Castlevania: Reunions

24: Stopping Carmilla

"Okay let's regroup" Stella says "I agree" Ruby says "And where should we regroup? We are almost at the castle" Trevor says "Way ahead of you" Ruby comments dryly "I'm about to knock on the front door" "We'll regroup at dad's current location, we'll hit them at night" Leon says "So I can't knock?" Ruby asks "I'm planning the stealth approach as we speak" "Ruby" Adrian warns her, but the worry in his voice makes her turn around instead of making a comment and she gets smashed away, rolling over the ground until she hits a tree "I-I'm okay" she says getting up slowly and she coughs up some blood, but they can only hear what's going on "Liar" Sypha mumbles before she says "Trevor, Adrian, we're surrounded" "Shit us as well" Gabriel says. They fight of the monsters and regroup at Dracula's castle "Now that everyone's here" Sypha says "Just spit it out already" "We need a tactical approach, not stealth" Trevor says making Ruby hug Rose tightly "Tactical won't work" Ruby says with a sigh "She has creatures everywhere, but the building is falling apart" "So we can take advantage of that" Adrian says "Ruby are you alright?" "I'll manage, I just have a bad feeling, that's all" "Last time you had a bad feeling was-" Trevor cuts himself off "When the estate burned down" Ruby finishes for him.

They use Vlad's mirror and Ruby looks at Lisa "Watch Rose please, maybe Vlad can train her while we're gone, to keep her distracted" "I'll ask him" Lisa says. When they arrive it's nearly midnight, Leon armed with the morning star whip and several silver daggers, Trevor somewhat carrying the same things, Sypha readies her spell while Ruby and Adrian shift into wolves, Stella opens the door with Gabriel and it's worryingly empty inside "Break it down" Stella says as she moves away and Sypha wastes no time whatsoever to tear the building apart "How smart" Carmilla says "Sadly enough that won't do anything" "Do you realize what will happen now if it becomes morning? You won't be able to go inside" Gabriel says and Ruby dashes forwards, but Carmilla dodges, only to be met with Adrian instead "I'm starting to wonder how much time they spend as a wolf" Stella says, trying to aim at the vampires, but she's shaking, she wouldn't admit it but she's scared "Deep breath, steady your feet, like that yeah" Gabriel says "And if you're afraid to hit them you will, focus on the target". Carmilla jumps up in the hopes of getting away, but an arrow hits her shoulder and soon another one finds it's target as well "This is too easy, way too easy" Sypha mumbles and she makes a huge ice shield behind them when the building gets destroyed even more.

Carmilla's not as good at fighting as Vlad, hell even Rose is better, but she has enough creatures to make up for that fact "There's no end to these things" Leon says "No kidding" Stella says "Trevor watch out!" Ruby yells and she blocks the claws coming down behind him with her arms and she hisses in pain before letting out a low growl "Oh oh" Sypha says seeing Trevor's eyes glow red and hers no doubt as well and Adrian kills the creature. They're greatly outnumbered and Gabriel swears that during a short break Stella let Ruby drink some blood, but they all deny it "How many are there?" Leon asks "If I knew that I'd tell you" Sypha says, but several arrows hit Isaac and Carmilla making the two turn towards a tree to see Stella and Ruby "I can't get a clear shot" Stella says "Aim a bit more to the right" Ruby says. They eventually come face to face with the two "A shame really" Carmilla says "This is pointless" Ruby counters "All you're doing is trying to be-" "I am protecting you from the rotten people in this world" Carmilla cuts her off "It's too late for that, you know that! We can't turn back time to prevent it, if we could and we would remember all of this you wouldn't have dumped me in the forest!" Ruby yells and the vampire falls quiet "So you either call of your troops or I'll kill you" she adds "Someone else can take Isaac I don't care, but something tell me-" "he's the reason this started" Trevor finishes "If I had told you what happened and that it was fine this wouldn't have happened" "Dracula has gone soft" Isaac says "The vampires need a strong leader" "He hasn't gone soft, he simply appreciates that he has his family" Gabriel says "However weird it is, do you know why Ruby hasn't killed Carmilla yet-" "I don't care" "Oh I think you care, you see Isaac, you don't have a family" Trevor says "And Ruby, who's the daughter of Carmilla and a Belmont has a lovely family" Sypha adds "Remind me to ask Hector how big the creatures can become" Gabriel says and the ground gives out, the two damphir's float down, both having grabbed someone else "I don't think these caves will hold in general" Trevor comments getting up "That's not the point, look she uses this to move the creatures" "We'll have to retreat for- Adrian, are you in wolf form?" "No" Adrian says and the group turns towards one of the entrances "Go I'll distract it" Ruby says, she was already injured anyway "You're coming too" Vlad says and he mentions to the portal.

"Why'd you bring her?" Stella asks seeing Carmilla "Cause she fell too and Trevor had a point for once, Isaac hasn't had an easy life, in his view everyone should die, the fact a dampir like Ruby can have a family annoys him as well" "What exactly are we going to do with her?" Sypha asks "Back in the dungeon" Lisa says "You all look terrible, get some sleep, you'll need it" "We'll keep an eye in Isaac's movements" Vlad says. Vlad panics when Rose her room, meaning Adrian's old room, is empty and he sees the door to Ruby's door open slightly and he smiles at what he sees, Rose has managed to get between her parents and Adrian has a protective arm around her and Ruby "Remember when we did that?" Lisa asks quietly "Yes, it was always after Adrian had a nightmare" Vlad says "Did you really not shut up about him though?" "No, I mean, come on, look at how cute they are" Lisa says "Besides, Ruby reminded me of him wasn't afraid to kill whoever got in our way, in the way of her dreams" "I see" Vlad says and he chuckles "Adrian just confronted me when I thought you were killed. I should've taken care of him" "How were you supposed to know I was alive?" "Ruby did disappear for a year, but my mirror never showed you" "Why were you watching her in the first place?", this makes Vlad stop walking "I guess in a way she did remind me of Adrian, both opposed me when no one else took it seriously" "I honestly thought I was going to die too, it didn't even fully register that I was alive until Ruby put me down on the grass outside the city" Lisa says and she smiles "Traveling was fun though" she adds "I still can't believe it" Vlad mumbles "I get why she would hide that you're alive there, but still" "And she killed the one responsible, in Gresit". While Vlad wants to talk to Carmilla and get that over with Lisa drags him towards the main hall "You haven't seen the new painting yet" "New painting?" Vlad asks "Yes, Hectot has taken up drawing and painting", the newest painting is from a while back, in the library, they were all reading something, well Ruby's trying to learn a new language from Vlad, but the other two are reading while Rose is handing around Lisa's neck, trying to understand the book. "I really like their family painting" Vlad says, Adrian has his arms around Ruby, who's holding Rose, all three are wearing formal clothes, but Adrian's wearing his signature coat. Their mansion has a lot more paintings, but the most important ones are kept in the castle "Ruby looked so happy to finally have a picture with her mother, although Carmilla's smiling too".