Aria of the Ascending Soul
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
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"Soma?" Alexander finally spoke, watching as the teens' covered head tilted to the side a bit in inquiry. "I would like to speak with you."
There was a muffled sound from Soma from under the burlap bag that had been placed over his head. The young adult was sitting at the table, his hands bound to his back with that sack. No one had bothered to remove the thick fluffy coat that he had been wearing keeping him warm, maybe uncomfortably so, while being locked up in the room.
"He has been gagged by order of the Cardinal D'Arsit," one of the two priests at his side explained. A gesture by the Pope for the removal of said cover and gag caused the pair some alarm. "Your Holiness? Is it wise?" The priest asked, receiving a reassuring shake of the head and sighed.
The Pope was incredibly serene for one about to talk to the Lord of Evil, a Lord who had sliced off the hand of a Cardinal. Which given the Dark Lord was a blood drinker, he would probably pick up the scent of all the fear he had induced. And why not? He walked the halls of the Vatican with no problems, there were no active warriors who could protect his Holiness save Yoko. Who was 'friends' with this Dark Lord, so there was that added layer of worry.
Why even allow the Dark Lord to live? He was clearly unsafe to be around, if he could be triggered into violence by the actions of a Cardinal. The Dark Lord had to be dealt with before his evil could once more be unleashed on the world. Didn't he? But if that was the case why wasn't his Holiness taking a direct stand? Allowing the Dark Lord the chance to speak at all seemed risky.
But he stepped back to the side of the door, allowing the Pope and the Dark Lord to have 'some' privacy. Taking up the same guard type of posture he had before, despite the fact that, in reality, it wasn't like he could fight. There 'were' no warriors in the Vatican, short of grabbing a nearby Belmont.
"I'm in trouble aren't I?"
It was the first thing Soma said the moment the pair of priests backed off from them. Alexander had not personally met Soma until this moment, and it was something to note this first meeting. No grand fanfare between them, no legions of darkness nor armies of holy knights, just a single moderately well lit room, one table two chairs with the pair of them sitting across from each other. Nothing for the tabloids to print about or the media to flock over in excitement, it made Alexander wonder what type of fabrications either publications would create just to get some ratings.
This meeting was almost so anticlimactic that the only reason either group would appear would be from the attack from earlier. Such a pity though, Alexander would have preferred to have this meeting while walking through the garden above. It was so much more informal and getting to know a person came more easily than when they were tied to a chair with the understanding that they were, in fact, in trouble.
Alexander sat there wondering how it must have felt for Alucard, when he found Soma and learned about who the child was. From all accounts, until Soma absorbed a soul, he didn't radiate any power that could be noticed not even that it was there. Yoko had explained, with Dario as an example, that each person's power created a type of aura around him or her. Dario with his power over fire, in the eyes of someone who could sense such power, had an aura like seeing things through the heat of flames.
Seeing his power meant feeling something akin to seeing fire radiate off him, while Dimitri radiated whatever power he recently mimicked. So what drove Alucard to Spain to look for Soma? Though by sight there was obviously something different about the teen, with his pale white hair and pale skin. Truly the soul was the most powerful force in the world, perhaps the soul of his father called to him, bringing him to his father's side. But the story of Alucard's discovery of Soma was a story only Alucard could tell.
"Yes, violence is not tolerated within these sanctified walls, though Cardinal D'Arsit's act against Arikado is also unacceptable." Alexander explained, calmly watching Soma struggle with something internally. Soma seemed to have a problem when it dealt with strong emotions, Yoko once theorizing that it was these strong feelings that lead Dracula down his path.
Something must have happened as a catalyst for the transformation, something that perhaps not even Alucard knew. "How and why did you attack Cardinal D'Arist?" Alexander needed to know what caused Soma to be willing to draw blood, to understand why Soma, apparently, possessed such a strong awareness of Alucard at this point.
"I was only protecting Arikado!" Soma exclaimed as though it should be common knowledge. "Why would a man of the church hurt Arikado?"
"Because Arikado protected you," Alexander explained calmly watching the expression of dismay enter Soma's eyes. 'Good, you don't like others being hurt because of you.'
"I don't understand…" Soma replied subdued by the answer.
"In 1999 my predecessor agreed to the method used to seal away your dark nature. After that we kept up to date, detailed records on all the children born the day that you died. However when you were reincarnated, instead of letting us know about you so we could refocus our attention, Arikado opted to hide you from us." Alexander began, in hindsight, Alucard's decision may have been the wisest move.
"It allowed you to grow up without having to be overly exposed to the church. You grew up your own person without outside manipulation or control. The realization of the truth was not as crippling as it would have been if we had tried to mold you into something we knew you not to be. Only to have the castle reveal your true birth status, perhaps in that, it was where we failed Graham. Still, how did you know that it was Arikado who was in danger?" Alexander asked watching Soma intently.
"I… I don't know… It was like when I thought Mina had been killed in the fake Castle. I took off looking for the reason for that feeling and found Arikado on the ground and panicked. I… I don't understand why he would be punished." Soma explained sounding distant. As though he was struggling to reclaim distant memories, rather than what had happened in less than a day. Which fit his normal profile, Soma was not an overtly perky person and it had been years before he found anyone that he could connect with. Though the group was working with him to draw him out of himself, it wasn't something that just happened over night.
Alexander sat there quietly, taking in what Soma had just said, and while his face held the same kind, but firm, expression he held during the Holy Mass… He felt rather relieved, even if Soma didn't know it. Soma felt deep down inside that Alucard was important to him; perhaps there was still some paternal affection from the Vampire King that had been able to reach and touch his human soul. If they could keep Soma from following the path of evil, perhaps there would come a day when, even if Soma didn't realize it, Father and Son could finally sit and talk.
"So this girl… Mina is it? She 'is' your girlfriend," Alexander noted, looking to distract Soma a bit more from what Yoko had admitted and wanting to see how Soma would react to teasing rather then fact.
"… She's 'not' my girlfriend! Just because she's a girl and a friend does 'not' automatically make her my girlfriend!" Soma blurted out in the most put upon tone of voice yet. He was blushing, and frustrated which was rather endearing since it made it harder to accept this young man was the Lord of Darkness.
"Ahh then just the first girl you have made for a friend?" Alexander suggested watching as Soma's put upon anger deflate.
"Actually, yeah," Soma admitted growing sullen again at the admission.
"Not everyone instantly makes friends with those around them, there are friends for every person, sometimes though, you just have to look for them." Alexander replied sympathetic towards the boy's loneliness.
Soma had begun to withdraw into himself again, his eyes focused on a spot on the table. He didn't like this, didn't like Arikado being punished by those he was helping, or being bound like this. It would be so 'easy' to just start a small fire and burn the ropes, or turn into a bat, or a monster, or something.
"When it was discovered that Arikado protected you and hid your birth from us, several Cardinals were not pleased with this. They felt he had betrayed us to you, that after all this time he was going to serve you." Alexander explained watching Soma's distracted gaze become mildly confused.
"But why serve me? Just because he has dark powers doesn't mean he has to be evil, Yoko said so."
"No, you're right. He shouldn't have to be evil," Alexander nodded, reassured by Soma's reply. The Spaniard didn't know about Alucard, didn't understand the ties of blood that would compromise Alucard's heart. Nor that some of the Cardinals could see Alucards' own protectiveness of Soma as a bid to raise his status from being the Prince of Darkness to the King. "You endow him with that ability to choose, if you so wished it he would have no choice, but to return to your side. When you grant free choice among the Children of the Night, they make the choice, when you deny them, they must obey you." Alexander explained simply, which was the truth or as close as a mortal could come to the grand scheme of truths.
"Arikado is considered a child of the night? People just born with dark powers are considered that?" Soma asked mildly surprised.
"Yes," Alexander nodded, finding that despite who he was talking to, the air still lacked a foreboding feel. Despite the fact that Soma was bound to a chair and in serious trouble, he seemed rather calm. Only expressing concern for Alucard when his thoughts went in that direction. But other than that, he almost seemed indifferent, accepting of his situation. Sometimes formality and intimidation worked, but Alexander had an uncanny feeling that one simply didn't threaten Soma Cruz.
"Is Arikado going to be ok? What that guy did isn't going to be permanent is it?" Soma finally asked in concern, though he seemed to slowly react to the to the scent of the oils on his senses. It was an irritating sensation that ghosted him in a way that hinted of burning, like a feather lightly tickling the nose. It wasn't enough to make him sneeze but it was annoying all the same.
"He will be fine, he is very resilient, you'll be able to see him later once he's woken up." Alexander informed Soma and watched as Soma brightened momentarily.
"He'll be mad when he finds out that there's a Cardinal here missing his hand," Soma foretold in a tone that just oozed the word 'again'.
"It bothers you that you may not live up to Arikados' expectations?" Alexander noted, having now decided he had a firm enough grasp on who Soma was to go into the meeting with the other Cardinals.
"He has dark powers like I do, but he isn't evil, I want to believe that I don't have to become evil just because I have dark powers, so…" With that Soma shrugged the rest of his answer.
Alexander nodded as he stood up, "It's been a pleasure speaking with you, Soma. I have matters that I will now have to attend to given your recent.. actions."
"It's been an honor your Holiness," Soma replied nodding slightly towards Alexander. Showing that even while he was in trouble, he viewed himself as a lord who was above bowing to another.
Alexander felt steadier in his appointed task, that the path they took was the right one. When he entered the meeting with the Cardinals over the day's events he could walk with the surety of the man who knew God's Will without question. He walked to the door and both priests bowed while one reached for the door handle, letting the thick oak wood door with holy images open before him. Allowing him to pass through and out into the hallway to listen to the hundred and one reasons why he should or should not have Soma Cruz put to death as the Restored Lord of the Darkness. Behind him the door clicked shut with a finality.
Allowing Soma to finally be able to see what was going on around him, free of that stupid burlap sack. Arikado was going to murder Soma when he woke up, and here he was, tied up in a room. Unable to get a running start from the irate guardian, he really didn't want to face the outcome of this scolding.
What 'was' in that oil anyway? The boiling liquid was a subtle scent of something utterly nasty, and this was coming from someone who ruled the Undead. Why smear this stuff on someone?