Timothy Burr - 1, I thank you for noticing that aspect about the team STRQ fight. I'm kinda disappointed more didn't notice. 2, yes, some of what the Snake-Man said is true. But what exactly is true will be revealed later, same as the fates of Lucifer and Zobek. And, if I'm perfectly honest, I did intend for the Snake-Man to actually be the Forgotten One in my original draft for that chapter, but I decided it didn't blend well with my plans for this story. And as too your assumption about Ruby, you're close in that she will be a major player (mainly because she is the the protagonist of Rwby, so she kinda has to) but she will not be a daughter-esque figure to Dracula. But she will become someone important to him, be it as a ally or a enemy. Or maybe a bit of both. 3, I appreciate your choice in anime. Admittedly I prefer the Attack on Titan manga over the adaptation, but both are pretty good.
And as to the story you want to write, I say go ahead! And, funnily enough, I did originally intend for this story to be something akin to the Rwby cast reacting to Lords of Shadow, albeit a version of Lords of Shadow utilizing a Rwby coat of paint. For example: Salem was intended to be Satan, and Ozpin was going to be Zobek, and Ruby was going to be Dracul, ect.
And I suppose to address the larger problem as to why I haven't been writing recently. Well, I decided to take a break for two reasons. The first is writer's block. That one's a bitch. The second is that writing this story started feeling more like a chore then a fun hobby. But that has changed, as well as my writer's block. I now have plans, and as I promised last chapter, this one will contain a lot of action. Not just from Dracul, but from his true form, the Daemons and the White Fang, as well as Menagerie's own military. Which, at this point in the timeline, would be separate from the White Fang.
Above me the Earth expressed her fury through the form of a mighty storm. Lightning forked across the sky like a serpent's tongue, and rain fell with no end in sight. Once these kinds of storms would terrify me, as a young boy that is. I believed them to be a omen of destruction and evil. The Fathers of the church would tell us that those storms were God's way of expressing disappointment with his followers, and those who had suffered the loss of their homes or livestock obviously were sinners who must be punished. Ironic. Now I enjoy this type of weather, for it is so very storybook.
A dragon of ancient legend returning during a thunderstorm to bring about destruction that hasn't been seen in millennias. Yes, very fitting for my current form. And it will help me a great deal to spread terror into the hearts of those lying savages. Filthy humans... if I had my way, they'd all be dead! And I will get my way, or be smited by God once He has His fill of me. But until then, I will not rest until they all lie dead! I will destroy they're hopes and dreams, break they're bodies and devour they're very souls with my fire!
... Below was a vast island. Filled with trees, animals and monsters like those Soulless ones. And humans. Filthy, disgusting, kin-killing scum! Oh, yes, I can smell them now! And my... Daemons? In truth I suspected them dead, given how long it has been since I'd sent them out. Well they are weak! And I despise weakness. As far as I'm concerned, they are prey. Like all other humans. They will burn!
I pulled my wings close to my body as lightning struck once more, illuminating my form to those who had decided to watch the skies. Another bolt of lightning struck as I built up my power. I can see them. My Daemons are doing battle with those mortals down below. But... they are losing. Massive machines of war dotted the Earth below, firing away elemental projectiles. It seems they live in such a grand city. I haven't seen something quite like this since... I can't even remember. Towering buildings of stone dared to kiss the Heavens, and warriors wearing white clothes with strange masks wielded weapons that were foreign to me.
I reached out with my power, twisting the very world around me. The lighting that struck had turned black and the rain red as blood. The waters around the island began to boil and bubble as they turned a sickly green. Thick mists rapidly began to spread and envelop the city as the wind howled. Trees quickly died and became twisted into blasphemous positions. Beasts of night began to cry out; to call to me. To pledge they're loyalty to me. I called upon them to take up they're duties in my name.
Bats flocked into the great city, growing in size as they're faces became deformed. Wolves and rabid dogs came pouring forth from the woods, growing to monstrous sizes. Snakes slithered between the cracks in the walls of the massive buildings, infecting the dead with a terrible curse. A curse that transformed the corpses into starving Zombies. Statues shook as they're eyes began to open. They moved and began to kill everything they could, crushing the pathetic homes of those miserable secrets, and feeding the dead to my Zombies, making their numbers increase.
I can taste the very blood in the air. The closer and closer to the city I get, the stronger it gets. The thundering clouds had taken on a orange hue, and I called upon my power once more. The clouds parted just enough to reveal the cracked moon. Mother Luna had become one with me. Her power was enhanced beyond that of a full moon. She glowed the color of my own blood. A dark red mixed with the blackest of blacks.
I spread my wings once the city was only a hundred meters or so below, and opened my maw wide as sanguine fire rained upon the kingdom below. Flesh was turned into ash as stone was torn and split. Black plumes of smoke rose high as I burned a line straight through both the city and it's army. Machines of war exploded into thousands of pieces, sending elemental fragments in all directions. Even my own Daemons weren't spared as my all-consuming fire greedily ate them whole. Failure is something I will not tolerate!
I glided through the air, burning all below until I reached the boiling waters. I flapped my wings, snapping my maw shut, and tilted my left wing upwards. I veered to my right, quickly turning around and unleashing another blast of fire upon the city below. Thick plumes of black smoke started to reach the sky, twisting and forming into toxic mist that rained slowly back onto the Earth. My fire had begun to spread into the part of town where the peasants had to live. Primitive huts were being consumed by bloody flames as families and soldiers flooded the streets below. I can hear they're screams and cries for help. I can see soldiers and husbands digging through rubble, stained in cinders, as they searched for dead loved ones and friends. They are like insects. Searching for salvation despite the coming apocalypse. There is no salvation. Only destruction!
I built up my power once more, and unleashed it into the city streets. I watched as my fire filled block after city block like water filling a hole in the Earth. Buildings crumbled and stones were melted. Glass exploded from the immense heat and more plumes of abyssal smoke rose high, poisoning the lungs of any who dared to breathe.
My beasts had begun to penetrate the southern part of the city, killing everyone they could. The Zombies curse had seeped into the Earth, reanimating the cadavers buried in they're precious cemeteries. My mist had begun to take effect, twisting my flames into bloody liquids. Very, very soon, we will be reunited!
I flapped my wings as black bolt of thunder bommed, briefly illuminating me before the smoke and dark clouds swallowed me. Soon... so very soon!
"Everything is proceeding as you have foreseen, my Lord. As we speak the mortals are suffering a terrible, terrible tragedy! Haha..."
"Goooooood... and of our enemy?"
"None the wiser, my Lord. He's as foolish as ever. Poor little Ga-"
"Show some respect to the man. He IS the mighty Dragon, after all. If he were to figure out the mechanism we are preparing... of the boy... everything we are planning to do will fail! Do you understand?"
"Of course, Master. Of course. I won't let him figure out a thing. After all, lies are my specialty."
"We need gunships in the air! Now!" Incompetent idiots! Forget those shadows, that Dragon is our biggest issue! I grabbed the shoulder of a nearby soldier. He turned to look at me, his uniform stained in blood. I took his communicator, switching to a more private setting. Hopefully they aren't-
"Ghira! You're alive! Thank the Spirits!" Thank the Spirits indeed! I let out a heavy breath, "Kali, listen! There isn't much time! They've breached the north and eastern sectors! We're officially in a state of retreat! You need to take Blake and get out of here! There's a boat near the pear I prepared in case of emergency. Take it and leave! And don't fly! That thing'll burn you to ash if you do!" I can hear my little girl crying, I hope she's not hurt. We can only last like this for an hour at most.
"What about you? You aren't gonna..." I tightened my grip, that thing still hasn't come back for a third swoop. What's it up to? Who sent it? Is it a Grimm?
"N-no, I'll be taking a different path. I've got a friend whose planned for a invasion like this. Get outta here, and I never see you again... just know that I lo-" The comms started emitting a screeching yell of static, forcing me to drop it. The CCTV! I turned around, and saw it. The... giant tentacles of blood and corpses had risen from the ground near the tower. It coiled around the giant tower, crushing it like a snake would it's prey. I neared the edge of the watchtower I'm on, what is this? The work of a-a... monster? Are the Spirits upset with us? Is this they're retribution? The lost souls from the Great War coming back to haunt us? Why? What had we done?
I looked down, and saw the streets were flooding with blood and viscera. Kali... Blake... Spirits, please guide them safety. Please have mercy on my daughter... ple-
I swooped down from the clouds, unleashing another plume of fire upon the city. A watchtower was consumed, it's metals bubbling and boiling as it split in two, the upper half being consumed by my seas of blood and fire. Larger tendrils of my blood arose, pulling in and consuming everything they could, growing in size and power. Another bolt of lightning struck as I flew past the city, spreading my flames the nearby forest. It didn't lost long before a wilde fire broke out, greedily clawing for every inch of fuel. Let it all burn. All of it! They killed my boy... they will feel my pain! I'll make them suffer! I'll drown them in the blood of they're own children! I will personally cast they're souls into Hell itself!
The Earth below me began to shudder and quake. The oceans churned with rage as massive tidal waves washed ashor, destroying what little was left the now destroyed city. The thick plumes of smoke and mighty clouds swirled in a massive circle, creating a hole in its center. The hole was a tear in reality, ripping open a portal to my very mind. A world caught somewhere in between the real and the fictional. Massive shards of ice fell towards the Earth, freezing everything it touched. Snow followed it, burying the quickly freezing rivers of blood and crimson flames.
From the sky fell the debris of my mental castle. Statues and giant towers and large buildings crumbled into the Earth, sinking beneath her crust. After mere minutes the Earth shook once more, the ground tearing apart as though it was an Earthquake. Massive spiraling towers grew froth, followed by buildings and statues and ice. I landed upon one of these towers, banishing away my Dragonic power.
With it came a immense strain on my power. And pain. Pain unimaginable. But I have delt with pain for over seven hundred years. A little more can't kill me. I pushed past the pain as my home started rebuilding itself. I can feel it. It is connected to me. Castlevania is feeding my power. And I will feed endless oceans of souls and death. We are linked, my home and I. There can't be a Dragon without his lair, after all.
I walked forth, brushing aside the thick curtains and swiftly crossing the long hallway. The grand doors leading inside opened on their own, revealing a haunting beautiful sight. Shadows danced around in my praise and it called to me. Called to my very soul. It swore it's neverending allegiance to me. Vowing to never leave me. Not like the others. Not like... she did.
'We are you're true children, my Prince,' It whispered as I turned around and sat upon my throne. I relaxed, letting the very stone of my seat pirece into my flesh and funnel fresh blood into my body. I am so tired... it hasn't even been a year since last I assumed my true form. Or has it? Time is convoluted to a immortal. Blindingly fast.
'Sleep, my Prince. Sleep...' Yes, a little sleep. A few hours... maybe a month at most. I need to rest, to let my power recuperate itself. And when I awaken... I'll find the Snake-Man, learn his secrets. See how my new army is coming. Yes, indeed. But now... I slumber...
And it's done! My newest chapter. Hope you guys like it. I really aimed to showcase what Dracula's full power looks like. And, near the end, give a reason as to why he isn't constantly in Dragon form nor does he utilize such power constantly. Anyway, I'm excited to see. your guys reaction! Especially the couple of you who've found my story a few days ago.