Castlevania: Let the Symphony last for Eternity

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

"The scent of blood is remarkably fresh, though it not be just his..." Alucard noted passively as they ascended up the steps and towards the corpse hanging there. The wind was stronger, pulling at his cloak and long hair, and ripping the words from his lips. Were it not that Leon had moved to walk on his left the former Knight probably would not have heard much of anything at all.

"Once everything is settled will he be revived?" Leon inquired as much for himself as for Alucard as he took in the stranger with his vivid red sash and deep blue and black clothes. No signs of holy relics adorned his remains, making the notion that he was a Vampire hunter much less possible. "There is a core amount of space in his head that's being occupied now with something other than what he was born with after all."

Alucard didn't bother addressing what was clearly a rhetorical question from Leon and focused more on the clear scent of another. The scent of a dead vampire whose blood was etched into his mind as the one who had turned him. But he wasn't a vampire, he was a 'dhampire' he arrived in the Castle as a Dhampire...

Alucard strode past the corpse of a Devil Forgemaster he only distantly recalled from the past, the door before him rising up. The interior was a shade of royal purple with shallow archways that bore an almost brass colored frame work, thick curtains pulled back to expose the stonework behind them. With only two that actually bore windows protected by an interior lattice work of sturdy brown wood. A long dining table covered in a rich shade of red table cloth that was coupled with gold trim and edgework rested in the center of the room. The walls and carpet matched in their shade of purple, with an unseemly stain of black that a quartet of maids were busily working to clean up.

The room was lit by a quartet of candle stands that stood in an equal rectangular position of the table. While above hanging from the ceiling was a double layered chandelier with numerous candles to aid those who might be invited to dine with the Lord of the Castle. At least those who lacked the type of vision that their Lord Host possessed. Granted the odds of anyone who was 'human' was not all that great in terms of receiving a personal invitation.

Alucard with Leon in step behind him, walked in past a single lit candle stand before dropping down onto the floor below the landing they had found themselves upon. The sharp click of his boots, muffled by the rich carpet was not quiet enough to miss the harried maids though. One quick, for a zombie, maid looked over her shoulder at him and then promptly notified the rest of the staff, getting the other three straightening up. They positioned themselves between the Hunters and the bloodstain, their various states of death before reanimation held expressions of nervous expectancy.

"Lord Prince, Lord Belmont! It is an honor to be in your presence," the four spoke together almost in perfect sync despite having varying accents. They quickly grabbed their skirts and curtsied for the two men as the Hunters approached. Their uniforms fell in awkward angles from the way they were grabbed, yet the very small smear of blood that was seen around a finger showed that perhaps the maids were trying to hide the clean up.

Alucard didn't even pause, instead striding right past the maids towards the Master Chamber while Leon gave the maids a brief nod of acknowledgment. The maids shuffled to the side as the pair walked along, apparently determined to hide the stain behind their uniforms and feet. With such clear devotion to the task it made Leon wonder if their behavior was out of devotion, that they worked so hard, or fear that made them so anxious.

The doors before them were towering, made of a soft hue of blue, the rug transitioning in color from purple to a deep blue seamlessly. Another sign of wealth and prestige or just arcane might that Mathias had amassed. The doors were in an arch way design with a thick band of lavender color that trimmed the exterior. There was already another set up candle holders standing on their own in the room and the rug could be seen leading up before splitting off to the right.

Unlike most to any other noble lord, who would have their room set up to approach the throne directly. Clearly here, Mathias expected his guests to be guided before him like cattle before he decided if they could be considered 'worthy' enough to be heard. Once he had entered the Master Chamber, the large, heavy, stone doors swung silently behind the pair. Only the feeling of impact from when the doors closed, that weighty 'huff' sound of air was all Leon heard.

On his right, was a throne of smooth, sharp angles crafted of stone. It lacked any design or flourish, just a single cut stone with a seat carved into it with a sharp point at the top and Mathias just lounging in it. The man that had betrayed Leon's trust and made Leon's gut twist ever since when he thought on it. His first instinct was to lash out, to charge forward and avenge all the wrongs done unto himself and Sara. For all the people who had died when Mathias began his war, especially when he 'knew' that Elizabetha was somewhere in this castle. Probably heart broken over the state of affairs as they were.

"Adrian! Leon! Its been a while, a much longer while for one of you I admit," Dracula called out in greeting, straightening up on his throne. Watching as Leon actually missed a step and snap a stronger focus onto his fellow Hunter... "Adrian did you honestly introduce yourself by 'Alucard'? Leon actually 'was' my friend when I was still human. I expect more manners out of you!" Dracula scolded before giving a sigh and deciding to do the introductions himself. "Leon, allow me to introduce you, properly, to my son, Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes."

Alucard froze where he stood before stiffly turning around to face Leon, the insult of being chided before a fellow hunter infuriating him. Did his father 'still' not recognize his son was an 'adult'?! His hand grasped the blade of the claymore, in an effort to not grab the hilt in an erroneously display of aggression when one was being introduced to an ally. But it was difficult to not close his hand up completely and slice it into his own flesh.

Yet the moment he touched the swords' blade he was instantly reminded that his father wasn't supposed to 'be' here. His father would never be 'this' cordial because he was repeatedly being defeated by the Belmonts. Thus unable to let his rage burn out into this passive noble mannerism Dracula was currently showing.

Truth be told he actually liked this mannerism, it was as though his mother was still alive, his father was calm.

His memories said that he had interacted with his father on multiple occasions since Trevors' time. That his fathers' behavior was a gradual change that he had noted and ignored all this time in his pursuit of slaying his Vampire father. While the claymore whispered that he had been asleep this whole time, that he hadn't been awake for a more than a day really.

For Leon's part, he didn't really know what to say or do, slaying the Vampire would have been nice. Mathias sitting here, despite looking much older with his white hair and now with a beard, able to introduce 'his' son. Where as Leon could never do such a thing with Sara, as they had been denied to even be 'married' because of this man. Though in a strange form of retrospection regarding his 'future' he knew he would eventually have a family of his own.

Not only a 'family', but a family that counted Mathias' own son as a staunch ally.

"Before we get down to business, I do have something I am required to talk about..." Dracula began and, still not allowing his son or Leon to have a word to start with. "Its... about Adrian's mother in fact, a conversation I had with her when she was reincarnated as Lisa..."

Confirming with that sentence that reincarnation 'was' a thing and given that they had met Soma, meant that even 'vampires' could reincarnate. So if Leon had not damned Sara's soul to the whip and instead just killed her, she would have been reincarnated as Lisa and Soma did. Yet if he didn't seal her in the whip Walter would still be alive.

That was when it hit Leon hard...

If Mathias didn't sacrifice Sara so Leon would be forced to seal her into Vampire Killer, Walter would still be killing people and subjecting them to his 'games'. Protected by his Ebony Stone there probably would never be anyone else who could create the Crimson stone that Mathias had used. Uncursed to be hunted as Mathias had been, people would still be suffering as Rinaldo had, and while Walter didn't go on global killing sprees... The Belmont clan kept Mathias' rampages down to a minimum until Soma could be born.

It was this sudden and incredible sense of 'was all this meant to be' that hit Leon. If Mathias hadn't lost his wife and set upon the path to become a Vampire, Leon would have carried on being a knight, gotten married and lived the life of a noble. Tracking his thoughts back to Walter, if someone 'else' had gone to face to vampire. Without the same ties as Leon had with Mathias then what?

There would be no Crimson Stone or Walter would merely die out of hand leaving a hunter with Vampire Killer and no real reason to go on. Where as Mathias escaped thus giving Leon a reason to continue on training properly to be a Vampire Hunter. If somehow Elizabetha was still here in the Castle as an invisible ghost though she died an innocent. Were there others?

"She wasn't thrilled with what I did to you and Lady Sara, Leon. I received a great deal of scolding for what I inflicted upon the two of you, in fact." Mathias began his tone contrite, "And her logic made a great deal of sense given that she was 'there' among the living again by my side... I could have just been patient, slipped away into death myself and we could have been reunited again... But here we are..."

"With you raging against Humanity and seeking its annihilation," Leon pointed out as he began walking along the carpet towards the throne where Mathias sat. He wasn't wearing the furs that Leon knew him by, the robes were replaced by a suit that held a dark sheen to its fabric. Rich, tasteful, with vivid reds, bone white and the eternal black serving as its color palette.

"They killed my wife, for merely wishing to be a doctor. Humans have become hypocrites in this night and age, they want cures for their illnesses then kill their healers. All they do is complain, provide them a variety of solutions and they reject them all. And my son interacts with them, you don't know it yet, but there's a certain anxiety a parent feels when their only child interacts with the wrong crowds. Humans keep finding new people to hate or subjugate. Ours was an amazingly simple time, oh," Mathias paused as he recalled some of the 'exploration' that had been happening. "You've not heard of America... If you want to feel betrayed by the Church we fought for... You'll enjoy 'this' bit of news..." Mathias began raising his hand causing a shelf of paper to appear in his out stretched hand.

"So an Italian named 'Columbus' found a land further to the west of us, and how did the Catholic Church, under the dear 'caring' hands of Pope Alexander the sixth rule?" The roll of paper disappeared and appeared before Leon in a burst of flames, unrolling itself for the blond Knight. "Anyone 'not' Christian doesn't count as human, literally it is legally acceptable to walk into someone elses' home land, and if not Christian be that land. They are enslaved, murdered, violated and yet somehow... somehow 'I' am a larger monster. I don't really have to do 'that' much to exterminate Humans anymore. They do it themselves, they 'love' to kill each other, its a hobby really be it race, religion, lepers, they have become depraved. Were it not for I, they would be slaughtering each other with a fervor.. I don't care really, I'll kill anything human the skin they wear means nothing to myself. At least I have the common decency to tell the difference between the Dark Children and actual Monsters. Humans can't even be bothered to do 'that' right."

Leon stood there looking over the ruling his stomach twisting at the wording brought before him, sure they had fought for the Holy Lands. But that was 'different' that was theirs by religious right, going to another land all together that they had no connection to and doing this though? He could only imagine the outrage in the Far East if such nonsense was inflicted upon them. What had happened to the world after his time... It was enough to make him grateful that he would never live to see such shameful behavior.

"And then there is Adrian... my pride and joy..." Mathias continued his lips molded into something that resembled a smile. "He had been a Dhampire for so long... turned against his will by a naughty now dead vampire. And gone, because apparently we bored him... I hope you weren't too invested in his company..." Mathias added as the last ripples to the painting behind them of that hunter smoothed out. "I just can't get that boy to sit still even after all these centuries.."

Leon started and turned his head to check where the Vampire 'had' been, only to find that 'yes' Alucard was gone. Not only gone, but behind him was a painting of a war like man with vivid red hair and black leather with fur... With Vampire Killer in his hand and ready to fight, meaning this must have been the painting that they were looking for... and of course Alucard went in without warning Leon because... It was enough to make him annoyed, and in a sense feel better since Mathias seemed willing to talk about things. Something he hadn't done when he decided he wanted to be a Vampire, a part of Leon left to ponder if Mathias had only confided in Leon, could the Knight have done something for his heart broken friend?

"We..." Mathias' voice was suddenly much closer, causing Leon to turn around and find the Vampire standing behind him. While out of the striking distance of Vampire Killer, even if his posture was casual his tone was lonely and resigned. "'I' never confessed to you that my wife and I couldn't conceive, though we tried when I was home from the wars and even before then. We tried so hard to have a child, and it seemed all for naught... And then Elizabetha died and..." His voice drifted silent for a moment before he carried on, "But as Lisa she gave birth to Adrian. An event I was so convinced was impossible I didn't believe the boy to be mine at first. Convinced, and fine with, that she had become pregnant by some other man in her desire for a child."

"Back when I was human, she and I often talked about what it would be like if we could just have a child. We knew we wanted you be the boy's Godfather, Sara would have made a good Godmother as well.. So strange that it took Elizabetha dying and myself as a Vampire to bring about new life... When he was still a child, he would steal my capes and go running about the Castle. His 'dream' was to be a type of Hero, but he was precocious I must say. He'd sleep in so late, forget spells that he was taught, forget anything he was taught if it didn't interest him. But he could walk under the light of the sun and keep his mother company when I slept. I even risked the day once, hiding among shadows to slip out and see what they were doing..."

Leon faced Mathias still unable to think of a proper thing to say in this situation, which went to show why he didn't opt to be a priest. Confessionals would have been problematic for him to say the least and this held all the ear marks of one. Worse yet was trying to say 'your wife is still in the Castle', he didn't understand how things worked well enough to risk that. How would Mathias react knowing that his beloved was in the Castle as a ghost? Would he settle down completely or would he rage? And if Alucard didn't make it back from the painting what would happen 'then'? Leon found himself seriously hoping that his kin wouldn't kill Alucard straight out of hand.

Though the fact that Alucard just slipped off to carry out his own plan really reminded Leon of the man's father...

"Does it bother you that your war went against what your son wanted? Honestly I can't imagine that your wife would approve of what you've been doing either." Leon inquired, wondering where the Lady of the Castle had gone to. Now that Mathias was 'here' why hadn't Lady Elizabetha appeared, now that he wasn't in a state of fury.

"Oh, told you he didn't agree with me did he?" Mathias chuckled in amusement before shaking his head. "That's just his sense of responsibility as a noble talking, another reason why he would have had a good time being in your company. He also believes that a Nobles' duty is to their people," Mathias pointed out with a faint, sad, smile. "But you never had to hear him rage after her death, he was by her side when she died after all. You didn't hear him screaming in outrage until he would break down into tears sobbing at his loss. He may have dealt with the loss in his own way, but I swear to you, that without me taking charge? He'd do the same as I. And before you ask, he was an adult by human standards."

Leaving Leon feeling cold and strangely alone, before his rage had been at what Mathias had done to Sara. Then it shifted to an outrage that Mathias had turned his rage against humanity as a whole, yet now? He couldn't fathom who was a bigger monster, or where to direct his anger to, for in the end... Mathias might have been doing the world some 'good' by making himself the target of the worlds' outrage. How simple his life had once upon a time been, and how different and difficult the world had become now. What 'was' the greater evil at this point even?