Castlevania: Of Darkness and Light

The Clouds Burst

"We saw you needed backup." I blasted a whole through a vampire's skull.

"They keep coming!"  Greta seethed. "Remember to pace yourself angel!"

"Got it." I sighed. I grimaced, the headache once thrumming in the recesses of my brain now bursting up in full force.  "What's wrong?" Greta demanded shocked.

"Nothing! I'll be fine." I gritted my teeth at the castle towers with an idea flickering in my mind.

"Tell the archers to ready their bows." I bellowed in my divine voice, getting the vampires' attention. "Hey bloodsuckers! Wanna piece of me!?"  The vampires turned my direction bearing their teeth.

"Well come and get me!! " I sped off across the battlefield towards the castle. "An all you can eat heavenly buffet !!" The group of vampires sped after me, leaving the night creatures to my allies.

"My God she really is the mother of all Belmonts." Alucard gaped with a slight tinge to his cheeks. Demons fell at his blade.

"Has she gone mad?" Greta watched in disbelief, still fighting creatures.

"I don't think so." Alucard gazed at the hidden archers. "At the Vampires! Don't hit my angel!!"

When I got close to the castle, I whispered sharply at the archers and signaled. "Now!!" I held up a force-field as arrows rained down, silver heads and dipped with salt. The vampires fell like apples.

The shield dispersed when I cried out, nearly dropping my staff as my headache blared in a vengeance. Feeling like I took a blow to the head, I almost fell off, gripping my head in pain.The unicorn neighed, tossing his head as the glyphs on his horn blazed. My own markings  beamed brightly, burning my skin.

My headache resurfaced a hidden memory. I've felt this once before. "Oh no..." My voice is faint and wiry.  I kicked the unicorn leading him with all urgency to the castle gates.

"Where are you going!?" Greta called to me while battling night creatures.  Alucard screamed my name. I ignored them, galloping faster than I've ever gone before, passing the startled cries of the humans waiting for the fight and through the dark castle halls.

To the Western Wing. Alucard's childhood room.

The unicorn halted full stop, nearly throwing me off his back. He screamed and stomped his hooves, ears pinned back as he bared his teeth. I dismounted him, the throbbing now competing with the familiar thrum in the back of my head.

Around me the castle halls glowed ominous red, stirring up subconscious memories of a night not so long ago, yet in another lifetime. A cobblestone in the wall burned at my touch, yet  I braced myself and hauled it off anyway.  My stomach dropped seeing the symbol burning in the wall, no longer concealed.

The alchemical sign of  Saturn.

"No." I gasped barely able to catch my breath."That bastard! That fucking bastard I should have kept better tabs on him I knew he was bad news!!" My head swam from the realization of a graver danger none could have perceived, a hundred times worse than the invading army the damned. "Not again."I struggled to speak through heavy breathing. "Not again! They'll all-!!"

Alucard's voice was a faint echo despite standing at my side. I barely noticed him, hunched over supporting myself with a hand on the wall hyperventilating. My staff dropped to my feet.

"I'm here my love." He firmly held my hand. "You're safe." His touch lowered my heart-rate and breathing. I steadily inhaled through my nose and exhaled out my mouth. "I'm in the western corridor with my friends."

Breathe in...............out.

"Alucard is here, so is Greta, and the unicorn is here too. He's shining in a silvery light."