The journey through was not proven difficult once again as the party made incredible headway through before Trevor exclaimed. "We have no need to fear the monster of this castle, the count himself will be simple to eliminate."
"I do not believe so, blood of Belmont." Alucard commented as he frowned his brow. "Why was Death faced earlier into the castle, something tells me that my father must have a foe that can thwart any foe before they could reach him."
"A demon?" Sypha asked as Grant groaned as well.
"I don't remember much about it myself, but I do know that whatever that old bats has to fight us with, he will not be too fond of our entrance." Alexander and Kenmur had the feeling that it wasn't going to be easy, but they didn't interject as they followed the path of monsters before they reached another large chamber when Mist spoke something as her eyes glowed and Trevor raised a brow as he asked.
"What exactly did she say?" Alexander frowned his brow before he answered.
"She said 'Mimic'." He stood up and looked to the ceiling and, sure enough, a purple gel dropped from the cracked stone, gathering in a pile before it arose, the magical creature taking on the form of Trevor as Trevor stepped forth to fight, but the creature mimicked whatever the hunter did. Sypha attempted with Alucard and Grant backed her up, but the creature continued to counter them and fight back with ease that Alexander and the party watched, Kenmur speaking as he readied a hand on his blade.
"I know we have to best this creature by surpassing what it knows or outmaneuvering it, but... are we sure it will work?"
"Hard to say..." Walhart spoke as he watched the battle as well. "The creature is mimicking each of their moves and strengths, none of them showing any weaknesses and that could be problematic." All thought about it before Shanoa hummed and turned to Alexander.
"Why don't you exert your full strength to it?" Alexander looked at her like she just grew two additional heads, but looking at the others and Alexander sighed before he looked forward and walked to the group, all panting as the Grant Mimic motioned for more.
"Try it, I dare you, Creature." The creature did so with a smile, but the smile quickly faltered to fear as portions of its body bloated, shrunk, expand, and surged in wild control as he stared. "What's the matter, too much to handle, mimic?" The creature howled in pain to its bloating before it exploded across the room, Alexander flicking off some of the goo as he sighed. "Well, that went well." Funny part of it was that he had used Legion's power to great effect, the mimic could only take on one person at a time, by using Legion's ability to feedback many voices and bodies from one mind and all interfering with the others, the Mimic was not able to take it all and self-destructed, it was a unique technique to use against doppels, but it was needed for further tests before it was called right to work as they headed through the castle's last leg, climbing down the gears and cogs of a clock tower and into the final approach, the party heading up to the throne room where Dracula waited, only the four members of the time stepped forward to fight as battle cries and yells echoed across the night, clearly the people finally fighting back against the monsters that had attacked and slaughter so many of them. Seated in the throne before standing up was the lord of darkness himself as he spoke not a word and instead challenged the party into combat, Grant's knives succeeding alongside Trevor's whip lashing out at the vampire before his first form faltered for the second, a series of heads fused as one, started to attacking with falling poison which did little good as Alucard's power with Sypha's quickly destroyed the mass until all four faced with a titanic gargoyle of a monster as it fired beams of energy from palm and eye alike with platform being ripped out of the ground and resetting like nothing happened to it in the first place, but he could head together as the four bested the monster that sought to plunge the land into everlasting darkness as daylight broke the clouds and the people cheered as Trevor and his allies were celebrated as heroes, beginning the long healing for the Belmont name as they headed back home to Wallchia, both church and surrounding villages learning the name of the hunter who killed Dracula, Trevor Belmont...
The town was in full cheer as Alexander stayed in the shadows while his allies enjoyed themselves, but he was not silent as Grant slowly walked past and his voice spooked the pirate. "Mr. Danasty, mind telling me what you are doing, walking away from the party?" He paused for a moment before he sighed and looked to the cloaked figure.
"Look, all this cheer and color doesn't suit a pirate like me, so I better get going and find things to repair or fix up in a slow process."
"Grant..." The tone started like a scold before it turned to a remorseful one. "Don't isolate yourself without love itself, I could understand a lack of involving yourself, but are you sure that it is what Trevor and Sypha want from you as well?" The pirate glanced to the pair, Sypha already establishing herself as the wonderful wife while Trevor the shy but excited husband as they raised a mug in good health, as the figure continued with a understanding tone. "Don't leave and don't go, they need you now and you are just alone, there are plenty around you, your heart doesn't need to be shattered." At that point, Grant rushed over and gripped the front of the cloak as he scowled.
"This doesn't involve you, stay the hell out of this, you nosy bug..." But Alexander was not done as he continued.
"Then, prove to me that you are still a friend, that you are still a brother-in-arms, they see you as such, Sypha will understand how you feel if you explain it, don't let your heart be shattered, don't let your whole world crumble because you are too afraid to say something." Grant was caught in a corner as his hand lost its grip and Alexander rested a hand on the man's shoulder. "It is not demanded to be brave, we all face the fear, but if you prove to stand against it, it shows that you don't allow your own terrors to hold you back and that you will face a future, not scripted by fate to make your own destiny." Grant glanced between the spots in distress, but Alexander could only look at him before he soon yielded to the gaze, drooping his head as he spoke.
"In the short time... I had fallen for her, but she decided to go for the man who slayed a vampire." He held up a hand, holding a dagger that he kept on hand in case of trouble. "I can't... I can't compare to him, he has a family history and I can't... break it further for my own desires... we're friends." Alexander extended a hand and Grant looked at it and to the face looking back at him before he gripped it and shook. "...You're right, I should let my own feelings out, I should tell her how I felt and also... still continue to be by their side until our time."
"You do that, you are one man that Trevor will always trust, I saw the way he looked at you, he has complete faith in you." The pirate nodded before both released and Grant headed back into the party, Alexander looking at his hand to see that it shined a bit before he put it back down and spoke, the shadows surged forth to talk as he started. "The legend started here, but we know that, if this is to go through to the end, we must face the man who started the Belmont line, the man who became the first Belmont... and there, we will learn the start of Dracula as well, to my belief."
"We are your loyal allies, we will continue by your side to the end, the others have already departed for the northern gate, the rift is to open there." Alexander nodded as he slipped through, the shadows dying out as he wandered through the town, his actions having changed the hearts of man, but it would not last as Dracula uttered some words that lined with the Curse of Darkness that Hector would face soon and the youth felt his ancestor's power, but it was weak, without focus, it was likely into the darkness that he posed a dangerous threat, but he regarded it to be a moment when he would face it, for now, he was free to go as he met the other outside the gates, to the far side as they nodded and the rift opened once more and they walked in, Alexander the last as he looked back to the distant hill to see the figure of solemn heartbreak before he turned back and walked through, the rift closing to the cheer, but also the silent heart as Dracula's hushed voice created the darkness that would follow...
Without much to say, the party dismissed themselves for their task and left, none wishing to add to the increased work that Alexander was likely to face, but no sooner had he started that he found a strange letter, lifting it up to see it was addressed to him and he turned about before he opened and started to read. 'If you are reading this, then my blood has finally found you.' He raised a brow as Rusalka appeared and read the letter as well. 'I never got your name, but a guy called Hector told me and I finally built up the courage to write a letter, never mind how long it would take for this to find you. I just wanted to say... thanks, you helped me out big time, Sypha was very supportive when I told her and Trevor became the older brother that I never had, both of them helped me find love and, though that crazed vampire did it again, you managed to come through and that saved us all from the headache of some prideful guy.' Alexander lightly chuckled as Rusalka smiled as well and rested on the table. 'What actually surprised me is that my wife, Rosalina, told me to swear an oath, AN OATH, for my blood to always find you and help you out no matter what, we are not the best at chats, but I am more than well to say... yes, you are the guy that helped me and freed me, it is only right that you find my family and help as you have helped me.' The letter ended before Alexander found more, all dated with Grant's the first and another coming from both Richter and Shanoa's time, nothing in between, but that was answered just fine.
'At first, I was dismissive of the figure who helped my ancestor Grant had appeared to both help Richter Belmont and free him, but I was soon proven wrong as Maria actually confronted me and helped me understand what had occurred during those moments, she claimed to have remembered you by a different name, but she was sure that you were the same person. The thought of you being a vampire crossed my mind, but then it didn't explain anything of that day, you willingly fought against monsters that were belonged your allies and willingly sided yourself with Belmont, it just made little sense to me. Listening to Richter on the other hand, after he saw you off, told me more like what you stood for, what you willingly underwent to face the odds, and you were part of the story that I didn't know about, so perhaps when the Danasty family meet you, you can share with them your story, if you could. In trust, Chase Danasty.' Alexander rolled his eyes at the sound of the loyal tone as Rusalka just smiled with a shake of the head before he looked at the last parchment and it made a firm understanding.
'You are depicted as a powerful figure, one that the monsters quickly yield to, yet when I heard stories of you, I had started to think... maybe you were beginning out when you met the Lady Shanoa, that you were inexperienced when you joined her for a secret assignment, a mission of great importance to the Order. It was never told in full, but I understood parts to be honest, if we were to meet, perhaps you can tell me the story, but I may not know. In true trust, Irena Danasty.' Alexander leaned back as Rusalka spoke up.
"I never thought that the pirate had a long-running letter to you, I thought that he would tell stories of your efforts, not make an oath to you, sir."
"Yes... it makes little difference, but if he wanted to be indebted to us, that is his choice." Alexander hummed as he glanced to the side in his thoughts. "But... I am afraid a bit, if this is to go the way I believe that it will, then I will need to train myself better with the management of the powers."
"That is nonsense..." Rusalka mused as she waved a hand with watery sigils appearing. "The time of Dracula may only proceed through the future, there is no connection further than what we have encountered with Trevor Belmont."
"Except... there is..." The water demoness paused as she slowly turned her head with the sigils returning, all the monsters on the edge suddenly as Alexander finished. "I am talking about the very first Belmont, when knights and houses existed, but it was also the time when Dracula became the Prince of Darkness. Before Trevor Belmont of the Belmont Clan, there was Leon Belmont of the House Belmont." The instant feedback blasted Alexander to the floor as it physically blasted through the structure before he whispered with Rusalka returning. "...Ow..." He dropped into slumber to calm his mind as well, but what he just said was a sudden bomb and everything went ballistic within, none even knowing that the before Trevor, there was another famous Belmont, one not often told of in legends and Alex had discovered the name when investigating the line itself, it all lining up with the same name: Leon.
