Peace.
For the first time in what seemed to be an eternity, he was peaceful. The sensation could not be likened to anything else. The weight of this world has been lifted from his shoulders. No desire, no pain. The wound on his chest burned, – the aftermath of blessed metal carving undead flesh – but it was something he could push aside. The tingle could not trounce the blissful numbness set in his joints. More than anything, it was soothing. He could feel a smile crook his lips.
Well, well, well. What do we have here?
His grin vanished – someone had disrupted his solitude. The voice reverberated with familiarity, yet he couldn't identify it. Fingers. Cold fingers skidded across his neck, searching for a pulse. Hah, a vain attempt. Those who had fallen didn't have any heartbeat to speak of.
Come now, Gabriel, do not make me lug your form around like a sack of potatoes.
What on earth was the interloper rambling on about? He snorted and rolled onto his side. Whatever their concern was, they could show themselves out. Something sharp jabbed him between the shoulder blades. He shivered.
Are you going to wake up or not?
"Go bother someone else," Gabriel muttered, burying his face into- into something. It was padded, spongy, and gave off a faint odor of vanilla.
"Really?" The rustle of leather against ground. "You're going to lounge about... here. When everyone's waiting for you." Gabriel preferred not to respond, and there came the noise of someone clicking their tongue. "Well, all right. I'm going to have to inform Marie that her husband doesn't wish to celebrate his own birthday. A sha-"
"Marie?!" He all but sprung... only to headbutt his enigmatic companion in the chin. A harsh-voiced curse sounded, followed by a thump. When Gabriel's vision sharpened, he saw a man, sitting close and kneading his jawline. And 'twas- the knight swallowed and shrank back in shock.
Dracul winced. "Can't go a day without physical injury. Immortality is one thing, but it is flawed. You can't quite savor it without pain inhibitors." He took a gander at his sibling, and his features crumpled into a grimace. "What's with the stupefied look?"
Gabriel opened his mouth, yet only a whine escaped him. The vampire looked exactly the same. Unscathed! But how?! He had decomposed before his very eyes!
"I'm sorry, but I do not speak unintelligible." The vampire rubbed at his eye and flinched as his claws etched a graze into his brow. He clenched and unclenched his fist.
"If you're going to do that, I advise you to use your knuckles," the knight blurted out. "That way you won't risk injuring yourself." He stifled a chuckle. "I should know from-" Gabriel broke off, and he could feel his back break out in cold sweat. "-from personal experience."
Hesitantly, he brought his hands to his eye level. Suntanned skin, blunt fingernails, calluses lining his palms... Aghast, Gabriel carried on with his scrutiny. He was robed in a green linen shirt, with its sleeves tucked in the studded leather armguards, and a pair of simple pants. His feet were booted in knee-high overshoes. A girdle was looped about his waist, with several straps and links attached to it. The combat cross holster. Gabriel's tongue glued to the roof of his mouth. His hand trembled as he pushed it against the left side of his chest.
Thud-thud. Thud-thud. Thud-thud.
The knight listened to the thundering beat of his heart, seeking to quell the emotional turmoil within him. Teeth – dull, fangless teeth! – carved into his lower lip, and a long-familiar coopery tang oozed through his clenched jaws. And for the first time in a thousand years, he spat. A glob of slime rose in his throat. Dizziness assaulted his senses, and if he were standing, he'd most certainly keel over.
"I'm... alive. Mortal once more." Gabriel's voice was hoarse, cracked even. He gulped, but the stinging sensation did not abate. "How is it possible? What is happening? And if I'm human, how by God in Heaven are you even here?!" Dismay crept into the man's voice. "Is this to be my punishment?!"
A knavish smirk quirked the corners of Dracul's lips. "Look at you. Able to form seamless sentences mere hours after Convergence. You're special, and rightfully so."
" 'Convergence?' What on earth-"
"But then again," the vampire lord contemplated out loud. "No other Earthborn has lasted long enough to undergo Convergence. You're the first. That alone speaks volumes." He got to his feet and offered the baffled soldier a hand. "But you needn't worry, my friend. I won't harass you for much longer. I've my own course to pursue in this place."
Gabriel took his sibling's hand. "This place...?"
"Look around you."
He complied. A sea of red and green greeted his sight. Hundreds- Thousands- Millions of poppy flowers moved in the wind, save for a trampled patch beneath his feet. Poppies blanketed the ground the whole way to the horizon. He could hear a brook murmur not far from them, and a forest was visible in the distance, but aside from that he couldn't see anyone. No settlements, no roads. 'Twas just him and his undead brother. Bathing in the light of the setting sun.
"Ah." Gabriel snapped his head back at Dracul. "Where are we?"
Rather than answer his question, the Dragon grinned. Gabriel tilted his head sideways. That smile seemed stiff... insincere in some manner. Almost as if the gesture itself was alien to the vampire. "Follow me. I want to show you something," he said, and trudged through the thicket. The soldier paused, mulling his alternatives over, and strode after him. His brother was dodging questions, true, but he'd sooner stick with him than be left behind in the middle of a poppy field.
The burble of the creek grew louder, and soon they were standing on its pebbly bank. Dragonflies buzzed past his ear. The crystal clear water beckoned, and Gabriel ached to wash the awful aftertaste out his mouth. He knelt and cupped his hands together. The icy current stung his skin, and a joyful – dare he say, enraptured, – laugh fled his mouth. It felt good. He brought the cupful of water to his lips and downed it in one swig. Even better. He reached out and dipped his hands in the brook. Splashed his face with the refreshing coolness. And then his gaze fell upon his distorted reflection. To have it once more... A tumble of untamed chestnut hair, five o'clock shadow and-
He blinked. One blue. One red.
Gabriel bounced back with a startled oath. "What is this?" He spun around. "Why is-?"
"Your right eye is red, and other one is blue?" Dracul concluded, nonchalantly inspecting his claws. "It's an aftermath. An aftermath of fusing the two pieces of your soul into one. Convergence. Reunification of the good side and the evil sides."
"Ah, pardon my tactlessness." The knight furrowed his brow. "But if that's the case, how did you get here? Aren't you- I- Am I my own... Gah, you know what I mean. The evil side. Or are you just a figment of my imagination?"
Dracul primmed up his mouth and drew close. "Sorry to disappoint you. I'm quite real." Without any warning, he nipped the soldier on the forearm. Gabriel pulled a face. "Hm, gnarly things these talons are. Hope that wasn't all too unpleasant."
"Be mindful of those," he replied, rubbing the sore spot. "They pose more trouble than you might expect."
"I'll bear that in mind." The vampire folded his arms behind his back. "But to answer your question... I'm an independent individual. I'm no one's 'evil part' anymore. You've shrugged off the shackles that bound us together. We can mold our own fates now, as long as we continue to serve the higher cause."
"But how did I- you survive? The Vampire Killer carries God's blessing!"
"Oh, this old thing?" The combat cross gleamed in the sunlight as Dracul pulled it from under his coat. "Here." He proffered the armament to his brother. "I was told to return it to you."
Gabriel reached and took the weapon into his hands. The Killer's stake thrust out, and the man could see one new nick etched into its end. The reminder of his suicide. Sighing, he holstered the cross.
"Aye, the Vampire Killer is holy," the elder continued. "It's an instrument of justice. It destroys one's physical body, but leaves the soul intact. When you passed away, the Almighty retrieved that soul. Now cleansed of the Bernhard's taint, He placed it into His chief Archangel, thus preserving it and combining both fragments. You're not human, Gabriel. You inhabit your saintlike brother's unmarred body."
Gabriel responded with a blank stare. "I inhabit my brother's body?" he repeated. He shifted his shoulder bones – no wings. Or at least he couldn't perceive a pair. "Didn't he perish alongside me?"
"He did, but he had never been struck with the Vampire Killer. He died because of your bond. But when Convergence was complete, that link – something that guaranteed you'd indeed stay dead – broke." A fleeting smirk crossed elder's mouth. "The Governing Paragons are an odd lot. They do not die unless there's something more compelling than them preventing their resurrection."
"That makes sense," Gabriel affirmed, bowing his head. "Yet if I'm whole, this means that-" He jolted to gaze his relative in the eye. "Can it be true? Can one live on without the very culmination of one's being?"
"I'm not empty, Gabriel, if that's what you're getting at." The smile was back, this time broader. Self-complacent even. "I've been given back what is mine. Plus a nifty bonus in the form of this body. 'Twas rotten and barely operational, but I managed to patch it." The vampire lord's grin grew starved. "After all, I couldn't let all that prestige and power go to waste. That would be impractical."
Recognition knelled in the man's mind, and he staggered back, astonished. "Lucifer?!"
Dracul's lopsided grin dissolved in a frustrated scowl. He uttered a glum sigh. "If this was our insubordinate brother, believe me, he'd not loiter. He'd force the Killer through your throat the moment he saw you, not waste breath and explain what's happened. He might arrogance personified, but he's not a moron."
That half-scathing, half-disapproving tone was all too familiar to the soldier's ears. "Forgotten One?" he hazarded another guess.
"I prefer 'Ikayiel', if you don't mind." The vampire snorted, an amused smirk in place.
"You stole my body." Gabriel's lower eyelid twitched. "You stole my body!"
"A fitting compensation for thirteen centuries of captivity." The Forgotten One snapped his fingers, and the blistering heat of Chaos wreathed around his wrists. Another click, and the pommeled Void Sword materialized in his right hand. The daemon raked his claws across the blade, a look of profound contemplation in his red eyes. "You butchered my powers, but that's alright." He gave the weapon a swing. Void breathed the distinctive siphoning noise. "To be honest, I like them this way. Crude, but straight to the point. And... I admire your handiwork. An impressive design on the hilt."
Gabriel sucked a breath through gnashed teeth.
"Bah, don't be a dog in the manger, Gabriel," Ikayiel chided. "If that's of any consolation, the Supreme Being Himself recommended I should seize what was left of your carcass."
The man's brow rose. Surprise wiped all anger away in an instant. "W-why's that?"
The archfiend dismissed the sword, and wound his arm around the soldier's shoulders. Gabriel sought to move away, but the Forgotten One's heavy hand halted him. "You've played host for the Bernhard's Fiend for over a millennium. Your body was attuned to its infernal essence. Were I to transfer my own into an earthly vessel, 'twould decompose in matter of minutes. And besides, this was the only workable way for me to repossess my powers."
"So what now?" Gabriel couldn't help but snarl. "Are you going to exact your long overdue vengeance now? Put me behind bars for the next thousand years?"
Ikayiel tsked. "Why on earth would I do that?" he asked, voice mellow.
The daemon's tender – nigh-kindly! – tone made the knight falter. "Because..." Gabriel began, uncertain. "Because you desire to destroy the human race? Inflict ten times the pain that was inflicted upon you when you were imprisoned by the Brotherhood. Weren't those your words?"
"Oh, you mean revenge." The Forgotten One grimaced. "It had never been my goal, you know that now. I'd reached an agreement with the Paragons, and I've gotten what I wanted. Nevertheless, I admit. My earlier statement about wishing to see you suffer holds a bit of truth. You did imprison me for another millennium, deal or no deal. But in my opinion our body swap was a fine long-term investment. You needn't worry; I'll take good care of it."
"What are you going to do now?"
"I'm the protector of everything there is to know." The vampire shrugged. "I'm going to carry on with my research. In solitude. I'm fed up with having to deal with humans... Well, aside from an occasional trip to the blood bank. As powerful as your discarded body might be, it's still undead. It demands sustenance to function. How... unseemly."
A low-pitched chuckle rumbled in Gabriel's chest. "Unseemly, you say?"
"Reverting vampirism is grueling task," the daemon answered, his gaze soft. "And, ultimately, meaningless. If you were cured of the infection, time would have caught up with you and turned you into dust. And that was something the Paragons – God Himself! – couldn't tolerate."
"I can't believe it." The knight pushed his hands against his eyes. "This is absurd. If someone had told me a day ago that I'd befriend the Sovereign of Darkness – the beast I could have sworn I destroyed! – I'd have cold-cocked them."
"I'm a humble and even-tempered-" Ikayiel's eyes fluttered down. "-man when no one is usurping my throne. Or welting me in the face simply for pleasure. Or leaping around like a flea and stealing my powers. Or disregarding my appeal."
Gabriel gave a small cough.
"Fine-fine. You're right. Enough of reminiscing." The archfiend tucked his hand behind the edge of his coat and took out an engraved band of bronze. Talisman of the Dragon. "Take it. I'm not a Dragonsoul. It's no use to me."
The man eyeballed the charm, and a morose scowl wound his features. "Keep it," he said. "It gives rise to all the unpleasant memories I'd rather bury."
"It's not a commemorative token, Gabriel. It's your way of getting out of this poppy field. Unless you fancy clawing your way past all the shrubbery. After that... do whatever you want with it." The Forgotten One motioned toward the sunset. "Fly west. You'll know when you get there."
"Get where exactly?"
"There should be a settlement in seven-eight miles from here. You would cover this distance in under a quarter of an hour. Get going; we've dawdled long enough already. And as for me- I'll meet you there."
A halfhearted sigh fled Gabriel's mouth as he reached out to collect the talisman. The man pivoted to ask the daemon another question, but he was gone. Only an ethereal layer of reddish mist blanketed the earth. "Exploiting vampiric abilities already," he muttered under his breath, "somehow I'm not surprised." Shaking his head in disapproval, he returned to scrutinizing the relic.
A dragon's ash-gray scales lingered in its middle. Gabriel kneaded the infernal amulet in his hands, its knifelike ridges digging into his flesh. For a split second, he wished to crumple the thing into a ball and chuck it far, far away. Yet the sting of pain sobered him up. He couldn't quite put the blame on a token, could he. His fall, his fault. One last time, and then it will be over. Bracing himself for the worst, he crushed the scales, freeing the magic stored in them.
Iridescence erupted in front of his eyes, and tears gathered up in his eyes. Ruffs and fin-like growths burgeoned forth, unfolding like a bud. Tear-shaped, pearly scales dashed down his body. A myriad of colors swam before his vision. Gabriel heaved a baffled snort. Well, that's odd. His, for the lack of a better word, regular change boasted a hide of embers, mangled wings, and a sleek body. This, however, was an immaculate inverse. The transformed knight danced in place, trying to take a better look.
He saw a pair of triangular wings, tapering gently as they reached his tail. A multicolored membrane, stretched across their ridges, shivered in the wind. His webbed fore paws, much shorter and stouter. His belly, tiled with curved plates. A ring of horns crested his head like a crown. Thick whiskers lined the bottom of his jaw. And finally, magenta irises with round pupils. Unless his reflection in the creek was lying to him... Oh, his scales were changing color, too. They seemed to have absorbed some of the sunlight and now were emitting a soft, warm glow.
Gabriel stood still for a bit, lost in thought. His frilled tail darted from side to side, cutting down the greenery. To his sheer astonishment, this change did not make the painful recollections get the better of him. Yes, he could recall burning down villages and tearing through the ranks of the Brotherhood in this form, but the memory was suppressed. Almost as if by artificial means. Intimidating and reassuring at the same time. Even the most latest incident with the Bernhard's Demon was locked like valuables in a strongbox.
He hunkered down, summoning his resolve, and sprang. His wings rippled as they moved, and he flapped them vigorously, trying to gain height. Warmth spread through his joints, and a mirthful guffaw escaped his maw. To feel this alive for the first time in a millennium. To be alive. Loops, barrel rolls, kulbits to test his new body... To listen to the rhythmic beat of his heart... He thought he had heard the last of it. Gabriel circled above the grassland a few more times, banked left and then zipped toward the sunset. And as he looked back, he understood one thing.
Dracul was dead.
And Gabriel was alive.
This made the man hit an air pocket. Fortunately, he leveled off in time and escaped crash landing into a copse of trees. Indeed, naught was left. Someone had consigned all evidence of the Dragon's reign to oblivion. Even his own cadaver did not belong to him anymore. His slate has been wiped clean.
So he could turn over a new leaf.
So he'd remember the consequence of his downfall.
Smothered sobs clogged up Gabriel's throat. Marie. Trevor. They had kept faith in him. Believed he could be redeemed. Despite everything, till the very end. They dragged him out of the pit he had never hoped to escape. A debt was owed, yet he recognized he couldn't pay it back. What could he do to make it all better? What could a former monster do? People had christened him the worst beast ever to walk the Earth for a good reason...
And so Gabriel made himself a promise. He would not repeat the same mistake. All of his wrongs would be righted. He would pray for his victims and he would get to know them. A futile cause: those who'd passed away now lived beyond the grace of God. But- Damn it, he wouldn't back down that easily. He would find a way to restore the mutilated souls to their original state.
Meanwhile, the wilderness began to thin out, giving way to cultivated fields and cattle grazing on the open meadows. Cottages and bungalows dotted the land beneath him. Tar-sealed roads tied them up together like a cord. They twined, they twisted, they melted near a small, sequestered hamlet. A great stream – the brook Gabriel found must have been its tributary – bracketed it. Yet in spite of nightfall fast approaching, the village was barren of life. The transformed knight hesitated. Could this be the community the daemon spoke of? If so what happened to the people?
Oh, a mottle of red sped across one of bridges, growing more humanoid with every step it took. By God, the Forgotten One needed to change his attire. That all too familiar embroidered coat was starting to get under Gabriel's skin. The archfiend's Creation magics did a splendid job, that much was certain, yet the Belmont preferred not to have it rubbed into his face. Beyond what was necessary, of course.
Ikayiel cast his gaze skywards and waved his hands. Gabriel landed a dozen of feet and dissolved back into a man, the draconic charm clutched in his hand.
"So, Gabriel," the daemon in his discarded body intoned. His crimson irises glimmered in the gloam. "Did you like your new form? What did you think of it?"
"It was... certainly something. I did not expect it," he confessed, twirling the hollowed-out Talisman in his fingers. After a second of contemplation, he pocketed it.
"Better get used to it." A smirk crossed Ikayiel's bearded mouth.
"So why are we here?"
"This isn't a run-of-the-mill village." The vampire gestured to one of the two-story houses. Shingled roof, timbered walls, flowerpots strewn across the dooryard... "This is the place where your saintlike brother had lived for the past ten centuries."
Gabriel startled. "Lived? Here? But that would mean we're-"
"In Heaven, yes. Welcome to the pocket dimension bound to Yetzirah, the third layer. In spite of being allowed into the second, Beri'ah, the Archangel chose to settle down here."
"It looks so much like Earth, though," Gabriel thought out loud. "Like... home."
"You shouldn't be surprised. This was the Archangel's domain, and he was its decorator." The Forgotten One's gaze grew solemn. "It's yours now."
The man's legs all but turned to jelly. "Wh- I am to stay? In Heaven?! After everything I've done?!"
"Simmer down, Gabriel." A shiver ran down the knight's spine. A lithe humanoid sauntered into view, spidery fingers steepled together. Elohim's bluish-green eyes regarded the archfiend. "I'll take it from here, Ikayiel. Thank you for your assistance. But don't venture too far; I'd like you to attend the ceremony if one should happen."
"M'Lord." The Forgotten One tipped his head, swiveled on his heels and trod off. Before long, his garb melded with the shadows, leaving the Creator and the man to themselves.
"I hope he didn't spook you." A phantom of a smile graced His fleshless mouth. "Trust me; you won't be needing Dracul's body any longer. His story has been concluded and your had just begun. Yet first and foremost, allow Me tell you that I had a good reason for not upholding My end of the bargain. For giving you your life back-"
"Again." The semi-sullen remark fled Gabriel's throat before he managed to hold it back.
The Being pondered for a second. "Again, you're correct. But hear Me out. Till recently, these four layers of reality had had a protector. Michael, the mightiest of My archangels. His duty was to fend off the nightmarish creatures that seek to invade this domain. And thanks to him, none were successful."
The warrior blinked. "Luci-?"
"No, not Lucifer," God cut him off, the corners of His mouth crawling downwards. "The Morning Star is one of many. He might spearhead this revolt, but other – lesser – brutes do not slumber. Take Ikayiel's heedless offspring, for example. They'd too want to repeat his accomplishment. They'd want to ascend into Heaven. And we cannot allow that."
We. The heavy-handed suggestion didn't escape him. "Then why don't let him take care of the daemons?" Gabriel folded his arms. "He had created them, they're his responsibility."
"For the precisely same reason I'm asking you to replace Michael," the Host echoed his thoughts.
"You revived me to offer me yet another job." His lips curled up in a wry grimace.
"You seethe with displeasure. Don't you want to make amends for your wrongdoings?"
The man's brow climbed up. "Naturally. I just-" He paused. "Just wish there would be another way. A way that wouldn't involve You breathing down my neck once more. No offense."
"None taken." A sage nod. "In retrospect, I should not have left you in the dark, Gabriel. But... I wasn't sure for the well-being of my messengers. You had after all snuffed out the lives of two angels, banished my favorite, defeated the archangel of knowledge, and then finished with obliterating the protector of Eden. Indeed, the only one who wasn't terrified of you was your brother. And you needed his body if you were ever to escape the clutches of the Demon and live." He examined the fidgeting warrior. "I can see your hesitation. I understand that you're tired. Tired of being the 'Chosen One.' Tired of being ushered like a sheep. Then perhaps I can offer you something in return for your services. To show My appreciation and... that no deed is left unrecognized."
God clapped His hands twice. At once, all lanterns, torches, and braziers scattered around the village erupted in flames. Their radiance dispelled the dusk and drowned the two in light. "Much better. It was getting dark," He said. "And now, if you do not object, it is time for you to receive your long-awaited accolades."
The scuffle of hooves diverted the warrior's attention. Gabriel wrung his head. A figure, dressed in loose-fitting clothing, inched from behind one of the cabins with the aid of a walking stick. A human's face, horns, a gray-haired mane, and periwinkle eyes betrayed the alien's identity. Pan. Another, a much taller and stern-looking fawn clad in nothing but tree bark and red leaves, loomed behind the first one. Agreus's eyeless skull betrayed no emotion.
But the two brothers were just a fraction of the delegation. A young lass pranced alongside the Old God. Baubles were woven into her golden locks and a fringed with velvet shawl cascaded down her shoulders. A pendant bejeweled with a gleaming purple crystal poked from under Claudia's cloak. Another girl, about the same age, wearing an elegant miniver kirtle and a pair of lacy gloves, soon joined the rest. Her hair was plaited into a long yet simple braid – 'twas so odd to see Laura favor something like that now. She grinned, a jubilant – fanged! – grin, and a feeling of nausea settled down in Gabriel's stomach. Vampirism cannot be reverted, wasn't that what the Forgotten One said? He got lucky. He had a doppelgänger whose body he could use. But that would mean...
A trio came into view. First, a redheaded female with fair complexion and staggering green eyes. Robed in a button-down blouse and a layered skirt. Gabriel peered, trying to place the woman's face, yet his mind stayed blank. He hadn't run across her, had he? The soldier's gaze flickered to examine her companion, and a wheeze choked him.
The same silvery hair, wolven eyes and pallid skin, cracked in some places like rock. Alucard had exchanged the Lieutenant's armor for an off-white shirt, a teal waistcoat and knee-breeches. No boots or gauntlets. His and the woman's hands were intertwined, and Gabriel espied his son give her an affectionate glance. So that must be Sypha, his daughter-in-law. They had been reunited.
Beside Trevor stood another. A well-built man with disheveled red hair and beard, covered in scars and furs. A hot itch made Gabriel's hair stand up on the back of his neck. He pushed his fingers against his chest. Unmarred as it may be now, it did not stop him from envisioning a wound there.
Innumerable humanoid figures lingered next to Simon. Men, women, elders, children. Each with a brooch buttoned to their clothing. A brooch portraying a mountain tor and a cross. Bile rose in the knight's throat. Some of these people... He knew them personally. Juste, Desmond, Richter, Zoe. Those were the Belmonts who came after Simon. Those who died at the hands of their ancestor. Senseless sacrifices, sent to rid the world of the blight. What a cruel jest.
One of the women in the back rows waggled her finger at him, dispelling Gabriel's decaying mood. An undercut, leather jacket, ironshod boots, a holstered combat cross... Eve tipped her head and leaned against a tall, robust man in a vest. A flush of embarrassment rose to Victor's marred cheeks. He muttered something, and Eve straightened up. She shrugged haphazardly.
Gabriel inspected the gathering once more and faced Elohim. "But... but what about Laura? What about Trevor? Are they going-" The question died in his throat. He swallowed.
The Avatar's wistful stare answered it well enough. "A conduit between Earth and Heaven is required to sliver your soul. I couldn't have cured their condition even if I wanted to."
"There has to be another way then!" he insisted. "A rite, a spell...!"
"Gabriel," the Host interjected in a gentle tone. "They don't want to cured."
Alucard drew closer, Sypha in tow. The Wolf's amber eyes gleamed, and his arm winded around the redhead's shoulders. "We're fine, Father, and don't worry. We've made our decision."
"Trevor!"
"In my case, it's a cobbled together memento. To remind myself of what had come about. Still, now I see that you'd chosen yours as well." The vampire tapped his long-nailed finger underneath his right eye. "Trust me. I'm fine. More than fine. In fact, I haven't felt this alive in centuries."
The older Belmont pinched the bridge of his nose and glowered at his son. Halfheartedly, of course. In response, Alucard burst into laughter, all but doubling over in the process. "I'm... I'm sorry," he blurted out, chuckling. "But for a moment there you looked as though you were about to reprimand me."
"Well, I can't believe you've such a low opinion of your old man." Gabriel arched an eyebrow. "I wouldn't humiliate you in front of everyone." On that point he resolved to change the subject. If Trevor favored this existence, he would stand by his guns. The boy had inherited his bullheadedness. "Sypha, I presume?" he addressed the woman at Alucard's side. "If so, I apologize for the atrocious circumstances surrounding our... meeting."
"It's alright." A patient smile tugged at Sypha's lips. "After we'd learned everything, we couldn't hold a grudge against you."
"And Trevor-!"
The sorceress offered her husband a coy glance. "I'm thrilled to have him come back home at long last. His outside might have changed, but in his heart, he's as gallant and resolute as ever."
"Aye. The boy's good at what he does."
A wolfish snort escaped Alucard's throat. "Thanks. I take pride in my accomplishments."
"And you should!" An earnest note crept into the knight's voice. "You've made a monster redeem himself. And I couldn't be more grateful."
The subdued snicker turned into snivel. The following moment, two arms whorled about him and pulled Gabriel into a smothering hug. One of his ribs uttered a crunch, causing an inarticulate rasp to echo in his chest. Alucard stiffened and backed down, eyes as wide as saucers. "Oh, God! I didn't mean it, Father! How are you feeling?"
Gabriel kneaded the bruised spot – hah, as if he could mend a fracture with that! – a bemused expression in place. It would take some time before he got... re-used to more conventional ways of recovery. "It's nothing. But do watch your strength in the future, deal?"
"Deal." Trevor's grin was back.
"Hey!" Laura's chirruping voice caught up with them. "Not fair! I was here first! I want a hug, too!" The child-vampire barreled straight toward him, arms wide open. Gabriel scooped the brave girl up, a smile of his own quirking his lips. She squeaked as her feet were lifted off the ground. Nonetheless, it didn't take her long to worm out of his grasp. Laura's form dissolved into a purple-speckled mist, glided behind Gabriel's back, reformed, and leapfrogged onto his back. He stumbled.
"Gah!" he gurgled, struggling to keep his balance. "Laura!"
"Don't topple over now, Gabriel!" A giggle reached for his ears.
"I'm trying!" The man steadied himself, hand over his injured side.
The girl nuzzled his shirt. "Don't mind us, you goon. We may be vampires, but bloodlust no longer bothers us." Her grasp around his chest grew tighter. "Sorry I turned my back on you."
"I... it's- There's no need for that, dear Laura. I'd forgiven you a long time ago."
He felt her perk up. "Really?"
"Really." Gabriel twisted his neck to taker a gander in the child-vampire's direction. "I like your new hairstyle."
The corners of Laura's eyes crinkled. Unhurriedly, she slid down. "Promise to play with me once this is over?" she said, unmistakable tenderness in her voice.
"Promise." He gave her a teasing boop on the nose.
The Old Brothers and the mute mind-reader drew near next. Pan folded his hands on the helve of his walking stick. "Forgiveness is an instrument available to all humankind, though only a few choose to wield it. And even then one mustn't delay, for the iron may grow too cold. You've done well, Gabriel."
The man sighed. "You're wrong, old one. 'Tis I who has to pray for forgiveness."
"Do not undervalue the importance of your exploits, Gabriel. You forgave your brother, you forgave your Lord. The key difference between you and your arch-nemesis."
"Still, if I were more scrupulous, then none of this would've happened."
Agreus took an unhesitating stride forward. "If you were more scrupulous, you would have stayed with your wife and infant son. Lucifer would have seized control of the Throne of Shadows, and none would have been able to challenge him."
And if you stayed you wouldn't have encountered any of us! Claudia observed, her chirpy voice echoing in his mind. One needs friends as well as family.
Gabriel grinned from ear to ear. "Fair point." His eyes found the Host. "Are these-?"
"Who died so you could perform your duty, yes. Those few who had managed to escape the Demon's toothy maw. I could not overlook their sacrifice. Nor could I let the Morning Star claim them." Elohim tilted His head sideways. "Yet they're not My messengers and thus cannot stay in Yetzirah. The fourth and final layer of My kingdom – Assiah – is their home. If you take up My offer, you'll be able to visit them anytime."
"Become the guardian of Eden? Till the end of time?"
"Till the end of time. I'd rather not have high personnel turnover." The Avatar uttered a tinkling laugh. His expression then turned bemused. "Ah, forgive Me. I almost forgot. There's one more someone who desires to see you. The one who had started all of this."
The door to the Archangel's abode creaked. The white fabric of her dress rustled as Marie came to the fore. Her locks were plaited into a side braid and a shawl sheltered her shoulders from the chill. As radiant as the sun and delicate as a lily, the Justicar floated toward him, the corners of her mouth curving upward. Her hands, so slender, so warm, so flawless, reached out for his.
"My love."
Gabriel didn't answer. Rather than waste time, he cupped her face and planted a passionate kiss on her mouth. Marie returned the favor, the gentle caress of her lips on his. After a few long seconds, the knight pulled back, out of breath. "Something I should have done without the Mask on," he said with a mischievous smirk.
Marie snorted, a flush of red coloring her cheeks. "Fond of smooching ghosts then?"
"Not exactly." Gabriel rounded his brows and stared up. "Though no one can beat the palpable you."
"As silver-tongued as ever, my husband."
He had to guffaw at that.
The Host tapped the elongated fingers against His chin. "I'm delighted to hear you bring up My Mask, Gabriel." The relic in question shimmered into the Being's hand. The markings on the mask were not dissimilar to the ones on His face. "Because there's one last thing I want to show you. Something that will help you make up your mind. Alas, it can only be viewed through My eyes." He held the embossed device out. "Put it on and glance up."
The God Mask was a gentle burden in Gabriel's hands. He turned the relic over, tracing the rough texture with his fingertips, and glared at those stony, pupil-less eyes. With a weary sigh, the knight complied and slipped it on.
A streak of blue floated by. Another. And another. Thousands of vague glowing figures occupied the night sky, roving about and bumping into each other. At first they seemed human, yet further scrutiny yielded an uncanny detail. All of them were... mutilated. Dismembered, disfigured, torn, beheaded. As if some unspeakable beast had chopped up their bodies and chewed on the remains.
One of the phantoms – a hunched up woman with bloodied stumps where arms should be – phased right through him. Sorrow, anguish, hatred. Profound – alien! – emotion cascaded down upon him, causing Gabriel to startle and yank the mask off. The spirits vanished, framing the land in darkness. He blinked in confusion.
"The Demon's victims." God scooped the discarded Mask off the ground. "The ones I'd managed to salvage when it died. Jaded and lethargic, they're forced to spend the rest of their days in Limbo. On the threshold of Heaven and Earth. You've been to Limbo. You know how it feels." He sighed. "The poor souls. The beast had taken a perverse pleasure in pinching off one bit at a time."
"Can they be saved?" He paused. "Can I save them?"
"Only if you are willing to dedicate yourself to that purpose."
"It's my fault they're in such a state," he murmured. "The least I can do is to make amends. Watch over both the dead-" Gabriel gazed at his companions. "And the living. Thank You, by the way. For bringing them back. I- I did not expect to see any of them again."
"My pleasure." The Host's gapless teeth flashed in a grin. "But, as you can see, your current condition adds a layer of complication. Convergence had stripped you of your abilities, a dragon's soul notwithstanding. If you are to succeed in your endeavor, you are going to need My assistance." He shuffled. "At least, for the time being. After that, however, I'm going to leave you to your own devices. You will be able to hear My Voice, but I will not intervene into your life. Do you find these new terms acceptable?"
"Aye, but if I accept-" Gabriel pursed his lips. "Can the guardian of Eden fall?"
"Anything is possible. Mankind has free will after all," Elohim answered mysteriously. "But let us not veer off the topic. Do you accept the mantle of My protector?"
"After all I've witnessed?" The man knelt down and stared into the ground. "Yes, my Liege."
"Do you swear to safeguard this realm and its denizens from My enemies?"
"I swear."
"Ikayiel!" Elohim called out. A gust of icy wind zipped past the knight. Out of the corner of his eye Gabriel could see Void's runic blade, its point lingering close to his boot. "Spread the word! Assemble the messengers! My Champion has agreed to become Eden's protector!"
"Is that so?" The daemon chortled. "Right away, sire."
"I knew you had it in you, love." The back of Marie's hand brushed against his cheek.
Gabriel climbed to his feet and wreathed his arm round her waist. "If it weren't for you and Trevor-" he trailed off, a meek smirk twirling his lips.
Marie didn't answer. She snuggled up to him and buried her face into the crook of his neck. Her smell... One of lilies, beeswax, and nutmeg. For over a thousand years he wanted blood. Draw it, savor it, spill it. 'Twas a yearning that drove him. Yawned at his heels. But now... The itch that dwelt within his throat was silent. The bestial instincts were subdued... Nay, not subdued. Extinguished. The knight passed his tongue over his teeth. Still no fangs. Such an odd sensation.
The beat of many wings announced the arrival of the Heavenly Hosts. Akin to a cloud of hummingbirds, they clustered around Elohim's Avatar. The Forgotten One turned up last, two enormous wings sticking out his back. Well, he learned to sculpt his blood pretty damn quick. Gabriel scoffed.
The fallen archangel took his place beside the Almighty, and only then did the older Belmont discover something. A sleek brass trumpet was clutched in the archfiend's hand. The Horn of Truth.
"Ah, everyone is here. Good." God drew a longsword, unsurprisingly, out of thin air. A basic blade, simple and straightforward. In life it might have belonged to some minor noble. "For the accolade," the Being clarified. "I am to confer rights and benefits upon you with the touch of this sword."
"Like knighthood," Gabriel ruminated.
"Yes. But before we can go on, a little adjustment." He snapped His fingers, and a shiver sped down the knight's spine. In an instant, his apparel was replaced with a gilt-edged outfit, armor-plated boots, and a pair of leather armguards. A skull-shaped crest lay in the middle of his chest piece and sheaths were fastened around his waist. His Brotherhood uniform. And in splendid condition, too! A mellow hem escaped Gabriel's throat.
"There. Much better." He smirked. "And now- No-no. No need to kneel, My Champion. Once is more than enough." The Avatar lifted His blade and tapped the flat side on the man's shoulder. "Gabriel Belmont, you hereby are granted the title of the Seraph. The Exalted Savior. The Guardian of Heaven. My Representative on every plane." He tilted His head back. "Ikayiel, the Horn, please."
The Forgotten One drew close, flourishing the Celestial Trumpet like a staff. "This is what had made you embark upon this journey. It is only fair you get to keep it."
"Yet without your contribution, I wouldn't have known what to expect," Gabriel replied. "Thanks."
"A compliment!" A dimple showed in one cheek as the daemon's lips quirked in amusement. "Such music to my ears! Most certainly outmatches the time you tried to intimidate me."
The knight chuckled. Ah, 'twas so peculiar to hear his former foe breathe such remarks in his voice, but it was something Gabriel could live with. He reached out and let his fingers coil about the Horn's pipe.
Warmth – instant, intoxicating – swept over the man. Gabriel stumbled back, grip around the trumpet growing white-knuckled. A feeling of saturated weightlessness prickled his skin. Downy tufts swam through the air like snowflakes. He reached out and snatched some. Dandelion, he thought, but the object that occupied his palm was anything but.
A feather. A long, snow-white feather. Gabriel swiveled. One, two, three... six majestic wings were suspended behind his back. A good deal larger than the Seraph Shoulders. Clean feathers, dappled in various shades of red and gold.
He jerked. The wings, in spite of not being attached to his body, twitched as well. He tried folding them. Then spreading them. Then folding again. And just like the fabled Seraph Shoulders, they obeyed without hesitation.
"May your weapon rend the flesh of all those who threaten My children." The Being dropped a curtsy, sword in hand. "With that, you are free. Go and shape your own destiny."
With a throaty laugh, Gabriel hunkered down and took off.
A thunderous roar engulfed the village as he ascended into the night sky. The Hosts were cheering. Their unfeigned mirth hop-skipped through the air like a river rapid. Below him, the risen and the living applauded. A patch of flowers bloomed beneath Pan's feet, which then withered away beneath Agreus's. Claudia and Laura, attempting to outclap one another and growing more and more worked up by the second. Eve, pulling pranks on other Belmonts in spite of her age. Victor's disapproving and embarrassed face. Sypha, conjuring floating orbs of light around them. Simon, guffawing softly and trying to swat them down. Marie, her hands looped around Alucard's forearm. And finally Trevor himself, that signature lopsided smirk on his lips. He wriggled out off her embrace.
And when a cloud of bats began to shadow him, Gabriel could not conceal a heartfelt smile.
An end. And a new beginning.