Castlevania: Chorus of Discord
2018
Richard Belmont was driving home from work. He turned on the radio and tuned into his favorite channel. It was an orchestra channel. Beside the radio was a cellphone holder so that he could talk while he drove. Next to the holder was a picture of his family. His wife, LaKesha, was sitting beside him with a bright smile about her features. In her lap was their son, Clarence. He was two years old in the picture, taken in the year 2000. Richard's family was different then the rest of the Belmonts before him. When he announced that he was going to get married to a black woman he had lost his mother's respect. She didn't approve of interracial marriages and neither did his brother for that matter. Undeterred he went ahead with the marriage anyway. When Clarence was born his brother Jeremy came around and accepted that this was the woman he would be with, although it was a bitter pill for him to swallow. Their mother on the other hand remained hatefully stubborn, refusing to see her grandchild and shutting Richard out of her life.
"I don't think dad would have approved of your marrying outside of your race Richard," Jeremy had said once.
"I don't that dad would've cared Jeremy. Dad was a goodly person or is your memory too short to remember that?"
Richard came to a stop at the red light. He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out his planner. Today was the day he would go to his son, sit him down, and tell him why he had trained him at the tender age of seven. LaKesha didn't approve of these training exercises but it needed to be done. There was a reason behind it and today Richard would tell him. The light eventually turned green and Richard drove on. He had never imagined that the last thing he would see was that green light. Before he saw the car coming to jolt him into eternal sleep, his thoughts were on Clarence.
2019
A year after the car accident that claimed his father, Clarence Belmont sat in his room lost in thought. On the dresser was a picture of him and his father smiling happily. He got up and gently sat the picture on its face. He didn't want to be reminded of his father, of the way he was taken from him and how he was taken. The woman who had been driving drunk received life in prison. The judge who had been one of his father's best friends made sure of that. He threw himself on the bed and turned on the television. He flipped over to the HBO channel. The movie, My Girl was showing and it was ten minutes into the movie. Clarence scratched at his head. The dreadlocks he had done three weeks ago were bothering him and he longed to have his hair back to the way it was. A large puff. His girlfriend Felicia nicknamed him "her little poof". The door opened and in came his mother. She held a brown paper bag in her hand and Clarence could smell the aroma coming from the bag.
"Quarter pounder with cheese baby," LaKesha Belmont said. Clarence sat up and LaKesha handed him the bag. He quickly stuffed a pile of fries in his mouth, eager for the taste he yearned for all day.
"Thanks momma," he said after he had finished his first bite.
"Grandma sent you some money too."
She handed him a hundred dollars. Clarence took the money and placed it into his wallet. He then sat back on the bed and sighed. LaKesha sat beside him know what the matter was.
"I hate that woman for what she did," he said holding back his tears. "I miss how dad would bring us back some fast food and we'd watch a movie together."
"I know baby," she said embracing him. "I miss your father too. He wouldn't want you to be sad like this. You know that don't you?"
Clarence slowly nodded.
"Your father loved us and cherished us. When we see him up above, he'll have dinner waiting for you just as he did when he was down here."
Clarence nodded again. He wasn't in the mood for words although he appreciated them earnestly. All Clarence wanted was to see his dad, to have his dad, to have his family back to the way it was before his death. His mother sat up and walked toward the door.
"Well it's time for me to get back to work, you can call me if you need me okay baby?"
"Okay."
LaKesha left the house and drove back to work. Clarence sat back on the bed after finishing his meal and resumed to watching his movie. His mother was right. Richard Belmont wouldn't want him to keep being sad over his death but to go on living. It was an easy thing to say but hard to do. Clarence decided that after the movie was over he'd go and work out at the gym. He hoped that it would take his mind off of the matter. The movie was half way finished when he received a call from Felicia. Clarence answered it on the first ring.
"Hi is little poof there" she asked in a sing songy tone.
"Speaking. What's up babe?"
"Hi I'm calling to see if you're up to my treat tonight. I'll pay for the dinner, download the movie, all that jazz after you're done with your daily workout."
Clarence didn't bat an eyelash.
"That sounds like a plain. I'll bring over my stuff as well."
"Great, don't keep me waiting too long baby."
She hung up as the movie ended. Clarence got up from the bed and walked downstairs. Looking at the clock he noticed that it was 5:23 pm. He still had three hours before he scheduled visit with Felicia. On his way out he grabbed his workout bag which was resting by the door and shut the door on his way out. Clarence got into the car and was soon off to the gym. He turned on the radio and tuned into 87.7 FM. The station was currently Nicki Minaj, one of the best rap artists of the decade. He smiled as he realized that he tuned in just in time to catch the beginning of the song. Clarence looked at the day giving way to night as the sun began to descend into the horizon. It gave a beautiful multicolored view and the sight brought comfort to Clarence's soul as he remembered how his father would take him outside when he was little to view the breathtaking sight.
"I love you dad," Clarence said.
"I love you too Clarence," Richard said in his memory.
Translyvania
"Is everything ready?" one of the hooded priests asked. He was an elder priest and his voice was dark and cold. Another of the black hooded persons walked toward him with his head low.
"It is. The day we've waited seventy-five years for is upon us."
"Very good! Genevieve?"
He turned his gaze toward the black robed woman. She stepped forward with an evil and willing smile.
"I'm ready."
"And of your virginity?"
"No man or woman has ever touched me I assure you. My purity is true my lord."
"Then we shall begin," he said. "Remove your clothing and lay upon the altar."
Genevieve did as she was told. Naked, she lay upon the altar with a gleam of gladness in her eye. Three men with large swords came into the room, each dressed in black robes. The elder priest nodded his consent and beckoned for the men to approach. One of them handed him a golden goblet which he took, then approached the nude woman upon the altar. In his hand was a dagger.
"My lord, we offer you the blood of this virgin. Drink of it and grace us with your presence!"
The priest slit her wrist and her blood flowed freely into the goblet. Then, he approached a worn, wooden coffin. Within the coffin he could see a skeleton. On the skeleton was of course a skull and the skull contained two large teeth.
Fangs.
The priest poured the blood within the coffin and he stepped back. He instructed the other members to recite the ritual. Genevieve sat from the altar and walked toward the coffin joining the member in the recitation. Then she stopped, as if arrested by an unseen force. The coffin rose into the air with an unholy light and thunder rumbled loudly. The priest and the other members stepped back as the coffin burst into pieces. Genevieve's body was rattled with splinters and she fell moaning in pain upon the floor. A figure dressed in red and black slowly descended to the floor. It had gray hair and red gleaming eyes. They scanned the area and saw the men kneeling down before him. The priest stepped respectfully toward the figure keeping his head low.
"Welcome Lord Dracula, we are pleased to have the honor of serving you."
His eyes narrowed.
"Is that correct? You are pleased to serve me?"
"Yes my lord."
"Then your first task is to sedate my hunger!"
He grabbed the priest by the throat, jerked him toward him then bit fiercely into his neck. The priest couldn't even scream as he felt his blood being drained from his neck. The other members, frightened by this began to flee. Dracula wouldn't have any of it. The doors were shut fast and the members tried desperately to open them. Once finished, Dracula brutally threw the priest to the floor beside the body of Genevieve and peered hatefully at the frantic members.
"You've brought me back to this pathetic world and you think I've use for Humans? You are only as good to me as your blood!"
As Dracula stalked the members within the building, the only sound within were the screams of the dying. After he had had his fill his mind turned to two things. The first was to head back to his castle and get things in order. The second was to ensure his victory in conquering the world. To do that he must erase his enemy from the Earth, the Belmonts.