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 next ones to come were not all Belmont by name,
Rather, they were Belmonts through blood.
However, exactly how they were connected did not matter,
As long as they still bore the legacy.
In addition, the younger son of Vlad was found,
and several vampires were shocked when the truth was revealed...
-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines XLVIII-LIV

Chapter 4: Mirer, Graves, Baldwin, and D
Last time on Requiem of Shadows:

The next few teams met with a little more resistance than they anticipated, but they still managed to retrieve their targets. However, as the list continues to grow shorter, the task grows more difficult, as Baal has finally caught on. What will happen to our next group? We now join Etna and her younger brother Aramis as they search for Richter Belmont and another traveler.

Shadowed Caves: Walachia Province: Transylvania
Time Period: 1795

Etna looked over at her younger brother, and then she slightly frowned. "Why is it that you can still control zombies, even if we are no longer in the Netherworld?" Aramis smiled before shrugging his shoulders. "I don't really know. I guess it's just a talent that I was born with." He fell silent and held up one hand. Etna stopped, and then both of them listened to the noises coming from deeper inside the cave. When they heard a sharp snapping sound, Etna groaned aloud. "I think we might have just found both of them." "Agreed," called her younger brother. They both hurried forward in an attempt to stop the battle from claiming the lives of both men who they were sent to retrieve.

They hid themselves behind a nearby ridge and watched the two fight, looking for the perfect opportunity to intervene. Richter Belmont's lips were drawn back in a snarl as he wielded VampireKiller in an attempt to strike down the vampire before him. However, the white-haired being constantly eluded the whip strokes. The slender vampire sneered before holding up his right hand. Aramis watched in wonder as the man slowly folded his fingers into his palm, one at a time. He then shook his hand, as if casting water off of it. Aramis' eyes widened as the hand suddenly morphed into metal. Etna was quick to notice that the claw was slightly lighter in color than the one that Saito used, and her eyes narrowed in confirmation. She turned to her brother and nodded. Aramis whistled aloud, not only catching the attention of both combatants, but also summoning several of his own trusted zombie servants. He looked over at the two fighters, and then he turned back to his newly summoned troops. "Restrain them both."

Mirer Link's eyes widened with shock when a different type of zombie started to pour over the ridge. He looked at the Belmont, and then grinned. "I could always use some more target practice. What do you think about taking these things out?" Richter looked over at the vampire, a smile suddenly crossing his face. "I was just thinking the same thing. Let's do this." "Destroy as many as you want. I'll just summon more," came a voice from the top of the ridge. Both fighters looked up in order to see a pink-haired young man standing out of the flow of the undead. He held a katana, and was using it to direct the zombies. Richter smiled as he lashed out, hoping to knock the weapon out of his hands. However, the Belmont received a nasty shock when he found that the whip had stopped a few inches short. Aramis smiled before calling out to the two of them. "Nice try, Belmont. However, I already took certain precautions against that. If you are both willing to be reasonable, then I will order my friends here to let you go." Mirer's blood-red eyes narrowed as he stared up at the young man. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"Maybe it's because a pupil of yours is in desperate need of your help, Mirer Link," called a female voice from the other side of the ridge. Mirer twisted his head in order to get a good look at the young woman. She was wearing black and pink, and she held a nasty looking spear in her hands. He raised an eyebrow before asking her two questions. "Who exactly are you, and who sent you here?" The young woman smiled before introducing herself and her companion. "My name is Etna, and I take it that you have already met my younger brother, Aramis. As for exactly who sent us: does the name Saito ring any bells?" The vampire's eyes widened and he stopped in absolute shock. "SAITO? But I thought that he had died already?" In response to this, he heard a mental laugh, just before he heard that voice once again. Me, dead? Are you out of your mind, Mirer? You know how resilient I am! Besides, I'm immortal now. What in the heck are you talking about? He heard a mental sigh, and then his prize pupil responded. I am the Oricaltos now. I also happen to be the last Ultima Kaiser left in the universe. Does that answer your question? Yes, but why do you need my help? Dracula has vanished from the time-stream, so I need not only your help, but that of the Belmont as well. Understood? Mirer nodded his head, and then Saito spoke once more. GOOD. I'm glad that I got that established. Now, if you don't mind, I need to finish setting up shop here in downtown Tokyo. See ya!

The elder vampire slowly shook his head as he looked up at Etna. "I need to go grab my wife before we leave. Is that alright with both of you?" Aramis smiled as he gestured for the zombies to release the vampire. "Go right ahead, Master Mirer. Saito said that you were allowed to bring her along, anyway." Mirer smiled before bowing his thanks, and then he hurried deeper into the cave, in search of his wife. Etna tilted her head to one side as she looked down at the Belmont. "Are you willing to listen to us, or are you just going to keep struggling?" Richter Belmont slowly hung his head, and then he spoke in a resigned tone. "What do you want from me?" Etna smiled gently as she signaled her brother, and Aramis ordered the zombies to let him go. "We need your help, and that of your wife as well." Richter looked up, slightly puzzled. "Why do you need my help?" "Well, Dracula has disappeared, and we are searching out members of the Belmont family throughout time in order to try and free him. You see, a demon going by the name of Baal sealed Dracula within his own keep in the year 1666, and he took control of all of his minions. He is determined to forever alter history, and he will if he is not stopped." Richter stopped for a moment, and then he gently smiled. "I don't know what you mean by 'alter history', but it doesn't sound good at all. I need to head back to the mansion and grab my wife. Other than that, I brought along the sub-weapons just in case I needed them." "And, of course, you brought along VampireKiller." Richter nodded, and then he gestured towards the cave entrance. "I would sincerely appreciate it if one of you would accompany me back to the mansion. That way, I will have an easier time explaining things to Annet." Aramis smiled before stepping forward. "I'll go with you. Besides, I have a feeling that you may need my help." Richter nodded, and then the two of them proceeded out of the cave.

As Aramis and Richter set out on the hazardous road back to the Belmont mansion, Etna waited patiently for Mirer to finish preparing his bride for the journey ahead.

"Exactly why are we going to help out Saito again, dear?" Charlotte Link asked her husband. Her light brown hair was still hanging to her waist, and her own brown eyes were shining with concern. Mirer sighed before turning to Etna for an explanation. "There is a demon out there who is much stronger than Dracula. This demon trapped the Prince of Darkness within his own keep in the year 1666. It is our task to free the Count, and slay the demon. Do I need to explain anything else?" Both Mirer and Charlotte shook their heads, indicating that they had understood perfectly. Mirer looked out of the cave, and then his face grew solemn. "It is nearly nightfall, and we must move quickly. Danger abounds in these parts, and I do not wish to be ambushed." Etna nodded in agreement, and then she led the couple out of the cave, and down the nearby slope. As soon as they reached the forest below, Mirer urged Etna to pick up the pace. "Something is following us, and I don't like it one bit." "You aren't the only one, Mirer," Charlotte called, slightly annoyed as she launched a fireball back at their pursuer. The beast dodged, but it became clearly visible for a few seconds. Etna swore, and then she picked up the pace immediately. She did not want to be caught by Cerberus.

While Etna and her traveling companions face pursuit from the guardian of Hades, Aramis and the Belmonts face a slightly different problem...

Aramis brought his katana across his body, slicing through the skeleton in his path, turning around, he nearly swore aloud as a new batch appeared on the horizon. "Damn it! They just keep coming!" Richter's blue eyes narrowed to slits as he once more drew Vampire Killer from his waist. "Well, we might as well give these idiots a fight to remember." Annet chuckled dryly behind her husband as she began to conjure several fireballs. "I might as well join you, dear," she said as she moved up to stand alongside Richter. Suddenly, Aramis came up with an idea, and he grinned wickedly as he turned to his companions. "I have an incredibly nasty idea that I think will work." "Does it involve your unique talent?" asked Richter, and Aramis nodded. The Belmont smiled before gesturing towards the incoming horde of monsters. "Be my guest." Aramis grinned wickedly before whistling three times. Almost instantly, the trio was surrounded by a fairly large number of zombies. Aramis snarled, and then he pointed his sword at the incoming monsters. "Destroy them all," he ordered, and the zombies immediately got to work. The red-eyed young man turned and smiled at the couple. "Let's get going. I don't really want to stick around and clean up all of the mess." "Agreed," Annet said, laughing easily.

The two groups eventually reunited near the sealed Gate, but they soon had to face a huge problem: Cerberus.

Etna, Mirer, and Charlotte dashed into the clearing, just ahead of a three-headed dog. Richter swore aloud as he drew Vampire Killer once again. "I hated having to fight this thing. Still, at least I know that I can beat it on my own." "However, you will not be fighting alone this time, Belmont." Richter turned to Mirer, slightly surprised. "What in the heck are you talking about?" The vampire's answer was cut short when Etna started to speak. "I think I know what he is getting at. There are six of us, but only one of him. Why don't we all work together, and end this battle in a hurry?" Richter looked back at the red-eyed young demon, and then he smiled. "That works for me!" The six quickly spread-out, determined to put an end to the hell-hound.

Etna was the first to strike. Leaping high into the air, she twisted her body lightly and then came crashing down onto the beast's back. She drove her spear in deeply, trying to hit any vital organs. Cerberus snarled and tried to throw her off, but the spear was deeply lodged and Etna was clinging to it tightly. As the beast reared-back to release his flame-breath, Mirer rushed in and opened a gaping wound in his chest. The dog howled in pain and completely forgot about his breath-attack. His first priority was now set: destroy the vampire. As Cerberus leaped into the air, he twisted around and unleashed a fireball in Charlotte's direction. She saw it and raised her mental shield just in time. However, Cerberus failed to notice that Mirer had tricked him into jumping at Aramis, and by the time he noticed, it was already too late. Aramis stabbed upwards with all of his strength. The slender blade slid between the beast's ribs and pierced his heart. Cerberus died instantly, and his corpse landed heavily on the young zombie-trainer. As he struggled to free himself, Richter made sure that Cerberus was dead by removing all three heads with a single stroke of Vampire Killer. He put his whip away, and then reached down to help Aramis up. The young man winced as he grabbed his ribs, and Annet hurried over to offer assistance. "I think I might have cracked a few ribs," the young man gasped as Annet lifted his shirt in order to see the extent of his injuries.

She clicked her tongue lightly as she scolded the zombie-trainer. "You should have known better than that! Putting your blade into his heart was effective, but you should have gotten out of the way right after." "And lose my sword? I'm afraid not. I prefer to keep my blade close, even if it means that a three-headed corpse will land on me." Charlotte giggled as she gently smiled at the young man. "You certainly are fairly stubborn." "You know it," he said, his eyes glittering. Etna rolled her eyes and sighed at her little brother, and Aramis responded with a grin. His smile quickly turned into a wince as Annet used her magic to heal the three fractured ribs he had received. Etna slowly shook her head before removing the vial from her neck and emptying the contents over the seal. The Time Gate winked into existence, and Etna gestured that they should all proceed through it. Mirer didn't even think twice as he lead his bride through the vortex. Richter and Annet closely followed, leaving only brother and sister behind. Etna smiled gently as Aramis leaned on her for support. Even though Annet had healed his injuries, he was still a little tired. As the two passed over the threshold, the Gate silently collapsed behind them. When a group of five blood skeletons arrived on the scene, they could find nothing except for a small, irregular seal on the ground.

And so it was through the intervention of Etna and Aramis that Richter Belmont came to realize that not all vampires were evil. In addition, Mirer Link had joined the group, adding valuable experience. However, he would be fairly surprised when the next group of travelers arrived, bearing an old rival. Speaking on the subject of other groups, we now join Priere in her search for the Graves family...
Camilla's Mansion: Walachia Province: Transylvania
Time Period: 1835

Priere silently cursed her luck as she dodged another homing fireball. Stupid Heat Shades, she thought to herself as she continued to climb the steep path leading to the mansion. When she finally reached the door, the fireballs abruptly stopped, and the Alternate Overlord grew suspicious. She walked up and knocked on the front door, ignoring the nagging feeling that something was horribly wrong. She had tracked Nathan Graves this far, and she just hoped that her journey had finally come to an end. The door opened and a brown-haired young woman looked out. She smiled, slightly surprised that someone would be knocking at such a late hour. "Is there anything that I can help you with?" she asked politely. "I was wondering if you happened to know the location of Nathan Graves," Priere responded. The woman's reward was a widening smile and an invitation to enter the house. Shortly after Priere had entered, the woman looked around once, and then promptly closed and locked the door.

She lead Priere into a fairly sparse living-room and gestured for her to take a seat. "I need to go see if my husband is in. I won't be that long." With that, she disappeared into the upper portion of the mansion, leaving Priere free to explore the living-room. As her eyes wandered from one side of the room to the other, a lone shadow resting against the far wall caught her attention. She looked closer, and then she gently smiled as she noticed the sword hilt protruding over the man's right shoulder. "I take it that you are Dracula's younger son?" she asked quietly. The man nodded his head before stepping into the light. He wore a wide-brimmed hat over his auburn hair. His eyes glittered dark-red in the light of the fire, and he refused to smile as he raised his left hand. "Well, what do we have here?" the parasite commented as he got his first look at Priere. "It appears to be a demon, but she still has an aura that is slightly human. Why did you come here, girl?" Priere sighed aloud as she sat down on the couch. "I would rather explain it when Nathan Graves gets here."

"What do you want to explain first: who you are, or why you came here?" a voice called from the far doorway. Priere smiled easily, displaying her fangs. "You had better pull up a chair, Graves. I will be as brief as I possibly can." She waited patiently for the holder of VampireKiller to take his seat, and then she looked out the door. "You too, Camilla. I only want to explain this once." D's mother nodded before taking a seat next to her husband. The Alternate Overlord sighed aloud before explaining her reason for coming. "There is a darkness that is threatening all of history as we know it. Dracula has disappeared in the year 1666, and we need your help to find him once again." Nathan sighed and then stared into Priere's eyes. His own were light blue, and they glittered with intelligence. "There's something that you aren't telling me..." The red-haired, red-eyed young woman sighed to herself and then explained further. "We know that Vlad is trapped within his own keep. We also know that there is a demon who is currently in command of his armies. The name of this demon is Baal, and the leader that I am serving knows for a fact that Baal is significantly stronger than Dracula. We are enlisting the help of those who have defeated the Prince throughout the ages, so you don't really need to worry about being the only one." Nathan's eyes lit-up, and then he asked Priere another question. "Does Hugh know about this?" "Well, if my younger brother gets to his home in one piece, then Hugh will find out exactly what I just told you." Nathan nodded, satisfied with the explanation. He then returned to his room to gather VampireKiller, the sub-weapons, and the his most treasured piece of equipment: the DSS cards.

Meanwhile, Culotte is busy explaining the same thing to Hugh Baldwin and his wife, Katherine...
Belmont Mansion: Walachia Province: Transylvania
Time Period: 1835

"Are there any questions so far?" the young angel asked Hugh. The older man shook his head, but his wife then spoke up. "How can we be sure that you aren't here to lead us astray?" Culotte inwardly sighed in desperation. He had been sitting in the dining-room, answering the woman's questions for the past two hours. He finally rose from his seat and reached into his bag. He had brought along one particular heirloom of the family, but he had hoped to save it until a later time. Unfortunately, I'll have to use it in order to convince her of my intentions. He felt his fingers wrap around the spine of the book, and he slowly drew it out of his pack. Katherine's eyes immediately grew wide as she looked at the worn book. "Leon Belmont's original journal? But how did you get your hands on this?" "I thought he already said that, Katherine," Hugh said, slightly annoyed that his wife had too many questions. "Each of the Belmonts disappeared mysteriously during a certain year, and they were each returned later that year. My best guess is that Leon personally gave this to you," he said, looking at the young man for confirmation. Culotte smiled, and then he nodded his head. Hugh abruptly stood up and turned to his wife. "I'm going to go grab my sword and the other items that I managed to master five years ago. Do you mind waiting here?" The angel smiled and then shook his head. "I don't mind at all."

After convincing Katherine to join them, Culotte and Hugh set out in the direction of Camilla's Mansion. They had just reached the staircase leading up to the house when Hugh noticed that something was horribly wrong...
Camilla's Mansion: Walachia Province: Transylvania
Time: Two hours after Culotte and the others departed from the Belmont home

"It's quiet. A little too quiet," Hugh noted as the trio began to ascend the staircase leading up to the mansion. Culotte suddenly raised a hand, and they all stopped. "Hugh is right. I can still feel my sister, but she appears to be under considerable stress." Turning to look at his puzzled companions, he gave them a brief synopsis. "The only real time when my sister gets stressed is when she is under attack." "Then what are we waiting for?" Hugh stated, drawing his sword. "Let's get up there and help out." Culotte nodded his head, drew his short sword, and then hurried up the staircase, with Katherine and her husband hot on his heels.

Once inside of the mansion, the trio followed the sound of the fighting, in order to find that Priere was definitely in need of help...

Nathan cursed aloud as he swung Vampire Killer, splitting an Earth Demon in half. Turning, he engaged threw two knives at the Fallen Angel who was trying to sneak up on Camilla. She turned, nodded her thanks, and then proceeded to rip apart the nearest Hippogryph with a well-timed wind spell. Meanwhile, D and Priere were back-to-back, lashing out at any opponent who came within striking distance. "There are too many of them!" Priere commented to her companion, and D grinned wickedly. "Not for long. It appears that our reinforcements have arrived," he replied as he looked out the door. Priere turned slightly and then grinned before calling out to her little brother. "Culotte! We're in here!" Culotte turned at the sound of his sister's voice, and promptly rushed into the room, followed by both of the Baldwins. He immediately cut his way to his Priere's side, and then he tipped his hat lightly to the dhamphir. "I take it that you are Vlad's younger son?" D nodded and then lunged forward. His long blade pierced the Minotaur's heart, and it dropped to the floor before it could finish it's stroke. Culotte bowed his head in thanks before turning around just in time to see Hugh rip a Demon Lord to pieces with a wind-enhanced sword.

Nathan looked up and smiled at his comrade-in-arms. "I thought you would miss all of the fun, Hugh! Get over here, because it's about time that we both teach these monsters a well deserved lesson." The Baldwin smiled as he placed his back against Nathan's, and then both of them began to lash out with extremely fast blows. Most of the monsters were cut to pieces before they even realized that the two were working together. As for the rest, they quickly fell prey to the combined wrath of Camilla Graves and Katherine Baldwin. Nathan then turned and looked across the room, just in time to hear Culotte's one word command. "DUCK!" The companions fell flat as Priere suddenly sneered before calling out her nastiest physical attack. "Spirit Wind!" The mirages and the real baton wrecked havoc among the monsters, destroying scores of them and forcing the rest to retreat.

As the monsters finally turned and fled, everyone took a seat on the floor in order to assess their own injuries. Nathan and Hugh managed to escape with minor cuts and scrapes, while their spouses had only suffered bruises. Priere, on the other hand, was freely bleeding from both a wound on her scalp and a deep puncture in her left leg. Culotte had a bruised right eye and two slashes across his right arm, and D had several shallow cuts on both arms. As his own wounds finished healing themselves, he turned worriedly to Priere, but then his eyes widened in surprise when he saw a strange light emerging from between her cupped hands. The light touched each of her wounds, healing them moments later. The Alternate Overlord sighed aloud before leaning on the ruins of the couch. "We need to warn the others about this. That way, they won't be caught off-guard." Culotte nodded, and then helped his sister to her feet. "Is everyone alright?" he asked, and the others nodded. "Then let's get going. I don't want to be ambushed again." Nathan nodded before gesturing towards the door. "Lead on, my young friend."

The group reached the Gate without any problems, and they also passed through without incident. However, back at the forge, it was an entirely different story...
Onago's Forge: Draconia
Time: N/A (Exists outside of space and time)

As soon as Priere came through the Gate, she could sense the tension in the room. Looking around, she quickly located the source. "Well, it appears that they decided to drag along a useless piece of garbage like you," Mirer snarled as he flexed his claws. "Come on, fool. I promise that your death will be a swift one." As D began his charge, everyone heard a loud voice roar out from one of the open portals. "CEASE THIS INSANITY AT ONCE!" Everyone turned to look at the Gate, and they were shocked when a very angry Oricaltos emerged. He took one step forward, and then glared at Mirer. "Keep your mouth shut, Link, unless you want me to remove your tongue." He then turned and stared at D. "I thought that you had learned better than this, Morian. You are both here for the same purpose, and it is not to kill each other. Do you understand me, son of Vlad?" D hung his head, and Mirer's jaw dropped in amazement as he looked at the Hunter, then back at the mage. "You have got to be kidding me correct? Him, one of the sons of Dracula? That's impossible!" "No, it is the truth," came a quiet voice from the mage's left. He looked over at D, and then he gently smiled. "I will leave you to explain this. After all, I need to finish with something that I was doing, before I was so rudely interrupted," he snarled, shooting a nasty glare at Mirer before striding back into the Time Gate. Everyone looked at the dhamphir, waiting for an explanation.

D sighed aloud as he raised his head. "My birth name was Morian Alexander Tepes. I was born nearly fifteen years after my brother, Adrian." "Adrian, as some of you already know, is the birth name of Alucard," Richter Belmont interjected, and D nodded at him. "That is correct, Richter Belmont." He then turned back to Mirer. "I learned exactly what happened to Alucard's mother, and I pitied him. I also came to eventually hate my father, who was determined to eradicate humanity. I managed to slip away from the keep in the middle of the night, carrying only the clothing on my back and a sword that I had stolen from the castle armory." He reached back and patted the handle of the sword hanging over his right shoulder. "This blade has served me well for several thousand years, and it has not yet chipped or broken once." The half-vampire then prodded the palm of his left hand. "It's your turn," he said, and then the parasite sighed aloud. "If you insist, D."

"I was a demon once, one who was hired to destroy D. I was given a body, a few abilities, and was sent on my merry way along with several of my other friends from the void. However, once we met up with our friend here, playtime was over. He slaughtered most of us in a pitched battle, and soon I was the only one left. I decided to make a deal with D. In exchange for my ability to absorb souls and create barriers, I was given a new home, since D apparently did not have the abilities of his brother." The parasite stopped when Saito mentally reached out and touched both of them. You are wrong in that regard, parasite. YOU have been suppressing those abilities of his, but Morian cannot use them properly unless you are eliminated from the equation. What are you talking about, Saito? Do I truly have most of the abilities of my elder brother? That is correct, Morian Tepes. Upon my return, Adrian and I will teach you how to use your true powers, AFTER we extract that parasite. But why do I need to be extracted? I'm letting him use my abilities...in exchange for stopping his from developing altogether. All of that magic that YOU absorbed actually passed through you and went directly to Morian. Don't try to argue with me, parasite. You will only make it more painful in the end. Yes, sir.

As the mental conversation finally concluded, D reopened his eyes and looked at Mirer. "I never knew that I also had my brother's abilities. Well, I had better get around to learning as much as I can about them." "I think I may be able to help you with that. After all, I experienced a few of them first-hand when I was under Shaft's control." Morian turned and nodded at Richter Belmont. "That is fine with me. Lead the way." With that, the two of them headed into one of the smaller rooms to discuss Alucard's abilities. The rest of the teams wandered the remaining rooms, and Priere quickly sent a mental warning to the two remaining teams and the Oricaltos. Stay sharp, wherever you are. Baal has increased the strength and size of his patrols. Also, beware of ambushes. May your missions end as successfully as mine did.

Author's note: Well, I think that Mirer has finally overcome his hatred for D. However, the parasite may prove to be troublesome in the future. Also, note that we are down to the last three teams (well, technically it's two teams and Saito). Will they all receive Priere's message, or will they fall prey to the ever-increasing patrols of the Lord of Terror? What trials await our last three teams as they close-in on their objectives? What other surprises does Shaft have for the future? And what is Saito thinking by setting up a weapons shop? All of this will be explained in my next chapter, Trials of Angels and Humans. Please remember to READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.