"I touched that boy's soul. I saw his previous lives" – Dmitrii Blinov, Dawn of Sorrow in regards to Soma Cruz.

"Amnesia, now that was hard. Thirty-seven years without an answer to your own identity or place in this world. Thirty-seven years without knowing your role in life or your true calling. That's thirty-seven years I should have been training my own replacement. Just the same, kid – old or young, this is my job." – Julius Belmont… to his great nephew, Justus, during the horse-drawn buggy ride between Bucharest and central Wallachia, yesterday.

Chapter -12-
"The Bewitching Hour"

The timber wolf continued down the hallway at breakneck speed. Justus kept time not far behind and dropped to all fours, galloping like a horse. He saw the smaller wolf come to a stop at the end of the corridor and gracefully rose to two feet, slowing to a jog. The werewolf returned to a biped stance and slowed until they were walking together.

Alucard resumed his previous form and drew back his cape, shoving it over his shoulder. It tugged at his broach, tumbled down his back and continued to his ankles. He turned to Justus and said, "This is a short cut between towers. There is a courtyard out front, but there's another one on the inside parameter. What has your uncle taught you, thus far?"

"What is there to teach?" Justus looked the man over.

The dhamphir's eyes followed the dusky amber hues and smirked. "Sizing me up? At any rate, I want Julius to teach you how to continue the Belmont line. I'm taking a break from this and do not wish to wake up to more drama."

"What if I don't want to fight freaks and undead things, Mister Arikado? Don't give me the whole, 'with great power comes great responsibility' line, either, because I never asked to become a walking, talking dog."

"You're a wolf. Take pride in your heritage. Your blood lineage is strong and proud, even if they were quiet and stifled as of these last few decades." He narrowed his eyes for a moment then said, "Genya Arikado is going to be 'dying' soon. I do not wish for my business to be aired like dirty laundry, boy. I'm sure some part of you already knows I'm not some…"

Justus lifted a paw and said, "Yeah, you're the son of Dracula or whatever. Big damn deal. Can we just find this girl, my uncle and her stupid rock so we can go the hell home? I have a life and you have a bed or a coffin or whatever. I appreciate you taking a minute to talk – that shows you're a swell guy but we're just procrastinating." He turned to the door, wrapped his large paw around the handle and pulled it open.

Small clouds dotted the sky, racing by in the jet stream. The full moon illuminated the forested-looking landscape, peering through the branches so that the cobblestone path incandesced. With the small rapidly panning clouds, the rich luna beam flickered and dimmed every few seconds, making the landscape feel almost alive. Justus reveled in the sensation of moonlight, dancing on his fur. "Sorry, I'm just under a lot of stress."

Alucard remained stoic for a moment longer then said, "You're quite perceptive. Fair enough… we will hurry. However, stress or not – I cannot babysit you if you're distressed from fighting the undead simply because you're still in shock."

"That's not it," said Justus, stepping through the doorway and onto the elevated cobblestone path. "I just found out I'm half animal tonight. I just found out that my father didn't die in a simple auto accident while on business. In fact, he was killed. His death has something to do with this damn castle. Not only that, I was shot and lost a lot of blood so I feel like 'ass'. I usually don't complain about anything but right now I'm going through some stuff. I'm not in shock about killing; I'm a little put off by the fact it's coming so easy for me to kill these freakish things."

The dhamphir shifted on his heel, stepped through the door and offered a sidelong glance to Justus. "That's normal, boy. I would worry more if you felt pleasure or nothing at all when using your claws. It proves to me that you have a sense of compassion and humanity. Let us continue." A slight gale captured Adrian Tepes' silver strands of hair, causing them to dance like a ballerina to a note of song. The wind caught and toyed with his cape so that it billowed out behind him. He cast a glare over his shoulder then said, "Try to keep up; we need to make good time," and broke into a sprint. Several steps out, his body morphed back into that of a four-legged timber wolf, running at full stride.

Justus hurried after the half-man, across the walkway, to the next tower. At the end, Alucard waited for him to come and open the door then they both hurried through. They took the stairs with haste until coming to another door. Justus opened it and the animalistic dhamphir hurried through. Down the hallway and into the next large chamber, the werewolf followed Alucard through the castle. Approaching the end of the quiet vestibule, the timber wolf slowed to a halt.

The calm, aloof voice of Alucardreverberated off the walls. "This is as far as we go without incident." The small four-legged wolf canted its head, glaring back at Justus. The dhamphir's furry wolfen ears lowered and his whiskers eased back along his muzzle. He began to glow and, seconds later, morphed into a human form. He stood adjacent to the werewolf, wearing a fantastic coat with golden buttons. He had black leather boots, straight out of the middle ages and a dazzling black cape with red velvet interior. He turned to Justus and said, "Be ready to fight for your life. We must complete Julius' mission for two reasons. One, if Julius is alive and well, he would have to come this way and we'll discover his true fate. Two, if Julius is injured or worse, we must complete his job ourselves."

"Let's just get this done so I can find him. I have a lot of questions for him and my mother would have a stroke if he was killed." Justus Bell placed a paw on his old injury, repaired earlier by Yoko. The sealed gunshot wound ached but the fur around the wound was still clumped together. The dried blood matted the fur down on his hip but flaked away the more he played with the wounded area.

"Put your guard up," said Alucard. "I understand you must be tired; however I require your attention. It's true, outside the castle there is now sunlight. This means that some of the enemies are weaker now, although I still require your focus and attention, Justus."

"How the hell does one rest in this castle? Between taking a bullet and fighting for my life, I'm pretty damn worn out." Bell ran his furry fingertips up through his head-fur and sighed. "I've not eaten since yesterday morning, before we went to Poenari. I guess you don't eat or sleep but damn, man."

Alucard turned to the large two-legged wolf and leered at him for a moment. After a short time, he offered a simple nod. The gesture, curt and wordless, was followed by a canting of the head. Justus fell into step behind him until they came to an elegantly carved door. The dhamphir genuflected first before opening the door then held it open. Justus passed through.

On the inside, Justus found himself in an achingly beautiful cathedral. A statue of the Virgin Mary stood at one end, hands together in prayer. Six pews lined the walls with an alter and a fountain at the front. Bell looked around and cleared his throat. "A safe room?"

"There is a hearth in the back room. Yes, it's safe and it is blessed – nothing will attack you here; believe it or not, my father, before his transformation, was a Christian leader of the state. Start a fire in the hearth and … do you know how to cook? Perhaps you can find a rabbit or other small animal around here.

"What about you?"

"I'll scout the area and return in twelve hours. I expect for you to have eaten and slept by the time I return. Things will grow harder when we set out again; the sun, outside of the castle's shell of ebony, will be setting by then. There is water and wine in the chest – both of which are good; consumable. Please refrain from leaving this area until I return. Sleep well, Justus." Alucard backed out of the room and shut the door behind himself.

Rome, Italy, Sunday morning – 06:45am (1 hour behind Bucharest, Romania)

Soma Cruz, age twenty-seven, sat up in bed, his eyes wide and his platinum bangs stuck to his forehead. Drenched in sweat, he blinked his stormy-blue eyes several times in an attempt to get his bearings. He canted his head over at Mina, sleeping peacefully on the futon. A wireless video game controller sat beside her knee, with the low battery indicator blinking. The early morning sunlight filtered in through the slatted blinds. He lifted his palm to his forehead and pushed his hair from his face then yawned.

Cruz moved out of the living room and into the kitchen. He flipped the switch to a small television set and opened the fridge, casually poking about to find something edible. Behind him, the flat panel screen bathed the kitchen in soft illumination, thereafter trumped by the brightness of the icebox light. A news anchor's voice, speaking Italian, said, "…The nuclear blast in Romania last night. Scientists have yet to take a sample of the Transylvanian soil; it is unclear if the castle sustained any damage by the blast. It appears intact with a barely visible shell surrounding the structure. Romania has appealed for NATO support, calling for help from ally nations. A declared state of emergency is in place and most flights have been grounded in the area. Romania put troops in place along the border, demanding that Turkey back down from further attacks. The Sultan of Istanbul has not yet released a statement; the Turkish Prime Minister is still missing, presumed dead. In other news, the United States' Republican candidate and Democratic candidate for presidency have both called the Turkish attack despicable and an unnecessary act of violence. The tight race between the two American presidential hopefuls has been all but forgotten – the Democratic national convention, set for next Wednesday, has been canceled out of respect and will remain so until further notice."

Soma's eyes widened. He turned around, glaring at the flat screen in disbelief. A blurry helicopter camera showed a castle in a field. He recognized it instantly. "…My dream!" he exclaimed in shock, hurrying to a nearby phone. He picked up the handset and dialed a phone number, fumbling at first to get the country-code, let alone the number itself, from his thumb. His hands shook from the adrenaline.

Seconds later, a voice came from the receiver. "You've reached Hammer. If you're trying to make a purchase, you can check out my website, else just press two and leave a message. Personal callers just wait for the beep. Thanks." A chime followed the recording.

"You've got to be kidding me." Soma drew in a deep breath then said, "Hammer, you'd better call me back as soon as you get this. I dreamt you were in the middle of a crisis; I turn on the TV and see the whole thing on screen, just the way I saw it last night. The ending was so bad that I woke up without finishing the dream. Look, if you are there… do me a favor. Tell Yoko to protect her friend, Arikado. In fact, if you are in the middle of that mess, make sure that guy is not on scene. If he is, tell him to get out of there right away." He ended the call and sighed with frustration.

"Soma?" Mina's voice, docile and soft but luminescent and vibrant, was a palliative balm on him. He turned from the small television in the kitchen and frowned, eyes dropping to the floor.

"It's starting again."

"But… I thought it was only every one hundred years; let alone over?"

Soma shook his head with a frown. "It is. From what I've learned, the incidence in 1999 was premature – everything started up again in 1476, hit the fan once more in 1576, then went sour once more in the 1690's, got out of sorts again in the 1790's… then in 1897, he rose again. Finally, in 1999, it was supposedly done. But consistently, there were half periods… 50 year marks, plus or minus a few years. In 1844, they began doing a ritual to raise Dracula using the blood of a werewolf. In 1944, the fighting of the Second World War helped bring him back… it's now one hundred years since then – two hundred years since the bit with the werewolf ritual. About three hundred years since Simon Belmont's kid – or grandkid, rather – Juste I think… had a run-in with Dracula."

"But he can't come back. You're Dracula and you're here. You're not going there – so you can't get involved. Why are you worried?"

His eyes lifted slowly, as if drinking in her form an inch at a time. "Mina… in my dream I had last night… I gave my 'son' an evil power and turned him into an abomination. I don't have any kids; if I was Dracula in another life then it's my belief that the dream is a metaphor. I think that Dracula's power is somehow going to wind up in the hands of his son. I don't have Dracula's blood and I'm not related to this 'Arikado' guy… but I have his soul and there's still a bond."

"Have you done your daily meditation yet? Almost everything you've learned about your past lives came from that – perhaps you can meditate on an answer."

He shook his head slowly. "I've learned a lot from my sessions," he admitted. "I've learned that I was once named Mathias, among other names, and was eventually reborn as Vlad in the 1400's, then I recovered a magic stone from my own past life and turned evil… but this stone still exists. If it winds up in my hands, I could become the same person that Mathias and Vlad became. Worse yet, if it winds up in the hands of Alucard…"

"Hush," said Mina. She approached Soma, placing her fingers on his lips. "Honestly, whether or not Mister Arikado really is Dracula's son is still up to debate. Furthermore, he can handle himself. He supposedly has fought against his father many times since the mid-to-late 1700's, right? Don't you think, in several hundred years, if he's still around it's because he's able to take care of himself?"

"This dream was very real, Mina!" Soma took a deep breath again, frowned and said, "I didn't mean to holler at you; I'm sorry." He reached for her hand, rubbing his thumb along the promissory ring she now wore. "Look, you're right… I won't go there but… I'm really worried for Hammer and Yoko." He nodded towards the television and told her, "They're saying a nuclear bomb hit that castle, Mina."

Her eyes widened and she stepped the rest of the way into the kitchen to see the TV. After a moment, she glanced back over her shoulder at her boyfriend and frowned. "I'm sure Mister Arikado is there. And if he is there, you know that Mister J. is there."

Soma placed a hand on her shoulder then let it slide down her arm, standing behind her. "I'm pretty sure Julius Belmont is there. He was in the dream. …I wonder if I could crack the castle's seal. Yoko showed me how to do it almost ten years ago; I think I still remember."

"No!" Mina turned to Soma, placed her hands on her hips and glared. "Nuclear blast, Soma… There's fallout and you would get very sick. You're not going. That's final. …Please?"

"You're right," he said, drawing her into his arms. "You're right; I won't go since I'm probably not needed there. I …promise."

Meanwhile…

A smirk tugged at the corner of Julius' mouth. He cut his gaze over to Sinopa Crevan, the kitsune fox at his side. His eyes returned to the statues along the wall. Drolta Tzuentes with a plaque reading, Dorottya Szentes beneath it, stood adjacent to Graham Jones and Celia Fortner. Julius folded his arms and, in a gruff voice, announced, "This must be the losing team's trophy case. Every idiot who ever lost their life fighting against the good guys apparently has a statue here." He continued passed Dmitrii Blinov, Dario Bossi and Gilles de Rais. Besides another statue, one of a female named Actrise, was the dark priest, Shaft. Julius glared at the stone man then turned to Sinopa. "This one was quite the trouble." He moved down the line in front of one simply named, 'Zead.'

"Not really a person is he?" she mused, nodding to the next statue over, "At least not like this one". A man named Barlowe in velvety green nobleman's robes held a book in his right hand. The book, unlike the statue or the clothing, was real. "You don't know much about this one, but he's a regular Benedict Arnold. Needless to say, we should continue on our way. I wish to retrieve my diamond lest it fall into the hands of anyone here."

"Fair enough," said Julius with a slow nod. "So, the founder of the Order of Ecclesia is a traitor?"

"And such a stupid name for an order," mumbled the kitsune vixen. "An ecclesia is a word meaning 'summoned gathering,' used in Athens when a public interest matter was at hand. It's as though…" She suddenly drew silent from the swiping motion offered by Julius. She cocked a single eyebrow and asked, "Must you really make that motion?"

"I require less banter, Miss Crevan," said Julius, adding, "I heard something up ahead. I would much rather fight it then let it ambush us. If you can fight then follow me."

The two of them moved into a room with a high overhead clearance, several stories above their heads. Four pillars reached to the lofty ceiling. In the rafters, there were several feminine-looking creatures with wings. Their talons glistened, catching Julius' eye. He snapped one of his whips to gain their attention. Five monsters in all, they took note of Julius and his company then, one by one, dove at him with their claws extended.

The aging Belmont leapt from his position, fist extended, catching one of them in the torso. One of the diving entities shifted their wings, swooping directly beneath him. He lifted his arms and angled his foot so that his heel was the first part to strike the second creature from above. He gracefully somersaulted from the second being and unfurled his whip at a third.

In his free hand, the hunter cast a cross-shaped boomerang towards the first monster, knocking all three to the floor. The remaining two turned and headed for Sinopa. The kitsune furrowed her brows slightly then lifted a hand. Both attacking enemies fell to the floor at a lethal velocity, immediately writhing in agony.

The three injured monsters surrounding Julius sat up, watching in horror as their two comrades screamed at the feet of the kitsune. Both harpies, looking up at Sinopa Crevan, appeared in immense physical pain. Their feathers burst into flames and their flesh bubbled up. Just as quickly as their wings combusted, so too did their flesh, leaving two pillars of fire on either side of the mystical creature. She cut her gaze towards the remaining three and folded her arms. "You're next," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

They scrambled from the floor, flapping their wings in an attempt to get away from the duet. Taking to the rafters, all three disappeared in a moment's notice. Sinopa approached Julius and frowned. "I didn't mean to make that into some sort of dramatic production – I have more pressing matters to attend; fighting consumes time and energy. Speaking of energy, when have you rested?"

"I've been at this all night," said Julius, adding, "It's quite obvious what elemental clan you represent. I'd forgotten that the kitsune are creatures of a given element. Impressive display of power but more than half got away."

"I'm one with fire. It was of no concern whether or not those things lived or died. I'm not here to clean up low-life scum." She fluffed her tails and touched up her bangs. "I require my diamond. You should rest or you'll be useless to me."

"I thought time was of the essence," said Julius.

Sinopa nodded somewhat in reply. "Quite so; you know as well as I do that if someone else finds it for us... that will make our job easier. I don't care what the finder uses it for. I have no problem taking back what belongs to me. Should a vampire retrieve it, they'll gladly hand it over to me. You see, vampires don't like the sun and, equally, their bodies do not agree with fire. The finder's identity does not concern me, they'll hand it over or parish. I have no problem retrieving my belongings from their ashes and would have no compunction in regards to making them combust."

Belmont eyed her for a moment. "So you're telling me that if we rest, we're not being counterproductive?"

"Rest is hardly such," she mused. "When you awake, I would be willing to wager that someone will have found it. Then, we go after the public target and our job is done. It's not as though this diamond can leave the castle grounds at this time – it's just as confined as the rest of you."

"How did you come across it to begin with? From what I understand, it initially belonged to Dracula."

"He was dead and I came to possess it. I was attending to the repairs of an Inari shrine, helping a human to insure it was done properly. I placed the diamond in the spirit world so as to keep it safe. Somehow, one of the people attempting to resurrect Dracula had the ability to reach into the umbra and track down the diamond. It teleported and was used to revive him. When you 'vanquished' him in 1999, as I knew you would, I retrieved it from his ashes. Then, twenty-nine years later, another bumpkin, Celia Fortner, was at an Inari shrine in New York City. She reached into the umbra while on location and stole my diamond by reaching into the spirit world. That fool cleverly pick-pocketed me and disappeared from the realm. When I finally tracked her down, she was already dead and the diamond was in the possession of another. I tracked it back to Romania as of this year. It's not going anywhere, now. Get some rest – we both need such."

"Indeed," he returned, offering a nod. "Where do you suggest that we sleep?"

"I can set up a protective barrier, Julius," she told him, adding, "So you may sleep anywhere you desire. Guest bedroom or Elysium cathedral; it's up to you. My barrier will keep out the negative forces of Hecaitomix."

"I have no idea who that is. All right, so you have a barrier to protect against negative forces or otherwise evil presences… Fair enough." The hunter nodded then coiled his whip, attaching it back to his belt. "I wanted to fight at this hour because the enemies would be weaker but that doesn't appear to be a problem for you, one way or the other. Since I apparently have your aid in this task and, regardless the importance of activating the castle teleportation pads, I am tired. I suppose a short nap is in order."

20:10 (8:10pm), Sunday, July 24th 2044.

Justus sat up and rubbed at his eyes. He immediately noted the feeling of flesh against flesh and looked down at his human hands. His head tilted forward, noting that his clothes were baggy and he wore no shoes. "This could be a problem…" He checked himself for his gun; did he lose it in the sea monster's chamber? Justus shook his head, recalling that he'd used it as recently as the clock tower. However, the Taurus was missing and he felt defenseless without it.

"Looking for something?" asked a gruff voice. Bell recognized Ortega's voice and opted not to reply. Ortega, on the other hand, continued to speak. "You dropped it at some point after splitting off with Alucard. I think you already know that guy is Dracula's son – it's pretty freakin' obvious. Oh, didn't he say something about coming back? Why didn't he, I wonder?"

"I didn't realize the dead could be so melodramatic," said the boy. "Could you do me a favor and, at the very least, tell me something helpful or important? I mean, seriously… Ortega right? You want me to go and get you a body beneath a castle filled with goons – whatever; if I'm going to do a favor for you, you've got to return the favor, pal."

"How is it your personality is fiery when you're without your claws? It makes no difference, though. You have the ability to change back if you will your body to do it. You don't need the pea-shooter pistol."

"Don't I?" He rubbed his face with his palms and turned to the statue of Mary. "Where can I find some food, Ortega?"

"He didn't tell you?" The ghostly man-beast chortled and pointed at a door to the far left, up near the tabernacle. "This safe room is adjacent to the secondary dining hall. It's nowhere near as grand as the main banquet hall but… well, see for yourself. Just, do yourself a favor, boy… Stay sharp – things are going to get harder from here on out. Don't forget my body – if you can float the coffin out through the aqueduct, it'll float out to Princess River, out of the castle and into the Argus Valley. That's right; it'll show up in the real world over in Poenari. Then the curse is broken and my spirit can rest. But if you can't do it, I won't hold it against you – anyhow, return to this room or others like it, any time you need a short rest. The monsters of this castle can't come within Mary's sight," he explained, up-nodding to the statue.

"Fair enough." Justus passed the statue and approached the alter stage. His eyes stopped on a group of candles. Out of a large number, only a dozen were lit. He picked up a small wooden stick in front of the candles and lit it from an open flame then transferred the fire to an unlit wick. "…Get me through this, or at the very least… give me the strength to get these people out safely." Justus waved the small stick until the tip was extinguished then he placed it back on the sill in front of the other candles. He frowned and walked to the door, opened it then gasped in surprise.

The secondary dining hall was set with an unimaginable feast. Plates and wine cups lined every three feet of the extravagant forty-foot-long tables. Illuminated candles and gold-wrought chandeliers cast their dazzling glow throughout the area, making the walls and floor feel alive. The scent of chicken, turkey, ham and fresh bread hit him immediately. Steak, potatoes, various vegetables, fresh fruit and cups of soup broth lined the center of the lengthy tables. Shiny golden ladles, glistening silverware, and beautiful ornate goblets lined each edge of the long tables. It was enough to feed an army save that no one was present.

"No one can say that Dracula wasn't a man of hospitality in regards to his esteemed guests, boy. Eat hearty – you'll need it. It's nightfall and, so, you'll find this dinner to be far more hearty than any breakfast food. I hope you slept well; you won't be seeing Alucard or whatever it is that he's calling himself at the moment. However, I know your appetite will return when I tell you that your uncle, Julius, is alive and well. I saw him wondering the halls earlier; he took to a guest room to rest but disappeared behind a magic spell that keeps out inhuman creatures. Bon apatite, boy – isn't that what they say where you're from?"

"You're thinking of France," said Justus with a shrug. "Thanks; I'm glad he's okay. I'll keep my eyes open for Mister Arikado but I won't hold my breath, either. How do I change back into a werewolf?"

"Will your body to change – it takes a little practice but it's an instinct and you'll be quick to learn if you want to survive. For now, though, you should eat hearty. A man needs to eat a proper meal in order to survive another night in Dracula's castle, aye? Get to it, boy." Ortega vanished. It was then that Justus noticed soft music emanating at the far end of the dining hall. As he walked the aisle between two large tables, he noticed a group of instruments by the facing wall. They floated in mid air, playing themselves without musicians, ghostly or otherwise. A harpsichord and a piano joined in, a cello and two violas kept the melody going while a loan violin carried a solo, giving the tune a lively feel. It was professional quality music and lightened the mood of the empty room. Justus turned back to the tables lined with food and sat down, alone.

As if on cue, he could suddenly see hundreds of soldiers all around him. They lacked their armored plating and wore their greaves, cotton shirts and leather boots. Many men had their hair tied back, some capes – the hoods were drawn back, bunched at the nape of their necks. The ambient sound of conversation filled the room, not a single one sticking out in particular. "Pass the salt, m'boy," said someone.

Justus blinked then reached for a crystal shaker with a silver top. He passed it to an open hand, vaguely transparent. The ghostly man took the shaker from Bell's grasp and nodded politely, offering a smile of appreciation. The clatter of silverware against ceramic plates filled the hall, making it feel that much more alive than before.

"You haven't tried the penne? With chicken and broccoli," said one man to another.

"Actually, I've come quite attached to Lord Tepes' Caviar," came the reply.

The second man chuckled with a smile and said, "Sturgeon doesn't fill a man! Eat hearty! Look here, the roast beef is beyond belief! The wine is aged well but there is enough mead to drown a fish for sure!"

"There are dessert plates by the door, Thaddeus; where does Vlad's generosity or wallet end? It never ceases to amaze me, my friend! Perhaps people were wrong about Dracula Tepes – he's a fine Christian!"

"Aye, agreed!"

Justus turned to his plate and decided to try the meaty dish – it was exquisite. The ravenous boy found himself gorging on the plentiful food as though it was his first and last meal.

"Get up, Julius." Sinopa's creamy voice was smoother than any morning radio talk show host. She sat down adjacent to him and said, "The diamond has been located – I can sense that it is in motion. Let us hope that your friend with the long, dyed hair isn't the one by whom it is possessed."

Julius Belmont sat up on the mattress of the guest bed and arched his back until a rather sharp popping sound filled the area. Sinopa Crevan's delicately triangular fox ears flickered. She placed her palms upon either side of his face and smiled. "I'm afraid this castle does not have modern plumbing with which to groom yourself."

"I don't have time, anyhow," he murmured, drawing his shirt from a nearby bedpost. "I shouldn't have slept, either …but," he drew off into silence, putting his shirt on over a wife beater. Having left his duffle in the guest room yesterday, he had clean clothing. He buttoned his shirt and fluffed an ascot then ran his fingers back through his hair. "I appreciate you giving me the chance – I focus better when I'm rested."

"Everyone does," she replied with a nod. "What is the point of your outlandish fashion-sense, Julius? Even my line know a bit in regards to style, boy."

"I'm hardly a 'boy'," he returned, adding, "It hides the metal collar I wear – neck armor. …Just in case."

"Just in case," she repeated with a nod. "By hiding it, a vampire attacker wont' go for your shoulder or arm… they'll instinctively go for your neck, yes?"

"…And when they do," Julius continued, "It'll break their fangs and give me time to react." She lowered her palms from his face. His cheeks felt oddly warm; he lifted his hands, running his fingertips over the overly smooth flesh on either side of his mouth. "I should have at least three days worth of stubble – what did you do?"

"You're far more attractive when you're groomed," she mused with a smile. "I burned away your whiskers without burning your face. And, you are a boy compared to my age. I wouldn't want to rob the cradle but I must admit… you're attractive, dear Belmont."

"That's quite enough," he replied, pushing off the covers. Clad in boxer-style briefs, the hunter went for his pants, folded on a nearby chair. His eyes flitted to the sight of his boots on the floor. "You polished my…?" He glanced over his shoulder, brows furrowed. "Why? Aren't menial tasks beneath you?"

"Cleanliness is next to godliness, Julius. Cleanliness is beneath no one. I'm a messenger of Inari, not an all-powerful, omnipotent being. At least not until I have nine tails – that's quite some time from now I assure you." Then, quite suddenly, she changed topic. "Nice legs, love."

"…Thanks," he muttered, picking up his pants from the chair. "I'm barely a step above an average human man – why would someone like yourself feel attracted towards a human being?"

Sinopa tilted her head. "Humans are above the Kitsune on the chain of life, regardless of our powers, abilities, immortality and racial perfection. Your spirits, your willpower, your souls… make you incredible beings. Many Kitsune have taken a human lover as their spouse. No matter, though – we can speak of such things at another time; get dressed so we can return to business." She turned away, fluffed her bangs in a nearby mirror with her eyes on the reflection of his body. "And I've found you attractive every since you were in your late thirties."

Belmont pulled the left leg of his pants up passed his knees then glanced over his shoulder at her again. "You've been watching me that long? I didn't have my memories back then – why couldn't you just come up and help me figure out who I was? Was I amusing you, vixen?"

"Calm down, Julius." She continued to face the mirror. "Just because I've taken a fancy to you for two and a half decades doesn't mean I was allowed to interact with you at the time. Believe me; I had every intention of drawing you into the search for my diamond as a reason to interact with you. Why? So I could amuse myself by flirting with you. Why else? I plan to take things further than flirting all in good time. Experience, intellect and a judicious, wise lifestyle make a Kitsune. I've pondered the experiences that only motherhood could conceivably provide. But we can worry upon such notions at a future time, Julius. Business before pleasure. As much as I enjoy watching your perfectly sculpted arse, I prefer you to hasten your preparation so we can return to business."

"Hmph." He drew his pants the rest of the way up his first leg then up his second and secured his pants. Julius filled his pockets and lined his belt with gear then he returned to the bed and took both whips from the nightstand, hooking them to a clamp on his hips. He laced his boots and tied his hair back. "We'll just see about your whole outlook on becoming the wife of a Belmont. I've not sought a mate after sixty years, I doubt I will at this point."

"You have the vitality and health of a human man half your age. I'm sure you'll provide a solid twenty-one years of enjoyable mating, parenting and…"

"Enough," he snapped with a smirk. "As you said, let's get down to business. So, you can sense the diamond is moving. Where?"

The anthropomorphic vixen scrunched her nose. "Movement is another form of energy on a simple level. I sense it is surrounded by the energy of motion – I cannot yet pinpoint its location or I would have had it ages ago."

"Touché." Julius, ready for combat, crossed the room and opened the door. A light blue aura filled the doorway; beyond, a legion of zombie corpses stood in the hall from one end to the other. "I see your spell kept them out of the guest room…"

She offered a smirk. "Touché."

"Touch the diamond, Adrian," said a woman. Alucard tightened his jaw and stopped. He turned about with his eyes narrowed, glaring at Elizabeth Bathory, also known as Vampira. She continued in a chiding tone. "If you won't, I will. Make a decision… although I already know what your choice will be – you won't touch it."

"This?" Alucard lifted the stone, wrapped in several bandannas. The glittering blue tip peaked out from the top of the cloth bundle. "If you want it, come and get it. Else I plan on launching it into the sun; feel free to retrieve it from that location as well, Beth."

She closed her hands into fists. "I despise that nickname, errant childe. You're an abomination, half-ling. Give me the stone and go back to sleep, fool."

"Temper, temper, hag. You know that I could rip you into parts without much effort; I suggest you return to torpor, lest you wish to experience what existence is like in a small urn."

"As if you still wield that power – I doubt it would be quite so easy."

"Ashes to ashes," he mused, adding, "Dust to dust. As the cabalist used to say, back in the old Jewish Quarter," he continued, referring to the town that once surrounded his father's castle, "It's time to return to Abraham's bosom, like all things good or evil."

"Give me that stone, bumpkin!" She disappeared from his sight. Alucard reached his free hand out; his knuckles met her face in the midst of her blind dash for the diamond. She reappeared at arm's length, toppling back but recovered quickly.

Without warning, the castle shook in an unexpected manner. Both of them crashed to the floor. The large stone wall came crashing down and, in its wake stood a stone Golem. It swung its arms outwards, leveling the wooden beams that held the remainder of the wall intact so that part of the roof cracked open. A warm moonlit glow filled the room.

The diamond raced across the floor, free of its cotton prison. Bathory reached for it, using her other hand to push away Alucard. He, in unison, shoved her back; both of them touched the stone at the same time – the linier temporal movement came to a halt, the clock on the wall stopped and the Golem froze in its tracks.

They froze, looked to one another and blinked. In that instant, both became considerably self aware. Alucard sat up, his right hand still on the diamond. A brilliant rush of foreign memories rushed through his mind. He saw the fruit, plucked from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Inside the delicious ripe fruit was a large seed. The beautiful, glassy blue seed of that fruit – once a carrier of Original Sin before such was transferred to man after consumption – was quite simply a large blue diamond. Adrian Tepes and Elizabeth Bathory looked at one another in wonder the way Adam and Eve looked at one another the first time they shared in the fruit's delicious taste.

Time exploded forward, beginning first with the noisy tick of a second hand from the clock on a stone wall, opposite from the Golem. Next, it stepped forward into the room then looked down at them. Its eyes widened, watching the two with the diamond. Almost immediately, the stone monster backed away as if in fear…

A/N: Dun dun DUNNNN. Okay, so, I wrote this chapter because I actually got a reader send me a review, tugging on my sleeve, asking me to update the story! SO I DID! :-D

See? I don't mind doing such! Next time, though, leave a way to contact you and I'll THANK you for reviewing! I appreciate it, y'know? Wee!

-Me

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