Author's Note: After a long time between updates, I'm finally back with another chapter! The story is nearing the end...there will probably be only four more chapters after this one. I hope you continue reading. Even though my updates are infrequent, I am determined to finish this story, so if you are waiting for more add it to your story alert list!
There is some M rated (sexual) content in this chapter. If you are wondering why, I based it off of one of Ayami Kojima's artworks of Joachim sitting on the floor in the water prison...
Special Thanks: Thank you LateNiteSlacker for editing this chapter; I added more to the areas you suggested so it hopefully flows a bit better. My thanks also go out to yaoi-thundeh for her lovely cover art and for supporting this story (reading every chapter of Melancholia is quite an accomplishment, considering how long it is!) I was beginning to think no one was reading it anymore (T_T)
Chapter XXXIII
Joachim's eyes fluttered open, only to find himself enveloped in darkness and shadow. The room spun as he sat up on the floor, his neck searing with pain and his eyes blinking to adjust to the penetrating blackness. The floor was covered with rough stone and decorated by cracked square tiles in the center to form an intricate star-like image. Strange distorted shapes danced off the four rough walls enclosing the space. Although the floor was relatively wide, there was absolutely nothing within it. Three massive statues of men were engraved into three corners of the room, each wielding enormous stone swords positioned downward. The statues' unblinking eyes stared straight ahead - paying no attention to the pale creature lying in the middle of the room.
Many minutes passed before he regained his senses. Vampires were used to dwelling in darkness; however, the room in which he awoke was beyond the blackness of night and shadow. Even with his abilities as a vampire, he could not distinguish certain aspects of the room clearly, except for a heavy door alit by two torches on the opposite side. Joachim studied his surroundings carefully, his lungs stifled by the cold damp air. Other than the continuous rush of water beyond the door, he heard nothing except the whistle of the wind escaping through the cracks around the doorframe. A barely audible sob broke from his throat as he stumbled unsteadily to his feet. He closed his eyes and focused his distorted mind, increasing the purple aura around his body, which provided a dim light source to guide him around the room. With slow, weak steps, he managed to stagger toward the door. His hand clamped over the tender bite marks clashing against his sallow skin as a feeling of faintness robbed him of his strength.
He searched the stone door for a means of pushing it open. The vampire placed his hands upon its cold stone surface, frantically running his fingers across it for any sign of a hole or a crack that would be wide enough for him to grasp and use as leverage. Fear and rage pulsated through his frozen blue irises. Unwilling to relent, he took a step back and focused his mind upon the door itself. No matter how intense his psychic powers demanded the object to move, a powerful magic seal made his commands ineffective.
Joachim's eyes blinked and released the tears building within their glassy pools. He threw himself against the door and sat upon the barren floor in front of it. Whilst his eyes stared into the darkness, his body mechanically crawled forward. The youth's sharp fingernails ground into the rough stone tiles, until his hands touched coarse metal. His face tilted upward to look at two intricate iron gates browned by a coating of rust. When he looked beyond the gates, the center between them revealed a flight of five crumbling steps leading to an enormous cross embedded against the wall. With the last of his strength, he crawled up the steps and huddled at the base of the cross. The cross was so large it spanned the entire height of the room. The cross, like the unfortunate nobleman, was abandoned and decaying.
Surely Walter did not intend to leave me here. Even though I defied him, his feelings for me are much stronger than that. Walter will come for me, soon enough.
His nostrils wrinkled from the stench of soiled earth and rotting odors consuming the air he breathed. Like a frightened child, he huddled nearer to the cross, and rested his head against the grimy wall behind him. The words echoing through his mind met the icy glint of rage in his unblinking eyes.
Before this I had never harmed a single soul, or brought anyone unjustified death and hatred. I never tasted blood and witnessed the dead dwelling in the realm of the living. I was a lord, ruling a manor in my father's name, without need for any of this torture.
A chill ran down his spine, but he found his mind numb to crying, for the springs inside his eyes had become as barren as his makeshift prison cell. Joachim shrank back, his body unmoving with the exception of an occasional despondent twitch.
Walter will come. Perhaps, this prison is a warning, a reminder that I serve only him. He could not leave me down here. Loneliness will consume him like a plague.
His head lowered into his open hands, his fingers covering his swollen red eyes. The room's dampness seemed to overtake his need to cry, and the longer he sought to stay unmoving, the more clearly he heard the faint sound of a cascading waterfall. For the moment it relieved him, however, he knew in time he would begin to despise it.
Sara's damnation is no fault of her own, and I must take the blame for it all. Sadly, the hour for redemption has long passed, for there is no one here to absolve me. No one…
A burning sensation coursed through his body, one of a will to engulf his foul cell in fire. The youth exhaled a deep sigh, and glanced upward at the cross. He shuddered in the darkness when a cold draft of air blew against his cheek. Ripples of straight, ivory hair brushed against his face, as he lifted his head and stared into the gloomy abyss surrounding him. When his eyes were not scanning the filthy dirt walls, they drifted longingly to the sealed door.
Perhaps, my master has little interest in Sara, after all. She is merely another pawn in his game, like her betrothed and every other man and woman driven to their deaths for the sake of love. By now he must be sitting upon his throne like an overstuffed cat, playing his game whilst I remain locked away in this disgusting pit! The one opportunity I had to defeat him was for naught. Once his yearning returns, I will have hardly spent a week in here and he will appear, as he always does, to claim me.
His eyes stung, and his fingers touched the rotting wood, while he listened to the lonely silence engulfing the room, which was broken by the sounds of his sharp fingernails clawing at the wooden base of the cross, until he slammed his hands against it. A red tint flashed through his eyes, meeting the dull glisten of his bared fangs. "Where are you God? Why do you let such things happen to me? Sara was always so faithful to you, and yet you failed to protect her from a heathen vampire's bite! It is no wonder Mathias could not stand you, you allow all your children to suffer, and you never answer my pleas!"
The young vampire threw himself away from the cross and crawled toward the center of the room. In the darkness, he felt his hand touch something smooth and sharp, and pulled away to find he encountered one of his swords wedged into the stone floor. Almost the entire length of the huge blade was embedded at a slightly tilted degree. He realized that all of the swords left with him formed a circle around the star-shaped pattern on the floor. As if he had not seen them, he retreated to the back of the room and laid his slender frame down on the floor in front of the steps. It eluded him as to why Walter allowed him to keep his swords, but after a few moments, he smirked sourly.
So…he knows these swords are useless to me in here, unless it amuses him that I would be subject to this cruel means of survival. I have been made to act as a gladiator, with this unpleasantly cold room as my coliseum. If it so happens that I die, Walter would not bat an eyelid in remorse. There would be no one to lament my passing.
How long had he been unconscious? Time seemed to stand still, as though the shadows lurking along the walls sought to erase his memory of it. What was transpiring in the world beyond his prison? Briefly, he wondered on Walter, Mathias, and the knight destined to discover his ill-fated betrothed. The hands of time itself seemed as rusted and motionless as the iron bars before him; caging him within the ambiguity of its existence, while professing nothing. The absence of time in the prison taunted his mind, for he wished to sense the sunrise beyond the forested night, to look upon the crimson moon floating in the sky, and to witness the world age around him whilst he remained ever youthful. Hours, days, or even weeks could have passed before he awoke, and he would not know. The mere idea of not knowing time stained the fabric of his conscience; cruelly reinforcing his unwilling condemnation to oblivion.
An anguished sob escaped his throat and filled the small enclosure, heightening when he heard his mournful voice return to him. If he was human he would have fallen ill and would have died. As a vampire, the dampness only irritated him. Several times he shifted in the darkness, knowing there was nothing that could disturb him, but he remained irritable and restless, without the comfort of sleeping to discourage his thirst. Eventually, he slid the sleeve of his robe up his arm to his elbow. The pale flesh glistened in the room's dampness, while his eyes fixed themselves on a blood vein running through the base of his wrist. At first, he attempted to look away and ignore the terrible urge. He bared his fangs as a hiss wound its way through his gritted enamels. He felt his breaths quicken, as his eyes widened and glittered a radiant shade of red, until the last ounce of his control was lost and he buried his fangs into the blood vein. A disgusted groan vibrated through his vocal chords when his fangs pierced his own flesh, the warm liquid flooding down his throat.
After a long while of gorging himself, he released his fangs and stared into the darkness. A wave of lightheadedness overcame him as his panting began to lessen, and without warning, he fell back against the stone where the dark depths of the room numbed his vision into complete blackness.
Joachim awoke in a haze, his eyes widening to adjust to the darkness as he struggled to sit up. His chest heaved, while his eyes glanced fiercely about the room. Not to his surprise, he awoke in the same bare and grungy room as before, and all at once his worst nightmares returned. A fury of rage seemed to split his entire soul in half. He darted to his feet and began to pace about the room. Feral growls parted through his gritted fangs, and his lips seemed to curl whenever his eyes glanced at the sealed door. The youth's hands clenched into fists, and regardless of feeling his sharp nails pierce through his palms, the sounds of his boots thumping over the floor quickened.
His mouth felt dry and his lips were cracked, yet he paid no attention to it as he erratically paced across his prison. The labored sounds of his breaths heaving and gasping intensified, and with them, his eyes tinted a devilish shade of red that fought against the enveloping darkness. The room's hollow atmosphere made his mind whirl as if he were trapped in an acoustic cats-cradle, where every sound he made mercilessly reverberated back. He felt his fangs sear so painfully that he gasped, overturned his hands, and gazed at the gleaming blood covering his palms. His cold, sunken eyes watched the fluid trickle around his fingers and drip onto the floor.
In dire frenzy, he placed the palm of one hand against his lips and licked the blood clean, though his tongue repulsed the taste with a need to heave it out of his mouth. Low snorts puffed from his flared nostrils, his eyes still glancing at the door and then ahead at dirt-covered walls that blocked him at every turn. Eventually, he could not recall how long he had been repeating the same movements, or how many times he crossed the floor, but the constant jolts of pain from his thirsting fangs refused to allow him peace. Joachim's eyes were plastered open as if a giant hand pulled his lids back.
The creature let out a hoarse scream and charged toward a wall. The soft, crumbly dirt slipped between his fingers as he clawed relentlessly, unaware of the fact his mouth had begun to foam. Torrents of screams erupted from his throat while his fists pounded and clawed, unable and unwilling to cease. Beneath the slimy wet dirt, his fists smashed against solid rock, which he could neither break nor damage. His screams of rage twisted into howls of sorrow, until he collapsed onto the floor. The contorting shudders of his deteriorating frame increased while his voice howled. "Release me from this place!" he felt his fangs sear again, causing his breaths to pant when his eyes searched the room for a single drop of delectable red blood.
Joachim attempted to bite down upon his own tongue to stifle his screams, yet he could not withhold the sorrow consuming him. He arched his back above the floor when a roar erupted from within his throat with such ferocity its unearthly sound shook the room and caused pieces of stone to crumble off the walls. The crystal glint of his pale blue eyes warped into a vivid tint of bright crimson, and his mouth remained agape to expose the gleaming whites of his fangs. Panting heavily, he turned onto his side and glared into the oppressing darkness. A grimace wielded across his lips. "No…this…can't be…I can't be left here…but…" his hollowed voice echoed off the walls, whilst the searing agony from his demanding fangs fought against his whirling mind. He sat up, rose to his feet, and stood with no less stillness than one of the room's statues.
His thoughts lingered upon the only decoration in the room, which was the cross on the farthest wall behind the rusted gates. With a low hiss, he folded his arms across his chest, and held his head high upon allowing his lips to curl upward into a smirk. "So, this cross is the symbol of sacrifice and salvation. A rotting piece of wood. What of the mighty God then reigning above in heaven? Doth he take me for a fool to have believed he would free me from this place? Yet here I remain, knowing heaven's gates would be more confining than this unholy sanctum." He shook his head and proceeded to walk throughout the room, his slender frame sweeping with such silent grace the only sounds to linger were the dull motions from the trailing fabric of his robe. The silver lining his armor shimmered in the dim light, but such beauty was rivaled by the glittering red flicker emanating from his dilated pupils.
After he made a quick few rounds about the room, he suddenly halted before the alter and glared at the cross looming against the stark wall. Despite his heated motions, the smirk placed almost unnaturally across his lips refused to fade, while he paced in front of it with his head held high like a vain peacock whose own nauseating splendor suffocated the dreary air. The sound of his haughty defiance was quick to be spoken from the depths of his mind, and he resolved not to allow the silence to overcome him. An audacious chuckle reverberated through his throat, and he cocked his head to one side to curiously watch shadows dancing across the walls.
Ah, Walter, oh how you mock me so! You demand my absolute submission! I would raher be trapped down here than allow you to change me into your hapless marionette! I have cut the strings you once controlled.
A snort passed from his flared nostrils, and his smirk faded into a severe frown. Without warning his boot kicked the rusting gate and he raged against the oppressing silence. I will not easily be cast into darkness.
Indeed, if I must, I will wait down here for you...and if mere humans are sacrificed in order that I remain alive to achieve my desire, it is a small price to pay for obtaining the Ebony Stone...and your accursed head!
Rapturous laughs rang through the room and echoed off the walls. His chest shook from the unnatural sounds as he threw his head back and grinned at the black ceiling above where no stars welcomed his dismal state.
It soon dawned on him that he was beginning to regularly pace across the floor, and he was hardly surprised to find his boots yet again thumping rapidly to his erratic engagements, while the tails of his robes fanned behind him like clipped wings unable to take to the skies.
I have claimed so many lives, what will a few more matter if I am damned to live in this place? After all, humans are worthless creatures. If they are foolish enough to venture all the way into this chasm of hell, I may as well be merciful and grant them a swift death.
His eyes gazed down upon his wounded left wrist that still bore fang markings from his recent feasting. Joachim glanced away from the pressing wound, to the thin line of his shadow etched across the floor like an artist's unfinished rendering. The very image made him revert his gaze to his swollen wrist. His lips curled at the sight of the broken flesh – pale and forever lifeless flesh. It reminded him of what he was, and despite its detestable meaning, his dead gaze revealed no inhibition from it. The only thing he felt was the mind-splitting agony coursing through him at the will of his thirsting fangs, and not a moment later it brought him down to his knees upon the floor.
A loud howl of anguish fled from his cracked lips, and not even in half a second he was upon his feet again and running toward the wall. Without thinking, his hands lunged at the wall's damp surface clawed at it madly until his fingernails snapped under the pressure. Even though his nails were reduced to jagged stubs, the vampire continued to slash at the wall until the rough surface left his fingers raw and a bloody stain streaked across the grimy surface.
"Goddamn you Walter!" his voice screamed so loudly his chest shook. "The ebony stone was rightfullymine…it was supposed to belong to me! My life was supposed to be myown!"
After a few minutes, his bleeding fingers felt numb, and the bitter thirst in his mouth drove him to clench them into fists and beat them against the wall. The scent of his blood suffocated the air while his eyes watched the red droplets spatter against the stone. The sounds of his screams died away, but the feeling of utter fury remained as prevalent in him as before. He turned his back against the wall and faced the swords embedded into the floor. A dim glow flickered within his optics almost as radiantly as the reflection of the cold steel he looked fervently upon. "Come to your master, my beautiful blades…" He managed to pry open one of his throbbing fists long enough to beckon one of the swords out of the floor with his hand. Nevertheless, he could not gather his psychic powers long enough to command the sword to move, and when the blade remained his face became a twisted mask of enragement.
Still the sword did not move. Seeing that his efforts were for naught, the vampire bared his fangs. All I ever wanted…was to live a normal life. But he stole that from me, and only I can steal my own life if I so wish to! Joachim watched the blade with a flaming glare, however the sword was unmoving – unable to be aware of his twisted thoughts desiring the cold metallic surface of the blade to be impaled through his heart. His aching throat vibrated in protest to his horrific screams while his hands pressed themselves over his face and scraped against the pallid flesh. He fell to the floor and scrambled his way toward the sword, his movements barely that of a human being. There was no dignity in his expression – only desperation, the oblivious kind of desperation that made him blind to his own madness.
He barely realized he was touching the sword until his hands wrapped around the metal blade so tightly it became stained by blood. Even though he cut his own hands, he slid them up the razor-sharp edge until he came in contact with the weapon's hilt. For so long he relied on his powers to lift his swords, and pulling such a massive blade out of the earth would be a task requiring immense psychological control. It was a very distant thought in his mind.
Walter wants me to live this way. Locked in eternal darkness. Little does he know I have other plans...and whether those humans like it or not, they are going to help me survive to carry them out.
A single tear trickled down his cheek. Joachim tried to gather his strength and rip the blade from the ground, ready to drive it through his heart and spatter the rest of the room with his blood, and as if turned to stone, he stopped and gazed into the empty abyss. From somewhere within his memory, a sweet voice made him fall deathly silent.
Please promise me no matter what happens…you will live.
Sadly, he felt consumed by disappointment when he did not see Sara's graceful figure appear within the darkness. All around him there was nothing but blackness, loneliness…and emptiness.
You may not believe in yourself, but at least know I believe in who you are – someone with the heart of a human, and the grace of a nobleman. A beautiful and proud man.
His hands slipped away from the handle of the sword and fell to his side. He longed to feel her warm arms embrace him, or have her angelic wings carry him out of solitude and into the graces of heaven. As long as he was kept in such a place, he would never know happiness again. "Oh Sara…" his breaths were so shallow they gave the illusion of being on the threshold of death. "I hate this world of darkness, but perhaps not as much as I hate myself for being what I am. Forgive me then, for when your betrothed Leon comes…the only thing left for me to feel is the pleasure of killing him and drinking his blood. Oh, how I look forward to it!"
He got up off the floor and returned to the sealed door. With a roar, he beat against the stone surface with his fists until they were numbed by pain. "No!" Tears streamed down his face as he pushed himself against the door, as if his frail, pale form could knock it down with the force of his will. Like an animal trapped in a cage, his fingernails dug into the stone surface between the door and wall, attempting to pry it open and leaving scratch marks upon the stone. "No, this can't be!" His fangs flashed like knives in the darkness as his fingernails fought to pry the door open. A throbbing pain shot through him when he felt the hard nails give way and break under the force of his clawing hands. The lack of blood was making him weak. The room began to spin around him but in his pain, he would not relent. The youth began to beat his fists against the unmovable door, smashing his hands against it until he felt one of his wrists fracture from the impact. With a loud wail, he sank to his knees on the floor, breaking into a fit of anguished sobs.
"Please, don't leave me here!" His voice reverberated through the enclosing space, mercilessly bouncing back against him as he fought to remain conscious. "Don't leave me…don't leave me…alone." More than anything in the world, he feared the lonely, damp, darkness in which he dwelled. Strange shadows danced all around him across the walls like evil specters, watching and waiting to claim his soul. Fear began to build inside his pale, glassy eyes. "Sara…" He called her name, hoping she could hear him, wherever she was. But her fate was no different than his own. She was as damned as he was…forever ruined by the curse and lost to him. No one could save either of them, now. He was abandoned and left for dead in the cold confines of the earth. The realization stung him worse than a thousand arrows through his wretched heart. Joachim's chest wracked with uncontrollable sobs. "No! I can't be forgotten in this place! W-Walter will come back…surely…in a few hours…."
And when he does, I will tear his heart out and cut his head off! For what he did to Sara…to Catherine…he will die. The bastard will die, even if I have to die with him!
Why did you try to save me, Sara?
He did not want to imagine her fate; they would never see each other again. He pictured her smiling face in his mind, her azure blue eyes looking at him kindly, never seeing him as he saw himself. In spite of all the horrible things he did, she did not judge him. When he spited her, she tried to see the goodness in him. Humanity had been his once more, and then mercilessly stolen away. Everything was lost without her. Eternity, once enticing, was pure torture upon his soul.
If there was a reason for him to live, it was a very simple one. A smirk creased the corners of his blood-stained lips as he sat up, wiping the tears from his eyes and staring into the dark, shadowy nothingness of his prison. Faintly, he listened to the rushing noise of water cascading beyond the door. Droplets of condensation slid down the room's grimy walls and dripped onto the floor. The steady, dripping sounds seemed loud and offensive in his ears, for it would never cease. The water reminded him that a world still existed beyond his prison.
The young nobleman's face was so pale it resembled snow. Thoughts raged against his mind. There were so many he could not decipher the beginning of one thought from the end of another. His eyes repeatedly scanned the room as he rose to his feet and walked toward the furthest wall. A scurrying sound…an indication of life. Without thinking, he looked at the rodent attempting to conceal itself behind the wrought iron gates and snatched it in his fist. His pale eyes narrowed and looked at it in disgust, hearing the sounds of its pitiful squeaks as it struggled against him.
With a sigh, he held the thing by its bare, long tail and dangled it in front of his face. The creature's beady black eyes focused upon him derisively, whilst its brown body flailed in vain for freedom. Its tiny little legs continued to kick and scratch only to no avail. Like a cat, he swung the creature in front of his face, wrinkling his nose from the smell of its matted, wet fur. A young nobleman...drinking the blood of vermin... But he was fortunate he had found anything at all. If he drank from himself again, he was uncertain if he would survive. Bitter hatred consumed him as he grasped the rodent by the head and bit into its neck, puncturing his fangs through its fur until a reward of warm blood oozed down his throat. The youth's eyes widened when he almost gagged. Disgusting! Not even the lowliest demon would want this! After draining the rat of its fluids, he tossed the tiny corpse across the room.
I can't die… as long as Walter lives… I have to stay alive…long enough to kill him. I will destroy you, Walter! Nothing in this world will stop me until we meet again. Not even the Ebony Stone will protect you from me!
A long silence passed. He sat down upon the room's filthy steps and cupped his chin in his hand; resting his elbow upon his knee. Almost statue-like, the pale demon fell still, whilst the vermin's blood revived his senses. Time seemed to crawl by like an infant. Somehow, the sordid room made him feel old and decrepit. He could no longer even remember his age, or much about his former life – his thoughts seemed empty; like a well without water. He ran a hand through the locks of his hair, feeling the damp white strands cling to his fingertips. Tiny droplets of water slid down the room's walls and ceiling. Occasionally, his ears detected the faint sound of water dripping onto his rusting armor. Time did not exist in the water prison; only shadows, which seemed to absorb it within their obscure shapes. The creature did not move, except to hum a strange tune within his throat, his pale eyes focusing on the door in anticipation of a visitor. He tried to count the minutes, but lost track quickly, and resumed humming to himself like a bored child.
Surely, Walter would come soon. When the vampire lord did, he would be ready…
A rush of cold air blew across his face when the stone door suddenly opened. Footsteps resounded through the small room as his eyes darted toward the door, his thoughts ready to summon his swords and attack. Without seeing who it was, his calm, deathly quiet voice rang through the entrapping darkness. The wind whistled through the open door and into the room, filling it with the repugnant scent of water, mould, and dust. "Walter…" The serration in his voice resembled an angry cobra preparing to strike. Without thinking, he stumbled to his feet and turned to face his oppressor. The one who had damned him to suffer for eternity. Yet, his eyes widened upon realizing that the person standing beyond the threshold of the door was not his lord…but a human. "What?" he snapped, not caring if the stranger heard him. With a huff, he brushed aside strands of his damp, ivory hair whilst his pale white skin gleamed, giving him a ghost-like image. "I was expecting someone else. Too bad…"
"Why on earth are you in a place like this?" The stranger stepped forward, searching through the darkness for the source of the malicious voice. It was a human man, perhaps in his late twenties. Though he was dressed like a knight, Joachim could tell by his nervous stance that he was not. A sword was clutched in the human's fist. Waves of short, light brown curls peeked beneath the heavy iron helmet adorning his head. The stranger wore chain mail and chest armor that was dented and rusted. It was as if the man had haphazardly put the outfit together out of scraps before he arrived. The pale devil detected a faint odor of blood and noticed that the man's right shoulder was slashed open and bleeding. Though somewhat older than himself, his unexpected visitor possessed prominent cheekbones and sharp, watchful brown eyes.
He observed the human's grip upon his sword tighten when his bold, confident voice inquired further. "I am looking for the monster that dwells in these waterways. Tell me where it is, and I will release you from your imprisonment."
"Monster?" It took a moment for Joachim to register the man's implication. For a moment, he stared blankly at the human, his eyes narrowing. A tiny smirk appeared across his lips as he stepped forward, the ironclad soles of his boots echoing eerily through the prison. "I'm afraid I was not expecting a visitor. Allow me to introduce myself..."
With a ferocious roar, he lifted his hands and commanded his swords into action. Rise up! It seems we have a guest to entertain!
The swords obeyed him instantly. Within seconds, the five weapons broke away from the earth and flew toward their master, their dim, greenish light casting a chilling glow across the youth's ashen visage. Joachim paused to let the human respond, using their petty conversation to give him time for gathering his powers. It took great effort for him to concentrate his thoughts. In his current state, his lack of blood made him desperate. At all costs he had to defeat the human. His superior speed and strength gave him an instant advantage over his prey. Nevertheless, despair consumed every fiber of his being the longer he looked at the human, standing there, the man's eyes hating him for being what he was. The undead – a vampire, hated by the world and cast into darkness.
Fool! I am going to tear you to shreds! A little practice killing is a good warm up for defeating Walter. A nuisance like you will be fun to use as means of passing the time!
"If a fight is what you want, I am more than happy to give you one, demon!" The man swung his sword warningly, his brown eyes blazing whilst he continued. "Nothing will stop me from reuniting with Delmira! I will defeat you and the master of this castle, once and for all!"
"Delmira?" The creature's eyes widened in surprise as he drew back, giving the man a skeptical look. "Who are you?"
"My name is Bartholomew – and that's all you need to know. I seek Lord Bernhard."
The smirk upon the pale creature's lips broadened.
So…it seems Walter wishes to play two games at once. No doubt, he wants to test me…and use me to bring down that wretched Belmont. If I fail…no. I will not fail. This human, Belmont or not, will die. All humans who come here will die.
"Suit yourself," he shrugged, whilst the power inside him continued to build until it formed into three, glowing blue spheres. With a wave of his hand, he scattered each of them in front of the room's massive sword-wielding statues whilst a shadow appeared across his face. "I enjoy torturing my victims first; I hope you don't mind. You will be dead soon enough, anyway." He glanced at the glowing blue spheres he had sent to three corners of the room. Somehow, their indigo light seemed both peculiar and sad in the enclosed space. Like a dark, powerful angel, he was prepared to inflict unimaginable torture upon his opponent.
"I have been through hell already!" The human spat, deliberately ignoring the red glow that flashed through Joachim's unblinking eyes. Truly, the man had never faced a vampire before. Joachim could tell by looking at him that he had no idea what he was about to endure. It pleased the pale devil to the point that he burst into a fit of loud, audacious laughter and tossed his head.
Fool! Are you serious? You do not know the meaning of hell until you have lived in it as long as I! I will enjoy this little spar. If I don't kill you instantly, perhaps I shall let you keep me company a while longer...
The sound rang through the room amidst his opponent's enraged shouts. "You are the one who is going to die! I would do anything for her!"
For a moment, Joachim's laughter died into silence. "Anything?" In the water prison, he could not distinguish night from day or the passing of time. It was as if time had reached a standstill. Images flooded through his memory, which he realized, was eroding away.
The vampire shook his head and held it high, returning the human's determination with a disdainful grimace. "There was a time when I said the same thing," A flood of sorrow appeared within his eyes, though it was defeated by the cruel, reprimanding sneer upon his face. One of his hands clenched into a tight fist. The creature's broken, filthy nails dug into his wounded palms whilst his voice lowered to a dull whisper. "You will fail, as I did. Though my beloveds are engrained within my memory… I will never see them again. Long ago…they loved me… loved me…and died for me…"
His voice nearly choked. Nearly trembling, he felt his eyes blur with tears but held them back. Icy blue spheres gazed at the human, filled with terrible loathing and despair. Like a trapped animal, he had no choice but to fight for his life. He would fight to the death, even if he lost himself, waiting for the day when the red-haired demon returned. There would be no forgiveness and no redemption for his tormentor, murderer, and defiler. The creature raised his hand as the encircling blades continued to whirl rapidly around him, impatiently waiting to attack their next victim.
With a proud snarl, his voice reverberated through the tiny room. "Walter belongs to me. I cannot allow you to interfere with my right to defeat him. Since you said you would do anything, soon, you will join her in death…after I play with you for a while, first."
"Delmira is alive! Not even your pathetic trickery will make me believe otherwise!"
"Believe what you want. It will not save you…and it did not save me."
Joachim's lower lip curled as he focused his thoughts upon the man. He watched the would-be knight adjust his helmet before charging forth and lifting his sword to strike. With a smirk, the pale creature allowed his feet to lift off the room's grimy floor and levitate. The barrier he had formed with his powers was complete, at last. The human's chances of defeating him were slim to none. Nevertheless, he was willing to play along and give him a fight, if only to keep himself from succumbing to the empty solitude of the water prison. The human attempted to slash the metallic edge of his sword across his neck, his brown eyes surging with rage and contempt whilst he swung the weapon with all his might.
Yet, the pale demon merely released a cold chuckle when the edge of the sword struck the barrier surrounding him. "What was that supposed to do?" He hissed, mocking the man as the proud smirk upon his sallow, bloodstained lips broadened. "Did you think you could harm me? If that is your best, Walter would have slaughtered you instantly! I prefer a much slower, painful death for my opponents."
The human's rage escalated as his hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. "Fiend! You haven't seen my best just yet! I am not going to give up so easily!"
"I was hoping you wouldn't." The youth parted his lips, allowing the human to glimpse at his razor-sharp fangs. He could almost smell the man's blood and fear while he waited for him to attack again. Joachim's five symbiotic swords continued floating around him as he drifted, circling his prey, who did nothing except whirl continuously to face him. The creature's robes fluttered behind him like broken wings. He held his head high, casting his gaze downward at the bewildered human.
I'll toy with this one for a little while, first. I was expecting Walter to finish one game before starting another. That conceited bastard always liked a challenge. Perhaps…Baron Belmont did not survive long enough to find me here…?
As long as he kept the human occupied in the middle of the room, the glowing orbs suspended in front of the statues were safe from harm. He watched his victim run around the center of the room, undoubtedly trying to buy time to strategize how to attack. The pale creature stopped and levitated in place, chuckling to himself as his piercing eyes followed the human's erratic movements. The enclosed space made it impossible for the man to distance himself. Though the pale nobleman looked human, his terrifying rage and power contradicted it. Joachim's frail, delicate, gentleness was tarnished by malice and hatred. His amusement with the human was fading quickly. The man seemed content with swinging his sword at the barrier, darting back, and running around the room.
Is this the best Walter can find? That bastard must be getting desperate for someone to entertain him whilst I rot in here. Perhaps, he will grow tired of these games and return for me. I will be sure to prepare some dead rats as a token of my appreciation!
Slow, unyielding anger began festering inside him the longer he looked at the frightened would-be knight. "This is too easy," he huffed at last as his mind abruptly broke his concentration upon the barrier and allowed it to fade. "Now I am vulnerable. Come and attack me, human!" The man's glaring brown eyes fell upon him as he growled, lifting his sword whilst the soles of his boots thumped across the dirt floor. The moment the man's arm swung the sword, the creature's hand snatched him by the wrist and wrenched the blade from his grasp. "Pathetic." Joachim's icy eyes froze whilst he carelessly tossed the sword away – deliberately out of the human's reach. Be still! The five swords ceased their whirling and aligned behind his back. The moment he was exposed, he felt the human's fist collide into the left side of his jaw. Pain ripped through his face like fire as he jerked his head back, nursing the wound with his hand while blood flowed from a gash in his flesh. A slow, dark grin replaced the white-haired youth's smirk until he burst into a fit of mocking laughter.
The man's eyes widened into saucers and he froze like a startled dear, stupefied by the pale demon's delight. With a gasp, he retreated until his back hit the wall beneath the cross. "What the hell are you?" His voice nearly choked in fear as the levitating creature's laughter increased.
Bright red beacons replaced the youth's once pale, blue eyes as he tilted his head back, allowing strands of his pearly white hair to cascade against his back and shoulders. "Monster!"
Something shattered Joachim in that moment when he heard that one, fatal word echo through his prison. Monster. Things people feared and did not understand. Creatures that hid under children's beds at night. Beasts that lurked in the shadows, without a face or a name – only identified by the cruel, mysterious label, 'monster.' Joachim Armster existed but did not exist. The chilling thought echoed through his soul as he stared into the black abyss of his prison.
Walter loved pretending he was superior to the demons roaming Eternal Night.
Some of the worst monsters are the ones we cannot recognize…until it is too late.
I will die down here…alone…
However, even this monster… loved not once, but twice…
…And was loved in return…
It was time to end his little spar. The human had resigned himself to remaining against the wall, too exhausted to fight any longer. Joachim drifted toward the paralyzed man, ignoring the screams and pleas for mercy as he commanded the central sword behind him to lift above his head. The massive blade rose up, tinting a shade of red to match the youth's glowing eyes. Barely a second later, the sword hurtled forth and stabbed the man through the shoulder. Blood spattered across the wall as the human slumped forward, writhing in agony whilst the sword lodged itself completely through his body and into the filthy wall behind him. The vampire drifted forward and up the small flight of crumbling stairs until he reached his victim, who continued to scream like a calf before the slaughter. Joachim's blazing red spheres locked against the human's dark brown. Vaguely, he remembered a time when he was a man. Now, in the dark, sordid room, the only thing reminding him that he even existed at all was the scent of human blood.
I need you to survive. Monsters are hardly monsters without victims to terrify. I must live long enough to kill Walter. That is my sole purpose for existing, now. You are going to provide the blood – the strength - I require to carry it out.
My last wish…before I die…is to take Walter into hell with me.
He allowed the sword to dislodge itself from the wall. The human' writhing body fell forward into his open embrace. For a moment, the stunned man's glassy brown eyes looked up into his. However, the creature's eyes were devoid of the spiritedness they once contained. "Please!" The man pleaded, only to no avail. It did not seem to matter to the human that his fate was sealed. Joachim listened to his slayer continue, the love and hope within him making him seem as frail and desperate as the pale demon once was. "Help me rescue her and kill your lord! You spoke of love, so you should know why I came to this place!"
Joachim glared, unable to stand the sight of his face, and willing to ruin it in order to destroy the last remnants of his conscience. With a cruel, amused chuckle, he turned the human over and pinned his back against the grimy floor. A sardonic sneer appeared across his sallow, bloodstained lips when he snarled. "You tried to kill me. You should know why, then, I have the right to take everything away from you." Hunger filled every fiber of his being as he snatched the man's helmet and tossed it onto the floor. The human's wavy locks splayed untidily across his shoulder blades.
"Bastard!" The human screams echoed off the room's bare walls. Despite the man's strength and will, he could not free himself from beneath the vampire's superior hold.
Joachim grasped the man by the nape, threatening to break his neck in half with a mere squeeze as he kicked his boots off, exposing his bare feet and long blackened toenails that resembled a wolf's. The tattered remnants of his indigo robes and armor covered his thin, deathly white form. With a tiny smirk, he padded toward the trembling human, the room's dim torchlight allowing him to shadow the man as he began with a calm flick of the hand. "I may release you after all." He mused whilst his pale, dead eyes gazed down upon the human.
For a brief second, a flash of relief spread across the face of his young, human victim as he rasped breathlessly. "You will release me? I don't believe you, vile wretch-"
The smirk upon Joachim's pale face broadened as he kneeled by the man and grasped his face, pulling it toward him while his voice lowered to a whisper. "Be quiet! My master may overhear us talking." A profound sorrow within him warned that his red-haired condemner had left him to rot in the confines of the underground waterways. Forever doomed, never again to see the night sky or to experience love. It took all of his willpower to resist grimacing from the realization that he had truly been abandoned to suffer and die. Not even his whirling thoughts could bear to focus on the hopelessness of his situation.
After drawing a sharp breath, the vampire continued. "I will free you, if you give yourself to me, willingly. Then, you can run along and play my master's game. Unless, you do not care about your fiancé?"
"I will never give myself to you, fiend!" The human spat, his light brown eyes blazing with renewed fury. "How do I know you would free me if I did?"
"You don't know." The white-haired youth replied, giggling illicitly at the man's enraged expression. The human's eyes narrowed upon him. Despite the hatred he saw reflecting within them, he knew his victim was torn by his offer. "If you refuse, I will drink from you whilst you slowly die screaming like a stuck pig. Your fiancé will certainly be doomed. I assure you, my master's lust exceeds even my own." A wicked glint appeared within his eyes, for the woman was doomed regardless of her savior's choice. Nevertheless, he was eager to play with the human a bit more.
After a long pause, the human shivered under the pale demon's powerful grip, his face a mask of terror as he seethed. "You are nothing but a disgusting, heartless bastard-"
"Is that a no?" Joachim whispered, feeling a familiar, deadly hunger begin to take hold of him when his eyes traced the wound in the man's shoulder. The scent of human blood began to intoxicate him to the point that he heard the man's heart thumping rapidly against his ribcage. The creature parted his lips and revealed the gleaming points of his fangs, willing to rip the man apart if he so much as struggled. "It seems you do not love your fiancé as much as you proclaim. Your valiance means nothing, for it shall result in your own demise."
The sight of his incisors made the man gasp, his voice shaking and echoing off the room's narrow walls when the creature ripped off the human's dirty brown boots with the ferocity of a devil. Joachim pulled the man's pants away and flung them across the room before reaching for his armored chest, removing the steel encasements like the husk of an exotic fruit. Finally, when the terrifying nature of his fate could be delayed no further, the knight cried out. "Wait! Y-You…will…free me if I…cooperate? I came here to save her…because I love her…" Coils of light brown hair danced against his smooth cheeks whilst he looked into the pale demon's eyes.
Joachim cocked his head and paused, for he did not expect his unwilling companion to give in so quickly. Truly, the man would do anything for the sake of love – or to save himself from death. "I will consider it. However, if you even attempt to escape, I'll snuff out your worthless life like a cockroach. Be quiet, for I know my master is listening…"
The young knight simply nodded wordlessly, and his face seemed to turn the color of snow as his voice, once bold and enraged, faintly choked. "I…will…"
The creature continued to tear at the human's clothing with a kind of wild ferocity he had never displayed before. Once he knew the human would give in, nothing would stop him until he made the mortal his. With a snarl, the pale youth tore open the man's shirt and ran his hands across his captive's smooth chest, relishing the warmth that clashed against his cold, grimy fingertips. His companion's heart thumped so rapidly against the frail ribcage protecting it he wondered if it would give way.
Nevertheless, whilst his lips raked across the knight's heaving chest, Joachim's hoarse voice broke the silence. "Do as I say, human. I want you to pleasure me. Get up on your hands and knees."
"What are you going to do to me?" The young knight gasped, his eyes suddenly wide and glassy as the demon pulled away from his chest and smiled at him, revealing his pointed incisors.
"Get up, now!" The white-haired creature hissed, his eyes ablaze with impatience and fury as he drew back from the would-be knight and kneeled next to him. A shadow appeared across his ashen visage as he stared at his companion, his eyes tinting a warning shade of crimson. If the man questioned him again he was prepared to kill him instantly. His patience was running thin, and the aching, hard member between his legs would not grant him relief until it was satisfied. With a roar of impatience, he grasped the human round the neck, his claw-like fingernails digging into the fragile flesh as he pulled the man up and flipped him over upon his front like a doll.
After drawing a heavy breath, the knight rose upon his hands and knees, his entire form trembling until it seemed he would collapse. Silence consumed the tiny room while the demon's pale, glaring optics surveyed the man's built form. Despite the knight's feeble appearance, his graceful muscles and smooth features made the vampire's eyes gleam with delight. Joachim flicked the tails of his robes back as he pressed himself behind the knight and ran his hand down the man's thighs, savoring the warmth and life beneath his fingertips. The pale youth heard his companion's breathing become labored as his index finger probed the human's entrance, the jagged nail threatening to puncture the tender flesh. Even though the knight did not speak, the shudders his touch wrought from the human indicated a pleading hope that he would lose interest and relent. "Do you want me to stop?" Joachim whispered whilst his other hand slid between his companion's legs. His fingertips skimmed the dark, rough coils of the man's hair and danced across the vulnerable organ.
Without breathing a word in reply, the man nodded slowly, refusing to look over his shoulder at the pale creature pressed up behind him. Despite the knight's aversion, he remained upon his hands and knees, even when the vampire's touches increased. Joachim gingerly stroked the organ until he felt it begin to harden. As long as his mortal companion believed he would live, he would have no trouble taking what he wanted until nothing was left. A fear-inducing hiss escaped Joachim's blood-stained lips as he grasped the mortal by the hips while the erect, throbbing organ between his legs pressed against his prisoner's orifice. Then, with one, violent thrust, he forced the bulbous head inside, feeling the flesh tear under the force of his movement. A scream escaped the knight's throat the moment the vampire's erection impaled his insides. The human was so tight that, for a moment, Joachim wondered if he would be able to make a complete descent. Anguished screams reverberated off the prison's dank, damp walls from the man's gaping mouth. Joachim felt his companion almost buckle from the pain. However, refusing to allow the man to recover, he swiveled his hips forward until warmth surrounded his embedded erection. With a loud, gasping moan, the pale youth began to thrust against his screaming companion, forcing the human's tight insides to accommodate his unrelenting organ. The human writhed beneath him, his muscles tensing to the point that his entire frame stiffened until it was nearly statue-like.
A sob broke through the man's throat but fell upon deaf ears. Pleasure entrenched the white-haired demon's visage whilst he increased his pace. The hard, swollen organ rapidly sheathed itself inside while the human's pain flooded the entire room. Within seconds, warm, thick blood trickled down the inside of the man's thighs. The scent of it alone – the reminder of life – filled the creature's nostrils like incense. Joachim's thoughts whirled in a dizzying array – the darkness, grime, filth, sorrow, and suffering blurring until he recognized nothing of himself. In that moment, something inside his wretched soul departed to escape the horror he had become. Guttural gasps of delight and disgust fled the youth's gaping mouth as he purged his captive with abandon. "Move!" He rasped between moans, whilst one of his hands grasped the man round the nape and squeezed, threatening to snap his neck in half like a toothpick. "You like it, don't you? I will tear you apart until not even the devil himself recognizes you!"
The man's writhing form attempted to buck against his thrusts. The motions were slow, uneven, and barely even detectable against the pale creature's rampant thrusts. Blood flowed around him across the filthy floor in streams of red. His nails dug into the man's nape until he felt the human's reluctant movements against him increase. Desperation ran through the core of the man's being, for he had forced the once valiant knight to sin. Even through his mortal companion was unwilling; Joachim had won a small victory against God. In the depths of darkness and solitude, he would reign supreme – undefeated, unquestioned, and unforgotten. Walter would not forget him as long he survived and threatened to overtake Eternal Night.
Joachim ran his hands down the human's smooth back, his broken nails leaving serrated gouges in the flesh. "More!" He gasped, digging his nails into the man's lower back until his demand was obeyed. The knight moved against him quickly, though his strained attempts were of little influence. Nothing would satisfy him except blood. However, despite catching its scent, he was not ready to partake in his precious reward.
Joachim released his hold upon the man and watched the knight fall onto his front upon the floor. Gasps of fear and pain escaped the mortal's trembling lips as he lay near the vampire's feet, unmoving. The creature chuckled to himself, pulling away, and rose to his feet. Without batting an eyelid, he kicked the man in the ribcage with his foot, his voice rasping breathlessly. "Get up, human! If you want to live, you best leave and scurry up to my master in the tower. I'm sure that blood sucking maggot is more eager to kill you than I am."
The creature took a step back, smiling wickedly at the trembling mortal. The man's chest heaved, and the coils of his light brown hair were in complete disarray as though tossed about by a violent wind. Without looking at the vampire's smirking expression, the man limped toward the door. Joachim observed the sight, waiting for the human to grasp the door and wrench it open. The rush of falling water tormented him, for he could not see the source of it, even though he knew it was just beyond the walls of his prison. Now, his pale, dead gaze would take in the sights and scents of freedom. The world beyond the water prison would belong to him, and he would be free to roam about the castle and seek vengeance against the demon who wronged him. Justice would be served by the blades of his swords. Joachim relished the thought as he watched the man approach the door and grasp the tiny gap between the doorframe and the wall. If the knight could enter the prison, he would surely be able to leave?
Or so the creature assumed, until the man's efforts were suddenly for naught. Despite the human's attempts to pull the door open, its cold stone frame refused to give way. Suddenly, the passage to freedom had become a cruel mockery. As soon as his pale blue eyes alit with hope, the light within them was replaced by radiant crimson. Fire filled every fiber of his being as he looked on at the human's pathetic struggles to escape. The door would yield to no one except the red-haired devil that had consigned him to the water prison for eternity.
Love had saved him and damned him, just as Walter said it would. There was no escaping from hell. Instead of fire, water dripped from the walls and splashed against his face like acid. Joachim wrung his hands as a sorrowful, bitter howl escaped his lips and filled the room until the walls he did not weep, despite the fear and horror flashing across the human's face as the naked knight turned and faced him. The human pressed against the door, perhaps out of a hopeless desire to escape from the creature before him.
Joachim paced across the room, wringing his hands, and threw a glare upon his trembling captive. "I cannot let you leave me while my master still rules the night. As promised, I will free you. I, on the other hand, can't be freed from this fate…yet."
"Get away from me!"
The human screamed, his eyes widening as the pale creature tossed his head, curtaining part of his face behind a veil of matted white hair. Joachim's eyes narrowed as the glow in his eyes intensified. He did not even need to move for his raging thoughts to seize the trembling mortal and pull him forward. The power of his mind alone was enough to drag the man, kicking and screaming, into his open embrace. There was no chance of escape, now. The pale demon grasped his unwilling captive by the throat. Both the man's hands grabbed him by the wrist, kicking desperately against the vampire like a wounded stag. The human's dirty fingers attempted to pry the creature's vice-like grip loose, though his valiant efforts merely made Joachim chuckle. The youth's icy eyes gleamed in the shadows, his face a veil of white death whilst he squeezed his captive's jugular. His jaws parted and clamped upon the man's tender throat, puncturing through the sweat-streaked flesh with terrifying ease.
Barely a second passed before he felt the human's red essence rush down his throat – the warm liquid filling him with a brief sense of relief. His cracked, sallow lips tightened around the wound while he fed. Streams of blood trickled from the corners of his mouth and dripped off his chin as though painted upon his skin by the devil's hand. The youth's eyes widened and glazed, his throat emitting a guttural purr not unlike a savage beast. It was difficult to imagine that a once frail, gentle, and sickly young man held his captive with the strength of a lion. The jagged tips of his broken fingernails dug into the man's jaw and ribcage until the flesh bled. He did not stop until he felt the knight's pulse grow faint.
Joachim ripped his fangs out of the human's hemorrhaging vein. Rage bubbled behind the calm unblinking pools of his icy eyes. Just as death had claimed everything he loved, it sought to claim the object of his amusement. Terrible, uncontrollable fury flickered in his eyes when he threw the body onto its front over the floor and positioned himself on top of it. Curtains of lush ivory hair cascaded recklessly against his face as he rubbed his hardening organ with his hand, probing the silky wet tip with his index finger until it was sufficiently prepared. With a labored moan, he sheathed himself inside the man. Finally, his companion withdrew a last shuddering breath – the last desperate gasp of a soul defiled. The human's eyes remained open and unblinking, his mouth agape like a fish, whilst his body fell limp and cold. Blood, once flowing freely, slowly congealed as death claimed the human's soul, whilst passing over the wretched nobleman like a leper.
The blood, rather than satiating him, had fueled his urges. What purpose would vigor serve him, if only to keep him awake so that he would have to sit and stare at the prison's filthy sodden walls? The thought alone was unbearable. Breathless gasps fled his parted lips as his hips rolled forward and back in a rocking rhythm. He lifted himself up slightly as his hands slid across its back, hips, and thighs, noting how the cold touch of his captive's flesh rivaled his own. His lungs took in the prison's moist, heavy air. He was left to the silence of his own heart and soul – in his underground prison, which seemed so distant from the world that he no longer considered himself a part of it. Walter finally allowed him to rule…the Dark Palace would torment him to the end of time. In his disorientated hunger, he forgot everything except his thirst.
The wretched prison reeked of decay. His ears fleetingly took in the faint dripping of water. Everything in his prison was dark and gray. The world of color – of crystalline blue, emerald green, and amethyst purple were nowhere in the sordid room. Nothing was distinguishable. How much time had passed he did not know. Curtains of damp, lush hair fell across his naked shoulder blades and his cracked, blood-soaked lips curled when he threw his head back. With a fervent gasp, he climaxed, barely aware of it until he withdrew himself. His cold, dead eyes surveyed the lifeless form beneath him with indifference. The pleasure was all his, but he felt nothing.
The creature's chest heaved as he sat up; his legs still spread with the tattered tails of his indigo colored robes draped across his thighs. He had not drained the man completely on purpose, for he would need to renew his expended strength before it dried up completely. He gathered his thoughts and focused them upon his swords, summoning them into action. The central blade floated into his outstretched hand until his fingers wound around the hilt. Then, as if cutting apart a piece of fruit, he lowered the heavy blade across the body's left arm. Blood seeped into the dirt-covered floor whilst he severed the arm. The merciless blade tore pieces of flesh and muscle until blood painted the floor red. The creature grasped the severed arm by the wrist and tossed it carelessly across the room. His unblinking gaze tinted a faint shade of red as he worked upon the corpse like an artist, gingerly cutting away the remains with the precision of a butcher. He proceeded to the right arm, slid the blade across the tender flesh, and ground the sword through the bone. Without making a clean cut, he grasped the wrist and pulled upon the arm until the flesh tore and finally gave way completely. Joyful laughter escaped his throat as he held the arm up and tilted back his head, allowing the blood to drain into his mouth and flow recklessly down his neck and chest in thick, crimson streams.
After a time, he dismembered all the corpse's limbs, and placed each one at the base of the statues. I have become rather talented with the art of killing, perhaps even more so than my master… Wild laughter escaped his lips as he drew his sword's steel blade across the corpse's throat and sliced through it. It took one, well-aimed swipe for him to sever the head completely from the neck. Blood spattered across the room's grimy walls and covered them like crimson rain. Then, in a fit of hysteria, his thoughts commanded the swords to wedge their blades into the earth. However, two swords continued to float around him like loyal dogs whilst he picked up the severed head. Come and rest.Your work is done, for now.With a huff, he allowed one blade to fall and rest against his shoulder, its metallic edge angling downward into the earth between his legs. The central sword continued to orbit slowly around him. Joachim admired the blood-covered tip of the weapon's long, metallic blade. After a pause, he clutched the severed head against his chest like a child holding a doll.
Perhaps, I shall keep the heads of the knights I slay and count them after each battle. If my master returns, he will see the carnage I am capable of inflicting. Then, he will see I am worthy of challenging him a second time…I am worthy…I'll beat them...Walter will see. I won't stop until I taste his lips…and his blood.
The youth's sallow lips parted, revealing his pointed incisors as the blade orbiting him floated toward his outstretched hand. Blood trickled into his open palm, staining the once brilliant white flesh red. An emotionless laugh escaped his throat when he pressed his palm against his lips, allowing his tongue to lick the claret colored liquid, partaking in the wondrous taste of death.
Bloodshed and death surrounded him everywhere. The four filthy walls of his prison were spattered with blood. As he lay covered in the accrused red liquid, his finely tipped ears twitched upon hearing faint cries. He jumped to his feet, tossing the head away like a child tired of a toy, and hearing it land upon the floor with a dull thump. The creature's pale eyes widened into saucers whilst he searched for the infant.
Where are you? I am here, I am here, I will comfort you…my child…my child….I was unable to protect you then, but I am here now. No harm shall befall you whilst I am here. The waterfalls….frighten you…as well as I.
A young woman with ebony hair curled into thick ringlets sat on the floor against the wall. The woman's face was hidden behind the thick coils of her raven hair. Without thinking, he reached out to her, his eyes blurring with tears. No…!The woman was swaddling a tiny cloth bundle in her arms covered in blood. Unable to compose himself, he fell to his knees and wept, lamenting the creature whose life God had sobs, he saw the woman's dull green eyes gazing endlessly upon him. Nearly desperate, he staggered to his feet and ran toward her, his eyes focused upon the woman huddled in the shadows. He reached out to her, his pale hand floating through the blackness to take the tiny bundle from her arms. The bundle was silent and unmoving. Blood tricked from the cloth and stained her hands and dress.
He struggled for words, though language itself was meaningless in the prison.. Language was only meaningful when there was someone to speak to. Yet, in the prison, his only companions were cold, lifeless statues and bloodstained swords. There was no one to hear his lament. When he blinked, the woman was gone. All that remained was the rusting cross adorning the wall. Tears trickled down his cheeks in rivers until he wiped them away with the back of his sleeve, his eyes professing the emotions churning within him like a vicious gale sweeping him further into the darkness. Whereas love controlled the heart, grief controlled the mind. Not even time could erase suffering, no matter how much he longed to free himself from it.
Joachim shivered as he glanced around the room, feeling the eyes of the statues somehow locking upon him in that instant. He could feel the mighty stone objects closing in on him from the three corners of the room as if controlled by an unseen force. The vampire feared their massive weapons, knowing they wanted to slice him to pieces, for his offering of human limbs was not enough to satisfy their need for death. Theywanttowatchmekill…butnothingisenough.
Even if I filled this room with blood, it is not enough…not until Walter is dead…and I rule Eternal Night. I would've won…I would've won….but that damn stone…that accursed Ebony Stone…
His eyes narrowed whilst he seethed, feeling his hands ball into quavering fists. The young nobleman smiled to himself, allowing the strange upward turn of his lips to provide a sinister air. Between his bloodstained lips, the two points of his fangs gleamed in the darkness. He shifted his slender form to a crouched position over the floor with his back deliberately turned against the door. A small part of him still clung to the idea Walter would return to collect his abandoned servant, that at any moment his lord would walk through the door and demand his submission.
I will escape from here…I will find you…and then kill you. You will die…you will…die…with me…!
It did not matter who entered his prison to face him, since his longing for blood was stronger his will to spare the life of his slayers. Joachim repulsed the idea of protecting Walter, but the vampire lord had made a clever ploy to trap him underground, so his only options were to kill the knights attempting to reach Walter or die by their swords. The realization made him seethe incessantly, added by the relishing images of the room being splattered with mankind's blood, that he would indulge himself upon like a true lord reaping the rewards of his encounters. It was what a lord did if he was victorious, and it was the very thing his father received when combating the heathens in the east. Instead of profiting from gold and silver, his would be red.
You will know death at last, Walter. I shall hold you in my arms… kiss your lips…while I impale your heart…with my hatred.
The lack of blood left only his iron will to remain awake unbroken. He remained still, with his head lowered and gazing listlessly at the floor. Yet, as quickly as he had grown to detest his fate, quick was his mind to scorn humanity and Walter. Indeed, when his mind seemed to become drunk on images of blood and corpses, a steady smile spread across his lips and his eyes flickered. Within their red glow; however, droplets slid down his cheeks.
Like a shadow, he disappeared into the darkness…
Alone and forgotten.