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

City of Light

He'd rather be buried alive and starve to death than spend another minute in that carriage with Drolta.

 Rain pattered heavily on its roof when they arrived in Paris, the cart stopped in front of the guards letting out its vampire  passengers; The demonic Drolta and himself; the dark mage known as Shaft.

The pouring rain thickened the smells in the air, though as much as the sweaty musk of the humans enticed him, Shaft had better control of his instincts. 

"He wished he could say the same about his associate.

"This is Paris, is it? What a dump." Drolta remarked disgusted.

Shaft cautiously eyed the armed soldiers, a bullet to their heart would mean their end, and be damned if he were killed by a human's gunshot. His Lady would be furious.

The head guard stepped forward. "I'm a representative of the Insurrectionary Commune of Paris. State your business."

"We're representatives too, of the Messiah." Drolta answered, cloaked in a hood.

The guard didn't let them go. "Religious orders need to register with the National Convention."

"Not that Messiah." Drolta chuckled, removing her hood. "The real one."  She dashed forward and disemboweled the guard with her claws, gutting the remainder of the soldiers before they could aim their guns.

Shaft bared his teeth and rankled beneath the covering of his purple hood. "Waste of blood and flesh."

Drolta licked her bloodied claws like a cat pleased with its kills. "They would have killed us if I hadn't acted first."

"They would have sooner pissed themselves than taken aim.  I smelled the fear off  of them, there was no reason for it." Shaft stepped over spilled intestines.How do you expect us to make allies when you're constantly slaughtering them? He dared not say that to her face, it wasn't worth getting his chest gouged again.

"They should learn to fear us." Drolta counted. "Come along, we've got business to attend to."

Shaft grumbled and reluctantly followed, his long  purple cloak furling in the rain as he entered the palace.

They were greeted with a warm welcome by the vampire nobility. Each member bowed , granting them the deepest respect. Especially towards Shaft. As they should he thought proudly. He was the Messiah's chosen son, and the key to bringing forth the Eternal Night. When the rains cleared and the moon shone over the Parisian night, the vampires gathered in the courtyard . They kneeled before their Messiah's child and he branded their foreheads with Her symbol, binding them to Her service through spoken oaths and magic.

Shaft took immense pride in this task, recruiting loyal followers for his Sire. His dearest Mother who saved him from the brink of death and blessed him with a second chance in eternal life. Her strength and divine power coursed through his blood. He never took it for granted. He did everything in his power to aid Her, and when the time came, with the world shrouded in eternal night, She would crown him as King of the Vampires, Her divine Right Hand.

It was a promise that kept him strong for the past two hundred something odd years.

For now, he was happy enough being Shaft the Dark Mage, the Walker in the Light and Her loyal Son and Scion.

After the branding, Shaft and Drolta were taken inside the palace, to a the sitting room where three young women were held hostage. "Tributes to the Messiah." One vampire said, offering each of the terrified women. Shaft inspected them like an auctioneer inspecting cattle. "This one should suffice." He pointed a claw under her chin. The poor girl trembled, staring at him in wide eyed horror. "What do you think, Drolta?"

Drolta took a good look at the girl, cupping her chin in her claws and taking a bite out of her neck. The girl whimpered piteously before going limp. "Oh yes." Drolta licked her bloodied fangs. "She'll do nicely." She held the girl's cheek in her claws. "The Messiah will be pleased."

"What about the others?"

The vampires looked at Shaft curiously.

"I'll take them, if you do not mind. The journey here has made me famished."

"Two of them, my Lord?" Drolta said.  Meaning, pick one or I'll take them both and starve you until you'll feast on rats. He knew better.

"I'll take the blonde."

The woman on the left jolted, gazing terrified at the mage cloaked in purple. At least I can spare you torture.

When he retired to his guest room he found the woman he chose bound and gagged on his bed.

"This will not do." Shaft muttered to himself, magically closing the windows and locking the doors. Once there was no means of escape, he cut her bounds and took the gag from her mouth. "It's all right, don't be afraid." He wiped a frightened tear from her eyes and went to pour two glasses of wine. "You must be parched. Here." He offered her a glass and a bit of fresh bread with cheese.

He didn't watch her eat, rather tending to himself, removing his cloak and allowing her to lower her guard. When he sat at the table he drank his wine and ate some bread. (Vampires can eat human food, they just don't get any nutrients from it) "Merci." The woman murmured, startled at the young man's beauty despite his vampiric features

"Je vous en prie." Shaft poured another glass for her. The wine would help. They drank again like old friends and when she grew tired, he offered the bed. "Do you like music?" He asked.

The girl nodded, a little tipsy.

"Good." He picked up his violin. "I always like a soothing tune before bed." Shaft played the violin, a haunting yet peaceful melody that put the prisoner girl into a deep sleep. He checked her over, listening to her breath and poking her skin just to make sure. "Sleep well, my lady." He bit into her throat and fed.

It was a mercy he could give.

......

Shaft watched the dawn from atop the palace, marveling at the transforming skies before leaping down and taking a walk around the palace to get different perspectives. He wasn't concerned about the humans, he'd be gone by the time most of them stirred awake. He was determined to enjoy as many sunrises as he could. Time is nearing, soon the last dusk will come, and sunrise won't follow.

"Beautiful isn't it?" He turned and snarled at a peasant man strolling the streets. "The sunrise?"

"What do you want?" Shaft growled.

"Nothing. I don't mean to trouble you, I'm just admiring the dawn, the same as you." He gazed at the changing skies. Shaft flexed his claws, there was something odd about this man he couldn't describe, it put him off and he considered an early morning breakfast before hitting the road.

"Amazing isn't it? How the darkness of night compliments the dawn? You can't have light without darkness, and you can't have darkness without light. They both exist in each other, and they cannot exist without one another."

"What the fuck are you on about?" Shaft bared his fangs. "You know I'm a vampire, right? I could kill you where you stand."

"Yes, you're definitely a vampire, a creature of darkness." The man chuckled. "But just like the sky, there is light to you as there is dark."

Shaft bristled when the disheveled peasant turned and looked at him. His eyes were clearer than any human.

"I must be going." The man excused himself and walked away. "There's much work to be done." Shaft noticed how the flames in the lanterns flickered the man's way as he passed them.

I'll be glad to be out of this mad city. Shaft hissed as he returned to the palace. He hoped the citizens of Machecoul weren't so peculiar.