Castlevania: Of Darkness and Light

Acts Of Kindness

"Like hell you will!! I'll strangle you first!" The man's breath reeked of alcohol. "Did the good old judge send you to spy on us?"

"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!" I snarled at him. "I just wanted to ask for directions! Damn!! Why are people such assholes!?"

"Trevor let her go!" A woman pushed him off me. "Forgive him. He's tired, angry, and very drunk."

"I can see by that." I snapped, nauseous by the strong alcohol scent. "And smell it." I stood firmly holding my staff and staring at the young woman. She had the same friendly air as the ill fated farmers, garbed in a large blue cloak with short blond hair and sweet blue eyes. I knew I could trust her. Familiarity stirred within my mind at the sight of her robes. Have I seen them before? I tried to grab at the memory but it slipped through my grasp like wet eels.

"What are you doing sneaking around up here?" She asked.

"Yes, what were you you doing sneaking up here like a little fox?" Her companion grumbled, giving me a steely gaze. "I'm lost. I thought maybe I could find someone to ask for directions. Can you help me?"

"Of course." The blue robed woman said amiably. "Well....maybe, that depends on if we know where you're going."

I was about to answer but held my tongue. If it was just her I would've been honest about my destination, but her grizzled drunkard companion kept giving me the stink eye."Do you know where the closest town is?"

"Oh sure." she smiled. "Keep following the road, just stay on the path and you won't miss it." "I nodded."

Thank you. I'll be on my way." I was about to trek down the hill when the drunk called me. "Wait!" I turned around, gripping my staff ready to crack him in the skull if he tried anything.

"You're not from around here, I can smell the naïveté off you. If I were you I'd bypass that shit-ridden village and go on your merry way to wherever you're heading." He shrugged, the alcohol scent wafting off him.

"Trevor she can't!" The robed woman countered. "It's getting dark and the demons are most active at night! She should stay with us."

"Absolutely fucking not." Trevor growled. "The last thing we need is an extra mouth to feed and a wide eyed puppy slowing us down."

"You Trevor Belmont are a selfish-!"

"It's okay." I cut in. "He's right, I'll only slow you down and be an extra burden." I sighed. "Besides, the last people who were kind enough to take me in suffered a terrible fate."

"All the better reason not to." Trevor scoffed, getting a sharp elbow from his companion. "You are a pain." He growled at her, approaching me. He took a scabbard from his belt and handed it to me. "If you must travel the big bad world by yourself, you should at least carry a weapon."

I pulled out the weapon from its scabbard. "A dagger." I remarked intrigued.

"Smart one aren't you?" Trevor smirked. "You know how to use one?"

"I've never held a knife before." I told him honestly.

"It's easy. Just stab them with the pointy end." Trevor instructed. "But don't go taking it out in the middle of town. Wouldn't want to cause a fight that'll break that pretty face of yours." I thanked them both as the wished them good luck. Not before asking the woman her name.

"Sypha." She said happily.

"Nice to meet you Sypha." I smiled. "Something tells me we'll meet again someday."

I didn't walk far when I saw a sprawling town just over the hilltop, surrounded by barren farmland and bubbling mills. I nearly collapsed on my bottom from overpowering relief, the strength in my legs resurged and the soreness swept away as I raced down the road, heart bursting with joy as each footstep I took led closer to civilization.

I walked into the bustling streets, thriving with rustic people and smelling of earth, metal, and manure. Yellow Tudor-style houses with thatched roofs and smoking chimneys, cobbled roadways busy with carts, horses, and a rush of busy inhabitants. Rows of stables full to the brim with livestock neighed mooed, clucked, and snorted in the mingling of human conversation.

Somewhere off a bard played his jubilant strings and in another avenue, a blacksmith clanged away on a newly forged sword. In the windows above the houses inhabitants called out to the people down below who shouted back in joyous response, some occasionally shouting out a clear warning before dumping out pots of murky water into the canals beneath their window (So foul smelling! No wonder Trevor called it shit- ridden.).

I took everything in as I wandered through the streets, every sight, sound, and smell as I passed through avenues and turned corners, gaping astonished at my surrounding and at the people who hurried by. They all smelled dirty, I wrinkled my nose, and their clothes looked as if they haven't been washed in days.

I passed by dozens of stands, each one selling individual products as their overseers shouted out their prices and beckoned others to check out their wares. Various fruits, crop, and grain lined the stands. Freshly caught fish prickled the air in and in another fine jewelry was being sold. Hmm, one of those things was not like the others I thought to myself amused but what startled me was the hanging meat from the stand to my right, carved and flayed. Slabs of meat lay on the table swarmed by flies and I saw a huge hanging carcass of what looked to be a skinned deer. That didn't look very appetizing to me.

"Some apples please." I politely asked the vendor at the fruit stand. All this walking and excitement made me hungry.

"Got coin for that?" The women selling them stared at me completely bewildered."

"No." I answered honestly.

"Off with you then!" She shooed me away.

"Fine." I shrugged heading to the center of town. Somebody's gotta know how to get to the castle. "Excuse me, but do you know how I can get to Castle Dracula?" I asked a robed priest.

"Away with your ill talk!" He dismissed me and crossed himself. I shrugged, clenching my gut in hunger as I watched the sun set. I went to the nearest inn and asked for a bed. When the innkeeper asked if I had coin to pay, I said no. "If I can get money I can pay."

"That's your problem not mine. If you got no money to spend stop wasting my time."

"She can stay with me." A drunk man grinned.

"Oy I'll take her." Cackled another.

I quickly left the inn, finding a secluded spot in the corner of the square to sit down and taking out the last of my food. Eating the bread and fruits from my bag as I hopelessly watched the people go by. Few of them gave me a dismissive look while the rest ignored me. I slumped against the side of a wall. I'm never gonna find this goddamned Castle if nobody will help me.

I reached for my knife when a shadow stood over me. "You shouldn't be out here my child." An elderly voice speaks. "The night grows dark and the demons will emerge, but it is the human beasts that are the most imminent danger. Vagrants roam these streets at night, and a young woman like you is a prime target."

"I don't have much of a choice." I hissed. "I have no money for even an apple, let alone a bed at the Inn." I noticed he was wearing the same blue robes as Sypha. "You're a Speaker." I covered my mouth. Wait a minuet, why did I just figure that name?

"That I am." The old man smiled. "I am the Elder Speaker." He helped me up. "Come, let me take you to a place where there is good company. You look exhausted in body and mind. I can tell you're deeply troubled."

I took up his offer, something in my gut told me I could trust him.