Castlevania: Of Darkness and Light

Infiltration

"We'll find the cure and save him. Don't give up hope."

I nodded, comforted by the Speaker's words and her presence.

"There's something else I've noticed about you." Sypha added perkily. "About your eyes."

"What about them?" I asked nervously.

"Nothing wrong.  Your eyes hold an innocence as if you're experiencing the world for the first time, an innocence unclouded by hate, and perhaps you are since you don't remember your life before, yet at the same time they hold an immeasurable wisdom of an old soul. I've only seen one or the other in a person's eyes, never both at once."

"That's pretty interesting." I remarked. "And it makes sense, I sometimes remember things I believe are of my old life, but I'm also gaining experience of the world with new eyes. Hopefully when it's all said and done I can still see with eyes unclouded by hate."

The next morning we set off after recapping our plan, walking through town as a curious trio. People watched us as we left, the strangest thing was they were mostly looking at me and I had no clue why. I didn't look any stranger than the Speaker magician or the monster hunter. What made the young woman in weathered traveler's clothes  and muddied boots with a simple walking staff stick out? I met the eyes of an old priest who  gazed at me in awe before crossing himself and praising above.

"Heading off are you?" Zamfir approached us with her entourage. I kept a stern face and gripped my staff. This bitch better not give us trouble because I am not in the mood for it. 

"We're just helping our friend out." Trevor said undaunted. "We should return soon, I trust you can keep your city in top shape while we're gone." I suppressed a chuckle before it escaped my throat, causing Zamfir to glare at me. I responded with a glare of equal heat, making her visibly flinch back. Hate is not the same as wanting someone to eff off, at least not in this case.  I walked on with my companions smugly.

We followed the trail marked by the girl on the other side of the map and waited until midday, when their magic was at its weakest, and the ward brought down like a deactivated force field. I still think we didn't have to wait until midday until the shield went down.  

"Even if we chose to infiltrate the fortress by force, it is still easier and far safer when the Whisperers are out and about practicing their magic and collecting materials for alchemy, and there is less of a presence at the fortress should a conflict arise. They won't expect a break in during the middle of the day." Sypha assured me. "Don't worry, we've still got time."

"Less time." I sighed. "I hope he can hold on for another day."

"It's a miracle he's holding on at all." Trevor remarked. "Plaguemaster bite. Nobody's ever  survived more than a few hours from one, and that's a mercy. I've seen how it goes down, their blood turns black from poison that spreads across the body putrefying the flesh, and the victim is rendered comatose, feeling their body rot while remembering all the regrets in their life. One of the worst ways to die."

"Trevor you are not helping!" Sypha snapped at him.

"What? I'm not going to give her a false hope." Trevor replied curtly. He turned to me. "Look kid, I know you wanna save your loved one, I understand it, but be prepared even if we succeed, it might be too late. He might already be dead."

"No." I refused to believe it. "We've still got time, she said he'd hold on for three days."

"No human being can survive a Plaguemaster's venom for three days."

" He can! Alucard's not a normal human being, he's already held on much longer than-." I covered my mouth doubling back in wide eyed shock. The same expression mirrored in my companions.