Author's Note: This chapter is a prelude to chapter 25 (a very important chapter). Mathias will not re-appear again until near the end of part III, the third and final part of this story. It looks like the relationship between Joachim and Walter is starting to decline. If you want to know what happened to the people Joachim knew from Creightel, you definitely don't want to miss Chapter 25.
Also, FYI, after Part II is finished I may not update again for a little while because of university. Depending on how busy I am, updates might be sporadic and far between. However, I plan to complete this fic and will do my best not to leave my readers wondering what will happen next. I am hoping that the release of the new Castlevania game for PS3 and Xbox in October will entice more people to visit the Castlevania fanfiction section...and read this story! *crosses fingers* :)
Special Thanks
Special thanks go to anyone who is reading this story. Very special thanks go to my loyal readers who take the time to review. If you enjoy this story I would love to hear from you! ;)Also, very very special thanks go to Rahar Moonfire for beta reading my chapters prior to their release as well as LateNiteSlacker, who has given me several detailed reviews that have helped me improve this story immensely.
Also, AzariyaBelmont, I would love to see your drawing of chibi Joachim! It would be so cute! If you decide to draw it, please send me the link and I'll check it out! :D
Since I can't draw, I've always wanted to see other people's renditions of Joachim and/or Catherine. :)
Chapter XXIV
When he finally regained consciousness, Joachim found himself in lying beneath the stone angel. A rush of cool wind tickled across his pale, naked form as he sat up and rubbed his head. To his surprise, his clothing and armor was washed, repaired and set out neatly in front of the gated windowpanes on the floor. However, his attention averted to the opposite side of the room, where the tall, armored form of his red-haired tormentor leaned against the light blue door. Walter's ashen face wore a mask of seriousness as he looked down upon him, his dark eyes glinting in the room's aqua light. The vampire's long black cape fanned out behind him when he moved away from the wall. Joachim immediately cast his pale blue optics to the floor as curtains of his lush, ivory hair fell against his cheeks. Despite the horrendous wounds he suffered, the humiliation of his punishment wounded his pride. Nevertheless, he withdrew a breath and broke the silence. "Walter?"
A shadow appeared upon the demon's face as he continued to stare at the bewildered young man. A look of disgust reaped through his starlit eyes. Joachim did not know how long he had been outside; however, the wounds he sustained were gone. Bones, once broken, were repaired without the slightest scar. He pressed his hand to his cold, smooth cheek, noting the fact that the gashes and bruises had healed and suspected that it was not his own doing. The rage behind his lord's calm expression professed his part in his recovery. Walter's gauntlet-covered hand trailed to the stone secured around his neck and stroked it lightly. The demon released a heavy sigh, his low, calm voice filling the tiny sanctuary. "After trying to steal my possession, you are fortunate I am speaking to you at all. You have injured me with your treachery. It will not be forgotten."
Joachim's pale eyes burned as he leapt to his feet and collected his robes. Weakness shot through him like lightning bolts. He could barely move as lightheadedness threatened to drive him into unconsciousness once again. The trembling youth fell against the window, his eyes blurring in an out of focus as the full moon's ominous red light spilled across his ashen flesh. Whilst Joachim pressed his back against the wrought iron gate, Walter emitted a low, impatient huff. "You are still weak, for you lost a great deal of blood." His fragmented recollections revealed Walter tossing him about the throne room like a rag doll. Very faintly, he remembered his lord's cruel words eroding through his soul like acid. He donned his britches and continued to stare listlessly at the floor, temporarily unable to form his thoughts into words. His eyes glanced at his master's muscular frame, quickly catching the sight of the glittering black stone adorning his neck.
Without warning, Joachim pressed his hands upon his face and sunk to his knees on the floor in a fit of anguished sobs. Before he fully realized it, his voice attempted to reach through the red-haired lord's anger. "You should know why I tried to take it!" He cried out, not caring if his escalating emotions clouded his judgment as he appealed for empathy. "You stole everything from me until I had no choice! If you were in my position, would you not do the same?"
"Silence!" Walter swatted the air. Without even touching the youth, the motion slapped him violently across the face. Joachim fell back, his glassy eyes locking upon his lord as he nursed his injured cheek with his hand. "It displeases me to see you still defend your actions. Did you truly think that you could deceive me? Your arrogance is beyond measure, Joachim. If you think you can defeat me, by all means, I dare you to try." A sinister smirk appeared upon the demon's lips as he lifted his hand, summoning the young man's swords away from their leaning positions against the wall. The blades lifted up, circling around the youth's trembling form before they clattered around his feet on the floor. The red-haired lord folded his arms across his armored chest, his lips parting to expose his gleaming incisors. "What is the matter?" Walter hissed when the youth did not move to claim them. "I am waiting. Although you were a lord, you are entitled to nothing from me. If you want power, you will have to earn it…dear servant."
Joachim bit his lower lip, his eyes burning as his hands lifted from his face and fell by his side. Briefly, his pale eyes traced across the five swords scattered around him over the floor, their long metallic blades stained with dried blood. He could feel Walter's anger and pain without even looking at him. Tremors of regret filled him as he bowed his head and clasped his hands together in front of him. "I can't…hurt you again…Walter." With a quavering sigh, he whispered under his breath, against his better judgment. "Forgive me."
"You do not deserve my forgiveness." Walter sneered, his eyes flashing a tint of red as his powerful hand snatched the pale creature around the neck and pulled him forward. The demon's vice-like grip squeezed until the youth choked out a gasp in pain, his eyes wide and unblinking whilst the vampire's deep, ominous voice snarled. "The fact you would dare ask offends me."
"I thought you cared about me?" Joachim rasped, and his words were nearly choked in this throat by his lord's tightening grip. The young man's pale eyes gleamed, their icy irises locking against the fiery rage building within the other vampire's abyss-like glare. Despite Walter's growing impatience, the pale creature was prepared to use the only weapon he had against his oppressor. "I cannot kill you...because you are all that I have. The world abandoned me but you did not."
"And you repaid me by attempting to steal the Ebony Stone." Walter's hand abruptly released him. Joachim fell onto the floor and felt the back of his head hit the stone. The blow stunned him to the point that the lay where he fell, staring up at his lord's cold expression. Walter's lips curled while he loomed over the fallen young man, kicking him in the side with the sole of his boot. The blow, though somewhat restrained, knocked him onto his front like a wounded animal. He wheezed, feeling pain stab through his weakened body until he heard the demon sigh and looked up once again. Walter's hand pressed across his brow whilst the harshness in his voice temporarily relented. "I was content to keep you by my side. Now, it seems, my trust was for naught. You have disappointed me…"
"Please!" The youth rasped, unable to contain his sorrow as Walter's gaze penetrated against his. A trembling breath escaped his lips as he reached up to the red-haired lord, his fingers clasping the cold, steel surface of his gauntlet-covered hand. His mind began to spin whilst he forced himself to sit upon his knees on the floor in front of his lord's towering frame. Walter's beautiful face tilted down to look at the sickly, pale creature beneath him, as sobs wracked the young man's chest. What am I without you? I am nothing more than a shadow of your grace and strength. Though you took me away from the world, you did it because you loved me. When you beat me, it was for the same reason. He feared being alone. Even if Walter allowed him to be free, he doubted his ability to survive without his protection. The world would scorn him, hate him, and try to kill him for being what he was.
The most valiant part of his soul still clung to pride and dignity despite their vices. A profound aspect of him despised the way Walter dominated his thoughts. Instead of the world abandoning him, he was abandoning himself. But Walter did not see it that way. Joachim knew it the moment he felt his lord's hand lift and touch his face, tenderly caressing the cheek he had struck mere moments ago. Nevertheless, he felt the tension in his master's hand – the mistrust, hurt, and anger. The demon's emotions ran as deep as his own, although they were difficult to decipher clearly.
Walter's voice, now calm and soft, teetered on the edge of self-restraint when the strokes of his hand became more forceful, almost painful, upon his flesh. "Tis' against my better judgment to be forgiving," He whispered. "However, from this night forward, you will accept my authority without question."
"And if I refuse?" Something inside Joachim broke through the haze clouding his mind. He did not know what possessed him to say it, for he was so very close to returning to his lord's good graces – or so he thought. Receiving forgiveness was one thing, but submitting to Walter was another entirely. Tis' not enough for me to beg for your forgiveness, of course. You have to have your cake and eat it, too.
Rage surged through his blackened soul as Walter's lips formed a taunting smile. "Must I explain?" A malicious, unyielding glare flashed within his eyes until they turned red, their glowing irises weakening the youth until he fell limp in his embrace. Despite Joachim's attempts to fight it, he found himself unable to move. Walter's elegant, ashen visage drew closer until their faces were only inches apart. Coils of thick, shimmering red hair cascaded around the youth's face like waterfalls of blood whilst the demon whispered. "Depending on your obedience, your existence with me can be pleasurable or painful. Perhaps both, if you wish…" A flicker of delight appeared in Walter's starlit eyes.
"I am not your puppet!" Joachim snapped, his eyes blazing with renewed vehemence despite his exhaustion.
"So you say." The red-haired lord raised an eye brow as one of his powerful hands pulled the youth's limp form against his armored chest. The demon's hand slid through his silky white hair, cupping the back of his head and pulling it forward as his contoured, ashen visage hovered above the young man's. Walter was so close to him that he felt his breath skim across his cheeks. His lord's abyss-like eyes sough to devour him with their black, mysterious spheres. Joachim felt the remaining color in his visage drain away, leaving behind an empty, frail white shell of his former self. Despite his hatred, he could not move under the penetrating glow. Even though the red-haired lord aided his recovery, he was still not strong enough to defend himself against the demon's greater strength and power. He felt his lord's muscular arms tighten around him, nearly crushing him, as the tension between them continued to build. Yet, delight filled him at the thought that he – and he alone – dominated the red-haired vampire's heart.
The unbridled strength of Walter's enclosing arms filled Joachim with a renewed sense of purpose. "The more I resist you, the more you want me." He breathed. "You cannot have everything you want, Walter. Not even when you want it most."
"Oh, but you are mistaken." The vampire's glowing eyes repelled the youth's icy glare, his voice lowering as he added. "I can, because I have you." Within a moment, Joachim felt his lord's lips press against his own, stealing away his chance to retort in the intensity of his kiss.
As if his lord's touch was like acid upon his flesh, Joachim broke their kiss and turned his head away. "You think you have me. Stop deluding yourself. I am in no mood to play games with you now."
"This is not a game!" Walter snarled. The bright red glow in his eyes intensified when his pale, young companion refused to concede.
Joachim's lower lip curled as he hissed under his breath. "Must you torture me like this?"
"You are so dramatic even the greatest actor could not match your abilities. I should send you to the stage, perhaps then; you might amuse me with such ridiculous notions."
"Send me then, for I would enjoy the theatre far more than your company, Walter."
Without allowing him to continue, the red-haired demon threw the frail nobleman across the room. Joachim barely realized what had happened until his back slammed roughly against the wrought iron gate covering the windowpanes. Since he was not wearing his chest armor, pain ripped through his back like fire as he gasped in surprise and fell forward onto the floor like lead. "Foolish wretch!" Walter's low, ominous voice filled the small room as he whirled, turning his back upon the gasping youth as his armored form stomped toward the door. "I shall not waste my time with you. By all means sulk, if that is your wish. Though, you will receive no sympathy from me."
"I do not expect sympathy, since you are obviously incapable of it." Joachim retorted, not caring if his insult would entice his lord to abuse him further.
"And you are incapable of defeating me." With a loud, angry huff, the demon commanded the door to open and disappeared, slamming it shut behind him.
Joachim stared after his lord for a long time, his face paling whiter than snow. What is wrong with me? One moment, he was on his knees begging his lord's forgiveness, the next he could hardly stand looking at his face. With a gasp, he fled to one of the room's pools and glimpsed at his ashen, lifeless reflection in the crystalline water. Barely a second later, he pulled away, unable to look at the creature gazing back at him. Something terrible was consuming him until he no longer knew himself. Like a master puppeteer, Walter controlled him by invisible strings. His lord, once so tender and loving, was capable of extreme cruelty and barbarism just as prevalently. It would not be long before the beautiful castle of Eternal Night would become nothing more than a prison to him. The worst of it, however, was the fact that he had not realized he was Walter's prisoner until he saw the lustful, greedy glint within the red-haired demon's eyes. A profound part of his soul was slipping away the longer he allowed himself to succumb to the red-haired lord's whims. I did something terrible by lying with Walter…and letting him take me. I have betrayed everything I ever loved – especially Catherine. If only I could be with her again, the way we used to be, before this nightmare.
With as much dignity as he could muster, Joachim floated toward his clothing set out for him on the window ledge and finished dressing himself. He was not about to allow the demon to evade him so easily. The youth huffed under his breath whilst he left the room and made his way toward the castle's tallest tower, knowing the throne room was where Walter spent the majority of his leisure time. It disgusted him to imagine the red-haired lord seated proudly upon his throne like a bored, hungry cat. Even though his body had healed, his wounded heart and soul could not overcome the humiliation of being tethered naked to a flagpole. Although he had given himself to Walter, he began to consider the ruin he had wrought upon himself and grimaced. He had committed an unforgivable offence upon his body and soul. A part of himself wretched when he thought about the pleasure he felt during his lovemaking with Walter…because he had enjoyed it…
Within a short time, the young man arrived in front of the throne room's heavy stone door. Undoubtedly, his master lurked beyond, seated upon the throne and waiting for him to return. Walter would expect him to appear, eventually. It incensed him when he realized how predictable his actions were for the red-haired demon and his pale, sallow lips curled into a reproachful sneer. Very carefully, he pried the door open and peered into the large, open room without announcing himself. Something was amiss with his master, for an indescribable tension flashed upon Walter's smooth, ashen visage during their brief argument. Something else occupied the red-haired lord's thoughts and he was determined to uncover whatever it was. Not to his surprise, Walter was seated on the throne in a relaxed bored stance, with his feet stretched out and crossed. His other hand cupped his chin. The vampire lord leaned to one side, gazing lazily at the tactician kneeling before him.
Mathias' chestnut hair fell around his face before he raised his head and stood up. "My great lord," His chillingly calm voice echoed through the room. "My stay in your magnificent castle has been longer than I anticipated. Baron Leon Belmont will arrive from the East shortly. If you intend to obtain his betrothed, she must be taken prior to the wedding. I have arranged to meet Leon at my estate where I shall inform him of the lady's abduction."
"I do not have time for that as of late, Lord Cronqvist." Walter's calm, rich voice resounded through the room. With a hand, he flicked away a few strands of crimson hair straying across his smooth contoured cheeks. A frown creased the corners of his ashen lips. "I am not in the mood to play games. I have other matters that I must attend to immediately."
"What matters do you speak of, Lord Bernhard? Perhaps, I can be of assistance." An impatient frown creased the corners of the knight's smooth lips whilst a flicker appeared within his unblinking, dark brown eyes.
Walter's glare intensified upon the tactician. "Matters." He replied so curtly his tongue articulated the word like an angry viper. "I need not explain them, especially not to one whose debt is at my discretion."
"I understand your predicament," Mathias answered. "However, now is the most ideal moment. I regret it could not be at a later date, for when that time comes Leon would have wed her. I am certain when he does he shall refrain from battling to take ownership of the land Lord Trantoul bargained in exchange for their union."A long silence ensued once the knight's unhindered words were complete; however when Joachim began to draw away from the door the sound of the Mathias' voice stopped him in place. "Lord Armster. It is a pleasure for you to join us at this hour…"
Walter's frame jerked upright in the throne and his eyes narrowed. "Indeed, servant."
Joachim attempted to turn around and disappear down the steps, however before he could Walter waved his hand and flung the doors open. The youth's eyes widened in his surprise, and as if a vice constructed his throat, he choked as his body was forcefully pulled into the room by Walter's power. He pressed his hands against his neck in hopes of relieving the pain coursing in his constricted larynx.
The red-haired lord's lips formed a smirk. "Since you enjoy listening to my affairs, you may as well join us, my little thief."
"Please, Lord Bernhard, that is unnecessary." The tactician protested, and the sound of his voice sent Joachim's eyes looking straight at the face of the former human. Despite the irritation washing across Mathias' calm features, the man's dead eyes focused upon him severely. It was difficult for Joachim to believe that not so long ago, such a creature had once been human. Mathias' white skin contrasted with his dark brown hair and robes. Joachim managed to remain levitating when the force around his throat at last released. He drifted next to the tactician, his pale blue eyes glancing at the knight whilst Walter shook his head impatiently.
It was unusual for the demon to express anxiety, though he saw the emotion reflecting within Walter's dark, glinting eyes which lingered upon Mathias. "I will decide what is necessary." The red-haired lord hissed.
"Lord Bernhard, I strongly suggest you consider my advisement." Mathias resumed the conversation, ignoring the youth's glaring eyes as he flicked a strand of hair away from his face. A tiny, though somewhat chilling, grin appeared across his fine lips whilst he bowed his head again and continued. "I do not wish to interfere in your affairs, though time is against us…among other things."
Walter blinked several times before he backed away and eased himself back into the throne. "Is that so?" he replied in the same brusque voice. Joachim could tell his lord's patience with the tactician was thinning.
Mathias gave a somber nod. Then, as if aware of the vampire lord's thoughts, he began calmly. "I am aware of a developing situation regarding the massacre you and Lord Armster committed upon Dalwood."
"Massacre?" Walter smiled and shook his head, his beautiful red hair tumbling across his broad shoulder blades when he leaned forward in his chair and emitted a low, sarcastic chuckle under his breath. "I would not call it that…it was more or less an enjoyable feast. Only humans would call it something as dramatic as a massacre."
"Very well." Mathias replied with a dull huff, is chestnut colored eyes glittering with faint irritation. His voice became somewhat strained. "A rash of murders has arisen in Creightel. The villagers believe the vampire in Eternal Night is responsible. It seems they are organizing an attack upon your castle." Joachim's eyes widened, but they could not have met the surprise nearly as much as Walter's. "Further investigation would prove whether or not such a plan intends to be carried out."
Walter's eyes grew steadily wider, and his lips parted to form uneasy words that shook his entire frame. "Those wretched humans are plotting against me? It shall not be had! My sanctuary will not be disturbed!" Joachim felt Walter's gaze linger on him, however without addressing his involvement the vampire lord remained silent for a moment longer until his composure was regained. "Will they seek me out or not?" Walter folded his arms across his plated chest, drumming his fingers with growing unease.
As if amused by his reaction, the fallen knight gave an unconcerned reply. "I know not. If you wish to find out, perhaps you should travel there?"
Walter's gaze intensified. He slumped back into his throne and shifted in place, his lips curving into a frown. "Fools. They know nothing of our kind. I will not entertain their superstitions. If they wish to challenge me, let them come…I would enjoy slaughtering them all like cattle."
"Do not expend your powers on weak opponents." The tactician shook his head, eyeing the lord carefully and restraining his tone to avoid offending him. Joachim noticed that the man chose his words carefully, mixing truth with flattery in order to avoid facing the demon's unpredictable wrath. Despite the confident look upon Walter's face, the white-haired youth was quick to take notice that his lord's gauntlet-covered fingers continued to drum anxiously upon the arms of the throne. Walter shifted in his seat, his lips pursing whilst the tactician bowed his head again and continued, his deep, calm voice resonating through the large room. "A great lord, such as yourself, deserves to battle a worthy knight. If you are unwilling to travel to Creightel, perhaps your servant could be of assistance?"
Walter lowered his head whilst his left hand clenched into a tight fist. After a heavy sigh parted through his delicate lips, his dark eyes flitted to the silent, watchful youth floating next to the fallen knight. Uncertainty rang through the demon's rich voice when he finally spoke.
"Perhaps…though he was their lord… I doubt he has the nerve to face his own subjects as a vampire. I shall deal with this situation, personally-"
"Leon Belmont is not to be underestimated, Lord Bernhard." Mathias interjected, his brown eyes locking against Walter's starlit ones whilst he added silkily. "I strongly advise you to conserve your powers. As promised, you shall receive the worthy adversary you desire. Leon would do anything to rescue his betrothed. I assure you, he will stop at nothing until he battles you."
"Humans are weak." Walter sneered, his dark eyes narrowing with growing repugnance. "I would have little difficulty culling those who attempt to attack my castle. Nevertheless…if this Belmont is as powerful as you claim…tis' meaningless to waste my time on a pathetic village. However, I doubt my servant is suitable for this task..."
"Quite the contrary, Lord Armster is in need of practice. His knowledge of Creightel shall enable him to deal with the situation quickly. I am certain it will test his allegiance to you."
"Indeed…for he has disappointed me greatly…tis' time to test his devotion to his master." Walter mused, whilst a sigh escaped his lips. The entire time, Joachim had held his silence, for he knew he would have no choice except to obey. A shudder ran down the young man's spine as he looked up into Walter's unblinking, starlit eyes. Despite the uncertainty flowing through his withered veins, the white-haired vampire feigned indifference to their conversation. It was imperative that he return to Creightel. Walter could gaze into his soul like a looking glass and sense his willingness. With a huff, the demon looked into the youth's icy blue eyes, his calm voice acquiring a hint of sharpness within it whilst he added. "Despite ruling over those humans, you are no longer one of them. I will consider forgiving you if you alleviate this situation. Remember the crimes they committed upon you when you were human."
"I cannot forget." Joachim whispered under his breath. Images flooded into his mind and burned his heart like fire. Sudden, visible despair seeped into his steely blue eyes and made them widen in fear. He was fighting a battle between love and hate within himself…and uncertain of which would prevail in the end. Hatred was like fire, for it spread and burned everything into ashes. Love was the only thing he still clung to, even though he no longer knew what it meant or how to define it. His soul was damaged like a cracked windowpane and threatening to shatter to pieces. The youth wrung his hands as he managed to croak amidst his doubt. "They condemned me, so I feel no obligation to protect them. Humans are pathetic, lowly creatures unworthy of pity. If dealing with this matter is your wish, Walter, it shall be done." A sinister smile spread across his lips and he flicked his hand, chuckling to himself. Though he knew not what the source of his subjects' fears were, he was determined to root it out and eliminate it. His former subjects were notoriously superstitious and capable of holding almost anything responsible for the deaths. If they were quick enough to blame him for his lord's murder spree, there was not an ounce of doubt in Joachim's mind that their ignorance made them unwilling to believe anything else.
After a long silence, Walter rose from the throne and descended the carpeted stairs toward him. Within seconds, Joachim felt his lord's eyes stare down at him, the intensity in his gaze prompting the youth to shrink back when his deep voice whispered. "Prove yourself." He could feel the other vampire's eyes penetrating into him as if to subdue the possibility that the creature before him could reconsider. "You belong here, with me...Joachim. Do not forget what you are."
"And what is that?" The young man sighed as he lowered his head and kneeled in front of the red-haired lord, the indigo tails of his robes fanning around him over the floor. His shoulder-length ivory hair splayed gracefully against his cheeks and shoulders and enhanced the gloomy, purple aura surrounding him. Even though he was dangerously close to his lord, he kept his five massive blades aligned still and resisted the temptation to summon them. Conflict was pointless as long as the red-haired demon held the youth's body, soul – and the Ebony Stone – in his iron-like grip.
The faint trace of a smile appeared across Walter's ashen lips as his gauntlet-covered hand tenderly cupped the young man's face. After drawing a breath, his eyes glittered whilst he replied darkly. "You are a tainted soul…who I have nurtured and protected. Nothing on this Earth understands you better than I. You will have to come to terms with your vampirism and accept the fact that you need me, Joachim - whether you like it or not."
To this, Joachim said nothing, for he could not deny the truth in his lord's words. Eternal Night was his sanctuary as well as his prison. The trees in the forest were like the bars of the cage isolating him from the rest of the world. A part of him embraced the fact that Walter kept him safe from humans, who would otherwise attack and kill him on sight. The powerful barrier surrounding Eternal Night prevented the sunlight from burning him to dust. When he thirsted for blood, Walter fed him – and when he was lonely, his lord comforted him with his body and embrace. However, Joachim feared what he would become if he stayed with his red-haired companion, tormentor, lord, and lover. When he gave in to Walter everything seemed tolerable on the surface. Yet, beneath Joachim's composed façade dwelled resentment so severe that his admiration for the red-haired demon was conflicted with hatred.
Walter's mesmerizing beauty and strength had the power to seduce the youth into bloodlust and darkness until there was nothing left of his human self. It would not be long before he was unable to recognize who – or what – his reflection represented. There was no escape as long as he gave himself to Walter's desires…even though he wanted to. Even though, in spite of his master's brutality, Joachim thirsted for Walter's attention like a spoilt child. He had never known a time when people did not scrutinize his pale, lithesome figure, white hair, and piercing eyes. It was as though God had created him for the sake of being noticed and treated with contempt and adoration by the world. Joachim belonged in neither heaven nor hell, for his soul retained the vices and virtues of both. Nevertheless, a perpetual hell existed within the young man's frail mind. He was about to revisit the life he once knew and treasured before it was stolen away by the demon's kiss. Joachim's thoughts swirled around Walter like a vortex, which drew soul into the demon's black, starlit spheres.
You curse me with your need to have me, Walter. I will free myself from your power over my heart. You fear I shall abandon you when I return to Creightel…and Catherine. You have been alone for so long…that you cannot bear to let me go. The harder you try to keep me, the more I resent you and everything you have done for the sake of loving me.
Mathias gave one of the coldest smiles he had ever seen, before bowing to the vampire lord and stepping back. "It is the hour for me to begin my role in this exquisite game. Now I am required to engage as the bed ridden, loyal friend Leon chose to depend upon for truth and logic. Such an act will be time consuming, however, the results will be on a scale grander than you could ever imagine Lord Bernhard. Far grander indeed…" his voice faded like a broken wind, and in turn Joachim turned and departed for the door. He felt both Mathias and Walter's gaze follow him as he went, however he ignored it and silently drifted out of the room.
The night wind howled in his ears when he began his descent down the tower's staircase. The youth's pale, blue eyes stared into the dark, endless night. Though he did not know why, he paused in the middle of the staircase and rested his elbows upon the railing, leaning over it to survey the lonely red moon hovering in the sky. The moon's ominous light cast a shadow across his ashen visage. His dead, unblinking gaze wandered to the rolling black clouds veiling the ground beneath the tower. The wind whipped through his hair, causing its silky white strands to fly wildly about his face. The youth leaned precariously over the railing until he had to stand upon his toes to steady himself. Jump. A voice inside him urged him to let himself plunge into the dark, rolling clouds. Hell was inescapable. Even a fall from the castle's highest tower would not kill him. Without realizing it, his sharp, claw-like nails dug into the stone railing. I am the only Armster heir left to rule in my father's name. They would not leave me here. Catherine would never stop searching for me. I will tell her everything and pray she does not despise me for the sins I have committed.
Suddenly, the heavy stone door securing the throne room opened. Joachim noticed the tactician's lithe, pale form gliding down the staircase. Mathias' cold eyes focused upon the youth as he paused, his chestnut colored locks fanning around him under the control of the unyielding wind. Before the young man could turn away, he heard the knight address him with restrained irritation. "It seems you have failed to obtain the Ebony Stone from your master." A low growl sounded from the youth's throat as his glaring eyes stabbed the tactician with a sudden temptation to throw him from the tower. Mathias drifted next to him, his vigilant gaze never straying whilst he added smoothly. "The Ebony Stone fuses its power with the one who controls it. T'was not enough to simply take it from your lord, for his soul is bound to the stone. Only death has the power to sever it."
"Tis' courteous of you to provide this information to me now, Lord Cronqvist." Joachim returned the tactician's remark with a derisive scowl. He despised the man's calm expression as the red moonlight shone upon his pale face. "You knew I would not succeed."
"You would have attempted to steal it regardless. As I said before, everything you need to know about the Stone is in the book I gave you." Mathias replied and shrugged indifferently at the young man's scowl. His voice, though calm and soft, was audible amidst the crying wind. "Though you are determined Lord Armster, your impulsiveness is counterproductive. My old friend, Leon, is like you in that aspect…willing to throw himself into anything for the sake of the 'greater good'."
"Your old friend?" Joachim chided, his eyes hardening like icicles when they glanced at the tactician's pensive expression. "I am certain when he discovers your betrayal; he will hardly think of you with the same nostalgia." He looked away from the moon.
The knight's lips formed into a frown, whilst his hand brushed away the long, strands of his chestnut hair. Despite Mathias' silence, a growing darkness appeared within his eyes as his voice lowered to a whisper. "Tis'…regretful that I must use Leon, though he will understand what it means to lose the one dearest to his heart, as I have. The Lord works in mysterious…and cruel…ways. Leon's ability to defeat Lord Bernhard will test his worthiness of joining me in eternity."
The scowl upon the young man's lips deepened into the starkest form of hatred for the creature standing next to him. A terrible power radiated around the knight to the point that Joachim nearly backed away under the force of Mathias' penetrating stare, for was looking into the blackness – and seeing it look back at him. "I hope Baron Belmont is wiser than you," he snapped. "You have betrayed him. Perhaps, you are envious of the fact that whilst you grieve, your friend shall marry the woman he loves."
"I will save Leon." Mathias retorted, a twinge of anger ignited within his eyes as his hand clenched into a fist. "You know not what his friendship means to me. I would do anything to spare him from worshipping an unjust God. Even if it means the death of his bride, he will come to realize the truth."
"What truth?"
"That God is indiscriminate, cold, and unmerciful. Leon will discover that God will not spare his betrothed from her fate, the same way He did not spare my wife." Softness returned within the knight's eyes whilst he sighed, lowering his head and curtaining his face behind tendrils of his long, chestnut hair. Fleetingly, sadness shrouded his once calm demeanor whilst he whispered, as if to himself. "How I wish…Elisabetha…were with me, now…"
For a moment, Joachim's anger relented. He recognized the sadness in Mathias' eyes instantly, for it bore a likeness to his own. Although a part of him condemned the man for his decision to damn himself, a profound aspect of his own tormented soul understood his grief. God had been cruel to him as well. Yet, somehow, he remembered Catherine's strong faith and pictured the woman's smiling face in his mind. He missed gazing into her beautiful bright green eyes. The youth's reply echoed what, he knew, she would have said in that moment. "Why can't you believe that God brought you and your wife together? God created us all, even the woman you loved. Perhaps, her soul will be unable to find peace without you."
The sad glint in the tactician's eyes deepened until he turned away, his voice suddenly acquiring a coldness within it that repelled the young man's observation. Mathias' long, black robes unfurled around him in the wind. The man's ashen skin took on a red hue under the moon's ominous crimson glow, emanating a peculiar resemblance to being covered in blood. "Someday," The tactician murmured softly. "I will see her again…when our souls reunite. Until that time, I shall live in the shadows and curse God for taking her from me."
Joachim remained silent, for he had no answer or words of comfort to give the fallen knight. His own sorrow was so great he feared that if he listened to the man's words, he would plunge deeper into shadow. He watched Mathias turn to face him once more, the corners of his lips curving into a faint smile whilst his penetrating eyes focused on the pale youth. After exhaling a sigh, he added darkly.
"Hatred is the only emotion worth nurturing, Lord Armster. The humanity within you makes you weak. You will remain in servitude forever…unless you relinquish your empathy toward humans and your master. If you wish to rule, you must use your hatred to make you stronger. Anyone who opposes you must die, lest they live to destroy you."
The youth shivered as though the devil was whispering in his ear. His pale, blue eyes gleamed as he drew a heavy breath, unable to restrain his frustration. Although he despised the knight's words, he reluctantly admired Mathias' perceptiveness. The man understood pain and knew how to use the emotion to advance his powers. Joachim wished he were as wise, though the harshness in his voice concealed it. "You speak so effortlessly about killing, Lord Cronqvist. I owe a great deal to Walter despite his brutality toward me."
"But you hate him, do you not?" Mathias' dark eyes flickered as smile upon his lips broadened deliberately.
"I hate what he did to me." The young man broke their eye contact and stared at the rolling, dark clouds surrounding the tower. Uncertainty appeared within his pale, hollow gaze whilst he whispered to himself. "But…I still care for him…and know not why." The harder he tried to sort through his emotions, the further he felt from reality. He was snared in Walter's trap like rabbit and unable to free himself. The more he struggled, the tighter the demon's grip upon his heart became.
At least, he thought so, until he heard Mathias' voice amidst the howling wind. "You ruled your own lands, subjects, and laws. A once proud young lord has become a vampire's servant. If you do not destroy Lord Bernhard, you shall always be an insignificant pawn in his games. Unless, of course, that is what you desire."
"No!" Joachim's pale dagger-like eyes stabbed the knight with renewed antipathy. He slammed his fist against the stone railing whilst gritting his teeth. It was unbearable to think of the luxuries he took for granted when he was human. The youth raised his head, his eyes narrowing upon the full, crimson moon looming above the tower whilst he continued. "I will not give up until Eternal Night – and Walter – belong to me. Though I failed once, I shall obtain the Ebony Stone. However, a woman I know waits for me. I shall save her from the creature preying upon Creightel. She will know how to change me back, to make me human again... to save my soul, for I love her, still."
"Are you certain?" Mathias whispered in his ear, drawing closer to him like an ominous shadow. "Did you think of her when you let Walter take you? You know the pleasures of this world, Lord Armster. You would not love her the same way now. Perhaps, you shall see the extent of your lord's cruelty when the woman you loved-"
"Shut up!" He whirled and was tempted to strike the man across the face. If it were not for Mathias' mysterious, terrifying power, he might have been unable to restrain the urge. Nevertheless, Joachim's smooth, white lips curled into a scowl whilst his hands quavered in rage. With a proud snort, he snapped defiantly. "I would do anything to protect her. When I see her again, I shall know myself through her love. Catherine waits for me…so my love endures, in spite of my sins."
"Think what you wish," Mathias replied with a shrug, his eyes flickering with a growing darkness whilst he turned toward the night and lifted his head. The tactician's lush, brown hair swept around him whilst he added, with a twinge of amusement in his voice. "You are young and naïve, Lord Armster. Eternity will strip you of virtue until you have none left. Depart for Creightel then, and save the woman you loved. I wonder, if you are truly as human as you believe. Lord Bernhard would do anything to ensure you are his…absolutely anything…" A low, dull chuckle sounded from within the knight's throat as he continued to gaze at the crimson moon. Joachim watched Mathias look at him over his shoulder. Like a blacksmith, he stoked the fire burning in the young man's eyes, until Joachim's dagger-like gaze was so sharp it could have pierced through a thousand hearts. "Free yourself of your master's entrapment, and you shall reap the rewards of eternal life. If you cannot find the courage to reclaim your power, content yourself with being Walter's minion, slave, and servant for all eternity. It would be a disgraceful end to such a proud, noble family. I am certain your lord shall never release you, otherwise. Perhaps, if we meet again, you will understand the nature of Lord Bernhard's eternal love for you…"
"You-" Joachim's thoughts began to rage to the point that sent all of his swords at the tactician. The metallic blades attempted to stab through his chest, however, without even batting an eyelid the other vampire suddenly disappeared. The youth's eyes widened until they caught sight of the Mathias standing on the rooftop of the throne room, his robes billowing in the cold, night wind whilst his long hair whipped around him. Joachim's breath hitched in his chest as he felt a terrifying, wicked power emanate from the fallen knight. With a feral snarl, the youth bared his fangs. Even the wind, once strong, suddenly waned under the tactician's dark authority. As if the night itself bowed to Mathias, everything became completely still and silent. Even the moon's glowing light was suddenly shrouded behind the clouds in the sky. Darkness fell upon the pale creature as he stared at the man standing atop the throne room's roof, paralyzed by awe and fear of not who – but what – he was looking at.
They stared at one another with a will to drown each other in the intensity of their hatred. Then, after drawing a breath, Joachim broke the silence with his rage. "The night belongs to me, with or without those pathetic little stones that you and my lord covet so desperately! I shall rule this castle, this forest, and the darkness I have been damned to dwell within! I would stain my soul with blood to prove I am worthy of ruling Eternal Night. Walter does not know how far I am willing to go."
"It seems…not even you know, either." A smirk creased the corners of the tactician's lips. Then, without looking at him again, the fallen knight turned away and vanished in a puff of thick, black smoke. Joachim's eyes traced the starry night sky until they caught sight of wings fluttering toward the red moon. He watched the dark brown vampire bat ascend into the sky until it disappeared into the darkness. The moment it was gone, the wind returned and he was left to the mercy of the night. The youth sighed and began to descend the steps, his levitating form gliding downward into the depths of the castle like a demon returning to hell.
Upon reaching the threshold of the tower, however, a dark smirk spread across Joachim's lips whilst his pale eyes glinted a shade of red.
I will rule Eternal Night, sooner than you think, Lord Cronqvist.
Anyone who challenges my authority…whether it is you, Walter, or that Leon Belmont…
Will die.