you, and then we will leave."
"Leave? Richter, what about these people? What of your duty?"
"Annette, it doesn't matter. Listen to me, these people will kill us. They've turned on my family before; now that they have no use for us, they will do it again. You must do as I say."
"Richter Belmont, open this door before we knock it down!"
"I will hold them off while you make your escape," Richter was now scrambling about the room, looking for his trunk. When he found it, he began tearing through its contents, tossing items about until he emerged with a small hunting knife. "Use this for your protection. It's the best I can do."
Annette was now struggling to get to her feet. "I don't think I can fit," she said in frustration, gesturing to the window. "I'm too big."
"You have to." Richter pressed the knife into her hands. "Go! Make sure no one sees you. Give me a minute!" he hollered in the direction of the visitor. He pulled the doors of the window apart, then dashed to the front door while Annette tried to hoist herself through the hole. "Hang on!"
Checking one last time to make sure his wife was alright, he opened the door wide enough to prevent the man outside from seeing anything beyond his frame. His heart sank when he found that it was not one man, but an entire mob gathered at his front door.
The man who had been addressing him through the wooden barrier was Judge Andrews, elected mayor of their village. He cleared his throat and said in an official tone, "Richter Belmont, we summon you under troubling circumstance—" For a moment, Richter feared that the forces of darkness had congealed once again. "For several weeks, talk about the town has led citizens to believe that you no longer possess the power of your ancestors against the unholy." Richter surveyed the crowd and was met with a sea of hardened and mistrustful faces. "We ask you now to prove yourself once and for all to all gathered here and put to rest these disturbing rumors."
The crowd parted to reveal a large ox. He turned to the mayor, not understanding.
"Strike down this beast," the mayor commanded. "We are aware of the strength of your family's blessed whip. Strike this cow dead, and we shall leave you to your peace."
The whip was tucked around the loop of Richter's belt, but he made no move to take it.
"Why should I?" he demanded, gazing over them imperiously. "I, who have placed my life at risk to save all of yours so many times, and my ancestors whose footsteps I follow – why should I have to prove myself to anyone but God Himself?"
"Richter, this is not a joke!" the mayor hissed. "Prove to us now that you still bear your power – prove it to us and to our God today."
"Richter!" Horror gripped him as he heard his wife's desperate call. She was marched forward by an army of farmers who had her arms twisted behind her. Her face was contorted with pain. "Richter, help!"
A smug grin broke out over Judge Andrews' fat face. "Ah, good work gentlemen. Well, Richter," he motioned to the young warrior's wife, "may she be your motivation. Prove yourself to us and you and your wife live another day."
Richter balled his hands into fists. He had no choice. Taking the whip, he stepped up to the large ox, shaking with both anger and fear. 'Dear God,' he sent a quick prayer, 'I am your humble servant. I stood before darkness for Your glory. Let my wife and I live. Please God, let Annette live…'
Raising his powerful arm, he summoned all his strength, hoping it would be enough to knock the animal down. Sweat poured down his forehead as he brought the whip down upon its hide. The beast let out a roar of pain and reared back.
But it still stood as healthy as ever.
"No!" Richter cried as his wife's wail rang in his ears. "No, let me try again—" he raised his arm once more, but it was caught by several more frail ones.
"No, Richter," the judge shook his head in disappointment. "Then it is true."
"No!" Richter struggled, but his fear and terror over the fact that he had just condemned his wife to death made him weak. Men jumped on him to restrain him and eventually his legs gave way.
"To the gallows!" Judge Andrews bellowed. "Take them both."
Richter was dragged by his very feet and arms. "No! Annette! Annette!"
It was really quite remarkable the way the dhampir healed himself. Within hours, the swelling around his face had all but disappeared and Alucard was back to looking exactly as Maria remembered him. The only difference was that he looked emaciated. The bones on his face protruded through his thin skin too much. "I apologize," he said when he caught her staring. "I haven't eaten since the night I left you and the Belmont."
"It's fine," Maria shook her head. "I don't mind."
Alucard's eyes caught a quick movement in the bushes and faster that Maria could see it, his hand darted out and pulled out a small hedgehog. Maria's jaw dropped as Alucard extended his fangs and gashed them through the creature's soft underbelly. Obscene noises were made as Alucard fed, eyes closed in sheer bliss. It was animalistic, it was feral … Maria had never been so aroused in her life. Almost as quickly as he had picked it up, Alucard tossed it away, as though it wasn't just a life he had snatched away from this world, as though it were nothing. A long pink tongue darted out from behind white lips to catch what drops of blood around his face it could. What his tongue couldn't reach, Alucard wiped away with his fingers before popping them into his mouth to suckle on. Once all traces of blood was gone, he seemed to come back to himself and his features twisted in disgust.
"I'm sorry," he said a loathing voice. "I shouldn't have."
"No," Maria breathed, feeling her thump against her breast faster than she could ever recall it. "No, it's quite alright."
Alucard's features seemed softer now. Maria marveled at the effect the blood of one small animal bore upon the vampire. His face was ever more angelic now.
"So you tell me Belmont has lost his powers," Alucard mused. "Maria?"
"Huh? Oh! Erm…" she blushed. She hadn't felt this way about a man since she was a schoolgirl. How ridiculous of her! "Yes, Richter – Richter says that the Vampire Kil—oh! I mean, the whip … the whip, it no longer works for him," she amended.
Alucard nodded slowly, thinking of what this would mean. If this was indeed true, then they were all in grave danger. Seven hundred years, and the Belmont bloodline had finally failed. It was astounding the name itself had not faded into obscurity during that time. Alucard did not doubt that if Richter believed the Vampire Killer was lost to him that it was true; handling the whip was almost a second nature to the Belmonts. The fire and the rage of their entire lineage was contained in that simple instrument. If it had gone lame, there was something truly wrong.
He caught Maria's stare again. "Is something wrong?" he asked her.
She jolted. "No! No – it's just that … I noticed…"
"Yes?" Alucard urged.
"That scar." A dainty finger traced a curve along his cheek. "After all those battles in your father's castle, you never seemed to have even so much as a scratch on you. Yet I've never seen that scar before."
Alucard raised his hand to feel the blemish she spoke of, and their fingers briefly grazed together. Maria pulled back, reddening. "Sorry."
"You never answered my question."
Maria turned to him with wide eyes. "Excuse me?"
"Why did you awake me?" Alucard repeated. "Was it just to tell me about the whip?"
"No," Maria said honestly. "I found you because with the whip the way it is now, Richter doesn't believe there is anyone to protect the world from your father. Except me. And I am not up to the task. Alucard – I need you. I need to know that, should your father rise again, you will be there to keep him in check until we get this figured out."
Alucard nodded.
"Promise me," Maria insisted. "Promise me you'll be there."
Alucard watched her for a long time. "I promise."
"Don't do this," Richter moaned as his body was raised up so that his head may fit through the noose that hung before him. "Think about what you're doing."
The crowd ignored him. Centuries of fear and oppression had left the people of Wallachia as blind as they had always been to the consequences of their actions.
Richter struggled, attempting to refuse the rope. Through the corner of his eye he saw his wife sobbing as her head went through the loop. Desperately, he screamed, "You call yourselves Christian? Is your lust for blood so strong you would send an innocent woman and child to their deaths? You are no better than he is!"
"May your bloodline perish, and may they burden this world with the grief of their curse no more. We condemn you, Belmont, to the rings of hell!" the mayor bellowed over Richter's voice. "May the Lord God take you and judge you as he sees fit. Amen!"
"Amen!" the mob cheered. Richter's head was forced through the noose and the support of the men below him disappeared, causing the rope to cut through the tender flesh of his neck. Annette was already so still…
As his sight blurred, Richter shouted for her again and again. His throat was burning. Warm blood seeped through his wound. His sense of sound sharpened and he thought he heard a bang before darkness took him.
When Maria and Alucard returned to the town, they were greeted with a strange sight. It was the middle of the day, yet the streets were empty. Houses were boarded up and shut tight. The city seemed abandoned. "What?" Maria exclaimed. Alucard's hand flew to the sheath that hid his sword.
"There!" he pointed to a shape blackened against the horizon. They rushed through the distance. Maria's mouth fell open in horror. A horde of men and women lay at the foot of a wooden structure, massacred. Maria recognized the structure as the gallows at which executions were carried out. Corpses were strewn around it, bearing expressions of horror with various wounds marking them. Slashes across throats and holes at various points around their bodies decorated them.
"This is the work of men," Alucard commented unnecessarily. It was quite obvious to Maria; the cuts were too clean; from the amount of blood seeping through the masses, none of them had been drained; and those holes could only have been made through bullets.
"We have to find Richter," she decided. "Come on!" Alucard followed slowly, but Maria didn't break her pace, knowing he would be able to follow. Throwing herself at the door of the Belmont home, she knocked desperately, stepping back when it ominously swung open with a creak. Maria shoved it open, fearing the worst.
The house was empty. Maria surveyed the scene to pick out anything out of place but, eerily enough, not a hair was disturbed. A shiver went up Maria's spine. She spun around to find Alucard waiting patiently by the door. "They're gone," she said stupidly. Alucard didn't say anything. "I – I've got to find them." Her lip quivered and her eyes went unfocused. She felt Alucard's hand on her shoulder, but somehow his touch was not fully registering in her mind. Her mind ordered her to pull herself together, to not make a scene.
"We will find them, Maria," Alucard stated, and something inside her broke. She fell into his arms and heaved dry sobs.
Richter's body wracked with a hacking cough. Pain seared through him, centering around the circumference of his neck. Light seeped through his eyelids, and he groaned as he fought to raise himself off the unforgiving floor. When he regained his sight, he found grayed bricks with a small window through which the cold light of day shined through.
'Can this be heaven?' Richter wondered. Scripture had always taught him that there would be no pain in God's Kingdom, yet the ache in his body was nothing to the anguish of his heart.
Getting to his feet, he realized he was adorned in simple white cloth. His bare feet touched the cold surface of the stone vault. It was a simple room but for one conspicuous item: an idol, larger than life, had been erected in the corner. Richter's eyes bulged and he stumbled forward, hardly believing what he was seeing. It was a statue carved to the image of his great-grandfather.
"Hello, Richter," a dry voice drawled. Richter spun on his feet, fists drawn. A man stepped out from the archway and into the room, smiling benevolently at him. Like Richter, he too was dressed in a white robe. "Do not be afraid."
"Who are you?" Richter growled. "What is this place?"
The man opened his arms wide as though inviting the vampire hunter to give him a hug. "Be at peace, Richter; you have nothing to fear here. You may call me Barlowe, Richter. And this … is the Church of Simon."
Richter did not lower his stance. He stared in shocked silence at the man before him. "You built a church in my ancestor's name?"
"Are you not pleased?" Barlowe asked smugly. "It is my greatest work. Truly it is an honor to host a Belmont within these walls. You shall be Wygol's greatest treasure." He paused to take in the horror written on Richter's face. "You seem troubled. Do not fret – in time, you shall have a temple of your very own."
Richter took a step forward; unlike most men confronted by his intimidating form, Barlowe did not back away. "What makes you think you have the right?" he admonished. "Do you not know the dangers of worshipping false idols?"
Barlowe bestowed him with a serene smile. It appeared he had heard this argument all too many times before. "Man builds sanctuaries in the name of the saints; disciples who walked the lands spreading the word of Christ – surely God cannot fault us for honoring his very own chosen defender against all that is wicked? Oh, yes, Richter – surely a Belmont is more deserving of our prayers. And you – you who have entered the demon castle twice in your life; you shall be the greatest Belmont of all."
Richter tried to ignore how similar his words were to the proclamation he himself had made to the assembled mob outside his door. Barlowe was still talking. "This is your city, Richter; I made it for you. May it always be a safe haven for your kin."
"You are a heretic," Richter said darkly. "Tear this monument down; God will not forgive such sacrilege."
"Perhaps that is for Him to decide," Barlowe conceded.
Richter reached down for his whip only to realize it was not with him. He gave Barlowe a questioning glance.
"Ah, the Vampire Killer – yes, it is with us. There are no safer hands for it, outside of your very own. It will be returned to you as soon as you are able again. I'm afraid what you went through was a very traumatic experience, and we cannot allow you to leave until we are certain we have given you the very best care," Barlowe informed him. "Until then, I ask that you remain here. I'm sorry that we have no quarters to offer you comfort in. I would invite you to stay with myself were it possible, but the elders and I have decided that you would be safest within these hallowed halls."
"You cannot keep me here," Richter declared. He could easily overpower this man, that was evident. He would find his whip and leave – but not before cleansing the world of this place. He started for the door, but halted when the older man pulled a pistol from the confines of his robe.
"I implore you not to do anything impetuous, sir," Barlowe stated. "It might lead to a tragic outcome neither of us would wish for."
Richter's rage flared. He rushed at the man, but once again was stopped when the pistol went off. He cried out as his leg buckled and he fell to the floor. Red swept on to white and within seconds the entire bottom of Richter's robe was a bloody mess. He clutched at his wounded leg and muffled an agonized groan.
Barlowe knelt before him, inspecting the damage. "A pity." And he truly did sound sorry for it. "It will take a long while for that to heal."
He stood up and leered down at the fallen warrior. "I'll tell the elders you will remain with us longer than anticipated."
He shut the heavy door behind him as he left.
"Your village seems quite unfriendly," Alucard noted when yet another door slammed in Maria's face. She scowled.
"How am I supposed to help these people if they won't even tell me what happened?" she gritted. "I think we're wasting our time, Alucard. Richter and Annette clearly aren't in Wallachia anymore."
"Do you have any idea where they could be?"
Maria brightened as a thought occurred to her. "As a matter of fact, I do," she beamed. "Follow me. We have to go to the forest." She took the lead and Alucard followed her, easily keeping up though his pace was slower than her own.
Even in the middle of the day, light seemed impenetrable in the forests surrounding Wallachia. Breathing harshly, Maria excitedly led them back to the hut she had met Richter in. He told her that he had spent three months building it. Surely there was some purpose – was it to hide away in? There was no doubt in Maria's mind; Richter had been so paranoid over the state of the Vampire Killer; surely he had built that hut for his family to hide away from some unforeseen circumstance.
She couldn't remember the way too well, but did not want to let Alucard know this. Keeping a sharp eye out for it, she ran blindly through what she hoped was the right direction. Vindication rushed through her when she spied the wooden house hidden amongst the trees. She quickened her pace. Alucard remained a respectful distance while she slammed the door open. By the silence that followed, he knew she had once again failed to find the vampire hunter. She walked back out, her posture the picture of defeat.
"You are tired, Maria." Alucard said. Maria buried her head in her hands. "Go back to town."
"I can't," Maria's words were muffled. "I have to find them. I have to know they're safe."
"You have not slept since the night you came to find me," Alucard pointed out. "How much further do you expect to get?"
Maria's patience was wearing thin. Since she had found him again, Alucard had steadily grown to be an annoyance rather than the dashing man she remembered him to be. All he did was let her take the lead and indulge in his flair for stating the obvious, when he bothered saying anything at all. "Don't you understand? I have to find them—"
"You will," Alucard promised. "I will bring them to you."
Maria fell silent. Exhaustion was creeping up on her, and she wanted nothing more than to rest. "Stay here," Alucard said as though he had read her mind. "I will find you again, and I will bring news."
Feeling like a child, Maria nodded and in a stupor made her way back to Richter's hut. "Thank you," she said in a small voice. There was no reply. Thinking he may not have heard her, she turned back to express his thanks more loudly, but was greeted only by the trees that surrounded her.
Author's Note: I very much wanted this to be a one-shot, but it turned out to be bigger than what I expected it to be. Hopefully I can manage to confine this story within two chapters.
Thanks for reading so far if you have; you ought to know now that I kind of have an obsession with trying to give the Castlevania series a more 'realistic' feel; therefore, if you're hoping to see some badass fight scene where everybody flies and summons lightning, you won't find it in here. In trying to translate the storyline to fit a real-world theme, I try not to give anyone outside of those expressly known to be supernatural (eg. Dracula, Death, etc.), and even then I try to limit it. As such, characters have been reinterpreted; Maria, for example, doesn't shoot out animals as weaponry or transfer her 'strength' to others when they need it – rather, in this story, she's more of a woman with faith that God protects those who are good, and with an intuition that corresponds with certain animals. I think it makes things infinitely more interesting this way.
Anyway, please leave a review if you enjoyed the story, as it will always serve as motivation for me. Thanks.