Castlevania Nocturne: A Sneak Peak

Sneak Peak: Sanctification

Lyudmil was more than happy leaving the scene of the massacre behind. He'd seen enough needless death, and the smell of blood stirred his hunger. Not that he lacked control of his vampiric instincts. Far from it, he didn't need to give any indication of them to that damn hunter. Juste monitored him intensely while scouring the camp for survivors, never taking his eyes off the vampire as he struggled with the scent of carnage.

The blood-spilled camp triggered memories. Burning homes, torn flesh, desperate screams. It struck him like a bullet, making him grit his teeth and Juste flash his knife. He shook his head and shrugged it off, not caring if Juste watched him storm away.

Later on he popped open a bottle of blood and drank like a sailor. "You don't have to watch me every fucking minute of the day." Lyudmil wiped his mouth, catching Juste eyeing him against the corner of the shed leaning and crossing his arms.

"I'm simply monitoring a potential threat."

"I'm not a threat ." Lyudmil rasped. "Despite how much I want to bite your throat out."

"How reassuring."

Lyudmil hissed at him, making Juste instinctively grab the hilt of his knife before quickly moving his hand away.

"See." Lyudmil covered his fangs. "I could have killed you right there. I didn't. Same as you could have killed me." His eyes flickered at the knife. "We're more than what our instincts compel us to be."

Juste shrugged his shoulders. "You're a strange one Lyudmil, even among vampires. That's what makes you dangerous."

"Then let me be a danger to our enemies instead of those who will never trust me." Lyudmil grumbled and headed out the door. At least Mizrak was smart enough to stay out of his way.

Outside he took a revitalizing breath under the dusk. Even as a vampire who walked into the sun, he relished the night as much as the day. Were it not hazardous for him, a vampire now hated among his own kind, he would have taken Snowball and hunted. He couldn't risk leaving the bordering ward with Erzsebet's vampires and night creatures prowling about . Bathory would surely have his head.

She'd probably take it easier now that I'm bereft of my magic. Lyudmil thought grimly. I'm not even a shadow of who I used to be. That left him feeling emptier than the loss of his magic. All I've ever known was a lie. Who am I now?

When evening approached, Amalie set a fire in the hearth that Mizrak had found. The two humans, Maria and Mizrak, gathered by its warmth. Juste, wasn't there , he wasn't the social type. Lyudmil kept his distance, drinking another bottle of blood watching the group from afar. Mizrak brought more food and requested to say the blessing over it when it was cooked. Lyudmil heard Maria shrug, but Amalie put a hand on her shoulder saying it couldn't hurt.

"Lyudmil, come sit with us!" Amalie waved to him.

Maria and Mizrak looked at each other questioning. "Is that wise?" Mizrak quietly asked her.

"Of course it is." Amalie gave a firm look over the two. "He's one of us now, and no danger to either of you." She yanked Mizrak's arm. "Sit down. You are safe with me. Both of you are." Lydumil took a seat next to his grandmother, on the opposite side of the humans.

"Smells good." He twitched his nose the way Emma did.

"Roasted wild goose and herbs from my garden." Amalie smiled. " But I made something specifically for you." She offered him a plate of dark black sausages. Lyudmil's eyes flickered hungrily at the scent, he nearly excused himself until Amalie assured it was okay. "What is that?" he asked.

"It's pork sausage filled with blood." explained Amalie. "Not exactly Kosher, but for a vampire allied with humans, it fills the belly just as well." She winked at him.

Lyudmil took a bite. "It's delicious!"

Amalie smiled nodding. "Good! I used to make it for Vance when he couldn't hunt. Thought you'd might like it too."

"I do." Lyudmil patted his lips with a kerchief. "Thank you Grandmother."

"You're welcome." Amalie said cheerful. "Though you should really thank Mizrak. He went back and bought the sausage for me. He's still got a good reputation in town. I filled them in with the pig blood from the bottles."

Lyudmil looked over to Mizrak surprised. "Thank you."

Mizrak lowered his head modestly. "You're welcome." He didn't otherwise speak or interact with Lyudmil. The four had a quiet dinner by the hearth, hidden in the ruins. Lyudmil happily ate his blood sausage meal, chewing it elegantly politely. He may have lost everything he knew, but he had his manners. Amalie chuckled watching him.

"What?" he blinked. "Is there something stuck in my teeth?"

"No." Amalie smiled. "You eat exactly like your mother, showing wide your fangs while you chew. It's like a cat crunching on something hard."

"Oh." Lyudmil said embarrassed, instantly putting his plate down. "Vampire teeth aren't made for chewing. Things often get stuck in them."

"Lyudmil it's okay." Amalie reassured kindly. "Eat. I only meant to say it's really endearing. seeing my daughter's quirks in you. It makes me happy."

"I see." Lyudmil said surprised. "I'm glad it does. It used to make Drolta angry where she'd pull me aside and slash me across the face for looking so undignified. That's why I rarely ate at banquets."

"Drolta really treated you nasty huh?" Amalie winced.

"Worse than shit." Lyudmil growled. "Now I know why. She wanted to keep me in line and submissive to her mistress so Erzsebet could reap the benefits from me; my own blood to awaken Sekhmet's powers. All this time they were using me, and I was none the wiser. I believed every lie Erzsebet said, every fanciful tale and fabricated claim. And I never questioned it. Never doubted it. I fed on those lies like blood until they choked me and I could swallow them no more. How could I have been so stupid?"

"You weren't stupid, Lyudmil." Amalie grew tense. "You lost your memory and the only guiding voice exploited you for their own gain." she warmed her hands by the fire, it's light reflecting the sheen of her glyphs. "I know what it's like to remember nothing about who you are or where you came from. It's like drowning in a stormy sea, you kick and struggle to keep afloat until a rope drops to pull you out of it. You grab on tight regardless of who's pulling at the other end. It doesn't matter if you found yourself on a trade ship or a pirate's galleon. You're out of the storm and on solid ground."

Amalie thumbed a ring on her left hand, glinting in the firelight. It was a simple silver ring adorned with four small gemstones, two diamonds and two sapphires representing their family. Alucard bought it from an angelic merchant in Tunis who knew exactly what he was looking for. After three hundred years, his beloved angel deserved a newer wedding ring. "I was very lucky to have found Alucard. He was the one who pulled me out of the storm, I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for him." She smiled at Maria and Lyudmil. "Nor would you."

Lyudmil sighed despondently. Yet here I am, thrown back into the stormy seas desperate not to drown.