Castlevania Nocturne: A Sneak Peak

Sneak Peak: Unending Revolution

The Nephilim raised her head hearing the chatter her current family approach. Richter walked among the trees twirling his knife while Maria chatted with Jacques who struggled to hold up his rifle.

One day they would be among the faces Emma would draw in the sand, but for now they were alive and walking among the mortal plane. "Perhaps not for the first time." She gently brushed her fingers across the faces of Rosie and Iris.

"There' isn't a place in town where the Abbot's eyes and ears don't reach." Jacques informed dejectedly.

"Then we'll have to find a place outside of town." Maria sumrised.

"But there are vampires." Jacques worried.

"We have Richter." Maria responded confidently. "And we have Emma."

"Say what now?" Richter fumbled and dropped his knife.

"You were actually paying attention?" Maria stopped and raised her brow.

"Obviously." Richter picked up his knife and sheathed it. "It's a bad idea."

"Quite the optimist, aren't you." Maria shrugged. "I thought you'd jump at the chance."

"To guard against vampires while you say your motivational speeches." Richter stretched. "Why not? It isn't as if you're already putting yourself in danger secretly distributing pamphlets throughout town and whispering to your peers. Take another step and set up secret meetings in the woods at night and you give me an enemy I can fight."

Emma wasn't close enough to hear them, but she had an inclination of what they were speaking about, judging on the hardened passion in Maria's voice. She kept quiet and closed her eyes, leaning back against the peach tree with her arms crossed behind her head.

"You're risking enough as is. Why take a bigger one?"

"Because it's a risk worth taking!" Maria snapped at him. "And I won't stand alone."

Jacques nodded, fumbling the rifle.

"Fine, I'll be your bodyguard for your merry band of revolutionaries." Richter shrugged his shoulders. "But don't expect getting her involved." He pointed a thumb at his veteran guardian seemingly dozing beneath the shaded tree.

"She of all people should be." Maria sighed, losing her contempt. "I'll try asking..."

Emma opened an eye at their approach. "Emma." Maria addressed her kindly. "I wanted to ask..."

"If I could speak at your revolutionary meetings?" Emma's gilded eyes cast on her descendant. "We've talked about this before. I told you I wasn't ready."

"I understand." Maria swallowed the bitterness. "I'm asking if you could stand guard with Richter during the meetings. There are too many eyes and ears inside the town proper, we'll have to have them outside of town, but that puts us at risk of vampires."

"You want me to act as Night Watch?" Emma stiffened.

"Yes." Maria admitted. "You'd be a huge help protecting us, besides." She added humor. "This lout of yours shouldn't have all the fun."

"How nice of you Maria." Richter chuckled dryly. He could see how Emma tensed, he knew the feeling. "Em.....you don't have to if you're not up to it. I can handle the watch. You've taught me everything I need."

"I won't let either of you be at risk." Emma answered sharply. "But I can't......" She gripped the lanyard inside her coat. "I'm sorry. Is there another way to do this?"

"The Revolution needs voices to speak for it." Jacques said.

"Oh I know..." Emma murmured, yawning wide and stretching her arms as if she'd awoken from a nap. "You're holding your musket the wrong way."

She stood up and gestured Jacques to hand it to her. "Here, let me show you." Emma demonstrated the proper way to carry a musket, practically balancing it against her shoulder and holding the plate under her hand in a way she could easily position it, and aim at ready.

"It'll take practice but you'll get the hang of it." She handed it back to Jacques. "The hardest part is handling its weight. They are quite heavy."

"Thank you, Emmaline." Jacques copied her and already found it less cumbersome to hold.

"Where the hell did you learn that?" Richter asked surprised.

"It was a little trick the Baron taught us." Emma replied.

"The Baron?" Maria wondered.

"Baron von Steuben, the Prussian Major General." Emma explained. "He was a man tougher than nails with a voice that could silence thunder. He whipped the army into shape, and truly made us a fighting force when before we were just a shambled band of boys and brawlers. We wouldn't have won our Independence without him."

Emma chuckled. "Even I didn't mess with him. I remember hearing his voice booming over the Forge drilling the soldiers throughout the day. I thought he was going to give up on them , but he admired their spirit, at least they had that. The rest he could meld with training and discipline, and he did, after much misunderstanding."

Her fangs glinted in a grin. "Let's just say I learned a few flowery words from him. The Baron respected me enough once he realized I wasn't just another mercenary, helped that his dog liked me."