"For you, my friend, they are the angels of death."
-Man against monster. Monster against self. The story is as old as time. Living above us, below us, and among us, they assimilate themselves into our culture, and us into theirs. To the common man, they are simply known as night terrors, but to the initiated, they are the Darkstalkers-
EPISODE SEVEN: THE TREASURE OF GERDENHEIM CASTLE
The sky was shrouded in the blackest storm that afternoon. Lightning raced from thunderhead to thunderhead as a mist covered the land, prelude a perpetual battle between pouring rain and fierce, howling winds accompanied by rolling thunder.
Upon a high, narrow cliff that stretched over a little Romanian town stood the castle Zetzereich, and within the highest balcony of the highest window of the highest tower stood a tall, muscular figure, eyes flashing like unto the lightning as his regal cape blew rapidly in the mighty winds.
A dark smile crossed the lips of Lord Demitri Maximoff, undisputed master of all he surveyed and soon-to-be master of all Makai. "Such a lovely day", he mused in that deep, rich tone of his.
The vampire lord strode inside the palace via the balcony, a bounce in his step not normally present. The room within was elegantly decorated with all the things that could not harm him. Fountains of running red water being poured by statues of equally statuesque women were among the room's décor as well as lovely pillars decorated with the holy symbols that would repel most vampires. Garlic grew in a small garden to one side; rather than be repulsed by it, Demitri found it quite sensuous if not eaten, for that gave a person the most horrible odor to their breath.
And then there was the mirror. In addition to being able to gaze upon his own reflection as the demon, Demitri had kept the elegantly ruby studded silver mirror about for its magical properties, for it could allow him to gaze at any place as large as a field to as small as a room in all of Romania.
Yes, it was true. The only thing that could even harm the dark lord, who had been fast enough to avoid wooden stakes long before he became a vampire, was the pure light of the sun, and today not even that could deter him from his wanderings.
The normally cross-tempered nobleman could barely keep from cackling as he reached for a book that a spy had brought to him one week prior. The book was actually the remnants of the lost works of one Schloss Von Gerdenheim, a brilliant biophysics professor who may have discovered the secret to what the book described as a hidden gate between the world of the living and the world of the dead.
"Could this be the key to Makai, and my revenge?" Demitri leaned his head over his fist as he read, "Yes, I see. This book enclosed not the key, but the key to the key: the location of Castle Gerdenheim is in Germany."
Just then, an elderly vampire in a gray Civil War era coat walked into the room, "Lord Demitri, we have just received word of a disturbance in the Middle East which you may find most intriguing."
Demitri only chuckled, "Let it be dealt with on its' own. I have more pressing matters at stake. Namely, my revenge against Belial Aensland and his own."
The Prince of Darkness made a gallant bow, and spun his cape around him, springing back off the balcony. As he fell seemingly down forever, he assumed his bat form and let his wings guide him upward to soar through the air.
SWISS MOUNTANIA
The same storm that had enshrouded Romania in darkness extended even over to the German Alps. Near the back, well out of sight, lay a castle laboratory etched into the mountains themselves. All that could truly be seen of the castle from the top level, which the room of had been mostly destroyed in some terrible accident, were high ruined stone walls, a white and black checkered floor, and a great mechanical monstrosity, which appeared much like an electric charge beam cannon.
There was, however, one person who knew the way all too well. Lord Maximoff landed feet first in front of the short, narrow pathway to the laboratory, seemingly inaccessible were it not for flight. As he resumed his vampiric form, his wings dropped, becoming a regal, deep blue and red cape once more.
"So this is Castle Gerdenheim", he said with a look utterly lacking in compassion, "How very nondescript. Perhaps this camouflage was part of the doctor's brilliance."
Demitri trudged up the stone pathway. He could have flown in and saved himself the trouble, but on a day like this why spoil a good walk? He easily made it to the edge of the castle and found his way around to a large portcullis gate in front. Smiling at the pathetic attempt at a door, the dark lord simply kicked it down.
The crash of the door, however, had invited the wrath of the castle's guardian. The guardian's pale eyes snapped open and he let out an unearthly wail of suffering, spring from his bed deep within the lower levels of the castle and running up the stairs to the main level with unearthly speed.
Demitri now gazed upon the guardian. An eight-foot 'man' seemingly composed of the flesh of various blue-skinned corpses all stitched together into a composite whole along with several metallic implants stood before him wearing a torn olive green jacket, earth-brown trousers, and brown leather boots. The figure also had spiked blonde hair, which made his grotesque form seem a bit more pleasing to the eyes.
The guardian outstretched his hand. "Be gone", he bellowed in his deep, haunting voice, which echoed from wall to wall and out into the stormy sky above.
Demitri grinned to this, "Obviously we have not met. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Lord Demitri Maximoff, the scourge of Romania."
The guardian narrowed his eyes, which had deep circles under them, "I am Victor Von Gerdenheim, and you are an invader in my house. Get out!" The bizarre creature thrust his hand back, then forward, making a low growling grunt that echoed as his fist fired forward a beam of electricity at its' target: Lord Demitri.
The beam hit Demitri head on. He did not even attempt to dodge it. When the light faded, his face was badly burned, but strangely, it healed within five seconds. Demitri merely laughed at this, "You are bold. However, you are also pathetically weak and therefore not worthy to be my enemy. Prepare to be taught a lesson."
Victor snarled, "You think you can come into my house and threaten me? It is YOU who will be taught a lesson! I'll destroy you for destroying what I value most: the peace and tranquility of my father's house!"
Demitri threw his head back, laughing long and loud, "What folly! Your ego exceeds the limits of your oversized form. If the only attacks you are capable of 'generating' are electric shock bursts, then you have no chance against the likes of me. Please, allow me to demonstrate the error of your ways."
Victor went to stance only to find that his enemy had disappeared for a moment only to randomly appear in front. The vampire's hand reached up in a 'lightning' punch to the castle guardian's jaw, sending him crashing to the floor.
Victor started to get up, but as he opened his eyes, he saw that Demitri was already standing above him, hands on hips, glowering. The dark lord bent down, picking up the giant by his collar and bringing him eye level so he could smirk at him.
Gerdenheim narrowed his eyes, "I will not fall to you, now or ever." He reached around the considerably smaller nobleman with both arms in a strangling bear hug and began to charge electricity down his arms at 500,000 volts per second.
Demitri had taken the initial electric shock of the same voltage for roughly five seconds and only sustained minor damage, but now the hold which Victor had on him forced him to remain there, taking it, unable to break away.
Maximoff struggled, unable to think to use any other power in his repertoire as massive currents of searing voltage coursed through his brain. It was to no avail: while he was powerful indeed, this contest was not won by skill but brute strength, and in that department most competitors pale in comparison with Victor Von Gerdenheim.
Finally, desperate and nearing unconsciousness, Demitri did something drastic that might well have made his entire cause for coming to this place lost. He assumed his bat form, unleashing a powerful aura technique known simply as "Let Go Of Me". True to its' name, the attack literally throws an opponent back from the caster at insane speeds that do massive damage upon the victim's impact with virtually anything.
The attack had gone off without a hitch, and as the bright ruby light generated by it faded into obscurity, a helpless Victor clung to life at the edge of the cliffs outside the castle, his home, the estate of the Gerdenheim 'family'. He was defeated.
Demitri resumed his vampire form, slowly healing and then walking to Victor, picking him up with an arm, and holding him in the air. "Where is the book!" he snarled, "Where is the book containing Professor Gerdenheim's secret gate!"
Victor made a small noise, deep in his throat. Gradually, it became audible enough to notice what he was doing: he was laughing.
Demitri narrowed his eyes into slits, "You laugh? Why!"
Victor bellowed with laughter, "Because you are a fool! You and every demon who comes here wanting 'the gate' between life and death. Emily told me, ha ha, it is just an expression. The gate was me! Ha ha ha!"
Demitri's eyes flashed with murderous rage, "I'll kill you!"
"No you won't, vampire", a deep, young, almost poetic voice called out from somewhere off to the side. Demitri looked around to see a man a bit taller than himself, extremely well muscled in a half-robe toga sporting gold and red colors and a light blue sash tied around the waist. The man also sported a string of large stone beads as a bandolier around his chest at the shoulder and various jewelry.
The long, beautiful brown hair surrounded a face wracked with the sort of suffering that breeds the grim determination to be found in his dark eyes. Those eyes paralyzed a man where he stood, showing even under his bronze traveling hat.
Most notable, perhaps, was the sword upon the individuals' back. The large blade appeared to have eyes carved into it: glowing red intelligent eyes.
Demitri threw Victor aside and placed a hand across his chest, bowing his head respectfully before taking a stand, throwing his cape to the side luxuriantly and smiling, "A darkhunter: how deliciously predictable! What can be your reason for wanting to destroy me? Did a vampire kill your family perhaps? Are you yourself of dark blood? Or perhaps it is that you, like I, enjoy the exhilaration of battle for its own sake. Whatever your reason, I gladly accept your challenge!"
The monk threw aside his hat, waving his hand. His sword obeyed the direct command and flew through the air over his shoulder and into his hand. The figure narrowed his eyes at Demitri, "I come only to kill you. No reason given."
Demitri's smile faded, "How long must I deal with this insolence! I"
Before the royal vampire could finish, he saw a bright light before him. The monk had pulled back his sword, made a small chant, and the shape of a spirit in flames appeared above the sword. The blade fired the attack, massive line of fire, forward at the target, striking him before he had a chance to dodge it.
Demitri was knocked from the mountain, ironically over the exact point where moments earlier he had nearly destroyed another life. His eyes were wide as he fell down, down, down through the clouds and still fell, crashing on the rocks below.
Now bloodied and broken, the dark lord closed his bruised eyes. The process of healing his body, while inconvenient, would be short-lived. Nursing his ego, now bruised at being so handily defeated, would take much longer, and even worse, the very thing he had come after appeared have never existed at all.
Victor slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on an operating table. The monk and his sister Emily, a young girl with blonde pigtails and fair skin, stood over him.
Emily smiled at seeing him sit up, "Brother! You're awake!"
Victor smiled warmly at her, and then looked to the monk, "My thanks."
The monk had his back turned and was looking towards the sky beyond. He slowly turned to face Victor, his eyes full of a look that mingled compassion with grave warning, "Because of the darkness in my blood, I will fight forever both outside and inside against evil. One half of me wishes to save this world, and the other to bury it in madness. But in you I see no evil, despite your powers. You are untainted by the dark, and a soul like that I would not see destroyed before it does this world good."
The monk turned his back once more, this time walking outwards and onwards toward whatever lay ahead from him. Victor watched him as went, the most thoughtful look in his normally dull eyes.
DARKSTALKERS: THE SERIES WRITTEN BY REGIS A WELCH DARKSTALKERS © 2004 CAPCOM
-Man against monster. Monster against self. The story is as old as time. Living above us, below us, and among us, they assimilate themselves into our culture, and us into theirs. To the common man, they are simply known as night terrors, but to the initiated, they are the Darkstalkers-
EPISODE SEVEN: THE TREASURE OF GERDENHEIM CASTLE
The sky was shrouded in the blackest storm that afternoon. Lightning raced from thunderhead to thunderhead as a mist covered the land, prelude a perpetual battle between pouring rain and fierce, howling winds accompanied by rolling thunder.
Upon a high, narrow cliff that stretched over a little Romanian town stood the castle Zetzereich, and within the highest balcony of the highest window of the highest tower stood a tall, muscular figure, eyes flashing like unto the lightning as his regal cape blew rapidly in the mighty winds.
A dark smile crossed the lips of Lord Demitri Maximoff, undisputed master of all he surveyed and soon-to-be master of all Makai. "Such a lovely day", he mused in that deep, rich tone of his.
The vampire lord strode inside the palace via the balcony, a bounce in his step not normally present. The room within was elegantly decorated with all the things that could not harm him. Fountains of running red water being poured by statues of equally statuesque women were among the room's décor as well as lovely pillars decorated with the holy symbols that would repel most vampires. Garlic grew in a small garden to one side; rather than be repulsed by it, Demitri found it quite sensuous if not eaten, for that gave a person the most horrible odor to their breath.
And then there was the mirror. In addition to being able to gaze upon his own reflection as the demon, Demitri had kept the elegantly ruby studded silver mirror about for its magical properties, for it could allow him to gaze at any place as large as a field to as small as a room in all of Romania.
Yes, it was true. The only thing that could even harm the dark lord, who had been fast enough to avoid wooden stakes long before he became a vampire, was the pure light of the sun, and today not even that could deter him from his wanderings.
The normally cross-tempered nobleman could barely keep from cackling as he reached for a book that a spy had brought to him one week prior. The book was actually the remnants of the lost works of one Schloss Von Gerdenheim, a brilliant biophysics professor who may have discovered the secret to what the book described as a hidden gate between the world of the living and the world of the dead.
"Could this be the key to Makai, and my revenge?" Demitri leaned his head over his fist as he read, "Yes, I see. This book enclosed not the key, but the key to the key: the location of Castle Gerdenheim is in Germany."
Just then, an elderly vampire in a gray Civil War era coat walked into the room, "Lord Demitri, we have just received word of a disturbance in the Middle East which you may find most intriguing."
Demitri only chuckled, "Let it be dealt with on its' own. I have more pressing matters at stake. Namely, my revenge against Belial Aensland and his own."
The Prince of Darkness made a gallant bow, and spun his cape around him, springing back off the balcony. As he fell seemingly down forever, he assumed his bat form and let his wings guide him upward to soar through the air.
SWISS MOUNTANIA
The same storm that had enshrouded Romania in darkness extended even over to the German Alps. Near the back, well out of sight, lay a castle laboratory etched into the mountains themselves. All that could truly be seen of the castle from the top level, which the room of had been mostly destroyed in some terrible accident, were high ruined stone walls, a white and black checkered floor, and a great mechanical monstrosity, which appeared much like an electric charge beam cannon.
There was, however, one person who knew the way all too well. Lord Maximoff landed feet first in front of the short, narrow pathway to the laboratory, seemingly inaccessible were it not for flight. As he resumed his vampiric form, his wings dropped, becoming a regal, deep blue and red cape once more.
"So this is Castle Gerdenheim", he said with a look utterly lacking in compassion, "How very nondescript. Perhaps this camouflage was part of the doctor's brilliance."
Demitri trudged up the stone pathway. He could have flown in and saved himself the trouble, but on a day like this why spoil a good walk? He easily made it to the edge of the castle and found his way around to a large portcullis gate in front. Smiling at the pathetic attempt at a door, the dark lord simply kicked it down.
The crash of the door, however, had invited the wrath of the castle's guardian. The guardian's pale eyes snapped open and he let out an unearthly wail of suffering, spring from his bed deep within the lower levels of the castle and running up the stairs to the main level with unearthly speed.
Demitri now gazed upon the guardian. An eight-foot 'man' seemingly composed of the flesh of various blue-skinned corpses all stitched together into a composite whole along with several metallic implants stood before him wearing a torn olive green jacket, earth-brown trousers, and brown leather boots. The figure also had spiked blonde hair, which made his grotesque form seem a bit more pleasing to the eyes.
The guardian outstretched his hand. "Be gone", he bellowed in his deep, haunting voice, which echoed from wall to wall and out into the stormy sky above.
Demitri grinned to this, "Obviously we have not met. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Lord Demitri Maximoff, the scourge of Romania."
The guardian narrowed his eyes, which had deep circles under them, "I am Victor Von Gerdenheim, and you are an invader in my house. Get out!" The bizarre creature thrust his hand back, then forward, making a low growling grunt that echoed as his fist fired forward a beam of electricity at its' target: Lord Demitri.
The beam hit Demitri head on. He did not even attempt to dodge it. When the light faded, his face was badly burned, but strangely, it healed within five seconds. Demitri merely laughed at this, "You are bold. However, you are also pathetically weak and therefore not worthy to be my enemy. Prepare to be taught a lesson."
Victor snarled, "You think you can come into my house and threaten me? It is YOU who will be taught a lesson! I'll destroy you for destroying what I value most: the peace and tranquility of my father's house!"
Demitri threw his head back, laughing long and loud, "What folly! Your ego exceeds the limits of your oversized form. If the only attacks you are capable of 'generating' are electric shock bursts, then you have no chance against the likes of me. Please, allow me to demonstrate the error of your ways."
Victor went to stance only to find that his enemy had disappeared for a moment only to randomly appear in front. The vampire's hand reached up in a 'lightning' punch to the castle guardian's jaw, sending him crashing to the floor.
Victor started to get up, but as he opened his eyes, he saw that Demitri was already standing above him, hands on hips, glowering. The dark lord bent down, picking up the giant by his collar and bringing him eye level so he could smirk at him.
Gerdenheim narrowed his eyes, "I will not fall to you, now or ever." He reached around the considerably smaller nobleman with both arms in a strangling bear hug and began to charge electricity down his arms at 500,000 volts per second.
Demitri had taken the initial electric shock of the same voltage for roughly five seconds and only sustained minor damage, but now the hold which Victor had on him forced him to remain there, taking it, unable to break away.
Maximoff struggled, unable to think to use any other power in his repertoire as massive currents of searing voltage coursed through his brain. It was to no avail: while he was powerful indeed, this contest was not won by skill but brute strength, and in that department most competitors pale in comparison with Victor Von Gerdenheim.
Finally, desperate and nearing unconsciousness, Demitri did something drastic that might well have made his entire cause for coming to this place lost. He assumed his bat form, unleashing a powerful aura technique known simply as "Let Go Of Me". True to its' name, the attack literally throws an opponent back from the caster at insane speeds that do massive damage upon the victim's impact with virtually anything.
The attack had gone off without a hitch, and as the bright ruby light generated by it faded into obscurity, a helpless Victor clung to life at the edge of the cliffs outside the castle, his home, the estate of the Gerdenheim 'family'. He was defeated.
Demitri resumed his vampire form, slowly healing and then walking to Victor, picking him up with an arm, and holding him in the air. "Where is the book!" he snarled, "Where is the book containing Professor Gerdenheim's secret gate!"
Victor made a small noise, deep in his throat. Gradually, it became audible enough to notice what he was doing: he was laughing.
Demitri narrowed his eyes into slits, "You laugh? Why!"
Victor bellowed with laughter, "Because you are a fool! You and every demon who comes here wanting 'the gate' between life and death. Emily told me, ha ha, it is just an expression. The gate was me! Ha ha ha!"
Demitri's eyes flashed with murderous rage, "I'll kill you!"
"No you won't, vampire", a deep, young, almost poetic voice called out from somewhere off to the side. Demitri looked around to see a man a bit taller than himself, extremely well muscled in a half-robe toga sporting gold and red colors and a light blue sash tied around the waist. The man also sported a string of large stone beads as a bandolier around his chest at the shoulder and various jewelry.
The long, beautiful brown hair surrounded a face wracked with the sort of suffering that breeds the grim determination to be found in his dark eyes. Those eyes paralyzed a man where he stood, showing even under his bronze traveling hat.
Most notable, perhaps, was the sword upon the individuals' back. The large blade appeared to have eyes carved into it: glowing red intelligent eyes.
Demitri threw Victor aside and placed a hand across his chest, bowing his head respectfully before taking a stand, throwing his cape to the side luxuriantly and smiling, "A darkhunter: how deliciously predictable! What can be your reason for wanting to destroy me? Did a vampire kill your family perhaps? Are you yourself of dark blood? Or perhaps it is that you, like I, enjoy the exhilaration of battle for its own sake. Whatever your reason, I gladly accept your challenge!"
The monk threw aside his hat, waving his hand. His sword obeyed the direct command and flew through the air over his shoulder and into his hand. The figure narrowed his eyes at Demitri, "I come only to kill you. No reason given."
Demitri's smile faded, "How long must I deal with this insolence! I"
Before the royal vampire could finish, he saw a bright light before him. The monk had pulled back his sword, made a small chant, and the shape of a spirit in flames appeared above the sword. The blade fired the attack, massive line of fire, forward at the target, striking him before he had a chance to dodge it.
Demitri was knocked from the mountain, ironically over the exact point where moments earlier he had nearly destroyed another life. His eyes were wide as he fell down, down, down through the clouds and still fell, crashing on the rocks below.
Now bloodied and broken, the dark lord closed his bruised eyes. The process of healing his body, while inconvenient, would be short-lived. Nursing his ego, now bruised at being so handily defeated, would take much longer, and even worse, the very thing he had come after appeared have never existed at all.
Victor slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on an operating table. The monk and his sister Emily, a young girl with blonde pigtails and fair skin, stood over him.
Emily smiled at seeing him sit up, "Brother! You're awake!"
Victor smiled warmly at her, and then looked to the monk, "My thanks."
The monk had his back turned and was looking towards the sky beyond. He slowly turned to face Victor, his eyes full of a look that mingled compassion with grave warning, "Because of the darkness in my blood, I will fight forever both outside and inside against evil. One half of me wishes to save this world, and the other to bury it in madness. But in you I see no evil, despite your powers. You are untainted by the dark, and a soul like that I would not see destroyed before it does this world good."
The monk turned his back once more, this time walking outwards and onwards toward whatever lay ahead from him. Victor watched him as went, the most thoughtful look in his normally dull eyes.
DARKSTALKERS: THE SERIES WRITTEN BY REGIS A WELCH DARKSTALKERS © 2004 CAPCOM