Land Of Castlevania: Dawn Of Revival

Written By DMarkRode

Prologue

The greatest of adventures, however plagued, begin in the smallest of places and times. This powerful world of swords, steeds, and sorcery, is at the peak of its growth. Steadily, this concentrated and shut in land had has its share of horrors that only mankind could dream of. With the fall of its greatest and upfront evil, the times for all people became a gentler one. People were finally starting to see the light, after years of darkness.

The Belmont's, once heralded as heretics among the church, now were praised as heroes. Their line of family had been devoted to their one mission; defeat the one evil that plagued them. The mission wouldn't be realized until the latest generation; Fredrick Belmont was the victorious one in the end. Frederick was raised as the praised Belmont; by his father, Leon Belmont. Leon's other sons, Victor and Henry, ended up being the greatest allies in the end.

Victor was one of the scholarly types, providing the Belmont's with seemingly endless advice provided to him by his studies. He was once a great priest, herald by all because of his apprenticeship he had develop with the country's bishop. Victor was also one of the only survivors of the slaughter of village Verdose. He opened his church as a place of protection to all other villagers while Verdose burned to the ground. Many said that his act of kindness and protection is what kept the church from burning.

Henry walked a different path compared to that of his two brothers. He became a knight of the church; a scholarly life wasn't enough for Henry. In fact, his father, Leon, who taught him personally while he was amongst the living, ignited his lust for a sword. While his fame was coupled with that of Victor, they both paled to the name of Frederick.

Frederick Belmont had saved the name of the Belmont's from being cursed as a worthless family who failed to protect. In the face of extreme darkness, his calm and clear mind always led him to victory. However, it was Frederick who brought his brothers together for the purpose that the Belmont's devoted themselves to. It would be Frederick who would continue the fight.

Part 1: Chapter 1

The midnight moon cast its rays of light upon the nestled village of Verdose. The village was gossiped to be a lost world, but recovered by the grace of god. It was actually the grace of a Belmont, who saved the village. The fires that consumed Verdose faded and dissipated, so the remaining survivors begun the long and arduous trek of rebuilding. However, the tale inspired many; so the neighboring village of Caber lent some of its resources and men to help rebuild.

The stone streets seemed to sparkle from the moon, most noticeably in front of the Verdose church. The quiet night was interrupted with the sound of running footsteps up to the church's doorstep. It was a man, clad in a cloak, who quietly opened the solid heavy doors of the holy house.

"Hello?" the man said quietly, which echoed in the main hall.

He went quietly up the aisle, surrounded by rows of wooden seats; crude in workmanship. He worried that the church may be closed, but then he noticed the dim candle light at the end of the aisle. Stealthily, another man came up from behind the light and into view. He smiled as he raised his hand to greet the newcomer to the church.

"The trinity is always open, you may come closer," smiled the priest.

"Oh thank you, I was worried your doors may be closed for tonight," replied the stranger.

He approached the candlelight and brought his hands to its warmth; the cold night had been cruel recently. The priest yawned as he walked over to the bench and sat down calmly.

"On a cold dark night like tonight, what reason brings you to my lords house?" said the priest as he looked up at the man.

Shaking his head, the stranger was hesitant in his speech. Slowly he turned around and smiled a shaky smile, rubbing his hands together.

"To be truthful, I feel like I just needed to be somewhere tonight. When I saw the churches cross, I found relief in sanctuary," explained the young man.

The priest nodded and smiled, " fair enough. I don't mean to pry, but is there some troubles at home?"

Giving only the slightest of nods, the wanderer came over and sat down next to the comforting priest but gave no word. The priest realized it so he tried to take some tense feelings away.

"You definitely wouldn't be the first person to find solace here, I've taken great pride to welcoming all. Tons of stories have been passed here."

"Really? What stories do you hold, priest?"

Smiling, the priest leaned back on the wooden bench and placed his arm on the armrest. "Well, usually I would say pick which story, but some years ago I protected many villagers from a fire."

"That's why you take great pleasure in giving wanderers a home?"

Smiling, the priest said, " More or less."

The small chatter went on for a while. The moonlight passed over the town like a watchful eye, its gaze all of a sudden blocked by gathering dark clouds.

"What caused the fire, do you remember?" curiously the man asked the priest."

"To accurately recall, I can't be sure. To be truthful, it all seems like a bad dream. And, like all dreams, I am thankful it has passed and I bless his greatness for the survivors."

The stranger nods as the priest talked, agreeing with the words he said. Eventually he inquired, "What is your name, priest?"

Smiling, the raven shoulder length haired man stood up slowly and said, " Belmont, thy first name being Victor."

Surprised, the stranger looked up, "Belmont?"

The priest laughed softly, " Yes, I am of the Belmont blood."

Nodding, he looked up slowly, " Then you are truly from god."

Victor shook his head, " I am only a warrior of god. Don't tell my brother that, however." He laughed softly and offered his hand to the stranger. The amount of hospitality shocked the young man; even though Victor was a priest he seemed exceedingly kind.

Standing up, the stranger asked, " I know you must be asked this constantly, but are the stories true?"

The priest stopped in his walk, sighing greatly then smiled a weary one.

"Most stories told in lore stem from some great truth, does it not? Whether that truth is an actual event or some truth the storytelling holds, I have seen my great times and been through enough truth."

Then Victor came to the man and put his hand upon his shoulder, "One thing has been made clearer to me, and that is the lord is the only one truth we can believe."

The man put his hand on Victors arm, "amen, Belmont."

The winds that were once gracing the lonely roads of Verdose suddenly ceased and quieted. The large, heavy entrance doors to the church slowly opened as the priest Victor Belmont emerged from them with his companion. Victor stepped out a few feet from the entrance to revel in the pleasant night.

"Calm, is it not? I have not seen a silent night in a long time," mentioned Victor, who then began to look all around him.

Stepping out to join him, the companion of Victor nodded in a solemn way.

Not hearing an agreement, Victor looked back at the man and noticed a trouble stare.

"What troubles you now?" he asked.

Only then did the stranger look at him with truthful eyes. His hand drifted towards his belt and pulled out a sharp edged knife. He brought it up in between Victor and himself.

"This, I'm afraid, was supposed to go into your chest. I am still debating whether or not to do it," he slowly admitted,

But surprisingly, the priest smiled and took a hold of the knife, " No you aren't, your decision is made already."

However the composure of the stranger started to shake from a hidden turmoil.

"You don't understand, I thought I had no choice in what I should do. But once I stepped into that church, I realized I would be sinning against god. I don't know if I could do such a thing. "

While holding the knife with one hand, Victor placed his hand onto the mans shoulder. Victor instantly realized that this man had a troubling decision, so he held no ill thoughts against him. Such random hatred for another person was not part of Victors way. Then an darker complexion came upon the priest, " But there is one thing you must do, you must tell me who is it that put you up to this task."

Raising his hand, the stranger pointed to behind Victor. The Belmont priest turned around to notice a small gang of people coming from the shadows. Converging from all sides, they stopped to form a half circle in front of him. Victor scanned each of their faces, but none seem to be familiar. They all looked connected since they had traveler's cloaks on and a breastplate for each. A total of five stopped and looked at Victor. The fifth man who stood in front of Victor was the most noticeable, due to his rich and formal attire. He wore a rich blue coat that extended along his back, a sort of medieval trench coat, although, a hint of silver from an armor piece could be seen from underneath his coat. His complexion deserves a noticed glance, young with short blonde hair and beard.

"So," the bearded man started in a disdainful tone, " Victor of the Belmont clan, correct?"

Victor did not move or respond, just stared at him trying to guess his move. Upon looking at one of the thug's faces, the look seemed to goad the intruder into some sort of challenge. He placed his hand upon his belt, undoubtedly for a weapon, when the bearded man shouted at him.

" You dare go against my word? Once more and your head will roll."

The scold seemed to make the thug even angrier but eventually subdued.

Then, in classic fashion, Victor smiled and took one step back while saying, " What reason would you gentleman have on intruding on the lords doorstep?"

The lead stranger gave a loud grunt and raised a gloved hand, "Since when are you so righteous, Belmont? You take pride in destroying others, I have seen it."

Still smiling, the priest shook his head, " I do enjoy vanquishing evils, that much is true. It helps make this world purer."

"You fail to understand my intention, Victor. This world is untamed; it needs leadership that will last. You simply could not stand the fact that my lord ruled all over the country, so you and your brothers crushed the dominance we had developed."

The priest of the Belmont's look intrigued then, as he pointed at the bearded man in disbelief. "Surely, you do not mean him?"

Overwhelmed by a searing pride, the stranger clenched his hand into a fist and announced quite angrily, " Yes! I serve the one true lord of this country. I am Stephen Waltz."

"Waltz? That is a proud name in the east; I do not trust that you served who I feel you did. He fell three years ago."

"By your hand, no less. I have come to see you fall this night. Do it, Talin."

However, none of the other four moved. Victor then turned around and noticed the stranger from earlier was shifting nervously, trying to decide on his move. Talin seemed to look from Victor to Stephen, back and forth.

"Remember," continued Waltz, " your families life depends on this decision."

Quickly Victor turned around to face the monarch, " You used his family? You monster!"

Perhaps too hastily, Victor launched himself with a violent attempt at Stephen. But with inhuman strength, one of Stephens's guards quickly appeared in front of him. Victor realized his move only too late. The guard caught him with both hands upon his neck, and then launched him back to the ground violently. Crashing on the stone before the church, the priest stumbled to his feet. He moved too quickly, for he then noticed a sharp pain going into his right side.

Baffled, he turned his head and noticed a new knife sticking out of his side. A hand was still grasping the hilt, Talin's hand. Victor looked at his former companions face, but his head was hanged down in what appeared to be shame. It was the closest thing to an apology that Victor would see from this man. Victor turned to see Stephen in front of him, nearly nose to nose. His eyes were blood red now, a vicious grin with pointed fangs greeting him. Stephen raised his hand and pulled the glove off, each one of his fingernails were sharpened and discolored. With one vicious swipe, four bloody scars were etched upon the priests face as the force from the hit made him fall to the ground. He tried to keep consciousness but the serious wound tugged at his spirit. It was then that they continued their assault, and Victor's eyes closed.

Days flew by, with nights passing at a slower pace. There was a violent rain in the last few days, but it had calmed for this current night; even though the clouds were plentiful. The few roads that were used for travel or commerce were still freshly wet.

One of the gates was safely guarded resulting in an increase from security. The forces were actually borrowed from Walachia province, which was a friendly neighboring land of Verdose.

Although, this night, the guards at the front gate to the entrance of Verdose raised their alert when they saw one horseback rider coming towards them. Four guards stood on their feet as the rider came closer, all four guards carrying Halberds. The halberds helped reinforce their stance as guards of a town, although they were difficult to use. The torches along the road kept visibility good, so they could see the rider clearly.

It was a man, well built in stature. He had shoulder length brown hair, which at times obscured his face. In an unusual fashion, his travelers cloak was entirely attached with chain mail on its exterior. It gave sheen to his overall figure. However, the mans left shoulder was slightly bigger underneath his chain mail cloak, probably from a shoulder armor piece. Then one thing catched the attention of the guards, he was very heavily armed.

Swords, knives, round shields, and axes decorated his steed. The horse was a great deal large as well, to accommodate the weapons. The guards braced themselves for the worst. One of them, the self announced leader, stepped from his comrades and came forward to meet the rider as he came up to the gate.

"Halt," belched the guard, "state your business."

The horse stopped in front of the guard and snuffed a displeasing sound towards him. The rider calmly responded.

"Don't deny a man his right to see his family," he said quietly.

The guard became flustered as he lowered his halberd, "Frederick? My apologies sir, I didn't notice you right away."

Shaking his head, Frederick allowed a solemn smile, "It's alright, Alexander. I haven't seen you in awhile as well. So you are on loan to the church as well?"

Stamping the halberd into the ground to lean on, Alexander nodded.

"Your brother was allowed to be a full fledge knight, I was stationed as guard for the governors house. Big career, eh?"

" You'll make it someday, my brother won't admit that, though. Speaking of which, has he arrived yet?"

"Oh! Yes he's been at Victors home with the doctors. I have not yet heard what his condition is as of late. His home is next to the church, take stride."

"Thank you, I will tell Victor you greeted him."

Snapping the reins, Frederick Belmont rode on towards the gate; which was opening according to Alexander's signal.

As Frederick rode on by, he raised his one hand in a wave. Alexander just gave a swift salute instead.

A light rain once again accompanied Fredrick as his horse rode on by the homes and alleyways in this uncertain little town. Even though it was night, Verdose looked unnaturally dark. Soon, the high tower of the church came into view. He realized what was Victors house because of the guard standing at the entrance, a dead give away to anyone looking to harm someone important. Just so the guard would clear him, Frederick brought his left arm into view, which was covered in an impressive gauntlet, brandishing the symbol of the Belmont's upon his hand. The guard hastily withdrew its protective stance and allowed entrance.

Leaping off of his horse, Frederick wrapped his cloak tighter around himself and stepped through the doorway. The candles were numerous in the front room, providing plenty of light. Frederick immediately noticed the Belmont shield placed above the mantle, shinning just as much as the last time he saw it. Then a great commotion was heard in the next room.

"I don't care, move!" the familiar voiced yelled.

Through a doorway, a robed person walked very angrily and shaking his head.

"Your brother is angry, just to let you know," he said with a heavy sigh.

"Usually is," shrugged Frederick. "But David, how is Victor?"

"Ah, I am glad to tell you of this, but Victor will be fine. He's resting in the next room, has been for a few days now."

Sighing out, Frederick placed his hand on David's shoulders and thanked him very gratefully. David had been a friend of Victor, a fellow priest in fact. Frederick was not surprised to see him here overlooking the care of Victor. Frederick actually preferred David, someone he trusted, to do it than anyone else. Then a loud clang came from the next room as a big-shouldered man came through the same doorway that David came through. He wore full body armor, complete with a knight's broadsword. He had blonde hair that came to his shoulders and a blonde beard to complete.

"Henry," Frederick said, "Please be more quiet since brother is sleeping."

"Yeah," Henry replied, " just David was unnerving me."

David turned around and pointed at Henry, "Be thankful god is merciful, since my patience is thin with you."

Henry threw his arms helplessly up as if giving up in the argument, "Fine, my lips are sealed."

Frederick nudged David and asked, " May I go see Victor?"

"I would advise against it, Frederick, I try to keep him isolated while he's resting. Oddly, his wounds aren't healing as fast as I'd hope. Even though he was recovered early enough so no permanent damage happened."

Frederick curiously looked at David, "How early was he found? I heard he was attacked at night."

Priest David scratched his chin as he continued, " He was. However, someone saw him and got help to him in time. Doctors were able to stop his bleeding and patch him up accordingly. They are gone for now, since his condition stabilized and I took watch over him.

Frederick smiled as he heard it, "Where's the person who saved him? I'd like to thank him."

Henry gave a modest shrug as he admitted, "I'd like to as well."

David was already drinking a cup of water when they asked it, so he just pointed to the next rooms closed door. Henry was the first to it as he shoved it open, Frederick calmly following. The room looked to be that of a guest bedroom, clean and not often used. One window was at the end of the room, with a bed set underneath it. On the following room was a large shelf, decorated with plenty of lore.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, was one middle-aged man with his head hung low. He had ragged features, an expected look from normal villagers. The man was also holding something tightly in both hands. His head came up slightly to see who entered, but it seemed to un-affect him. The lights in this room were darker, conveying the mood and features of this man.

The silence made Frederick feel uneasy, especially since the man didn't greet them at all. Instead, he looked quite solemn. David came waltzing into the room with his shoulders slumped, as he usually does, and coughed.

"He looks to be in shock still, but from what I gathered; his name is Talin," said David. Henry had already given up any patience and put his arms behind himself, stating, " Looks like a deep shock to me."

However, in an unexpected instant, Talin muttered, "Are you his brothers?"

Frederick could sense the serious tone so he kneeled down in front of Talin and responded, "Yes, I'm Frederick and he is Henry," he pointed to his brother. Immediately Talin interrupted and said, " Victor is a good man."

Frederick raised his eyebrow slightly, realizing the tone now.

"He is. Talin, do you know what happened?"

With an unwilling and involuntary shake, his hands opened to reveal what he held. It was a dagger of reasonable size, the blade shining but the hilt was stained in a crimson color. Instead of an explanation, Talin started to break into confession.

"I don't know anymore. My wife would never forgive me, but if I didn't see her again I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. My child, he is young you see and-"

His speech was halted at first by the overwhelming sound of glass shattering. The sound was harsh since it was the violent breaking of the window behind him and the bed. Pieces flew like erupting from the confession. Only until two arms reached in did Frederick draw his blade. The reaction was still too slow as Talin was whisked away through the broken window, his limps catching the edges of the broken shards.

Henry Belmont was already out of the doorway and out of the house the minute Talin was captured, determined to not let him go; especially during that hint of dread from his confession. Once Frederick barreled out of the house, he saw Henry pointing up toward the line of homes saying, "He's up on the roof".

Frederick raised his blade...