So I don't get it. I've been recovering from a bad cough and so I told myself I'd take a break from writing. Sounds reasonable, right? Well read the works of a few other Castlevania fan fic writers and that inspired me to at least start Chapter 7...
Then can somebody please explain to me why I finished Chapter 7 sooner than anticipated?! O.O
Once again I don't own Castlevania.
Chapter 7: Training Time
"Mother where are we going?" A ten year old youth asked, adjusting his black hood as they continued down a rather vacant road to some unknown location that only his mom knew about.
The dark blonde stopped and turned around. "We're on our way to my old house Adrian. There's a few things I need to pick up, as well as keeping inventory of what medicinal plants I need to bring back from home."
He instantly perked up at this, golden eyes shimmering with excitement. He'd all but stopped going with her after the incident five years prior but with his hooded cloak on he felt a bit more safe.
The sword at his hip also helped as well.
True to his word, Adrian's father had began tutoring him in the art of combat. He wasn't an expert by any means but he knew enough to win a fight against any of the villagers in Lupu.
The two went a few paces more before arriving at a small wooden house with a few flowering bushes in the front... As well as a redhead and her son.
"Well good day your majesties!" Annie said jokingly, coming closer to the two with her son in tow.
"It's such a pleasure to see you both. It's been...a month I believe?"
Lisa nodded. "Just about. How's the farm doing? I heard one of the calves got loose!"
Annie and Lisa continued to chat, heading inside the house while Adrian and Mark lagged behind.
Adrian could feel the older boy's blue eyes upon him before the other went ahead, heading towards his mother.
Despite both of their mother's efforts, the two boys just didn't seem to click. Adrian was too shy and Mark...he seemed to know that the other was different from himself.
The younger boy sighed and looked up at the sky setting in the distance, wondering if he'd ever make a friend.
"I see...that is rather serious but I'm pretty sure I could heal them." Lisa said.
Annabelle visibly relaxed. "Thank you Lisa... It's just... I fear for them, truly I do but I also fear for their son."
"Son?"
She addressed Adrian instead of his mother. "He's a quiet kid. Don't recall his name. I think he's a year younger than you kiddo."
"He's weird!" Mark chimed in yelping when his mother slap his arm.
"Mark Bishop Jameson, how many times do I gotta tan your hide before you learn to think before you speak? And what did your father tell you this morning?" She demanded firmly.
Downcast, the boy looked at the ground and muttered, "If you can't say anything nice... Don't say it at all...but it's still true..."
Curiosity wormed it's way into the heart of the Dhampir. Was this boy like himself? Or was he simply an outcast? Either way he was excited to know that in a few days he'd be meeting the family.
Swing, slash, jab.
Swish, cut, cleave.
The sounds of a sword singing through the air echoed through out the clearing as the angry Dhampir took out his frustration through his training regime.
In all honesty he should've seen it coming for the signs were very apparent.
It had started with dinner. had fixed a rather delicious meal of ham, potatoes and carrots. After they said grace, the foursome had dug into their meals.
During this Adrian could once more feel Mark glancing at him, which made him feel quite subconscious. He wanted to tell him off but since his dear mother was watching he made an effort to converse with him. "May I help you Mark? Do you have a question for me?" He had asked as politely as possible.
The redheaded boy had stared a bit before replying with,"I thought you monsters only drank blood. What? None of ours good enough for you?"
Three things happened in rapid succession after that: Firstly, Mark was slapped so hard that he fell out of the chair, secondly Adrian quickly got up and stormed outside, thirdly Lisa had called after her son only to be ignored.
'I'm not that different...I'm half human and yet that doesn't count for some.' He thought bitterly as he upped the speed of his sword swings.
"Adrian..." He stopped, expression grim.
He had expected his mother but instead it was Annie.
"Listen...I'm sorry about Mark. He's got my looks but evidently his daddy's attitude. Calvin is a sweety but his papa was one of the Bishop's men so he constantly had a stick up his ass. In other words..they don't see you or your daddy for who you are but WHAT you are. I'm honesty quite ashamed of them."
"Don't be Mrs. Jameson. They are entitled to their opinion."
She smirked. "Oh yeah? Well we have a saying in my family: Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one."
Adrian choked before laughing, trying to hide his fangs but that became impossible when Annie began tickling him under his exposed armpits.
Said redhead thought it was the cutest thing but mentally she berated her husband and son. 'You two don't see a laughing kid...you see a beast that needs to be put down. I really feel for you Adrian..so I'm hoping in the future you won't have to hide that beautiful smile.'
During their exchange Lisa had traveled to the old house, taken notes, and met the two in front of the path to Annie's.
"You both are meeting Matthias in the forest right? Tell him I said hi!" The farmers wife said with a grin.
"Will do Annie and thank you for looking over Adrian."
The redhead gleefully hugged the Dhampir, his face being squished against her chest."I'll do it again in a heartbeat! Maybe when my pain in the rear is out with his father I can teach him how to ride a horse."
"That would be most appreciative." Came Matthias' voice from the forest.
Lisa rushed towards her husband, giving him a tender kiss, breaking it only when she caught her friend laughing and her son making a face of disgust.
She felt her husband's chest rumble with laughter. "Son, one day you'll find a wife so don't make such a face." He said.
Adrian relented. He hugged Annie goodbye and rushed over to his parents.
Before they completely vanished thanks to Vlad's teleportation they all heard Annie shriek," Remember Adrian! Assholes!" They didn't hear her laughter afterwards.
Both Lisa and Matthias stared at their son, who's mouth was wide open.
"What...did she talk to you about...?!"
Adrian, figuring he was already in deep water, simply replied, "That opinions are like assholes."
Lisa was sure her scream of, "ANNABELLE!" Reached said friend.
The next day Adrian awoke from his slumber, yawning loudly a he hopped out of bed.
After bathing, dressing himself in his usual black, gold and white attire he headed down to the training yard.
Only to find his father and mother talking.
He smiled widely and ran over to them. "Good morning mother. Good morning father. What am I learning today?"
His parents looked tense, not breaking their silence until Lisa said,"Nothing today sweetie. You and me are heading to a client's house on the edge of town. You remember the family Mrs Annie mentioned no?"
Matthias heard his son's slower heart begin to beat faster, from excitement or anxiety was anyone's guess.
"Yes mother. Should I pack anything..?" The boy asked.
"Hmm...no no. You won't need your sword for this."
"However I will give you a task. Your mother told me about last night and how you coped. This time I want you to meditate, even if nothing unwarranted is said. This way you can better be prepared to use magic. When you get back we will be practicing transformative magic. " His father intoned.
"Yes father." He said, eyes gleaming.
His parents turned to look at each other, both bearing amused looks upon their face. They knew that look anywhere. Like his mother Adrian relished a challenge and would not be satisfied until he beat that challenge.
It took them ten minutes to get a covered wagon and two horses ready to go.
Matthias kissed Lisa on her lips as they embraced before letting her go. "Call on me if either of you are accosted in any way. I shall be there."
"You worry too much my love." Lisa giggled.
He gave an exasperated sigh. "And you worry too little!"
Adrian was chuckling in the back of the wagon, body barely staying in one place from his eagerness to start off.
Lisa got in the driver's seat and spurred the horses into motion towards the other side of town.
It took them a good four hours to reach their destination, but in the end they reached a quaint looking wood and stone house.
Adrian poked his head out and looked around the area curiously. He spotted the distant figure of a young boy with short, spiky black hair and dark brown eyes.
The kid rushed over to them, eyes looking up at the two of them. "Are you the doctor...?" He asked timidly.
Lisa,getting down to his eye level smiled and nodded. "Yes. My name is Lisa Fahrenheit Tepes and the boy with me is my son Adrian. He's here to keep you company while I tend to your parents. "
The black haired boy looked up at Adrian and slowly smiled. "Really? Oh! Then follow me! I know this really neat place in the forest we can go to!"
The Dhampir didn't need anymore convincing and the two boys dashed off into the foliage.
"By the way I'm Lyudmil! Nice to meet you Adrian." The boy said with a wide grin.
"Same! So where is this really neat place?"
"Okay so you gotta promise you won't tell my mom or dad... But it's this cave that's supposedly haunted. I don't think it is though."
Adrian appeared thoughtful at his words. There were definitely a few haunted places in and Sotheb surrounding Lupu Village, but there were fakes as well. With his inborn ability to sense such wraiths and his royal blood, he was sure they'd be fine.
The cave was only about a mile away from the house and looked pretty ordinary...until Adrian stepped closer to it.
He saw the shaggy, gaunt form of the beast before it rushed towards Lyudmil.
It was Warg but, unlike the ones who served his father, this one's coat was shaggy and dirty. It's red eyes were filled with a mad desire to rip the boy apart and it would have.
Had a white wolf with golden eyes not slammed into its side.
'This is MY kill half breed!' The warg screamed in alarm and fury.
'I shall not. He is my friend!' The Dhampir howled back.
The two began circling, their eyes never leaving each others as they goaded the other with growls and snaps of their jaws.
Nearby Lyudmil sat on the ground, trying to come to terms with what he had seen and what he was currently witnessing.
He knew the white wolf to be Adrian, had seen the possible werewolf shift into his current form but...why wasn't he attacking him? Was he...protecting him..?
He was jostled out of his thoughts when he heard two bodies slam together with a horrendous noise.
The two wolves tore into each other savagely, Adrian managing to damage the beast's eyes but the prince recoiled in pain when the warg's massive paw struck him square in the chest and sent him flying towards Lyudmil.
Adrian scrambled to his feet, shaking off the blow before rushing back into the monster with a surprising burst of speed.
The wolf went down with the Dhampir on top of him.
The monster tried to recover but was suddenly struck with a blow from a stick. Adrian nearly got bucked off from the wriggling beast from how stunned he was.
There, brandishing his makeshift weapon, was Lyudmil. "Leave my friend alone you big mutt!" He yelled, striking him on the muzzle. The boy yelped in pain went the beast sent him flying on his back but again Adrian intervened, biting harshly at his neck.
The Dhampir suddenly found himself being shook like a ragdoll and thrown next his fallen friend. In a puff of mist a now bloodied Adrian stood in place of the wolf.
He noticed his new friend had fallen unconscious, a state he too would be in thanks to the blood oozing out of his right flank.
"D...dad...help..." He whimpered as the red eyed demon advanced upon them both with slobbery jaws.
Just as he was upon them the fiend was suddenly lifted up and tossed into a tree.
Their hero was a huge, menacing black wolf with rage filled red eyes. Without hesitation the wolf tore mercilessly into the beast.
Adrian smiled before succumbing to the darkness.
The mumbling of voices is what awoke the young prince.
Slowly he pushed himself up, crying out when his side radiated with pain.
"Relax Adrian. You took quite the nasty beating from that mongrel." Came the deep baritone of his father's voice.
"F..father... You came..."
"Didn't I say I would if you called me?"
He nodded slowly before looking around. "Where...am I..?"
"At the boy's house. This is his room... Lyudmil was his name I believe."
"Lyudmil! Is he okay?!"
"Relax Adrian! He's bruised but fine unlike you who's currently missing a good chunk of his side!"
He relaxed into the bed but tensed when said boy limped into the room. "Um..is he...well enough to talk sir..?"
Matthias grinned, getting up and heading for the door. "My son has already started asking about your condition. Best reassure him that his friend is okay." With that he took his leave.
The two boys stared at each other awkwardly before Lyudmil broke the silence. "Thank you...for saving me but...what are you..? A werewolf?"
Adrian chuckled and shook his head. "No. A Dhampir...it's the name for those who have one vampire parent and one human parent. In my case my father's a vampire and my mom's human."
"Wait..he was a vampire..? I thought they were all bloodthirsty beasts..?"
"Not all of us are. Me, mom and dad...we just want peace is all."
The black haired boy nodded, looking sad. "Adrian...mom and dad have decided that we're moving to Târgovisté. They...want to be where it's safer."
The Dhampir's happiness deflated but then he bounced back with an idea of his. "We can still be friends! We'll write to each other. Dad has a bunch of messenger birds so they'll relay our letters."
"You..really want to be friends with me?"
"No, I just took on a giant wolf, had my side taken out, and came up with this idea for laughs. Yes I want to be friends!"
A radiant smile is what he earned in return for his words.
After the two chatted for a bit more, Matthias came in and picked up Adrian. Lyudmil's parents thanked the boy profusely and heartily encouraged the idea the boy had come up with.
The family of three road home in the wagon, with their son waving goodbye to his new friend.
I wonder if anyone knows who Lyudmil is. If you don't the shortest answer is that he's from a radio drama that was the "sequel" to the events of Symphony of the Night. :3
Okay now I'm seriously going to take a break from writing and drink more tea.
Adrian: Do it you won't.
Me: You're right. I have a problem. T.T