Castlevania: Of Darkness and Light

The Healing Garden

Anger flared in my heart. "They were idiots for doing that." I clenched my knuckles. "The Big  Boss gave her a gift of knowledge and the willpower to use it to help people. He sent her to help them and they destroyed her! He was furious about what happened there, told us not to intervene when Dracula's horde's laid waste to the village."

Just like that the memory vanished with my words. "Oh shit!" I wrung my hair. "I did it again!  Why is it I when  remember something it goes away?"

"Easy." Alucard touched my arm in a calm voice. "At least your memory is trying to resurface. Perhaps there is hope you may regain it." He gave me an odd smile. "Seems you were once a very important person, and you still are now."

"It just sucks." I groaned. "Bits of it come back to me and fade away just when I'm trying to understand them."

"I understand." Alucard said in sympathy. "Do not let it frustrate you too much. A little is better than nothing."

"I know." I shrugged. "Thanks for being patient with me." I leaned my head on his shoulder. "It's nice not being alone anymore." Alucard flinched and his skin went warm, causing me to flinche away. "Sorry!" My cheeks flushed. "I should know better than to do that. The Speakers are very touchy feely I shouldn't expect anyone else-."

"It's all right." Alucard smiled warmly. "You never have to apologize for wanting to be close to someone, especially after being alone." He gestured me to come closer and I happily did, once again leaning against his shoulder. "Tell me. What have you've been reading in the library?"

"Lots of things." I answered with a strange bliss. "Mostly geography, the history of other countries. There's a specific place I've been reading much about that I would really love to see."

"Ah and where is that."

"The city of Florence." I said wistfully. "On the Italian peninsula. It's so beautiful there, and the city is full of scientists and sculptures, and many brilliant minds. The people are learning to live in the future, without the medieval misery plaguing the rest of the continent."

"Florence is a marvelous city." Alucard agreed. "My father once visited  the rulers of the city one. Florence is a republic, it's not ruled by a king, rather a wealthy family."

"I know!" I piped eagerly. "The Medici. They sound like very interesting people, they're using their wealth and power to help their people."

"As any good rulers should." Alucard remarked. "He made a pretty good impression on them, in fact many of my mother's instruments were gifts from the Medici." I gazed at him astonished. "I would love to visit Florence one day."

"Perhaps we shall." Alucard responded in optimism.

"You would come with me?"

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

I don't know why but, that made my face flush heated red. I immediately stood up and backed away strangely embarrassed. "Can you show me what each of these plants are for? I think it'd good to learn how to make medicine."

"Of course." Alucard stood up and walked with me through the well kept garden, pointing out the different plants and their medical uses. I was paying attention to him, but I was also trying to figure out the strange fluttering sensation in my gut. I hope it's  something one of these herbs treat.

"Come, there is something else I want to show you." I followed Alucard into a gilded room full of scientific tools, books, a great telescope rising like a small tower, and a massive astrolabe floating above showing the accurate representation of the solar system humans have yet to learn.

"Whoa." I gawked amazed. "I've never seen anything like this! What is this place!?"

"This is a laboratory for science and research." Alucard presented. "It once belonged my father who bequeathed it to my mother." He stepped in front of me and bowed, stretching out his arm to the laboratory. "And now it's yours."

"No way." I gasped. "Alucard, I can't. I wouldn't know a thing to do here!"

"You will in time." Alucard smiled with a glimmer in his gilded eyes. "There are many books, and I trust you will not blow up the castle in curious experimentation. I see it in your eyes these tools are not unfamiliar to you. You look upon them in disbelief that they are here, not of fearful unknown. I believe you are capable of preserving what I feared was lost."

"You think so much of me........." I clutched my fist to my heart. " I'll learn the ways of science and use its knowledge responsibly, in time." I turned to him at loss for words except for. "Thank you."

"It is my pleasure." Alucard lowered his head and nodded. His eyes caught something behind me as they glimmered with tears. "She would have liked you."

I turned around and noticed a portrait hanging on the opposite wall of the laboratory's former owner. I saw her in her son, but a strange part of my brain stirred in eerie recognition. I think she already does.