OOC: Someone suggested I make clearer, and better breaks. Hope this helps!
Chapter 7: Symphony of the Night, Part 3
"Come girl." Gabriel urged Louise further, "We are nearing our destination, dear Louise." The flower garden were Dracul annihilated Guiche, the nobleman from earlier, was the sight of the grisly murders, that were currently being blamed on Gabriel, under Louise's orders. Once they were at the scene of the crime, the Vampire Prince could properly identify the true perpetrator, and take steps to eliminate the threat, and clear him, and Louise's names. Louise hurriedly followed behind him, down the dark hallway.
"Weird...I would assume there would be more people around. Investigating the crime scene and all. This silence is worrying..." She uttered, closely following behind the Vampire's longcoat
"I concur." The vampire prince responded harshly. They had been walking for nearly fifteen minutes. Gabriel by himself could close the distance in a minute, with his supernatural speed, but he had Louise as a burden. Oddly though, they hadn't come across any guard patrols, as Louise alluded too. He had expected to run into more Tristian military patrols, closer they got to the murder scene, but so far, not a soul. Perhaps they were focusing more on protecting the students, then catching the perpetrators?
Bahhh. I wonder if those "knights" have experienced real combat before. Fought in the mud, covered in blood and guts. Probably not.
Finally reaching the entrance way into the garden, Louise shouted, "Finally!" She suddenly increased her walking pace to a run, and rushed forward to the garden.
Gabriel raised his hand, and yelled, "Wait, Louise, stay behind me, it could be dangerous!" She ignored him, rushing pass the vampire prince. Gabriel shrugged in annoyance,
Meh. If she gets injured, she only has herself to blame.
While keeping his dignified stride, Gabriel noticeably increased his speed.
As he walked out of the dark hallway, and into the flower garden, he immediately felt the cool rain hit him in the head, though his already wet skin lessened the impact. The roaring thunder, and striking, blue lightning, only added dark ambiance to the carnage that awaited the duo. Among the black roses, two mangled, piles of flesh, and meat sat. Gabriel could only call them that, since he couldn't describe what he saw as human corpses. The features that made them, people, were all missing, and he could barely make out parts of limbs, among the testimony of disgusting barbarity. Among them, he did see a handful of chewed-up bones, but they were cracked, and barely legible, the only reason he was able to identify, was because there color clashed so hideously beside the rancid, torn up remains. Among the piles of foul remains, torn, and destroyed remnants of clothing could be spotted among the pile, though they were so soaked from rain, and blood, they had lost there original coloration.
Louise who had arrived first, just stood there, her vacant eyes empty, with a look of pure horror spread spreading across her face. Falling to her knees, the young mage emptied her stomach contents onto the grass,
I warned you little girl.
Ignoring his companions sickness, the vampire went closer, and inspected the remains, crouching near them to get a better look. The first thing he noticed was the smell. The meat was rotten, and putrid. This pointed to two conclusions. One. The murder had happened a few days ago. Which is literally impossible. Or number two, the murderer had drained there life essence from them, using black magic, or the inherent power a few creatures of the night possessed. Scratching his chin, Gabriel became even more confused when he began to think on the situation.
If the creature had been a fellow, albeit lesser, vampire, he was certain it would be...a little cleaner, as it was quite uncommon for one of his kin to partake in a meal this...messy. While certainly, many specimens of Nosfertu, he had encountered over his millenniums of eternal life, feasted on human flesh, he was certain, going by memory, none of them ever eviscerated, and ripped apart human flesh so badly the corpse was unidentifiable as a human being!
The way the body was literally ripped apart, certainly pointed to a Lycantrope. Even a Warg. But for many reasons, the vampire excluded that explanation. One, it would be quite impossible for a warg to move stealthy, as those creatures were the size of dire-bears. While it was more plausible, for a lesser Lycantrope to be the culprit, that was still highly unlikely, as most were...quite stupid, and could not avoid a group of human soldiers for long in an unfamiliar environment. Then perhaps one of Gabriel's, and Cornwell's chosen warriors, the Great Lycantopes? While highly intelligent, they still were as bestial, and strong as there lesser cousins. That would make more sense. However, none of those creatures drained like a parasite, the life force of there victims. They feasted on human remains, certainly, but digested, and regained energy the way normal beasts, and human's did. How would a Werewolf being the murderer explain the state of decay the meat was in?
It was possible that the beast was none other then one of Dracul's castle's many...ehem "freeloading" inhabits, a dreaded harpy. They combined the intelligence of the Nosfertu, with the overwhelming bestial strength of the Lycantrope into one winged devil. Furthermore, as decedents of the Old Gods, some were gifted in the arts of Black sorcery, which would explain the use of life drain. But then again, that didn't make sense. Harpies were extinct in the mortal plane! And not "extinct" in the sense, Lycantropes, and Vampire's were (as in, very rare, but not completely dead), they were purged from the world. In an extermination, by the Brotherhood, and armies of Europe in the 1800's. All of them were long dead.
None of this makes any blasted sense...wait...what's that...
Suddenly, something among the pile of decay caught Gabriel's eye. A discarded, blue, piece of blue cloth. Reaching down to grab it, the vampire briefly inspected it. It was very old, and torn up, loosing much of it's former splendor, though going by the design and quality, it was quite simple to begin with. A common, hair ribbon, it seemed. Something about it...seemed oddly familiar. As if he knew it's owner...
I...I know who this belongs too.
1060 A.D, Romania, Sanctuar Village,
The onslaught was never-ending. Truly the Lord had forsaken the Brotherhood in there darkest hour.
The seventy six Brotherhood Knights had set out with eight hundred brotherhood soldiers, one hundred mounted men at-arms, sixteen clerics, and an abundance of holy relics, with the sole purpose of protecting the region from the spreading, corrupting influence of the...evil one. Several villages the company had passed, already fell to worshiping the Dragon as a god-emperor, and were put to the torch, and there inhabitants set to holy flames. Purifying the population was one of the Brotherhood's most sacred duties, which they held with pride. Nonbelievers, and heretics could never be tolerated, as there words sowed discontent, and treachery among the souls of the faithful, and the true. The curse of the Nosferatu, and demon-wolf was ever growing, and all consuming. It must be stopped, regardless of the cost in human lives.
Of the Knights, only six remained, including one squire, of the soldiers, little more then over two dozens, and one cleric. No mounted men remained with the company. All the others had been ripped apart by the advancing horde of undead, vampires, and werewolves, or fled like cowards in shame towards the deep forests. The village they decided, to make there headquarters was the last remaining brotherhood hold out for miles.
The traitor's legions were endless, and for every one the Holy Brotherhood smited to the depths of the Averus, dozens more showed up to fill in the gaps. Merciless, and cruel, nobody, was spared from the wraith of the creatures of the night. Messengers from the Brotherhood's stronghold, Pogany, had told the Knight-Commander that the Brotherhood's armies were in complete disarray. Castle, after castle had fallen to the forces of darkness, and the Brotherhood was soundly on the retreat. withdrawing it's armies to fight another day. Reinforcements from Rome, over one hundred thousand strong, led by Cardinal Volpe, and Knight-General Flavitum, were on there way, but they would take months to arrive.
In the meantime, the hundreds of Brotherhood soldiers left behind enemy lines were left to face the endless legions of the Dragon alone.
Huddled in the corner of a ruined chapel what was left of the Order of the Holy Lion, sat in prayer. They prayed for deliverance from the Dragon. For there lord, and savior, Christ, to come, and lead them in a final stand against the enemy
Four of the six remaining knights, full brothers of the order, were sitting on the rotten remains of church pews, there tired expressions matching the melancholic feeling deep inside there heart that compelled them to beg there creator for respite. The Surcoats they wore, alongside there chainmail, once proudly bore the symbol of the Brotherhood of Light, lay torn, ragged, and filthy, covered in mud, and blood. There vacant eyes were devoid of any life, the death of there comrades haunting there vision. On the sacred altar, the Holy, golden, crucifix of the Lord, the symbol of the Brotherhoods eternal duty to God, and the people of Europe. Pale blue, moonlight emerged from the stain-glass window, reflecting upon the altar, and illuminating the Golden cross, acting a shining beacon in this figurative, and literal dark hour.
One of the Knights, who bore a great helm, sat in silent reflection, though unlike the others, he was deep in thought, instead of prayer. On his belt, he wore a scabbard, with the sheaved blade's pommel, bearing a black, ebony gem.
Another Knight, wearing a chainmail coif over his head, was sitting on the front pew, sharpening a silver shortblade. He had cold, grey eyes, and a head of white hair, which complimented his grey beard. Normally, not one of these soldiers of God would dare defile the purity of sanctified ground with weapons, but times have changed. They needed to be prepared for anything.
"This is your fault, Renault. You have damned us, with your blasphemy..." The chapel's tranquility ended, as a dark voice whispered, with venom in his voice. It came from the pew farthest to the left, beside a shattered window. The man wore nothing but a simple, black robe, which had a cross embossed onto it. A far cry from most Cleric's of the Holy Brotherhood, whom inspired there men with there valor, and divine, magic, this man was sinister looking, weasel-like, in appearance. He had a small goatee, and green, emerald eyes. On his leather belt, sat a small, ornate blade. It's handle was made from silver, as was the blase, with a small, emerald encrusted into it's side.
The knight with the Grey eyes, responded in a gruff, yet deadpan, tone of voice, "Of course, Anselet. I'm sure, the Lord will condemn my soul to the deepest, pit of hell, for sharpening my blade." He spoke with a French accent. The Brotherhood's numbers consisted of many different races. All united under the banner of God. They owed no allegiance to any king, or country. Only the Pope, and God himself could command there armies.
"I'm not referring to the blade. I'm referring to your whore of a squire." His voice seethed with anger, "A travesty. Letting a woman join our order." He paused, before pointing his finger accusingly at the Holy warrior, "You've placed a curse on all of us, and for that, god sends these abominations at us as punishment."
The Knight got up from his seat, and in a flash of unmatched speed, he made his way to the Brotherhood Cleric. The warrior wearing the great helmet, briefly glanced in his direction, before facing the altar once again. Wasting no time, Renault Vicar , Knight of the Stalion, launched his gauntleted hand at the cleric, punching him right in the face, knocking him down. The cleric, groaning in pain, screamed, "Heretic!, Heretic!", spitting out blood, as well as a tooth or two. Renault, grabbed him by the collar, before any of the other knights could restrain him, and slammed him into the wall.
One of the Knights, one more lightly armored then the rest of them, bearing simple leather armor, instead of chainmail, grabbed Renault's shoulder, saying, "Calm yourself Renault!" Renault's face twisted into a snarl, as his voice quivered with anger, "Do not. Ever. Speak about my squire that way, worm. Do you understand me?"
Nodding his head reluctantly, Renault pushed him to the floor. Taking a second to calm himself down, the Brotherhood warrior jammed the shortblade he was just sharpening into it's small scabbard on his belt, before heading to the door. Another Knight, who had his back to the wall just beside the door leading into the chapel cellar, asked, "And were are you going?" The fallen cleric had just gotten up, his face, seething anger. He took a second to dust off his robes, before going back to his former position,
"I'm going outside. See how the rest of the men are doing. Prepare them to the face the end with dignity, as soldiers of the Lord."
The man wearing the great helmet, abandoned his silence, his voice, having a slight echo about it, due to the helmet, "Or you could pray with us for deliverance, and holy assistance, commander. Do your duty to as a Knight of the Brotherhood.."
It was practically, a miracle in itself the group had survived this long. The majority of there force were massacred a week ago, in the forest. There General had thought they could take the hordes of the traitor by surprise, and, with the grace of god, afforded to them by there divine artifacts, tip the scales in there favor. It was a massacre. All the remaining survivors took shelter in the village they now occupied. The peasants were all god-loving men and women, and were happy to shelter warriors of the lord. That was right before the traitor's legion besieged them. The palisade had fallen not two day's ago, and they had run out on holy water, silver throwing daggers, and silver-tipped arrows. They wouldn't last another night. They all knew it. It was only a matter of hours, if not minutes, until the unholy beasts of the traitor were upon them. The sun was no longer here to protect them.
There only consolation was the moon. It shone, brightly down on the village, illuminating there final stand, acting as a final beacon, to light there path to heaven.
"You will not question my orders, John." Opening the wooden door, a wall of blue moon light hit him in the face, he turned to face the group, "Sebastian. Come with me."
The light armored knight from before, sighed in annoyance, "Why not get that squire of your's to accompany you? I'm sure she's wasting away her final hour, doing nothing of substance."
"That's her right." Renault said, with finality,
The young nun hurriedly made her way through the Catacombs, her long brown hair trailing behind her. Well, Catacombs was being way too generous to describe the under-croft, which was below the chapel's ground. Some bodies were buried here in stone coffins, mostly wealthy landowners. Ever since the abbot perished, it was now her duty to apply last rites to the fallen villagers. The Brotherhood cleric handled the remains of fallen soldiers, while Anna arranged the funerals of villagers who perished against the forces of evil.
Anna...had always wanted to be a nun. It was that, or be married off to some random farmer's son. This way, she could better serve God, her one, and only calling. That was until...recently. Were she had been plagued by horrible, sinful thoughts. Not just thoughts though. Terrible. Horrible. Sinful acts, that she knew she would go to hell for if she continued. She was rather...plain looking. Though according to her friends, her freckled face was always very kind-looking. She was dressed rather modestly, the standard clothing of a cloister sister, though it was very dirty, unwashed, and covered in blood, which mostly belonged to other people. The only piece of clothing that stood out, were the radiant blue head ribbons she wore in her brown hair. Besides taking care of what was left of the chapel, her other duties were taking care of the wounded, and the dying. The best she could usually do, however, was make them comfortable for in final moments, before death took them. People who died like that, safety in the chapel. under the direct eyes of God, were the lucky ones.
She had heard stories. When the Knight's, and Men at-arms fell, with no one but the peasants left, death would be a far kinder fate to he horrors that would be inflicted upon them by the servants of the enemy. Or so the Abbot used to tell her.
Anna was about to pass by a doorway that lead to a small, storage room, were they kept all the medical supplies, "This isn't going well. The forces of the enemy have almost breached the village", she said, out loud to herself, "I truly hope Victoria-"
Before Anna could say another word, the door slammed open, and a figure grabbed her, muffling her mouth, with cold, leather gauntlets, and threw her into the room with them. Red hair, and strawberry lips awaited her, as someone pressed there mouth against hers. She knew who this was. The one who encouraged, and embraced her sinful lust.
I'm going to go to hell for this...
Anna eagerly returned the kiss, grabbing the person's cheek with her hands, and pushing her further into the room, and to the wall, scattering discarded barrels and other clutter. They held it for half a minute, before the other person broke off. The two lovers faced each other, and despite there blasphemous actions, smiled radiantly,
Victoria La Valette was a beautiful woman, far more attractive, in Anna's opinion, the nun, though her femininity was marred by a few factors. One, she wore her hair very short like a boy, as having too much hair would make wearing a helmet a nuisance. Besides that, her choice of garb was...very masculine. Even more simple then her companions clothing, Victoria was clad in a plain, chainmail hauberk, along with simple leather leggings, gloves, and boots. Far more lightly armored then her companions above. She had the standard plate armor that most Brotherhood soldiers wore, upstairs, but she wasn't wearing it at the moment. Finally on her hip, she bore a silver shortblade, a gift from her Lord, Knight-Command Renault Vicar. She was a soldier of the brotherhood first, and a woman second. "Victoria why are down here? You should be with your fellow knights in prayer!" The nun pleaded,
Laughing, Victoria shrugged her shoulders, saying, "It's not like that's going to make a difference. Were all royally fucked anyway!" She quickly delivered a peck on the nuns lips "I wanted to see you..."
"No swearing!" Yelled the nun with a faint smile, gently taking the squire's hand in hers, her cheeks blushing, "That's sweet of you, Victoria. But you dont have to worry about me. I've already made peace with God."
"It doesn't have to be that way, though." She paused, before taking a large gulp of air, "It's as I said yesterday. We can flee to the forest, like the others. I can protect us!"
The young nun frowned, the smile disappearing, as she took a step back from the woman, saying, "You can't seriously consider abandoning your brothers here?" With a dark expression, Victoria turned her face away, briefly glancing at the doorway. The nun continued, "You owe Renault your life, you cant just abandon him her, and run off with a sister of the cloister to live a life of sin and shame-"
Victoria sharply interrupted her, turning around, her face becoming angry, and her voice, tinged with rage, "That man is like a father to me! Do you think I want to run away, instead of fighting to the end, beside him!" She raised her voice. Anna took a step back in fright.
Victoria's face softened, as she closed the gap between them, taking the nuns hands in hers, "Look, i'm sorry for yelling at you. Nothing else matters to me, anymore, except you. If I must flee, and forsake my vows, to keep you safe. Then so be it. I'd trade a hundred years in purgatory, for the ability to spend my life with you."
"Victoria..."
Victoria went closer, her face inches away from Anna's. Closing her eyes, she leaned in forward, and kiss her beloved. After some hesitation, Anna embraced her, and returned the kiss with vigor, the two lovers interlocked in there mutual affection.
Unbeknownst to them, a dark, robed figure watched from the shadows, his hands, trembling with pure, hatred.
Victoria made her way to the main floor of the ruined chapel, taking a second to glance around the pew filled room. One of her brother's she could see, John, though Renault, Anselet, Erik and Sebastian were missing. She was glad for the cleric's absence, he had always resented her membership in the Brotherhood, and made no effort to hide his hatred of her. She made a move to step forward, and ask John were the others were, before she heard a silent whisper behind her, "God forgive me."
Pain flooded her vision, as Victoria was thrown to the ground, as something was swung right into the back of her skull, at the same time, a blade was plunged into her back. Her vision darkened, and she lost consciousness,
The screams of a familiar voice awakened her from unconsciousness. Her vision was darkened, and her head was spinning, when she came too, but already, she could tell she was still, in the chapel. A familiar voice once again cried out, along with several others, "We...we can't do this. This is against everything we were taught! Anselet, this is...this is evil!" It was John. The usually quiet knight, going by his voice, was displaying emotion she had never witnessed from him before.
The shrill, slick voice of the cleric entered her hearing, "Quiet, John! This is...a necessary act of preservation. I am ordained priest, you shall both have absolution for this sin. Besides, I told you. I witnessed the whore kissing Victoria. She's a homosexual, destined to spend an eternity among the damned! We are just sending her to her eventual fate, early!"
Anselet...you bastard...
Though her vision wasn't completely restored, she had good sense to assume she wasn't in a dream, and had control over her body. Victoria attempted to lift herself upwards, but her body refused to do nothing more then a a weak push up, and her arms quickly buckled under the pure pain that erupted across her body when she attempted to get up. Falling once more to the ground, Victoria, at least wanted to know her surroundings. Pushing the pain to the back of her mind, she tried to focus on her sight, as she did, she heard John's voice once more, "By Saint Paul, Victoria's still alive Anselet!"
"Leave her!" Seethed the weaselly cleric, "Erik ran her through with his dagger. She'll bleed out soon enough." John continued, "Then why must we use the nun? Can't we just complete the ritual with Victoria?"
Anselet's sharply, and quite angrily, said, "Do not question my authority, John! I am commander now! Besides...it's as I told you. According the Black book, this requires specifically a sister of the Church. Nothing else will do!"
Ritual...? I need to regain my eyesight now!
"Were in the divines name, did you happen to stumble upon a book, of such blasphemous, and terrible spells anyway? Asked John. The cleric, clearly impatient, told him, "From one of the villages we put to the torch, John. It was in the possession of a witch! Thank the lord, we came across it. Now, it can be used for good. To fight the enemies of God! And save his servants!"
Forcing herself to see, the girl used all of her willpower to make her body listen to her. The screams were getting louder, and louder, and a strange, otherworldly chanting in some unknown language filled the church. Suddenly, a horrible screech came from outside. Victoria knew the sound. Vampire Warriors. The Black Legion of The Dragon had finally come for them all.
Accompanying the battle screeches of the Vampire's, the war-cries of Brotherhood Soldiers, and sound of steel clashing against flesh echoed. A battle had erupted outside. John, his voice dripping fear, yelled, "It's too late! Anselet! The traitor is coming! Were all doomed!
"You fool! Continue the ritual!" The chanting resumed.
Finally, vision came back to the girl. Anselet, Erik, and John were standing beside the altar. Holding Anna in place, over the stone pew. John was holding her legs, while Erik gripped her hands, stopping her from escaping. Her stomach was exposed, and was currently being carved up by the hooded cleric, whom was wielding a black pommeled knife. He was slashing at the exposed, pale skin, making small, cuts, carving runes into her soft flesh. For every cut he made, Anna screamed in agony, struggling to escape her captors, her eyes covered in tear drops. As Anselet, made a particularly large slash, from her belly button, all the way to her chest, she gasped, before letting out the most pained scream Victoria had ever heard from a human, which drowned out the sickening sound of blade cutting through soft, pale flesh. Her horrified eyes trailed down her body, and with terror, Victoria knew what they were drawing.
A reverse cross.
No...no...no...no
Using all the power she had left in her body, she dragged her body across the wooden floor, grasping at any thing that could help her. Anna's life was at stake. Victoria didn't care if she bled out, all that mattered was reaching the captured nun. And somehow save her. She didn't care if the task was impossible. She needed to reach that altar. Fate however, had a ploy to play, making her so close, yet so far. It was true, Victoria was only a few meters away. It was also true, she had a dagger sticking from her back, and had already lost way too much, certainly fatal, amounts of blood.
She didn't care. She was going to save her angel.
Already, though, deep in heart, she knew that wasn't going to happen.
Anselet's chanting grew to the sound of a dark choir, as if he was using magic to amplify his voice. Dropping the knife onto the floor, he began to speak words in English, "Oh great, Lucifer. Lord of the Earth, and Hell. I beseech thy, tell your dark commander, the fallen angel, Abbandon The Destroyer, to send one of his soldiers to aid us in our dark hour." The struggling nuns eyes lit with pure and utter horror, coming to realize what they intended to do with her. Anna screamed at the top of her lungs, "YOUR SACRIFICING ME TO SATAN?! BASTARDS! FUCKING BASTARDS!" With the realization, despite her wounds, she struggled even harder to escape from captivity. "We offer you this wretched, sinful whore as an offering to you, oh great lord of Earth and Hell." As he uttered those words, the wounds on her body, began to glow green. It was a sickly, bright shade of green.
Screaming in agony, Anna's voice carried across the entire chapel. The bright lights grew in radiance, and as it did, so did Anna's cries of pain increase. Anna looked at the downed body of Victoria, who was reaching for her with her bloodied hand. Giving her beloved a final smile, she stopped struggling, and accepted what was about to happen. Anna closed her eyes. Seconds after, a loud, sizzling sound could be heard in the chapel, as Anna's stomach burst open in a display of blood, and gore. Chunks of flesh were thrown into the air, leaving a massive gaping whole, were the nun's stomach used to be. Ethereal, emerald light erupted with it, as a monster stood on the ravaged corpse of the nun, appearing out of the green light.
The beast was very large. Twice the size of a man, and nearly that in length. It was hunched over, and resembled, an utterly horrible mixture of a giant...insect, and a goat. It had an armored carapace, which covered it's entire body, arms and legs included. Speaking of arms, it had no hands, instead. a singular massive, dark bony spike jutted out in place of it's two hands. For feet, goat-like hooves were in place. It's head, which had large, horns, was narrow, like a crocodile, and dozens of narrow teeth stood in it's maw. On it's face, it had glowing, green eyes, along with a skull-like exterior.
This was a dreaded, soldier of Satan.
The creature, spoke in some tongue she couldn't understand, jumping off the altar, and approaching Anselet. It's voice was...surprisingly high pitched, with an abundance of clicks. As if it was a beetle, "Orthmedmedurgonfamna-hath talmeddongiaunur. N-hathmedvau Dundongraph gonmedvau famvautaltalmeddrun talgraph!."
Anselet, who was soaked head to toe in blood now, from the eruption, angrily pointed his finger at the demon, "Did I give you permission to speak, worm? You serve US now. And you will follow my every-ARGHHH" Without warning, the demon, with lightning speed, rammed one one of his spike-hands into the cleric's stomach, impaling him upon the bony weapon. Anselet, his eyes filled with shock, barely was able to say, "What...what..." Finishing his words, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, which hit the demon straight on the face. Licking it's lips, the demon let out a spine-chilling, laugh, before lifting the cleric up, and throwing his body across the room. John, and Erik, who were frozen in fear earlier, drew there weapons, and charged the beast.
Erik lifted up his longsword, wielding the blade in two hands. and brought it the side, intent on slashing through the demons armored midsection. The blade hit with a "thunk" as the armored carapace easily deflected the silver longsword. Laughing once more, the demon let out an eardrum splitting scream, causing Erik to fall forward, clutching his ear's, which were flowing blood, and scream in pain. The demon used his hooved feet to launch a kick, straight at Erik's head. With a sickening crunch, Erik was thrown backwards, straight into the chapel's wall, his head being crushed inward, and oozing liquid.
John, before he reached his target, pussied out. Throwing down his weapon, John, blabbering like a child, began to cry, falling to his knee's, he yelled, as he threw off his helmet "Please, spare me master! Spare me-" John was cut off, by the demon leaping forward, pinning the fallen knight to the ground, with it's sharp, spike-like weapons ramming into his hands. John cried out in pain, now sobbing, "Please, please have mercy!" The creature manically laughed, it's jaw was at the knight's neck now. "NO NO PLEASEEEEEEE-" The demon finished his prey off, biting, and tearing open his throat with it's crocodile like jaws. Gurgling blood, John expired little more then a few seconds later, at least not suffering the fate of drowning in ones own blood.
Roaring in victory, the creature wasted no time leaving the carnage it had inflicted, for the outside, joining the battle that had erupted outside, knocking aside pews, candles, and assorted clutter as it ran outside, throwing open the door, as it charge on all fours.
Victoria had little time to mourn, as seconds later, the door once more slammed open. It was Renault. The man was covered in blood, but going by the fact it was black as the night, she knew it wasn't his own. He had no blade on him, as if he had lost it along with his shield, and chainmail coif. He shut the door, locking it, and grabbed a pew to use as a makeshift barricade. With utter shock, his eyes went from the dead anselet, to the messy that once had been the nun Anna on the altar, to Victoia, who was still struggling to get to the altar. Rushing towards his fallen apprentice, Renault yelled, "Victoria! Why in Jesus's name happened here?"
Victoria managed to blurt out, "Anselet...he...summoned something...used Anna as a sacrifice..." Without warning, someone began to batter the door. Renault turned around, slowing stepping backwards, until he was at the defiled altar.
With a roar, the door was thrown backwards, as the demon from before struggled to get inside, as if it was running from something. It was to little avail, as suddenly, a blade emerged from behind, entering into the demon's skull. With a yelp, the creature fell to the chapel floor, the black blade sticking from the back of it's skull.
"My, my. What do we have here. What has Dracul come across..." A dark voice entered the chapel, as suddenly, it was blanketed in a shroud of darkness. The candle lights went out, sicking the place in a veil of shadow. Though the moonlight was still there, to illuminate the church faintly.
A man entered inside the chapel, a man with dark hair.
The dark-haired men wore the garb, of a Brotherhood general, though it seemed he modified it in a few ways. While the crimson, skull-adorned chest-guard remained the same, the rest of his equipment was different. Instead of silver plated gauntlets, that extended all the way to his elbows, he wore black, ebony, claw-shaped gantlets that covered his entire arm. For leggings, the same black materiel was used, and were similarly styled like plate armor. His tabbard, torn, and battered, was crimson in color, and went all the way down to his knee's. The hood, usually attached to the back of the chestguard, was removed completely.
As his Vampiric Warriors, Lycantrope Berserkers, and other monsters of the night, roared in anger, and defiance outside the chapel door, the man hushed them with his left hand. He spoke for the second time. His voice, cold, and lifeless, retained a hint of a Scottish accent, "Well, well. It seems the Brotherhood doesn't require my assistance in destroying itself after all. As you gentlemen here have proven." He put his hand to his forehead, and deeply sighed, "Here I am. Spending the evening, giving speeches about "rending the living", "purging the filth from the earth", "being a thorn in His side" to my...servants." He paused before continuing, "And you come along, and destroy yourselves. What a waste of time..." Victoria just noticed...his eyes...they...weren't human eyes. They glowed, sanguine red, and...seemed to take different shapes? The more she gazed at them...the more fear she felt.
"Rot in hell, traitor!" Renault cried, drawing his short-sword, the blade, glistening under the moonlight.
"I worry more for your soul, knight. And it's final destination." The man added deadpanly. He thrusted his longsword deeper into the demon's skull nonchalantly the bored expression on his face unchanged , causing more of the green bile to ooze out of it's eye socket, "Is this how low the mighty host of God, has fallen..." His voice...seemed to be almost sad. Genuinely upset, as was his expression. His haughty expression melted away for a single instant, when he gazed upon Anna's dead body, over on the altar. It trailed off, before continuing "Killing an innocent sister of the cloister to summon one of Lucifer's dog's to destroy me? " He scratched his bearded chin, the sinister grin returning, "Not that I find it that surprising, "brother? What's one innocent, to the greater good, am I right?"
Renault's face contorted in rage, "Don't you dare, call me that. You betrayed us all!" He said, ignoring his other quip, his mouth foaming with utter hatred, and disgust
"Is that what Cardinal Volpe told you, commander?" Using his left hand, he pulled the sword from the demon's skull. He flourished the blade, wiping more blood off with every strike he made at the air, "You've been deceived. Your brotherhood has abandoned you here to die. God is not watching-"
Before the vampire could continue, Renault cut him off, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Blasphemy! Blasphemy! Do not utter another word, cur! Filth! Swine!" He grabbed John's discarded longsword, with his right hand, throwing down his short-blade, going into a two-handed fighting stance, with the two and half sword, "God is my shield. My faith, vampire. I will hunt you tonight! And make you pay for all the lives, you have taken, monster!"
"When ever I try, and enlighten you louts, I always seem to get the same response. Come then to me, and face the dark maw of Dracul. I shall lead you, the sheep, to your precious shepherd's embrace!" His face twisted into a snarl, as he slowly approached the knight, sword in hand, taunting him with, "Your god had no power here, fool! He has abandoned you, to die among the ruins of this forsaken place!" .
Renault counter-charged, from the altar, among the remains of the purple carpet that used to decorate the church's floor, with a cry of, "For the divine! For the Brotherhood of Light! For Europe!" As he got into striking distance, he brought up his blade, downward, intent on splitting the vampire in half from his skull, to his groin.
As he did, Dracul's, or so he called himself, smile, morphed into a sinister, wolf-like grin.
The blade fell...
...and hit the air,
The fiend's body dissipated in a cloud of red mist, which was intermingled with specks of pure darkness, and burning embers. The Knight's blade hit the floor with a thunk, an instant before the sound of steel tearing flesh could be heard in the chapel. The Vampire had taken shape once more, slashing his longsword across the Knight's stomach with a single stroke of his blade, with lighting speed. The Knight's chainmail offered no protection against the Dark Lord's blade, being little more then paper to the weapon. A look of shock crossed Renault's face, as he barely managed to stutter out, "What...what-"
"It seems like you've lost." Uttered the vampire, his voice tinged with venom, "Is this the final battle you hoped for? Dead after a single sword-strike? You didn't even scratch me."
As if in perfect sync, his face twisted in sadistic glee, and he slowly brought his sword side, as he walked a single step past the defeated Knight. As he did, a delayed burst of crimson blood erupted, and sprayed out of the massive cut forming across the man's stomach. Blood leaked from his mouth, as he closed his eyes though not fully, slowly, still standing up. The vampire, inches away from his head, but facing away, asked, in a gentle tone, though the psychotic smile was still present, "Do you see the Golden Gates of paradise?"
"Yes...I...I do.." Renault managed to say, a faint smile appearing on his lip. The vampire chuckled, his face for a small second, betraying...warmth? "It seems then, you were a knight in shining armor after all."
Renault's eye's closed shut completely, as he whispered, "God...is good..."
Renault fell to the ground, his body lifeless and cold.
"Rest in peace." The vampire said solemnly. His eyes darted to Victoria, the half-dead squire currently trying to drag her bloodied body to her beloved nun's side. The vampire's eyes opened with surprise, as he asked, moving closer to the duo, "So your still alive. And conscious. Impressive." He said, dryly. The girl's ignoring his word, dragged her bloodied body to her beloved nun, loosing feeling in her legs completely. The rest of her body was becoming numb, and the pain was overwhelming, but she needed to get to her destination. She needs me, the girl thought. The Vampire, entertained by the squire's actions, said, "So you wont try and fight me then? It is your duty, after all, as a Knight of the Brotherhood. Though it's rather unusual to see one of your gender among there ranks. How...unusual. So you wish to forsake your duty, and die like a sheep?"
He gazed at the blood covered nun, and then back to Victoria, saying, "Your right to worry for the nun. I'm afraid there's nothing you can do now, though." He shrugged his shoulders, giving a sad smile, as if he was almost sympathetic to her plight,
"She was offered as a sacrifice to Abbandon The Destroyer, fifth Duke of Hell, and Grand-Commander of Lucifer's infernal host by your "brothers", in return for him granting one of his elite "soldiers" to there cause. Her soul is most likely enduring horrible torture in the Averus as we speak."
No...no...that's impossible...
In life, Victoria was practically a saint. The nicest and kindness person Victoria had ever known. Surely, God wouldn't abandon a soul so pure? Shaking her head, Sula managed to mutter, coughing up a mouthful of blood as she did, "You...lie..."
"Wish I was." He said, with a smug grin, "Was she a close friend of yours?" He asked. Though his face looked bored, his voice had a tinge of curiosity about it.
"No..." She stuttered out, flashes of her warm face playing in her head, "We...were lovers..." Even in this state, she couldn't help blush, revealing her darkest secret to a complete stranger, who just seconds ago murdered her mentor.
"Ah." Dracul paced around a second, completely unfazed by that revelation. It's true, not everyday you...heard about a nun, and female Brotherhood squire having a tryst, but it's not like he cared in the first place. All humans were equal in death. Made in the image of God. It mattered not who they choose to sleep with. Before speaking again, he closed his eyes for a good second, "Then i'm afraid you should be doubly worried for her soul." The grin extended forth once again, "Don't your priests teach you Christians homosexuals burn in hell, for there sins of flesh? The church say's any man who partakes in cardinal pleasure with another man, or a woman who partakes in cardinal pleasure with another woman, are destined to go to the fiery pits of Hell, aren't they? To burn for eternity in the circle of lust. She also broke her vows as a sister of the cloister. There will be no paradise for her. She is damned." He turned away, sparing a moment to knock the golden cross from the altar, facing the doorway,
"It's safe to come in, my children." He said, joyfully, raising his arms. "Let the banquet begin!"
As he did, the creatures she had just heard before, rushed into the doorway. Monsters of the Dark. Several Vampire Warriors rushed in, there leathery, pale wings folded on there back, to allow access into the holy building. Besides there wings, the apendexs that extended from there back, leading into a long, razor, sharp spike sat in front of them. They were naked, besides a loin cloth, that covered there groins, so there stickily grey skin clashed with there surroundings. There fingers ended in black, razor sharp claws, as did there feet, and there eyes, glowed red. There hideous faces expressed hatred, and there disgusting mouths, drooled saliva,
One of them, a particularly large specimen, walked on all fours, and was much more muscular then the rest of them. The creature walked up to Renault's corpse, and begun to feast on his remains, taking large chunks of the Knight's body into his mouth, biting through the chain-mail, and ignoring his clothing. It used it's bony claws to shove chunks of bloody flesh into it's jaws, and razor sharp fangs, greedily devouring large mouthfuls of meats as if it was starving.
She could see one Lycantrope among the crowd, the hairy wolf-man, chewing on one of John's legs, which he had torn off moments ago. The beast was very tell, standing at least two feet over the tallest armored knight, and very well built, having stocky legs, and arms, which could rip apart human's with ease. Like the vampire warriors, he too had jagged claws, coming from his hands.
So this was the fate of any Brotherhood outpost that fell to Dracul's legion of darkness.
No...it wont end like this, the girl thought. She wouldn't be the meal for some vampiric underling, when even in death, her beloved needed her. She reached towards the retreating Dracul, before speaking as loud as she could, "I want to live!"
Normally, one could assume her voice was drowned out by the roaring of beasts, and the tearing of flesh coming from inside the church, but never underestimate the supernatural senses of the Nosfertu. "Impossible. That wound is fatal, girl. Your death is only a matter of time. If one of my servants don't decide to make you a meal before you pass to the afterlife, that is."
The thought...of what was happening to Anna in the afterlife compelled her to do what she did. In desperation she screamed, "Then I will endure in undeath! Make me one of you!"
The vampire stopped. Raising his hand. "Silence." He spoke in a commanding, authoritative tone of voice, echoing inside the ruined chapel. His minions stopped there meal. The Vampire warriors, with blood filled mouths, and bits of flesh lingering on there face, starred at there master. He approached the fallen squire once more, another grin forming on his lips, "You do know what your asking of me, right girl?"
"I...do." She said simply,
"No you don't." His voice was sharp, and judgmental, "You will become a creature of the Night. A monster. Only able to exist. Never live. The moon will be your only companion, and you will never feel the kiss of the sun ever again. You will be reviled by your former comrades. Hated. Hunted. Your soul will be forfeit, and damned. You will be bound to me, a soulless devil, who betrayed, and murdered countless members of your Brotherhood. You must swear eternal vengeance on God, and all his children." He raised his eyelids, "All this, simply for a fool-hearted dream of saving your beloved from Lucifer's clutches. Do you truly want the gift you ask of me?"
A fire burned within Sula. Not only to save Anna's soul, but also for...revenge. For her. Against the divine one. How dare he abandon her. She who served him faithfully for years. She who lived the way the bible told her to live. He condemned her to an eternity of agony, for what? Because she was forcibly used as a sacrifice by his own mad servants? Because...she fell in love with a woman.
Nodding her head, she whispered, "Yes, I do."
"Roland." He said out loud, in a bored voice.
Suddenly appearing in a cloud of darkness right beside the Dragon, a heavily armored figure stepped forward. The man was clad head to toe in heavy plate-mail, black as the night. She couldn't see his face, because of his helmet, but already it had a lasting impression, due to the helmet's front being in the shape of an smirking gargoyle. He was very tall, but very lanky. He had a large, jagged greatsword strapped to his back, which was almost taller then Victoria herself. He placed his left hand over his hand, knelt, and uttered, in a dark whisper, "My Prince...you summoned me..."
"Yes. I need you to administer the "gift", to that girl over there." Getting out of his kneeling position, he approached Sulla. Whatever doubts he had, he kept to himself, as he wordlessly, and without question, prepared to carry out his "Prince's order". When he got to her, he gently removed the gauntlet covering his right hand, revealing dead, pale, skin, along with black, long nails. He made a small cut with his nails, causing oozy, ebony liquid to pour out. He held his outstretched hand towards's the girl's mouth, before turning to face his Prince.
Dracul nodded his head,
He flipped his hand around, letting the black stream of blood flow forth from hand, and into the girl's mouth.
The first thing she tasted was...decay. It tasted like...death if that made sense. Instantly, she had a gag reflex, as the foul tasting liquid entered her mouth, but she forced herself to swallow the blood. As she struggled to drink her salvation, she heard Dracul speak, "Roland's bloodline is...rather pure. Most vampires are confined to rather bestial visages until they reach a certain age." He pointed, to one of the vampiric warriors, who had resumed there feeding frenzy "However, because of Roland's purity, your appearance will look rather similar to your human body. Ah...I almost forget. " After finished his explanation he paused for a moment,
She felt pain. Not pain from her wounds. But pain literally everywhere. The most pain she had ever felt in her life. It wasn't just a physical pain. Oh no. It felt as if her...very soul was being twisted into something inhuman. As if dark tendrils were invading her body, and consuming her very essence. Her body began to have spasm, and she started to cough out, dark, horrible, bile. Her skin was growing deathly pale, and her blood veins were started to darken.
"That blood is poison. Right now it's invading your body, converting you, to us. There's a very good chance you'll simply expire, and die from the trauma. It's not a miracle potion. It wont magically heal your body. It's going to kill you, and if your lucky, reanimate you on the next gibbous moon. This is the gift of the Nosfertu."
Sulla's vision began to darken, and the last thing she heard was, "If you do wake up, seek me out at the cursed vampire castle, which haunts the mountain beyond Wygnol village. You have no reason to fear, I will order my servants to leave your cadaver well alone. Good luck to you, warrior."
The vision ended, and Gabriel was returned to the present. The ever familiar scenery of the flower garden filled his vision, as did Louise's, annoyed face. Her lips curled in annoyance, as she barked, "What the hell, Dracul?! She waved her small hand infront of his face.
Snorting, the vampire lord, got up from his kneeling position, holding the worn, blue ribbons in his hand, "I'm awake, girl."Dracul took a second to glance down upon the ancient piece of cloth he held outstretched in his hand, checking to make sure it was real or not. It seemed, him and Alucard's gamble, was more damaging then he had originally thought. Pieces of memory, centuries old, were still lost, shattered in his broken mind...
I remember. So it is her...
Already, Dracul had dozens of questions. How the hell was Victoria still alive...or undead? The Great explosion, had surely wiped her from the face of existence, along with most of Dracul's army, the hundreds of thousands of Brotherhood soldiers who assaulted his castle, Roland De Roceveal, the false chosen one of God, and large portions of Europe. Furthermore, if she did somehow survive, the six month siege, let alone the Great Explosion, surely, she would have been hunted down over the centuries, alongside so many of her kin? Exploring the ruins of Castlevania city, had unearthed quite a bit of knowledge about the centuries Dracul was asleep. Humanity had hunted his remaining servants to near extinction, and in the modern day...well, the modern day before the Apocalypse, the monsters were nothing more then age old memories, used to frighten children into behaving. Victoria must have been killed in those purges...if not...
Louise shrill voice brought the Dragon back to reality, "What was that before? You were stuck in some kind of trance for five minutes. I was worried guards were going to show up while you napped!"
"I wasn't napping, girl." He seethed, "I was...experiencing a vision. A vision that has enlightened me on the situation at hand. The good news. I know who committed the murders."
Louise's face brightened up, and for the first time, Dracul saw her smile, "Really? Well, then who is it!" She tore at her pink hair, her face betraying rage, "I'll have whoever it is flogged until there skin is flayed, and broken!"
"A former servant of mine. I think, at least." Gabriel paused, and before Louise could ask, he said, "I found one of her belongings among the dead. I couldn't imagine her doing something so...messy, if nothing else. Then again...I haven't seen her in centuries. Quite a bit could change in a person in that time span."
"And the bad news?" Louise asked. Gabriel wasted no time saying, "This place isn't safe. The whole school isn't safe. I dont think an entire battalion of your "eagle knights" could subdue this foe you all now face."
A thousand year old vampire was no laughing matter. Especially one that belonged to Dracul's personal honor-guard. Vampire's grew more powerful as they aged, as the blood they feed on increased there abilities as time passed. The more people they consume, and the more there hunger is sated, the more the vampire grows in power. The blood that was used to turn Sula, was pure, and from a member of vampiric royalty, a distant family member of Carmilla herself, the originator, and former Matriarch, of Vampires, Dracul's personal guard-captain, Roland The Defiler. Already, her power far surpassed a normal vampric warrior, when she was born anew as a child of the dark. One could only shudder at how strong the centuries of time had made her.
Still, regardless, Gabriel knew for a fact, no matter how strong she had become, she was no match for the might of the Dragon, and the power that flowed through his blood.
Dracul, was born from the combination of three extremely powerful beings. Gabriel Belmont, the wielder of the God Mask, and Champion of the Lord. Laura, Carmilla's adopted daughter, a millennium old vampire, with extraordinarily powerful vampiric abilities, which she gave all too Gabriel at the cost of her own life. And finally, the Forgotten One. The sovereign of the plane of Darkness. An ancient demon of untold power, strong enough to tear apart worlds with his Void, and Chaos magic, which Gabriel stole. All three of those colossal powers had formed together, spawning, Dracul, The Dragon. A borderline vampric-god, with the unholy, terrible power of the night, as well as the divine grace, and ordination of God himself. He was The Prince of Darkness, Nothing can stand in his way. His powers were infinite!
Still...it would make me more at ease if Louise was removed from the danger of being ripped apart...damn these runes!
The false feeling of concern he felt for the young girl was certainly caused by those damnable runes, scorched into his skin, still glowing crimson. They bound him, to her, in some way. Regardless, Gabriel was not familiar with the magic used in them, though like he said before, he knew they were written in some kind of nordic script.
Regardless, Louise was certainly in mortal peril, as was every student in the academy. As shown by the grisly carnage before them, whatever restraints, or honor Victoria once had, as a Knight of Dracul, had long vanished, replaced by the bestial, monstrous hunger of the primal vampire.
He needed to prioritize saving Louise. She was...connected to him somehow. The Dragon couldn't explain it, but fate had drawn them together.
No place in the Academy would she be safe, so he needed to bring her somewhere else. A place unreachable by normal means, but were Dracul could easily access in minutes. A realm were time in the mortal plane stopped, and its very existence was bound to the Vampire Prince.
Gabriel smirked,
Wasting no time, Gabriel conjured a shadow dagger, his crimson blood solidifying, and the knife taking shape in an instant. Louise's eyes filled with curiosity, as she asked, "What are you doing?"
The vampire slashed at his own hand with the dark blade, drawing blood. Louise's yelped at the sight, "Why the hell did you do that?"
"This place isn't safe for you. Every minute you stay, there's a chance my servant will make you her next meal." As he did, he began to draw strange runes on the ground, using the blood flowing from his self-inflicted injury, "I cant properly focus when I'm worrying about your safety."
She haughtily, raised her head, puffing up, "Hmpth. So your saying i'm a burden?"
"You are." He added dryly, continuing his work. On the stone floor, he had already drawn a large circle with his blood, while Louise sulked at the perceived insult, Gabriel hurriedly painted the crude outline of a wolf's head, which were surround by words in Latin, all inside the circle. Roughly, they translated to, "Gates of the cursed city, open up for your Prince, the Lord of Shadow." He finished after about thirty seconds. The final result was...rather messy, though you could make out the Wolf, and the Latin words quite clearly.
Louise's eyebrows raised, and she spoke in a cocky, entertained voice, "And how is this...artistic masterpiece of blood going to save me from the monstrous, horrible vampire, dear Dracul?"
Ignoring her, Gabriel glanced at his work,
Well, I've never tried this before without an actual altar, but hopefully, it works. My life essence should be a suitable substitute.
Positioning himself in the middle of the circle, right on the crudely drawn wolf-head, Gabriel reached into his longcoat with his bony hand. Fidgeting to retrieve what he sought in the hidden pockets, over the piles of relics he kept on hand, after a few seconds, the vampire drew from his coat, a circular talisman. It was highly ornate, the edges, and angles adorned with golden ridges, and the plating it was made from was clearly pure, almost white, silver. The amulet's size was actually pretty large, almost being as big as Gabriel's palm, the angled edges adding to that size. In the center of the talisman, a wolf's face was visible, made from a snow white, gem stone, most likely Albite.
It was the White Wolf Medallion. The physical symbol, and manifestation of a bond so strong, it could call from other dimensions, and guide Gabriel through the dark. His everlasting, and eternal love for his son, Trevor Belmont.
Gabriel held the talisman outstretched with his left hand, and began to chant words in Latin. Louise watched the spectacle with confusion, as her eyes were downcast, and mouth, slightly agape. As the vampire conjured the spell, and went further with his words, the blood symbols began to glow crimson red, the same color as the runes on his hand, as did Dracul's sanguine eyes, shining a brighter luminous then before. He raised the amulet above his head, his voice growing in sound. Finally, as Gabriel finished his chant, a loud's wolf howl echoed across the rose garden, coming from the entrance, and exit. Louise turning her head, noticed the once clear entrance way was blocked by...a wall of pure darkness. The way they had come in was now cloaked in a veil of blackness, as if it had suddenly, and magically morphed into a dark alleyway. Stepping from the dark, a mane of white fur moved swiftly towards the duo,
Louise, instinctively drew closer to Dracul, out of fear, but the vampire remained unfazed, instead, going into a crouch, and offering his hand forward.
So it worked. Good. Hopefully, the portal is stable for mortals to enter. If...the usurper could send dishonored vampires to Castlevania city, clinging onto me, i'm sure Louise will have little problems crossing over.
The White Wolf, upon reaching his charge, briefly sniffed it, before nuzzling closer to the vampire prince arms. Gabriel responded kindly, petting the wolf's back, and scratching underneath his ear. The beast was very large, though it looked like a perfectly normal wolf, besides the unusual size, color, and the sanguine red eyes it possessed. After a second, the wolf broke free of the vampire's grasp, and howled once more, heading back to the wall of shadow, before sitting there, waiting for his charges. Turning to face Louise, Gabriel's voice softened, like before, and he knelt so they could see each other eye to eye. He said, speaking gently,
"Listen to me Louise, i'm going to take you some place safe. You need to follow me through the...gateway." That's the only way he could describe the phenomenon to her. He continued, placing his uninjured hand on her shoulder, "I need you to...close your eyes, and cover your ears when you enter it. This is very important. Do not open your eyes, and do not let yourself hear anything. If you begin...to hear...whispers, in your mind, banish them from your thoughts immediately." His facial expression hardened, "Do you understand?" He narrowed his eyes, " Do not listen to a single whisper."
Louise wordlessly nodded her head.
"Good. Follow behind me." The duo approached the wall of shadow, Louise's pink eyes glanced at Gabriel. He nodded his head. Louise shut her eyelids, and brought her small hands to her ear's, covering them. Gabriel grabbed her shoulders, and walked into the endless void, following there guide into the dark.
In a second, vertigo hit the vampire in the face, and his head begun to spin, only for a moment though. The scenery changed from the beautiful, black roses under the moonlight, to the horrifying, dimensional aberration that one must walk to reach the cursed castle of Dracul, in a single instant. The dancing strands of crimson lighting, intermixed, with blotches of darkness could be seen everywhere, a chaotic spasm, that endlessly repeated. Among the red lighting that streaked across the desolate, vague shapes, and shadows danced, and moved there incorporeal forms, as if blasphemous wind pipes, and fiddles were being played by ultimate chaos to entertain them.
Dracul carefully made his way through the eldritch landscape, making sure to stick right behind his white guide. He briefly glanced down to Louise, to see how she was faring.
She had plugged her ears with her fingers, and she had shut her eyelids . Going by the fact her lips were moving constantly, she seemed to be singing some tune in her head. To keep the whispers at bay.
Speak of the devil, and he will come."You fool, what are you doing my Prince?! Bringing an outsider, a mortal to your castle! I? WILL NOT ALLOW THIS! I will find her, and when I do, i'll make her endure, true suffering! Do you understand, my prince? I WILL TEAR HER LIMB FROM LIMB, RIP HER INTO LITTLE PIECES, RAPE, DEFILE HER CORPSE, AND THEN DEVOUR HER CADAVER! I WILL!" The creature no longer bothered to speak in the tongue of the legion, taking Gabriel's own voice, and distorted it with deep, sinister, raspy sounding vocals, and screeching was echoed across the Eldritch plane. Dracul chuckled, underneath his breath, sinisterly smiling like a Hyena
All you can do is have a tantrum, monster. I have beaten you, and wrestled control of MY castle back from your clutches. Your strength is already beginning to weaken, I can practically taste your waning power!
At last, after about thirty seconds of walking, a shimmering, golden portal entered Gabriel's sight. The wolf was waiting for him there. Quickly, he guided Louise to the exit, eager to rid himself of this place. Stepping inside it, Vertigo once again, hit the vampire, as he head begun to spin.
A second later, he was gazing at home. The White Wolf was no where in sight, having accomplished it's goal, fading to the void, awaiting the next time it would be called to serve the Prince of Darkness.
Louise angrily shouted, no longer holding her hands to her ears, but still shutting her eyes "Are we out? Is it safe to open my eyes?!" The Vampire Prince chuckled, "Out of the frying pan, into the fire. As the humans say. But yes, were at out destination." With nothing to worry about, the young schoolgirl relaxed, and opened her eyelids.
While the noblewoman had seen strong castles, and majestic cities. Nothing could prepare Louise for what awaited her.
Grand spires, of Gothic masonry extended as far as the eye could see, being miles high, and erupting from the ground, all the way up to the sky. Massive chains of black iron seemed to connect the buildings together. Along with the fortresses, large towers, made from dark bricks of stone were also visible, in the distance. Up in the night sky, a pale moon shone luminous light upon the magnificent spectacle, and feat of engineering, showering it's rain of moonlight upon the crumbling keeps, and dark walls that filled her vision. Louise, her mouth agape, looked at her surroundings, realizing the duo were on a stone bridge, a very large one. The stone railings that adorned it, were engraved with black gems, and black steel ridges. Further down the bridge, was a massive, golden gate. Besides being very large in height, and width, it was highly ornate, with a single carving of monstrous, golden Wyrm as the center piece. Flanking both sides of the gate, were two gargantuan statues, depicting, monstrous, horrific dragons. Very different then Tabitha's familiar back home, these creatures were evil, even demonic looking. Made from dark iron, with there eyes adorned with red rubies, and there large maws ended in terrible, wolf-like grins, which complimented the stone fangs in there jaw. With dark torn wings, that resembled the kind bats had more then the ones traditional seen on Dragons, the statues sent shivers down Louise's spine. They acted as sentinels, forever guarding the bridge and gate, from fearful trespassers.
Louise still shocked, could barely stutter out, "Were...were are...we?"
The vampire Prince grinned, placing his hand behind his back, and bowing to Louise mockingly, "Welcome Louise De La Valliere, to the cursed vampire stronghold, Castlevania. My...home." He slightly hesitated for some unknown reason referring to the place, as "his home, but got back to his usual, smug personality a minute later, "Come girl. I'm afraid there's little time for sight seeing. We must hurry. Follow me, and stay close behind." The vampire took off without warning, speedwalking towards the gate. Louise rushed to follow, before asking, "I thought I would be safe here?"
He shook his head, "Yes. A place here is safe. Most of the Castle is a thousand times dangerous then the academy. We must hurry to the Throne Room."