Let the Symphony Last for Eternity

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta: No one

A/N: Welp this chapter reminded me of a plot line.

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All he wanted was to report in on his findings, then rest from his injuries dealing with the rogue vampire. He limped along towards the stairs, only to find that the center section was completely gone, blowing his mind. After he had been instructed not to merely teleport into the Master Chambers because of Shafts' pet Belmont. It was decided that the safest place would be in the archway so that one could ascertain the Pets' mood. Now that path was completely gone, and Isaac was in no condition to take on a fully healed hunter. Leaving Isaac leaned against the archway and gazing up at the broken stone steps in growing concern.

As though the universe wanted give validity to his worry, he saw two women and a Dark Child soar up towards the Master Chambers. He clenched his fists in anger, neither he or his familiars were in an condition to fight them off. But regardless, he needed to defend the chamber of his Lord and Master so he pushed himself from the cool stone work he had been leaning against to combat the intruders.

"Leave them be," a familiar echoed from behind him.

He turned his head slightly so he could glance over his shoulder at the Priest who had been guarding Lord Dracula since the battle had begun. Isaac wasn't the type of guy to normally respect religious types, not after how he and his sister got treated for being themselves. Yet this was a very unique priest, having proven to break a Vampire Hunter and use him as the guard of the Castle. Isaac was just glad that he had such strong aid. Even if Shaft 'was' a ghost and unable to get involved in anything directly.

"Are they allies? Have they come to aid us in defense of Lord Dracula?" Isaac asked, turning to look at the girls in question. Suddenly it seemed to start raining around the outside of the Master Chambers, and the young women in question were sent tumbling towards the ground below.

"No, they are all hunters, there are also more hunters in the Castle from what I have been able to discern," Shaft answered as the falling hunters were caught by more hunters on a lower floor. "They will be the prey of the Hunter I have ensnared."

"Just hunters? I don't understand how so many could have gotten into the Castle so quickly. Its as though they just appeared!" Isaac pointlessly argued as he slumped back against the archway he was in.

"They 'are' just appearing, the Castle is drawing them here of its own accord. Just as we are here to defend Lord Dracula and there are those who wish to betray him, now the Castle itself is bringing others into itself as well." Shaft intoned as he hovered there, his orb shimmering softly with demonic light.

"But 'hunters'? You're suggesting that the Castle would willingly allow for the very forces that seek the downfall of our Lord to be brought here? That the Castle itself has betrayed our Master?" Isaac argued as he stood there looking out over the expanse of said castle.

"I don't yet know what has happened, the Castle has become docile for reasons I have yet to discover. But no matter, many of these hunters are from the same bloodline. Kill one, and all the future generations will be wiped out. All it will take is for one to confront the Hunter I have snared." Shaft explained patiently. For, unlike Isaac, Shaft could move around the castle at will, lacking a physical body that needed the doors. While Isaac was left to bounce around all over the place due to his reliance on them. "But for now find a way to your quarters, you are injured and useless to our Lord in such a state."

The Devil Forgemaster scowled at the order from the priest, he didn't like being reminded that he was injured. Nor did he like any of the information said priest had given him regarding the hunters in the area. But as though to remind him that Shaft knew what he was talking about, several of his burns resumed aching from his earlier battle. Reluctantly he turned back towards the interior of the building so he could reach one of the bewitched doors.

"Keep your spell strong on that hunter, we can not allow the Lord to be disturbed," Isaac answered before quietly making his way out to find a place for him to rest, since he had yet to find his quarters. For that matter, though he didn't want to admit this before Shaft, the whole castle looked different to him. From the missing troll in the clock tower to other things that left him feeling as though maybe he was in another castle. But all one had to do was look around at the Dark Children and monsters to realize that this 'was' his castle.

Isaac made his way down to the nearest door and passed through it to find himself at the entry hall of the Castle. An annoyed growl escaped his throat as he looked around the area, at the servants who were busy cleaning and straightening up the place knowing Hunters roamed the halls. Just the sight of them irritated him into wanting to lash out at them, only to have his wounds stretch and remind him that he needed time. If only the hunters and traitors were gone, if only the castle looked the way he remembered it!

The realization that the Castle itself was bringing in people on its own, not only people but 'hunters' sat poorly with the Devil Forgemaster. Bad enough to have vampires to defect so quickly from their Lords' side and try to take over on their own, but to have the home of Dracula bring in Hunters? He was aware begrudgingly accepting that he wasn't in his own time anymore, regardless of how unsettled he felt this seemed to be the truth. But Shaft was a poor person to interrogate on such matters, as the priest only knew of 'his' present time. Given his knowledge of the Castle as it was 'now' meaning that he hadn't moved at all. Only Isaac and Hector had been brought into this future version of this Castle and left to regather their wits on a battlefield.

The only higher ranked Devil Forgemaster he knew was Hector, who had been Dracula's General. No one really concerned themselves with Isaac, not even Death. But even Hector was only noted in passing as a General, what happened afterward was an unknown. As for Death? Well, his loyalty was to their immortal lord and master, what was one human among the sea of humans?

Isaac painfully limped his way through the hallway, wishing for a potion between thoughts that were beginning to spiral deeper and deeper into dark thoughts. Past servants who hurried along with their tasks with some unspoken fear that he didn't pay attention to. They had become like that after the Lady of the Castle had died. After Hector had sent forth Draculas' forces in retaliation for her death everyone had moved ill at ease. No one confident that Lord Dracula may not inflict his rage upon them as well.

He passed by wargs that were sleeping peacefully off to the side, curled up like domesticated pets and not the mighty demonic wolves defending their home. He passed through the small cave like pass before another hallway while trying to think of what they could do. Shaft could talk grandly all he wanted about the Hunter he had under his thumb, but if there were other hunters. How could he be so sure that they would all lose to this particular hunter? A whole clan of hunters, with the most current in mock charge of the Castle.

He passed through another archway heading for a serious door, when he found himself wondering why he didn't just turn around and keep using the same door until he found a place to rest? He hit the archway in frustration when he realized that his injuries didn't just slow him up, but apparently made him stupid. He had even forgotten to report that Hector had appeared in the Castle and was going to help them! He turned to stalk his way back to the gates, since he didn't want to have to keep jumping up steps after steps to get to the next true door, and only needed two jumps to get back to the gate.

While something off in the distance caught his attention in the form of a white haired stranger in a coat trimmed in fur. Yet from the distance he could tell the soft subtle auric colors of a Dark Child. Who was this stranger who wore no armor nor true robes? Maybe he was one like Isaac when he first arrived, a new lost soul? He wasn't in the mood or state to deal with a stranger, yet he was out of luck as the stranger turned towards the entryway and saw him standing there.

Isaac felt a twig of guilt as the stranger looked at him, when he first arrived Hector had been the one to greet him and had taken him in those first few days. Yet here was Isaac about to turn his back on another Dark Child. Just another thing on the list of things that Hector was so much better than himself at. But he didn't jump down, the savage burns needed treatment and already there were tears in his skin from what he had done to himself just getting there.

The stranger in question was a natural pale that, coupled with the coat, washed him out so much from a distant one could mistake him for a ghost. His black shirt and blue pants didn't help as it just reinforced how pale the stranger was. However; as the stranger approached him, Isaac couldn't help but notice the noble bearing that the stranger seemed to carry himself with. Serious deep blue eyes, soft angles that balanced his features out. A blend of fragile elegance and intense powerful eyes made Isaac feel more that he was in the presence of a Vampire Lord rather than that of a mere Dark Child.

"Hello? Are you ok?" Soma was a little surprised to see a human walking around. Granted he finally had gotten it down how to tell a non human, Dark Child, from a human. So he could tell this was a human with dark powers, in much the same way as Graham had started out human. There were heavy signs of damage on the armor, the castle would only smooth away once said stranger had rested. So it wasn't hard to tell that the fireworks were starting in regards to who was running the Castle.

But the question startled and angered Isaac, appearing weak when his Lord could be in Danger. He needed to be a symbol of strength, in case this was another hunter like the girls he saw earlier. "I am on my way back to my quarters, if I can even find them. So don't bother with your concern." Isaac answered in an attempt to sound less injured than he was.

"Oh, wait, 'quarters'? Do you know where you are?" Soma asked, mildly alarmed that this stranger might not yet realize that he was in Dracula's castle. Maybe he was just another Dark Child who had gotten dragged into this place? But if that was the case where had he gotten those burn marks and tears in his armor?

He sent away the smores supplies into the same space he kept everything else. He had officially eaten too much anyways. If not for the endurance run that the castle could be he would have begun to worry about turning into a living Soma Plushy. Walking through the unkempt grass he moved towards the platform that the stranger was standing on.

"Of course! I am in the castle of my Lord and Master, Count Dracula! I'm home," Isaac retorted imperiously, which by the look on the Dark Child's face was not what was expected.

"Castle of Dracula and you call it 'home'?" Soma asked in amazement, no one had ever referred to the Castle as anything else but a demonic entity. Though realistically if this was a servant of Dracula than he 'would' consider this beast 'home'.

"Of course!" Isaac replied growing angry. Yet the cool expression he received caused him to settle back and think a bit more, after all this Child was clearly new. Perhaps he had not been told the blessings the Castle offered the Dark Children? "You may not realize it but this Castle is home to the Dark Children. Those cast out of society for not fitting into their limited idea of normal, even when we 'are' accepted those of the Church get us driven out for our 'demonic power'."

Soma blinked in surprise having never thought of the Castle as a type of refuge for anyone. He had always assumed that the Castle was just bringing in monsters from hell and negative spirits. "Really? I never thought of that... what with it looking like this," Soma replied, gesturing with a free hand towards the impaled bodies in the distance that he had been staring at while snacking.

"That is because normal humans killed the Lords' Lady wife. The Castle looked much different before that, more like a typical castle actually. However; the Lords' rage knows no bounds and the Castle reflected this." It was strange, Isaac wasn't exactly used to having someone's undivided attention, normally such things were exclusive to the higher ranking members of Lord Draculas' army. Yet this Dark Child made his way up so they were standing on the same landing, his pale features politely inquisitive.

"My name's Soma, Soma Cruz. Its nice to meet you," said Child replied, apparently having decided that Isaac was someone to listen to.

Which was sort of true, because anyone willing to call the Castle home, or refer to Dracula as their 'master' was distressing. Yet how the stranger saw it was interesting, if the Castle 'was' the only safe haven for anyone who didn't fit into a niche of normality... well... Soma was going to have to reevaluate his opinion of the Castle.

"Isaac Laforeze, Devil Forgemaster," Isaac preened mentally under the introduction, quite pleased with his ability to win over the confidence of this new Dark Child. Given his injured condition and biting retorts that he had gotten the Dark Childs' respect pleased him. So the inquisitive expression followed by the inquiry of what a 'Devil Forgemaster' was didn't phase him. "Its an ability to create entities, both fair and foul. As each life is unique, a Forgemaster has the ability to craft a life to fulfill a niche that may exist."

Soma was surprised by the description, after all he had just assumed all the monsters in the Castle were just grabbed out of hell. But what Isaac said was insightful, and probably had been important to Dracula at one time or another. "I don't know if you find the scenery enjoyable, I only came because fire is frowned on in the library. But if you want we can hang out here and talk, you don't look like you're ready for a long trip up to the next flight of stairs."

Isaac was a little surprised by the offer, someone this nice survive in Draculas' castle? With Hunters all over the place no less? For that matter, what was this Darklings' gift, or maybe the child didn't know himself? Isaac didn't want to waste his time with someone who was weak, that would only hurt his standing among the other higher ranking members of the Castle.

So perhaps a bit of duplicity was in order. "I'm afraid I can't, I have matters that I must see to before I rest, however; you can walk with me to the front gates. Given the way the Castle has been its rather unreliable and I would prefer an easier method to get to where I need to go." He offered, in a suitably grandiose, if wincing from pain, tone. For which he was awarded a raised eyebrow and a shrug of compliance.

"I guess that makes sense, unless 'matters' means you're going to get into another battle. But if you have to go I won't stop you." Soma answered before walking to the archway leading back to the front gates.

"So what happened to make you choose to come to the Castle?" Isaac asked as he joined Soma in walking back towards the front gate. Which meant mentally bracing for the pain of those two large jumps.

For Soma that was a loaded question, he was aware of why he was in the castle, but he was also aware of what happened the 'last' time he blurted out his 'ability'. Between not wanting to deal with unnecessary drama for being the Lord of Darkness reborn, this guy was obviously not on the side of the Angels. So long as Isaac didn't know who Soma was, than the information was more likely to be honestly given. If Isaac knew and accepted who Soma was than who knew what would happen.

"I just woke up here in the Castle. The servants have been nice though so," he shrugged casually. Rather of 'course' the servants were being nice, what with 'Dracula' walking around. It was actually a pretty unique sensation and situation all in one for it was the first time Soma was able to start learning. Granted he made no serious effort before, but since his arrival, it would be a lie to say he had 'not' been trying to deal with the Castle in his own way. It was so different than his time before, the Chaos that was corrupting him sealed and Darkness was... well not so bad actually.

"I see," Isaac gave a slight dismissive sniff. So the Dark Child could literally have no greater power than looking different from those around him and been brought. Truly a castle of chaos for it to bring a useless Child and a host of Hunters, while allowing traitors into its hallowed halls. "Well, you needn't worry, just make sure that you do nothing to offend the lord and master of the castle. Or he will kill you on sight."

Isaac took the second jump only for his legs to give out and send him tumbling into the steps. Soma jumped from where he had been and knelt down beside Isaac in concern before placing a single potion before the Devil Forgemaster's face. "You might need this I think."

Pity by a useless Dark Child normally would have shamed Isaac bringing out his anger. But from the moment they met this Child was surprisingly kind which would ultimately get him killed without a doubt anyways. Sides, free potion. So he merely nodded and downed the potion, letting it ease the pain from his burn wounds. It wasn't much, but what could one expect from a powerless Dark Child on their first time in the Castle?

"I'll go on ahead, no reason to drag you along on a possibly dangerous journey, those I fought might be in the next room." Isaac told Soma with a slightly aloof tone, for which Soma nodded quietly. He couldn't just use Soma as a type of meat shield since the enemies were vampires and could turn Soma if they wanted to after all.

"Yeah I understand, you take care of yourself," Soma got up and dusted himself off from the steps. He watched as Isaac left through the archway towards the front gated entrance of the Castle and found himself seriously thinking about the Castle. While above a brave little bat dropped down so it could fly to Soma's side. Squeaking for attention as Soma absently held up a hand for the bat to land, and receive petting. "Well now. Could this castle truly become a 'home'?" Soma asked the little black bat before turning back towards the Castle. Maybe he was being too harsh on the Castle regarding what it was, if separated from the Chaos... maybe there was potential?