Emma stepped into the spirit world and found herself at the edge of a mountainous valley beneath an auroral sky. "Nedjem, I don't believe this is Bastet's realm." Emma scanned far and wide for an Egyptian temple, but only saw deep forests as far as the eye could see.
Nedjem rubbed Emma's leg and padded down into the valley below. Emma sighed, she had no other choice but to follow her guide . The trees encroached on her as she descended, their lush leaves brushed against her spirit. She needed to watch her feet so they didn't snag through roots. The thick scent reminded her of the rainforests of South America, but there was no birdsong. No insect chatter. Aside from her own breath and footsteps the forest was utterly silent.
The silence unsettled Emma, usually that was a sign of dark creatures or vampires, but in the spirit world, the natural rules didn't apply. Even the trees appeared strange, with twisted trunks and gnarled branches. it reminded Emma of that chapter in The Divine Comedy (though Amalie said Dante got that wrong. Souls who end their own lives in despair don't become trees, Dante was going through a tough time.) Still,her imagination played tricks on her, and Emma swore she saw despaired faces within the tree trunks.
"Nedjem, are you sure we're in the right place?" Emma hurried beside Nedjem, gazing wearily at the translucent green leaves. The black cat padded in front of her, tail held high and ears perked in confidence. It seems as if she does. Nedjem turned around and headbutted Emma's leg, meowing loudly as to say 'pick up the pace!'
"All right I'm moving!" Emma huffed, picking up the pace. Above her the sky glowed cobalt and the aurora streaked across the stars in pink, green, and bright blue. Gateways to other realms. Emma wondered how often her mother traveled them before her exile. Amalie had been given that choice to return to her formal divinity, but rejected it to remain with her father. Emma knew she wouldn't be here if she hadn't made that choice. Neither her nor her children, nor Tera and Maria. Love is a very powerful thing, Emma silently mused. It can determine the fate of others.
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Castlevania Nocturne: A Sneak Peak
FanfictionA 'sneak peak' of a future series chronicling the events of Castlevania Nocturne following Emmaline Tepes and her mother as they watch over their descendant families in different ways. A work in progress. I just wanted to write the first chapter down
