Castlevania: The Fairy

Chapter One

For a traveller like Zena, it was imperative for her to be equipped with a fur cloak. The large article of clothing works like magic against the cold, especially on the evening whenever she finds herself devoid of a soft bed to sleep on and have to opt for the ample softness of the ground, beneath the shade of a tree. Lucky for her, she's always wearing the fur coat a couple from months ago had given to her when she fixed their wagon.

Unlucky for her, it was currently raining. Fur coats are shit against the rain. In fact, they are the worst protection against a downpour because, frankly, they offer not even a sliver of protection. The fur is the first to get wet, then the cloak, and by the time the cloak is wet, the fur is soaking. Zena felt like she was keeping a dead, dripping, wet animal around her neck.

Zena thought that the large tree she chose would be enough to cover her from the slight rain that began just an hour after sundown, but the slight rain turned into so heavy that Zena felt like she had found herself underneath a rushing waterfall. Alarmed and freezing, Zena had to rush from her cover—which did nothing to cover her at all—and started running.

The nearest town was a day away behind her now. She had been so confident that she would reach the next town in less a day's journey but she did not anticipate the rampant number of night creatures waiting for lonely travellers such as her, so she decided to find refuge for the night, securing the perimeter first. She didn't bother to check the weather, though. If only she knew maybe—maybe—

Maybe she wouldn't be standing in front of this big ass castle—who the fuck owns this large of a castle, anyway? Zena guessed it had to be a king's castle. Not even town mayors owned this large of an estate. An emperor, perhaps? Lightning sliced through the sky for a little moment and then she saw it. Two dead bodies, one on either side of the castle. Both were dressed in a white night gown, their bodies kept upright by a large stick going in then out of their mouths.

Zena gulped. The rain pelted her harder. She had to make a decision now. Take shelter inside this castle whose owner obviously placed dead bodies in front because they didn't like visitors, or lounge outside and wait until the rain wash away her sorrows and hopefully her stupidity too that lead to this situation. She really had to invest on a horse next time.

She decided on the former and went running to the castle. The doors loomed over her like towers, like the mouth of a large beast ready to eat her whole and swallow without even trying to grind her on its teeth. Even when she stood by the front doors, she was already covered from the rain, but it didn't do anything against the chill of the weather.

She removed the wet cloak and bundled it up on one arm. The cold was worse now, gusts of winds licking every exposed skin she had; her neck, her ears, her face, and her fingers. She couldn't stay outside, she would freeze to death.

"Knock, knock," she sheepishly said as her knuckles tapped against the metal doors of the castle. No one answered, thank God. She was half expecting for a loud, thunderous voice to answer. She pushed both doors with both hands and, obviously, not even a surprise to her, they didn't budge.

"Time to use some magic," she put both hands together and rubbed them for a while, waiting for them to heat up. Then she raised her hands, her palms facing the doors just a few inches away. Suddenly, from the small space between her palms and the door, an image of a clockwork manifested, glowing a bright yellow. She closed her left palm and the wheels started turning and slowly moved to the sides to reveal a clock of similar colour, both the big and small hand pointing at the number twelve. With her right hand, she used two fingers and started making circular motions going to the left. On cue, the big hand on the clock started turning along the same motion.

Suddenly, the door began to move, but only very slightly. Zena smiled, proud of herself, but she knew this was going to happen. She continued the motion with her right fingers until the door opened wide enough for her to walk through. She didn't need it to open all the way, she wasn't bringing along a wagon or caravan behind her. Just here wet self, and the damned fur cloak.

When she brought her hands down, the glowing clockwork disappeared and she was engulfed in the darkness. But compare to the shadows breeding from the castle, the outside seemed a whole lot paler and better lighted. Zena was stuck again. Should she enter this strange castle with two dead bodies right in front of it? Or waste her effort of opening the gargantuan of a door and turn into an ice block?

"Fuck it, it's not like Dracula is going to be inside." She said before stepping inside.

Oh, if only you knew.