Countess Cavendish Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland
61 days have passed since the journey began, that 18th January, where Atsuko Kagari, Lotte Yanson and Sucy Manbavaran arrived in Chateumorand, starting when they met Marianne Leblanc in the mission by the castle that was full of ogres, arriving where they are the great mission, the castle of the Cavendish family, the old place that received some changes, they will find out what happened to Chariot Belmont, what ended up happening to Bernadette Cavendish herself, if she will be defeated how will all this be solved by the vampire.
March 19, 1551, the ten girls are on their way to enter the castle, spending a morning sleeping, to enjoy the rest, this way all of them wake up in the late morning of that cold day, with the skies a little bit cloudy, the fog took over, little by little each one was waking up, that night due to the cold all of them ended up kind of clinging a little more sleeping with more proximity due to the blankets not being enough to warm up. Due to this cold the eight were the first to wake up that morning, this way Amanda left to hunt some food, returning with some hares and also asked Jasminka to go to the city to buy some spices, to make a true banquet that day for all.
Diana goes right to the carriage, for being Hellene's sister, she knocks on its door, which ends up with no answer, then knocks harder, she takes a look at the window, sees that the curtains were closed, tries to sharpen the view a little more and has a slightly different view, coming to blush and that way she even gives a few stronger knocks on its door, which finally wakes up McLaren who opens the window of the same, putting on a jumper to pretend to wear something, however her sister already has an idea of what happened and with that she is already faced with the sight of Cavendish with her hands on her waist, showing an expression of total seriousness.
Hellene: good mahrnin ses.
Diana: Guid mornin' hee haw ye wee besom, kin ah ask whit ye wur daein'?
Sleepy Hellene: sleepin, boeht you wahke me oehp.
Diana arching an eyebrow: It mist be bonny het then ben this carriage tae kip totally naked under blankets, whit wur ye daein' tae be lik' that.
Hellene yawning: Something.
Marianne appearing in the window: I am something.
At that moment Hellene goes into a shock, as if her life passed through her eyes, a fear she hasn't felt anywhere else, already Marianne gets a mischievous smile, she was still totally naked inside the carriage while Diana was stomping her feet with her arms crossed wanting an explanation from her sister, she just kept swallowing her saliva and it didn't take long for Cavendish to open her mouth to lecture the girl.
Diana: whit did ah tell ye aboot nae huvin shag marianne? ye hae tae control thae desires!
Marianne: No need to be angry with your sister, she didn't have sex with me, I had sex with her, I was the one who wanted to make love to your sister, I think I had to enjoy it at least once, it might be the last time, a thousand pardons for this Diana, but I like your sister very much and I ask your permission so that I can have her as my beloved.
At that moment Hellene gets a little tense, Diana looks at Akko, Kagari giggles a little and the Scottish girl also goes along, finding everything even more funny, McLaren gets all tense with her sister's laughter, even more so because all that goes through her head is having to be without privacy, until she herself decides to open her mouth, nodding her head in agreement, making Leblanc open a huge smile.
Diana: if you take care of her right I don't see why, but be very respectful to my girl and you too Hellene, now get dressed, the other people here are also waiting to change haha.
In this more relaxed way, another couple ends up forming with Hellene and Marianne being the couple that was already implying a possible thing, thanks to very direct advances by McLaren, Leblanc decided to give it a chance. The two get changed, they go out of the carriage after a night of sleep and with a little bit of love too, the others take the opportunity to get changed in each one's turn, then they go waiting for the food to be made, this time hare with some more spices, also with the presence of some breads made with wheat, everything to guarantee a last quality meal, with the food ready, all of them went enjoying themselves devouring everything they had.
When they finished eating, they talked among themselves, in a more relaxed way, to give a goodbye, since in a short time they will leave to the castle.
Croix: This moment like this, I've been waiting for years, I can't wait to get to the most definite moment of this journey, I hope I meet Chariot there, I swear I'll give her a hug, if she's alive, it'll be the happiest moment of my life.
Amanda: Romance is in the air around here, all that's really missing is the only couple here getting together, but from the looks of it they seem to be two hard heads.
Hellene: give dem a day in de carriage and dey'll change deir mends in no time.
Marianne: Hellene! Take care my love! That was just a moment we extrapolated, but really, there's only Diana and Akko missing from couples around here, the others are all dating, have their couples, there's really only the two missing, I think they'll wait for the mission to be done to do something.
Diana: Don't fill me up, I just really want to fulfil this journey, see my mother again, who knows, change all this.
Akko blushed: Yes, people, there's no reason to stay like this, why would you want to get together as a couple, what's so great about this, let's just go on living our lives as we have always lived.
The girls were laughing, for the same ones it didn't fit Kagari's excuse, she and Cavendish were undoubtedly a couple, but they still hadn't declared the feelings one another, this way they are relaxing talking among themselves, chatting among themselves, discussing about motivations, what they would do with their lives after this journey.
Until the hour arrives, at three o'clock in the afternoon on the last day of winter, the girls leave their things organized and walk towards the castle with their weapons in hand, taking only what is necessary to go ahead.
Akko went with a katana in hands, Diana went with the Claymore and didn't forget to use the Moonstone necklace, besides the armor she had saved to use specially for that day, a breastplate made by Croix that guarantees an extra protection for Cavendish, Marianne went with her usual whip, besides being equipped with a light breastplate of mesh and thick cloths under the kimono she got from Kagari, Hellene never goes armed, only with her Sunstone necklace, she always goes for brute force, Lotte went with her book, also wearing a light breastplate for easy mobility, besides a dagger hidden in her thigh in case things get worse and she doesn't have time to perform a spell, Sucy went with a crossbow, carrying blessed arrows and a backpack full of potions and bombs, Amanda went with a crossbow also using blessed arrows, Jasminka went with her hand cannon, besides a more complete armor, wearing a heavy breastplate equal to Diana's, besides being with thicker layers in other places, since she is the tank of the group, Constanze went with a lighter breastplate, just a metal plate, besides the pistol that she always has in hands, the same did not fail to take some bombs that she also did that have something extra because they have small wheels and walk to a certain place a little ahead before detonating, serving as a distraction, a more primitive way to use robots with the limited knowledge of that time and finally Croix, she went with the same outfit when she went to the mission with Chariot, besides being armed with his trusty arquebus, taking ammunition and also a short sword in the waist in case the ammo runs out and in more stealthy occasions.
With all armed and ready, they walk along the path, which was foggy and getting thicker, the sky that day was very cloudy, the cold was also taking over, the girls grouped on a lawn very close to the castle, observing the huge and imposing construction, the huge castle is even more imposing up close, with the fog is even more intimidating, showing the aura that visitors are not to get close to the place.
Diana: Finally here we are.
Croix: Yes we have arrived.
Akko: The Countess Cavendish's castle, it's bigger than I thought, not even the biggest royal palaces we passed were that size, your mother has a castle bigger than any king or queen in the world.
Diana: Unfortunately it's a castle full of dangers.
Amanda: And danger I like, so my middle name is danger.
Jasminka: I thought it was O'Neill.
With this arrival at the castle, they all look at each other, what they found weird right away was that the hatch to the entrance gate opened without them having to jump to the other side, they keep looking at each other, Croix signals with her head for all of them to go with her, they take a deep breath a little reluctant, but they go anyway, The same ones take a deep breath a little reluctant, but they go anyway, they go through the gate, crossing the bridge of the same, arriving there already they are faced with the landscape, the entrance had only one access, in it was already possible to notice that it was with a whole different architecture of what it was 10 years ago, besides not being more with a so abandoned appearance and yes until quite calling.
Croix: No doubt it wasn't like that, the entrance already had some bifurcations, there was a hidden room upstairs, where Chariot found some bags of gold and a relic that granted Diana the power to transform into a bat, when I gave it to her she absorbed the relic and until today she can transform herself thanks to this thing.
Then they go walking, that entrance yard still had nothing too much, it was just a normal entrance, with some candelabras and candles, where soon Diana hits with Claymore in one of those candles, when they are destroyed they end up catching fire and this way something that looks like a heart falls.
Diana: Destroy the candles, there are hearts of sub-items around here, it will be precious to pass on.
The girls go on destroying candles and candelabras, Marianne even has the luck to destroy one and with that she ends up causing a whip to fall, which she finds strange until Leblanc touches it with her finger, at that moment a glow emanates on the girl's body, then the whip that was all leather turned into a chain whip, at that time the French girl is in shock.
Croix: This is a castle thing, you've apparently been chosen to be the Belmont of this time, or at least the one who will be able to feel the modifications on the whip, that's exactly what happened with Chariot, her whip was already very good, but then it just kept getting better, getting even better, so much that before we left the whip was even releasing fireballs that could hit night creatures from afar.
Marianne: How wonderful I'll have at least one more power, I won't be so far behind.
The candles were soon over in that room, they followed the path where they found themselves in a longer corridor, quite long, where a crimson red carpet with yellowish seams crossed the place where they had several candelabras along the way with candles, and until then no creatures, in that way the girls were destroying those same things, continuing there, Marianne again gains another improvement in the whip and can notice how much better it is.
Marianne: It's light and now with this texture, much better than the leather whip, it's the same weight as the leather one only with the strength of iron.
Diana: That's silver, it's one of the biggest weaknesses of creatures of the night.
Leblanc was getting a smile on her face, but not everything was flowers, since in the middle of that corridor the first obstacles started to appear, with the appearance of zombies that sprouted from the ground, they were going towards the girls, and without wasting time they were already attacking, they were common zombies. So much that Marianne easily killed them, as if it was a real instant, scaring the French girl in some way.
The others were impressed with the efficiency of the whip, in one of these candle destructions, Akko destroys one that makes a knife appear, where she touches it and with that a shine emanates on Kagari's hand and also around her body.
Diana: Oh Akko you got the first sub-item, just you mentalise it and you get it.
Akko at the same time thought of throwing a knife and this way ended up hitting one of the zombies that got hurt and at the same time the knife disappeared, then the Japanese woman threw another, killing the creature that crumbled in flames, they continued in the same corridor, killing the zombies that appeared and with this they were also collecting hearts.
Akko: Wow! You mean I have magic?
Diana: That's how sub-items work, it's one of the things this castle offers, let's go, we're almost at the end of this corridor.
The girls go on through there, finishing passing by, arriving at the end of the corridor, where they open a huge door, when passing by the same door, they come across a huge open hall, where it had six different exits, three going up the stairs, two on the same floor and one going down the stairs itself where it was possibly the underground. That huge hall had the same red carpet in the middle of it up to the stairs, where he comes to a larger door in the middle, the walls and pilasters were white, with the floor having a brown tiled floor.
Footsteps could be heard, footsteps of what seemed to be a boot, coming out of one of the exits, through there Elizabeth appeared, strangely that hall had only candles and candelabras, it didn't have any creature, only Lancaster who stood in the middle of the stairs with a smile on her face and waving to the girls that were all grouped, the same one was clapping her hands showing the irony very present.
Elizabeth: Fàilte tae castlevania! it seems ye'v survived everything th' mistress wanted tae send yer wey, fae th' moment ye set foot in britain, whin they chtulhu cam tae cross th' sea, 'til noo, ye'v bin everything th' mistress wanted tae uise tae git ye murdurred as quickly as maybee aye, bit ye'v bin resilient 'n' that's whit ah pure waant, fur ye tae hing oan, fur a'm aff tae loue devouring th' blood o' sic powerful slayers.
Diana: I will not take it as lightly as before Elizabeth, I will have my revenge, we all will, you will no longer beat us.
Elizabeth: Diana cavendish, th' guid hame is takin wae me ye back, unfortunate that ah hae tae end up killing ye, we wur aff tae be partners, wha kens mair than that, mibbie even gilravage a foursome moment wi' hannah 'n' barbara, bit ye wanted tae pick they oot thare, a shite o' a vampire.
Hellene: Respect my sister ye daft cunt! Who do you think you are to come like that? Know that she's not alone and she's not the only one here who knows how to spank.
Elizabeth: Weel who's oot o' th' nook, hellene mclaren, ye'v managed tae escape fae th' clutches o' th' banshee, sae a've git someone else wha kin haud a gid rammy, nae tae mention we've git some blood 'ere that's aff tae gimme enormous power, weel, weel, a've enjoyed yer presence 'ere.
At that time Hellene shows the middle finger to Elizabeth who is just laughing, already the other girls are still standing in their corners watching Lancaster who then uses a spell where she takes from a circle where it is on the door, dividing it in five pieces, at that time she makes those pieces disappear by a pentagram, The girls get all defensive, but they didn't get to attack the vampire who was all smiling keeping the whole intimidating pose, when those pieces disappeared from what formed a star, they were different triangles, leaving only a pentagon in the middle and that way Lancaster again waves the girls showing her smile to the girls.
Elizabeth: Ah will see ye in a while, that's if ye survive, ah will be waiting fur ye in this room 'ere, 'n' diana kin ye survive, by th' wey ah hae a hail special path waiting fur croix, juist tak' th' path oan th' richt up 'ere.
This way Elizabeth disappears in the doorway dematerializing into a bat as she always did, she even does it quickly since Hellene and Diana threw fireballs towards that doorway, then the two already went up the stairs, McLaren started punching the same and it was as if she was in a very resistant wall, since it didn't even give effect, not even cracking with the strong punches of the redhead that got frustrated.
Hellene: What a slacker vampire, so that's Elizabeth who beat the shit out of you?
Diana: She didn't beat me up! We stalled, she wanted to leave, and I was going to get over it.
Hellene: Looks like someone's got quite a bit of pride, huh.
Diana: Honestly Hellene I am not going to waste my saliva debating with you my sis.
Hellene: Then you'd better keep quiet.
At that moment Diana shows the middle finger to her sister that is laughing of the whole situation, the other girls on the other hand are trying to look in other places, this way seeing each one of the doors, noticing that has triangles with each symbol the upper right door had a symbol of coliseum, the upper left door a symbol of book, on the lower doors, the left part, a door with leaves, the lower middle door with stones signaling that was the underground and finally the last door that showed a symbol of cage, signaling what could be the prisons.
The door that Croix looked
through ended up being the coliseum's, she started to hear voices from Chariot, getting a little bit shaken with her head. At this time they all go back to the middle where they decide which door each one goes to.
Croix: I'll go in the door where Elizabeth said, I heard Chariot's voice calling me, you guys go make up your minds, I'll go for it, see you here in the middle again, let's leave this place as our meeting point.
Diana: Are you sure it can't be any tricks, you are human, usually my mother can use mind tricks on you.
Croix: I have, if I'm not mistaken this door is where it leads to the coliseum, it's not like I'm not that flawed, this castle made me feel a good energy in my body again, I haven't felt it for a long time, now I'm going, see you later, I'll be back here, ah and just reminding you, if you find something like that over there climb on top, it can send you somewhere else or even back here cutting a good path.
And with that Croix touches everyone's hand, starting to get away from the girls, she walks up the stairs, arriving near the door with the coliseum symbol, where she hears Chariot's voices.
Voices of Chariot whispering: Come Croix, I need your help, they're imprisoning me here!
Croix: I'm coming Chariot!
Croix clenches his fists with motivation then goes through the door exiting from there, that way only the nine girls are left who gather around to discuss which corners they go to in the castle, since there are four doors left to form the "key" to the castle.
Diana: Well, now that Croix is gone let's go too, first of all I just say that you can take whatever you want from this castle, my house is your house, if you want to loot and take gold, be my guest, if it happens that we have to fight against my mother this whole castle will be destroyed due to Dracula's curse present in it, this castle is also a creature of chaos, if my mother dies, here it will also go together.
Sucy: Really? This is wonderful! I'm going to leave here rich!
Diana: The important thing is that they survive, let's put an end to it.
Lotte: Me and Sucy go to the book door, we go to the library.
Hellene: I'm going underground with Marianne
Amanda: We've broken into the prison, I just want to see where that goes.
Akko: Really, we are left with the garden, the most boring one there is.
Marianne: my beloved, underground caves must be scary.
Hellene: May the garden blossom something in this heart of stone of my sister.
They all start to understand what Hellene was trying to say, that way Cavendish also understands what her sister wants and her intention, which ends up making her blush a little, a bit quiet, and the others just laugh at the whole situation, as if it was the silliest thing in the world, but then she takes a deep breath.
Diana: Okay, we're going to the botanical garden, that's only because I'm a bit nostalgic for this place in the castle, it was my favourite, but nothing to do with Akko, know that, now let's go, without getting bogged down.
Lotte and Sucy go up the stairs, going to the upper left door, entering what was the corridor that led to the library, Diana and Akko go to the lower left door, towards the botanical garden, Marianne and Hellene go to the middle door going underground and finally Amanda, Constanze and Jasminka go to the right door where it leads to the castle prison. Each of them is heading in a different direction in order to get the key fragments and thus advance through the castle.
At the view of the castle in the highest tower there was Bernadette in her saloon watching everything in a crystal ball, the vampire finally felt a relief of seeing everyone there, a little bit also is already imagining that there will be the last moments, so much that she goes to the window of the castle, where is watching the cloudy landscape, then closes her eyes taking a melancholic breath.
[Bernadette: It is coming, it is so good to know and feel that my two lassies are here, it is a pity to know that one way or another they will have to kill me, there is no way to change a pact with death, unfortunately I do not want them suffering the same as I have suffered a lifetime in this way, they do not deserve this, it will be a sacrifice for the greater good but it will not be in vain, they will still give a huge way and resolve things once and for all, I will not lose hope of our family].
At that moment she is just sitting on her throne waiting for the inevitable thinking about when her daughters climb the stairs right in front of her and then appear right in the hallway and get to her own with the group of allies she ended up doing in all these days. Cavendish was all melancholy and depressed these days, not stopping to look at some things that were under cloths, which seemed to be pretty big things hidden there.
In a place far away from there in an isolated castle, there was Daryl watching everything from a crystal ball, smiling with happiness that the girls finally arrived, but soon had his peace interrupted when his daughters came to mark their presence and talk to their mother, besides also Chloé.
Merrill: What are you looking at there mum?
Daryl: They're already in the castle, now it's just a matter of time before my dreams come true.
Merrill: Yours only, because you made sure to forget ours.
Daryl: How dare you speak with that tone to your mother? Have more respect for me, I raised you, I gave you food, I gave you love, I'm giving you a home now, you will still thank me a lot for everything I've been bringing you, look at Maril, be like your sister, she doesn't question, she always does everything I say, that's faithfulness, that's an obedient daughter.
Merrill: I thought we'd forget everything we've lived through here, that we'd be with our father, that we'd finally be able to have a noble life we deserved, but instead you made sure to leave us here in this abandoned witch school dump, I hate this place! I could be already having a possible wedding planned, I could live in luxury, but I'm here, seriously mum, have you never stopped to think about us? You say you love us, but what about us?
Daryl: Don't come with sentimentality and emotional blackmail, being weak like that won't get you anywhere, wipe those tears, swallow that cry, you disgust me, you have to understand one thing Merrill, you're a weakling, an inferior, you owe obedience to who is superior, if I brought you here it's because we have a bigger plan, stop being ungrateful and wait patiently like your sister is doing, don't want to see me angry, I'm a powerful witch and I'm not afraid to punish or correct the disgusting behavior of my daughter.
Merrill lowered her head as she always does, at that time she turned and walked a little bit gloomy, until she was hit by a strong spell on her back, which ended up knocking her down making her fall on the ground, then Daryl was stepping on her own daughter's head that was crying, with Chloé and Maril watching everything.
Daryl: That's the behaviour of weak people! I didn't teach you that! It's not to put your head down for what I say, no, it's, to, put, your, head down! I said it! I won't say it again! And let that be for you to get an idea of where I stand here, my word is the law around here, got it?
The girls themselves get a bit terrified and swallow their saliva, but soon Chloé decides to raise her hand, even though she's still afraid, since Daryl was intimidating enough, this way she even lowers her hand, but soon the older Cavendish appears with an expression and a smile that would leave anyone in shock, as if she was looking deep into her soul.
Daryl: You may speak my little darling, I will not do the same to you, you are just someone who works for me, I believe your parents taught you good manners didn't they?
Chloé shakes her head swallowing her saliva still quite afraid of Cavendish herself, seeing as how in all these days she can see what power the witch herself is, which was no small thing, she ended up getting herself into a jam where she had no idea it was on that level, seeing as she only really wanted to get revenge with what she believed was right.
Daryl: Come on tell us what you want so badly blondie, surely it's something important, I hope it is.
Chloé: I just wanted to ask if it would be possible for Diana and the others to actually make it through the castle without dying, if they are going to keep their pact with death and go and kill Countess Cavendish, their sister who has been causing so much harm like this.
Daryl: Obviously yes Chloé, if there's one thing Bernadette has always wanted since she was cursed, her plan is to die, but she's never succeeded until today, it's always been tried many ways, but the vampire instincts were stronger than her, so kinda never someone could kill her, I know that well because I've already sent some of those killers, including one that messed everything up, the damn Laura McLaren, that Irish bitch ended up giving her more life, she was in this protecting and trying to find a cure, she turned against me, to think that I hired her only to be betrayed later. So yes, my plan is going to work out fine, different from the other hunters, this is a powerful team, two hybrid vampyres that are destined to kill their own mothers and the others, the others for which everything was planned, since the beginning everything was carefully thought out, I failed in many of my plans, but this one can't go wrong.
Chloé: But why all that? It wasn't just to let her live in peace with her wife, without bothering anyone, it was because of this that the cursed one was furious and sent a mass attack of creatures of the night, including even against the church itself.
Daryl: You're a noblewoman and you're very naive, well I'll explain in a more idiotic way, she has everything I should have, I should be the owner of all the family properties, not her! You must understand.
Chloé just agrees with her head, getting a little quieter, just like the others too, that way soon Merrill herself is getting up after being so bruised, she was already bleeding and staring at the floor fallen bleeding and her mother just returned the look with contempt.
See you, Castlevania witches...