Castlevania Nocturne: A Sneak Peak

Sneak Peak: Angel of the Ocean Waves

"Blast it, I left my coat!" Emma snapped frustrated while looking out on the open ocean, the port of Boston harbor already five days behind her.

"I always do this; forgetting things and remembering them when needed most." She rubbed her arms chilled by the wind. Then again, considering the situation in which she dropped her coat, she became less harsh on herself.

"The chest in your cabin should have an extra coat." Seamus noticed her shivering.

"Thanks for letting me know." Emma put a lock of her hair behind her ear, watching the sails flare. "A more than fair wind today. If it keeps up like this the whole trip we'll be in France by the end of next week!"

The sailor chuckled. "If only the seas were that constant."

She jogged down the steps, passing the crew as she returned below decks. She took a few moments to adjust her vision to the musty dark of the inside. The dank, thick air nearly stifled her as her sharp nose caught a mixture of scents. The pungent sweat of the sailors, the spice of the cook preparing meals in the galley, the earthy smell of the livery , and the sour smell of the chamber pots. It almost overwhelmed her but she gradually acclimated, breathing though her nose as she walked the low hall to her cabin.

Emma had an ample space to herself, furnished with a bed, a shelf, and a desk with a mirror. A large porthole revealed the expanse of the sea. Or it would have it if it wasn't draped over, a courtesy for two of the cabin's occupants.

She found the boy in the same place when she left him this morning, sitting hunched next to the bed clutching the vampire whip. Her heart dropped, she hoped he would've gotten up and taken a step outside. "Hello Richter." She greeted him with a genuine sweetness in her voice. "Are you all right?" She could tell by the faint scent and remnant of a fresh breeze he had opened the porthole to be sick.

"I'm fine." The boy replied in a low hoarse voice.

"Okay." Emma continued on, casually opening the chest at the foot of the bed. "Ah, here!" She took out the navy blue coat, putting it on. It felt and fit the same as the last one. "It's a little brisk on deck, but there's a fine breeze." She buttoned her new coat. "Want to join me? The fresh air might make you feel better."

"I'm fine." Richter repeated in the same tone.

"Okay...." Emma slumped her shoulders. "I'll be on deck if you need me." She affectionately touched his shoulder. Richter didn't react to her touch, still clutching the whip.

Emma felt extremely guilty leaving him, but she knew better than to fret over him by now. He snapped at her a few times.

He's moved around a bit since you've been out. Vance's voice spoke in her mind.

Other than chucking his guts out the porthole?

Eh....no. He went back to that spot by the bed and remained there since, but it was movement, though brief. Always holding that whip. She could almost sense her familiar shiver.

Emma sighed.

You have to be patient with him, Em. He'll come out of it on his own terms, however long it takes.

 I know. Alert me if he steps out of the room.

Will do.

At least she opened the porthole to let in some fresh air (But not enough to let the sunlight in. Wouldn't want Vance getting fried.)

....

Emma placed the other plate on the nighttable. "I brought you some grub, it'll help settle your stomach and keep you fit n' fiddle."

"I'm not hungry." Richter said. "And that looks rotten."

"It isn't. See?" She took a bite out of her own apple to prove it. "Delicious!" She crunched. "Tastes fresh from the orchard! An apple a day keeps the scurvy away! You need a lot of fruit in your diet on long sea voyages like this." Her canines got momentarily stuck in the apple before she quickly pulled it off.

"Stop pretending to be my mother, you're not." Richter snapped at her.

Emma winced. "Hey. I'm only trying to be nice and help you." She responded sharply

"If you wanted to help me, you should have saved my mother." Richter glared at his guardian.

Emma felt as if he personally stabbed her in the heart. "Richter I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't." He dug into her. "Because you're too simple and scatterbrained to notice anything important. She was fighting for her life while you were probably doddering on the docks unaware. You're a powerful mage right? You could've swept in and killed that bloody bastard before he had the chance. You didn't. It's your fault she's dead!"

Emma felt her heart shatter and her framework crumble like a falling building under an earthquake. Her throat knotted, and she fought back her tears.

"Boy..." Vance snarled from the shadows. "You stepped too far."

"I don't care!" Richter glared at Emma. "I don't need you or your stupid pet's help. Just leave me alone!"

"Fine then!" Emma stormed from the room frustrated. Vance's shadow followed her. "Child. If I wasn't honor bound to keep you unharmed, I'd smack you straight. You've just bitten the hand that feeds you."

"I don't care!" Richter cried, tears wetting his face. "Just go away and leave me alone!"

Emma bared her teeth at the pursuing shadow. "Watch over that stupid kid for me. I need some fresh air."

"Emma, you know he didn't mean that." He followed next to her.

"Vance please. I just need to be alone for a bit."

Vance stopped. "All right. Just be careful. I'll watch over the boy in secret."

Stepping onto the deck, Emmaline took wing under the moonlit sky.