CASTLEVANIA
DARKNESS ON THE HORIZON
The night was still. Not a thing was moving. Well, not a living thing. In a small church in the hills surrounding the town of Smolst, a demonic ceremony was being held. The small building was filled with dark shadows who seemed to be whispering just out of hearing. Not a light shone in the haunting congregation except the small torch above the altar in the center of the edifice. Laying bound and gagged on the blood stained altar was a man about to die of the fright of his life. The murmurs grew slowly into a steady chanting; words not spoken for hundreds of years were hearing themselves said in a way that would have made any mortal shiver. Yet, again, these beings are not mortal. Suddenly, after the chanting seemed to reach its climax, it stopped and a deathly silence filled the chamber. The sacrifice looked wildly around him, looking for a clue as to what will happen next. Mist started to swirl around him; not swirling in a breeze, but swirling like an animal. The mist condensed and before the startled man's eyes, a figure in a dark cloak was standing before him. The silence was intense. The priest raised his arms above his head and started to recite ancient verses. He clasped his hands and, as if from nowhere, a wickedly curved dagger appeared in his fists. The chanting resumed and rose to such a pitch that the windows of the church rattled. Outside, a storm started to brew. A burst of lightning pierced through the sky, illuminating for a second the face of the priest to the man. The lightning struck again. The man screamed in terror. The blade fell. The chanting stopped.
The Adventure Begins... Smolst, Romania, Austria-Hungary. 1912. The car came to a halt in front of the town hall. Running up to the car could been seen the mayor of the small town. As the fat man approached the vehicle, he slowed when the car door opened. Stepping out into the cloudy March day, was a tall military man with sharp, imposing features. 'Ah, Commander,' the mayor said in greeting, 'you honor our small town with your visit. We-' The fat official was silenced by a wave of the Commander's hand. 'Let me get something straight, sir,' the commander said in a harsh German voice, 'I do not wish to be in this pathetic little community while there is a war being fought. I am here only because the Emperor wishes it. When my business is done, I will leave as quickly as I can. Is that understood, Heir Mayor?' Taken by surprise by this unexpected verbal assault, the mayor quietly gave an acknowledgment and ushered the Commander into the town hall. 'Please, Mein Heir, allow me to show you to the room we have prepared for you.' said the mayor. 'That would be most kind.' the Commander said in a sarcastic tone of voice, 'After that you will show me to your morgue to see the bodies.' 'Of course, mein heir.' From a distance, the Commander looked very militaristic and more than capable physically to accomplish his duty, but the young girl watching the two men from the other side of the street had some doubts about the mental strengths of the man. Only time would tell.
'Hello there, you must be the man sent to investigate our, ah, problem.' The morgue room was little more than a freezer with several tables. Standing next to one of the tables was a tall, thin man in a tattered lab coat who was addressing the Commander as he entered the room. 'My name is Dr. Joseph Kirst. I am the local doctor; and you are?' The Commander took the offered hand of the doctor. 'I am the commander in charge of this case. What can you tell me about the murders?' The doctor went to one of the bodies and removed the sheet that was covering it. 'This was the first one,' he said, 'a local farmer. 50 years old and in near perfect health. He has a mortal wound from a blade incision in the neck. His throat was cut out. From what I can tell, he didn't die for almost ten minutes. Poor man.' The Commander examined the body, pausing at the neck. 'What's this?' he asked, pointing. Kirst looked at the marks, 'They look like small puncture wounds' The Commander took a small notebook out of his uniform pocket and wrote the trivial piece of information down. 'Is that important?' Kirst asked. 'Maybe.' came the answer. When the Commander had finished writing, Kirst moved on to the next body. 'This one was a young woman of 26. She was savagely attacked by a wolf or something. Gruesome.' This body was also examined by the Commander and the notebook was again used. 'This one', Kirst said over the next body, 'was a local boy who was just found three days ago. He has two marks were his neck was pierced.' 'Like the other one?' 'Um, yes. Very similar.' The notebook was used again. 'Are these the only ones?' Kirst looked uneasy. 'Well, these are the only ones we have unburied, yes.' The Commander looked up from his notebook sharply. 'Unburied?' 'Ah, yes.' The doctor said, 'The other twelve were buried several weeks ago, following our customs, when Vienna ignored our request for an inquiry into the matter; and, as you can see, we do not have the best methods to store them for long. You can imagine, yes?' A small smile appeared on the Commander's face. 'Yes, I can.' The smile disappeared, 'Is there anything else you can tell me?' The doctor took off his surgical gloves and apron and headed to the morgue door 'If you will follow me, I can show you some other things pertaining to the murders.' In the doctor's office, the Commander was shown a map of the surrounding area with small pins stuck in at various points. 'Now, this,' Kirst explained, 'is a map of the area and the pins you see are markers of where the bodies were found. Unfortunately, I have found nothing similar or unusual. Perhaps you can see something I have not.' The Commander studied the map for several minutes. 'Are there any residences in this area?' he asked. Kirst looked at the map and wrote down several names on a slip of paper, which he handed to the Commander. 'These are the names of those who live near the murders. Most of the murders occurred on the land of Lord Nicolai Or de Rais.' 'A noble? Why would he want to live out here in the middle of nowhere?' The doctor looked sharply at the Commander and said in an accusing tone: 'You do not like us much, do you commander? You dislike being out here far from the battlefields. If you wish to be elsewhere, leave then, and we will take care of this matter by ourselves like we have done for the past hundred years.' The Commander merely grunted and left the room.
The trip out to the estate of Lord Or de Rais was a long one, and gave the Commander time to think about his mission. Several days ago, he had been in Vienna, when the Emperor had called on him unexpectedly. Without delay, an audience was set up and the men met. The emperor commented that there was some trouble in Romania that needed tending to immediately. While the countryside wisped by, the Commander fumed about his encounter with Dr. Kirst. How dare that Romanian scum talk to him in that manner! The urge to shoot the impudent man was only just controlled. The last thing this backwater mission needed was local trouble. The car pulled to a stop at the gates leading to the estate. The Commander got out of the car and instructed the driver to return in an hour. Facing the gates as the car left, the Commander started as the massive iron doors opened on their own accord. Cautiously, he entered the estate and proceeded to the main house. It was locked. Not just locked, but barricaded. Someone did not want something entering or leaving the house. As the Commander was scouting the surrounding land, a shout was overheard by his ears, coming from the surrounding forest. Drawing his military issue pistol, the Commander rushed into the dense underbrush, following the sounds of a struggle. Finally, he entered a clearing to observe an uncomfortable sight. A young girl, most likely a villager, was pinned to a giant oak tree by a man in expensive clothing. The girl was screaming while the man was laughing as he moved his hands over the girl in an ungentlemanly manner. 'Hey! You there!' called the Commander while raising his pistol, 'Get away from that girl, now!' Startled, both people turned to look at the Commander, the girl with tear-reddened pleading eyes, and the man with orbs full of hatred. The forest was quiet all but for the small whimpering of the girl, as the two men stared at each other. Then before the bewildered eyes of the Commander, the gentleman disappeared. After a few moments of confused silence, the Commander holstered his pistol and approached the defiled young girl. 'Are you all right?' the Commander asked. Shakily, the girl responded: 'Yes, thank you, sir.' She turned to leave, when the sound of snapping branches was overheard from deep within the forest. The Commander, quickly putting his arm around the girl's shoulders and ushering her out of the clearing, said urgently: 'I think it would be wise to leave now.' Looking quickly around, the girl hastily agreed. Together, the Commander and the girl hurried through the forest with the sound of someone big looming closer every second. Suddenly, the forest ended and a sharp cliff rose before the frightened couple. "Quickly, this way!" shouted the Commander to the girl. "Wait!" she shouted back, "Listen." Together, the two listened and could hear nothing. "Where did it go?" asked the Commander. "It will be back." said the girl. "Who are you?" the Commander asked suspiciously. "What was that thing following us? Who was the man in the clearing?" The girl looked down before answering. "My name is Carrie. I live in the village. I don't know what it was following us, but I do know that it was sent by the Count. The man was as well." "The Count? What Count? This province has no Count." "The Count Dracula." the girl whispered. The sound of the Commander's laughter rose out of the forest when he heard this. "My dear," said he, "Count Dracula is just a myth. He is not real!" "Oh, but he is!" the girl insisted, "That man in the clearing was a servant of him. He was a vampire who lives in the estate to the North." "Girl, do not smear those better than you, I warn you. Now, come along, I must get you back to town. You should not be here." Saying that, the Commander ushered Carrie back into the forest and they walked in silence for a few moments. "Dracula killed those people." she said quietly. "What people?" "The people you were sent to inspect." "How-?" he started but stopped when the forest opened before them and a deep trench fell beneath them. "I think we took a wrong turn somewhere," said he. "That is correct, Sir." a booming voice said from out of nowhere. Both the girl and the Commander looked around; the girl holding two metal rings and the Commander holding his pistol. "Show yourself!" the Commander shouted. "Very well." a voice said from behind them. They turned to see a young man dressed in regal clothes. Clothes fit for a king. Or Count. "I do not like trespassers on my land, sir." the young lord said. "I apologize, sir. We lost our way." "May I ask why you are this far away from the village?" the lord asked. "The girl believes that the Count Dracula chased her here." the Commander said jokingly. "You do not believe her?" "Well, no! Dracula is just a myth. Not real." "No, sir!" the lord said, shocked. "Count Dracula is very much real." By this time the two men were standing very close to each other and Carrie was edging away. She knew what was going to happen. "You- you can't be serious." the Commander said as the lord moved even closer, and a dark look came to his eyes. "Very serious. Come, let me show you the error of your ways." Saying that, the lord transformed into a beast and plunged his teeth into the neck of the Commander. In the midst of the Commander's screams and the vampire's laughter, the pistol went off. Howling, the vampire disappeared and the Commander dropped to the ground, rolled, and fell down into the ditch. Carrie, alone now, looked wildly around her and then followed the Commander into the ditch. "I wonder where this will take me?" she thought, as she began to traverse the trench. The Commander would never have believed what she found. An adventure.
The night was still. Not a thing was moving. Well, not a living thing. In a small church in the hills surrounding the town of Smolst, a demonic ceremony was being held. The small building was filled with dark shadows who seemed to be whispering just out of hearing. Not a light shone in the haunting congregation except the small torch above the altar in the center of the edifice. Laying bound and gagged on the blood stained altar was a man about to die of the fright of his life. The murmurs grew slowly into a steady chanting; words not spoken for hundreds of years were hearing themselves said in a way that would have made any mortal shiver. Yet, again, these beings are not mortal. Suddenly, after the chanting seemed to reach its climax, it stopped and a deathly silence filled the chamber. The sacrifice looked wildly around him, looking for a clue as to what will happen next. Mist started to swirl around him; not swirling in a breeze, but swirling like an animal. The mist condensed and before the startled man's eyes, a figure in a dark cloak was standing before him. The silence was intense. The priest raised his arms above his head and started to recite ancient verses. He clasped his hands and, as if from nowhere, a wickedly curved dagger appeared in his fists. The chanting resumed and rose to such a pitch that the windows of the church rattled. Outside, a storm started to brew. A burst of lightning pierced through the sky, illuminating for a second the face of the priest to the man. The lightning struck again. The man screamed in terror. The blade fell. The chanting stopped.
The Adventure Begins... Smolst, Romania, Austria-Hungary. 1912. The car came to a halt in front of the town hall. Running up to the car could been seen the mayor of the small town. As the fat man approached the vehicle, he slowed when the car door opened. Stepping out into the cloudy March day, was a tall military man with sharp, imposing features. 'Ah, Commander,' the mayor said in greeting, 'you honor our small town with your visit. We-' The fat official was silenced by a wave of the Commander's hand. 'Let me get something straight, sir,' the commander said in a harsh German voice, 'I do not wish to be in this pathetic little community while there is a war being fought. I am here only because the Emperor wishes it. When my business is done, I will leave as quickly as I can. Is that understood, Heir Mayor?' Taken by surprise by this unexpected verbal assault, the mayor quietly gave an acknowledgment and ushered the Commander into the town hall. 'Please, Mein Heir, allow me to show you to the room we have prepared for you.' said the mayor. 'That would be most kind.' the Commander said in a sarcastic tone of voice, 'After that you will show me to your morgue to see the bodies.' 'Of course, mein heir.' From a distance, the Commander looked very militaristic and more than capable physically to accomplish his duty, but the young girl watching the two men from the other side of the street had some doubts about the mental strengths of the man. Only time would tell.
'Hello there, you must be the man sent to investigate our, ah, problem.' The morgue room was little more than a freezer with several tables. Standing next to one of the tables was a tall, thin man in a tattered lab coat who was addressing the Commander as he entered the room. 'My name is Dr. Joseph Kirst. I am the local doctor; and you are?' The Commander took the offered hand of the doctor. 'I am the commander in charge of this case. What can you tell me about the murders?' The doctor went to one of the bodies and removed the sheet that was covering it. 'This was the first one,' he said, 'a local farmer. 50 years old and in near perfect health. He has a mortal wound from a blade incision in the neck. His throat was cut out. From what I can tell, he didn't die for almost ten minutes. Poor man.' The Commander examined the body, pausing at the neck. 'What's this?' he asked, pointing. Kirst looked at the marks, 'They look like small puncture wounds' The Commander took a small notebook out of his uniform pocket and wrote the trivial piece of information down. 'Is that important?' Kirst asked. 'Maybe.' came the answer. When the Commander had finished writing, Kirst moved on to the next body. 'This one was a young woman of 26. She was savagely attacked by a wolf or something. Gruesome.' This body was also examined by the Commander and the notebook was again used. 'This one', Kirst said over the next body, 'was a local boy who was just found three days ago. He has two marks were his neck was pierced.' 'Like the other one?' 'Um, yes. Very similar.' The notebook was used again. 'Are these the only ones?' Kirst looked uneasy. 'Well, these are the only ones we have unburied, yes.' The Commander looked up from his notebook sharply. 'Unburied?' 'Ah, yes.' The doctor said, 'The other twelve were buried several weeks ago, following our customs, when Vienna ignored our request for an inquiry into the matter; and, as you can see, we do not have the best methods to store them for long. You can imagine, yes?' A small smile appeared on the Commander's face. 'Yes, I can.' The smile disappeared, 'Is there anything else you can tell me?' The doctor took off his surgical gloves and apron and headed to the morgue door 'If you will follow me, I can show you some other things pertaining to the murders.' In the doctor's office, the Commander was shown a map of the surrounding area with small pins stuck in at various points. 'Now, this,' Kirst explained, 'is a map of the area and the pins you see are markers of where the bodies were found. Unfortunately, I have found nothing similar or unusual. Perhaps you can see something I have not.' The Commander studied the map for several minutes. 'Are there any residences in this area?' he asked. Kirst looked at the map and wrote down several names on a slip of paper, which he handed to the Commander. 'These are the names of those who live near the murders. Most of the murders occurred on the land of Lord Nicolai Or de Rais.' 'A noble? Why would he want to live out here in the middle of nowhere?' The doctor looked sharply at the Commander and said in an accusing tone: 'You do not like us much, do you commander? You dislike being out here far from the battlefields. If you wish to be elsewhere, leave then, and we will take care of this matter by ourselves like we have done for the past hundred years.' The Commander merely grunted and left the room.
The trip out to the estate of Lord Or de Rais was a long one, and gave the Commander time to think about his mission. Several days ago, he had been in Vienna, when the Emperor had called on him unexpectedly. Without delay, an audience was set up and the men met. The emperor commented that there was some trouble in Romania that needed tending to immediately. While the countryside wisped by, the Commander fumed about his encounter with Dr. Kirst. How dare that Romanian scum talk to him in that manner! The urge to shoot the impudent man was only just controlled. The last thing this backwater mission needed was local trouble. The car pulled to a stop at the gates leading to the estate. The Commander got out of the car and instructed the driver to return in an hour. Facing the gates as the car left, the Commander started as the massive iron doors opened on their own accord. Cautiously, he entered the estate and proceeded to the main house. It was locked. Not just locked, but barricaded. Someone did not want something entering or leaving the house. As the Commander was scouting the surrounding land, a shout was overheard by his ears, coming from the surrounding forest. Drawing his military issue pistol, the Commander rushed into the dense underbrush, following the sounds of a struggle. Finally, he entered a clearing to observe an uncomfortable sight. A young girl, most likely a villager, was pinned to a giant oak tree by a man in expensive clothing. The girl was screaming while the man was laughing as he moved his hands over the girl in an ungentlemanly manner. 'Hey! You there!' called the Commander while raising his pistol, 'Get away from that girl, now!' Startled, both people turned to look at the Commander, the girl with tear-reddened pleading eyes, and the man with orbs full of hatred. The forest was quiet all but for the small whimpering of the girl, as the two men stared at each other. Then before the bewildered eyes of the Commander, the gentleman disappeared. After a few moments of confused silence, the Commander holstered his pistol and approached the defiled young girl. 'Are you all right?' the Commander asked. Shakily, the girl responded: 'Yes, thank you, sir.' She turned to leave, when the sound of snapping branches was overheard from deep within the forest. The Commander, quickly putting his arm around the girl's shoulders and ushering her out of the clearing, said urgently: 'I think it would be wise to leave now.' Looking quickly around, the girl hastily agreed. Together, the Commander and the girl hurried through the forest with the sound of someone big looming closer every second. Suddenly, the forest ended and a sharp cliff rose before the frightened couple. "Quickly, this way!" shouted the Commander to the girl. "Wait!" she shouted back, "Listen." Together, the two listened and could hear nothing. "Where did it go?" asked the Commander. "It will be back." said the girl. "Who are you?" the Commander asked suspiciously. "What was that thing following us? Who was the man in the clearing?" The girl looked down before answering. "My name is Carrie. I live in the village. I don't know what it was following us, but I do know that it was sent by the Count. The man was as well." "The Count? What Count? This province has no Count." "The Count Dracula." the girl whispered. The sound of the Commander's laughter rose out of the forest when he heard this. "My dear," said he, "Count Dracula is just a myth. He is not real!" "Oh, but he is!" the girl insisted, "That man in the clearing was a servant of him. He was a vampire who lives in the estate to the North." "Girl, do not smear those better than you, I warn you. Now, come along, I must get you back to town. You should not be here." Saying that, the Commander ushered Carrie back into the forest and they walked in silence for a few moments. "Dracula killed those people." she said quietly. "What people?" "The people you were sent to inspect." "How-?" he started but stopped when the forest opened before them and a deep trench fell beneath them. "I think we took a wrong turn somewhere," said he. "That is correct, Sir." a booming voice said from out of nowhere. Both the girl and the Commander looked around; the girl holding two metal rings and the Commander holding his pistol. "Show yourself!" the Commander shouted. "Very well." a voice said from behind them. They turned to see a young man dressed in regal clothes. Clothes fit for a king. Or Count. "I do not like trespassers on my land, sir." the young lord said. "I apologize, sir. We lost our way." "May I ask why you are this far away from the village?" the lord asked. "The girl believes that the Count Dracula chased her here." the Commander said jokingly. "You do not believe her?" "Well, no! Dracula is just a myth. Not real." "No, sir!" the lord said, shocked. "Count Dracula is very much real." By this time the two men were standing very close to each other and Carrie was edging away. She knew what was going to happen. "You- you can't be serious." the Commander said as the lord moved even closer, and a dark look came to his eyes. "Very serious. Come, let me show you the error of your ways." Saying that, the lord transformed into a beast and plunged his teeth into the neck of the Commander. In the midst of the Commander's screams and the vampire's laughter, the pistol went off. Howling, the vampire disappeared and the Commander dropped to the ground, rolled, and fell down into the ditch. Carrie, alone now, looked wildly around her and then followed the Commander into the ditch. "I wonder where this will take me?" she thought, as she began to traverse the trench. The Commander would never have believed what she found. An adventure.