Chapter 37 Gaiden: 10 Years…
Flashback
It's been ten years since that horrible day…
Sitting in the back of his horse drawn carriage Shuzen Akashiya Issa leans against the wall, his elbow on his knee, his fist under his chin, his eyes resting on the open window, the mountainous countryside slowly sliding by.
Pulling his gaze from the window the Shuzen Elder leans back; closing his eyes Issa is alone in the rear of the carriage. Dressed in a black suit with no sash or cape the Shuzen Elder is hardly dressed for his position, but the Shuzen Elder isn't going to meet another noble vampire or their representative.
His intention today is only to mourn.
He can remember everything about that day, exactly ten years prior, when the Shinso Akasha sacrificed her life to seal the awakened Alucard and save the world. Since then he'd moved the Castle from the site, and along with the remaining two Hades Lords they'd sealed the site, encasing the ruins in a dome, doing their best to seal the site and keep anyone who might use Alucard's remains away.
Since then he'd pushed many of his duties onto his mate, Gyokuro. Though with time Issa returned to his proper position, and every year on the anniversary of the day the Shuzen Elder returns to the site, to leave a token of remembrance and remind himself of the sacrifice Akasha made for the benefit of all…
The carriage slowing Issa sits forward, the driver pulling the carriage to a stop Issa opens the door, stepping out into the afternoon sun. Ahead of him sits a dome of demonic energy, the Shuzen elder reaching back into the carriage and withdrawing a bouquet of white roses.
They were Akasha's favorite flower.
Sitting in the driver's position on the front of the carriage is a Goblin servant in human disguise, the lowly creature holding the reins on the twin midnight black horses pulling the carriage.
"Wait here." Issa commands the goblin, the servant wordlessly nodding before Issa turns away from the carriage, heading toward the dome.
Touching the sphere the magic surrounding the site reacts to his demonic aura, the barrier parting around him, allowing the Shuzen elder to step through and enter the former site of his family's ancestral home.
Outside the dome the area appears empty, bland mountain terrain with only a scant few scrubs of grass adorning the ground. Inside the dome however, the landscape is far different.
The ruins of the castle lay scattered about the area, stone blocks and mortar littered everywhere.
Stepping forward Issa stops at the edge of the rubble, a collection of nine withered bouquets lying at the foot of the wreckage, each of the bouquets white roses that have wilted and died.
The air is still and stale, the dome such that it is designed to keep any outside influence out. Should Alucard reawaken he could plunge the world into chaos and destroy humanity. Akasha was the only force that could stop him, and she sacrificed herself to do that. With no other Shinso alive should Alucard reawaken he would be unopposed in his desire to burn humanity.
Much as Issa may want to return his race to their position as rulers, to once again strike fear into the hearts of humanity the Shuzen Elder also realizes that humanity is not the same bunch of idiots they were before monsters had been driven into the dark. Should monsters once again try to rule humanity they would band together and face the common threat, they would exterminate every non-human they could, or destroy themselves in nuclear fire…
Sighing Issa slowly kneels, placing the bouquet of fresh white roses near the others, breathing a heavy sigh.
"I miss you my love…" Issa whispers to no one, the landscape itself seemingly the only thing to receive his words. "Your daughter is doing well. She's a student at Yokai Academy now, Mikogami will watch over her there."
Closing his eyes Issa slowly rises, opening them and once again taking in the sight of the expanse of rubble before him, all that remains of his once great Castle.
"Until next year my love…" Issa whispers.
Turning away from the rubble Issa begins a slow trek back toward his chariot. A part of him yearns to hear Akasha's voice, to see her again. After a decade without her Issa has tried to move on, but he's never truly come to grips with her loss. As powerful as he was when Alucard had awakened Issa couldn't do anything to stop him. The creature had taken Moka and would've killed her if Akasha hadn't interfered…
Nearing the dome a wisp of wind blows, the air tugging at his jacket Issa stops, half turning back toward the rubble, the Shuzen elder raising one eyebrow curiously.
"…Gyokuro…" A bare whisper wafts on the wind.
Issa would recognize that voice anywhere.
Akasha…?
"Akasha?" Issa calls out to the rocks.
She'd merged with Alucard to stop him, if she somehow managed to actually beat him, to destroy his consciousness and not die in the process…
The wind blows again, the waft of air carrying the voice from before, louder this time…
"…Gyokuro…"
"Is that you Akasha? Are you alive?" Issa calls out again, stepping toward the rocks.
If Akasha was somehow alive, if she'd done the impossible and actually beaten the ancient Alucard…
He wouldn't know what to do if that were true. He'd chosen Gyokuro as his mate before he'd met Akasha, and after she'd shown interest in him he'd 'traded up' as it were and taken her as his new mate. He'd already had a child with Gyokuro, Kahlua, just as he'd had another child with Lady Sekitan, Ria's mother. Akasha had gotten pregnant, and given birth to his third daughter, then she'd left him, and Issa had gone back to Gyokuro, having one more child in Kokoa before he decided he'd had enough children.
Gyokuro had naturally despised Akasha as a result of Issa's choices, and while Issa has always suspected that his dark skinned mate had a hand in what happened he has never been able to prove it.
Of course, all the evidence had been buried under several tons of Castle.
"Akasha!" Issa calls out a third time.
Ahead of him the pile of rubble begins to shift, the wreckage undulating as a large demonic aura surges forth. Standing there it hits Issa like a battering ram. He's never felt an aura so powerful, so dark…
It's all he do not to stumble in disbelief as the rocks ahead of him shift, like a creature from beneath the Earth…something rises up from beneath the rubble accompanied by the sound of flesh tearing, like some abominable monster ripping its way from its womb, throwing one hundred pound rocks aside like they're feathers.
It has a human body, naked with long silver hair hanging around its body like curtains. Two large bat-like wings hang from its back, blood on its bare skin in large patches, the crimson liquid staining its hair.
It stands hunched forward, its arms hanging with its hands open, its wings low and back.
It raises its head, and past the stained silver locks Issa can see a pair of crimson slitted eyes, glowing with unnatural light.
"A…Akasha?" Issa whispers, his voice tinged with shock.
The creature standing in front of him is nothing like the kind, gentle woman he once knew.
"GRRRAH!" A feral roar rages from her mouth, the silver haired creature throwing its head back and roaring to heavens.
For nearly a minute the monster roars, howling out in unfathomable fury as her demonic aura flares, swirling and churning in fury Issa raises his hands, a swarm of bats bursting forth from her body, filling the interior of the dome, the Shuzen Lord trying to protect himself from the creature before him.
After a minute the roar subsides, the monster's aura settling, the bat swarm collapsing in on its source; its head leveling toward him.
It takes a deep breath, blowing it out Issa lowers his hands, meeting the creature's glowing gaze the Shuzen Lord has no idea whether he is looking at what remains of Akasha or her physical husk, demented by Alucard's ancient fury.
"Akasha-chan?" Issa asks again, desperately hoping that the creature in front of him will answer him, will prove itself sane and not come screaming for his blood.
Raising its right arm the creature stares at the limb, at the blood covering the majority of the limb.
Exhaling hungrily the monster raises its right arm toward its face, sticking out its tongue the demonic creature presses her tongue against her blood smeared limb, slowly dragging its tongue along the limb, lapping the blood up and drinking it down, cleaning the blood from her limb like a sponge slurping up a coffee spill…
Its arm clean the monster lowers its limb, looking at him directly the creature takes a step forward, Issa unconsciously take a half step back.
"Akasha? Is that you?" Issa asks again.
Blinking the 'light' seems to return to the creature's eyes, its glowing crimson gaze looking him up and down, her eyes settling on his face.
"Issa…?" It asks; its voice identical to Issa's memories.
"Akasha…" Issa trails, not sure what to say.
"Wha…how long have I been gone?" Akasha asks, and Issa sighs, looking away from his former mate.
"It's been ten years since you left my love." Issa explains to her, the Hades Lord blinking in surprise.
"Ten years…" She trails thoughtfully, not sure what to make that information. "M-Moka?"
"She's at Yokai Academy." Issa explains quietly. "She just started school there."
"I see…" Akasha trails. "Gyokuro?"
Blinking Issa doesn't know why Akasha would want to know where Issa's current mate is.
"She's at the Castle, only 3 miles southwest of here…"
"I see…" Akasha hisses, closing her eyes.
Opening his mouth to ask what Akasha could possibly want from Gyokuro the words freeze in Issa's throat as black flame ignites around Akasha's feet, the fire leaping up her body and consuming it, leaving nothing behind.
She just…
Panic setting in Issa turns away from the wreckage, running through the barrier, his body passing through with hardly any resistance.
Outside the barrier everything is calm, every ounce of Akasha's aura restrained by the barrier. His carriage is waiting right where he left it, the Shuzen Elder not bothering to climb into the horse drawn carriage.
"Back to the Castle!" Issa barks authoratively. "As quickly as you can!"
Without another word the Shuzen Elder sprints past the carriage, heading for his castle as quickly as possible…
XXX
Bursting through the Castle doors Issa can feel Akasha's aura nearby. He would recognize her aura anywhere now…
He can't feel Gyokuro.
The implications of that fact push him to move, the Shuzen Lord turning left and pushing his way through the double doors, his destination the throne room. Running down the hall any servant naturally moves out of the way as the Shuzen Lord practically flies by.
Turning at the double doors to the throne room Issa pushes both doors open, revealing the grand and empty throne room, a pair of thrones resting on the dais in the center of the room, Akasha's naked and winged form standing on the dais with her back to the door, her wings down, keeping him from seeing anything below her shoulders.
"Akasha!" Issa calls out, running into the room and heading for the dais.
Halfway to the dais Akasha half turns toward him, and Issa stops in his tracks at what he sees.
The Hades Lord holds Gyokuro's severed head in her hand, her fingers clutching Gyokuro's head by her blonde hair, blood dripping from her neck, Akasha's glowing gaze staring at the severed head, at the shock forever pasted on Gyokuro's face, the expression forever frozen on features just before she'd died.
His eyes dropping Issa can see her body, minus its head lying on the dais, blood pouring from the open neck.
Oh no…
His eyes coming up to meet Akasha's gaze Issa's face is frozen in shocked disbelief. Gyokuro was a strong and powerful vampiress. For her to be killed, Akasha must've surprised her and used overwhelming power to behead her.
Raising the head Akasha looks into Gyokuro's red slitted eyes, the Hades Lord scowling toward the now severed head before bending her arm at the elbow, her arm lashing around, throwing the head toward him in a backhand motion.
Opening his mouth to say something Issa moves to catch Gyokuro's severed head, but the Hades Lord snaps her fingers, never once turning her back toward him.
"Incendia." Akasha intones, a spark igniting on the top of Gyokuro's head, the flame spreading across Gyokuro's now severed head, the fire burning the flesh and leaving nothing behind.
The flames burn for only the barest moments, the blackened head hitting the floor in front of him with a thud.
"You may bury the rest…" Akasha says dismissively, the head rolling to a stop at Issa's feet.
By burning the head Akasha insured that Gyokuro would never resurrect. Normally beheading a vampire is enough to ensure death, but older, more powerful vampires can resurrect if their head is reattached and given time. This normally takes years, and after resurrecting the vampire is usually a changed creature, normally driven insane by what they've experienced.
"Why Akasha-chan?" Issa asks, his hands balling into fists. "Why would you kill Gyokuro?"
"She is the one who released Alucard." Akasha explains matter of factly. "She lured Moka into the basement of the Castle, intentionally tried to awaken her latent Shinso powers to reawaken Alucard. If not for her I would never have had to spend a decade in that purgatorial existence…"
"I…" Issa trails, his gaze dropping to the charred head lying at his feet.
"She deserved to die Issa." Akasha's voice wafts into his ears, the Hades Lord turning from the top of the dais and softly stepping down the dais, her wings settling across her shoulders…
His eyes coming up Issa takes in the sight of Akasha stepping off the final step. She's still naked, blood splattered across portions of her body.
He doesn't know what to think. He'd loved Akasha and when she'd left him he'd been devastated. Gyokuro had tried to help him, and he'd eventually pulled through. He owed her a lot, but now…
She was the one to cause his distress in the first place, and she'd proven that she couldn't be trusted…
"I…I guess…"
XXX
Present
"F…Lord Akashiya, is something troubling you?"
Blinking Issa clears the memories of that day from his mind, his crimson slitted gaze shifting to his left, his third daughter sitting atop a stool next to him.
The Shuzen Lord sits atop his dais, watching the assembled vampires gathered at his Castle enjoying themselves; dancing around him the Shuzen Lord sits above them all, Moka sitting on his left, made to witness the party but forbidden from taking part.
"It's nothing Moka." Issa says dismissively, turning his attention back toward the crowd slowly dancing around the dais.
It wouldn't do to have his mind wandering with so many of Issa's enemies gathered so closely around him…
Some things are better not thought about…