Disclaimer: See the prologue
Italics indicates thought.
Underlines and italics indicates Saito's thoughts
Bold and italics indicates a location.
Bold text (Outside of any normal context) indicates a specific time period
The first ones who were summoned were the oldest of ancestors.
Next was the first who truly faced the prince,
Then it was on to the next generation, with the addition of a Devil Forgemaster.
After them came a father-son team, and then the most famous of all.
Later was another, but he was not alone:
Instead, this one was called back with a friend in tow,
and another vampire that the Master already knew...
-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines XLI-XLVII
Chapter 3: Belmonts, Kischine, and More Obstacles
Last time on Requiem of Shadows:
The first three teams encountered multiple threats as they attempted to retrieve their targets. However, each of them succeeded at their task. But what about the others? We join those in the forge for a brief period, and then we move onto our next candidates.
Onago's Forge: Draconia
Time Period: N/A (Exists outside of space and time)
Hector wandered around the forge in amazement. He had never seen so many different types of weapons before, but he was soon desperate to start working on the modifications to his beam saber. After finding an empty anvil, he got to work. Trevor noticed what he was doing, and immediately wandered over. "Hey Hector. What are you trying to do?" The Forgemaster looked up briefly, but then he lowered his head to continue his work "I'm trying to modify the blade so that it can change form." Trevor looked slightly puzzled at this statement. "What do you mean by 'change form'?" The Devil Forgemaster sighed before setting down the weapon. "I was hoping to somehow modify the blade so that it could also function as an energy whip." His Belmont companion raised an eyebrow, but then they both heard another voice from across the room. "If you do that, then you might want to add some sort of switch or trigger that will allow you to shift between the two forms."
Trevor turned, his hand immediately dropping to his whip. But then he stopped, and his eyes grew wide in amazement. "Mother? Is that really you?" Sonia Belmont smiled gently at her only child. "Yes, Trevor. It's actually me." She then looked over at Hector's work before commenting. "I think there might already be a built-in switch to change the form of the blade." "Really?" the Forgemaster responded, picking up the saber and looking at it more closely. Sure enough, he noticed that the bottom portion of the handle rotated easily, and he also noted two notches. "Well, I might as well give it a try," he said, flipping the bottom to the second notch and switching on the beam. The result was a whip, alright, and it had nearly the same dimensions of VampireKiller. Hector switched off his weapon, and then he turned and bowed to the woman who had helped him. "Thank you, Lady Sonia. Now you know that even we Forgemasters have our own flaws." The elder Belmont laughed lightly before exiting the room. Trevor shrugged, and then he followed his mother out.
The four witches were sitting over in one corner of the room, swapping stories and teaching one another spells. Meanwhile, in the opposite corner of the room, Joachim, Walter, and Niteshade were teaching Krichevskoy how to change his claws. Trevor shook his head, and then he followed his mother into the next room. There, much to his surprise, sat the man who had originally created VampireKiller. Sonia bowed lightly before turning to introduce her son. "Leon, I would like to introduce you to my only son, Trevor. Trevor, this is the Baron Leon Belmont." The slender, blue-eyed man stood up and offered his hand to the younger Belmont. "It is an honor to meet the next one in line who was forced to face an old friend of mine." "What are you talking about?" the younger Belmont asked. Leon sighed, and then he went on to explain. "One of my closest friends fell into the darkness after his wife died. He cursed God, and was damned for his actions. He chose an immortal life, and became known as the Prince of Darkness. His original name was Matthias Cronquist. However, he took on a new name." "Dracula." "Exactly, my young friend. However, his real name changed when he was killed and resurrected into another human body. This time, he bore the name of Vladislav Tepes III il Dragulia."
As the discussions continued deep into the night, those at the forge began to wonder about their other companions. What had happened to them? We now head to the year 1595, where the Belmonts are in for a nasty shock when they find out that Laharl is much stronger than he appears.
Belmont Mansion: Walachia Province: Transylvania
Time Period: 1595 AD
Christopher Belmont and his son Soleiyu were talking in the main study when Soleiyu abruptly stood up. "What is it, son?" Christopher asked, but then he also felt the reverberations. "Vampire," the younger Belmont snarled before standing up. He turned towards the door and grabbed a pack that he always kept nearby. He looked inside of it, and then he grinned wickedly as he drew out the five sub-weapons. "What do you think, Father? Should we go down and greet our 'guests' in the proper Belmont manner?" The elder man smiled before rising from his seat. "For once, we agree on something, son. I'll take the dagger, the ax, and the holy water." "Fine with me," his son called as he strode out the door.
Meanwhile, Laharl and Flonne were slowly making their way up the treacherous slopes to reach the manor. However, the Overlord was quick to sense that something was amiss. He turned and looked at Flonne, and then he held up one hand. Flonne immediately stopped. Her voice was slightly startled when she decided to speak up. "What is it, Laharl? Is there something wrong?" "I just have this awful feeling that we are going to be attacked, that's all," the Overlord responded before turning to continue his climb. Much to his dismay, it turned out that he made the correct assumption when two axes came flying out of nowhere. "Laharl, look out!" Flonne cried before rolling to her right in order to avoid the second ax. Meanwhile, the prince was busy rolling to his right. Both axes missed, and Laharl heard someone cursing in the darkness. "Darn it, you stupid vampire! Why did you have to move right then?" "Maybe it's because I'm not exactly ready to die just yet? Did that thought ever cross your mind, Belmont?" Laharl sneered into the darkness as he suddenly stood up. "You're much smarter than you appear, young man," Christopher called out as he stepped into the light. He had cut his blonde hair short, and his blue eyes were glittering mercilessly. "Why were you sent here?"
The Overlord sighed aloud, and then he proceeded to explain. "Dracula has disappeared in the year 1666, and we need to find him, lest all of history as we know it will cease to exist." The elder Belmont raised a hand, stopping his son from striking. "How can we be sure of your intentions?" Flonne spoke up at this time, and her voice rang out loud and clear. "I am sure that you heard of the vampire who defeated Isaac in 1480, correct?" "Yes, but what does that have to do with our situation here?" "Well, that vampire was my father, Nicholai Alexander Krichevskoy," Laharl stated. Soleiyu's eyes widened in shock and amazement. "Wait just a minute. Are you telling us that you are a dhamphir?" he asked, slightly puzzled. "Yes, I am a dhamphir," the Overlord replied with ease. "Besides, I was told to bring back both of you." Christopher smiled at the young man, and then he turned to his son. "Go and grab your equipment, son. We are going to be taking a little field-trip." Soleiyu smiled, nodded, and then raced back into the house.
Ten minutes later, the quartet was on their way back to the Gate. However, things were about to get complicated...
Laharl abruptly stopped and raised his right hand. Everyone else stopped as well, and then Soleiyu felt a soft vibration coming from the whip hanging on his right side. "How many are there?" he whispered to the young Overlord. Laharl sniffed the air, and then he looked back at the younger Belmont. "I count at least twenty, but there are more on the way." The hunter slowly uncoiled his whip, and then he looked back at his father. Christopher had already done the same, and he was looking around warily. He then noticed a pair of eyes rushing towards the only female in the party. "Watch out, young lady!" he called sharply, warning Flonne of the impending attack. She turned towards the beast, raised her staff/bow, and then she put an arrow right between the thing's eyes. It whimpered once, and then dropped dead at her feet. She turned and looked back at the older man, gratitude shining in her red eyes. "Thank you, Master Christopher." The older Belmont bowed slightly, and then he called out to Laharl. "I think they might be trying to surround us." "Agreed. Either that, or they are gathering ahead of us for some strange reason." The prince sighed, and then he stared ahead into the darkness. "Either way, I'm going to take them out here and now. Overlord's Wrath!" he called, releasing the spheres of golden energy from his fists. They hovered menacingly, but then Laharl released them with three words and a gesture. "Bite the dust!" he roared, throwing his arms down once again. He watched in satisfaction as the attack converged ahead of the group, killing several more of the werewolves and scattering the rest. He turned and looked back at the Belmonts. "I don't think that they will be bothering us again." Soleiyu swallowed hard, and then he nodded. "Remind me to never get on your bad side." Laharl smiled, and then he opened the Time Gate in the same manner that Setsuna had used. "You two go first. I need to make sure that we are not pursued." Christopher looked at his son, nodded, and then proceeded through the Gate. Soleiyu was quick to follow his father, and then Flonne crossed the threshold. Finally, Laharl passed through the Gate, and it collapsed just before a newly reinforced pack of werewolves arrived. The wolves howled in frustration, and the leader dreaded having to give his report to the Lord of Terror.
The army of the light is slowly growing in size, but the task is not growing any easier. We now join Éclair and Homard, who are busy searching for the most famous of all the Belmonts—Simon.
Forest of Darkness: Walachia Province: Transylvania
Time Period: 1695 AD
Éclair looked around the forest once, and then she turned to her husband. "Which direction should we take to get to the Belmont mansion?" Homard scratched his head, and he was about to answer his bride when he heard footsteps in the woods. He immediately fell silent, and his bride did likewise. The footsteps drew closer, but then they abruptly stopped. Homard heard several deep snarls, and then he heard a very distinct sound. He turned and gestured to his wife. "It appears that the Belmont might be under attack. How about we go and help him out?" Éclair grinned wickedly before drawing her own electrically-charged saber. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's go!"
The two rushed in the direction of the noise, and they soon came across a clearing. Sure enough, the Belmont was in trouble. He was ringed by a number of were-beasts, and they were all snarling at him as they tried to close the circle. Simon was doing his best to defend himself, but VampireKiller alone was not doing much good. Éclair narrowed her eyes and began to charge her own magic. A small ball of energy appeared in her hands, and Homard immediately moved out of his wife's way. "Dark Lightning!" she called as she unleashed the attack. The blast ended up frying a few of the beasts, and Simon turned around, slightly stunned. "Who in the heck are you?" he asked, slightly astonished. Homard shrugged, but then he pointed back over the hunter's shoulder. "We will explain it later. For now, you might want to watch out for that werewolf." Simon spun around once more and lashed out with VampireKiller, splitting the twisted beast in two. The rest of the pack snarled at him once, and then they turned and fled deeper into the darkness.
The red-haired man hung the whip on his belt once again, and then he turned to face his semi-rescuers. "Do you mind explaining now?" he asked. The violet-haired, violet-eyed woman smiled. "Not at all, Simon Belmont. There is an evil much greater than Dracula that is threatening all of history, and we need the aid of you and your wife to defeat it." "Am I the only one who will be helping you?" the Belmont asked, slightly suspicious. Homard sighed before shaking his head. "No, you are not the only Belmont who will be helping us. Trust me on this one, it is going to be one heck of a family-reunion once we return to our meeting place." The blue-eyed man smiled easily before beckoning to the pair. "Follow me, then. I still need to grab the sub-weapons, and my wife." Homard smiled easily before gesturing for the man to go ahead. "Lead the way, my friend. After all, I do not know the way." Simon Belmont smiled easily before leading the couple north, directly to the mansion.
It took little time to gather the sub-weapons, and even less time to convince Simon's wife, Linda, to join them. The four then proceeded back to the Gate, and all crossed through without incident. Thus, another Belmont was added to the ranks of the army, and another witch as well. We now proceed to 1745, where Maderas is about to learn a painful lesson about why the whip is called VampireKiller...Shadowed Graveyard: Walachia Province: Transylvania
Time Period: 1745 AD
Marjoly silently cursed her luck as she stumbled over another grave-marker. Well, at least he can see where he is going, she thought bitterly, looking back at a fairly smug Maderas. The Nosferatu was having an amusing time merely floating over most of the headstones. The witch shook her head and then looked ahead once more. She saw a brief flash of color, and instantly came to a halt. She squinted in the darkness, and noticed that there was a slender, robed figure standing in their path. She sighed to herself, and was about to proceed forward when the figure lashed out. Marjoly's eyes widened in alarm, and then she dropped to the ground. Maderas, however, was not so lucky, and he took the blow full across the face. He stumbled backwards, swearing virulently under his breath. "Darn it, man! That burned!" "It was supposed to, vampire," the hooded figure snarled before he raised his weapon once again. He was about to bring it down when he felt a staff lightly touch his stomach. "If you strike him one more time, Belmont, then I will not be afraid to use my own magic against you. Do you understand me?" The man's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the cloaked figure before him. "Who are you, and how did you know that I was a Belmont?" Marjoly smiled before tossing back her hood. "My name is Marjoly, and I was sent here with a gift for your wife. As for how I knew that you were the Belmont? Well," she said, looking back at her companion, "now I understand why my friend here was sent to accompany me. Only VampireKiller would be able to cause a Nosferatu like him to feel such excruciating pain." The Belmont winced sympathetically before he lowered his hood. Brilliant silver hair and light-blue eyes greeted the witch as he held put away his whip and extended his right hand. "My name is Juste Belmont, and I am terribly sorry about your friend here." "It will be fine, Belmont. I have endured worse injuries and survived," Maderas grunted as he shifted his broken nose back into position with a series of pops. "Lead on, my friend, and everything will soon be explained." Juste smiled before beckoning the two to follow him.
Belmont Mansion: Walachia Province: Transylvania
Time Period: 1745 AD
"Lydie! I'm home!" Juste called as he stepped through the door. "Dinner should be ready soon, dear, and please try to remember that you invited Maxim and Caitlin over for dinner as well." Juste smacked his forehead almost immediately. "SHOOT! I nearly forgot about that!" Turning to his guests, he bowed lightly. "I know that this isn't exactly the ideal time to welcome you here, but..." He was cut-off when Marjoly raised a hand. "This will actually work out much better for us than I originally intended." Juste tilted his head to one side, slightly puzzled by the young woman's cheerful behavior. "What do you mean by that?" "Well, it means that we won't have to search all over in order to find him later. It also means that we will only have to explain everything once," Maderas added. The Belmont raised an eyebrow, but then he bowed once again. "If you will excuse me, I need to go change out of these grubby things." "Go right ahead," Marjoly said with a smile. "Just make sure that you have everything." Juste smiled, nodded, and then he proceeded upstairs to change.
Nearly twenty minutes later, Maxim and his wife arrived at the mansion, and dinner began shortly thereafter.
Caitlin Kischine raised an eyebrow when she saw Maderas come into the dining room. She looked at her husband's best friend, slightly puzzled that he had not bothered to reach for his whip. "Is there something wrong, Juste?" she asked politely, and the Belmont shook his head easily. "Then why did you let a vampire into the mansion?" "I will explain that shortly, but I would prefer to have something in my stomach before discussing exactly why we came here," came a woman's voice from the doorway. The couple turned to face the doorway, and Maxim could not hide his astonishment. "Who ARE you?" he asked in awe, and the young woman flashed him a brilliant smile. Caitlin tilted her head to one side, looked closely at the young woman before her, and then came to one conclusion. "You're another witch, right?" The young woman nodded before taking her seat across form the vampire. "My name is Marjoly, and like I said before, everything will be explained shortly." It was at this point that Lydie stepped into the room, bearing a fairly large kettle. She set this on the table, and then looked around at her guests. "Dinner is served."
The conversation was lively, and there were several different topics of conversation. As the meal wound down, however, all eyes turned to the two new faces, looking for answers.
Marjoly stood up, and then walked over to Lydie. "I was sent here with a gift for you." "Really?" the young woman asked, slightly surprised. Marjoly nodded, and then she drew the pendant that Saito had recently given her out of her cloak pocket. This she gave to Lydie, and as soon as she saw it, Erlanger immediately grew pale. Juste looked over at his wife, slightly alarmed. "What is it, Lydie?" "I had a dream a few nights ago," she whispered. "I remember seeing an auburn-haired young man holding this pendant and telling me something." "I remember you mentioning something like that, but what is so important now?" Lydie turned to her husband, her brilliant blue eyes glittering happily. "I remember what he said to me now!" "Well, what did he tell you?" Caitlin asked, and Maxim leaned in to listen more carefully. "What he said went something along the lines of this:"
"I am sincerely sorry that I will be unable to deliver this to you personally, but I am sending it with someone who has saved my life more than once. My full name would take too long, so please just call me Saito. I am sending you this pendant as a gift and a reminder. Hear my words, and remember them well: There is a force out there, an evil much stronger that Dracula will ever become. I need your help, the help of your husband, and I will also require the aid of Maxim Kischine and his wife. If you do not aid us, then everything as we know it will cease to exist." The mage paused, and then he looked into her eyes. His own were shining crystal blue, and he smiled gently before continuing. "You will not remember any of my words when you wake up, but you will once this pendant is in your possession once more. Please consider my offer, and remember: If our task should fail, then all that we know will cease to exist."
Marjoly looked over at the young witch, and then she gently smiled. "That man who spoke to you was the Oricaltos, the leader of all draconics. Just as he said, if we fail in this task, then history itself will be forever changed." She looked around the table, her violet eyes meeting the eyes of every other person in the room. "Will you be willing to aid us in our task?" she asked gently, almost pleadingly.
Juste Belmont abruptly stood up and slowly drew VampireKiller from his belt. "I will help you, even if it means leaving this place behind." Looking over at his wife, he gently smiled. "As long as Lydie is by my side, then I will know that anything is possible." Maxim then rose from his own seat, and he drew his sword. "I will join you on this task, Juste. After all, I still owe you for saving my life while we were in Dracula's Castle." The Belmont nodded, and then he looked to Lydie. His wife raised her head, and she stared into her husband's eyes. "Wherever you go, I will follow." "I'm coming along too," Caitlin Kischine said, abruptly rising from her seat. "I nearly lost my husband once, and I am not willing to go through that experience again." "It is settled then." Everyone looked over at Maderas, slightly stunned. He noted the puzzled look on their faces, and then he shrugged. "WHAT? I'm not a mute. It's just that I don't like to talk that much." Marjoly stifled a slight giggle before turning to the two other men in the room. "Are you both prepared for the journey ahead?" The two looked at one another, and then they both nodded. "Well then, let's get going."
As soon as the group entered the forest, Juste sensed that there was something wrong...
"Is it just me, or are we being followed?" Juste asked aloud. Marjoly didn't turn, but she slowly nodded her head. "I can't tell how many there are, but I know that I don't exactly want to be overwhelmed right now." Maxim nodded, and then he slowed his pace slightly, protecting his wife as well as he could. They soon reached a small clearing, and the witch nodded at Maderas. The Nosferatu bowed slightly and then hurried off, determined to find out what was lurking in the darkness. He quickly returned, bearing minor cuts and scrapes. "It appears to be several wraiths, in addition to a Cyclops." Juste swore under his breath, and then he allowed his hand to brush one of the five small tomes on his belt. Drawing out a vial of holy water, he looked at his wife and grinned wickedly. "How about I make sure that these idiots get a proper shower?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Marjoly noted that he had touched the small green book, and then she smiled. "Feel free to unleash the Hydro Storm at any time, Master Belmont." Juste grinned wickedly at her before nodding. He then proceeded to lead the group to the edge of the forest, where the monsters were waiting for them. The Belmont smiled wickedly as he stepped out into the moonlight. He then opened the vial and tossed the contents high into the air. Almost immediately, it began to downpour. However, this was different than normal rain. This was holy water, and all of the wraiths promptly collapsed into piles of bones, never to rise again. Juste then drew his whip and faced down the Cyclops, until he heard a stern command from behind him. "Get out of my way, and I will show you how lethal my spells can be."
Juste turned and bowed to the witch of Beauty Castle, and then he stepped to one side as Marjoly stepped forward. "You brought this upon yourself," she snarled as she leveled her staff at the being's lone eye. It had already begun to charge up for an attack, but it was already far too late. "Dark Conjuration!" Marjoly cried as she unleashed her deadliest spell. The eyes of all save Maderas widened when the Cyclops was literally ripped apart by the force of the attack. The witch allowed a brief smile to cross her face before turning back to the group. "I think they will leave us alone for the rest of our journey. Juste smiled wickedly, and then he nodded in agreement. "I think we all learned a lesson here: Never try to get on your bad side." Marjoly giggled, and then she beckoned them to follow her once more. "It isn't that far now."
Once they had reached the Time Gate, Marjoly removed her pendant and placed it briefly on the seal on the ground. When the seal turned green, she rose and reclasped the pendant around her neck. She took one step back, and then turned to the rest of the group. "I need to go last, because I am the one who opened the Gate." Juste nodded, and then he took a deep breath as the dimensional portal appeared in front of them. Taking Lydie's hand, he stepped through the Gate. The couple were followed shortly by Maxim and Caitlin, and then Maderas returned to the Gate. "I decided to set-up a little surprise for the next monster to enter the graveyard," he said, grinning wickedly. Marjoly smiled, and then she gestured towards the opening. "After you, Maderas." The Nosferatu bowed at the waist, and then he proceed into the vortex. Marjoly sighed aloud, and then she followed the vampire through the Time Gate. It promptly collapsed after she crossed the threshold, leaving only a small seal on the ground.
And so, the reason for Saito's delivery becomes clear. But what about the rest of the teams? And What is Shaft planning to unleash against Soma? We now join the Dark Priest in the depths of Castle Dracula, where his diabolic plan is underway...
Castle Dracula: Walachia Province: Transylvania
Time Period: 1666 AD
Shaft was laughing wickedly as he secured the key around his neck once more. Staring at his prisoner through the bars, he allowed himself a triumphant smile. "I hope that you have a wonderful stay," he called gleefully as he turned away. He was stopped by a low hiss from the occupant of the cell. "When I get out of here, the first thing I am going to do is snap your scrawny neck, priest," the red-haired woman snarled. Shaft turned around and grinned wickedly at the succubus. "You won't remember that after a few hundred years, Galatea. All you will know is the hunger. Then I will release you, and you will be free to roam the halls once more." He turned away, laughing madly as he exited the lower levels. Galatea tried to wrench the bars loose, even going so far as to test her wings against them. She then settled back against the far wall of her cell, crouching in one of the corners in a futile attempt to keep warm. She nearly drifted off to sleep when she heard a voice in the cell next to her. A voice that she recognized. "Master Vlad?" There was a moment of silence. Then...
"Galatea? Is that really you over there?" The Count sounded slightly startled, but then something else crossed his mind. Shaft said something about having a plan to stop Soma. My guess is that he plans on using Galatea. I just hope that Cruz is strong enough to see through her illusions. "Yes, my liege. I don't have any idea why he trapped me in here, but I am going to kill him when I get out." "That's fine with me, but please leave some of his blood intact." The young succubus grinned maliciously, her red eyes glittering. "With absolute pleasure, Prince of Darkness."
Dracula settled his back against the wall once more, and he began to concentrate, attempting to reach out and contact someone. He was quite surprised when he received a response, and he was even more surprised at who had sent it. Can anyone out there here me? What in the name of...? Father, is that really you? There was a momentary pause as Dracula sat in stunned silence, but then he smiled and closed his eyes once more. Yes, Morian. It's me. Listen very carefully to what I have to say: I need you to go find your mother. Stay with her until an individual arrives claiming to come from the future. My guess is that I should go with them? Exactly. Once there, someone will restore your own natural abilities and remove the parasite from your left hand. Morian Alexander Tepes, commonly referred to only as "D", smiled at this proposition. Will I be able to see Adrian again? I'm not sure if you will see him immediately, but I can tell you that he will be there. Thank you, old man. You are very welcome, youngest child of mine. Now get going. Yes sir.
Lisa woke up when her husband started to chuckle. "What is it dear? What do you find so amusing?" Vlad looked at his wife, amusement gleaming in his blood-red eyes. "Morian knows that I am here, and I sent him to join those who have fought this demon before." Lisa gently smiled, and then she relaxed against Vlad's chest. "Shouldn't you be concentrating on trying to enter the Chaos stream again?" "I was just getting back to that," the vampire protested before closing his eyes and allowing his spirit to connect with the inner flow of Chaos. As he drifted freely in the stream, only one thought crossed his mind. I hope and pray that Soma has the strength to go through this ordeal once more.
Author's note: Well, now we are sure what Shaft is planning to do, but will Soma be powerful enough to stop the madness in 2040? We also learn that D has most of his father's abilities, but they have been repressed by the parasite in his left hand. What will happen when this power is released, and what new dangers will face our remaining teams? Find out as the race against Baal continues in our next chapter, Mirer, Graves, Baldwin, and D. Also, please remember to READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.