Castlevania: Aria of the Ascending Soul

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix (With cold)

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\In Transit: Yoko \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Her skin crawled.

The commercial bus, a large and comfortable affair with firm, but not so firm as to be usable as a cutting board, seating. There was leg room and space down the aisle to ensure emergency exists were in place. The suspension kept the bus moving so smoothly that it felt like it was near gliding, even dips in the road were negligible. It was a steel gray color exterior with a pale cream interior that showed off how clean it was kept.

The bus ride had been incredibly uneventful for Yoko. So much so that she had fallen asleep. The interior had been just chill enough to have her snuggle down under her coat, and her eyes lulled heavy as her Far East sleep schedule demanded rest. The off season of travel allowed her to stretch out, the very picture of not hunter.

Until her eyes snapped open, a shiver that ran down from the crown of her head down her body until the tips of her toes quivered. That oh so unpleasant sudden tingle that consumed her whole frame and forced her to sit up. A look outside the large windows revealed far off in the distance the lake that the Castle of Dracula lorded over. It was an expansive lake as ever, and her mind could already draw up where the land curved in and up towards where the Castle normally rested.

Frowning at her reflection Yoko watched the trees passed by instead of rushed, showing that the bus was actually slowing down. Up ahead, she could see a few police vehicles and a blockade up, causing her to pick up her phone and start snooping. No bars appeared on her phone, indicating a lack of connection with the outside world. When the bus finally came to a stop Yoko found herself with distrustful frown on her face.

'This can't work, if this is the cult, and I bet it is. Anyone can contact the local news to find out why there's a blockade...' Yoko stared at her phone and the lack of bars now showing. Something that felt very off given the clear day they had. As the driver, a slender build of a man with dark skin, put the bus into park and opened the side window, she tried to call Julius. Hoping to see if the phone could even call out. Nada.

"I'm terribly sorry everyone, it appears that Aljiba has been shut down due to a gas leak. We'll be forced to turn around and come back tomorrow evening." The driver announced amid several groans and argumentative protests.

'And I honestly doubt those are actual police officers. So they would undoubtedly keep a sharp eye on me. If for no other reason than for a sacrifice. Odds are they're cult members though how they got those cars and uniforms is a mystery. And I can't just...' Her mental map of the area and the thought of Simon back at her suite in the Vatican caused her to roll her eyes as she sank back into her seat. 'What a horrible night indeed. Well I'm going to have to steal a car or a vespa because I can't ride a motorcycle in a skirt like this. Regardless of the slits' length, or maybe...' she thought with a resigned sigh.

The driver finally sat back down, amid the complaints of a few of the dishearted passengers and began putting the bus in reverse. The 'cops' were guiding him, but while the road was fine for normal cars or trucks to make a U turn, travel buses were... not so easily turned. The steep hill that made the lake to Castle Dracula so visible also made it very dangerous to turn around in. 'Maybe I can get him to let us all off here...' She thought before sticking up her hand. "Hello!"

In that high pitched cheerful tone that Soma would recognize in a heart beat, she waved her hand. "Would it help if we got out for a bit?" She offered, earning several other voices lending support to her suggestion.

The driver, for his part, thought on it for a moment before opening the door, "if any of you would like to take a moment to stretch your legs or such now is the time." He offered, for which everyone got to their feet, gathering or a bag or such. Some more stiffly than others, shuffled their ways to the front of the bus. Their various colors of attire brightening the darkening gloom of the evening, "now stay with the police. I don't need you guys getting lost, this should only take a few minutes."

"Well take as much time as you need, I'd rather be late then be in the middle of nowhere," an elderly lady in a thick matted pink coat pointed out.

'A fellow Pinky!' Yoko thought in amusement, while recognizing the value in such attire, the pink sticking out in people's minds. They would likely recall the elderly lady instead of Yoko allowing her with a little more wiggle room to slip away. There were the obvious stories of about underground areas of the castle that had lava. So the idea of a gas leak wasn't 'impossible', just highly unlikely as far as Yoko was concerned. Time would be too neatly in place given the cults activities not to mention that there never had been a gas leak before.

'Not to mention there wouldn't be any reason to dig 'that' deep into the ground...' She thought as she joined the other passengers and stepped out of the bus. The evening air pricked at her skin as the lake reflected the last lights of the day turning the water into a soft amber gold tone. Hanging back among the taller members of the group, she was free to observe the local 'police' albeit with only fading light.

There was flashlights and headlights of course to go with the roadblock that stretched across the road. But the coats, pants and hat were dark and becoming easier to lose in the growing night. They huddled up at the side of the road, closer to the forest that Yoko took increasing advantage of. She watched the flashlights movements and eyed the area directly behind her.

'A simple backslide should be all I need...' she decided as the large bus rumbled along, moving along. 'Good luck guys.' Yoko thought as she slipped away into the forest.

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The Belmont frowned as he stared at his phone, willing the bars to go up as he attempted to contact 'anyone' in the area at this point. Yoko's number sent his call directly to voice mail, as did calls to the DaNasty clan. Messages to Valencia got out, but as he had clicked the send button in the middle of the transmission the bars dropped on his phone. Indicating something he found no pleasure in as the thought of the cellphone towers being taken down came to mind.

Vampire Killer was tucked away at his side, as cold and dead as the day that Soma defeated Menace. Yet he was old, and getting too old to face Soma...

'When I find Yoko she can be my in to the Vatican. Something happened there, I need to find whoever found that book or all the books in the collection. Clearly there has been something going on and I need answers.'

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Alexis \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

The chill of evening caressed the lace of her gown. Slipping under the delicate threads to slip against her limbs. Sparking that sense of life that came when one came into ones' own element, bringing to mind those nights when they would spend with their grandmother and aunt. Perhaps it was that this was the homeland of the Prince. Made at peace by the nature of the Dark Lords' modern incarnation.

It was peculiar, she never felt this welcomed or safe when she first entered these lands growing up. In fact no nation could really 'create' a feeling of 'welcome home' outside of a nationalistic sense. Yet the lands that the Castle directly oversaw actually 'felt' different, welcoming in a way that stepping into ones' own home after a hards' day could. Despite there being no castle...

Thunder on the horizon caught her attention, warily pulling her attention to the sky in concern. There was no forecast for a storm, the winds had been as normal and natural as any other day. The air shook as the thunder kept rolling on tearing through the trees and brush. Unnaturally long until it stopped being 'thunder' in her mind and she began trying to think of other things that would create such a sound. Tornadoes could give the sense of a train, but the winds were calm.

Until they were suddenly yanked haphazardly forward, in a wind that came out of nowhere. A primal vibration rattled her whole body as she hovered above the ground. Branches bent low with abandoned their weakest, slashing at Alexis with branch and leaf. The stones on the ground rattled along following the wind.

'Now this is more like how I would expect the land around the Castle...' Alexis thought as she rushed along, letting the wind help push her forward. Exhausting her ability to float in her rush to get to the Castle, to the point where she had to pause. Only to find herself amid the ruins of the lost village at the foot of the cliff to the Castle. All around her the few remaining bits of the village clattered and tumbled to the ground.

'The ground is still, whatever is affecting the wind isn't coming from the ground so its not some type of quake. Natural or not...' she thought as she saw a moss covered stone tumble to the ground due to the wind. 'But where is everyone...?' there was no one in the ruins either. The moon was illuminating the ruined village enough that she could see the sacred mausoleum. 'Well its on my way...' She thought as she walked closer to the edge of the ruined village, even if catching her breath was a touch difficult with all the wind.

The moon illuminated the pale stone of the resting place of Alucard. The modest sized rectangular building with its metal door. Enchanted to never rust, or perhaps a side effect of the presence of the Vampire Prince and his father, the King's. Swung open wide, it revealed that the mausoleum had been violated by someone recently. The moon didn't illuminate the interior but with the way the wind howled near it...

No cultists in town, or any that she could find in the forest leaving only the church or... here? But the mausoleum was far too small to hold as many people as were in the cults. Wary of being jumped, Alexis crept to the open door. The wind was still pulling her eternally up the road to the Castle, yet if there was something in the mausoleum that she could use...

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Far below the cliff where Dracula's castle once stood, the lake was as tempestuous as the ocean with its surface visibly choppy. The waves were high enough that when they crashed down they broke over the edge of the lake. Washing the sand into its hold and bathing bushes and trees that had long since learned to back away from the lake. If any boats were on the lake, it would have already been cast onto the beaches by this point, or shattered beyond repair.

The church, now completed, was a humble affair, with pale cream colored walls. The color made it easier to reflect the light of the moon, with the darkness hiding the rough paint job done to the walls. Some could have referred to it as a type of intentional texture job, but Alexis was well aware that it was just a front. The window dressing had been done quickly, the 'texture' was just a visible sign of a sloppy and rushed job.

The building wasn't much, despite being large enough for offices, side rooms for meals and smaller ones for bible study. The reality was that it was just one large room, with only enough of the bare essentials to keep it standing despite the wind from the lake. The doors were large swinging doors for the sake of appearances. The deep chestnut was lost to shadows as the church back faced the moon.

The opaque windows were lit with a soft, gentle light could easily bring to mind images of traditional churches. It was almost expected that at any moment the sound of soft piano music would drift out carried on the air. Performing psalms to help the weary soul and bade them enter to rest.

Alexis had no delusions about the church. The oils that she had bathed all the wood radiated a repugnance to her. Much in the same way a bad taste could stick to the tongue regardless of ones' attempts to scrape it off. Yet despite knowing who constructed the church and why, she couldn't help but seek safety within its four walls.

As she hurriedly approached the castle the waxing moon slowly, abnormally, pushed to full. It had been an unnatural manifestation for her; to watch as the moon crept into fullness despite the day. A sensation that crawled along her own skin. Peeling back the layers of her self confidence and exposing her core to some unnamed emotion. She had found where Alucard had been kept, a prisoner within his very own mausoleum. With arcane symbols running along the room and those who were 'sent home' laid sacrificed around the alter he had been resting on. The room had been mostly dark, only a soft residual glow remained about the edges of the symbols.

He had been here the whole time. Right under her nose.

With the road absent of any traffic be it cultist or animal as the moon continued to grow. Shadows shrank away as the moon illuminated more than it should have. Signs of things that had never happened during all the other Black Masses the cults had held. Omens that they had finally hit on a process that worked.

Alexis slipped inside the internally lit church. The doors weren't heavy, yet she found herself out of breath as she pushed the door shut with trembling hands. Which felt a bit odd, for the church itself, despite having no ventilation for an AC or heating was cold. Filled with lighted candles the oils in the wood reacting sending her senses into a mess. Making it difficult to focus properly.

There was no discernible pattern among the candles that she could recognize from where she was standing. They were lit with their flames shuddering in time to that vibration that she sensed since she reached the ruins. While the lake reacting to the forced change of the moon was understandable. The flames weren't, as fire wasn't something controlled by the gravitational force of the moon. Yet the flames did more than that, as they revealed a centerpiece to the room that she had not been witness to the placement of.

Arranged as they were, the candles made it impossible to approach the... well the best to Alexis' guess was 'cross'. It had a clear point at the top and the arms were stretched wide. The candles must have been put into place as people left the cross. Fully covered with no way to tell what was beneath it, unless someone extinguished the candles.

Not that Alexis was the average person. Elevating herself was the easy part, as she had only begun to glide forward when the silence of the church was shattered. Clashing and neighing erupted out of the air around her, yet no herd of horses, normal or demonic manifested in the church. The noise was enough to send multiple candles toppling over and given that the place had been soaked in 'oil'. Alexis was quick to extinguish the flames with an ice spell.

Ice shields formed around her as a fencing epee of ice formed in her right hand. The light outside from the moon overtook the amber glow of the candles by turning the opaque windows white. Right before the glass shattered inward, showering the interior of the church with thick shards of glass. While revealing the moon in its fullness, so bright that it shown like a flood light into the church.

The clinking sound of broken glass as it struck the ground was joined with a soft harsh hiss of pain. Drawing her eyes back to the covered cross as Alexis felt her stomach drop onto the ground. For all of a second she hovered there, hoping that by staying stationary the threat would disappear. Waiting to see if something would come out. Friend or foe, the raw power and sound of horses brought to mind her brothers' studies of different horse type beings.

No stallion or mare made an appearance, the winds and thunder from outside and broke within the building had subsided. She could still hear something, but it was outside, fading out as she hovered there. But if it 'was' a type of demonic horse it was probably going around the building. One reason existed that Alexis could think of that would call them forth.

She rushed over floating over the still lit candles and casting her ice spell irresponsibly about the room to extinguish them. Anxiously grabbing at the fabric she pulled at it moving it around to cast it off from what it was resting over.