Castlevania: Aria of the Ascending Soul
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
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"Stupid, insufferable, maggots, invades my darling Lord Soma's home, seals everything up..." Alura Une was 'not' in a good mood, even as her bloom opened enough so she could reveal herself. As the last of the webbing fell away from her, revealing her in all her knee to top of head silky skin, utterly naked not a hair on any other part of her body save her head.
She was stretching as the bloom opened, rolling her head and a picture that could rival Aphrodite Herself. And naked, very much naked, nothing left to any imagination, just lots of lots of concern about WHAT THE EVERY LOVING FUCK SOMA!? It was for this reason they could no longer consider Soma 'Dracula'. Because obviously Dracula wouldn't do this! Naked demon? Sure. Have naked demon serve as a familiar who's duty was to 'hold him close'? Big nope.
When people's first thought about seeing something like Alura Une is that there's something wrong with you. And not 'Another sign of his utter depravity he must be destroyed', it was hard to think that person evil.
Once Alura had gotten her stretching done, and making every male thoroughly uncomfortable because she wasn't validating being outright murdered. She settled down into sitting on one of the roses' petals and observing her rescuers. She was shooting Jane the occasional distrustful glance, but beyond that she seemed relatively calm.
"Alura, do you have any idea if destroying Fuzzy the Caterpillar unsealed something in the castle?" Max asked first, since the guys weren't taking the lead.
"Hmmm," Alura tilted her head to the side thoughtfully for a moment. She extended her demonic senses down into the rich, dark earth that her roots were comfortably buried in. "I can not tell what is within the stonework of the castle. But the underground is peaceful, none of those annoying seals were placed down there."
"That's good, do you know if any other prisoners are down below ground?" Alex asked as he admired the tops of the castle roof.
The demon shook her head in answer, "there's mulch in one room, scarred in flame and blood. But given what my Darling knows I would say that it was your doing for all that activity." She crooned out, uninterested in the expressions on the humans faces.
'Mulch' did she really refer to dead humans as 'mulch'...
"The seals should have a way of being undone, they did in our time," Charlotte noted as she floated to the right of Alura. "Would..."
Suddenly the witch shook her head, 'almost forgot that Jane was here. We really can't afford to get deep details when we have a cultist literally listening in. But if Alura is 'here' and still directly serving under Soma. Where could the others be and more importantly, would they help us?'
It was a conundrum, since the spirits couldn't go about and check for themselves without running the risk of being sealed. Hell any of them, even the living could be sealed and if so there would be no way to... 'Actually, now that I think about it. The castle is a reflection of Dracula, but he's Soma now. So couldn't the castle have, if it hasn't already, put more modern conveniences about the place? He can compel his servants to do whatever. But what if a guest needed to speak to him... Could there be a, an internal phone system?'
"You might want to find some of the other loyal servants of my Darling Lord, the servants are good to us true. But they're lowly, and prone to gossip," Alura explained as she began to brush out her long hair with her fingers. "Though you 'are' helping my Darling Lord, so if you need something I do believe I can get it for you..."
"Can you tell us about that ring and his health? Since you're one of his guardian familiar," Sam nonchalantly asked.
"Oh yess... I can, that horrible warped holy ring! It poisons my Darling Lord ever so! It blocks us from going to him, leaving us here, cast out and forced to watch our dear Lord and Master suffer." She pouted in annoyance, her branches started to writhe in annoyance as she rested. "You care about these weak humans yes?" She closed her eyes before they could even give her an answer, her expression one of a dog scenting the air. She shifted her head a bit to and fro before lifting her hand and pointing off towards the castle. "There's some humans over in that direction, sealed with some of you hunter types in there. Another of those people are holding them and interested in 'doing stuff' so says the mushrooms in the area."
"Can... is everyone the castle brought in danger?" Alex asked hurriedly as he tried to think of why a room would have mushrooms. 'The maids have been cleaning, so living mushrooms shouldn't be above ground where she pointed...'
"No, a good number of them are just locked away by these intruders," she lifted her hands and began looking at them, flipping her fingers down one by one. Seemingly to count only she lowered 'all' her fingers and it was hard to believe that there was a safe 'good number' if she was doing that. She extended her hands and held up all her fingers and brought in two branches.
By the time she was done explaining, they could only fathom about 3 groups in danger and about 10 that were merely held in rooms and areas of the castle. She seemed able to count, just not aware of the words used to express those numbers. But it wasn't as though anyone ever had a conversation 'with' an Alura Une before. Could the demon species speak the human tongue to start with? Or was this a byproduct of being Soma's personal familiar?
"Thanks for your help Alura," Max began before a thought struck her. "Hey do you have anything for throat damage?"
"Max..." Sam swallowed before he spoke in an effort to discredit her concern. All to no avail though as she continued to look up expectantly at the demoness.
"Hmm throat?" Alura had this deceptively naive voice when curious. Her head tilting to the side that, if not for being experienced hunters, would have been easy to deceive others to think she was a harmless spirit of the woods and not a demon. When Max pointed to her throat and repeated the word the demon's eyes lit with understanding.
Alura went about bringing her hands to her chest and they watched unabashedly fascinated by how light and darkness materialized between them. Generated by the castle and demon, a bottle formed holding a liquid that seemingly sparkled. Stardust or glitter floating in a sea of bright clear liquid, it was no different than any other healing potion that Alucard or Soma encountered. Alura thoughtlessly rose up to lean over and hand the bottle to Max.
"A healing draught, the castle makes these for my Darling Lord and his bewitching son, so its bound to be of use to lesser beings."
'Soma about your Familiar...'
It was a shared thought among the group. Endearingly loyal while retaining that 'oh anyone human is garbage.'
Max turned, bottle in hand and stuck it out towards Sam with an expression of expectancy.
'So the castle on its own, the spirits, and some demons can create various items...' Alexis thought to herself. 'All useful to visitors, which explains why historically weapons and gear could be gathered by the death of a demon. I guess the demons wouldn't intentionally give useful items to the one who killed them, hmm or maybe they make the things that can be sold?' It was an interesting theory, given the Master Librarian's presence. The stories told that he sold things to Alucard, but how did someone who purely resided in the library have access to 'anything' beyond literature?
"I... just had an idea for a paper my students can write..." Alex suddenly spoke as Sam took the potion forcibly offered to him.
"Go on," Jonathan encouraged while Eric nodded, curious about what his living family came up with.
"Well, based on what Jane was talking about, the nature of Chaos and Order and how it plays out in the myths and stories of the world. Like how dragons are routinely depicted as evil creatures in Western myth, but wise and or good in Eastern. Followed up by the numerous myths that depict them in conflict with storm gods from Set and Aps in Egypt to the tale of Susano and Orochi in Japan."
"I'd actually be interested in such a discussion," Jane announced before her lips flattened into a line and another foot was stuck out to shake.
"I'll let you know what else I come up with. Given that my classes aren't technically 'philosophy', I have to set some guidelines when I request papers like this," Alex agreed. "In exchange could you keep us up to date regarding the cults?"
Jane looked up thoughtfully as she pondered before nodding, "sounds fair enough."
"Well then we have people who are under a timer and need rescuing 'now'. Lets move out folks," Sam announced and his voice was actually more clear and firm. Nodding the group was preparing to leave when suddenly Max turned back to the Alura.
"Are you ok with the prisoners here? I suppose the maids will relocate them on their own over time, but for now..." Max asked with a slight tilt of the head towards the small crowd of people.
"My Darling Lord would be most displeased if I did anything harmful to them, so you need not worry." She replied before settling back with a yawn, even as they watched her petals began to rise up and in.
"Ok then, lets get in and get to work," Alexis began drifting towards the door. Beyond her she could see a pair of zombie maids moving about. The people were as skittish as young horses with the way they moved cautiously. But the maids had been undoubtedly instructed and at least one would be able to talk to the prisoners. 'We don't have time, if we don't get them out they're going to 'be' some form of dark child themselves.'
Once they had managed to leave the garden and began making their trek in the direction that Alura pointed out, they began talking again.
"Did we, just end up with a demon flower and a cultist turned dark child as help?" Sam finally asked as he turned and glanced behind him at the door they left behind. Though he couldn't really 'see' said door with all the spirits taking up that space. 'I mean, support is great and all, but can we trust them?' The only answer anyone was able to provide was a rough, semi awkward shrug, who knew really?
"Well lets think on what Alura said about the next group of prisoners... Where in a castle could we find a mushroom? One that is alive and able to communicate?" Stella voiced curiosity rich in her voice. "I could imagine a 'dead' mushroom in the kitchen, but the servants have been cleaning so where would there be a living mushroom?"
"A graveyard would be a likely place, but would the castle create one for Soma?" Loretta offered demurely as she floated by her sisters' side.
"If we think about how big the castle is currently," Eric mused in response even as he shrugged. "Liberated from the chaos, would it pick places purely desired by Dracula? Or try to also accommodate the various beings in itself?"
"Also, the Alura is the first to really have a conversation with people, we saw how she 'counts'. Is it possible that she used the wrong word?" It was a thoughtful question from Charlotte that caused the others to pause in their trek and turn to face her. "I mean, isn't the other word for mushroom, 'fungus'." She pointed out, and watched as several faces lit up with inspired thoughts.
"Fungus that wouldn't be removed despite the servants would reasonably be in a lab," Alex agreed with a nod.
"And its appeared before, I mean Frankenstein shows up from time to time," Max agreed before turning to face the area of the castle. "Its above ground, so yeah, maybe that's the thing, maybe she meant 'fungus'!"
"But why not say that? I mean its an easier word than mushroom," Alexis pointed out only for John to chuckle softly.
"Yeah, but maybe Soma doesn't think of fungus as much as say, a pizza topping? I may be from Texas, but I've had pizza!"
"Sooooommmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaaa..."
Else where in the castle Alucard was briefly distracted from the book he had settled down to read by the sound of a mouse being stepped upon. Though his feet were firmly planted on the ground and only Soma seemingly flinched.
While yet in another part of the castle, Julius sighed and began stroking his beard in muted annoyance.
"Something the matter Uncle?" Yoko asked as she paused next to him. The most delicious cheese danish she ever tasted, delivered by a helpful maid, in hand. With a series of bites already in its warm cheesy goodness.
He didn't answer right away, instead he looked over the walls and the furniture, his mind attempted to cross reference what he 'saw before' and now. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, Richter and Maria's accounts of the castle and how it changed in the two trips they took are known. But for the most part, there were things that were comparable between the two. Such as similarities in the clock tower for example. This," he gestured around him for which Yoko followed his gaze before nodding.
"But Richter and Maria had five years between their trips, you're making the trip with a twenty year difference so," she shrugged. "There's also the lack of chaos energy, Soma isn't angry at the moment, and there could be a bit of Alucards' influence."
After another bite she gave a thoughtful, "do you think Alucard wants to stay here? With the way Soma is now, there's no reason for him to leave really. In fact, with his estate he even has his own summer home he can stay at if it gets too much," she added.
"And that topic again, its really his choice Yoko." Julius answered quietly before he turned to look at her. "I'm sorry, not that it means much I suppose." He saw her raise an eyebrow as to express confusion. "You remind me lot of your mother when we came here to face Dracula. I understand that what I did back at Fortners' castle was a little gruff. But try to understand, she was a good friend and I don't want to see her only daughter in danger."
Yoko blinked in surprise, both at the apology and the realization that her mother didn't even tell 'Julius' about Kazu. Looking between the remaining bite in her hand and Julius she gave a faint smile. "I understand, it hurts, I get dismissed enough as it is in the church, but its nice to know you recognize it. I guess I should have been paired off with one of your sons. But whats done is done, and this is a whole new era for our clans. So long as we keep Soma calm and people stop trying to mess with Al, we're in for an extended vacation."
"Actually, its going to be interesting to see how the clans adapt to this new world, a world where everyone is a bit more aware of the Dark Children. Might not need Dracula to cause chaos, the rest of the world may do it for him..." Yoko continued when in the back of her mind the red shiny panic button was hit. As the reality that they could talk to the dead, get confirmation of the afterlife and oh, the main hunters of the clan were currently trapped as stuffed animals in her residence on the church grounds.
'I can't imagine them trying to teach a new generation of hunters if things go awry centuries in the future...'
But it was always a possibility that they would have to, and they were trapped as stuffed animals... 'I think I need time in the library and see if there's anyway I can work on or adjust those spells to give them more control over their states. Like anything, do they sleep?' she popped the last of her danish to justify not speaking and turned to look for a maid to hand off the plate she had been given when she got the danish.
"You're right, and its going to be a bit strange to... If Soma has stopped aging, or gets to a point where he stops aging... Just seeing Sophia and Grant, everyone here, its truly a weird time to be alive. Or dead given the circumstances..."
'You have 'no' idea uncle,' Yoko thought as she cheerfully nodded while side eyeing everything for a possible ancestor who might possibly spill the beans regarding the main hunters of their families...