Castlevania: Aria of the Ascending Soul
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
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A fist battering at the door roused Francine from her slumber, for a moment she was left confused as she laid in the bed. It was incredibly soft, and had an elegant canopy above her, the silken fabric pulled up to the center. It darkened the bed to an dusky evening brightness as it draped down leaving her isolated from the rest of the room. Only the insistent pounding of the door reminding her why she was awake.
Pushing the blanket from her as she sat up she parted the curtain before slipping out of the bed. Blinking away the sleep that still clouded her senses as the thick furred rug kept her feet warm. What the castle had provided was amazingly comfortable, and somehow 'still' appeared modest for servant quarters. Four clean white walls, only the faintest traces of patterns rose up to the ceiling, yet the beds, the furniture all of it was of high quality.
"Francine? Wake up!" Father Michaels' voice was quiet and worryingly urgent. So she snatched up her bathrobe and made her way to the door. The room was a sizable one, but it was bare for now, a desk and chair. The urgent pounding pushed any further thoughts about the suite out of her mind. "Francine!"
"Coming, I'm coming Father," she answered as she padded the last few steps to the door and unlocked it. Opening it up she peered out only to be nearly shoved back into her room. Father Michael rushed in with Reba in tow, wide eye and confused. Both were in bathrobes yet Michaels' soft yellow bathrobe was splattered with blood on the sleeves and dragged down across the body. While he appeared to be more awake and aware, Reba looked worried and uncertain. "What's going on?"
"We have a situation." Michael began as he made his way to the bathroom. Throwing open the door he went about checking among the pale blue shower curtain and behind the door before making his way back to the pair.
All the while Reba stood there, shrugging in confusion when Francine looked at the younger girl for further insight. They waited as Michael finally felt ready to explain his sudden irrational behavior, "A vampire is loose in the castle, and he's not one of ours."
The pair straightened up at the news before Francine looked about to ask question. But he shook his head to cut her off, "he's gotten access to Dracula. And has done a wonderful job of outright enraging Dracula's son and the hunters to go after him. I need to get you both hidden before the ramifications come to a head." He explained with a stern voice before gesturing to the bathroom.
"But everyone..."
"Dead. He's using them to seal away Alucards' powers the way Ceila did before. He took them as they slept, we're all that's left..." He looked back to see Reba now white with horror as she grabbed onto Francine. The older woman patted her hand in reassurance, but even she looked dismayed.
"It can't be, we have powers now, abilities, how could he kill..."
"He asked me to seal a room, so I did. I was on my way back to my own quarters when I realized I needed to talk with Josh about defending ourselves from the hunters. Especially with the military right in the castle gates." He shook his head. "His throat had been ripped out, but he didn't appear to have put up a fight. He was just at the window... I think the vampire tricked him into thinking we were on the same side. When Orlox approached me, he spoke of how Dracula was his enemy. 'Enemy of my enemy' and all that..." He took a breath to settle himself down as the women moved into the bathroom. "I'm just glad I got away from him before he killed me, too. Once I can secure a way to get out of the castle I'll come back for you. The hunters are already looking for me for the parts of the castle that I've sealed off."
"So unseal the room. If Dracula isn't in danger Alucard should calm down," Reba offered as they were herded in.
"Hush Reba, Michael knows what he's doing," Francine pointed out. Gently patting the back of the younger woman's hand.
Michael nodded in gratitude before he turned and shut the door. Leaving the women standing there alone in the bathroom as the castle began sealing it off, away from the living...
"But Francine..." Reba began, only to bite her lip at how she sounded. 'Whiny' was a term. "Its still day time, I can't see how a vampire could approach Josh if he was near a window..."
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Opulent was one of several words that could describe the room. Expansive, with beautiful paintings of nude women framed in honeyed wood, lounging couches and chairs, thick carpet, a fireplace burning with cinnamon seasoned wood. Shades of the deepest reds to the softest pinks, and the group of succubus and liliths who were...
"Sam won't come in here unless you 'a' put on clothes, or 'b' stop having sex..." Alexis deadpanned as she leaned against Sam's stubborn stance. He was leaning against going into the room, and it was all Alexis could do to keep him from completely leaving the room.
"Why couldn't Soma be evil? I could totally go on a succubus or lilith killing spree if they were serving an 'evil' lord of darkness..." Sam groaned in frustration and really needing Alexis 'not' thinking he would look... 'Thank you God that Max isn't here. She'd point things out from here to Pluto...'
There was a Greeco period pedestal of marble in the center of the room upon it was a massive pearl resting on thick wine red pillow trimmed in gold.
"So... what is that?" Alexis grunted to the rooms' occupants as she planted a foot against the wall to help.
"Lady Camilla left it here before taking members of those cults with her somewhere," a succubus explained, sprawled on her back over a small hill of pillows. "A gift of sorts, for you and yours..." She purred before sliding down.
"But don't touch it directly!" A lilith warned as she lounged on a couch a book under her fingers. "Also why doesn't he want to come in? We like men too."
"See?" Alexis pointed out with a grin. It helped that he wasn't resisting so much now, and he was looking at the pearl. Or maybe someone around it she wasn't sure but she finally opted to let him go. "Its almost odd to think that she left it 'for us'..."
Releasing Sam she walked into the bordello-esque room towards the pearl. None of the Demons approached her, but the further she moved into the room the more she saw of the room. No one was stopping for Sam's peace of mind and she had to pity the poor American. 'Poor Sam...' An aura of malicious magics could be felt the closer she approached. Radiating under under the surface of the item causing its marbling flow of movement under the surface. Within this range she could see it wasn't a 'pearl' or any real jewel, but the energy it contained was giving it visual jewel like qualities. A postcard rested by it, with a rather elegant script dancing across its surface.
'These lovely ladies and I are out for the evening, this orb is what they used to turn some of those simpleton humans into Dark Children. Don't touch, unless you want to join me in the silken night. Signed, Lady Camilla.'
Alexis stood there feeling utterly floored before turning to look over at Sam. "This is it... this is the thing that we can use to turn them back..."
"What?" Sam strode into the room, his gaze resolute onto the card in Alexis' hand then to the jewel and back.
When she handed the card over he flipped it over and saw that it was a tourist post card showing a night view of a beach with the ocean spread out into the night. 'Tahiti' was in large bubble letters in the blues and whites of the ocean. The words left him too uneasy to be relieved... 'How do we even make this work? Can't touch it, does it have a command word? A spell?' he wondered.
While Alexis looked about for a blanket or something that they could use to carry the orb in... But all she could find was a sea of bare skin, silken hair, and pillows... "Could... do you know where I can get a blanket or bag? Something I can use to carry this in?" She asked the nearest coupled couple of demons.
"This is too easy..." Sam finally spoke as he looked about the sea of entwined bodies. "We find the orb here, but what about the cults? Why aren't any of you concerned?"
"Why should we be? All is under Lord Dracula's dominion. They can run for as far and long as they like, they'll come back all the same. They always do," a strawberry blond succubus purred as she pulled back from a kiss with a stunning brunette long enough to speak.
"Besides Lord Dracula has never been this relaxed with us, we're not being ordered to fight and can just..." The brunette gave a half smile as she twirled some of the strawberry locks around her pinky. "Indulge..."
A zombie maid rose up from the ground, a silken bag in her hands until she took stock of the living. "Oh, my apologies... I thought you were going to join in the festiveness..."
"Don't faint Sam."
"Thanks Alexis..." Sam grumbled as he stood there shaking his head. "I don't suppose you can tell us the status of the castle?"
The maid, a petite affair of black hair and thin features blinked once, "your fellows have gone with the Young Master. Orlox..." Disgusted hissing filled the room as multiple succubus and lilithes hissed out their displeasure at the name interrupted her for a moment. "Has stole a painting that the young master is very determined to retrieve."
Startled by the response the pair looked at the multiple of demons in confusion. All of them had stopped indulging in their activities and were staring up at the trio with serious expressions.
"What did we miss?" Alexis asked in confusion before she dropped the bag over the orb and scooped it up.
"Orlox was not invited back to the castle," one lilith called out.
"And he's here?" Sam asked, feeling a growing concern as he exchanged glances with Alexis.
"Yes, strolled right on in and was chatting with that one cultist..." The same lilith recounted with a displeased shrug. "He was trying to find a way to free Galamoth even! Despite the stupid lizard being one of our Lords'."
"Good to know that the fun never stops in the castle of Dracula..." Sam grumbled before turning his attention onto the zombie before him. "Can you, uh, get the turned humans who are 'not' members of the two cults and have them meet us in the front of the castle? Around the front would be fine, get this done as fast as possible."
The maid blinked in mild confusion before nodding, "yes sir."
She curtsied before sinking back into the ground leaving the pair with the bag holding orb and a whole bunch of sex demonesses.
"Oh... OH! OH DEAR!" Lydia had risen up from the ground, Sam and Alexis the first she caught sight of.
Then she caught sight of the rest of the room and proceeded to dive back down into the floor out of sheer embarrassment. Disappearing before either of the living could see who it was that squeaked. Her face was emulating that whole ready to faint shade of red and she missed slamming into Maria if they had those full time physical bodies. Instead of the ghostly equivalent that allowed Maria to avoid being knocked into.
Maxim went after her while Maria finished rising up and found herself suddenly understanding Lydia's shock.
"Oh so this is a lot of red, whose room is this?" She asked as she finished rising up, giving the demons a nod but focusing on the two hunters.
"Camillas', but she ditched the castle to go to a beach apparently," Sam explained before he gestured to the bag that Alexis was holding. "And she left us the item that will let us turn the changed humans back."
"Really? That's wonderful! I'll let the others know! Is there a place where we can all meet up?" Maria inquired floating over as the sisters and their father joined her.
"Meet us at the front with the other turned children," Sam instructed earning a raised eyebrow of concern from the quartet of spirits. "Something is going on and we need to get this over and done with as soon as possible so we can help. If you can find out what's going from Alex and relay that to us it would be great as well. If you don't want to just follow us along and wait with us while we heal the turned."
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Sharp as a gunshot, the doors to the theater were slammed open as Alucard stormed in. Alex stopped short behind the dhampire to take in the large room they were in. The dread that the cultist who could leave them sealed being skulking somewhere outside the room not far from his thoughts.
The path instantly became a thin red carpet that descended down past a multitude of occupied seats. They were curved to face the theater further ahead allowing an audience to watch a live performance. Unlike the theater that Annette had found that was designed to enjoy a movie up against a screen.
Each seat was occupied with bodies, be they zombies or human, the hunter couldn't tell. The heads were hidden under a loose fabric that was either a hood or a bag. There was no 'performance' as far as Alex could tell, the stage was barren of any set dressing or props. With only a stage light focused on the center of the stage. Revealing also that the Pit before it was empty of any orchestra or instruments.
Music being carried on the air in the room felt unrealistic though. The air was oppressively stagnant and fled past the pair once Alucard opened the doors. While high above the ceiling was empty and domed, lacking the rigging that accompanied a theater, revealing that apparently the 'light' had no source. Existing purely on its own.
Alucard stiffened at the room, while Alex with his human senses could only tell there were bodies in the room. The older hunter could sense further than the human, from the heart beats; the steady, slow pace of a group sound asleep, and the stifling bags. Clearly not plastic, but given Blinovs' use of sacrificing human souls...
"Alucard? Please leave the vampire to me, we can't risk losing you," Alexander pleaded as he approached the hunter.
'I can order the castle to bring the room closer to where Soma's soul has been sealed if...'
"This is incorrect..." The redheaded maid noted from the doorway as she studied the room. "This hallway should go on..."
Alex turned to give the maids a questioning look as the pair stood there.
"The hallway goes further and splits left and right. The wall has been misplaced."
"An illusion?" Alex suggested while Alucard started down the side targeting the side door he could see barely lit by the spotlight.
"A solid one as I could not pass through it," Alucard agreed, the words tossed over his shoulder as he moved on.
Alex shook his head as he resumed his near chase of Alucard. "Shouldn't we have someone come in and release them?"
"Oh its fine," The red head answered, "they're the cult staff, we'll take care of that once the young master is ready to be humored..."
Alex blinked in disbelief as he studied the multiple occupied chairs in worry. "Ok I can understand why you're not the least bit concerned. But given the current situation," Alex began as the doors from the entrance of the room swung shut on well oiled hinges.