Let the Symphony last for Eternity
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Edited By: Me
A/N: Just a little fixing up.
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There were often those who didn't understand why Death chose the Clock Tower as Its place to oversee. Why It chose a building that literally represented the eternal progression of a non living force of the universe. The only thing living about time was its eternal pulse of ticks going by and the Time Travelers who defied time.
Death's decision to spend Its free moments in the Tower might not have made a great deal of sense to some. But Death was, for the most part, blind. It had to be blind, for Death came for all and in doing so could not be able to do Its job fairly if It could be swayed by what It saw before It. Outside of the Castle all It ever saw was the eternal Soul of the living. The living trees, grass, flowers, animals, if it could 'die' Death could see its essence.
Which brought about the unique quality of the Castle itself, a creature of Chaos, it was in and of itself alive. A symbiotic relationship with Dracula, and because of its nature of being both alive as a creature and dead as an inanimate object. It held the peculiar position of being the only place that Death could see things as the living did. So the Clock Tower held a unique, almost enthralling, place for Death, as it symbolized the eternal flow of the universe and the eternal reminder that everyone had a point in that flow where their time would stop.
It was for this reason that Its full awareness had a soft spot for the Castle and that was where It enjoyed hanging out the most. Also It had a duty to oversee the influx of souls that got collected in the Castle, those that could not pass on, but were not corrupt enough to become monsters. And seeing the Lady of the Castle sitting in Its area crying her nonexistent eyes out was upsetting. Because in the end this 'was' Its Lords' beloved wife in distress.
At least It got a chance to be distracted by the arrival of a rather eclectic group of beings. A vampire with her two thralls, the weaker minded of the two Devil Forgemaster, and those who originally did not serve Its Lord Dracula. But they appeared with the Vampire taking lead though she did not seem to be the one taking charge of the conversation.
Rather she seemed to have decided to allow herself to be used as a type of escort.
The group walked out onto the small landing above a steep fall, the eternally ticking of the tower echoing behind them smoothly. The wind breezed by taking the sound of their various steps, the sound of their attire, the clock and tossed it into the open air before them. Death hovered there visibly looking out over the large expanse, though It did rotate around to face them. A blessing since they didn't have to disgrace themselves further by begging to be noticed.
"Lord Death?"
Probably the wisest thing to do was to have the Necromancer be the speaker, after all she reveled in death the study and effects. Who better than she to address Death itself?
"Necromancer," Death replied.
"We do not approve of bothering you, however; if you are not busy, if we may but ask for your assistance on a matter?" Iris looked up at Death, unflinching due to her own area of expertise. And while there would be those who would see the ghastly visage of their own corpse, or that of a loved one. There were others who had, in some distance sense, come to see Death as an old friend, or even comfort. As Iris made a study of the dead, the chance to interact with Death held an edge of excitement.
But for Iris, she could read It as though It was a living person with a flesh and blood body. Unaffected by the lack of muscles or skin to cover Its skeletal frame, reading the body language of the dead. The slight flex of the finger bones along the scythe, picking up the slight grinding of bone on bone for Death lacked the fleshy cartilage that cushioned the joints for moving.
The robes served as layer of skin, billowing almost snake like when Death was pleased or grinning. Hanging wide and low when It frowned, the robes danced in the supernatural wind, when It was thinking or active. Growing still when It was focused, such as at that moment, where only the tips of the robes were moving at all. "Lord Death, have you seen the Young Master around the Castle?"
And that was an interesting question since Death had made no attempt to find said 'Young Master' after the change in the time lines. "What of Alucard," It opted to ask instead, the farthest edge of Its vision showed the Lady of the Castle look over at them.
"We have been instructed to locate and escort him to our Lord and Master," Iris explained, "however; it seems he still travels with Vampire Hunters and..." She began her tone professional and drifted on the last word allowing Death to finish it.
"Still utters the same nonsense, yes, I can sense his presence within the Castle." It acknowledged, no need to point out It also sensed the presence of the Hunters that Alucard was so determined to lend aid to. "And what do you hope to gain by approaching me?"
The air grew tense, and Death decided to have a little fun with the humans, floating closer towards the Necromancer yet retaining Its elevated position. The plague mask she wore kept her face hidden from the others, but Death could not be deceived. Her body was professionally at attention, her face was one of mild concern.
Yet the other humans were doing far less a job of hiding their own emotions. These pitiful humans reeked of the same weakness that all humans had. The fear of It, the fear of Death itself, and that fear is what made the blood smell so enticing to vampires. It was probably why the vampire allowed herself to escort this group to him. Probably looking for a meal out of the group, while her two turned hunters lacked the ability to have fear.
"And you have failed the task set upon you by Lord Dracula because...?"
"Not failed," she corrected gently, before following up with, "rather been delayed, we wish not to bring harm to the Young Master after all. However; if we attempt to destroy the hunters he keeps in his company, we fear he will put himself in harms way to protect them." The Necromancer explained calmly, gently giving It 'their' wording for the situation. Regardless...
"They will not be able to use the full scope of the Whips power so long as he is in their presence. He is no longer a Dhampire. No matter how much he may attempt to pretend that he is still the half blood that they met him as," Death pointed out.
"Even so, the combined forces of the Belmonts ensures the chance of harm befalling the Young Master increases, since not all our forces are good at... being 'gentle' shall we say," The Mistress of Beasts noted from the left of Death. She was the only other person aside from the Necromancer who lacked out right fear in dealing with Death. Despite the normal response of any living animal was self preservation and a healthy fear of Death.
But again, she was originally a Vampire Hunter herself so she was not someone who readily gave in to fear.
"Would you have any advice for us? Your aid would be a great boon, but we understand if you are needed elsewhere." Maria offered, as the odds of the Hunters getting to the painting shrank further and further away. But there was always a dark horse and all these shifting chances 'was' stimulating, almost as good as a hunt.
Death turned to look about the Castle, the naked grief in the eyes of the Lady of the Castle creating a strange, but powerful twisting of Its gut. It sensed the Hunters and found Itself at a crossroads of sorts. It could lend them aid, this was true and go with them into battle against the Hunters to extract Alucard. It could also deny them aid and let them stumble blind through the Castle to their own folly. It could do a great many things really...
But the status of the Prince upset the Lady of the Castle and if she were to become disfigured into a vengeful spirit...
Death finally internally shrugged. Let providence have its say of the matter, lend these foolish mortals a morsel of aid, if it was enough. At the very least the Lady of the Castle would be given comfort and that would shift her back towards her normal place in the Castle.
Pulling the scythe away from Its chest and used it to point and extended it down towards a wall, near around the Great Library. "They are ascending the Outer Wall, on their way to this location. So you have a shrinking selection of places where you can set your field of battle."
The robes stopped fluttering and merely flowed about him, helping guide any stray eyes down towards the appropriate area of the Castle. Alerting Iris that Death was not going to lend physical aid, which was fine. Below them was a large area, with multiple platforms and pillars, ideal for a large conflict. With her Undead, Maria's beasts, and whatever Isaac could construct in short order there was space enough to keep them from tripping over each other.
The others were joining the Necromancer while Death floated off and away from the little living group. It would lend them Its scythes when the Belmonts arrived, but before that battle began, it would behoove Death not to inform Its master on current events. Soaring through the gears of the clock tower, and ascending towards the Master Chamber that rested in the air like a distant dark star.
That Dark Priest, the replacement goldfish wife, It rose up from the floor by the right hand side of the throne of Its Master. While the goldfish rested her on the floor, her head resting against the left knee of Dracula. Her gown was fanned out in a vivid blooming rose red hue while the edges of the dress withered into the black of death. Her deathly pale skin only accentuated with her lips being tinted red with the blood of whoever she recently drank from. While her hair retained its bright vivid gold color, the only thing that really caught Dracula's attention.
The Priest stayed off to the side, his legs folded up as he floated in the air, before the change in time lines the Dark Priest had died. But with it changed to this and the Belmont who slayed him never even born? Now the Dark Priest lived and floated a few feet in the air, an orb hovering before him, apparently keeping tabs the going ons of the the Castle.
While the hunter who's absence created this alteration was mounted on the other side of the room, before the throne as something for Lord Dracula to admire on sight. The painting was life sized, and hung below the thrown for Dracula to look down upon. The Belmont stood there at the ready for battle, his whip in hand and his posture confrontational. Yet it was not the 'only' painting in the room, though the other was perhaps the oddest.
It hung above the throne, a pure black painting with not a brush of color anywhere to be seen. But it was a unique piece, having a twin in a restricted part of the Castle that Death Itself had not had the chance to exam. Its absence of any image made it a peculiar piece to have hanging above the throne of Count Dracula. But it was there and Death didn't see a reason to inquire about it.
While the center piece of the room was the Lord of the Castle who sat upon his foreboding throne. Dracula looked casually relaxed upon his dark throne, his head resting on his hand in mild disinterest in the world around him. Not even with the goldfishs' presence was he able to rouse himself from whatever apathetic feeling that seemed to rule him.
Perhaps having these hunters reach Dracula would give him something to relieve these doldrums. In this new time line, once his rage had settled down Dracula never reigned in his forces. The chaos he had created had slowly began to settle down, as Dark Children and particularly strong monsters were able to carve out their own places. The occasional town existent on the whim of a monster.
"Lord Dracula," Death finally spoke, pulling Its masters' attention to its presence. No one else stirred in the room, well acquainted with how Death was prone to just appearing.
Dracula roused up, straightening up in his throne an act alone conveying that out of everyone in the room it was Death who had his ear most. He reached down and hooked one curl of the goldfish's hair and twirled it around his index finger as he turned his gaze up towards his oldest oldest friend and servant. "Ah, Death, how nice of you to join us!"
"Master, if I may have a moment of your time," Death asked, not that It needed permission to speak with Dracula. But it was a good verbal cue for those still in the chamber to take their leave. And like well trained pets, the Dark Priest floated his way to the grand double doors out of the Master Chamber. The Goldfish waited until Dracula removed his hand from her hair, only then did she rise up obediently, giving Dracula a curtsy before descending from the dais. Seemingly floating her way out past the doors as well.
With only the mere will of Dracula to make the doors shut themselves so that the pair could discuss things.
"Well?" Dracula asked, his eyes following as Death floated forward and turned in the air so that It was facing him. It was rare for Death to want private audiences, but it wasn't unheard off and Dracula wasn't above giving his friends the privacy when asked.
"About those humans you have scurrying about the Castle..." Death began without preamble, another bonus for Its long time of devoted service to Dracula. The ability to cut out the small talk or the over the top dramatics.
Dracula ruefully nodded as though he had a sneaking suspicion where this conversation could end up going. He rested his elbow on the arm rest of his throne while covering his face with his hand, his lips twitched in this bemused half smile. "How badly did they fail..."
Moments like this made Death regret not having lungs, because It wanted to give a sigh. Its Lord looked rather at ease so whatever fall out was bound to be tamed compared to other ways Dracula could react.
"I am unsure at the moment for they are making plans for a last ditched effort to stop the last two Belmonts in the Castle. While simultaneously retrieve Alucard and bring him here with the least amount of injury to his person." Death reported with a slight shake of Its head, wordlessly implying Its view on how this was going to go.
"So that fool priestess was wrong about everything, she seems flighty enough that I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Dracula leaned back against his throne, unable to rouse himself to anger and only mild indifference.
"Ahh did I miss something?" Death asked, Its head tilted a bit to the side in confusion.
"Oh she spoke some nonsense about my son returning to the castle to reconcile and I told her to escort him here. As you can see though," Dracula explained using his free hand to gesture towards the near empty chamber. "He's not here."
And that explained 'that' for Death, recalling the original timeline had Alucard arriving in the Castle to defeat his Father. It wasn't sure what the hiccup was when the time changed that confused the Priestess. At least It could now say It understood why this pitiful gang of would be hunters were moving about. "Well it would appear that she has amassed herself a small group to help on this task... Honestly I don't understand why you kept her around with that feeble mind of hers and the easy way she panics."
"Well, mostly because there have been a few arrivals from the Far East and they have this fascinating concept of balance, I thought I would give a try." Dracula almost flippantly explained, a slight shrug of the shoulders punctuated the vocalized thought.
"If that is what you wish," Death replied, the closest It could bring itself to asking 'really'. Then again Dracula was probably getting bored, without the Belmonts 'had' Lord Dracula been given a suitable challenge?
"I suppose Isaac has been useless as well?" Dracula inquired, now that the traitor had been dealt with, he figured he needed to restore Isaac back to his proper position in the Castle. Not to say that Isaac was worthless, but his singleminded obsession on details... that was always a bit of his failing, even back in his time. "But that probably is my fault, not having faith in those who show unquestionable loyalty. He doesn't have a strong mental state and the trial probably broke a great number of things in his mind..."
"That's a nice way of putting it," Death agreed with a faint nod of Its head. "Though if you wish to give him back a small force that would be fine. They need all the help they can get, what with your son being a vampire, if the hunters use their weapons."
"What?! What do you mean he's a vampire? I had not permitted his turning!" Dracula recoiled in shock at what Death stated. Earning an concerned look from Death as it realized that it may have helped that little group more than It thought.