Castlevania: Rise of The Dracopires
The Prodigal Godson Returns
Bus Seat Bubs pizza parlor had a billboard table and an arcade. The floor was made of black and white tile.
He took a five meat special to Eric's table. Eric began to eat and drink his Dr. Pepper. In walked Sapphira Menuhin, Queen of the Dracopires, unbeknownst to Eric.
"Hi Mrs. Menuhin," said Bub. "Any update on your Welsh vampire ancestors?"
"I don't think your teachers would believe it if you decided to put it in your Halloween project, Bub," said Sapphira.
Eric recognized Sapphira from somewhere he didn't remember. "Godmother Sapphira?" he said.
Sapphira froze for a second. Then she turned toward Eric. "Eric Samuel Olson?" she muttered. "You're alive?"
"Last time I checked I was," said Eric. "I haven't seen you since the fight against King Sarkphonius. Where have you been this whole time?"
"I spent my time in Wales with my twelve children," said Sapphira. "My daughter Sarah was especially worried about you. She didn't know if you'd survived the Grand Mal seizure. Going back to Texas was not worth the risk of seeing you dead. She'd be heartbroken."
"Tell her I lived to tell the tale," said Eric.
"What tale?" said a customer who just walked in.
"How I killed evil King Sarkphonius," said Eric.
The customer turned to his friend who also walked in. "Wait, that wasn't you Julius?"
"I said I killed Dracula," said Julius. "It was some darn kid that killed the alien freak."
"That would be me," said Eric.
The rest of the Belmont family came in baffled by Eric's accomplishment.
"How did you do that?" asked Sypha Belmont.
"It's a bit complicated," said Eric. "I won't tell you everything, but I can describe how I killed the monster:
So there I was. My back against a tree. Staring in the eye of the great alien beast. His crown looked like a viking helmet. He had wings like a giant black buzzard.
He gave me a stare that was colder than the planet Neptune. His eyes were just as blue. I watched how he used his distortion magic to confuse and disorient Julius Belmont.
I wasn't affected because my mitochondria doesn't have the enzyme that the Redzaks use to deceive and distort.
King Sarkphonius grabbed Julius' vampire killer whip and tied me to a tree limb with it. Fortunately I still had David Sydney's sword. He was my demonslayer trainer.
Using the whip I swung back and forth and back and forth. When I got enough momentum, I threw the sword straight into King Sarkphonius' heart.
Then he exploded and his head flew off straight on to the roof of my grandfather's cabin.
The last thing I remember is a flash of blinding light and then riding in an emergency helicopter that took me to a hospital in Tyler."
Simon Belmont then asked, "What about King Sarkphonius' daughter Mega-Mindy?"
"She was my enemy before and after her father's death," said Eric. "Her fight with me is just a bit more personal now."
"Why couldn't you finish her off as well?" asked Sypha.
"Easier said than done," said Eric. "She's very resilient. I've killed many more Redzaks than just her father. She's the last heir in the Kasder bloodline, the greatest royal bloodline of all the Redzaks. But she still hasn't found a man that qualifies as a worthy husband. So I guess if I can stop her from bearing offspring, I have succeeded somewhat."
"Wormtail Jenkins seems to hate you as much as she does," said Trevor. "I don't think he is satisfied just to be the right hand man. Why wouldn't he qualify as a husband for her?"
"I think it's because Mega-Mindy doesn't want to submit to Wormtail's authority," Eric said. "She doesn't see him as an equal. Plus, she's a megalomaniac while he's just an egomaniac."
Alucard, Dracula's prodigal son, said "It's apparent this kid's an expert on the alien demons."
"How does a demonslayer differ from a vampire hunter?" asked Sypha.
"Good question," said Eric. "You see, vampire hunters slay creatures of the night. Demonslayers kill things that are evil, by definition."
"Creatures of the night aren't evil by definition?" asked Sypha.
"Vampires are considered evil because they are assumed to be under Dracula's influence," said Eric. "I believe vampires are simply mutated humans, with the mutation spread through the blood of a carrier."
"You can't be serious," said Trevor. "Even Dracula denies he is anything like a human."
"I think Dracula has been telling that lie so long even he believes it," said Eric. "Nothing would annoy him more than to believe he has a lot in common with simple humans. He was far too arrogant to admit it."
Eric changed the subject. "Tell me, is it true he's supposed to come back to life during a lunar eclipse?"
"Yes," said Alucard. "The prophecies tell that when the blood moon arrives, he will come back at full power."
"Interesting," said Eric. "We have a lunar eclipse in October.
Sypha said, "Don't get any ideas, kid. We Belmonts deserve the honor of killing him once and for all. We've kept his undead spirit at bay for a thousand years. We would hate to see his demise at the hands of someone outside our clan."
Eric gave quite a puzzled look. Then asked, "You don't want my help? Not to offend you, but it seems like every time you supposedly destroyed him, he'd just keep coming back a hundred years later."
"This time is different," said Trevor. "This time we came back to life, too."
Then all the Belmonts left. Only Alucard and Sapphira stayed with Eric.
"They sure seemed very confident," said Eric.
Alucard said, "Unlike them, I would welcome your help, Eric.
"We Menuhins consider you to be an honorary member of our clan," said Sapphira.
"Thanks," said Eric. He ate the rest of his pizza and left for home.
TO BE CONTINUED...
