Let the Symphony Last of Eternity
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Me!
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"Answer me! Unless he gave his own permission to be turned, I never 'once' gave anyone the right to turn him into a full vampire! Foolish though he is, he is my 'son'!" Dracula's voice roared to life, the first time in over a century in fact. He shot up from his seat the light in the room seemed to shrink away from him as his eyes started to bleed into a red hue.
And while Death knew that this anger was not directed at 'Itself', It wisely floated back from the throne at a descending angle in deference. Mostly because It knew its answer would not please Its Lord, "I do not know. When I first encountered him this night, he was still a dhampire, yet my Lord is aware of how my senses work. As the mortal hours have ticked by more and more of his human blood has been seeped away from him. Now he is no different than yourself or any other Vampire in the Castle."
"He is my 'son'! That makes all the difference!" Dracula retorted angrily as he began to descend from his throne, a worrisome sign for anyone who might accidentally found themselves in the way of the Count. "Is this more of that who time change thing that Isaac was going on about?"
"Possibly my Lord," Death answered as It moved so it was behind Dracula's right shoulder. "I know only of Vampire Hunters to be near the young Prince during his current visit in the Castle. And of course no hunter has the ability to turn the Prince into a full vampire."
The grand doors that served as the sole entrance and exit of the Master Chambers were flung open, as Dracula stalked his way back to his throne. "Shaft!" He called, his rage not even being subdued in his voice. A warning that Shaft would do well to be on his toes less he bring down Dracula's rage upon his own head.
The deep lavender robed priest floated into the room quickly, his expression hidden via his hood as he brought himself to the foot of the dais that the throne rested upon. "My lord?"
"I have been given news most distressing, someone has turned my son into a vampire. I demand you show me who would dare assault my own child for their pleasure!"
"O-of course my lord!" Shaft answered, summoning the orb he used to locate people. Often he just had generic requests, vampire hunters, the maids, such requests to deal with the daily going ons of the Castle. Yet having Lord Dracula all but looming over him from a distance, his rage so potent that it was a miracle that the carpets and fabrics of the room didn't ignite. Especially when one wore robes made his focus on this soon to be dead fool more intense.
The smooth surface of the enchanted globe in his hand began to produce light from within its core. The light illuminating images between it and the surface of the globe showing the very room he had just 'been' in. He could see the long dinner table where occasionally Dracula would enjoy a meal with his most loyal servants.
And where Lady Annette was currently having a host of maids in purples or black gowns with white aprons work on the upkeep of the vampires' golden hair. All hands working busily on the Lady, while all eyes were fixed on the grand doors to the Master Chambers. As though they all heard what was said and there was a mounting terror as to what was about to take place.
This... this was going to be awkward, but at least Shaft could take comfort in knowing it wasn't about to be 'him' facing their Lord.
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The group stopped at a door, waiting while Alucard and Leon checked the floor above before deciding if this was the direction they needed to take. Their travels were getting slower as both Sophia and Alucard felt increasing magical energies being called somewhere on their path. But given the events of the recent hours, they couldn't confirm if it was just another massive change that the castle was about to undertake. Or if it was something worse, so they waited at the door while Leon and Alucard checked above.
While Leon privately reconciled the fact that Alucard looked painfully like his father only with near white blond hair. But when Mathias was human, before the death of his wife, the man had been quiet, but willing to socialize. Alucard was cold, self contained to a degree that was almost unnatural, which raised the question of if it was just his vampire side or upbringing. It left Leon seriously wishing to ask what Mathias had done in his choice of upbringing the man.
They walked up the stairs in silence, and found another door waiting at the top, quite similar to the one that Trevor and his group waited at. Alucard required no prompting and grabbed the door knob, twisting it open and revealing the interior. Which wasn't all that much, they had encountered several rooms just like this through out their walk.
Although no one could fathom why the Castle had multiple rooms that held nothing more than a coffin for Alucard. And it 'was' just a coffin for Alucard, he identified it as much as replicas of what he slept in. But there was no path past the coffin, leaving them with only the door below where Trevor and co waited. Leon found himself momentarily fascinated by the walls of the Castle, and how they felt alive and dangerous. So different than when he first arrived.
But then, when he first arrived the Castle apparently had been more under the sway of this Soma incarnation of Mathias. The change was substantial with an almost peaceful, dare one say, serene ebb and flow to it. Yet even now the Castle was changed, the peacefulness was replaced with a near apathetic sense. Akin to walking into a hostile territory that was under the control of enemy forces. They weren't actively coming 'after' him, but they were seemingly watching from every shadow.
They dropped down to a platform lit with a secured torch, before turning and dropping down yet again to the floor where Trevor and the others waited.
"Nothing but another room with a coffin," Leon announced upon their return. Then added, "so it is safe to assume this is the only way to get to the Master Chambers?"
"Seems so, this is just a hallway," Trevor explained as Alucard jumped down to join the group as well.
"Well lets go lads, no point to be awaiting around further," Grant spoke up, his voice oddly tight and with forced cheer.
Leon looked at Grants odd tone of voice, though he said nothing. However; Alucard caught the expression and finally opted to speak. "My father turned Grant into a troll and charged him to guard the Clock Tower. Needless to say..."
With that he let the words drift away on the wind as Trevor opened the door and they walked inside. The tile pattern stone work protected them from the winds flowing outside the castle, protecting from the wind and fog that easily passed through the large windows of the Castle. Once the door closed behind Sophia these rooms provided a small strange sense of security. The stones were strong, the carpet thick, cushioning any sound that might upset a person.
Muffling the sound of sharp well crafted boots, but the moment Trevor opened the door on the other side of the room. Alucard was suddenly by his side shutting it just as quickly with a speed that the others were not often exposed to. A sudden reminder that Alucard was a 'Vampire' prince, not a human one.
So his sudden use of his natural speed was a cause for alarm, causing Trevors' hand to snap to Vampire Killer and the others to brace for battle. While Alucard remained focused on the door as though he was easedropping on a conversation. And perhaps he was, with his senses as they were, and the way his eyes shifted colors from blue to gold.
"The battle begins on the other side of the door. I can hear far too many voices than what we've seen thus far." Alucard announced without preamble his hand stayed pressed against the door while everyone else exchanged expressions of mounting concern.
"This is probably it then," Sophia finally broke the short silence with a barely contained amount of self control. The others, save Alucard gave her their attention and she gave a slight sigh, "when you say 'far too many', can you give us an idea?" She asked looking at Alucards' back.
"I hear wings flapping in the air, they're quiet.. Whatever forces that have been marshaled they're being quiet. Not like the others who are ambling about their business, the wing beats are stationary rather than mobile and multiple. Even in that brief moment I can smell the scent of rotting corpses and living beasts. This is not that type of area though, I don't recall this ever being a solid fortified location."
"I guess it was just a fools hope that the lot you mentioned would stay out of this," Grant remarked his voice carrying his disappointment. "From what you said sounds like that lot, if they can summon, would have a versatile assortment of forces.."
"The undead, beast type, spirits, and whatever the Forgemaster created in this short amount of time," Trevor agreed with a nod as he unhooked Vampire Killer from his hip. "I guess the current worst case scenario is the one we work with."
He turned to look at the group with him, and the very weight of the situation sat badly in his heart. Leaving a terrible taste as he looked at his wife and staunch friends with his ancestor looking on from the rear. When he first arrived in this Castle, it was just he alone with Vampire Killer. Each friend he made who aided him were found in the Castle. What he lacked in speed or agility, Grant covered, the arcane was Sophia's gift and Alucard brought his knowledge of the Monsters.
Now they stood in a hallway trying to liberate a Belmont from who knew how many generations in the future. Whose very capture resulted in a change so vast to the time line that now Alucard was near crippled with two different histories of the world. While he and Sophia were still childless, meaning that now if they died, even 'more' Belmonts would disappear from the time line. Leaving more lives undefended from the wraith of Dracula and changing the face of the world even further.
The Castle's original purpose in bringing all these hunters into its halls was lost amid the time change. Bringing back a future Dracula raised questions on if Soma was here to reign in the situation, or a stop gap of some other situation. His eyes fell upon Leon and he squared his shoulders, "this is it then. I can not use the full power of Vampire Killer with Alucard in such proximity any more. The two of you have to make it to the Master Chambers, we'll hold off Dracula's forces to the best of our abilities."
Leon moved forward, Sophia and Grant both moving to the side in deference to the first Belmont. Just standing there facing Leon was intimidating, that they had to ensure that Leon and Alucard made it as safely as possible to the Master Chambers. There was this incredible pressure to prove to his ancestor that he was worthy of the Belmont name. That what they were about to face was within Trevor's ability to handle.
"We'll be ok, so long as I can talk to Mathias and or get this missing hunter free than no matter the outcome we will find our time line restored properly. I know Mathias, what I lack in tactical foresight he always had covered. Given what I know just from your experiences and my own history with the man. Between Alucard and myself we should be able to rescue this missing Belmont." Leon stated with confidence, all the signs pointed that Mathias wanted his son back. From the description of Soma's first meeting with Alucard, all the way to now with those who served Dracula unwilling to bring intentional harm to the Dhampire.
Alucard was 'literally' their only chance at dealing with Dracula without violence. The centuries since the death of his second, but really first, wife to the mob had finally dulled its flame in Mathias' heart, giving Leon hope that he could be talked to. In as much as Leon did not 'want' to talk to Mathias, he was still very strongly interested in killing the man for what he had done. But then Leon would catch a glance of Alucard and remember the that he was invested in killing the man's father.
Alucard was just an universal thorn in everyone's side at that point, if Leon would be purely honest with himself.
Alucards' presence as a Vampire Hunter meant that anyone who sided with Mathias would have to literally be willing to bring harm against Mathias' son. Vampire Hunters had to be careful with him around to not use their strongest holy attacks lest they bring unnecessary harm to Alucard. Beyond that, while his aid was clearly vital to the Hunters, that he would turn his own sword against his father. An act that Leon often frowned deeply against for it went against his own beliefs, it was so hard to believe that it could have fallen apart this much for Mathias.
"That may be the case, but its my duty not to make this unnecessarily hard on you." Trevor replied while Sophia and Grant nodded.
"Aye, don't forget us in this transaction Trevor. He be your ancestor, but he's our friend now too and we all know how important it is for him to reach Dracula." Grant voiced as he pulled out his blades preparing for what could be a massive fire fight.
"Indeed, don't underestimate what we can do," Sophia added backing Grants own words.
"Then I guess its time we opt to leave," Alucard stated as he backed up a step allowing Trevor to take point.
Trevor nodded and regrabbed the door knob again, pulling open the door and revealing the outside space. The night was still in full effect, a chill wind filtered past them and into the hallway. Before them was stonework that served as two dark carved pillars and pale floor. Thick, strong stone with a gap between the platform they would be able to stand on and one across the way. The gap was nothing for the men, but Sophia would clearly be unable to cross the gap from where they stood.
Rising from the other platform was steps leading to an elevated platform, that rose above the top of the passage they would be entering. There was an unnatural stillness to the area, but there was also light, both natural and man made. The moon was full, and her light brightened the cold stone they would be treading upon, but there was also near by fire that cast a warm glow as well. One obscured by the bodies of monsters, prepared to attack.
They could see shadows of the tops of bare skeletal heads and necks, the occasional glance of something wing like flashing between the warm flames, cold moon light and the stone before them. Casting shadows that whispered that Alucard had been right, there 'were' forces set against the Hunters. But there wasn't enough space to know how 'many'.
Trevor stepped forward and could see that the stairs directly opposing them also lead toward them though down. So it was possible that Sophia 'could' jump down, but she would have to take a lower path. Which might not even do her any good if that particular path was without an ascending staircase to use. But the passage, short as it was, was more than long enough to hide them from their would be attackers as it hid the attackers.
Were all their attackers corporal monsters?
Even as they walked out, there was a feeling of being watched, as twin flames burst into life about them. Those lights casting an internal light to skeletal heads as ghosts began to manifest before the small party. Mostly positioned on either side of the stairs, like sentient candles watching them, though for a moment they didn't approach.
Grant slipped forward, climbing up the pillars that held the ceiling in place and began crawling along it. For which the ghosts notably watched his progress silently the only movement being the candle like flames that served as these ghosts eyes.
He approached with the skillful, grip of the ceiling that allowed a human to perform a stunt often thought restricted to spiders and demons. Something that attracted Leon's attention causing him to watch with fascination at how the limber pirate was able to move. Just... just 'how'...
But the distraction aside, he unhooked the Vampire Killer he carried with him from his time from his hip. Since his arrival he had been fortunate not to have to fight his way through every part of the Castle. But that peaceful ability to merely stroll along and converse with the monsters, 'Children of the Night' was at an end it seemed.
A shame really, under different circumstances this would have been a purely ideal learning experience.