Someone Like You

Chapter 1

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

Leon Belmont x OC

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Although my footsteps fell silent against the soft soil beneath me, the harsh clanking of my sword against the metal armor on my thighs echoed through the dark forest. It bounced between the nearly dead trees before finally settling in my ear canals. I grimaced at the fact that any chance I had at a stealthy approach was now lost in the wind, and I prayed that nothing would jump out at me from the recesses of the dark. My fingers were interwoven with the leather binding on the hilt of my knife, and I found my grip got a little tighter with each stride. I could feel my heart hammering against my breastplate like an animal ready to escape from a locked cage, but I kept up my pace as I hurried towards the castle on the horizon.

The forest, which was locked in eternal darkness, seemed to be closing in from all sides. The tree branches resembled arms reaching out for me, as if they were going to capture me for their lord of the night, and the roots started to take on the appearance of slithering serpents ready to strike. A wolf howled in the distance, notifying me that I was indeed not alone in these murky backwoods. I felt a chill shoot up my spine, but I persisted through the darkness.

The air was extremely crisp and rather chilly for a summer's night, and my throat burned with every breath I drew in. I could see puffs of air forming when I exhaled, just like if it were wintertime. The powers of the castle had already leaked into the forest and soil, causing the air to become cold and the light to retreat even farther than usual. That was probably the reason why it was so hard to see around me. It almost pitch black beneath the overhang of the foliage, save the moonlight that glowed from the large harvest moon that loomed in the distance. Even that was dim, though.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, I reached the edge of the forest. I screeched to a halt, and my feet skid a few inches in the gravel. When I looked up, all I could see was the large looming silhouette of the castle. There were several towers, and it looked like it was the biggest construct in all of Eastern Europe. My mouth dropped open in awe at the sheer size of the keep, and I felt my heart drop deep into my stomach. I could feel a sense of dread slowly spreading across my body as I stared up at the massive monument. How was I going to be able to find Annette? This castle was huge, and it would take me days to search every inch of the enormous fortress by myself. I had to find her before it was too late.

Women had recently started going missing from the city, and not a single one of them had returned. No bodies had been found yet, either. They only went missing during the night, and not a single person had witnessed the disappearances. It didn't take me long to figure out that all of the missing women were being taken to Walter Bernhard's castle on the other side of the Forest of Eternal Night. He was rumored to be a vampire, from what I had heard. No one believed me when I told them what I had learned, since I was new to the area, but that didn't stop me from taking up arms to rescue my friend. If Walter Bernhard was a real vampire, that meant that he was kidnapping these women to turn them into his undead brides or to bleed them dry as a food source. I couldn't let Annette suffer either of those terrible fates.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and slowly exhaled as I attempted to focus. It was now or never, I told myself. Just as I was about to make the trek uphill to the large wooden front door of the castle, I heard fast approaching footsteps coming from behind me. I jerked my body around just in time to see a blonde haired man stumbling out of the forest, clearly jarred from the darkness and chilly air that had barraged him.

I raised my sword at him, "Who goes there," I shouted out. The man looked like he was in a heavy daze, so I repeated myself a little louder this time. My words seemed to snap him out of his trance, and he cautiously approached me. He stopped about ten feet away, and started reaching for where his sword would normally be. I guess he had forgotten there wasn't anything there. We locked eyes, but neither of us said anything at first.

After a few moments of analyzing him, I raised my sword ever so slightly, pointing the tip at a crest displayed on his blouse.

"That insignia. You align yourself with the Church?"

He nodded automatically, as if he was asked this question a lot, but then quickly shook his head.

"No, not anymore. As of today, I have renounced my title as baron to come here and rescue my betrothed."

I raised an eyebrow at his words, but I didn't lower my sword or my guard.

"Your betrothed, you say? She, too, was kidnapped by Walter Bernhard?"

He nodded again, and his blonde hair shifted gently in the wind. Soft yellow curls were layered on his head, like none I had ever seen before.

"What, may I ask, are you doing here?" He inquired as he tapped his slender fingers against his belt.

"I, too, have come to rescue someone. A friend, mind you. She was taken from the city just two nights ago, and she has not been seen since then. One of many women kidnapped, it seems. Her name is Annette Radford, of House Radford."

He cocked his head to the side, "House Radford? I know the family quite well, as I have served the Church with many of their young men. They are all fine gentlemen."

I furrowed my brows, "Enough of the Church! Who exactly are you?"

"Leon Belmont, of House Belmont. At your service, m'lady."

I sharply inhaled. I was talking to THE Baron Leon Belmont? The stories say that his combat skills are second to none. He has been hailed as a hero for several years, from what I have been told by many people from the city.

"Leon Belmont, you say? I have heard the name many a times in the nearby villages. You are quite famous these days, for both good and bad reasons it seems."

He scoffed at me, "And who are you? You have yet to introduce yourself."

I quickly sheathed my blade and took a step closer to him, "My apologies. I am Felicity Thurstan, of House Thurstan. At your service, Lord Belmont."

I gave a small bow as his name left my lips.

He waved his hand swiftly, "You no longer have to use that formality. I renounced my title."

I shrugged, "You may have renounced your title, but that cannot erase your fame. Your reputation precedes you, as I have heard many stories of your exploits as a knight. However, I dislike that your fame was created through your persecution of heretics. I would further respect you if the circumstances were different."

He gave me a confused look.

"What could you possibly mean?"

I scoffed at him, "It is not that I am a heretic, perse, but I am adamantly displeased with what the Church has been doing as of late. Burning citizens at the stake for "witchcraft" and other absurd accusations has been my main concern. I also understand that there is now such a thing as the "crusades," which is being spearheaded by none other than the Church. I have heard of mass genocide, and whole cities being leveled by fire and war. It strikes me as odd that it is happening. I am quite surprised that you did not renounce your title sooner."

My words seemed to enrage him, and he quickly turned to walk away. His red cape fluttered gracefully behind him. His boots clanked against the gravel as he marched a few steps further away.

"I do not need a reminder of my sins," He barked at me, "I killed in the name of God, for the Church, but I was so loyal to my faith that I failed to see what I was really doing. I struck down anyone the Church deemed a heretic, and I did so blindly, without question. My blade and my hands are stained with the blood of innocent lives, and there is nothing that I can do to change that. I must live with that for the rest of my life."

I almost felt bad for him. It must be incredibly hard to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, but it must be even harder to harbor such burdens.

"Lord Belmont, everyone has committed at least one sin in their life. No one is perfect. But, it is what you do with the guilt of that sin that defines you. Use that guilt to save lives, rather than take them."

We both fell quiet, and I pondered on what to do next.

"If you are going into the castle to save your betrothed, we should at least work together. Two swords are better than one, and I have not an inkling of what we might face in there. I suspected we may cross paths with demons and beasts of the likes to which we have never seen. Is this an acceptable proposal?"

His face showed an ounce of reluctance, and I quickly realized why.

"If you are hesitant because I am a woman, you can cast your doubts aside. I was born into a family of warriors, and I was trained to fight at a very young age. I fair just fine on the battlefield."

A red tinge lit up his cheeks in embarrassment, and for a brief moment, he seemed like just another normal person.