-- Chapter 1 --
Leonidas Xerxes Trevor Belmont was the epitome of a true vampire hunter. His long brown hair traveled in curling ringlets down his shoulders. His crystalline blue eyes added hints of starlight to an already handsome face. His chin was angular, his nose firm and roman in its style.
Aurelia quickly pulled herself from quiet reverie and returned to the conversation at hand at the dinner party.
"No I do not think Sir Belmont has a betrothed, why do you ask, dear Aurelia. Were you hoping he might court you?" Her father spoke in a teasing manner but his words struck home in her heart.
"Of course not, father." She said looking quite put out. "I merely asked because he seems to have no lady about him, next to him, or otherwise. Usually pompous sons of noble's have some kind of following."
"Now Aurelia, surely you do not think Sir Belmont is pompous." Her father said, in the manner of a scold.
"Nor is he the son of a noble lord." Said one of the women a few seats away from them. "It's fools blood that's coursing through his veins and make no mistake. Belmont's haven't been noble since that fool of a man, Leon, went off to the dark woods, renouncing his knighthood."
"Now Mrs. Bennett, the king gave back the title of knighthood to the Belmont clan after he found out the…err… situation. Sir Belmont is as noble as you or anybody else here. No reason to hold grudges. Poor Sir Leon had to kill his own betrothed because of that evil vampire. Thank goodness he managed to defeat him."
"Yeah, but with that he brought death's rage on all this country, don't forget. Now we have more to fear than that old git Walter Bernhard. Dracula himself is wrought upon us, and some say death has opened his creaking bony arms for all those that wish to join him and his master." Said an old man across the table from Mrs. Bennett.
"There is no proof that Count Dracula is the lord of the dead though." Aurelia's father protested.
A stern voice answered, "I am sorry, Mr. Braerwood, but it is true." The whole table looked up at Leonidas, who was now standing.
"As you all know, tonight marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Walter Bernhard by the hands of my late grandfather Leon. I summoned you all here to join in my family's festivities. That we may better educate ourselves in the ways of, and defenses against, Vampires."
A long, drawn out, proud guffaw came from a mysterious, white haired, stately man with a black waistcoat and a shining black cloak.
"A wonderful sentiment. Learn about them so that they can more easily kill them. If only all you humans were so intelligent. I beat your father, Leonidas. I outlasted him. I shall outlast all the Belmonts. If I should die it would not be at the hands of any human."
"How dare you come here, Dracula." Belmont yelled, growing angry.
"How dare I? I dare in the same manner your grandfather did when he came and destroyed my minions. But he did not know then that doing that only quickened my arrival here." The dark lord stood from his chair and walked behind cowering and uncomfortable dinner guests. Each of them said nothing, just gasped, as if it were not their place to get in between this. "You see, these people are why I am able to exist. Cowering and hiding behind small charms and faith."
He looked at a woman who was holding a cross in her hands and praying. "See? They hold onto these worthless charms as if they hold some kind of power." He touched the shoulder of the lady almost comfortingly. "It won't help you survive against my legions." The woman only prayed harder.
"What do you want here, evil one?" Belmont commanded in a stern voice.
"What do I want? Nothing, I came here out of altruism to deliver a message to my enemy so that I would not have such an unfair advantage. A fortnight from now a young lady will be taken in the night, she will be chosen at random. That lady will become my wife and queen of all vampires. Anybody who wants to try to stop me, my gate will be left open for one person and one person only." Dracula said.
"You wont get the chance, I shall slay you now!" Belmont yelled, hurling a diamond tipped dagger at the dark lord. It pierced his chest, and he fell to the floor. Blood spilled like a fountain from the wound as he disappeared into a puddle of it, which then disappeared as well.
The entirety of the dinner party looked at the empty dry place where the dark lord lay. Then suddenly bats erupted from every window, every crevice, everywhere; dark bats with red glowing eyes, chasing and nipping at people. The room cleared shortly, except Belmont, he keenly stood still in the one place so that the bats could not hear him, and soon they had left the same ways they had come.
Cursing angrily at himself for his bravado, he went up to his tower to retire for the night. Tomorrow, he would plan for the defense of the city.