Castlevania Nocturne: A Guardian's Tale (Part 2)

Freedom was Sweeter

Emma found Annette sitting by the creek,  gazing listlessly at the sunrise on the water. Her fingers sifted through the sand on the bank. The empathetic Nephilim slowly approached before sitting next to the bereaved young woman, sighing and taking in the beauty of the dawn.

"It wasn't your fault." Annette said quietly after several minutes.

"Nor was it yours." Emma thrummed, her eyes catching the light off the water.

"Eduoard would never have abandoned me." Annette responded heavily with grief.

"You didn't abandon him."  Emma softly thrummed, consoling the crying woman. "Richter told me what happened. There were vampires coming from every direction. You had no  choice but to run." She turned to Annette with a warm optimism "Yet you still saved my family. My own flesh and blood, and I'm forever grateful to you for that. In ways I can't truly describe.

"I couldn't save him." Annette cried.

"True. You couldn't, but it's not your fault, even if it may feel like it is." Emma made a long sigh. "Sometimes........ you can't save everyone, and that's the hardest pain to bear.  What helps is knowing who you could save; Richter and Maria are alive because of you. Tera's not mourning another  family  member again because of you. When the hurt grows heavy, try to think of that, and think of Eduoard. He knew the risks when he chose to come here, and he was willing to take them.  He was willing to die for the freedom we're fighting for, the like he had on the island."

Annette didn't respond, and Emma feared she made her feel worse. True, she didn't feel better about Eduoard's tragic death, but she no longer held herself in contempt. Annette also knew Emma's words were kindly meant, and she would remember it.

"He was my family." Annette said mournfully. " I had no one after my mother died. After she was killed."

"How did you meet Eduoard?" Emma asked.

"I ran away." Annette said. "From my old master. For years he ruled over us with an iron fist. He was the wealthiest plantation owner on the island, living in a grand chateau with sugarcane fields further than the eye could see. He was cold and cruel as his undead heart, he would kill a slave at a mere whim, especially if they proved no longer of use to him."

The sand shifted around Annette's fingers. "I was born into slavery under his rule. My mother protected me , and rebelled against him in the little ways that she could."

"How?" Emma straightened her back interested. She heard the stories from former slaves like Seamus, and few of the  soldiers in the Continental Army of how they retained their humanity in small secretive ways. Unspoken language, songs, messages only they could understand.

In Annette's case, it was the songs and traditions of her people. The magic passed down from her divine ancestors. "My mother used to sing to me, and taught me the customs of our people in secret.  She drew wards of protection throughout our hut, connecting us to deities across the ocean in a freed land, but secrets are always discovered. My old master despised magic in all forms, and when he discovered she cast them all over our home,  he took her outside and crushed her throat, in front of my very eyes."

Emma clenched her fists. "I'm so sorry." She thought of the night Julia was killed, her  bloodied corpse mere feet from her son frozen in terror. Nobody should have to go through that. At least Richter had me to protect him.  Her heart hurt for Annette.

As if hearing her thoughts, Richter approached and comforted Annette. He'd been watching her and Emma converse (along with her entire family) in case he needed to step in and defend his old mentor. He shared Emma's pity, and understood Annette's grief better than anyone. "I know what it's like to watch your mother die." Richter said in nearly a whisper. "I fled...but I guess you couldn't do that." He rubbed Emma's shoulders. Emma thrummed in acknowledgement.