The waves through the darkened night loomed over all as a foreboding tale, Dracula's power increased evermore and once he has a full grasp, he would bring a eternal night across all of the land, even the world if left unchecked. The winds blew with a violent torrent while the watery tides swished and crushed against the hull of the ship as the whole party and the crew sailed for the other side where the second entrance into the castle was located, but Shanoa paused at the railing as she watched as fog started to pour over the water, Morgan noticing with Sapphire as she asked in the joining while Mist stuck to the warrior. "What is it, Shanoa?"
"That fog..." The duo looked as well to see the encroaching mist as the lady warrior continued with a pause. "Something is not wrong about that mist..." They continued to watch before the lookout from atop the crow's nest shouted.
"We have an incoming ship off the stern!" Shanoa narrowed her eyes to the fog where the crewmate was telling before she spotted it. surely through the heavy cover surged forth a monstrous beast of a ship, the wooden planks and mast somehow merged with some kind of monster as it surged straight for them, the tattered sails swarming with ghosts and spirits as ghoulish creatures crept across with glowing red of eyes. It didn't take too long before the bell rang out for combat as the ship, it literally growling, came across the port side and gripped the ship with claws that were used like boarding planks and the monsters surged over as the trio started to fight off the monsters before the tides quickly turned to the humans with the arrival of the others as the tide was blasted back before the whole crew and party took to seeing what they were up against.
"What kind of dark magics created that abomination!?" The hermit captain shockingly inquired as Alexander rubbed his jaw about it.
"It must have risen from some old vessel that was sunk, its crew entombed in the ship as well before Dracula's power gave it life and manifested in our realm of existence, this doesn't bode well." They all looked across to see the monsters slowly forming back up and the cloaked man grimaced. "It must also be using a dark power to reconstitute its army, so as long as it dwells with that power, it will constantly make its forces."
"Well, we better deal with it quickly..." Trevor said as he slashed at the claws and the blade bounced off before it cracked to pieces and he grimaced at the loss of his cover weapon. "Whatever this thing is made of, it easily clipped my sword, I thought this could cut through."
"Let's not waste time then, my team and I will deal with the source, keep the ship ready to sail and defend it from those reforming monsters." No one raised an objection as they soon descended into the bellows of the ship, blue flames flickering as the party slayed more of the dullahans and spirits that littered the changed halls, but they were not stopped, not even by the gorgon armed with a bow and arrows as they pressed on to the back of the ship, the entrance having been exposed from the bow, and they soon arrived to the captain's cabin or what it should be as a malevolent spirit arose and hovered over two coffins "I don't like this..." Alexander's words were not ill-found as the spirit entered the first coffin and two mummies surged out, but they were quickly turned to dust with Sypha and Shanoa's fire-based attacks, but the spirit was not done as it hovered over the second coffin and it shattered as a familiar behemoth stomped free.
"You know, I thought we had already killed this thing..."
"You and me both, Trevor." The cyclops took a swing and they barely all dodged the slam that the hammer had before it charged, Walhart's shield the only thing that saved him as he was pinned to the wall, the cyclops' mouth agape like to bite before Kenmur, more or less, smashed into the cyclops and slashed off the creature's arm, its howl great as it punched Kenmur across the room before grabbing its hammer and swinging some more, but it was useless as the beast was brought down once more it panting with fatal wounds before it raised its weapon high and slammed it into the planks, but the effect came when the ship itself howled in injury and all felt the shaking of the ship itself as the captain yelled.
"Hurry, the ship is going down fast!" They all rushed onto the deck as the monsters were dissolving before Shanoa was tripped by a dying skeleton, but it was quickly destroyed as Alexander helped her up with Mist.
"Come on!" But they were too late as the ship shattered to pieces, the claws suddenly dropping as Alexander, Shanoa, and Mist were the last three on the ship before he shouted. "Kenmur, protect the crew, we'll meet up on the other shoreline, get going!" They backed as some of the timber caught fire and Alexander wasted no time in jumping with Shanoa and Mist holding tight, the monster ship fading away as their ship continued on, the party worried as to what horrors would beset them before they got back...
Shanoa quickly gasped before she choked up some water and groaned, rolling over to find that Alexander had held on tight to her, Mist holding on to her torso, while the power of Rusalka saved them for the most part as she slowly got up and looked to see that they was near some tunnel system, close to the town as Alexander roused himself up and rubbed his head as Rusalka receded. "Ugh... great, saved, but away from our mission..."
"It's not that terrible..." Shanoa said as they pulled themselves together and looked into the tunnel, Mist still out like a light. "it looks to be that we must traverse this tunnel, it is the only way now that we can reach Dracula in time."
"...Except flying, but that can be draining." The young man nodded as they headed into the depths, moving through the dripping environment, taking turns to carry Mist, before they headed up, the tunnel not that troubling before they found themselves going through a ancient sanctuary which was off and found themselves before a coffin, intact and untouched by time from the looks of it.
"What could be in this coffin that needed to be sealed here?" Shanoa glanced up as Alexander rubbed his jaw before she winced, drawing back as her palm was cut from running her hand over a sharpened edge of pillar, Alexander rushing over as she grimaced. "Ah... it had cut deep, you have a spare potion?"
"Sorry, my supplies were on the ship and it is likely that it will be a while before we get back to them." He pulled out a roll of bandage and started to wrap it, cutting it and sealing it tight with his abilities as the fibric started to grow red from the spot. "It won't last for too long, we need to find a way out and..." Alexander paused, Shanoa sensing it, before he turned, the sound of dripping water and some blood echoed in the silence, but slowly came the sound of sliding stone, the coffin slowly moving as Shanoa waited behind Alexander with Mist in her arms before the lid fell away and arose a husk of a man, it turning to look at them with blood-red eyes before leaping out, Alexander positioning between them, but he was quickly grabbed by the throat and he hurled across the tile while Shanoa quickly placed Mist down and quickly pulled out her rapier, but it was shattered without effort and the husk grabbed her before baring its fangs. It couldn't go for it when a blade suddenly found itself before Shanoa's neck and the husk's throat as Alexander stood up and spoke. "As much as I want to slay you right here and now, I want to know the name of the vampire that sought to drain my companion of her essence. Give me an answer or that blade, laced with silver, will cleave your head from your shoulders."
The silence lingered as the floating sword waited before the husk spoke. "I am son of Dracula Vlad Tepes, Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes, and I do not fear your weapon, mortal."
"Never said to fear it..." Alexander said as he walked over with the blade remaining. "But think first, if you will; Son of Dracula, would you dare harm a mortal when we have already suffered a hard lot for our own transgressions?" Alucard stopped and his expression changed as the fangs, as if by magic alone, receded into his mouth into more manageable standards, the grip releasing as he spoke.
"You... know of my Mother?"
"Never met her personally, but I scared the townsfolk and the Church something good when I destroyed their belief in false commands, I can't give you the Bishop for his death was made when the monsters attacked, but my words hit a hard mark upon them all." The sword disappeared as Alexander lightly gripped the dhampir's shoulder and pulled him over before wrapping his arms around the half-breed. "Will you be okay?" His answer came when Alucard returned the gesture and it felt like a liquid dripping down his face.
"It will hurt, but you are correct, I can't yield to my grief when my father is readying his vengeance on the human race." Alexander nodded as both release and Alucard breathed. "I need some form of energy, my power has grown so weak in my long slumber."
"I can do that, but first, I need to consort with something at the moment." Alexander paused as Shanoa returned to his side and soon, a succubus formed in the sanctuary before he spoke. "It is not the best, but a start."
"It will do, friend, give us a moment." Both nodded as they turned around and Alexander felt the change in life before his power recalled the drained soul before Alucard spoke again, draping a cloak over his form. "Now, bring me forth with the details."
"It has been months that Dracula's threats have been fulfilled, now he plots to unleash an eternal night all over the land itself, we have a short time before he succeeds in his plan." The dhampir stepped forth past the pair as Alexander lifted Mist up. "We have others with us, but we were cut from the journey when our ship was besieged and the three of us jumped from the sinking vessel that attacked."
"Very well, I will help as best as I can." They nodded before they pressed on, fighting mummies and peeping eyes as they ascend up into the upper echelons of the cavern before they came into conflict with another Skull Knight, the fight none too troubling to endure as they continued on into the descending daylight...
Kenmur looked around to see that his friends hadn't landed on the coastline, meaning that they were trapped on the other side so, unless there was another way to the small territory, they were trapped, Walhart giving the feeling as he came beside the young man and spoke, resting a hand on his shoulder. "They will be fine and they will join us once more, have faith in them."
"I hope so, Walhart, I sure hope so..." The supplies were quickly dealt out among the surviving villagers from the ship itself with the hermit taking to hiding in the cabin to prevent widespread fear while the remaining party with the hunter and his two allies waited for the delivery to be done before they can move forward. Kenmur shook his head before he looked at the blade. "Do you sense them, Ragnell?"
"No... I can't sense them right now... my sympathies, young friend." For some reason, that was grinding on Kenmur's soul as he turned and followed the team to the path that littered with sneering and growling monsters as the claymore came free. "Battle will not ease your mind, warrior."
"I realize, but it helps to ease my soul." They charged in and started to fight the monsters as Sapphire and Morgan took notice of several of the creatures turning tail and heading somewhere else, making Kenmur and Walhart question where they are heading as they headed into the tower that oversaw the small terrain...
Alexander, Shanoa, and Alucard waited a moment as he roused Mist up, the orange eyes flickering open before she glomped him and he nodded as he lifted her. "Alucard, do we have a way?"
"Yes, there is a small shrine that was devoted to the cause of light, but it has long been overrun by monsters, we must make speed before this world becomes my father's desired world." They nodded as they rushed ahead and into the structure as they continued on through more skeletal monsters, even the dreadful White Dragons before they confronted the Great White Dragon as it surged for them with crunching teeth, but it didn't stay to die as it smashed through the ceiling, Alucard grimacing as he spoke. "This is bad, the upper levels have long been plagued with water, where mermen and other dangerous creatures dwell under the water." A surge of water poured down, Shanoa and Alexander seeing the shadows of such creatures as Alexander started.
"Just means we must make progress, let's move!" Gripping Mist, Alexander bounded first with Shanoa close behind, Alucard bringing up the back as they rushed through, slaying the monsters of merman and bats that barred their way before confronting the injured Great White that fell to their might, somehow causing the water to receded somehow before they continued on, going through the underground as the aqueducts were too high to enter, but the domain of the castle was not limited as caverns were laid spread before them and they traversed through the catacombs that laid before them as they fought the Creature before coming face to face with more revived beasts and a devil before the soul burst into flames and they entered the foyer when Alucard spoke.
"There are humans within this place?"
"Alexander!" The cloaked figure looked and found his allies coming in, glad to see him alive...
Kenmur slashed through another demon as he groaned, their journey through the aqueducts was hard from the twin serpents that filled the water's deeper depths and a demon that blocked them toward the entrance, but it was of no trouble as they continued into the entrance before a voice spoke. "There are humans within this place?" Kenmur glanced forward into the dim lighting of the entrance and what he spotted stopped his heart; Shanoa, Mist, and Alexander peering forward with a pale-looking man that he recognized to be Alucard that he couldn't hold back as he shouted.
"Alexander!" The figure spun around and Kenmur charged with the party before lifting him with a hug in joy. "You crazy mage, don't you do that to me again!"
"E-Easy, Kenmur, need lungs...!" He gasped as Kenmur dropped him back down and they all nodded before the young man started. "To the party who don't know, what I have present here is the Son of Dracula, Alucard." The dhampir bowed as Sypha inquired.
"Alucard, is that not the reverse terming of Dracula?" The young dhampir nodded as he explained.
"With the death of my mother, I took on a name to represent the opposite of my father, to his dark with a light that will burn through." Trevor stepped forward before extending a hand.
"Any allies to fight Dracula are welcome to help us, how much they can." Alucard nodded as he returned the shake and the party was combined once more as they headed into the corridors, fighting through the chilling corridors as they reduced zombies and axe armors from their path, but the higher level into the castle started to crumble as the path behind them started to drop, they booking it across the way before they made it to only come face-to-face with the right hand of Dracula, Death as he pointed a bony finger at the party.
"Mortals, you dare enter my master's home, I shall banish your vile souls to oblivion!" Alexander was glad that Death, this time, was not howling for his death, but he gave the party a challenge as his first form casted scythes while the second chased after them while STILL blasting scythes at them, they being victorious as the party paused for a moment and discussed what had occurred beforehand, Kenmur's side telling that their landing was simple, but heavy as they soon struck toward the castle and bested twin serpents, a demon, and the Creature, Alexander's side was different as he explained how they met Alucard and soon battled a Great White and a Creature, the confusing part being the Creature, two different Creatures, but both the same in attacking and movements as they continued, Trevor slightly urging them to continue on toward the dark lord and they agreed as they packed back up and headed through the castle...
