CHAPTER 12: COLLOSEUM
Upon their crossing of the twin Axed door, they were in a hall carved in the very earth within the long hall were many skeletons tossing pieces of themselves, fleamen jumping around for no reason whatsoever, bone turrets making the air light up with flames, but none of the obstacles proved of any use against their team, a few strikes of Alucard's sword or a slice from a Moonblade. In the next room, the crew found themselves near a small spikepit. The pair leapt over it and landed safely on the other side. Soon after, their was a large thud heard and a small rumble that made them loose their footing.
Magus: Oh, right... better watch out... They progressed in deeper and found a small bump on their way.
Alucard: Ha! This is too easy! He waited for a second for a bat to swoop down and attack and leapt to attack it, but Magus grabbed his leg and pulled him back. The bat got in close and was crushed by a descending piece of ceiling covered in spikes, ebbing itself in the ground. It rapidly climbed back up into hiding, pulled up by a system of chains.
Magus: Quickly now, before it reactivates. After outsmarting a few more such traps, they entered a room with a very deep chasm. The only way up was to jump between little platforms attached to steel chains going up and down in an oval shape guided by two gears. They leapt safely up to the first platform and let themselves get carried up a floor.
Alucard: This is strange, usually, those falling spiketraps are visible...
Magus: The past has been slightly altered by the power it seems... be on your guard, this is just too easy... They leapt up to the second of the three lifts. About halfway up that one, Magus felt a sharp jerk of pain in his left leg and found a ghost sinking it's teeth into his leg muscles. His swords came crashing down into it and it faded once again in ethereal light. Around them, the air got heavy and rapidly, an army of the little blue ghosts had appeared and swarmed them.
Alucard : Leave this to me... SOUL STEAL!! All the ghosts burst into little bubbles of light and entered Alucard, restoring his strength.
Magus : Nice trick you have there... Here's our ride. They leapt to the third one and found themselves at the top fast and entered the boss' room. Inside was a large bull demon known as a Minotaur. It was around 11/2 times their size, with an axe almost as big. It walked torwards them slowly and swung it's axe down hard. Alucard dodged back and leapt up to strike it's face. Magus headed left and slashed at the Axe's handle, slicing it in half, leaving it's blade in the dirt. The minotaur, slowly walked torwards the exit and grabbed a chain and iron ball hanging on the wall above the door. Magus sighed and put his sword up. Alucard charged it and slashed the beast's flank. It headbutt Alucard into a corner and swung it's chain, throwing the ball tied at the end on Alucard. Magus gut in the way and tangled the chain around his sword, yanking it away from the beast's grip. He took his other sword and threw it at the bull demon, ebbing it to the door, dead. Magus healed Alucard and they headed for the present... after Magus recovered his sword. The present colloseum wasn't too different. The first hall lead to a hole in the floor and a bit further to an opening in the ceiling of even further to a metal grid that Alucard could cross in mist form.
Magus: So, which path do we take?
Alucard: Well, if I was alone, I'd just cross the grid and go to the boss, but... In this area, the boss is optional, we should be able to avoid him. Let's take the upper path, it's the most direct. The duo leapt over the hole and headed to the stairs leading up a floor. Up there, there were a few broke pillars and a few skeletons. The first large wave was of Skeleton blades. Apprentice skeletons learning the use of a sword. One hit from any of their weapons blew them to bits, the next ones were harder. Although lesser in number, the Blade masters were great foes. Wielding two short swords each, they gently advanced and rapidly slided at the pair, hitting their legs to make them fall. The two blade masters got up with a backflip and leapt at the grounded team, daggers first. Magus got his senses back fast and avoided the blow, but leaving his sword suspended there so the idiot would kill himself on it's edges. Alucard didn't react fast enough and got the hit straight in the gust, but the swords broke instead. The skeleton got back on it's feet and got a swing from Magus in the back. Alucard got up, a bit shaken by the hit, but no damage. They left the room and went down a flight of stairs and crossed the hall to a large iron door with a keyslot in it.
Magus: So much for skipping the boss. They went back down the hall, past the stairs and into the boss' room. In it were steel coffins there was a trio close by and four further down.
Alucard: 7? There were only supposed to be 3: Sypha, Grant and Trevor!
Magus: What?
Alucard: Trapped in these coffins were fake versions of my friends from the first time I went to Castlevania... but strangely the coffins are empty.
Magus: And there isn't a key either. Alucard, you take the pit from the rightern side, I'll take the leftern side.
Alucard: Allright. Alucard went back the way they came, passed beside the stairs again and leapt into the pit just before the door out. Landing on a small platform, he went into the small room and found it utterly empty. A red carpet was on the floor and a wall of bricks ahead of him was all that was there. He went out and leapt down lower. He searched the room beside him on ground floor and found a freshly killed owl there and some pieces of armor belonging to various living armors. Also, he found a few rifles, crushed bones and broken swords all over the long room. He went back out and went down the hall to another room. Near it was a giant beast whose legs had lost all flesh, now nothing but bones. Also, it's head had been torn off. In the next room, larger than the last two, there wasn't much but a fountain whose water had been frozen. As he approached it, he heard air moving fast and slided back just in time to avoid a falling dagger. Immediately after, the fountain exploded, letting a cross identical to those he and Richter used fly to mere centimeters from him before returning to their owner's powerful hands. He now faced three foes. A powerful Belmont barely weaker than Richter that luckily didn't possess the item crash command, a beautiful, long blonde haired girl dressed in a priest's white robes and a pirate hanging to the ceiling, a couple of daggers ready.
Trevor: Well! Looks like Dracula sent another flunkie after us! Looks like we'll have to beat it up as well!
Alucard: Wait! I'm Alucard! Don't you guys recognize me?
Trevor: Alucard, Never heard of him! Alucard looked panicked from one old friend's face to another. This time, they weren't lousy zombies like last time, they actually were the originals!
Sypha: Wait! I know that name!
Alucard: Sypha...
Sypha: He's Dracula's son! He must be the boss of this place, Let's KILL HIM! Alucard filled with despair. He had to kill those he'd fought so hard to defend... He leapt back to avoid Grant's daggers, Sypha's magical fire and Trevor's whip. Tactically, Grant was the weakest because of his problem to fight on land and if well timed... Alucard paused and awaited them. All three got in close. As Sypha threw her magical fire, Alucard jumped and threw an axe at Grant, making him fall to the ground... or more precisely, straight into Sypha's fire, burning him to a crisp. Alucard was falling, but heard a splashing sound. He looked below and noticed Trevor had dropped a bottle of holy water below him the liquid had ignited itself to flames by now. He used his double jump to leap back torwards the door and away from the burning water. As he landed, he threw his cross at Sypha, but Trevor whipped it back at him. It's return speed was too great and Alucard ate it head on. While on the ground he felt Sypha spray Ice all over him, freezing him in place. He struggled hard for a long time and managed to break free seconds before Trevor's whip came down torwards him. He stabbed forward at his old friend, impaling him, but also eating a full force whip him, almost tearing across his left shoulder. Now only Sypha was left. Alucard took the Runeblade on his side and threw it at her. The blade arced and cut the girl in half before returning to his hand, not even bloodied.
Trevor: A... alu...card?
Alucard: Trevor?
Trevor: S...sorry man... that runt of a Dracul... brought us back... to kill you! You... did the right thing... Our lives were gonna... end anyway in two days!... ... ...
Alucard: Trevor!! No... ... not again... He watched his friend's bodies disappear and headed back up to the empty room and headed right torwards the hall that liked his section to Magus'.
***********************
Magus went out of the boss' room and noticed the grid in front of him, that's all. As he walked torwards it, he pressed a switch with his foot, opening the floor in front of him and making an elevator come up. He went in it and it brought him back down two floors, near a small room. Inside was a table that served fro sacrifices. Near it was a person dressed in an executioner's robe.
Girl: Ah, so you're finally here.
Magus: Who are you?
Girl: Don't recognize me? Well, it's better this way! The girl threw a major fire spell straight at him, almost hitting him. Magus' twin sword flashed out of their scabbards and into his hands just in time to block the girl's next attack. He charged her and she leapt aside. His feet entered a patch of vines that quickly wrapped themselves around his legs, stopping his movement.
Magus: Damn! The girl started casting something big.
"Master of the titanic and raging earth, allow me to borrow an ounce
of your strength to bury my foes below uncountable feet of earth
while sparing the fragile wildlife living around!" Magus, not wanting to eat a Gaia slave full frontal threw one of his swords at her, impaling her to death. She collapsed, ending her spell and the vine's grip on his legs. He went to her, took out his sword from her corpse and cleaned it on her brown robe. He then remembered what she'd said... something about knowing him and him knowing her... He lifted the cowl and found a cute long brown haired girl there.
Magus: Eliria? What in the inferno is going on here? He went out of the room and went across the hall into the room at the other end. There, he entered the room instead of going up. In it were racks filled with weapons of all sorts. In the center of it was his foe. A gold elf taller than him wearing a green armor and helmet. At his side hanged a slim but long two handed sword. His long black hair cascaded to the bottom of his breastplate.
Magus: Kathandryon? What's going on here?
Kath: The only thing going on here is your death Magus Leah! The elf's sword came out and clashed with the moonblades hard! Kath stepped back and launched another assault, but this time as a stab. Magus leapt to the side and used his swords to push the elf's sword down. Kath plunged the sword into the earth and arced it torwards him, releasing it from Magus's grip and slamming it hard on his own swords. Magus quickly cast a fire spell, but Kath tore across it with his sword easy, not even reducing his power. His sword slammed straight into Magus' and tore one of the two back in the hall. The gold elf's assaults didn't stop. Lunge after slash came at him, which Magus parried as best he could, the man had a definite advantage of strength, speed and range with his sword. Magus Opted for something risky. As Kathandryon thrust torwards him, he threw away his sword and slid down to the floor, using his legs to grab the elf's and spin to the side, taking his opponent to the floor. He caught the gold elf's sword and stabbed him with it ending the battle.
Magus: What is going on here? First Evana, next Kathandryon... He went up the stairs and found his next assailant. He wore the same type of armor except for the fact that it was blue instead of green. The moon elf's long green hair reached a bit lower than Kath's.
Magus: Rhys? What's going on? Rhys smiled and attacked. Magus parried fast and stabbed the man.
Magus: You attacked me and so are not Rhys. This must be what Alucard was talking about earlier, the evil clones... Only Evana's left... he went back out to the hall, leapt to the other side and headed torwards Alucard's section. In the link room, he found the last one, but not Eliria, the one that tore all hope away from him... Cilliana. The girl was gorgeous. She wore plain clothes, had long blonde hair cascading up to her ass and delicate blue eyes.
Magus: C... Cilli...ana... ... The girl noticed him and walked over to Magus' side. She fell to her knees and threw herself in his arms. She cried there, wetting his shirt with her tears.
Cilliana: I... I don't want to fight you!!
Magus: Cilli... Even as an evil clone, you still don't wish to fight... your love for me was just that powerful... and I failed you... I let you slip away from me... Magus also began to cry. He soon heard a scream and felt liquid pour all over him. He lifted his head and saw Alucard, having just impaled the girl. He was breathing hardly from the run.
Alucard: Magus! Are you alright? Magus? He noticed Magus's hair was a few tints paler than usual... He repeated his question and still got no answer... He was unreachable. Alucard felt a bolt of lightning go up his sword, shocking his hand terribly. He dropped the sword and reeled back. Magus' body coursed with dark bolts of lightning like the one that had hurt him. He also rapidly felt the wind rise. All around the elf, a small tornado caused by the sudden burst of power began swirling around him. Those bolts condensed around him, changing him...
***********************
Cilliana: No! Stop!!!!
***********************
Magus came back to himself in the center of a very large crater that expanded across both his zone and Alucard's. The vampire was with him in a critical state. Magus began healing him and barely saved the man's life. After recovering from his wounds, the duo found a small key in the center of the crater. They took it to the locked door and found it didn't match. Alucard took the key to the room below that had nothing and found a small lock on the brick wall. Inserting the key made the wall go u, revealing the location of a small key hanging against the wall. As soon as he took it off, the wall closed back. Alucard turned to mist and escaped under the brick wall. He went back up and unlocked the gate to the future. There, they found themselves at the entrance of a talking door.
Door: Welcome travelers. Today is the day that the Castlevanian grand prix will be held. Do you wish to participate or watch?
Magus: I believe we'll try participating.
Door: So be it? What shall be your prize within reason?
Alucard: For this castle to be destroyed.
Door: That Is beyond the limit of prize askable.
Magus: Simply to be able to proceed further in the castle.
Door: Accepted so do your best.
Upon their crossing of the twin Axed door, they were in a hall carved in the very earth within the long hall were many skeletons tossing pieces of themselves, fleamen jumping around for no reason whatsoever, bone turrets making the air light up with flames, but none of the obstacles proved of any use against their team, a few strikes of Alucard's sword or a slice from a Moonblade. In the next room, the crew found themselves near a small spikepit. The pair leapt over it and landed safely on the other side. Soon after, their was a large thud heard and a small rumble that made them loose their footing.
Magus: Oh, right... better watch out... They progressed in deeper and found a small bump on their way.
Alucard: Ha! This is too easy! He waited for a second for a bat to swoop down and attack and leapt to attack it, but Magus grabbed his leg and pulled him back. The bat got in close and was crushed by a descending piece of ceiling covered in spikes, ebbing itself in the ground. It rapidly climbed back up into hiding, pulled up by a system of chains.
Magus: Quickly now, before it reactivates. After outsmarting a few more such traps, they entered a room with a very deep chasm. The only way up was to jump between little platforms attached to steel chains going up and down in an oval shape guided by two gears. They leapt safely up to the first platform and let themselves get carried up a floor.
Alucard: This is strange, usually, those falling spiketraps are visible...
Magus: The past has been slightly altered by the power it seems... be on your guard, this is just too easy... They leapt up to the second of the three lifts. About halfway up that one, Magus felt a sharp jerk of pain in his left leg and found a ghost sinking it's teeth into his leg muscles. His swords came crashing down into it and it faded once again in ethereal light. Around them, the air got heavy and rapidly, an army of the little blue ghosts had appeared and swarmed them.
Alucard : Leave this to me... SOUL STEAL!! All the ghosts burst into little bubbles of light and entered Alucard, restoring his strength.
Magus : Nice trick you have there... Here's our ride. They leapt to the third one and found themselves at the top fast and entered the boss' room. Inside was a large bull demon known as a Minotaur. It was around 11/2 times their size, with an axe almost as big. It walked torwards them slowly and swung it's axe down hard. Alucard dodged back and leapt up to strike it's face. Magus headed left and slashed at the Axe's handle, slicing it in half, leaving it's blade in the dirt. The minotaur, slowly walked torwards the exit and grabbed a chain and iron ball hanging on the wall above the door. Magus sighed and put his sword up. Alucard charged it and slashed the beast's flank. It headbutt Alucard into a corner and swung it's chain, throwing the ball tied at the end on Alucard. Magus gut in the way and tangled the chain around his sword, yanking it away from the beast's grip. He took his other sword and threw it at the bull demon, ebbing it to the door, dead. Magus healed Alucard and they headed for the present... after Magus recovered his sword. The present colloseum wasn't too different. The first hall lead to a hole in the floor and a bit further to an opening in the ceiling of even further to a metal grid that Alucard could cross in mist form.
Magus: So, which path do we take?
Alucard: Well, if I was alone, I'd just cross the grid and go to the boss, but... In this area, the boss is optional, we should be able to avoid him. Let's take the upper path, it's the most direct. The duo leapt over the hole and headed to the stairs leading up a floor. Up there, there were a few broke pillars and a few skeletons. The first large wave was of Skeleton blades. Apprentice skeletons learning the use of a sword. One hit from any of their weapons blew them to bits, the next ones were harder. Although lesser in number, the Blade masters were great foes. Wielding two short swords each, they gently advanced and rapidly slided at the pair, hitting their legs to make them fall. The two blade masters got up with a backflip and leapt at the grounded team, daggers first. Magus got his senses back fast and avoided the blow, but leaving his sword suspended there so the idiot would kill himself on it's edges. Alucard didn't react fast enough and got the hit straight in the gust, but the swords broke instead. The skeleton got back on it's feet and got a swing from Magus in the back. Alucard got up, a bit shaken by the hit, but no damage. They left the room and went down a flight of stairs and crossed the hall to a large iron door with a keyslot in it.
Magus: So much for skipping the boss. They went back down the hall, past the stairs and into the boss' room. In it were steel coffins there was a trio close by and four further down.
Alucard: 7? There were only supposed to be 3: Sypha, Grant and Trevor!
Magus: What?
Alucard: Trapped in these coffins were fake versions of my friends from the first time I went to Castlevania... but strangely the coffins are empty.
Magus: And there isn't a key either. Alucard, you take the pit from the rightern side, I'll take the leftern side.
Alucard: Allright. Alucard went back the way they came, passed beside the stairs again and leapt into the pit just before the door out. Landing on a small platform, he went into the small room and found it utterly empty. A red carpet was on the floor and a wall of bricks ahead of him was all that was there. He went out and leapt down lower. He searched the room beside him on ground floor and found a freshly killed owl there and some pieces of armor belonging to various living armors. Also, he found a few rifles, crushed bones and broken swords all over the long room. He went back out and went down the hall to another room. Near it was a giant beast whose legs had lost all flesh, now nothing but bones. Also, it's head had been torn off. In the next room, larger than the last two, there wasn't much but a fountain whose water had been frozen. As he approached it, he heard air moving fast and slided back just in time to avoid a falling dagger. Immediately after, the fountain exploded, letting a cross identical to those he and Richter used fly to mere centimeters from him before returning to their owner's powerful hands. He now faced three foes. A powerful Belmont barely weaker than Richter that luckily didn't possess the item crash command, a beautiful, long blonde haired girl dressed in a priest's white robes and a pirate hanging to the ceiling, a couple of daggers ready.
Trevor: Well! Looks like Dracula sent another flunkie after us! Looks like we'll have to beat it up as well!
Alucard: Wait! I'm Alucard! Don't you guys recognize me?
Trevor: Alucard, Never heard of him! Alucard looked panicked from one old friend's face to another. This time, they weren't lousy zombies like last time, they actually were the originals!
Sypha: Wait! I know that name!
Alucard: Sypha...
Sypha: He's Dracula's son! He must be the boss of this place, Let's KILL HIM! Alucard filled with despair. He had to kill those he'd fought so hard to defend... He leapt back to avoid Grant's daggers, Sypha's magical fire and Trevor's whip. Tactically, Grant was the weakest because of his problem to fight on land and if well timed... Alucard paused and awaited them. All three got in close. As Sypha threw her magical fire, Alucard jumped and threw an axe at Grant, making him fall to the ground... or more precisely, straight into Sypha's fire, burning him to a crisp. Alucard was falling, but heard a splashing sound. He looked below and noticed Trevor had dropped a bottle of holy water below him the liquid had ignited itself to flames by now. He used his double jump to leap back torwards the door and away from the burning water. As he landed, he threw his cross at Sypha, but Trevor whipped it back at him. It's return speed was too great and Alucard ate it head on. While on the ground he felt Sypha spray Ice all over him, freezing him in place. He struggled hard for a long time and managed to break free seconds before Trevor's whip came down torwards him. He stabbed forward at his old friend, impaling him, but also eating a full force whip him, almost tearing across his left shoulder. Now only Sypha was left. Alucard took the Runeblade on his side and threw it at her. The blade arced and cut the girl in half before returning to his hand, not even bloodied.
Trevor: A... alu...card?
Alucard: Trevor?
Trevor: S...sorry man... that runt of a Dracul... brought us back... to kill you! You... did the right thing... Our lives were gonna... end anyway in two days!... ... ...
Alucard: Trevor!! No... ... not again... He watched his friend's bodies disappear and headed back up to the empty room and headed right torwards the hall that liked his section to Magus'.
***********************
Magus went out of the boss' room and noticed the grid in front of him, that's all. As he walked torwards it, he pressed a switch with his foot, opening the floor in front of him and making an elevator come up. He went in it and it brought him back down two floors, near a small room. Inside was a table that served fro sacrifices. Near it was a person dressed in an executioner's robe.
Girl: Ah, so you're finally here.
Magus: Who are you?
Girl: Don't recognize me? Well, it's better this way! The girl threw a major fire spell straight at him, almost hitting him. Magus' twin sword flashed out of their scabbards and into his hands just in time to block the girl's next attack. He charged her and she leapt aside. His feet entered a patch of vines that quickly wrapped themselves around his legs, stopping his movement.
Magus: Damn! The girl started casting something big.
"Master of the titanic and raging earth, allow me to borrow an ounce
of your strength to bury my foes below uncountable feet of earth
while sparing the fragile wildlife living around!" Magus, not wanting to eat a Gaia slave full frontal threw one of his swords at her, impaling her to death. She collapsed, ending her spell and the vine's grip on his legs. He went to her, took out his sword from her corpse and cleaned it on her brown robe. He then remembered what she'd said... something about knowing him and him knowing her... He lifted the cowl and found a cute long brown haired girl there.
Magus: Eliria? What in the inferno is going on here? He went out of the room and went across the hall into the room at the other end. There, he entered the room instead of going up. In it were racks filled with weapons of all sorts. In the center of it was his foe. A gold elf taller than him wearing a green armor and helmet. At his side hanged a slim but long two handed sword. His long black hair cascaded to the bottom of his breastplate.
Magus: Kathandryon? What's going on here?
Kath: The only thing going on here is your death Magus Leah! The elf's sword came out and clashed with the moonblades hard! Kath stepped back and launched another assault, but this time as a stab. Magus leapt to the side and used his swords to push the elf's sword down. Kath plunged the sword into the earth and arced it torwards him, releasing it from Magus's grip and slamming it hard on his own swords. Magus quickly cast a fire spell, but Kath tore across it with his sword easy, not even reducing his power. His sword slammed straight into Magus' and tore one of the two back in the hall. The gold elf's assaults didn't stop. Lunge after slash came at him, which Magus parried as best he could, the man had a definite advantage of strength, speed and range with his sword. Magus Opted for something risky. As Kathandryon thrust torwards him, he threw away his sword and slid down to the floor, using his legs to grab the elf's and spin to the side, taking his opponent to the floor. He caught the gold elf's sword and stabbed him with it ending the battle.
Magus: What is going on here? First Evana, next Kathandryon... He went up the stairs and found his next assailant. He wore the same type of armor except for the fact that it was blue instead of green. The moon elf's long green hair reached a bit lower than Kath's.
Magus: Rhys? What's going on? Rhys smiled and attacked. Magus parried fast and stabbed the man.
Magus: You attacked me and so are not Rhys. This must be what Alucard was talking about earlier, the evil clones... Only Evana's left... he went back out to the hall, leapt to the other side and headed torwards Alucard's section. In the link room, he found the last one, but not Eliria, the one that tore all hope away from him... Cilliana. The girl was gorgeous. She wore plain clothes, had long blonde hair cascading up to her ass and delicate blue eyes.
Magus: C... Cilli...ana... ... The girl noticed him and walked over to Magus' side. She fell to her knees and threw herself in his arms. She cried there, wetting his shirt with her tears.
Cilliana: I... I don't want to fight you!!
Magus: Cilli... Even as an evil clone, you still don't wish to fight... your love for me was just that powerful... and I failed you... I let you slip away from me... Magus also began to cry. He soon heard a scream and felt liquid pour all over him. He lifted his head and saw Alucard, having just impaled the girl. He was breathing hardly from the run.
Alucard: Magus! Are you alright? Magus? He noticed Magus's hair was a few tints paler than usual... He repeated his question and still got no answer... He was unreachable. Alucard felt a bolt of lightning go up his sword, shocking his hand terribly. He dropped the sword and reeled back. Magus' body coursed with dark bolts of lightning like the one that had hurt him. He also rapidly felt the wind rise. All around the elf, a small tornado caused by the sudden burst of power began swirling around him. Those bolts condensed around him, changing him...
***********************
Cilliana: No! Stop!!!!
***********************
Magus came back to himself in the center of a very large crater that expanded across both his zone and Alucard's. The vampire was with him in a critical state. Magus began healing him and barely saved the man's life. After recovering from his wounds, the duo found a small key in the center of the crater. They took it to the locked door and found it didn't match. Alucard took the key to the room below that had nothing and found a small lock on the brick wall. Inserting the key made the wall go u, revealing the location of a small key hanging against the wall. As soon as he took it off, the wall closed back. Alucard turned to mist and escaped under the brick wall. He went back up and unlocked the gate to the future. There, they found themselves at the entrance of a talking door.
Door: Welcome travelers. Today is the day that the Castlevanian grand prix will be held. Do you wish to participate or watch?
Magus: I believe we'll try participating.
Door: So be it? What shall be your prize within reason?
Alucard: For this castle to be destroyed.
Door: That Is beyond the limit of prize askable.
Magus: Simply to be able to proceed further in the castle.
Door: Accepted so do your best.