This is more of a filler chapter, so nothing real exciting happens here. I included a few references to "Lament of Innocence", to help Alucard explain his father's past to Livana.
Enjoy!
The Castle gate closed slowly as Alucard and Livana strode away from the cursed bastion, down a small dirt road that lead to a forest.
"What kind of book is that?" Livana asked Alucard, noticing him flipping through the lengthy tome.
"A book of Alchemy," Alucard replied. "And it's very old too."
"How old exactly do you think it is?" Livana questioned.
Alucard examined the cover and the pages carefully. "I'd say… about 700 years old."
"Wow…"Livana said. "So why did you take it?"
"Alchemy is a very complex science," Alucard said. "Many things can be accomplished with it. You never know when we would need it."
"Can I see it?" Livana asked curiously.
"Sure," Alucard said. "By all means."
Livana took the book, holding it like she never laid her paws on a book before. She struggled to keep the volume balanced on her palm while flipping through the pages with the other.
"Is this the first time you held a book?" Alucard said nicely.
"It is actually." Livana admitted.
xxxx
Why is Castlevania still standing? Why is the Inverted Castle still there as well? Richter had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Richter," Maria asked. "What's going on? Did Alucard defeat Dracula?"
If both of the castles were still standing, then that could only mean Dracula killed Alucard and finally escaped to the outside world.
"I…I don't know." Richter replied.
Then he heard voices; two of them, and he swore one was Alucard's.
"I think I hear Alucard." Richter said, but he was suspicious of the other voice. "Wait here."
Richter went to the source to see for sure if Alucard survived, and for an explanation.
xxxx
Livana gave the book back to Alucard.
"Alchemy sure is complicated." Livana said.
"Alchemy is a useful tool, but it can also be used for evil." Alucard said.
"How so?" Livana said.
"The last time someone tried to make the Philosopher's Stone, it resulted in the Crimson Stone and the Ebony Stone."
"What are those?" Livana asked.
"Only the most valuable treasures of the vampires. The Crimson Stone grants the holder the power of eternal life, but only when it is completed with the sole of a vampire. It also grants the holder the power to control Death himself."
"Amazing," Livana breathed. "What about the Ebony Stone?"
"The Ebony Stone," Alucard continued. "Isn't as powerful as the Crimson Stone, but it does make the surrounding area, within a 3 mile radius, become a pitch dark night. Its last documented use was by the vampire Walter Bernhard.
"In the year 1094," Alucard continued. "There were two noble knights named Leon Belmont and Mathias Cronqvist. Leon was a handsome young man who was about to be married to his beautiful fiancé, Sara Trantoul, but she was kidnapped by, according to Mathias, a vampire named Walter Bernhard. Mathias had lost his wife to illness while he was in the first Crusade, and wanted revenge on God for taking her away. When Leon defeated Walter, Death absorbed his soul and completed the Crimson Stone, turning Mathias into a vampire and giving him eternal life, making him the man he is today, Count Vlad Tepes Dracula."
Livana was amazed at how much of Dracula's past he knew, and that Dracula was previously another person.
"How do you know so much about what happened almost 700 years ago?" Livana wondered.
"When I was a child I used to read my father's personal journal, and his life as Mathias were the earliest entries." Alucard said.
"Look out Alucard!" A voice suddenly yelled.
A blue flash knocked Livana to the ground and Richter was on top of her.
"Richter!" Alucard cried. "What are you doing?"
Richter pulled a dagger out of his pocket, an angry look on his face.
"Prepare to die servant of Dracula!" he yelled.
"Richter stop!" Alucard shouted, grabbing Richter's shoulders. "She's a friend!"
Richter turned and looked at Alucard. "What? A friend?" Richter looked back at Livana.
"Would you please get off me?" Livana said, squirming under him.
Richter got off her. Livana stood, brushing dirt off her fur. "How is this…werewolf a friend?" Richter asked, still very confused.
"Well…" Alucard said, rubbing the back of his head. "It's hard to explain how it happened but we became friends in the castle." Alucard didn't want to explain all that happened to Richter now.
"But isn't she a servant of Dracula?" Richter said.
"No." Livana said. "I am no longer of servant of his."
"But isn't a friendship between a vampire and a werewolf forbid by the werewolf and vampire codes?"
"Yes it is actually," Alucard said. "But all codes are broken at some point."
"Hmm…" Richter said, crossing his arms. "So werewolf, do you have a name?"
Livana growled at him.
"Richter," Alucard said. "This is Livana."
Richter smiled. "Nice name. I like it."
"Livana, this is Richter Belmont." Alucard continued.
"So this is the legendary vampire killer," Livana said. "Nice to meet you." She held out her paw.
"Same here." Richter said, shaking her paw. "You're certainly the first werewolf I've ever talked to. Alucard, what happened in there? Why are the castles still standing? You did kill Dracula didn't you?"
"…" Alucard was afraid this would come.
"Alucard, did you kill Dracula or not?"
"Well," Alucard said. I was about to fight him, but tried to kill Livana, and I had to tend to her wound, so…"
"So Dracula escaped?" Richter said. "How could you let him escape?"
"I…well…you see…I couldn't let Livana die…and, well…" Alucard couldn't find the right thing to say at this point.
Richter felt sick to his stomach, his face turning almost white. "Oh my God, oh my God…" Richter said, taking deep breaths and wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Richter," Alucard said nervously. "Please understand-"
"Alucard," Richter interrupted. "Please don't explain anymore. It looks like the battle against Good and Evil, shall continue in the outside world."
Alucard knew that things would only get more viscous and bloody from this point.
With Dracula now out in the world, things will become more difficult, but that will be later.
Hope you liked this one!
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