Part 10
"So…in between targeting Mina and the rest of us, how long have they been planning to resurrect Castlevania?" asked Arikado.
"I'm not exactly sure," said Chessa, text-messaging somebody on her phone. "Nobody within the group has spoken about it. Then just tonight Xenon announced he found a way to do it."
"Wait, so Xenon is the leader?!" I cut in suddenly. "Does he have silver eyes?"
"Never mind that for the moment," Julius interrupted. "Did he say how he did it?"
"No, and he wasn't going to give any of us answers. On top of everything else Nancy thought my questioning was 'weird' and so I had to shut up to save myself." Chessa put her cell phone away. "It must be some sort of complicated dark arts. The Order was pretty inept with this, as they did revive Dracula and his Castle several times. But I don't think Xenon was a member of the Order; he's acting on his own."
"But they're looking to make Soma their master," said Yoko. "How can they just revive the castle outside of it usual limits if Soma—or Dracula himself—isn't even present? How can it be here when they haven't claimed a master to the castle?"
"This…isn't good," said Arikado, though his voice was perfectly calm.
"Why is that?" asked Soma.
"It's as Yoko says; Castlevania needs to be revived with a Master at its mantle or enough human sacrifices to sustain its dark energy. But I don't sense the loss of innocence, and since they definitely mean to return Soma as Dracula they wouldn't choose somebody to be a stand-in master. This must mean the castle has been revived on the power of this group's magic alone." He paused before he continued. "This might be…out of our element."
"How come?" I asked.
"Because if this group has the power to revive and sustain Castlevania with their own magic and without a master, they either must be complete masters of the dark arts…or they're not human. At all."
"Not human?" I thought back to those faces in their profiles, and Xenon, the silver-eyed man. I knew something was wrong with them—I mean, how could they conceive of doing such terrible things? But not human? Demons in human skin?
Soma shifted beside me and stood up. "Sitting around here debating won't solve anything. We need to get over there and stop them."
"Easier said than done," said Julius, his hand playing with the whip at his side. "That's exactly what they'll be expecting you to do, Soma. If these people have the power to revive the Count's Castle, rest assured they have the power to revert you."
"We can't play into their hands," said Yoko, walking over to Soma. "We don't know what they're fully capable of. Until we do we need to exercise caution—"
"Can we really afford to do that?!" Soma demanded. "The more time we take to try and stop them, the more time they have to do whatever it is they plan on doing!!!"
"Soma—"
"And Mina—they've already come after her several times, right out of the blue!! And the attacks on the airplanes…these guys aren't afraid to get caught!!! We have to stop them and we have to do it NOW!!!"
"To be honest," said Chessa suddenly. "They are expecting you to come charging in. At the same time, though, they're also anticipating that all of you will charge in with Soma. Then they'll take that opportunity to…take care of Mina." She looked at me when she said this.
"…I think," Arikado said finally. "That we should get over there immediately and formulate a plan as we go. It appears Castlevania wasn't resurrected in a residential neighborhood—or if even the populous is aware of its presence. But their confidence is unnerving and thus we must act quickly. However, if they're planning to go after Mina in our absence, then one of us has to stay behind."
"That won't be necessary," I said plainly. "I'll just go with you guys into Castlevania."
It was a spontaneous idea, but I had a pretty good feeling what the reaction would be.
"Absolutely not!!!" yelled Dad.
"Are you crazy?!" Soma yelled, grabbing my shoulders. "They want to kill you and you're planning to just walk right into their hands?!"
"They wouldn't expect that, would they Chessa-san?" I asked her.
"…No, they wouldn't," she said, albeit reluctantly.
"Mina, you not physically prepared to handle a place like Castlevania," said Arikado.
"Well, I've been there before—"
"Against your will, where you spent most of the time under a shielding spell I cast for you."
"…You're right," I admitted. "But I'm just as involved in this as you all are. I won't be some spectator again like three years ago."
"Mina, you were a lot of help," Arikado insisted, his tone impatient. "You may not believe it, but you were an incredible help."
Soma shifted beside me and I glanced at him. What did Arikado mean? "…I'll take your word for it. But still, they want to kill me for some reason. I…I don't want anyone to get caught in the crossfire if they come after me when you're gone."
"Mina, your life is in enough danger as it is," said Mom, turning me around to face her. "You can't even imagine the sort of danger that lurks in Castlevania. Powerful vampire hunters have died in there. What makes you think that you, an ordinary young woman with no combat power, can stand a chance?"
"I have to do something!!!" I almost sounded like a baby with my unrelenting insistence, but I wasn't going to back down. I'm a grown woman; I didn't need my mother's permission to go someplace. "And I'm not going to make anybody else at risk!! If that means I have to go into that hellhole myself, I'm going to do it!! And don't any of you try to stop me!!!"
Silence greeted my outburst. Most everyone looked irritated with me, but Chessa looked intrigued.
Finally, Arikado spoke. "There are dangers in there that you can't cope with, Mina. However…if you're determined to come, we can hardly stop you."
"What?!" screamed my parents.
"Really?!" I cried at the same time.
"And truthfully, this group will hardly wreak havoc on the unsuspecting people while you're inside the Castle. They only want Soma and you, isn't that right Chessa?"
"That's correct," said Chessa, looking at her watch.
"This isn't a good id—" began Mom.
"Arikado-san, thank you so much!!!" I interrupted, rushing over to him.
"Keep in mind," he said sternly. "That the rest of us are trained for this except for you. We can't babysit you in there, Mina, and if we tell you to do something, no matter what you'd better do it. Understood?"
"Y-Yes, absolutely."
"I'm not about to let my only child run loose into that hellhole!!!" Dad yelled suddenly. "If she's going, you'd better believe I'm going too!!!"
"But what about the seal?" Yoko asked suddenly. "This site is the spot of Dracula's sealing. It's sacred ground, although evil has trespassed here."
"She's right, Hakuba-san," said Arikado. "This site might have been weakened by the earthquake, but it needs to be maintained. Only you can do that."
Dad sputtered for a few moments. "I-I can't let my daughter go in there by herself!!!"
"You don't have to worry about anything." Soma walked over to stand behind me. "No matter what the danger is, I'll keep an eye on Mina."
"Thanks, Soma," I said, smiling at him.
He didn't look quite as pleased, though. "Arikado's right, though. If I tell you to run, leave, or stay put, do as I say. This isn't some adventure, Mina."
"I know it isn't!! I know what kinds of dangers await us!!! But don't minimize my role or responsibility in this!! They want me dead for some odd reason, and I'm going to find out why and stop them!!!"
Everyone shifted around us. I looked at them in confusion, noticing that Soma was doing the same. Seeing us like this, Arikado spoke. "We're leaving in exactly five minutes, Mina. Get dressed properly and arm yourself with some food if needed. This might take us a bit of time."
---
I did as he said and threw on warm but comfortable clothing; a white Irish cable-knit sweater with a blue shirt underneath, and some black stretch pants. I threw together a couple of sandwiches and grabbed a bottle of water and shoved them into my winter coat. I made sure to say goodbye to my parents, even as they were too anxious to let me leave. Mom hugged me for a long time and Dad had to pull her off of me so I could leave.
We left the shrine cautiously, our eyes to the air and land as we piled into a mini-van to drive towards Castlevania. I didn't expect that we'd be going there via a mini-van, but such close quarters with my longtime friends and companions gave me a measure of comfort.
With each block we passed, and the closer we got to the castle, I became more and more nervous. Tokyo wasn't suppose to be this quiet and yet I didn't see anyone. No businessman, no clubbers, not even a stray dog. The streets were completely deserted. Was it because of the castle? But Arikado said nobody was sacrificed to it and nobody appeared to notice it. Maybe the influence was too strong, then?
"We'll be there in five minutes," Arikado announced to the silent van. It was sort of weird to see him drive, but he was still on edge. About the only person who didn't look nervous was Chessa, although she kept glancing at her watch.
Suddenly, I felt a shift in the seat next to me. I glanced at Soma and saw his eyelids were half-lidded. He was pale and his breathing was heavy. "Soma, are you okay?"
Everyone except Arikado turned to look at Soma. Soma abruptly sat straight up and forced a smile. "I'm fine, Mina."
"Are you still feeling jetlag?" A cold knot formed in my stomach. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all. You're still very tired."
"It's too late to turn back now," Arikado announced ominously. "The presence of the castle is shifting. They know we're coming."
"Take a power nap," suggested Hammer. "Even a quick five-minute nap will do wonders for you."
"I'm fine, really. Once I'm up and active I'll feel much better.
'Active'. As in 'fighting'. How could he have a clear head for fighting?! I looked out the window idly to see a row of vending machines against a concrete wall. An idea popped into my head. "Arikado-san, stop the car!!!"
Surprised by my outburst, Arikado put his foot to the brakes. My seatbelt was off and I was flying out of the car before it came to a complete stop. "Mina!!! Get back here!!!"
I ran towards the vending machines, skimming them for what I wanted. I found what I was looking for and yanked out my wallet. I bought five of them, but it's exactly what was needed and I hurried back to the van without any hassle.
"So…what was the point of that?" asked. Julius.
"Here." I shoved the cans at Soma. "Georgia Max Coffee. Nothing will wake you up—or keep you awake—better than this."
Soma took the cans of coffee, laughing a little to himself. "I remember this!!! You wouldn't drink anything else in the morning, not even the coffee your mom made!!!"
I shrugged. "It helped me get through my middle school and high school exams. I'm sure it'll help you take down these guys."
"Now that's what I'm talking about!!!" yelled Hammer. He reached over and took one of Soma's cans. "You wouldn't believe how hard this jetlag has been for me!!!" He cracked open the car and began guzzling it like crazy.
"…I much prefer Boss coffee," said Yoko thoughtfully.
"So you drink vending machine coffee too?" asked Julius.
Yoko shrugged. "Sometimes it's exactly what I need to get me up."
We'd started driving again. Hammer quickly drained his can of coffee and tossed it over his shoulder into the back of the van. I saw Arikado visibly tense in the front seat, but he said nothing.
We were five blocks from the castle when the song 'Pomp and Circumstance' echoed throughout the car. From where I sat I saw Chessa visibly tense.
"Oh shit…stop the car!!!" she yelled.
Arikado came to a very abrupt stop. Chessa pulled out her phone and checked the caller-I.D. "Shit…I have to go."
"Go? Right now?!" I cried.
"They want me to report in. I have to change back into the uniform they issued me. Oh…" Chessa shoved the cell phone back into her pocket. "At this stage it's too late for me to use discretion, but it appears they don't know I'm helping you. If that changes I'll try to contact you guys immediately…or I'll be dead, but in any case we'll all know that they know that you know."
"Will you be helping us any further?" asked Arikado.
"I'll try to. My mission objective is not quite complete. If I see you again and act different, know that somebody is monitoring me." She pulled open the van door and quickly turned to smile at Soma and me. "It was nice meeting you both. You're not what I expected you to be."
I stared at her mutely. "…What?"
But she didn't answer. She slammed the door closed behind her and took off down the street and rounded a corner, out of sight.
"That's…weird that her ringtone for the people she's spying on is 'Pomp and Circumstance'," said Hammer, rubbing a hand over his face. "Man, but I haven't heard that song in years."
"So you did graduate from high school?" asked Julius. Hammer glared at him.
"We're almost there," announced Arikado.
He was right; I could clearly see Castlevania now. A stab of foreboding overcame me, along with…nostalgia? Well, I had been there before. Involuntarily though, I grabbed for Soma's hand. He gave me a sideways glance and smiled slightly.
Arikado stopped the car. "This is it. Everyone be on alert."
We were still two blocks away from Castlevania, but I'm sure Arikado and the others wanted to be in a position where they could take action immediately, if needed. We got out of the van quickly, but I was still struck by how silent it was. The sun was going to rise in a few hours, but not one car passed us as we walked down the street. My heart began hammering wildly. Was I really prepared for what Castlevania held?
"Mina." Soma squeezed my hand slightly. "Don't worry. I've faced many threats before and won. This time will be no different."
I forced a smile at him. "I know, Soma." I HOPE this will be no different than what you're use to. It's certainly a change for me…
Arikado led our march and we rounded a corner around a concrete wall. He stopped in his tracks. "Everyone, stop!!!"
Everyone was immediately on alert, and Soma brandished some sort of exotic sword. It seemed to emulate pure energy…magic. "W-What's wrong?" I stammered.
Arikado looked all around us, as if testing the air. After another long moment he spoke. "There's nobody here."
"I don't sense any monsters nearby either," said Julius, fingering the whip at his hip. "This is…strange."
"So what now?" asked Soma.
"…We go on," said Arikado reluctantly. "This very well might be an ambush, though."
We started walking again, though everyone kept their weapons out. Soma no longer held my hand, but he kept a hand on my arm as we continued to round the corner. I gasped as I saw the gates of Castlevania right in front of me, no more than fifty feet away!!
"You all right, Mina?" Soma asked.
"Y-Yes." I followed them, feeling increasingly on edge. I began to feel more and more like this wasn't such a good idea. But it was too late to turn back now…I could only go forward with everyone else.
A tattered medieval drawbridge surrounded on all sides by massive black brick walls seemed to beckon us. I tried not to flinch as I stepped onto the old wood, hearing it groan beneath my feet. The bridge had no rails, only the rope that secured it to the castle wall. I looked over the side, surprised to see a bottomless pit for a moat. This was in the middle of the city, though!!! Why would it appear here?
Is it because of me? No, that couldn't be it. It had to be because of Soma. He was Dracula, after all…
And a 'Dracula' kidnapped Lisa in your dreams.
No…I wasn't going to think about that. I gulped as I made another careful step across the bridge.
"Mina, hold on for a second."
"Eh?!" I spun around, realizing for the first time that I was the only one on the bridge. Nobody else had followed, though Soma was now on the bridge and walking towards me. "Did some—"
A load shrieking groan ripped through the air, scaring me deeply. Soma flinched too and stopped in his tracks at the beginning of the bridge.
Suddenly…it lurched. The bridge gave a violent heave upward. I screamed as I lost my balance and fell to the ground. To my growing horror the bridge began rising!!! My body slid down the remaining way and fell hard onto the ground…inside the castle grounds.
"Soma!!!"
I looked upwards. Soma was dangling from the top, his hands gripping the edge of the bridge. A wail erupted from my throat at his great height. "Soma, hang on!!!"
Another pair of hands appeared on the edge and Arikado heaved his upper body over the edge. "So—" His eyes caught mine briefly and he looked back at Soma. "Don't worry about us!!! We'll get in somehow, just protect Mina!!!"
"Arrgh…" I could hear Soma straining from the task of holding himself up. "A-Arikado…the pit—"
"I won't die so easily. Just both of you survive!!!" the bridge was about to close, right on top of Arikado and Soma's fingers. Arikado held out his hand, which quickly connected with the wall. To my utter shock he seemed able to hold the gate open effortlessly!!! Still, that seemed all he could do. "We'll meet up later. Don't let anything happen to Mina!!!"
"Ah—okay!!!" Soma yelled. "We'll see you later!!!"
Soma let go. I screamed as he free-fell, but was further shocked to see him land unscathed on his two feet. Wow…I probably should've expected it, shouldn't I?
"Are you all right?" Soma helped me to my feet.
"Yes, I—"
BOOM!!!! The gate closed shut.
"ARIKADO-SAN!!!!!!!" I shrieked. I pressed my hands to the drawbridge and pushed, but nothing happened.
Soma put a hand on my shoulder. "There's nothing we can do now. Everyone will be all right. Here." Soma opened a can of Georgia Max and handed it to me. "Drink this. You'll need energy and it'll keep you warm."
I drank a big gulp and handed it back to him. He seemed startled to share a can with me, but drank some without complaints. I looked at our surroundings curiously. "Is this the front gate? This isn't how I remember it." I remembered a stone fortress with hideous gargoyles and massive stairs leading up to the front door. In this place however, I could actually see the ground. Stray blades of grass and flower weeds sprung up around stone…or was it marble? There were no statues, but maybe remains of statues? And there was a staircase leading to the front door, but it looked broken, despite the fresh red carpet laid upon it, and the front doors were missing altogether.
Soma had an answer for me, though. "Arikado told me once that Castlevania itself is enchanted and hardly takes on the same appearance twice." He turned to face me. "In any case, let's get going. But first…" He waved a hand over me. I saw a bright light and suddenly I felt energized. "I cast Final Guard on you. It should last for about an hour, but you should stay close to me." He paused before he continued. "The entrance hall can be a bit of a hassle."
"…All right," I said slowly. "Thank you, Soma."
"Not at all." He motioned for me to follow him. We walked up towards those steps and I couldn't help but take in my surroundings. This front gate area was very much like the city now; dark and very, very quiet. I didn't see any monsters, but I knew that would change soon.
"I'm going to move fast, so keep up with me," said Soma. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he took off running through the front door and into the entrance hall. Soma told me stories of how the entrance hall looked, like a dark and bleak cave. This entrance hall though was…bright. Candles burning on candlesticks and swinging from chandeliers illuminated the whole area. The walls looked dark and worn, but the floor was shiny and wine-colored. It was nice…and weird
I ran as fast as I could to keep up with him, which sadly wasn't by much. He was a few feet ahead of me when the floor in front of him broke and sent pieces flying into the air. From this spot, a rotted arm emerged and with it the torso and body of a zombie. Soma wasted no time, swinging his sword and cutting its head clean off.
All around us holes formed in the floor and zombies tried dragging themselves up to get at us. Soma took care of them all effortlessly, all the while coaxing me to stay close. I wish he'd slow down and that would make keeping up with him easier. But I put myself in this position and so I'd have to deal with it.
"Heeeegh." I felt the floor break behind me. Before I could react a cold and rubbery hand gripped my ankle. But just as quickly that hand caught fire and the zombie disintegrated before he poked his head out.
"Mina." Soma grabbed my arm. "We have to get moving. These guys will keep popping up forever."
"R-Right!!" We took off running again, although Soma had a grip on my arm to help me keep up. The monsters that came at us, zombies, bats, and skeleton scared me, but Soma dealt with them without batting an eyelash, swinging his sword and killing them.
We ran…oh, I don't know how long or how far. It seemed like such a long time, but I'm sure it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes. The scenery kept changing around us. The walls turned colors in some spots. The floor varied between the wine-colored from the entrance hall to just plain wood. I was tired from running and dodging!! Soma was doing all the fighting with jetlag and yet he fought like he was at his best. It was truly amazing.
We came to a set of stairs lit by candles. Soma waved me over to them, though he guided me over a very loose piece of flooring, and we started climbing. "Do you know where to go, Soma?"
"We need to get to the Castle Keep, but I have a feeling that'll take a day if we're lucky," said Soma. I could hear exhaustion in his voice, but he still pressed on. I would have to, too.
Midway up the steps, I saw a green blur from the top. A tiny little mole man hopped from step to rail, laughing hideously. Soma swung his sword at him, but it jumped away from him. After a particularly high jump it landed square on Soma's head and used it as a launching pad back into the air.
At ME.
"YEHEHEHEHE!!!!!!!!" it snarled at me.
"STAY AWAY!!!!!" I hollered, stumbling backwards down the stairs. This only seemed to make it laugh even harder and he continued jumping towards me.
A flash of energy burst in my vision and the mole man exploded. Soma must've killed him, but it still startled me and I stumbled back a few more steps, back down the stairs and over the wooden floor—
SNAP!!!
My foot got caught on the loose flooring. I saw horror flash over Soma's face, but he couldn't stop it. And I couldn't stop it as my foot twisted under the strain of being caught…and the floor gave way…
---
"…Miss?"
"Ah!!" I snapped out of my trance and raised my head. "F-Forgive me for that."
"Think nothing of it." Mistress Templeton was a longtime patient of mine and was always very kind to me, as she always was to those around her. "Even as a doctor you mustn't neglect your own health." Elderly, widowed, and motherless, she had no one to care for her. If she had, mayhap one such might be in here for to tend to her needs instead of herself, with a mild fever.
"T-Thank you." I turned back to the task I'd been working. Ah, I'd been making tea leaves out of chirayata. "I'll have this done shortly."
"…How fares you?" asked Mistress Templeton.
"Oh, I'm doing fine. Why do you ask?"
"Well, is it any wonder? You'd just suffered and survived a great ordeal, Miss Lisa. Thank the Lord you can return to work."
My hands paused briefly before they continued their work. "Do not worry for me, Mistress Templeton. My 'ordeal' as you describe it, happened four months ago. Besides, I would hardly call losing my horse and being lost in a forest for a fortnight an ordeal."
"Praise the Lord for your extensive knowledge of plants and sheer grace. Men of lesser misfortunes have perished under similar circumstances."
"…I am very thankful for my safe return home," I said after a long moment of silence. The leaves were finished and I procured an empty jar from the shelf. I stored the leaves in there and handed it to Mistress Templeton. "Here. Boil this chirayata in water and filter it out. If you drink it twice a day before meals, your fever will disappear."
Mistress Templeton gratefully took the jar from me. "I thank you, Miss Lisa. I will be able to sleep much easier with this by my side." Suddenly, she looked uncomfortable. "Ah…about payment—"
"Come to me in the fit of health and that will be enough payment for me," I told her cheerfully.
"B-But I cannot accept this for free—"
"Aye, I am a doctor who must make a living. But I cannot be so mercenary to demand money of a patient who cannot pay. If you must insist on repaying me, do so later. Concentrate on your own health. The air is getting cooler and cooler and will have a negative effect on someone your age."
Mistress Templeton bowed slightly. "God be with you, Miss Lisa. I won't forget such kindness." Then she turned and left out the door. Strangely I could hear shouting in the distance, which quickly silenced once the door closed.
She was my last customer of the day. I went about tidying up as best as I could. It was too much of a bother to live in the city, but I always felt terrible that my patients had to go out of their way to leave the city in order to receive treatment. Regardless, I always had a steady stream of customers. Some couldn't pay upfront, but I couldn't deny them treatment. If they couldn't pay me with money they paid me in trade, either with livestock or food or textiles I could trade. It was a very modest style of living and I preferred it this way.
My workspace was small and so it took me no time at all to clean up. I walked to the window, catching a glimpse of Mistress Templeton making the long walk home. I was worried about her condition. How might a woman her age with a fever make it home safely?
"God forgive me for my thoughtlessness," I murmured to myself. I grabbed my cloak and wrapped it around myself. Mayhap I hurry I might catch up to her—
I stilled as I opened the front door. The shouting I'd scarcely paid attention to earlier was now echoing across the countryside. I stood frozen on the threshold, staring into the town. Church bells pealed joyously, but there was nothing joyful about that shouting. It almost sounded like…a chant…
I looked away from the town. No…it was a witch hunt…they were hunting witches. Would I dare go into town with that frenzy to greet me? But Mistress Templeton…how would she fare against those people? I turned back around, but to my dismay I could no longer see her. And I didn't know where she currently lived.
"God help us." I walked back into my house and closed the door behind me. If evil were to be vanquished, then it was by God's will. But…God didn't exercise His will here. Witch hunts and burnings had scarcely happened when I was a child, but now they were happening everywhere. I knew many of the people who'd been tried and executed. Some of them were my patients. They were no more evil than a newborn child. Or even no more evil than the ones who hunted them.
"…And besides, I cannot set foot in your house."
My heart gave a lurch. Four months…was it really that long? To think that my captivity seemed so much longer and yet time had flown since I'd been returned home.
I'd kept my promise, though. I'd told not a soul about his existence, instead making up a story that I lost Moses and that in turn made ME lost. Most accepted my story but others were far more suspicious. But there was very little I could do to stop their assumptions. After all, my story was a total lie.
I made preparations for dinner, but I wasn't hungry. I picked at my food, feeling so discontent. What was wrong with me? I'd always been alone. Why was I so uneasy then? Was I afraid that he—Vlad—would come after me? No; it's been four months since he kidnapped me. And I've said nothing about him; for what reason would he have to come and see me?
My stomach turned. I pushed away my dinner plate and wandering into my bedchamber. I fell face-first onto my bed and curled my fingers into the blanket. I sighed heavily and closed my eyes.
Lonely…I was lonely. I didn't like being alone, even though I'd been so for years. Ever since I was with Vlad…something happened. I spent so little time with him inside his home and he was such a…strange person. He spoke ill of God and was repelled by all things related to Him. Someone like this would be the perfect target for the witch hunters and yet I didn't see him that way. I felt…
I rolled over onto my back and stared at the ceiling. It wasn't just his presence I missed. Since the moment I came back home—nay, since the moment I first saw him, I've been plagued with nightmares. They made no sense to me before, but now I could see images clearly. I was me, and yet I was not. I had a family, a husband—and I loved him and he loved me. But I didn't know him…and he didn't call me by my name.
I groaned quietly and covered my face with my hands. This was almost unbearable. How could I tend to my patients when I was so…distracted? What kind of a doctor am I when my personal life is so unresolved? What was going on?
"Lisa…"
I cried out and sat up. Somebody called my name, but night had fallen. Who would visit me in the middle of the night?!
Yet, I knew the answer. I flew off my bed and ran for my front door. I pushed it open, almost violently, and hurried outside. Still, I stopped in my tracks on the pebble path leading to my gate.
"Did you call for me?"
"Vlad…" there he was. His clothes were still black and his complexion still very white, but he was there, standing beyond my gate.
Even so, he seemed…almost irritated with me. "I felt you, Lisa, your need for my presence. But I'm not sure why."
"I…" I approached my gate very carefully. I knew I would be safe so long as I stayed on my own property, but I couldn't stop myself. "A-Aye, Milord. I did want to see you."
"For what purpose?" Despite his apparent annoyance, his tone was very soft.
"I…I cannot say. But I…" I felt heat on my cheeks and looked away. "I've been t-thinking of you, and so I just wanted to see you."
Vlad seemed at a loss for words, which further added to my embarrassment. When he spoke again, he allowed his annoyance to show. "I've told you before, woman. I've spared you because I cannot kill you. And I know you've kept my secret and so there's been no need of mine to see you. But never forget that I am not a kind man. I know the way you humans work, the way you fear and hunt evil. I…am like the witches you believe you see in people but I am much worse. I am not someone you want to know, Lisa, so don't try to know me." He turned away partially. "While I'm happy to see that your life is back on track, this will be the last time I ever see you…unless you break your vow."
"B-But wait!!!" I cried. I reached the gate and gripped the top of it. "Vlad…I know you're not like me. And I know there is something about you that is sinister. But to condemn you for this would force me in turn to condemn mankind itself, the animals and the trees. All of us have darkness to us. You…you're dwelling endlessly in this darkness and I feel that it's consumed you…but not entirely." My hands relaxed slightly. "Please…you hate God and you're so destitute. But it doesn't have to be that way."
"And how do you plan to change me, woman?" he asked suddenly, his tone harsh and sarcastic. "Will you drive away the darkness? Will you lick my wounds and promise me happiness?" he pointed a finger at me. "You know nothing about me. We are strangers, Lisa. But even if we may know each other better, there is nothing you can do for me. Do NOT make me promises you cannot keep and don't fool yourself into thinking you can save me." He paused before he continued. "I do not WANT to be saved."
Vlad turned his back on me. "Goodbye, Lisa. Do not call for me again." He started to walk away.
"I know you don't mean that!!" I cried. Throwing caution to the wind I pushed the gate open and followed him. "If you really didn't care, if you really wanted solitude, then you would ignore me!!! You wouldn't have come out here to yell at me!!! But I know you need help!!! I know something is hurting you terribly and I cannot leave you like this!! It—dammit Mathias, look at me when I talk to you!!!"
Vlad stopped dead in his tracks and quickly spun around. "What did you say?"
I stopped as well. "If you would let me help you—"
"NO!!" He advanced on me so quickly I hadn't time to move out of the way. He grabbed my shoulder with such force they would surely bruise. "What did you say? What did you call me?!?!"
"M-Milord," I stammered, suddenly very fearful. Why was he so angry? "And I-I refer to you as Vlad, b-but forgive my rudeness—"
"No." He squeezed my shoulders even harder. "Just now, you DID NOT call me Vlad!!!"
"…I didn't?"
He said nothing. Suddenly I was hit by the strong whirlwind again. I knew with growing dread he was taking me away from my home. He was taking me back to his house…and with his rage he had against me, he might surely kill me now.
The wind faded and Vlad shoved away from me. I stumbled a few steps before I quickly recognized my surroundings. It was the same chamber he imprisoned me in months ago.
"Vlad…" I raised my hands slightly. "What's wrong? What did I say to offend you?"
He slowly circled around me and I felt my body stiffen. After a few moments he came to a stop right in front of me. "You called me 'Mathias', Lisa."
My throat tightened. Did I really? I didn't even realize what I was saying in the heat of the moment. No wonder he was so furious. He must think I was ranting at somebody else vicariously through him. "I-I-I didn't mean to—"
"Where did you hear that name?!" he interrupted, his voice demanding. "And why would you refer to me as that?"
"I-I don't know." I stepped backwards away from him, but he only followed my steps. "I-I didn't—"
"Tell me." He thankfully didn't grab my sore shoulders again, but instead my upper arms. He pushed me backwards and pinned me to the wall. "You must tell me; I HAVE to know!!!" His sudden desperation was now more frightening than his anger. He let go of my arms and cupped my face, pulling all the hair out of it. "I know you; I've seen your face before. But I—"his voice broke slightly and he quickly shook his head. "Lisa…tell me now or I will be driven mad!!!"
He was no longer angry. The pain, the destitution…I'd known it'd been there inside of him, but to see it so blatantly now broke my heart. Tears stung my eyes and I closed them. I couldn't speak more than a whisper. "A dream…I know a Mathias in my dreams."
"How?" his voice was so shaky…he was scared and sad, but why?
I sniffled slightly, feeling the tears leak out from my closed eyes. Words came to my lips that I barely had control over. "He…he's my husband."
Vlad was silent. One of his hands trembled against my cheek. He cupped my face and I could feel him looking at me so closely. I opened my eyes, letting more tears leak out. It was so hard to see the sorrow in his usually cold face, but…
"Oh…" it came out as such a horribly painful gasp. To my horror, blood welled up in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks like tears.
"A-Are you all right?!" I cried, my medicinal instincts taking over.
Vlad laughed at my question. Before I could react further I was crushed into a tight hug. Cold lips descended upon mine and kissed me so fiercely…and yet so gently too. I can't remember the last time someone kissed me…but it'd certainly never been like this.
He broke it too soon and cupped my face again. The blood-tears were gone, and so was the pain in his face. But his eyes…those silver eyes shone like gemstones. "I'm fine. You're here…you have returned to me."
---
Ah…my whole body hurt so much.
My face felt wet and incredibly dirty as I opened my eyes. The whole area was shrouded in darkness, except for one stray torch. I could barely see anything, though it seemed like I was lying at the end of a corridor and not in a room.
"Ugh…" Somehow, I got myself into a sitting position. But all at once my stomach turned and I barely had time to turn my head before I began vomiting uncontrollably. My head ached so terribly and my vision swam, adding more to my nausea.
Do I have a concussion? It took several minutes before I could stop vomiting, but even then I felt sick. I touched a hand to my head, vaguely aware of a searing pain in my left foot. How many times have I hit my head in the past week? If I wasn't careful I could cause serious damage to myself.
But…what happened? I remember…the floor caved in and I fell. How deep is this hole? I lowered my hand from my head and looked at it. It was dark…covered with blood.
"MINA!!!!!!"
"So…" It was difficult to look around me, with the waning light and my aching head. After a few minutes I realized the shouting came from above me, but it still took a great deal to lift my head up. "So-Soma?"
"Mina!!!!Are you all right?!?!" Soma's face filled the mouth of the hole. But…it had to be at thirty feet above me. I fell that far? No wonder I was so injured, but how did I survive that?
"Soma…" I had to close my eyes to stop the spinning. "Soma…I'm hurt…"
"I'll be right there!!! Don't worry about a thing!!!"
"Okay…" I felt like lying down again, but I couldn't. I couldn't forget that this was Castlevania, and I wasn't safe here.
It was then that I heard it. A very loud shifting, almost grinding on the dry, dirt floor. Fear shock through me. "Soma, somebody's coming!!"
"Mina, I can't hear you!!" Soma shouted above. "Just stay put, okay?!"
"Soma…" I looked into the darkness, where the rustling came from. What could I do? Would Soma reach me in time before…whatever this was, came for me?! I looked at the broken pieces of wood surrounding me and grabbed the largest one.
Finally, the shifting noise stopped but I saw nobody. Then, I saw the flicker of a shadow in the dim light and my heart gave a lurch.
Something nuzzled my leg. I looked down to see a long line of ridged bone. I panicked for a moment, thinking it was my leg. Then…it moved. It shifted ever so slightly. I stared down at it dumbly, not sure of what to do.
I didn't have long to wait. Abruptly, the bone whipped backwards, into the darkness. A loud rumbling roaring echoed down the corridor and I covered my ears, whimpering to myself. What's going on? What enemy lurked down here? And Soma was still above us…
The torch flickered again and I saw it. It was a skull, a hideously monstrous skull. It was gigantic too, taking up the entire cavern. It hissed and roared loudly and began snapping its teeth at me once it saw me. Long ridged bone limbs whipped out from its body, one of which swung at me and wrapped around my right leg.
And all I could do was scream.