Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story.
Author's note: Welcome to the side story to a companion piece, promptly entitled Hand of Fate – Resolutions. The series will have another companion piece to it before this series is all said and done. It has been something of a long time coming. But sometimes things can prevent your muse from working with you. Anyway, This story will make more use of a certain character who had a great deal of potential from the source material I'm using but was cut down fairly quickly after his debut. So this story will give a greater deal of focus on him. With that in mind, this story will go along with the main theme which is that fate is defined as something that happens no matter what. But if we have free will, then fate is pretty much meaningless, and a throwaway concept, something that half of the shows in this story have shown in canon to be true. Anyway, hope this opening act to Resolutions.
Bernhard Castle
Castlevania City, Wygol
Early November, 1999
Victor and Haniel ventured through the castle until they came to a circular room. The place in question appeared decadent and had experienced the passages of time. As the warrior looked around, he noticed a section of the wall that had ornately crafted dragons on the sides with a skull at the top. As he got closer, he stepped on what appeared to be shards of glass.
"What is this?" the warrior asked.
"Remember I said there were things you wouldn't like? This is one of them. Let me show you what exactly was here," the archangel said. He raised his hands, which were covered in a silvery glow before it filled the room. The glow disappeared and the room appeared as though time had no affect on it. He looked to the section of wall with the dragon carvings and saw a mirror that was glowing. Victor approached the object and ran his hands across the reflective surface, only to see that t appeared as if he ran his fingers through water.
"What is this sorcery?" he asked.
"This is the mirror of Fate," the archangel said.
"The mirror of..." Victor said as he reached down his shirt and pulled out the glass shard that hung around his neck.
"Yes. But this is simply an image of what the mirror once was. The mirror is capable of showing where your path can lead. However, therein lies a problem. The embodiment of the mirror has a tendency of subtly manipulating anyone who peers into it into falling directly into that path. And it doesn't help that there are others who follow the same operating motto," Haniel started.
"You the Fates? Atropos, Clotho, and Lachesis. What would they have to do with anything?" the warrior asked.
"As I said, they operate under similar notions. It wasn't too long ago that I found out from one of my younger brothers that Atropos has been working alongside Heaven."
"Is that really so hard to believe? I had read that Pan fought alongside the brotherhood and for God himself."
"It is when you consider that outside of my brothers, Raphael and Michael, I am the first one to find this out. No one else knows this. I believed that my brothers and sisters working with me have their suspicions but I've been instructed to not say anything yet," Haniel explained.
"You say this as if there's some plot to unfold. What would Michael and Raphael gain from this?"
"I don't know the exact answer. But it doesn't bode well. If worse comes to worse, I wouldn't be much of a threat to Michael, nor would many other archangels. Lucifer is a notable exception, as is Samael. But he's been missing since the rebellion. Which is why you've been recruited," the archangel said.
"I'm not only changing my supposed fate, but possibly others as well," the warrior surmised.
"Yes. Now go."
Bioquimek Corporation
Science District
Castlevania City, Wygol
Gabriel and Alucard were transported outside of the building of a large corporation near the city border. They looked around and noticed that Raziel was no longer in their company.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot stay here. There is someone powerful here who would detect my presence. You'll have to proceed inside without me. But you'll know when I'm present," the angel said through telepathy.
"Shall we proceed Father?" the younger vampire said. Gabriel nodded before he looked to his wrists. Using his claws, he dug into his wrists and drew blood. The second saw Gabriel's blood flowing around him before it coalesced and turned into tendrils that were coming together on his torso. The self-proclaimed 'Prince of Darkness' blood suddenly formed into his famous red coat, complete with black pants and boots, along with red gauntlets on his forearms.
"Would've been a nice trick to learn," Alucard said dryly. The father could only smirk and chuckle at his son's wit.
"We should proceed. There's a door we can enter," Gabriel said. The elder vampire lifted the shuttered door and the two proceeded inside. The dark-haired elder noticed two spots on a large cable. He cut his wrists and flung blood which had hardened and cut into the wires, allowing the door to be open. The two entered the next room but heard the sound of large and heavy footfalls around the corner. The two stuck to the wall, with Alucard peering around the edge only to find a pale hulking figure in red armor and carrying a large cannon.
"What the hell?!" he whispered so the giant wouldn't hear.
"It's called a Golgoth guard. Despite their size, they're very weak and not very bright. But beware of that weapon. It's being powered by a supernatural energy source," they heard Raziel said. Before they could do anything else, the shutter door suddenly dropped, which caused the guard to come investigate. The pair heard the foot falls and double back to the small opening in the wall which was covered by shadows.
"We'll need to distract him. I'll grab his attention while you sneak behind him," Alucard said before darting out from the alcove. Gabriel looked down at the rats and felt a familiar sensation. He concentrated and turned into a black mist before he suddenly found himself surrounded by rats and his stature very close to the ground. He saw Alucard grab the guard's attention before his son dashed to another part of the hallway. He led the other rats to another alcove around the corner and resumed his normal form.
The guard chased Alucard to the end of the hallway and shot a blast at his prey. The result was a large explosion of energy that nearly caught the vampire off guard if not for his fast reflexes. Alucard could feel the demonic energy that the weapon fired off, wondering how it was possible that technology was capable of such a feat. The white-haired vampire turned into a clear mist and slipped through the barred gate and hid in the shadows along the walls. The guard didn't know what to think except that this was a new being to give him the slip so easily. Unknown to him, Gabriel snuck behind him and levitated before he turned into tendrils and blood and entered the guard. Alucard reformed and saw what happened with eyes wide.
"Again, would've been nice to do something like that," the younger vampire noted.
"With your vampiric state, I doubt it would've been possible" Gabriel said through the guard's gravely deep and masculine voice. He awkwardly, if no clumsily, tuned and headed for the door that the hulking creature was guarding.
"Not the most graceful movements I've seen in my time," Alucard quipped.
"My blood is destroying this creature. I wouldn't have much time to manipulate him. I appreciate the humor son, but I would kindly ask that you shut up for a few moments," he said as he maneuvered the guard to the door. He approached a handle that was high off the ground. The handle lowered and Gabriel moved the guard's face close to it, seeing that there was a retinal scanner. Gabriel was thankful that he could see into the guard's memories when he possessed him. The scan allowed for the door to open and the creature had disintegrated.
Alucard went to follow but stopped as he saw the creature's cannon on the ground, and broken. As he looked at the cracks where the weapon was broken, he glimpsed a dark-blue, glowing object. After dismantling the weapon, he found an orb that held what appeared to be some kind of energy contained inside. As he held the orb, he felt a malevolent energy pulsating, as if it were pushing to get out.
"Careful," Gabriel said, appearing next to his son.
"What is this?"
"It's ensnared demon energy," the father said.
"Demon energy?!"
"Yes. Before the siege of my castle, there were scientists, scholars, and occultists who had encounters with demons. Somehow, they managed to extract the power of these demons and trap it in these orbs. But the power is dangerous. But these orbs have had others as you can see. Those same scholars and magicians had found that the energy is infinite and allows for technology to not only be compatible but to keep it working for an eternity," Gabriel said as Alucard thought on his words.
"What would happen if this power were used on a human?"
"The same as the technology I supposed. Whoever has it can use it for as long as they would want. How much they are capable of using depends on the demon I suppose. Why?"
"Raziel told me of a supernatural warrior known as the slayer. The first was a young woman in prehistoric times who had the power magically forced into her by a trio of warlocks. When she died, it passed to someone else. And so on and so forth, always to different girls when their predecessors died. An organization known as the watcher's council supposedly trains them. Although they don't do a great job since slayers don't last very long, especially working by themselves."
Gabriel looked to his son and brows furled ruminated on the tale in question. He had remembered coming across different records from some knights of the brotherhood meeting different women with abilities that matched that description. The records said that said woman was a warrior gifted with supernatural enhancements and that she was apparently chosen by God. The claims were dismissed by the brotherhood as Carmilla was the first to have been blessed with her unique abilities, and every member of the order with unique abilities were each blessed with heavenly power. Yet none of the records regarding the council and this slayer mentioned any such thing.
"If those men had done that to young girl, then must've been desperate. But that's still no excuse. We'll have to leave that for another time. We should get going," Gabriel said.
The two vampires proceeded to the newly open door and waited before they were allowed entry to the next area. Unfortunately, they found two more guards protecting the entryway to the next room. The two vampires heard the familiar sounds of bats squealing which confused before they remembered that the city was built on and around the old castle. Gabriel concentrated and called the bats towards him and formed black mist in his hand. He focused on the guard tot he right of the room and directed the bats to surround him. They obeyed and the guard was swarmed as the mist clouded him. The other guard walked over and help to swat the bats away.
"Go!" Alucard said to his father. The younger vampire warrior snuck behind the unsuspecting guard swatting at the creature while Gabriel climbed an adjacent ladder and climbed to the next room. The next thing it knew, it was sliced in half with a blade covered in a blue glow. Gabriel looked back and saw the first guard was suddenly bisected by his son's sword. He looked on in surprise as the swarm of bats left and became a part of him while the second guard looked at his son. The hulking creature was caught off guard before Alucard's sword was suddenly surrounded by flames and the guard was stabbed in the chest. The sword was withdrawn, causing the guard to drop to it's knees only for Alucard to slice it in half as well. The son looked up to the father and suddenly turned into a cloud and bats and reformed by his father.
"We don't have much time old man," he said before he trekked on the steel bars and landed on a metal platform with his father behind him. The two followed the path of the platform, taking them higher of the ground floor and to another hallway.
As the two vampires entered the hallway, they both stopped at the sight before them. They saw what appeared to be ghostly visages covered in translucent white clouds of their former human selves in their prime. The two figures smirked and turned to walk into the light that covered the other end of the hallway, causing the two vampires to follow. As they came closer tot he light, there were flashes of light with the steel walls being replaced with stone for every flash. As they were covered in the light, it suddenly faded and they found themselves in a stone corridor.
"What just happened?" Alucard said.
"I'm not sure."
The two proceeded walking down the hallway before they found themselves outside. They expected to see the skyline of the city, but instead found themselves staring in awe at the towers of the castle in it's former glory.
"What miracle is this?" Gabriel said. They proceed around the circular pathway and came to another door which they opened.
As they came to the balcony of the next room, they found a grand ballroom with a waterfall in the center. On the other side of the room, the ghostly visages, which appeared more solid, stared with smug grins on their faces.
"Look at them. To think that we would've become such pathetic creatures of the night," said Trevor former self.
"Indeed. It's a pity they haven't been ended till now," said Gabriel's former self as they walked away.
The two vampires made use of the large chandeliers and jumped from one to the next before they made it to the opposite balcony. They proceeded around the corner where they found a long hallway with the end being another room that held an altar. The two vampires could see a blue brilliantly cut gem on the altar. Before either made a move, blood began forming on the floor and heading towards them.
"Don't leave us my lord."
"You belong to us my prince."
The two vampires looked at the blood pooling on the floor and made a mad dash for the next room. The run was not easy as the blood caused the floor to break part, making them jump around until they reached the end. They jumped across a large gap when a giant stone golem containing the gem and spewing blood rose before Gabriel smashed through it. The two landed at the altar and turned to find the golem reforming itself with the blood drawing the pieces together. Gabriel stared at the animated structure before he opened his right hand, where a sword with the blade being made out of blue energy suddenly appeared. Alucard thought back to his first hand experience of the sword's power as he remembered being sliced and feeling as though ice had danced along and covered his nerves. Gabriel spun the sword in his hands before he charged the golem.
The creature had all of it's cracks between the stones covered in the mysterious blood that pooled it together. Gabriel immediately hacked away at it before the structure swung it's arm at him, pushing him away. To the vampires, it appeared as though it switched tactics as the blood changed to forming in the cracks of the legs. Gabriel dispelled his sword and his right arm was covered in a red eldritch gauntlet. He charged again and summoned a red whip that attacked the blood covered legs of the golem before the blood receded into the equivalent of a chest cavity. Gabriel jumped onto the creature, while summoning his sword, and pierced it's chest before pulling it out and making blood spew. The blood spread along the cracks, this time in the entire torso of the golem. The head looked at it's body before focusing on Gabriel.
"You'll never leave here!"
The gem that served as the golem's left eye suddenly glowed as the creature began stomping towards the red-coated vampire. Gabriel jumped and attacked the creature again, managing to stay airborne as he hacked away. Eventually, the blood receded again, making Gabriel hang onto it's chest again. Gabriel pushed the sword in, but had greater difficulty as if the blood was protecting the golem. As Gabriel continued pushing in, blood shot out in spurts until finally, the blade was shoved entirely into the stone with the point of the point pushed out the other side of the golem. Gabriel pulled his sword back out at the same time that the creature exploded, sending stones in every direction.
"You belong to this place. You belong to us."
Gabriel landed, which was followed by the head of the golem landing in front of him. Gabriel approached the sculpture and took off the stone and pulled the gem out. He could feel the power from the gem and absorbed it into himself. Alucard ran up to his father, still amazed that he retained his combat prowess.
"What was that?!" Alucard said.
"I don't know. But it felt...familiar. As if I had heard those voices before. There's something more to this than we originally thought. We should hurry and get out of here," Gabriel said as he saw the waterfall that would lead them out.
He focused his power and formed a blue ball of energy before launching at the water. The falling liquid immediately froze over, making an ice wall. The two vampires climbed the ice and reached the top of it before the ice turned back into a waterfall. As Alucard noticed the boxes, he saw one had fallen over and an odd hourglass fell out. He approached the box and picked up the hourglass and held it and felt a similar feeling to the ensnared demon energy.
"Incredible," Gabriel said, as Alucard turned to him.
"What is this?"
"It's one of Stolas' clocks. Capable of slowing down time," the elder of the pair said.
"The demon prince? He made these."
"Yes. And there's more. There are vials of tears from saints, said to heal and give life to the sick and wounded. The seal containing knowledge left behind by Alastor, imparting his knowledge off combat to whoever unleashes it. And the eggs of Dodo birds, who seek out nearby treasures. With all of these relics here in one place, if they're still in the castle in the present, then we have a problem on our hands," Gabriel said.
"Whoever would've unearthed these would have unbelievable power..." Alucard said.
"Yes. But we can think on that later. Right now, we need to figure out a way to remain to the corporation," the elder said as they followed the way out. Upon exiting, they could hear the heavy footfalls of armor clad feet. What they saw were two gray creatures with large single-edged swords, with mandibles extending from their mouths and large stubs jutting from their backs. They appeared to be in conflict with the visages of their former selves. The creatures stopped and looked at the two human-like vampires and knelt before them.
"My Lord! My prince!" the creature said before it was surrounded by the blood that chased Gabriel and Alucard.
"We will kill anyone who tries to take you away!"
The blood surrounded the two vampires and sprouted bloody tendrils that attempted to subdue them. The tendrils finally ensnared the creatures and dragged them under. The two spirits jumped onto the nearby balconies and watched in interest. The vampires arose from the blood and stared at their master and blood brother with piercing red eyes.
"You will not stand in our way!" Gabriel said.
"You're not our lord anymore!" the vampires replied.
The first vampire charged before Gabriel summoned his shadow whip and decapitated the creature, with Alucard dealing a horizontal slash to the other, killing it in the same manner. More vampires were summoned and the father and son duo swung and slashed at the monstrous vampires until only one remained. Gabriel summoned his void sword and swiped at his former minion, breaking it's sword and knocking it back. Gabriel leapt at it as it fell to the ground and let out a mighty roar as he held his sword ready to bring down the final blow. As Gabriel landed, he pierced his former minion in the mouth with his mystical sword, causing the monstrous creature to disintegrate into ash. Gabriel pulled the sword from the floor and looked to the two ghostly images.
"Who are you?" the elder vampire asked.
"That should be obvious, don't you think?" Trevor said.
"Hold on. You're not us. You don't even smell human. You smell...pure. Show your true selves!" Alucard demanded.
The two doppelgangers glowed white for a moment before they revealed themselves to be Raziel and Sachiel.
"You?!" Gabriel asked, directing his look towards Sachiel.
"You know each other?" the son asked.
"Yes. Your father and I go back a ways. Just as You and I do. But that is another matter. We know appearing as your former selves was...much. But there's a reason you needed to see yourselves as you were and still are," Sachiel began.
"We haven't been those men in a long time," Gabriel lamented.
"And there's nothing worse than a man hitting himself over the head with his own self-pity," Raziel said. Gabriel looked at the archangel as though he was ready to tear into him, but the celestial being returned it with a cool look, practically defying the vampire.
"What my brother means is that you have suffered more than enough throughout the centuries with the misery of never having eternal rest that should've been yours. But with the brotherhood doing what they did, it couldn't be helped at times. But that does not mean that it had to be that way. That's why things are changing now. You two will help change the world in a grander scale," Sachiel explained.
"And how will we do that?" Alucard asked.
"You'll see soon enough. But for you Gabriel, it means resolving your own past and finding your destiny. We'll guide you to the next place that you must travel. Go now," Raziel said before he and Sachiel vanished, followed by a door opening.
The two vampires walked through the doorway to find an enclosed room with a large circular wooden surface in the center with a cylindrical device attached. Gabriel seemed to recognize it and placed his hand on the pedestal where his hand was suddenly pierced, causing him to draw blood. The liquid life-force circled the rim of the circular panel before it opened and the material inside formed what Alucard could only assume was the rumored three-dimensional model of the entire castle. Alucard had heard from Fred that technology like this was rumored to be in development but found it hard to believe that it had been culminated during his and his father's earlier years.
"So what now?" Alucard said. Gabriel looked at the model before he heard something whisper to visit the city below.
"We take a trip. Downtown," Gabriel said with a smirk towards his son. Alucard looked at his father with one brow raised before Gabriel grabbed him and the two formed into a black mist that moved itself into the model.
Author's note: For anyone who has played and beaten Lords of Shadow 2, I had intended to use the story of the game for the crossover series long before the game was released. However, at the time, there wasn't much information except for what teasers showed, and I could only guess at what was used and how they'd come into play. So where as Gabriel has his weapons in his story where he shouldn't, I will explain that later on in this side story to a side story. Hope you all enjoyed the opening act to this saga.