Author's Note: Yay, I'm back! It has been far too long since I updated this story. I sincerely apologize for making you wait if you were anticipating quicker updates. Unfortunately, I was caught up in a heavy university semester and had almost no time to write until my classes finished. :( Now that Spring is here, I will have more time to edit my writing and work on this story. I am really grateful to everyone who has read this story and continued to support it. So, don't put this story into the graveyard of incomplete fanfics just yet! It took me a while to write this chapter because the last part of Melancholia was unfinished, so I have to write the rest as I go along from scratch (instead of re-writing chapters). Now that Sara Trantoul is in the story, things should get a lot more interesting. If you have any suggestions on what could happen next be sure to send me a message, as I am always open to ideas. Hopefully, you will like my take on Sara since she received very little character development in Lament of Innocence. Joachim's mental state is unpredictable, so don't be surprised if you find his actions a little erratic in this chapter. Previous reviewers mentioned that the story of this fic needed more attention and I hope this chapter helps.
Again, if you are still reading this, thank you for your continued support. I love reading reviews, as it helps me understand what people reading this story think and help me find ways to improve it.
Lateniteslacker: If you are still out there on fanfiction dot net, this debut chapter is dedicated to you!
Chapter XXIX
The red moon in the sky that cast its glowing crimson light over the young man and his horse. He crossed the drawbridge and dismounted. Sara's face was pale and locks of her dark brown hair fell across her chest and shoulders. The long, flowing white skirt of her dress fanned around him as he drifted into the corridor beyond the entranceway. The creature's graceful, indigo colored robes fluttered with him as he went, whilst his steely gaze remained focused upon the unconscious woman. She weighed barely anything at all. Though you rest in peace now, by the time my master finishes with you, you will rest in pieces alongside your beloved knight. Upon arriving at the blue door, he waved it open and floated within the tiny sanctuary. He laid her down on the floor in front of the stone angel. The creature then departed and sealed the door to the sanctuary with his mind.
After scanning the shadowy corridor, he muttered under his breath. "The lady has arrived."
A flash of black light appeared and unveiled his master's armored form. "At last you have returned." With cat-like stealth, the red-haired vampire emerged from the shadows; his pallid face glistening in the moonlight flooding through the numerous windowpanes behind him. Walter lifted one of his gauntlet-covered hands and brushed aside the crimson hair veiling his right eye. "As expected, she was not much of a challenge to obtain."
Joachim shrugged and gestured toward the sealed blue door. Strange, distorted shadows danced across his ashen face. The youth's smooth lips forced a grin. Even a simple smile took great effort. Curtains of his lush, white hair cascaded against his high cheekbones, giving him a frail, and somewhat chilling image. The purple aura surrounding his lithe form glowed faintly, its light allowing him to see the red-haired vampire's satisfied expression. With a huff, he turned away, his voice lowering to a dull hiss. "The lady was pathetically easy to capture. Even you could have accomplished it."
A dangerous spark appeared within Walter's eyes. He swept toward the pale youth, his great armored frame towering over him when they were merely inches apart.
Joachim continued to gaze at the floor as if something terribly interesting existed near his feet. The young man's shoulders tensed whilst he felt Walter's penetrating, nearly suffocating, dark eyes scan him carefully. The red-haired demon tossed his head, causing coils of his shimmering locks to splay against his shoulders.
"Mind your tongue, servant." Walter's eyes narrowed. "I must entertain Baron Belmont when he arrives. Keep the lady safe until that time."
"As you wish. Though, if she burdens me, I shall not stand for it. It is not my duty to baby sit that woman."
"Quite the contrary, it is." The red-haired vampire parted his lips, unveiling the gleaming whites of his fangs. The youth did not even flinch at the gesture, his pale blue eyes barely lifting to look at his lord's face, whilst Walter added. "I am pleased with your success. Perhaps, later, I will reward you."
"Me?" Joachim scoffed. His lips curled into a sardonic grin. "I thought you were referring to yourself."
Without batting an eyelid, Walter's steel gauntlet cuffed him across the cheek. It was not hard enough to make him bleed, but the frail creature fell back against the wall, nursing the tender spot upon his face with his hand. Haggard breaths escaped his lungs as he slid down the wall, his mind spinning from the force of Walter's blow. He sensed his lord's patience with him was running thinner every time they spoke.
Walter loomed over him, his elegant visage tilted slightly downward. A smirk pressed across his lips when his voice filled the darkened corridor. With a soft sigh, the demon turned away, his long black cape sweeping around his armored form.
Joachim staggered to his feet and leaned against the wall for support. He observed the demon for a moment, feeling both attracted and repulsed by its presence. Without breathing a word, a part of him admired the smirk painted upon his lord's face with the artistry of a god. Something deep within in his twisted thoughts observed how the snake-like curls of Walter's fiery red hair tumbled lazily across his titan-like chest and muscular shoulder blades. Walter's every move was swift, powerful, and deliberate. His dark, cavernous eyes veiled his every thought and whim like a curtain. The bat-like folds of his armor-clad chest embraced his sculpted form, enclosing the pale, lifeless flesh beneath layers of blood-red steel. A thousand stolen lives echoed from every word, laugh, and flattery bestowed from the creature's silky lips. Though the youth knew not why, Walter's deep voice commanded his complete attention, its sound alone incinerating his will to resist, except within his mind. However, he knew that soon, the demon would claim his thoughts with the same unyielding greed as his soul.
"Who shall watch the lady?" Joachim chided smoothly, at last breaking the spell cast by Walter's penetrating gaze. "If she escapes, the demons will make a swift meal out of her pretty face. I doubt Baron Belmont will think she is worth rescuing should such an unfortunate circumstance occur."
Walter's lips became taught. "I do not expect the lady to remain here long." With a huff, the red-haired captor slinked into the shadows until only the glint of red in his irises were visible. Like a dying breeze, his voice lowered. "Remember, you serve and belong only to me." The demon's left hand balled into a fist. The metal fingers of his gauntlets chafed against his palm, creating a dull, scratching noise, as his narrowed eyes remained glared upon the youth with the malice of death itself. "I know you have enjoyed hunting alone…and other activities as well, Joachim." A spark of rage flickered within his dark, glinting eyes when a brief silence returned the red-haired vampire's observation.
"So?" Joachim huffed, ready to test his lord's patience a second time. He could see rage building in Walter's eyes when he shrugged. "You need not fear any competition for my heart, Walter, since you would rather own it than earn it."
For a moment, he thought the other vampire was going to strike him. An ominous red light formed around Walter's trembling fist, matching the crimson glow in his eyes whilst he retorted. "Your indiscriminate choices are unbecoming. Wash yourself, filthy wretch, for you reek of human blood. I do not wish to look upon such a disgraceful sight. You became mine the moment I turned you and granted you eternity. Your insolence is tiresome, and your childish melancholy rather unbecoming of you, Joachim. I do not have time for such trivialities whilst anticipating the Baron's arrival. Entertain our guest…for if you do not, perhaps, you will entertain your master, instead. You are fortunate I still grant you the freedoms you believe are entitled to you. I assure you, should you displease me again, I will not be lenient. Consider this a warning…my dear servant."
Before Joachim could return his master's warning with an insult, Walter vanished in a flash of white light. The moonlit hallway seemed suddenly lonelier. Only the wind whistling through cracks in the windowpanes kept him company.
At least my master's search for that little red stone will keep him occupied. I am certain that tactician, Mathias, knows its whereabouts. It's too bad I didn't kill Lord Cronqvist…for his power will soon reach uncontrollable levels…
The pale youth grimaced whilst he approached the sanctuary door and focused his thoughts, commanding it to open with the will of his mind. The question of Mathias' whereabouts would have to wait until after he attended to Walter's guest.
After returning to the tiny sanctuary, his eyes darted to the figure of a young woman at the opposite side. The lady stood near the gate behind the stone angel, her bright azure eyes wide and fearful, and her skin somewhat paler than before. Upon sighting him, she backed up against the window's wrought iron gate, her breath hitching in her chest as she stared at his levitating form.
"So, you have awoken at last. Good evening, Lady Trantoul." A proud chuckle escaped Joachim's throat and filled the narrow space. The sound of his delight echoed of the walls as he floated inside, his robes fluttering around him as he went, unbothered by the fact her face drained of all color from the sight of him. The creature's fine lips formed a grin. "What are you staring at?" His hand clenched into a fist as his swords broke their alignment and began to whirl around him. The glowing blades swiped at the air, their metallic, blood-stained surfaces reflecting like mirrors off the room's watery pools. The aqua water glittered like gemstones, its beauty contrasting with the creature's maliciousness. He could almost smell her blood from where he was – teasing him, alluring him, and beckoning him to quench his thirst. If his mind was not careful, one careless thought was capable of sending his swords through her throat. It's too bad I can't kill you yet.
Tendrils of her thick, brown hair fell against Sara's neck, breaking his view of her throat. "Who are you? Why have you brought me to this place?"
"Who am I?" With a loud huff, he cross his arms and felt the sharp points of his fingernails dig into his palms. "My name is Joachim Armster."
"Armster? My mother spoke of your family. You…you are the only son of the great Lord Zaeviean Armster, his ill child-"
"Be silent! Your human tongue is not fit for speaking my name."
Sara's bright eyes looked upon him intently. The room's aqua light illuminated her soft, graceful features. The young woman bowed her head. "I wish to know the reason for my abduction, Lord Armster."
"You and your knightly Leon are to be sacrifices in my lord's game." He gave her a nonchalant shrug. Why else would you be here? Foolish girl, you know not what I could do to you now – and would do to you, were my master not so eager to keep you alive.
"Game?" The lady gasped. "I have done you no ill will. I can tell by your clothing that you are a nobleman. Surely, you do not intend to receive monetary rewards from my abduction?"
Joachim's nails dug into his palms, whilst his brow furrowed and his lips separated, revealing the needle-like points of his fangs. "Man?" he repeated the word with a repulsed huff, as though it were poison to his ears. The glowing aura surrounding his body intensified when he spat. "If I were permitted, I would have punctured your pretty neck and drained all the blood coursing through your veins. Then, perhaps, you would find out how much of a man I truly am. Money is of no importance to vampires, foolish girl."
"I pray you, do not do such a thing!" The lady's stance became rigid as she cupped her hands in front of her, her calm demeanor like that of a nun in prayer. Despite her fear, her voice was soft, and if he had not detected her shudder faintly, he might have believed she was feigning.
Joachim unclenched his hands, his head tilting downward, whilst his gleaming eyes shot a thousand silent curses upon her. "Do you fear me?" his words became a guttural hiss. "Oh, my dear Lady Trantoul, you need not worry…" He paused deliberately, allowing a smile to crease the corners of his lips. One of his hands brushed aside the silky locks of his white hair. "I have no intention of releasing you. Instead, allow me to show you a bit of hospitality!"
In the blink of an eye, he seized her throat and flung her against the stone angel. The woman's bright blue eyes filled with pain as she gasped, clawing at his wrist whilst he smiled with the enthusiasm of a daemon. All five of his whirling swords flew past her face and embedded themselves into the floor around the base of the statue, their metallic blades slicing through the stone with terrifying ease. The youth's grip relented as a tint of red flashed in his eyes. "I have wiped out villages, killed priests, burnt churches, and drained humans of their blood! If you had seen the joy in my eyes, you would fear me! And you rightly should, human."
The woman coughed and struggled for air, her eyes wide and unblinking as she pulled her legs toward her chest and huddled against the angel – perhaps, hoping God would save her from the demon's cruelty. Yet, the angel's gaze remained locked upon the heavens, ignoring her tearful gaze. "Please stop!" She cried, though the sweetness in her voice sounded bolder than he expected. The ivory colored skirt of her dress fanned around her delicate form, whilst her beautiful face tilted and looked up at him, daring to catch a glimpse of the creature's pallid visage.
"Stop?" His cold eyes surveyed her with indifference. "I may or may not spare you depending on my master's wishes. If your fate were mine to decide, I would have ended your wretched life far sooner. Walter – my master – wishes for me to keep you safe."
After drawing a breath, Sara folded her hands in prayer, her long brown hair cascading against her face like waves of silk. With a dignified smile, she rose upon her feet and her eyes lifted to catch a closer glimpse of him. Although she was fair and delicate, she stood before the floating demon with the determination of a saint.
The longer his icy glare bore into her sapphire irises, the more her presence drew him. "…Catherine?…" his voice suddenly eluded every fiber that told him to hold his tongue, but he was too late to withhold his thoughts.
A warm rush flooded through him when his voice drew her eyes to his. The creature struggled to ignore her sorrow, however, the tears filling her eyes made his pale frame shudder. An icy chill filled his chest as he floated before her, his voice sounding oddly faint, whilst his mirror-like eyes gazed relentlessly upon her. A sudden feeling of dread and pain overwhelmed him as he found himself ensnared by the woman's tender gaze. It took almost all of his strength to free himself of her, his voice darkening as he stared at the floor, veiling his thoughts behind his rage. He lunged forward as one of his claw-like hands seized her by the neck like a pheasant. The woman quivered beneath his icy grip while his long, razor-like fingernails pressed against her jugular. It would be so very easy…the dull, crunching sound of bone breaking…glazing eyes, a trembling gasp….
As if possessed, he dragged her forward and held her up in front of him, ignoring her pained cries as he lifted her off the floor singlehandedly. In spite of the hatred he held for his lord, Joachim could not deny the surge of delight he felt from the fact that he was invulnerable. Both his strength and stamina were superior to humans. If he wished, he could have broken her neck like a chicken with merely a sharp twist of his hand. In that moment, he lost composure and burst into a fit of loud, boorish laughter, his voice resounding through the narrow room and reverberating off the walls. A red tint flashed through the creature's eyes, his slender frame trembling with rapturous ecstasy, as he carefully eyed her neck…
To his growing chagrin, the woman refused to struggle against his hold. The only sound she made was a cry of pain when his hand tightened around her throat like a vice. "Have you imagined what it feels like to have a vampire's fangs puncture your neck?" He hissed. "At least you have someone who will do anything to save you - Leon Belmont."
Intensity appeared within the calm, reflective pools of her azure eyes as she gasped, her voice filling the room. "Why did you call me Catherine?"
Joachim's eyes glazed as he pictured the blood rushing through her veins, but clamped his jaw shut when his wandering eyes locked with hers. Sara's mirror like pupils dilated until he withdrew, only to throw her onto the floor. She lifted her head and gazed at him. "Catherine?" The youth raised an eyebrow, whilst the lump forming in his throat nearly made him choke. Without warning, his pale face seemed to lose all – if any – color it possessed when he heard her speak.
"What have I done to deserve your hatred?" Sara asked, her azure blue eyes catching his once again.
Memories threatened to break the young man's fragile resolve. With a hiss, he struck her with the back of his hand. Sara sobbed when the force of the blow sent her spiraling backwards onto the floor. Joachim gazed at the way her white dress flowed around her as she cupped a hand around her tender left cheek and slid away from him, until the stone angel trapped her once again.
"Lowly human…" Joachim sneered. Conversing with humans no longer interested him. Nevertheless, he sensed silent rage seeping within in her eyes. Before he could utter another insult, the woman's hand clenched into a fist.
"I will not allow you to strike me again!" She cried, whilst her once demure eyes narrowed furiously. "I have done you no harm. Why must you direct your anger upon me, rather than those who have wronged you?"
"Those who wronged me are dead." He snapped. "And you will soon join them, Lady Trantoul. Were it not for my influence, the monsters in this castle would have found you and torn you to pieces. My master would be greatly displeased if I let you die. Though I admit, you might be better off dead, if Baron Belmont should fail. Is something so pitiful as love truly worth dying for? Humans place far too much emphasis on its importance."
"Are you so devoid of love," Sara whispered. "That all you know is hate?"
To this, he said nothing. The creature's guise of rage threatened to yield to his astonishment. With a huff, he whirled and floated toward the door, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "You know nothing, human."
"I know you spoke a woman's name." She persisted gently. "Please, tell me why-"
"Enough!" He interrupted without casting her a single glance. The harshness in his voice, as well as his demeanor, made his temper unpredictable. The youth commanded the room's heavy door to open with barely the wave of a hand. He could feel the girl's intensity upon him growing from the fact that he refrained from walking or using physical force against even the simplest of objects. Everything bent to his will, and it would not be long before Lady Trantoul did as well – even if it entailed breaking her in half. "You are safe in this room," he said. "I grow weary of you already. Should you decide to make your stay difficult, you will pay dearly for it, I assure you.
"I do not fear you." Sara replied. Her voice softened, its sound whispering in his ears. "Your heart has ceased to beat, and your skin is as cold and pale as death. I cannot imagine how you became what you are. Though you call yourself a man no more, neither will you deny you were human once."
The girl's persistence amused him. With a mocking bow, he chuckled under his breath. "Why should it matter? If Walter is merciful...you shall soon die."
Without awaiting her answer, he flew through the doorway and let the door slam shut behind him. As long as she was locked inside, he need not concern himself with her. Nevertheless, he remembered that Walter commanded him to watch over her closely.
When he thought about Walter's declining ardor, the youth covered his face with his hands and shrunk into the shadows. He reflected upon his lord's enraged expression, not with satisfaction, but with a slight twinge of regret. Though we are united in death, power divides us, Walter. You know I am dissatisfied…and you despise my presence like a blight upon your conscience. What will you do now? Your need for power will condemn you to solitude.
Though the moonlight attempted to comfort him, he received no satisfaction from harming the young lady. Curtains of pearly hair fell around his face and obscured his eyes.
"Lord Armster…" Sara's voice suddenly spoke from behind the heavy stone door. "If you release me from this room, I promise not to escape."
A mocking chuckle escaped his lips whilst his lithe form leaned against the light blue door. He folded his arms across his chest, his eyes glinting in the dim red moonlight shining across his ashen visage. His laughter quickly died into silence, for he realized in that moment that he was completely alone. It pained him when he thought about the pain he had caused her. He pressed a hand to his cheek. Without even looking at her, he could feel her standing close; separated only by the door between them.
Not a fraction of anger was detectable within her voice when she added. "I doubt that when you were human, you were this cruel, Lord Armster."
The eternal moon was the only company he had, but even then he grew tired of its crimson hue. "Such pathetic sentiments will accomplish nothing, Lady Trantoul." he pressed his face close to the door to listen and continued. "I have not seen your betrothed come to save you yet."
The response he received was far from what he expected. "You may do what you will with me, for like you, I have no control over my fate."
"I will hear no more of this!" A softened sigh parted through his lips. He attempted to imagine her standing beneath the angel of stone, her face so divine and graced in God's image but try as he might her face only made his frustration visible. Regret was not a familiar feeling. The only thing he knew was blood, flesh, and death.
With a sigh, he drifted away from the door and wandered through the castle until he reached the tallest tower. The cold night wind danced across the ancient castle's rooftop, playing with the silken strands of his hair. The creature's eyes narrowed as he floated toward the banister of the carpeted staircase leading to Walter's throne room. Though he considered berating Walter, his eyes were drawn to the starry night sky. A massive full red moon loomed over the tower and cast a strange glow across his face. He feared what he could do if he looked upon Sara again. The only safe place from the monsters was the tiny sanctuary, but he could not keep her in there forever. He forgot that humans consumed food and needed to sleep. He forgot the warmth of the sun and the beauty of the dawn. He forgot the simple pleasure of reading, writing, studying, and the sound of a woman's voice singing to him in his dreams…
The only thing left for him to desire was power. Power would free him from Walter – for the last time. In spite of his confidence, a terrible feeling overwhelmed him. The soft whispers of the night could not conceal his growing unease. A blood contract between Mathias and Walter had sealed Sara's fate. The girl was simply a distraction.
Walter enjoyed playing games but did not actively try to eradicate those who threatened the night. As long as the crusades raged in the East they were safe. However, nothing lasted forever. The church's attention would turn to the shadows, eventually. Fearless men like Leon Belmont would enter the forest with a past stained by bloodshed and violence. It was only a matter of time before humans challenged Walter's authority.
Eternal Night was a relic from a forgotten era. Whether the castle would retain its influence depended on who controlled its power.
Only one could rule…and it would be him.
The woman's crystalline blue eyes looked upon him gently, refusing to yield under his penetrating glare. Like a cobra, his sharp tongue attempted to poison her confidence. "I don't understand why my master traded eternity for you. What a waste."
Sara spoke without the slightest pause, and in turn stepped closer to him so their faces nearly touched. He watched her cup her dainty hands in front of her with the purity of a saint, her graceful lashes fluttering as her eyes lifted to look upon the pale demon's wan visage. Her voice was sweet, addressing him so resolutely that he hesitated to consider her kindness. "You must have lost a great many things in your life, Lord Armster."
Joachim's lips parted as he fought against the urge to drive the kindness out of her with the back of his hand. He felt his right palm lift, the tips of his claw-like fingers curling and trembling against the urge. Truly, Sara was an enigma he could not fully understand, no matter how hard he tried. Though he admired her, the blood coursing within her veins dominated his thoughts like a relentless temptation.
Joachim drew away from her, his eyes widening as his voice strained against the terrible, deadly longing building inside his tormented soul. "Walter Bernhard granted me this life," he breathed, his lips trembling while he sought to understand the divide separating him from himself. The lines between human and vampire had blurred to the point that he no longer knew which defined him. "I was worthy, and so he made me his. Empathize and pray all you wish, for such things mean little to me."
She bowed her head, curtaining her face behind the veils of thick, brown hair cascading across her shoulders. "I knew you would return."
"Perhaps, to kill you?" He chided, ignoring the bright glint in her eyes as his lower lip curled into a sneer. It frustrated him that the emptiness in his eyes did not deter her in the slightest. Sara's hopeful expression extinguished his desire to kill, though he knew not the reason for it. No human had ever faced him without fearing him.
"Death is part of life, and I accept it with gratitude." She replied.
"How can you say that?" His rage intensified, and a rapturous snarl vibrated through his throat upon feeling her hand grasp his. The warmth of her human flesh touching his pale, dead skin made him flinch.
Without hesitating, Sara pulled him toward her, her crystalline eyes blazing in challenge. The woman bowed gracefully, her voice sharpening the moment her sudden boldness drew his eyes to hers. "If you think yourself so grand a vampire, prove your strength without your powers! Show me you are truly as fierce as the one who imprisoned you and grant me death. Walk to me, and slay me not by your swords, but by your own hand!" Without allowing him to reply, she backed away from him toward the gated windowpanes and stood before them, staring at him with the grace and dignity of a saint. The woman he held her head high, cupping her hands in front of her as a soft, sad smile spread across her lips.
Joachim's pale, lifeless eyes traced the woman's graceful form. With a repugnant huff, his lower lip curled into a delighted sneer. "If you think I am weak, you are more foolish than I initially expected! How dare you insult me with such a trivial challenge! If death is your wish, I am more than capable of granting it!"
He withheld a sigh long enough to ease the purple aura encasing his body diminished until there was nothing to support him off the floor. The crucial moment came when his boots touched its hard surface for the first time since he was turned. With a chuckle, he took a confident step forward. Walking should have come easily to him – in fact, he expected it to be effortless, for it was something he had learned during his infancy. However, everything became a blur when his frail from suddenly crumpled onto the floor like lead. Spots of pain blinded his vision when his face collided against the stone. Blood filled his mouth as he raised his head, coughing up the disgusting red liquid as his throat released a horrified, anguished roar. "This can't be!"
"Lord Armster!" Sara cried out as he lay sprawled out on the floor, struggling to get up, and finding the effort futile.
The sight was pathetic and shamed him, for he could not rise without the aid of his powers. It had been months since he walked, possibly even longer. Though he had tried to walk during his nightly hunts, he always pretended to be injured, and required assistance from his unwary victims. The muscles in his legs had grown weak from neglect. The youth's eyes burned whilst he growled like an angry beast. It occurred to him, that if the woman wished it, she could have used his moment of weakness to escape. The idea of Walter finding him sprawled across the floor – outwitted by a simple human – made his eyes burn with rage and humiliation.
A reflection of sorrow and pity appeared in Sara's eyes as she gazed upon the trembling creature.
Her hands caressed his pale cheeks and stroked his hair. Memories flooded into his mind as he lay helpless near his prisoner. He looked up into Sara's eyes for a long time, absorbing himself in her crystalline spheres whilst his thoughts drifted to a woman he knew long ago. A woman once held him, comforted him, and cared for him. No one cared for him now. Without realizing it, he shuddered and gasped, for he feared what he might do to such a gentle creature. "Why do you comfort me?" He rasped.
Sara wiped the tears away from his face. "None of this is your fault."
"Why?" he whispered. "Take this moment and flee. It will only make chasing you and killing you more enjoyable!"
"I will not run. Leon is coming to save me, and he will save you too if you let him!" the comfort she tried to provide made his lip twitch, and his hands push her gentle fingers away from his lifeless flesh.
"You have more faith than I, Lady Trantoul." A weak smile wielded its way across his lips. "I have disrespected you, beaten you and betrayed you. What purpose would I serve outside the forest of Eternal Night?" He shifted to slide his head off her lap, to move away from the angel who sought to comfort him, but something made him stay near her in spite of himself. "I have not spoken to a human in a long time…without killing them." He lowered his head and cast his eyes to the floor, but she cupped a hand beneath his chin and tilted it up to look at her again.
"You told me Walter was the one who turned you into a vampire." She began, "Why did he commit this horrid crime upon you? Has he no compassion?"
Joachim answered in an undertone of a hiss. "You don't understand who my master is. Compassion was his reason for tainting me." Barely containing another sigh, he dismissed her immediately."Damn Walter…if it were not for his Ebony Stone-"
"I heard Mathias mention that stone once! Perhaps he could help-" he words were silenced by the stiffening of Joachim's frame when his sharp voice interrupted.
"I assure you, Mathias has no intention of helping anyone. The ties you and Leon have with him are the reason why you are here."
Sara placed a hand across her mouth, releasing a gasp. "How can that be? Leon said Lord Conqvist's condition was improving-"
"I am sure Mathias failed to mention his version of improving involved vengeance against God?" Joachim allowed for a pause so she could collect herself again, but the pain in her voice did not fade for an instant, and neither had her loss of composure been regained. "Your savior, Leon, has sought guidance from a vampire guised as a friend."
"Lord Cronqvist would never do such a thing!" Sara shook her head, her voice trembling with disbelief. "Leon trusts him. They endured great hardship together. Surely, this cannot be-"
"You are here, are you not?" Joachim snapped. "What would I gain through falsehood? Your betrothed is too trusting. Mathias summoned Baron Belmont so that my master could obtain you during his absence."
"If Mathias leads him here, I fear the evil he will face in this castle! I will not allow him to use Leon in this despicable act. Baron Belmont is brave and determined! Even against Mathias, he stronger still!" The young lady forced a weak smile to crease the corners of her fine lips, and under the dim light her fair skin was almost as pale as his own.
Joachim's eyes blazed afire, and he struggled to maintain his composure while placing his feet on the floor. Wisps of his pearly locks cascaded against his cheeks as he lowered his head. Although his legs had not gained their strength, he fought against using his powers long enough to grasp a hand onto the bars of the gated window, and use it to pull himself upright. Sara's eyes observed his attempt until she got to her feet and moved close to support his frail figure against hers. Since he had relied on his powers, his body was light and ill equipped for walking. Despite his instances to be alone, his feet stepped slowly across the floor like a newborn child, and he instinctively grasped Sara's arm for support.
"Why are you walking?" Sara asked after a few minutes had passed, revealing minimal progress that moved him only a few feet further than where he once stood. "I did not mean to insult you. If you wish to levitate, I will not mind, for it seems more natural for you." She guided him gently across the floor, her lips forming their gorgeous smile that enticed his hardened gaze. "You could have drained me of my blood. Instead, you spared me…"
"I spared you for now." The creature muttered under his breath. "Keep your distance, human."
The young lady's porcelain white skin accented her shining deep chestnut locks that coiled neatly against her shoulders. "If you had been able to walk, would you have killed me?"
Joachim looked away from her and continued trying to walk, swaying unsteadily as he went. "My lord wishes to keep you alive until Baron Belmont arrives."
"Where are you going?"
The young vampire's face lightened under the moon's illumination, revealing the small smirk played across his wintry lips. "You said you wanted to leave?" He swept toward the door on the far end of the corridor, and waited till he heard her muffled footsteps sound over the fine red carpet. He shook his head when his eyes caught the clear hint of hesitation over her warm features. "I have decided you shall accompany me."
"Thank you, Lord Armster." In less than a few moments the lady hurried to accompany him. "You are doing much better at walking!" her cheerful attempt at conversation only received a dull huff in reply. Still undaunted, her eyes scanned him from head to toe inquisitively. "How many wings does this castle have? Have you been to them all?"
"No." he avoided looking at her bright expression as they entered the teleport room where all five of the strange discs were ebbed into the floor. "Stay close to me. This castle is infested with monsters. I am sure, if you try to escape, they would tear you apart more willingly than I."
Sara abruptly huddled closer to him when he passed over the painting to the stone disc on the floor in the middle of the row consisting of five discs in total. Once he stopped in front of his chosen location, he turned to her again and ushered her onto it. "Perhaps, you might enjoy…" He began, pausing a moment to collect himself, his voice firming as he avoided meeting her gaze. "As long as you stay out of my way, I shall permit you to join me on a brief venture. Though your strength is inferior to my own, I would rather tolerate the company of a human than Walter."
"Monsters? What kind of monsters?" Sara stepped next to him onto the small circle of stone. The fear in her eyes caused the young vampire to emit a disdainful chuckle.
"There are monsters you could not even imagine. Some crawl like snakes along the floor. Others possess steel blades for hands, which could dismember you instantly. There are also those whose immense power and stature could crush you beneath their feet like an insect." The only sound she made was a horrified gasp, and though he dared not to look at her, he noticed she was trembling. He pursed his lips, and without realizing it, his voice abruptly softened. "Yes, you should be frightened, Lady Trantoul-"
"Frightened?" She gasped. "You are mistaken, Lord Armster. I cannot fathom how you have managed to survive in this place. You look so very pale and fragile, it frightens me that you do not fear the night-"
"Fear it?" He sneered, drawing his head back in disgust. "Soon, very soon indeed, I will be beloved by the night. Walter will regret…indeed he will…he will…"
Sara looked at him for a long time, her eyes glinting sadly in the room's dim candlelight. Strange shadows danced across the row of statues watching the two figures. "It is clear you despise him very much." she whispered.
"Despise is the very least of my feelings," He hissed, his face drawing a dark grimace. "Walter enjoys strutting around like a peacock; he is ignorant of the fact that whilst he plays his games, unrest builds in the shadow of his glory."
The five symbiotic swords aligned dormant behind his back sprung to life and circled around him. Joachim closed his eyes and summoned the power within himself, the depths of his pain and sorrow that emanated the glowing deep purple aura around his body – but he refused to allow it to lift him off the floor. The circulation of the swords quickened as he opened his eyes and increased their velocity, as well as the distance they encircled until the barrier of swords protected Sara as well. A loud scoff parted from his lips at the sight of her surprised expression, though before she could comment a white glow flashed around the circular stone they stood on, until it flew into the air and ascended into the blackness above. A brief flash quickly left them standing on the teleport pad situated on a high balcony that viewed the small entranceway crystallized in rainbow shades reflected from the large stained glass window behind them.
Sara's eyes were alit the second she stepped off the transport pedestal to lean over the stone railing in view of the room. "How was that possible? I felt a flash, and now we are standing here. This place is beautiful." her lips formed a delighted smile when he stepped forward and stood next to her. focused on the floor below the balcony they stood. A group of four skeletons clutching large bone clubs in their hands had begun to lumber forward, their glowing red eyes flashing at the sight of the young woman. "They are coming toward us!"
"Be silent!" he hissed. "They are among the most mindless creatures here, for they cannot even climb the balcony steps."
His eyes narrowed, accompanying the tilting of his frame that leaned overtop the railing while a snarl of warning filled his words at the sight of the clumsy looking skeletons. Their gleaming white skulls tilted to look up at him, and the horror of their dusty bones and crimson eyes made Sara shift nearer to him. Joachim cocked his head, watching the creature erratically swinging its bone club. His slender frame leaned farther over the railing, and without batting an eyelid, all five of his swords twirled sideways and slashed at the approaching skeleton. The dull snapping of bones sounded like breaking twigs from each sideward slash the five blades succeeded upon it, until the monster had been reduced to a pile of dusty debris. Joachim raised his eyebrows and grinned at the stunned monsters standing in a confused fashion below, but not one of them moved an inch as he turned and descended the staircase. The swords quickly returned to encircling around him and Sara, who followed behind while keeping her eyes locked on the vampire leading her onward. After reaching the floor of the entranceway, he stopped and allowed her to admire the marble statue of an angel in the center of the room.
Her eyes trailed up the length of the statue to admire its angelical expression and flowing robes. "When you were human, were you a knight as well as a lord? You mastery over those swords is extraordinary!"
Joachim lowered his head and stared at her with a piercing glare, his eyes narrowing from her curious gaze upon the blades. The youth turned away without replying.
"You have every characteristic of a knight-" She nearly jumped back at the sight of his glinting eyes tinted a shade of crimson.
"None of that is any of your concern!" With a huff, he turned his back and waited till he heard her soft footsteps echo across the floor. "Cease questioning me at once!"
"It was not my intention to offend you." She released a heavy sigh. "Must you be impatient, Lord Armster? Tis' unusual for me to witness five swords floating above the floor, with nary a hand touching them…how do you manipulate them so?"
"When I became a vampire, I developed…strange abilities." He replied, gracing her with the tiniest smile to avoid appearing too uncongenial. "I can control them with my thoughts."
"I did not expect that vampires were capable of moving objects without touching them…and that you…could kill people…"
"I have killed many with these swords," He smirked. "And many more will die. That is the nature of vampires – death follows us wherever we go."
Though he wished to continue on, he whirled upon seeing her stop to look at him. Despite her apparent lack of fear, he detected a hint of grief shadow her face as she folded her hands in front of her, her head lowering when she spoke. "Do you ever feel guilty for taking the lives of innocents?" She asked.
Without hesitating, he gave her a simple shrug and looked away. Pale streams of moonlight peeked through the stain glass windows adorning the walls and flooded around his lithe figure. Almost with a wish to disappear within the darkness, he answered. "No, I do not."
At first, Sara gave no reply. He watched her turn away from him to admire the crumbling engravings within the door ahead of them. The majestic image of a rearing unicorn set into the door's solid frame seemed to draw the woman's attention for a moment. Yet, under her breath, he heard her soft voice whisper quietly. "I don't believe you. If you felt no guilt, you would not have spared my life. Nor would you have spoken a woman's name…"
Joachim huffed under his breath. "Believe whatever you want, human." He sneered. "Tis' no concern of mine what becomes of you or your beloved."
They soon reached the room on the other side that appeared to be an abandoned sanctuary, complete with broken pews, a rusted organ and paintings along the walls of women holding cherubs. It was not long before a foul stench made Sara place hand over her mouth, as her eyes darted to the numerous moaning zombies lumbering between the aisle of pews. "Joachim-" her muffled cried out to him. The intensity of their stench was beyond ordinary corpses. Centuries of decay had taken their toll on the undead, leaving behind mindless, hungry shapes of flesh and bone.
In spite of his disgust, Joachim did not hesitate to resume their conversation. "Now do you see the true nature of this place? It is teeming with creatures of every sort, including some of the lowest and most dim-witted of them all – zombies. They possess no ability to think, feel…their sole existence is to consume the flesh of the living."
"Are you going to harm them?" she slid away toward the door, until her back pressed against it in fear. Joachim ensured his swords were ready, and finished with a firm nod.
"I am going to eradicate them." He smirked but let it fade at the sight of the moaning undead moving at a snail's pace in their direction. Buzzing flies surrounded the ragged clothed walking corpses that occasionally stopped to vomit their sickening green slime all over the wooden floor. Their nauseating behavior made him jerk his head back, until his furious gaze sent his swords slashing forth once again. With every dying groan from the zombies, the air grew breathable again and the vomit covering the floorboards slowly drained between the cracks and into the ground below.
"I put them out of their misery now, so you may explore this room, if you wish." Joachim turned and faced her, and was taken aback by her somber face as she stepped forward and headed toward the pews. He followed her and kept his distance back, until she stopped at the altar. The flowing fabric of her white dress, complete by the shine of her azure blue vest, made her appearance as saintly as the women depicted in the portraits on the walls. She lowered her head and cupped her hands so that her smooth flawless face was concealed behind a curtain of lush chestnut tresses.
"What are doing?" he stared down at her, watching her eyes close with her reply.
"I am praying for Leon's safety."
"Stop wasting your time." His eyes hardened when she did not move and continued to keep her head bowed in silence. His lips parted from the strange aura surrounding him, an aura so enticing his eyes were literally transfixed upon her. The young vampire's hand extended to her and touched the strands left down against her back to brush them away, unveiling the flesh of her vulnerable neck.
The thought of what he was tempted to do quickly set into his mind, and in the blink of an eye, a horrified snarl erupted from his throat and he staggered backward, covering his face with his hands. "No!" he choked. "I…must not…touch you, Catherine! Get away from me, now!"
"Are you all right?" her lips became taut with concern, but he held up a hand the second she tried to move toward him. "You called me Catherine again!"
"I did not!" He snapped. The creature fought to regain his composure. He had almost lost himself in his hunger. No matter how intensely the urge demanded to be satisfied, he would deny it completely in her presence. Nevertheless, his hands began to tremble as he whirled and flew from the room, his robes unfurling behind him as he went. What name had he just spoken, and who was she? Though he tried to remember, his memories were fading…and becoming more distant, like dying rays of the sun beyond the horizon. He remembered the soft words Sara whispered while she prayed. A woman's face vaguely appeared in his mind – soon veiled by a grim-faced man with a black cassock. Pain filled him the longer his thoughts dwelled upon the man, unknowingly revisiting a horrid injustice. The man's robes were forced from his clenched hands…whilst he wept…pleaded to God…for the salvation of an infant…
As he floated into the room beyond, his entire frame shivered in disorder, his voice becoming hoarse as he called to her. "I know nothing of what you speak! Your prayers are searing my ears, and the sight of you kneeling offends me! Such rituals are unbearable! Do not ever do that again in my presence, for I do not follow your faith… as I am, now."
Sara attempted to object, but her eyes only lingered on him sadly as she hurried to follow his quickening pace. Although she walked a few paces behind him, he ensured their distance was greater than before. Joachim's gaze diverted to the step down from the platform on which they stood, while numerous spinning red discs darted randomly across the floor below.
"What are those?" Sara asked. The woman took a hesitant step toward the edge of the platform.
"Stop!" Joachim lunged out and gripped her arm fiercely with his hands, dragging her back so powerfully he could have snapped her frail ligament in half if he was not careful. "Unless you want to be sliced into pieces, stay on the platform!"
"How can we pass?" she looked from him to the wide area where a door could be seen faintly on the other side. The vampire surveyed their situation carefully, and without hesitation grabbed her and lifted her into his arms. Sara gasped and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, while he supported her and made a reluctant channel of his powers so his feet levitated over the floor.
"This is the only way." The dimly lit room would have made seeing the sliding red razors impossible for most humans, however his abilities to see in darkness had proved once again to be a valuable asset. There were numerous short pillars placed throughout the room, and he sought them as the safest way to take. "I can smell blood in this room. Many humans have died trying to cross this trap. If monsters were all that Walter's opponents had to face it would be too easy. Walter has turned Eternal Night into a gravesite for those who fail to win his game."
"Leon will not fail. I can do is hope you will carry me across this room safely. You are indeed a superior being, with more knowledge and capabilities than I could ever imagine. I am, after all, just a lowly human by comparison."
Sara's grip tightened in response to his quick movements, while he jumped from pillar to pillar dotted all over the floor until he landed safely on the opposite side. "I knew you would not let me fall." She leaned close to his ear and whispered softly, but as though he had not heard her, he deliberately set her down and turned away.
"Tis' unnecessary for us to continue any further, for I am uncertain how deep this place goes." His gaze focused on the door, and opened it without so much as lifting a finger. "Well? Keep with my pace, human! If my lord discovers I let you out of that room, he will be furious." A smug smile wielded across his lips before he flew through the opened door and glanced back to ensure he intended her to follow him.
They entered the largest corridor he had ever seen in his life, which was so long that he could not see the opposite side. Sara's eyes were alit once again, as she hurried to keep up with him until he stopped at the hallway's intersecting area to take a few glances around. Part of it continued onward, while another portion branched off to the right side. "It's beautiful…" Her words echoed through the hall's massive space, and off its stone walls and ornately designed floor. The countless stain glass windows lining its entire length permitted a series of moonbeams to illuminate its enchanting arched ceiling. "Why would a vampire build a cathedral? Was he once human…like you?"
Joachim released a sigh and moved toward one of the stained glass windows. Locks of pure white fell against his face, his head tilting to look upon the design of colors reflected on the floor where he levitated. The tails of his robes waved behind him like unfurling wings, and the uneasy form of his floating ability became clear through his constant backward and forward jerking movements. "I have seen Walter butcher people without the slightest concern, and crush bones with such force a man's skull shatters. At a whim he could rip your frail body to pieces. I would hardly call a thing like that human."
"Was this a sacred place where monks and priests worshiped and prayed? You will think me a fool, though I believe at one time that was so." He turned to look at her again, for the very way she stood looking back at him reminded him of more pleasant times in his life. Joachim eased his levitation so his boots could touch and the hall's wide marble floor. Although his vampire powers gave him the ability to float, he was much more stable when he stood on the ground. The porcelain white coloration of his skin made him appear like a divine fallen angel in the moonlight cascading over his slender body.
"I was never a believer in God, even though the church obligated me to pay my dues as a lord. God's will, as you would call it, is run by men who interpret it for their own benefit."
Sara folded her arms across her chest, her deep sapphire optics gazing at him intently. She gave an uneasy glance around the hall, and pressed her lips together in silence. The thick strands of her chestnut hair shimmered, though her shifting prompted him to speak.
Joachim eyed her suspiciously, trying to probe through the reason for her uneasy silence. "Why are you staring at me?" his sharp inquiry jolted her, and she stepped away at the sight of his flickering red irises. "Just because I am refraining from killing you now, does not mean I will not change my mind later, if you even live that long." The young vampire's lips curled furiously, though he kept it within himself long enough to see her eyes blurred by tears.
Sara did not make any sound, not even a sob from the crystal droplets tricking down her smooth cheeks, and continued to speak as though her tears were invisible. "I am sorry I am so pathetic in your eyes. I hold no ill will against you."
"You…are not pathetic…" The words flew from his mouth before he had the chance to stop himself. It was too late; the effect had already set in across her once teary-eyed features.
"You do not hate me?" her lips whispered in question, and his frame stiffened from her sudden enlightenment. Joachim emitted a distinct huff through his parted lips, his eyes adhering to hers with a rigid nod.
The dismissal he gave to her clouded dread seemed to cause her tears to stay locked in her pooling eyes. "I shall, perhaps, give you the benefit of the doubt."
Sara's eyes lingered on him, deep sapphire colored eyes that did not blink from his words. She paused briefly as though trying to collect herself, and moved closer to him once again so their forms were plainly visible in the moonlight. The woman, with her beautiful flowing white dress and pearl donned hair, and the vampire with his fluttering indigo colored robes and ivory locks. "As you wish," Her head bowed. "I am the daughter of a merchant. I was only a few months old when my family emigrated from our homeland in France to Romania, where we settled and acquired farmland. My father buys and sells land to other lords and serfs."
A toying sneer played across his lips. "I expected no less. By the by, you mentioned you used to dance. Do you consider yourself skilled?" his grin was succeeded by his casual circling steps around her. Sara had to turn continuously so their eyes remained locked, her frame easing from the lightening anger visible over his striking features.
"I do not know." She replied. "It has been a while since I danced."
"Really?" he challenged, continuing to keep the sneer over his lips. "Are you afraid I might kill you?" Joachim's head raised to reveal the twinge of arrogance placed strategically over his fine prominent features. For although his body defined weakness, there was a sort of majesty about the way he moved, his careful padding steps accompanied by a dull shimmer of silver lining his vest armor and boots. The robes he donned swooshed when he made a courteous bow, before lunging grasp her hands firmly in his. The icy coldness of his skin made her flinch.
"Why do you suddenly wish to dance? I thought you were repulsed by the fact I am human." The Lady Sara's decisive question caused his swift insistence to hesitate. The vampire stood still for a moment, uncertain of what to say while the grip his hands held over hers loosened.
"I..." His embarrassed tone came through despite his strongest effort to hide it beneath his somber expression. "I don't know. I knew someone who loved dancing. However, I can no longer remember clearly…"
His gaze lingered on her, until he felt hers do the same, and within a breath he swept her frame alongside his across the wide floor. quick but easeful steps led them to circle around the wide hallway, up and down its length and back again, with both dancers contained in a mutual silence. The silky warm feeling coursing through his hand placed over her hip had begun to entice him, while the sensation of his icy cold fingers enclosing around hers made the lady's breaths quicken.
"Lord Armster?" her voice was faint in his ear, and he paused from the sound and tilted her frame backward so her right hand, that once rested upon his shoulder, extended just out of reach from the floor. Although their dance had been swift, he held her in place as his hand slid slowly from her hip to her back.
Sara remained limp in his hold and gave no indication of moving to evade his wandering hand completed by piercing eyes focused on her milky white throat. The vampire leveled his face with hers, his former icy blue irises shining a fresh color of crimson under the moonlight. Yet still she spoke not a word of objection, even as his fingertips caressed her back. His face drew closer to hers; until he buried his searching lips overtop her neck. Once they located her rapid beating pulse, his fangs nipped tauntingly, sliding over the soft layer of tissue his fangs longed to invade. "Did you think I would? You did not even struggle against me."
"I trust you." Their lingering gazes broke as his lips unveiled his gleaming white fangs that appeared sharper than daggers, and willing to indulge upon her blood if she dared to breathe.
Joachim buried his face against her naked throat. His own steady breaths began to turn into impassioned exhales of pleasure from the feeling of her rising and falling chest. "You trust too willingly, Sara." His voice whispered like a fading wind. "To place your life in my hands…will result in your own damnation."
"If I am to be damned, may it be so. My life would be an unhappy one if I knew you still suffered. Every day I would picture you in my mind and feel the sorrow in your eyes…and I would be as damned as you are for not saving you."
The vampire hesitated to speak, though in his contemplation he began to slide his face away. The coldness reflected in his eyes intensified, leaving him in a sorrow-filled silence, while his gradual withdraw made the lady shiver in his arms. Her delicate features and serious expression resembled that of a doll, for her smooth skin gleamed like porcelain under the moon's lonely light.
Sara's eyes became wide with terror, which looked over his shoulder and jolted him to his senses. "Joachim, behind you!" In an instant he whirled to face a skeleton's raised bone club, that swung passed him, and aimed at Sara whom he clutched in his arms. The skeleton's movements, though painfully slow, were quick enough to force his immediate recoil, as he shoved Sara away just as the skeleton's club took a harsh blow against his cheek. His face flew to the side, but he lunged out a hand when the skeleton moved to try and strike her again, so that the club stuck his hand and sent him careening onto the floor. "Joachim!" he heard Sara's voice crying out to him from nearby, however his mind became a spinning blur. From the corner of one eye, he saw the skeleton's bony structure quiver in horror as if shamed it had not stuck its target, but the monster did not pursue him – instead it hobbled its way toward the young lady.
The sweet taste of blood pooled in his mouth and down his chin, but it was that of his own, and brought the vampire no pleasure in the least. As he rose to his feet, he wiped the blood away with his sleeve, and stood glaring at the monster in a furious array of rage. "She belongs to me!" his voice choked between clots of blood continuing to pool beneath his tongue and spill from his lips. The streaming liquid drizzled down his chin and sprinkled around his feet on the floor. Joachim walked forward, and along with his steps a trail of blood was left in his wake. By then the monster was preparing its attempt to converge upon Sara, who shook and stared at the blood flowing from his wounded flesh. Joachim cursed himself for allowing his other thoughts to weaken their defenses, since his mind had not been prepared for the assault – although that was no longer the case. He sent his swords flying toward the skeleton. The monster's arm was raised to club her. In a matter of seconds, the monster's frail bones severed in half under the blows of each blade.
The swords returned to encircle around him, though his hardened glare remained present upon Sara's concerned flight toward him. Her flowing garments flagged as she ran and opened her arms as if to fling them around his body. She had not come within a few feet when his eyes flashed the color of crimson. "Stay away from me!"
The sight of his bared fangs made Sara hesitate, but not enough to remain in silence. "Joachim! You are wounded. I did not intend this to happen, that monster materialized in a strange light out of the floor-"
"Shut up!" he hissed through gritted enamels. "I do not want your pity!"
She stared at him, shaking her head, while her glistening blue eyes were softened despite his enraged huffs. "The moment we danced, I was not in the presence of a vampire, but of a man." Her words sent chills through his spine, noticeably by the way his eyes blinked, and his attempt to shroud himself in darkness between the moon's illuminations filtering through the stain glass windowpanes. In the shadows his eyes glowed the color of rubies, though his pale skin was swift to keep her focus on his presence. Without a word, the vampire maintained his eye contact upon the floor, whilst he lifted the lady into his arms and carried her out of the hall and into the previous room they passed through.
Sara was abnormally quiet when he hopped his way across the pillars, and overtop the dangerous darting red discs that zoomed in their direction but could not overtake their position above. In just a few jumps he landed safely on the platform, where he was quick to set her down and dash away to the doors with Sara in pursuit. Since his levitation was no longer required, he once again resumed walking, but kept himself a few paces ahead of her with his swords encircling around them both. They continued onward into another hallway that veered sharply to their right, but the second he led her to the hall's intersecting point, Joachim halted in place and withheld a gasp at seeing what awaited them. "Stay back!" his voice commanded boldly, and he glanced back at her to ensure she had indeed stopped walking. Joachim's eyes narrowed from the light thumping pitter patters resounding down the dimly lit hall in their direction. The sounds drew nearer and nearer to them. "Get out of here, quickly! I will deal with them myself!"
"What do you mean?" She did not move, and the fact she remained caused his eyes to burn like fiery embers in the darkness.
"Run!" The lady finally showed a sign of compliance the moment she turned to flee, but he already knew it was too late. Joachim stared down the corridor once again, where dozens of little dwarf-like monsters were bounding off the walls and across the floor toward her. Wielded in both hands of every single monster were axes, and their skin was sickly green complete with two overhanging antennae on their heads. The small humanoid monsters were quick as lightning, and there were so many at once Joachim could not focus his energies on a single one in particular. "Sara!" he turned to her quivering form, that had once again locked itself in place like a statue, and before he realized what he had done, he covered her with his own body. The force of his dive knocked her against the wall, as he pressed his back as close to her as he could, all the while sending his swords forth in a dizzying array of slashing metal.
Although his furious attack managed to destroy some of the bounding little creatures, they were ones in a similar direction, leaving the rest to lunge upon his vulnerable state in an attempt to attack the lady behind him. Joachim shouted and stared behind them at his swords returning at his bidding, but they were too late for the swift paces of the lunging green monsters. The second they raised their axes and drew them down upon her, he pressed her as far back as he could, as an array of pain flooded through him upon feeling his skin sear from the slash of their axes. Blood flew like rain into the air and split overtop the marble floor as they plunged upon him like a swarm of angry wasps.
Although their axes would have severed the limbs of a normal man, his rage and pain managed to allow him to sustain their blows. He heard Sara's voice screaming at the sight of his blood trickling from the slashes in his arms and legs. With a bitter snarl, he commanded his swords to continue hacking and slashing madly at the little green creatures. Demon blood flowed across the floor from the corpses of the monsters splattered over the corridor's floor and walls. In the haze of blood, his eyes caught sight of Sara flying toward the demons like a dove, the white skirt of her dress fanning around her like outstretched wings. "What are you-" Before the words fled his lips, her hand snatched the dagger he kept beneath his robes. The woman whirled away from him, clutching the dagger in her hand until she plunged the blade of the weapon into the back of an assaulting demon. He tried to pull her toward the wall but she seemed indifferent to him, her eyes locking upon the demon while she withdrew it to attack another. Her voice, once soft, cried out fiercely. "Get away!"
Streams of blood poured from his wounded body, his breaths reduced to gasps and pants accompanied by his infuriated wild eyes. The vampire's screams silenced only when he felt the warmth of her touch, while she applied pressure to his wounds to stop the bleeding. The horror in her eyes only succeeded in fueling his fiery temperament. "I told you to run!" his voice rasped between pants, as he struggled to get to his feet. The pain of helplessness began to wear across his hardened features.
Sara grasped around his shoulders insistently, pulling him up before he could muster the strength to object. "You were in danger; how could you expect me to leave you?"
"I don't want your help!" His eyes blazed, for he was unable to comprehend what had just transpired. "How did you…know…I keep a dagger with me? It seems you are not as naïve as you seem."
Sara returned his remark with a weak smile. "You have suffered enough for my sake!" Sara's calm reply was countered by the scorning curl of his lips, but he was consumed in a reluctant silence when she leaned over and wrapped his arm around her back to support him. With slow, patient steps, she urged him forward. "When you fell earlier, I noticed a dagger hidden under your robes. I will not let you face these monsters alone."
Despite his pain, a tiny smile seemed to threaten to break through his scowling expression. Joachim winced, allowing her to take his arm and support him as they hurried down the hallway. "How clever of you," he rasped, his eyes tinting a shade of red. "I should have been more careful. I suppose you planned to kill me with it-"
"Kill you?" Her eyes widened and she nearly halted, her soft lips curling into a slight frown. When she continued, her voice quavered. "Must you jump to conclusions about me, Lord Armster? Since the moment we met, you have unfairly passed judgment upon me!"
"I will do whatever I wish," The creature sneered, his eyes glowing an even brighter shade of red in spite of his agony. With a shuddering gasp, he stumbled, barely keeping himself upright as they hurried along. "Humans have judged me more often than you can imagine, Sara. When I was human, they called me the white devil. As a vampire, they say I am a fiend and a monster. If you knew the crimes I committed, perhaps, you would judge me just the same."
"You don't know that." Sara sighed. "Though I am ignorant about the evils of this world, I know you are not among them."
"You know nothing!" He snapped. Blood continued to flow freely from his wounds and dotted the floor behind him as he staggered onward. "Foolish girl…you could have slain me with my own dagger! If you are unable to kill me, perhaps, I will demonstrate why you should have done it when you had the chance!"
Even though his strength was waning, the creature lunged upon her with the ferocity of a lion. In that moment, all he knew was the agonizing pain of his wounds and his hunger. Stunned by his sudden violence, Sara jumped back, narrowly avoiding his gnashing incisors. One of his hands seized her by the arm and restrained her in his iron-like grip. "Stop it, Joachim! You must stop!" The sound of her screams filled the entire hallway. "I do not wish to harm you! You protected me from those creatures, yet now, you know not your own mind-"
"How dare you accuse me of madness!" The grip he held upon her tightened. Rage blazed in his eyes as he bared his fangs. "You are nothing! I care not what Walter wishes, for the idea of drinking from you is worth the risk! Perhaps, I shall find out why Leon Belmont would do anything to save you. Though you will not kill me, I will kill…you!" Overcome by rage, he pushed her onto the ground and heard her back collide against the floor. Something inside him screamed for him to desist…and for a brief moment, he hesitated. The idea of harming her – killing her – was enough to make him wretch. He did not understand what drove him to attack her without warning. Despite his efforts to protect her from the countless threats within the castle, he could not face the possibility of himself as her true threat. Pain swelled through his legs and arms as blood gushed over the floor from his open wounds.
With mechanical indifference, he kneeled beside her and lowered his face beside her neck, taking in the sweet scent of her flesh and blood. A part of him still tried to resist the terrible urge building inside his tainted soul. The creature forced his mouth closed and felt his body shudder in objection, as a lightheaded sensation overwhelmed his strength. The wounds he sustained were more severe than he anticipated. Although his strength should have been superior, his grip upon her began to weaken.
Joachim's breaths began to quicken as his hunger desperately sought to devour the life beneath him. Yet, to his surprise, Sara succeeded in twisting herself free from his embrace. Before he realized what she was doing, the woman grasped him by the collar of his robe and pulled him down onto his side. In a matter of seconds, her deceptively fragile form wrestled against him over the floor. Sara's eyes were wide with fear as she fought unsuccessfully to free herself completely from his grasp. Joachim grasped her by the wrist, attempting to wrench the dagger free from her hand, whilst he gnashed his teeth. "Do you think you can overpower me?" His voice made the hallway tremble. "Lowly human! I should have known, you would try to-"
"I don't want to hurt you, Joachim!" Sara screamed. Fear filled every fiber of her being as she struggled against his violent assaults. "Please, stop! I know this is not your fault; you are not in control of yourself!"
Though her pleas were valiant, he could not hear them. All he heard was the sound of her heavy breaths and heart pounding rapidly against her ribcage. Nevertheless, though he was on top of her, Sara had the unexpected advantage. He was weakened from battle and unable to fully restrain her. The woman managed to free her wrist containing the dagger from his grasp just as his fangs descended upon her neck. He saw her eyes meet his in that fatal moment, he saw her draw a breath and hesitate. Their eyes remained locked when she drew the weapon back.
A horrible pain filled his chest as the steel object penetrated through his armor and flesh. All at once, his strength departed and he coughed – tasting the familiar tang of blood in his mouth. However, he recognized instantly that the blood he tasted was not hers, but his own. Anguished gurgled cries escaped his throat as he collapsed on his front across the floor. "Joachim!" Sara called his name but everything around him was beginning to fade. He was conscious long enough to realize that she deliberately – and narrowly – missed his heart.
"Why…didn't you…kill…me?" He rasped. A dark red liquid began to pool around him on the floor.
Panting and exhausted, Sara staggered to her feet, her hand still clutching the bloody dagger, and released a terrified sob. He half expected her to run away but she kneeled next to him instead. "Your lord, Walter, made you this way." Though her voice was grave, the empathy in her eyes made him want to weep. "Killing you would be a sin. I will not kill an innocent man."
"Innocent?" He gasped. With the last of his strength, he lifted his hand and pointed a clawed finger at her. The youth's pale eyes became glassy. "I…am…guilty of more crimes than you can imagine. I tried to kill you…and I would have, if you had not…"
"You need salvation, not punishment." She replied, dropping the dagger on the floor by her feet. "Though I have witnessed great cruelty from you, I have also witnessed great kindness as well. You must have smelled the blood from those monsters and lost control. I can see that you are gradually falling deeper into the darkness. Please, help me stop Walter from harming others. No one else should suffer your fate."
Amidst his blood and pain, her hand took his and held it for a long time. "You…must leave," he whispered. As he began to slip into unconsciousness, he forced the words from his throat. "If you stay…Walter will…" Despite the determination in her eyes, the youth merely released a regretful sigh. "I will not let him. Not this time. Not again…but if you stay in this place with me…you…you could…"
"Say nothing more," She whispered. Her voice seemed to lull him as darkness began to encompass his mind. "I will not leave you, Lord Armster."
Joachim remembered someone had told him something very similar. Yet, the hard her tried to remember, the fainter his memories became. With a haggard breath, he drew his hand to her face, feeling her cheek as a smile slowly crossed his lips. "I know."